Laptop or Computer devices these days come in different sizes, displays and overall specifications. Whatever features they offer, something that stays common is that they help us stay connected to the entire world and help smoothen our work/ academic processes. Therefore, our dependency on these devices is increasing day by day. Increasing dependence also means that we use them more than normal and if not dealt properly, it leads to problems such as battery issues or any other damages that cost a lot in case of repairing. Therefore, Fixerman have come up with 10 Essential Computer Maintenance Tips that help you keep your device functioning and looking as good as new and increase its overall life.

PADDING

Before we dive into keeping the internal health of our computers at its max, it is important to discuss how we can make sure that our computers keep looking the way when we first took them out of their box. The best way to ensure that is to protect their bodies with padding that allow easy cleaning. This means that our devices are going to be remaining safe from;

• Scratches
• Body Damages
• Stains from food or drinks
• Dust

Padding can be of different types such as Skins, Sleeves or Covers.

MANAGING YOUR CORDS

Staying to the aesthetics again, keeping the cords of your computer devices organized mean that they are going to be free from any cuts, breakages and tangling into each other which can save the device from many issues. The best way to manage the cords of your system is by folding them and tying them up with Cable Clips or using a panel in which all cables can remain organized.

CLEANING YOUR KEYBOARD

This one is pretty self-explanatory. In order to keep our laptop or computer devices looking perfect and shining we need to clean their keyboards regularly as keyboards can easily can dust and too much dust can cause problems later down the road. A simple wipe from a cloth or piece of tissue does the job, but if you want to go an extra mile for your device, then you can invest in an air blower and I promise you will never be disappointed with this purchase.

AVOID OVERCHARGING

Perhaps, the biggest mistake that leads to battery issues and overall OS issues is overcharging. Overcharging your system is easily neglect able and more times than not, can go unnoticed. The more times we overcharge our system, the more we welcome battery issues and risk losing our hard earned money on replacements or repairs. However, in reality the practice to avoid running into such problems is simply not to overcharge the system.

The best way to not overcharge your PC is to plug the charger out at 85 or 90%. This not only eliminates the risk of overcharging, but also keeps the battery health at its max.

UPDATE YOUR OS

Updates are made due to a reason. Sometimes some updates make sure that any sort of malware or bugs are removed from the system. Other times, updates are introduced to make the system much faster and smoother. Both ways, not updating your system is not something to be proud of and it just prevents your system to keep performing at its maximum potential.

Therefore, no matter if you are using Windows, Apple, Linux or any other software make sure you are updating it regularly to avoid any sort of issues or performance downsides.

RUN ANTI-VIRUS REGULARLY

The biggest risk to any system is malware or viruses. No matter, how latest or expensive your computer device is, it is always at the risk of being struck from malware or virus. Viruses can;

• Cause your system to freeze unexpectedly and regularly
• Slow down the entire system
• Allow unauthorized access into the system

These types of issues are always being done at the back end and are not visible unless the damage has been done. Therefore, a good practice to stay away from this is to regularly run anti-virus scans that not only show what the issues are, but also guide you how to eliminate them or eliminate them themselves, thus ensuring a healthy functioning system.

DELETE UNWATED FILES OR APPS

There are a lot of apps and files in our system that we once downloaded but never opened again. These apps do nothing but slow down your system and prevent it from running smoothly. It is always preferable to delete any unwanted files or applications that you do not use often because this practice not only frees up a lot of space in your device hence making it faster and much more responsive.

CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD REGUALRLY

Believe it or not, but regularly updating your passwords does help. It  reduces the risk of hacking or someone else entering into your system who you might have written your password in front of. Other than that, it also helps refresh your system memory and safeguards your PC from all angles.

A strong password consists of;

• At least 10 characters
• Upper Case and Lower Case letters (combination)
• Contains numbers and symbols such as hyphens

KEEPING YOUR DATA IN FOLDERS

Keeping your files or your data, in general helps the system run more smoothly and occupy less space. As a matter of fact, it is never recommended to fill up your desktop with a lot of files. This practice helps you not only organize your data in a better way, but also enables your PC to keep functioning as fast as it can. The best practices to organize your data are to create sub-folders in large folders or main folders. You can always create catchy fie names of symbols or codes that help you remember what the folder contains. This, apart from helping the overall system performance looks good visually as well.

BACK UP YOUR DATA

The last on this list is perhaps the most important step. Regardless of how many precautions or measures that we take in order to keep our system performing at its peak, it is always essential to keep a back up of your data so that we never lose it in case our device goes through a damage which is irreversible or needs repair.

Backing up your data injects relaxation and mentally eases us that our data is always secure no matter what happens. Therefore, regular data back-up is always recommended.