Keeping Your Computer Healthy

Like any machine, the secret to a long life for a computer is maintenance. Just like a car needs oil changes, fluid flushes, and the occasional replacement part, PC’s are no different. And much like cars, if you take good care of your computer, it will last much longer than you’d expect!

Since I work in technology, many of my friends assume I have new, expensive computers. But the truth is the opposite. I build my computers from scratch with affordable parts, upgrade those parts over time, and carefully maintain my technology. My computers last me upwards of 8 years!

What’s the secret? Here are a few tips to keep your computer running smoothly.

Physically clean your computer. Shut down your computer, unplug it, and use canned air to blow dust from laptop keyboards or the inside of your desktop. If you have a desktop, make sure it’s off the floor. The floor is dirty and dusty, and if you have carpet, you can also cause problems with static electricity. Don’t put a desktop inside a cubby or desk - the computer fans need room to “breathe” and allow airflow for cooling.

The moving parts inside your desktop work better when they are free of dust and debris.

Use a trusted antivirus and antimalware tool to scan your computer for bugs regularly. Viruses happen to everyone. And if your computer starts acting strangely, it’s the first thing your technician will look for. Long trusted programs like Norton or McAfee can scan your computer while you aren’t using it. I like to leave my PC on overnight once per week and allow the antivirus to run a thorough scan.

Even with the best maintenance, your PC may break due to a tragedy like fire or flood. Or a virus could damage your files beyond repair. Backing up your files to either an external harddrive, such as a flash drive, or using cloud storage will help keep your files safe. Cloud storage is a method of backing up your files using an internet connection. Some mainstream antivirus and computer security software, such as those mentioned above, offer cloud backup.

Many computers are set to download and install software updates automatically. But you can check to see if your computer has updates available by typing “updates” into the windows search bar and clicking “check for updates.” Note that if you are running Windows 10, you may be asked to update to Windows 11. You do NOT have to upgrade to Windows 11 and can choose to continue using Windows 10.

In some cases, your computer’s hardware might benefit from an upgrade for better performance. Memory and hard drives are the most common type of upgrade. These can be affordable upgrades depending on market availability.