You can’t imagine a comfortable life without a computer as most of us use it on a daily basis.
The computer has become more than a necessity from paying bills to passing times. It helps us to stay productive, and for professional work, it’s much needed.
In our lives, computers have become an essential part, and we must take care of them as we do for ourselves.
If you notice that your computer takes more time to boot, hangs, and freezes, know that it’s time to do some cleaning.
Don’t perform maintenance only when the computer shows symptoms but also do regularly.
It helps the computer run for longer period of time.
Electronic devices do slow down after a couple of years of usage, but you don’t need always to pay to speed it up.
Now, there are a couple of ways by which you can maintain the computer, speed it up, and keep it running for more time.
Read along, as you will know why computer maintenance is necessary and how you can do it yourself.
Why you should perform computer maintenance
Detect issues before they occur
As computers are machines, a small technical issue can cause huge problems in the future.
With frequent computer maintenance you can fix issues before they become a significant problem.
Especially if your computer is new, you might want to keep it that way. So, by doing regular maintenance, you can keep your computer fresh for long.
Prevent any virus attack
Threats are always looking for opportunities to get into the system, steal or destroy data.
New viruses are rising, waiting to attack your computer both in the online and offline world. And because of the daily work, we might not be aware when a virus gets inside the system.
If a virus infects the system, you will need to bear heavy losses. But by regular virus checks and maintenance, threats can be kept away.
The computer speeds up
Do you like slow running computers? Nobody does. It’s frustrating when the computer operates slowly.
With so many years of usage and data stored up, computers tend to run slow.
But by optimizing and maintaining the computer, you can speed up its processing and keep it running for more years.
Makes software run efficiently
If your computer is already some software doesn’t run properly. Also, if there is outdated software on your computer, it won’t run.
If you regularly do computer maintenance and fix software issues, the applications will run smoothly next time.
Prevent the loss of data
Computers that are not appropriately maintained can break down at any time. If that happens, you might lose important files and data.
Data losses can bring havoc and loss in your life. But by doing regular backups, you can prevent such unimaginable situations.
Backups are also a part of computer annual maintenance, and it keeps your files secure.
You know now how important computer maintenance is, and if you’re wondering what the ways you can do it are, then read along.
Below we have provided a couple of ways you can do regular computer maintenance free of cost.
Do these things to maintain your computer and improve its performance.
Perform a regular backup of your data
Do you remember when the last time you backed up your data was?
Data backup is important because data loss scenarios are uncertain. One day your hard drive will fail, and all your important data will be lost.
The most popular method is cloud backup, but you can even backup to an external hard drive. But I would recommend you to backup your data in both ways.
Even cloud sync is good; Google and Microsoft provide such services. You can sync your data in real-time.
In the end, whenever you get the opportunity, make sure you backup the important files and documents.
It will help to recover important data if you face any data loss scenario in the future.
Clean all the dust from your computer
Desktop computers are known to collect dust, which makes it dirty and reduces its performance and life span.
The dust in your computer traps heat, which results in reducing the system performance. It is not recommended to keep the computer dirty.
You can blow out the dust from inside your computer using an air compressor and wipe the outside using a cloth (not wet).
Whenever you see that your computer is dusty, take your time and clean it up.
Open up the CPU, check loose wires, and whether or not the fan is spinning. Make sure you carefully clean the inside compartment.
Along with the computer, clean its surroundings, the keyboard, and the monitor. Turn the keyboard upside down to take out dirt debris.
Regularly run virus scans
If you often work online, there are high chances of attracting viruses on the internet. To prevent such malicious things, you must install an antivirus.
Always go for the antivirus, which offers advanced security features and comprehensive protection.
Once you install an antivirus, regularly run full system scans and remove detected viruses. Also, keep the antivirus up-to-date to get better protection.
With protection, you must follow safety measures while surfing the internet. Keep yourself away from malicious websites and links.
Clean up “bloated” software
When your computer gets filled with too much software, it can run slow. Also, there can be software which you have never used but is eating up your space.
The software which you don’t use immediately removes them from the computer. Not only software but files, documents which are simply consuming space, remove them too.
When your computer’s memory and space is free, it will perform better.
Keep everything up-to-date
Outdated software and the system doesn’t run properly and shows error. An update can possibly fix the bugs and issues.
So, whenever there is an update, make sure you download and install it.
If you face any issues with software or hardware, a bug may be causing that problem. In such cases, the first thing you should do is an update.
Check the manufacturer’s website or go to Settings to update to the newest stable versions.
Keeping everything updates helps the system to run more efficiently.