If you’ve ever had to hire computer repair in Fort Worth, you know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While virtually everyone wants a fast, smooth, clean computer, few people understand the daily steps needed to ensure top performance.
Luckily, it’s easier than you might think to keep a fast computer. Just follow these five tips:
1. Don’t Keep too Many Programs Open at the Same Time
Even the fastest computers get bogged down when they’re trying to maintain 30 programs at once. Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget you have programs running in the background, and then get confused about why your computer is poking along.
If you have a Mac computer, pull up your dock to find out which applications are running. Hint: they’re the ones with the black dots underneath them.
You can also open your “Force Quit” window or Activity Monitor to see active programs. At any given point, you only want the applications you’re using open. Anything else will only drag your computer down.
If you have a Windows computer, here are some instructions for viewing your open applications.
2. Keep Your Software Updated
Being behind on software updates will slow your computer down. Think of a software update like an oil change for your car: the system needs it to keep running efficiently. With this in mind, check for new updates at least once a week, and install them as soon as they pop up. If you need help updating your software, contact Computer CPR for quality service and computer repair in Fort Worth.
3. Conduct Regular Virus Scans
If you don’t have an antivirus software installed on your computer, you need to get one. Even reliable systems, like Macs, have recently come under attack from increasingly advanced viruses. If your computer gets infected with a virus, it will bog down the entire operation and make your system run slowly. It may also put your sensitive data at risk.
With this in mind, install a quality antivirus software and contact a computer repair specialist if you think you might need virus removal services.
4. Clean off Your Hard Disk
Consider a jam-packed filing cabinet for a moment. Does it function the way you want it to? Is it easy to open or close? Does it make locating files a breeze? The answer is no! The same goes for your computer.
If you have too many files on your system, your computer has to work much harder to do its job. With this in mind, use a backup storage system to pull files off your computer and store them when you no longer need them. Services like Amazon Drive have become popular, as have standard external hard drives.
5. Restart Your Computer Regularly
Have you tried turning it off and on? If your computer is running slowly, it might just need a reboot! Restarts reboot your computer’s system and give it the chance to reset any functions that aren’t operating correctly. As such, it’s smart to get in the habit of restarting your computer at least once a week. To make sure you don’t forget, tie your restart to another
To make sure you don’t forget, tie your restart to another maintenance duty, like uploading files to the cloud. Once a week, backup files you no longer need, delete them from your computer, and restart the system. This is an easy way to keep your computer running like new and cut down on your need for computer repair in Fort Worth.
Better Habits = Faster Computers (and Less Computer Repair in Fort Worth)
In most cases, keeping a computer fast is just a matter of committing to a few daily or weekly maintenance tasks. Simple things, like removing unneeded files from your system, conducting regular virus scans, restarting the computer weekly, and updating your software can go a long way toward keeping your system in great working order for years to come.