General Computer Maintenance

When we think of computer maintenance, a lot of us think immediately of having to phone the IT support service, be spoken through a lengthy virtual process or worse, having our computer be taken away for repairs. Many ordinary Australians—at work and at home—don’t realise that there are actually a number of actions they can take which will help their computers remain it tip top working order. Of course, the more difficult technical problems will still require a helping hand from computer support, but you can definitely try to reduce the instance of this having to happen using simple common sense. Here are a few things you can do to protect your computer:

Back Up Your Work Regularly

We can’t stress enough how important it is to back up your work. Whether it’s to an external hard drive or an offsite date storage system, this needs to become a habit, or else you need software that makes it a habit for you. This way, if the worst happens, not only do you minimise the amount of time it takes to get back online, but you also prevent the loss of important and possible irretrievable documents.

Turn it Off

This is a simple one but in homes and businesses where computers are used increasingly frequently, the times in which a computer is actually powered down are getting less and less. It is so important to give your computer a power down when you’ve finished using it for the night. A computer can get incredibly hot after running big programs for a long period of time and not only does this affect the life of the battery, but can have a lot of wear and tear on the machine itself.

Laptop Fan

These nifty little devices can be bought for a pittance online, and they run off power delivered through a usb from the laptop itself. This triggers a few well-places little fans that direct cool air toward the bottom of the device.

Keep It Clean–Inside and Out

Dirt, lunch crumbs and grease can all get trapped in the keyboard, causing it to malfunction and making typing a much less appealing pastime. Make a rule that you do not eat at your desk, and if you feel you can’t keep that rule, at least ensure you don’t type while you’re eating, and try to cover your keyboard with a napkin. In terms of what you look up, be aware that several sites (many of which are inappropriate for work anyway) can install adware or malware onto your system, which can slow it down.

Of course these things are all minor and won’t fix a dead hard drive or server issues, but you’ll be doing your computer support company a big favour by making sure your computers have a fighting chance at longevity!

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