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Essential Tips For Computer Owners

Tips for those living a busy life.

We tend to get caught up in our busy lives, whether its juggling the kids, running a business or focusing on your career we seem to forget about the small details that could leave us victim to our own devices.

As a small business owner who specializes in computer repairs & IT services I regularly see people making easy to avoid, costly mistakes that could have been prevented with just a little bit of knowledge and can do attitude.

Because of this I have decided I would like to write this article in hopes of being able to educate and support people so they are aware of the simple things they can do to avoid making a potentially costly and permanent mistake.

Tip 1 – Back up your data.

Every single device we use to connect to the internet, check our emails, and stream music on has a storage system. This is the part of the device where your precious documents, photos and videos sit and wait patiently for you to access them. For those familiar with computer hardware terms you will know this is generally called a hard-drive. Unfortunately, these are not indestructible and can have a very spontaneous end of life on them.

Occasionally with the line of work I’m in I have to give people the bad news that unfortunately the storage system has not survived the damaged sustained to the device and therefore all those years of precious data has instantly been lost.

Fortunately for you this is where I come in and explain to you how easy it is and how to get started so if you ever do find yourself in this situation you don’t need to go down the road of having data recovery services performed.

There are 2 types of backups that can be performed, the first one and in my opinion the most reliable is Cloud Backup. Given how competitive the cloud storage solutions are now most of them have adapted a very well thought out user experience to make the whole process very convenient.

Below are some of the most popular cloud-based solutions that offer a base amount of storage for free, for those with a large amount of data may need to look at purchasing a bigger plan. Head on over to one of the following sites and get your backup process started now;

• Google Drive

• Onedrive

• Dropbox

• MediaFire

The second option for keeping your data backed up and secure is making a second physical copy. Most people also find this extremely convenient. Simply head out to your local electronics or computer store and purchase a 1tb (or similar size) external. Depending on your level of skills using Microsoft Windows there is a couple of options on how to backup the data.

A lot of people are simply happy to just use a structured copy and paste method, what this means is they go into their local folders and copy the items they would like to backup and paste them into one of the appropriate folders they have made on the external hard-drive.

The second option is to use the Microsoft Windows Backup Tool. The benefit of using this tool is that you can specify a frequency and set of folders to backup. I generally recommend setting the schedule to at least once a week. Simply navigate to the search area in your Windows menu and look for “backup”. For mac users they can refer to the how to guides regarding a time machine backup.

Tip 2 – Keep up to date.

This is a simple one but even I myself am a little bit guilty of at times. We sit down and get ready to use our computer and up pops a notification that either Windows or another application needs to update. Eeeeek no thanks we usually respond.

The important thing to remember here is that if there’s been an update released there is probably a reason why. Microsoft are frequently releasing updates through there Windows Update service and these updates provide users with a better security experience.

I am regularly asked should I bother with Windows updates? Yes! You absolutely should.

Another one high on the list of importance is updating your Anti-Virus software. The way an Anti-Virus system works is that it scans your computer and links back to a data base of known viruses that have been identified and reported. So chances are if you haven’t updated that Virus Scanner in a long time there is a HUGE list of new viruses that you are potentially opening yourself up to.

Make it part of your Sunday evening process to run those pesky updates so you know that you have the best possible chance of fighting any sort of malicious software that you don’t want compromising your data in any way.

Tip 3 – Perform regular maintenance.

I have a large standing relationship with customers who bring me their device regularly to perform preventative maintenance. The results we see regarding life span are dramatically improved when this is done.

Maintenance can not only refer to making sure the operating system is healthy and running correctly but also hardware maintenance also. It is advised to keep your fans always clear from dust as to reduce overheating and long-term issues. Also, the cooling system on your device should be regularly checked to prevent damage occurring from over-heating.

Generally this isn’t something that everyone is comfortable doing so most people head down their local computer show and request that their device be serviced. Most of the time if the device has been kept in good physical condition and had regular services we see that the life span can easily be doubled.

If this is something you have never done before you may want to get in touch with someone today and have the life of that beloved device extended. It is not generally an expensive exercise as there is no parts needed unless an issue is identified.