Simple Computer Maintenance Tips That Will Keep Your Computer Running Fast

Personal computers have become so second nature in our lives that we often forget that they need to be maintained once in a while. We expect them to always perform at their peak, yet forget that some simple maintenance needs to be done once in a while to ensure their top performance. Here are some simple computer maintenance tips that are easy to perform.

• First of all, never switch off the computer by unplugging it when programs are still running. Log off properly. There is one condition where you need to do this that is when your computer freezes up and the hard drive refuses to run. Other than this situation, severing the power supply can result in irreparable damage to the hard drive and permanent loss of data.
• One of the important yet simple computer maintenance tips is having an UPS for the computer. UPS stands for Unrestricted Power Supply. This supplies power in case of sudden power cut hence your data is not lost nor does your system crash. It also protects your computer from voltage fluctuations or continuous low voltage.
• Whenever your system crashes, try to restore by pressing the keys of Alt, Ctrl and Del at the same time. Repeating the procedure will help your computer to reboot.
• Simple computer maintenance tips include storage of the data as well. For secured storage, your computer should have two physical hard drives. Store the data in them so that even if one drive crashes you are left with the back-up option. An external hard drive is an even better option. It is always best to make the backup when you are saving the information at that time. Don't leave it for tomorrow because your computer or hard drive can stop working at any moment and you will not get time to restore crucial information.
• Defragmenting and running scan disks should be done at a regular basis. For the best results of hard drive, do it at least once a month. You can also install software that does it automatically each time you switch on the computer. This is one of the important simple computer maintenance tips.
• Never plug out any computer peripheral while it is on and connected with the system. It can short out the motherboard or the connector.
• Make sure dust is not covering the fan areas of the back of the computer. If air does not flow in and out as it is designed this can make your computer run hotter than it should and the fan and other components will wear out faster.
• Make sure you have an anti virus program installed and you run it daily or every other day in the least. There are always new viruses and this will help prevent them from infecting your computer.
• Apart from these, to run your computer fast, keep at least 300 MB of your C: drive free for Windows. However, in case of Windows XP or Vistas, you are advised to leave at least 600 MB free.
• Try to keep as few as possible programs running when you start up your computer to increase speed.
• Regular virus check, as mentioned above and installing firewalls are the other integral part of simple computer maintenance tips.

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