3 Simple Computer Maintenance Tips Everybody Should Know
Technology advances so fast and eventually, your computer will become obsolete. The average lifespan of a computer is around 4 or 5 years, after which it will start to slow down and you won’t be able to run new software. At this point, it may be time to replace your old computer, but that is an expense that you could do without.
If you want to save yourself some money, you need to make your computer last as long as possible before it is completely useless to you, which is why maintenance is so important. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know how to maintain their computer and they end up replacing it when they don’t really need to. These are some of the simple computer maintenance tips that everybody should know.
Clean It
One of the main reasons that computers start to slow down and overheat is that they are filled with dust. Over time, dust gets into the fan and clogs it up, which means that the computer doesn’t cool itself properly and the components do not work properly because they are too hot. The good news is, you can prevent this with regular cleaning, and it’s not as hard as you think. If you take a can of compressed air, you can use this to blow out any dust that is building up inside. If possible, you can remove the casing so you can get into the areas that you can’t reach from the outside.
Remove Old Files and Applications
Clearing the storage on your computer will make a big difference as well, so you should do this every few months or so. Duplicate files fill up a lot of space on your hard drive and slow your computer down, so you should get rid of them first. Check out these tips to help you find and remove duplicate files quickly. Once the duplicates are dealt with, go through the rest of your files and clear out anything that you don’t need. If there are things that you want to keep but don’t need on a regular basis, like old photos, move these onto an external storage device or save them in the cloud. This is a lot easier if you have an organized folder system on the computer.
You also need to remove old applications that you don’t use anymore because they waste a lot of space. Look through the list of all of the programs that you have installed and any that you haven’t used in the last 6 months can be deleted.
Install Updates
When your computer prompts you to do an update, do you click the option to do it later? Most people do because it’s inconvenient to update when you need to use the computer. However, if you neglect updates, your computer will start running very slowly and it also increases your chance of getting a virus because updates usually include increased security protections. It’s important that you keep your computer updated so, even if you haven’t been prompted, do a manual check for updates and install the latest version of the operating system.
These simple computer maintenance tips will help to extend the lifespan of your computer and save you a lot of money in the future.