Your computer is running a bit slower than usual. Not long after that, it became even slower. You try to run a program, but it wouldn’t start. Your computer stopped responding. No matter what you do, you can’t seem to get anything to work. It even does not depend on Computer Brands. All of a sudden, the computer turned off by itself. You pressed the power button, and it turns on. But not long after that, it turned off by itself again. You tried pressing the power button again, and now it won’t even turn on.
No, it’s not a ghost story. There’s actually a very logical explanation for this.
To put it bluntly, your computer is broken.
Don’t panic; this is actually a very common occurrence for many people all over the world who have used a computer before. The scenario above is pretty much the worst-case scenario of what could happen… if you did not maintain your computer.
Your computer may experience one of the aforementioned symptoms, and it’s probably a good idea to start doing some servicing before things take a turn for the worse. It’s better to spend your time maintaining your computer than to spend around… $800 buying a new computer because your old one was broken, right?
8 Tips to Do Maintenance on Your Computer:
1. Clear Up Your Recycle Bin
When was the last time you touched that thing?
Just because you’ve thrown off files into your Recycle Bin does not mean it’s no longer in your computer. It’s still there, taking up your computer’s valuable hard drive space. Ever tried looking inside a trash can that nobody bothered to clear up after a few years of taking in the trash? It gets clogged up, full and fat with useless stuff you don’t need anymore. The same thing happens to your computer, and when your computer is full of trash and junk, there is no more space to put in something more valuable or useful.
See Also: How to Improve MacBook Performance
2. Remove Temporary Files
They don’t delete themselves.
Same deal with the files in the Recycle Bin. Files that are created before the current day are temporary files with an extension .tmp. These files use a great space in the computer hard drive. It is best to delete all *.tmp before running ScanDisk and Defragmenter to save on time.
Related: 8 Ways to Improve Laptop Performance
3. Delete Cache Files and Check Browser History
They pile up whenever you use the Internet.
Make sure that the user history files and Internet cache settings are properly set within the cache size. Deleting the cache files will speed up the download activities from the Web since more space will become available to store the temporary files. And don’t forget to delete the temporary files when you’re done with them; they’re useless now.
WARNING!
This is important; read it!
Avoid running a registry cleaner! A ‘registry’ is an important part of your computer data that keeps it running correctly. Deleting a broken or unused registry will not give any noticeable increase in performance for your computer. Even worse, registry cleaners often identify important registries as junk and will try to delete them. This would cause a plethora of complications for your computer’s database, such as programs will not run correctly, files and data would be messed up, the operating system would go wonky, or worse, the computer itself would cease to function at all!
Also Read: How Will Artificial Intelligence Change the Future in Society?
4. Run ScanDisk and Disk Defragmenter
It will help you a lot…
Your computer gets messy after a while, and sometimes files would get broken or messed up. You need to fix them, sort them back to where they belong so that your computer can find them faster and use them faster. Your computer will run more efficiently. It’s like spring cleaning!
For older windows, I highly recommend Auslogics Disk Defragmenter. It is a free product that does all the functions that the in-built disk defragmenter does but faster. However, for those using Windows 7, your computer automatically defrags itself whenever it becomes idle, so getting a disk defragmenter is slightly redundant. However, it doesn’t hurt to be just a bit more prepared.
5. Always Make a Backup of All Your Files
In case your computer dies off anyway…
It is better to be prepared than to be sorry for losing your files. Save all your important files on a disk, an external hard drive, a flash drive, or an SD card so you won’t regret it if your computer does flunk out.
Related: Best Free Backup Software Tools for Windows
6. Update Drivers & Install Security Patches
You don’t want an outdated driver on your computer.
It is best to install the latest drivers for your computer devices, such as printers, sound cards, video cards, and modems. Also, if you need to update your driver, it’s best to go to the official website of the hardware and download the latest driver from there, instead of using the computer’s in-built hardware driver updater. Also, keep your Windows or Mac PC updated with the latest security patches.
7. Run Antivirus Every Week
Don’t forget to scan for malware and spyware too.
This nasty stuff can sometimes sneak into your computer without you even knowing it, slowing down and potentially destroying your computer! They can come from anywhere, from the Internet to your friend’s USB drive. Take precautions against them, install an antivirus, malware, and spyware program to protect your computer against them and stop oversharing. Do a periodic scan about once a week to keep your computer clean and healthy from those little invaders.
I highly recommend the free version of avast! Antivirus for any casual computer user. I also recommend Malwarebytes for anti-malware and Spybot Search & Destroy for anti-spyware. They are all free products that can effectively protect your computer just as well as their paid counterparts.
Related: Free vs Paid Antivirus: Should I Get a Paid or Free Antivirus?
8. Clean Up Your Computer
A dirty computer is a bad computer!
Over time your computer will collect dust and rubbish. All those stuff can collect and clog up your computer, blocking the airway for the fan cooling, cover up important parts, and prevent heat from escaping; dusty computers can overheat the computer and break it down. Dust in computers can also cause short circuits and could potentially catch your computer on fire. You know what, try opening up your computer case for once. Get a can of compressed air and blow the dustout. Get a piece of cloth and a chemical cleaner and wipe the screen off the dust clean. When was the last time you looked inside your computer? If it’s seriously messy, clean it out.
Hope you liked these computer maintenance tips! If you have any questions or suggestions, please use the comment box below.
