6 tips to keep your computer ready
Having the operating system always updated or keeping backup copies of documents are some of the measures that can be taken to guarantee optimal performance of the equipment.
With the weeks of teleworking and studying from home, it is more important than ever to keep your computer up and running to avoid problems that prevent it from being used properly. To achieve this, we have prepared a list of tips aimed at making users aware of the needs of their personal and professional equipment, as well as helping to break some myths and beliefs, to prevent problems and become aware of the care of technological gadgets.
- Keep equipment up to date
- Avoid programs that clutter memory and consume resources unnecessarily
- Eliminate 'maintenance' or automatic driver update programs
- Keep files on secondary and external drives
- Data in the cloud
- PC cleaning
Keep equipment up to date
It is important to leave behind the myth that the system slows down due to updates, since many times it gains in optimization and speed, in addition to obtaining new features added to new versions. In this sense, in addition to the operating system, it is necessary to keep the drivers updated, downloading them directly from the manufacturer's website. Normally, most can be obtained from the motherboard website, although there are also other specific ones for components such as the graphics card or Wi-Fi, among others.
Avoid programs that clutter memory and consume resources unnecessarily
On many occasions, programs that manufacturers recommend to manage certain parts of the PC are installed and, in turn, these installation processes offer other optional programs. They can be useful at specific times, however, they tend to be options that remain loaded in memory and slow down system startup. For this reason, it is better to uninstall the programs that are not strictly necessary for the proper functioning of the equipment.
Eliminate 'maintenance' or automatic driver update programs
In line with what was previously commented, this type of program will consume resources that it is better to save. In addition, in the case of driver update programs, it is difficult to know for sure if what is downloaded is specific or generic, or even if they are for the components of the computer or a similar model. In these cases it is preferable to invest 5 minutes of our time and download the drivers themselves on the manufacturer's website.
Keep files on secondary and external drives
Today, many computers typically have two drives: an SSD drive on which the operating system and programs are installed, and a secondary mechanical drive on which data is stored. SSD drives are much faster, so having only the operating system and the most needed programs on them will ensure that the computer's performance is always optimal, in addition to leaving the mechanical drive specifically for storing daily work data. In this sense, it is highly recommended to have an external hard drive for backup copies since, in this way, you will avoid losing important data in case of disk or system failures.
cloud data
The current trend to have more options to safeguard data is to do it through cloud services such as Dropbox, One Drive or Google Drive, among others. These services allow access to files from virtually anywhere and at any time, something that allows the editing of spreadsheets or documents from the PC, mobile or tablet.
PC cleaning
What must be taken into account is the physical cleaning of the interior of the desktop computer, especially the equipment that has not been used for a long time and is now being rescued for teleworking tasks, which has rarely been cleaned. In these cases, the most effective is to use pressurized air canisters that will clean the dirt accumulated over time inside the equipment and that adheres to components, fans or filters. Although you will not gain in performance, it is advisable to clean from time to time to maintain a good air flow inside the equipment and thus avoid temperature problems or overheating of a component due to a fan being blocked.
