Technology

Follow These 5 Computer Care Tips to Keep It Running Longer

Computer Care Tips

Computer care are a big investment. You want to make sure that you’re keeping yours in tip-top condition so that you get your money’s worth. If you only get a year or two out of a device that cost you nearly $1,000 dollars, what’s the point?

How can you keep your computer in good condition? What kind of computer care should you be applying so that your computer runs as well as it did the day you got it? 

Let’s talk about it. 

Keep reading to learn all about how to protect and preserve your computer so that you can use it for years to come!

1. Keep Your Food Away

Look, we know it’s tempting to take your snack with you to your computer. Maybe you want to work through lunch. Maybe you just want to play games while also snacking on your favorite foods or having a glass of wine. 

Listen to these words of wisdom: try not to.

Everyone is fine with eating and drinking around their laptop or desktop until they’re not.

If you have a desktop this is a much less expensive risk. Getting crumbs in the keyboard or dousing it with water can often be fixed.

If not, replacing the laptop is inexpensive unless you have something fancy (in which case you’ve learned an expensive lesson).

If you’re using a laptop, this is a harder fix, if it can be fixed at all. 

Getting food in your keyboard can damage it, and getting into the crevices is much harder with a laptop keyboard than an external keyboard. Spilling a drink or soup onto the keyboard can fry the laptop completely or at least result in a fix that may cost as much as a new computer.

It’s better to be safe than sorry. Do your best to keep your food away. 

2. Use an Antivirus

Did you know that cybercrime-related costs are projected to reach 6 trillion dollars soon? Don’t become one of the victims. 

Downloading a reliable antivirus is a great way to protect your computer with minimal effort. You just pick a name that you can recognize, make sure that it offers the protection that you want, and get started.

You have to be careful here. Many people opt for free antivirus programs. This isn’t a bad choice on its own, but you should be aware of programs that are actually scams or viruses within themselves. 

Always read reviews and do your research before downloading any kind of antivirus software. It also helps you to know what kind of protection is offered and if this software will cover your specific needs.

3. Always Get Your Updates

Do you know those annoying notifications that pop up on your screen every day or so? The ones that you mindlessly click “remind me later” on? 

We get it. We do the same thing.

This is a good habit to break, though. Those annoying little boxes are notifying you of important updates to your system. Those updates are often full of general “quality of life” fixes as well as important security updates.

When new security threats are detected by developers, they work in patches to your system. These are introduced through system updates. They may help your computer run better as well. 

Always update MacOS, Windows, or whatever system that you’re operating under. It will be a bit of an annoyance but it’s worth it to keep your computer safe and running well. 

4. Keep Vents and Fans Clear

Does your computer ever make a sound that makes you think that it’s struggling to say alive? 

The fans start whirring and you close any open programs because you’re nervous that it might overheat or shut down. Is this a dangerous noise?

Well, not really. The computer is working harder to keep itself cool. This can happen when you’re running programs that are a bit out of the computer’s comfort zone as far as ability goes. 

One of the best ways to make sure that you’re doing everything that you can to keep your computer “healthy” is clearing out dust and grime from your vents and fans.

In serious cases, this might be something for professionals. In most cases, though, you can do it yourself with some determination and a can of compressed air. 

5.Computer care-Decluttering: Good for Your Computer Too

Decluttering is good for the home and the mind, but did you know that it’s also good for your computer? 

Your computer only has a finite amount of memory. When it starts to fill up, it has to work harder to perform functions that used to be simple. Your computer will slow down over time as junk builds up in its memory. 

What do you do about this? 

You can download programs that tell you how much memory is currently being used. Then, go in and see what can be deleted. These same programs can also tell you how much of the memory is just accumulated junk files that aren’t serving you. These files can be picked up by browsing sites.

Sometimes we hold onto things that we no longer need. Think of it as digital hoarding. Back these things up externally (using something like an external disc or pin drive) to free up some space. 

It might also help you to turn off your computer now and again. While you don’t have to turn it off ever (and some computers benefit from being left on) turning off a desktop will save you electricity and turning off any kind of computer will help free up some memory. 

Get rid of the things that no longer spark joy and your computer will be lighter for it. 

How Is Your Computer Care? 

Do you take good care of your laptop or desktop computer? Are you feeling guilty after reading this list? 

Computer care is easy once you know how to do it, and it can keep your computer running for a long time. Treat your technology well with proper computer maintenance. You paid a lot for it!

For more articles and news about tech, money, and more, visit the rest of our site! We’ll keep you up-to-date.

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