Ways You Are Harming Your Computer
We all use computers in one way or another, but that doesn’t mean we’re all experts at taking care of them. Things we do repeatedly make it challenging to keep our machines in top condition, like not running antivirus protection software or leaving dozens of tabs open online only to suffer performance eventually.
We can’t always prevent computers from malfunctioning, but we can ensure we’re not actively damaging them. Here are some helpful tips to prevent you from continually making Windows mistakes.
You do not use or update your antivirus software: Surfing the Internet can be a risk if you are not adequately protected. Using good antivirus or antimalware software is essential to ensure you do what’s necessary to keep your PC secure. If you set up a new computer and plan to connect it to the network, you should install antivirus software, update it regularly, and run regular scans for threats.
You never defragment your hard drive: Defragmenting a hard drive is essential if you want to ensure your computer remains efficient and functions as it should. Fragmentation happens when your computer stores data in all sorts of different sectors. When this happens, keeping your computer running at its best can be challenging.
You ignore software updates: The software becomes obsolete. You can’t assume that software that works well now will stay that way for the rest of the time you own the computer. With that in mind, you should pay attention and accept the warnings that appear on your computer that there are critical updates that need to be completed. Instead of ignoring them, ensure you actually do what they ask of you. Update regularly to be protected against a litany of vulnerabilities that could arise.
You never clean your computer or delete old files: No matter what your laptop is, Whether you use it for work or play, chances are you’ve filled your hard drive with all kinds of files. Many people let files pile up until there is no room left. From time to time, you should clean up your files to free up memory, improve system performance, and keep things tidy in general.
You download almost anything: We all go online and see ads for many things, right? But if you don’t know where the software comes from, you shouldn’t download it. Bottom line: Downloading specific programs or apps will almost certainly end in frustration, as you might unintentionally invite some virus, malware, or other dangerous software onto your computer. You never know what kind of nefarious purposes unknown downloads might have. Be smart about what you’re downloading and only use software from the proper channels.
You let your computer get physically dirty: It’s one thing to let files accumulate on your computer’s hard drive, but letting your computer’s components get physically dirty is another story. Computer fans collect dust, and keyboards accumulate dirt, preventing them from working well or optimally in the long run. Your computer may overheat or malfunction if you don’t clean it regularly.
You never clear your browser’s cache or cookies: You’ve probably heard of this process before, but you never actually do it. Clearing a browser’s cache and cookies is a quick and straightforward maintenance step you can do in no time. Getting rid of unnecessary files and the clutter from using the internet can speed things up considerably. Many people have a vague idea of what this entails, but it doesn’t. Make sure to clean the files on your computer regularly.
