Buying a computer still isn’t as cheap as everyone would like it to be and even a small problem in the hardware or software of your home computer can represent the loss of all your personal data on it as well as a huge bill. However, these handy tricks can help you reduce computer problems and keep your system running cleanly and smoothly for a long while.
How to keep hardware problem free
1. Keep your computer dust free
Dust is the number one enemy of your computer and peripherals. But dust is near unavoidable and we do not recommend keeping your computer system covered in plastic either. However, daily cleaning of all exterior surfaces and a quarterly cleaning inside the shells of your setup can help prevent hardware troubles in the long run.
2. Power management
Having your computer plugged directly into an electrical socket in the wall can leave it exposed to the risk of short circuits or crashes in case of power surges or power failures. Using a UPS or a power strip with auto cut can help prevent electrical problems for your home computer.
3. Heat management
Keeping a computer cool is also very important as over time, the machine may become prone to overheating which in turn can cause major hardware failure. Keep your CPU in a well ventilated place and do not cover it. To keep your laptops cool, use a stand with perforations at the bottom or use a cooling pad to keep your machine from overheating.
How to keep software problem free
1. Partition and backup
As a rule, the first thing you need to do when you first get a new computer is to create partitions in the HDD. Leave the drive with Windows in it free of personal data and store data it on other drives. Then, you need to create a backup of your entire system, including Windows on an external disc. Also remember to keep backing up your system on a regular basis.
2. Protection
After the initial setup, you need to install the best anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-spyware suite that you can afford. The ones included in your Windows suite are good enough though there are plenty of free options in the market as well.
2. Updates
Unlike previous version of Windows, Windows 7 and up need to be up to date to function optimally. Ideally, you should set the default updater to automatic and restart your computer at least once a day to finish the installation of these updates.
3. Maintenance
Over time, computers slow down and it’s nothing to be too alarmed about. However, a few simple maintenance tricks can ensure that your machine still performs well enough. These are:
a) Only set the most important programs to “run at startup”. This will reduce the boot time for your computer.
b) Clean and defragment all local disks at least once a week and schedule disk checks for every two weeks.
c) Don’t tinker with Windows settings and the registry unless you know what you are doing.
d) Remember to create system restore points before installing any new software or hardware.
