10/05/2018
Your computer is a valuable
electronic investment that needs
to be cared for.
Here are some
basic and simple tips to take care
of your computer.
1. Get Padded Protection for
Your Laptop Pick up a laptop sleeve, laptop case
or a laptop bookbag to carry
around your computer. You can
even consider making your own
out of a sleeping bag or pillow.
Dropping your laptop a couple of times could result in crashing it,
and wiping out all your important
documents.
2. Be Good to Your Battery Laptop batteries will only last for a
few years. So, try not to leave
your battery charging all the time.
When the battery is done
charging, unplug the power cable,
or remove the battery. You should also charge your battery fully
before unplugging the power
cable, and also use the battery
fully before recharging.
3. Use Antivirus and a Firewall It's important to use an antivirus
program that's updated. It could
cost over $150 to fix your
computer if you get a virus or
spyware. You also want to protect
any confidential information you may have on your computer
4. Defragment Your Hard Drive If you use a Mac, your computer
already maintains itself regularly.
If you use a PC, you should
defragment your hard drive
regularly to get your computer to
run faster. To access your Disk Defragmenter:
a. Click Start
b. Programs
c. Accessories
d. System tools
e. Disk Defragmenter
5. Declutter Get rid of old files you don't need
anymore. Use Disk Cleanup to
delete temporary files, files in the
recycle bin, and other files you
don't need anymore. To access Disk Cleanup:
a. Click Start
b. All Programs
c. Accessories
d. System Tools
e. Disk Cleanup You should also clean out your
browsing and download history if
you don't need them anymore. If you're using Mozilla Firefox, go
to:
1. Tools
2. Clear Recent History If you're using Google Chrome, go
to:
1. Settings (wrench icon on the
right)
2. History
3. Edit items
4. Clear all browsing data advertisement
6. Reformat Your Computer If your computer is wearing out,
consider backing up all your files
and reinstalling your operating
system. I find that it's such a hassle
sometimes but I do it for my own
protection, especially after I delete viruses or spyware from my
computer.
7. Be Careful With Food and
Drinks You won't believe how many
computers are ruined with
accidents involving food and
drinks (especially coffee, according
to hubber hotwebideas). Use a
canteen or bottle with a lid to avoid spilling drinks onto your
computer. Be careful when eating
foods with sauces because a simple
spill could cause a big problem.
8. Disable Programs You Don't
Use If your computer takes a long time
to load, it's probably because it's
loading programs that are set to
run on startup. Check out which
programs you don't need to run
on startup by accessing System Configuation, and disable them. To access System Configuration
and check out which programs are
running on startup, go to:
1. Click Start
2. Click "Run..."
3. Type in "msconfig"
4. Click the tab "Startup"
5. Uncheck programs you don't
want to load on startup
6. Click "Apply" and then
"OK" (may require your
computer to restart)
9. Keep Your Computer Cool Avoid using your computer on soft
surfaces (like your bed) because
that will prevent air from flowing
through your computer. Try to
find a cool and hard surface for
your computer to prevent overheating, and to encourage
airflow. If you have a usable and
cool basement, consider using
your computer there. You should
also invest in a cooling pad or fan
to prevent overheating.
10. Be patient. And Don't Run
Too Much at Once Every program requires a bit of
your CPU. Be patient if you're
trying to run a program, and it's
taking a while. Don't immediately
hit the power button every time
your computer freezes for a minute. Wait a while and then use
your intuition to assess whether or
not you should reboot. Try not to run too many programs
and tabs at once. Close any
programs and tabs you don't need
to avoid freezing your computer.
11. Clean Your Computer It's important to clean your
computer to prevent dust from
decreasing airflow, which can
make your computer overheat.
You can pick up Air Dusters to
clean the dust regularly. Be very gentle when cleaning your
computer. How to clean your monitor:
1. Get a soft cloth and dampen it
with cool water.
2. Wipe your monitor downward
carefully and gently. Don't
press too hard onto the screen.
3. Don't leave any water drops
that could damage internal
components. Make sure your computer ports
don't get clogged up (usually from
dust) to avoid having to hire
professionals to clean them. How to clean your computer ports:
1. Shut off your computer.
2. Use a fan or a can of
compressed air (you can get
this at home office stores like
Staples or Office Depot) to
blow away whatever dust and
garbage you can.
3. Use a toothpick or needle to
carefully clean out the mess.
4. Take the fan or compressed air
to blow away more gunk.
5. Rub alcohol onto a cotton swab
or q-tip to clean the area
around the port.
6. Wait until your computer is
dry before turning it back on.
7. Clean your computer regularly.
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