Computers are essential to our everyday lives and most people will use one at home, at work and even when travelling between the two. A computer failure is very frustrating but inevitable because of the level of demand that we place on these pieces of technology.
The average office computer will be on for at least 8 hours a day during working hours and a home computer will often be on for a similar period whilst owners use programs or listen to music, even if they are not actively engaged with the computer. There are steps, however, that you can take to make your computer last longer and save you from costly replacements.
This article will consider some of the steps you can take to keep your computer running quickly and last for longer.
IT Support
When running an office, computer maintenance will take up a large amount of time so it is wise to seek computer support. This support should include maintenance of anti-virus software and the general condition of the computers. In an office, computers often become very slow because there is data stored under multiple users on the same machine.
To avoid this you can use an internal or external company server to store all of the information. One of the best steps is to ensure that the data from any members of staff who have left the business is promptly wiped clean once they leave so that it does not clog up the system.
Cleansing
One of the most common reasons for a computer becoming slow is a simple overloading of information. Data quickly builds up on a computer as we collect music and videos alongside completed work projects. It is important to regularly cleanse your computer by deleting unwanted data or at least storing it elsewhere.
A full hard drive will never run as smoothly as one with space to spare. A regular cleansing of your hard drive will allow your computer to continue running smoothly for longer.
Defragmentation
After cleansing your computer it is important to defragment your hard drive. When data is stored on the hard drive it is saved after the previous bit of information. Whilst this is the most obvious way to store data, it is not the most efficient.
What defragmentation does is reorganize your data to make it easier for your computer to access it quickly. By storing all similar files in the same place your computer increases its access times and raises the overall operation speed of your hard drive, thus speeding up your computer.
Replace Old Parts
Often, people replace computers that are actually in excellent condition because of a lack of understanding. It is often easy to replace parts of a computer to bring it back to its original quality so it is sensible to consider computer repair before replacement.
A broken laptop screen, for example, will cause your computer to appear broken when really it could just be a small wiring issue caused by the repeated opening and closing of the screen. Repair is far cheaper than replacement and repair companies will often waive the cost if they are unable to fix the problem.
Back Up
In some cases you will be unable to repair your computer and it will be necessary to replace it but this does not mean that you should sacrifice what your computer had become.
A computer becomes a collection of photos, videos and documents which make up large portions of our working and recreational lives. By backing up your computer on a regular basis you will be able to save everything that your computer contained when you change devices.
Backing up your device is the best way that you can protect from the loss of data so invest in an external hard drive and a USB pen for short-term back up.
