Categories: TECHNOLOGY

How to Maintain Your Computer

Having your computer crash is really frustrating, especially if you’re working on an important project. A good way to avoid such crashes is to maintain your computer. Maintaining your computer isn’t complicated. In fact, you can keep your computer running quite smoothly if you follow the following tips.

How to Maintain Your Computer Tip #1: Use a Firewall

A firewall is a wonderful way to keep your computer maintained. A firewall is great for protecting against viruses, hackers, and several other threats. Setting up a firewall is really easy. Most service providers provide modems that have built-in firewalls. All you will need to do is to go to the modems webpage and fix the settings the way you would like them to be. Remember too much protection is better than not enough. You may have to lower your firewall settings from time to time to use certain applications, but make sure those applications are safe before lowering your settings. Also remember to put the settings back the way they were after using that application.

How to Maintain Your Computer Tip #2: Use Virus Protection

If you want to maintain your computer you must use virus protection. Viruses can damage your computer to the point that you have to either restore your computer to a previous date or you may even have to reinstall Windows all together. Check with your service provider, some ISPs provide virus protection for free.

How to Maintain Your Computer Tip #3: Have Spyware Protection

Part of maintaining your computer should also include protecting your identity while you’re online. This means that you should install spyware protection, if your virus protection does not include it. Spyware protection will detect any threats that are trying to steal your information.

How to Maintain Your Computer Tip #4: Actually Use Your Protection Software

All too often people have virus and spyware protection, but they don’t use it. If you want to maintain your computer, you must use these applications. I run my virus and spyware applications once a week and you should too.

How to Maintain Your Computer Tip #5: Update Your Protection Software

While it’s important to have and use protection software it’s even more important to keep that software up-to-date. If these applications are not up-to-date, they may not recognize new viruses and spyware.

How to Maintain Your Computer Tip #6: Run the Disk Defrag Tool

The disk defrag tool is found under the start menu, then programs, then accessories, then system tools. When you delete files or programs from your computer, small pieces of that information is left on your hard drive. When you run the disk defrag tool it will cleanup all those small pieces that have been leftover and it will fill in the gaps that these deleted items left. When you use this tip to maintain your computer your computer will run much faster and it will have fewer crashes.

How to Maintain Your Computer Tip #7: Download Patches

Always download patches for programs, especially Windows. Microsoft is constantly finding flaws in their operating system, so they are constantly putting out patches to fix these problems. The best thing to do is to set your computer to automatically download patches. Remember to check for patches for other programs as well.

How to Maintain Your Computer Tip #8: Update Your Browser and Other Applications

It’s very important to update your software. Viruses are often made that enter your computer through a flaw in your browser or other software. Updating these applications will help to ensure that viruses do not make their way onto your computer.