Computer Hardware and Software Maintenance Checklist

May 25, 2021

Computers last five to eight years when maintained properly, just that lifespan can erode speedily if a user doesn't accept steps to protect the hardware. This is why computer maintenance is so important.

Figurer maintenance means keeping your computers and laptops in good status through regular cleanings, hard drive updates, and virus prevention. Doing so can lengthen the lifespan of your devices and it can also assistance you scan the spider web more safely.

This article volition walk you through computer maintenance steps to take daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly to go along your device up and running. Keep reading for 25 tips to help protect your devices or leap to our checklist.

How to make clean your figurer

Cleaning your figurer regularly can help extend its shelf life, saving you time and money on repairs and replacements. Retrieve that computers are especially decumbent to grit and overheating, so these steps can help reduce run a risk and proceed your computer running optimally.

1. Grit your keyboard using compressed air

Did yous know that researchers accept found that the average desktop and keyboard is dirtier than a toilet seat? That's why dusting your keyboard off at least in one case a week can help maintain it (and reduce health risks). Wipe down your keyboard with a damp lint-free material, simply be sure not to soak it in water.

For harder to achieve areas such as in betwixt the keyboard keys, use a compressed air canister.

2. Wipe down your monitor

Fingerprints and other stains can appear regularly on your monitor. In order to go on your screen view fresh and clean, wipe downwardly your monitor once a week using a dry lint-costless cloth. Gently wipe in long motions as pressing as well hard can damage your device.

Oftentimes, your reckoner will come with a microfiber cleaning material upon purchase. Utilize this cloth or order a like one for optimal cleaning.

3. Get rid of your mouse's dust and particles

Like your keyboard, your mouse needs to be dusted regularly to piece of work properly. To do this, unplug your mouse and turn it upside down. From there, yous'll want to remove the lesser panel and make clean the brawl with a lint-free cloth.

You lot can add rubbing booze to the cloth for a deeper clean. Let the ball dry out earlier reassembling the mouse.

4. Clean your system thoroughly

Every 3 to six months you should do a thorough cleaning of your entire hardware system. You tin do this in a number of ways, including with a computer vacuum. You'll want to save and close any active files before you unplug your device to begin cleaning.

From in that location, you can open up the casing by removing the screws. Don't vacuum the inside of the computer. Instead, use the compressed air canister from step #1 on the inside to avert damage.

If yous have a laptop, disassembly will be unlike than with a traditional computer. Make sure to follow the instructions that came with your device before you brainstorm taking it apart.

5. Power downward or reboot your device regularly

While powering downwardly your device every night isn't a requirement with new computers, rebooting regularly does help refresh your system resources.

If you're working off an older computer, you should ability down your device properly every night to avoid overheating. If your device is newer, consider rebooting information technology once a mean solar day instead and turning information technology to sleep way when it's not in use.

How to conserve your difficult bulldoze

6. Defragment the difficult drive

Did you know that the disk is the weakest link when it comes to estimator operation? This is why defragging your hard drive in one case a calendar month is so important.

Defragging is the process of reorganizing the data on your hard drive to speed up file admission. It breaks up a file into smaller bits on your device. While every figurer is unlike, you lot can usually find Defragment functions under the System and Security tab in the Command Panel.

seven. Backup data

At least once a week you should backup your drive. If you're working on an important projection, you lot tin can do this daily to ensure your files are deeply stored. Backing up your data saves of import files in the result of a hard bulldoze failure or organization crash.

eight. Configure your startup

Yous should periodically check in on the applications that automatically run at start-up. These applications can tiresome down your estimator. From the Settings tab, you should be able to navigate to the Startup to control which applications run.

9. Run deejay cleanup

You can gratuitous upwardly disk space on your hard bulldoze past running a disk cleanup. This will clean out temporary files and extra language files as well every bit delete big attachments and more.

10. Install major calculator updates

To keep your applications running safely and efficiently you lot should check for major computer updates at least in one case a month. These updates can be disquisitional for long-term health because they patch upwardly critical security holes and remove unnecessary features. You may likewise be able to arrange your setting so updates happen automatically.

How to remove malware

11. Update antivirus software

Whenever an antivirus software update is bachelor, you should run it that day to remove malware. These updates introduce new software features or make improvements on current ones. More often than not you lot can set your system upwards for automatic updates, just if y'all ever receive a notification from your current antivirus software, you should consummate the update as soon as possible.

12. Modify your passwords regularly

I of the easiest ways for hackers to proceeds access to your device is through a cyberattack where they steal your login credentials. Upon gaining access to your device, they tin access sensitive information such equally spam emails, banking information, and more than.

While experts used to recommend changing passwords every month, this frequency was causing new risks and inconveniences for users. Updating your countersign four times a year helps keep you lot more secure without much hassle.

13. Check for firmware updates

Firmware is a tiny piece of software in your figurer that keeps the hardware functioning properly. Sometimes these updates are included in major computer updates, but you tin check for firmware updates manually on many devices, too.

14. Complete signature updates

To go along your antivirus software running properly, you'll want to do signature updates in addition to software updates. This ensures that your device is protected from new viruses. Many programs permit you to install these signature updates automatically, only if non you should update weekly.

15. Consider parental controls

If you lot have kids at abode or have other people accessing your device, prevent software from being downloaded without your consent by setting up parental controls. These controls will require a password from an administrator to download certain files and software to your device.

How to maintain your files

sixteen. Movement like files into folders

Keeping files on your desktop can slow downwardly your automobile. Instead, organize similar files into folders where y'all tin easily discover them. This will as well aid streamline the cleaning process when information technology comes fourth dimension to delete unnecessary items.

17. Delete unused programs

Get more memory space by removing unnecessary programs from your device. If you filter your programs past size, yous can run into which ones have up the most memory and make up one's mind from there what you can remove.

18. Clear out the Recycling Bin

When you or another user deletes a file, information technology goes to the Recycling Bin. This gives you one last chance to salvage a file you've removed, but it tin can as well clog up infinite on your hard drive if you lot don't clear it out regularly. In one case a calendar month you should check the Recycling Bin for any files that may have accidentally been deleted and clear out the residual.

19. Remove temporary net files

Speed up your organization past removing temporary internet files and clearing your Cache. Every browser has a dissimilar method for clearing out these cookies. Discover directions for your browser here.

20. Transfer files to the cloud

Cloud storage providers allow you lot to store gigabytes of infinite without running down your hard drive memory. Better yet, it allows you to share your files beyond multiple devices. As you download files throughout the day, transfer them to cloud storage to relieve space on your difficult drive.

More maintenance reminders

21. Avoid overheating your device

Set up your computer in an area of your part or abode that gets expert airflow, with ii inches of empty infinite on either side. Giving your machine room to exhale helps foreclose overheating, which extends the life of your device.

Stacks of paper and other items being placed on your computer tin also make it overheat, so go along your desk expanse organized and gratuitous of ataxia.

22. Go along your cords organized

Cable clutter can collect dust and get hands damaged. Cable stations and other string organizers can help organize your surface area. It will also salve you lot time and stress next time y'all go to unplug your figurer.

23. Don't overcharge your device

If you're working off a laptop, it can exist tempting to charge the battery all nighttime. While doing so won't damage the device, 1 of the all-time ways to maintain the battery over an extended period of time is to unplug it once it reaches 100%. You lot should too remove the bombardment altogether if you won't be using the device for a calendar month or more to help extend its shelf life.

24. Continue food and drinks abroad

It tin can only take one tin of soda to destroy a device. As tempting as enjoying a glass of coffee every bit y'all check your morning time emails may be, always avoid eating or drinking near your calculator to reduce spillage run a risk.

25. Avoid spam while browsing

If a weird electronic mail shows up in your inbox or an unexpected popup while browsing, resist the urge to open it. Malware scams tin profoundly damage your device and put your files and privacy at risk.

But like an automobile, your figurer needs to be regularly maintained to run properly. Doing regular computer maintenance tin can profoundly extend the lifespan of the device and may go along you lot safer while browsing online. Through completing just a few simple steps, yous'll get a faster and healthier operating system to work on.

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