computer viruses

Let’s be honest, maintaining your computer is probably the furthest thing from your mind until something goes wrong. Similar to performing maintenance on a vehicle, having yearly maintenance done on your computer can help detect hardware problems, resolve security issues  and increase performance. Over time with and with use, Computers can become bogged down with unwanted software, pop-ups, and error messages. These issues can often be resolved without needing to purchase a new computer. We’ve included information about a few of the things that are recommended for you to maintain and are often included when having regular maintenance done at a computer repair shop.

Software which may or may not not have been installed intentionally often hinder performance by being configured to always run at startup or to run in the background unnecessarily. Over time you may accumulate software that you no longer use or that becomes out of date and should be updated. Identifying and removing software that is malicious can resolve slowness and unwanted pop-ups or notifications. Sometimes these programs can easily be uninstalled but other times it may take a skilled technician to locate and remove harmful software. To cut down on unwanted software, avoid using the software you don’t need, remove no longer needed software, and be careful when downloading software from third-party websites. Sometimes download buttons can really be advertisements that have nothing to do with what you are trying to download.

Updates are important to keep your device running smoothly. They help to ensure that any security risks that have been found and resolved are applied to your device. If your programs are out of date they may not function properly and sometimes they can even negatively affect the performance of your computer. Many users dislike updates because the result can sometimes include change however keeping your device vulnerable can end up much worse. Most often updates don’t provide many changes especially if they are done regularly. Both your system’s operating system and individual software should be updated as needed.

Hardware, or your device’s physical equipment, can wear out over time. Most commonly mechanical (non-solid-state) hard drives (where all your personal data is stored) fail after 5-7 years but that doesn’t mean they can’t and won’t fail sooner. When you have your computer maintained, good technicians will check your hard drive to see if there are any signs that your hard drive is failing and if necessary, recommend a replacement before any data is lost. An even better technician will be honest with you about whether or not its worth replacing the hard drive or the entire computer altogether. Computers can also overheat and should be blown out inside to remove dust and dirt buildup that could cause hardware to fail prematurely. If you have pets or are using your computer in a dusty or moist environment you should utilize canned air to spray out any dust lodged in the CPU fan. Never use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust from a computer as it generates static electricity and can fry your device.

Temporary files can include files you opened but did not save, old update files that no longer have a use, and temporary files created while browsing the web. None of the aforementioned include your personal data files and are simply taking up storage space on your hard drive. Data files won’t slow your computer down but they do take up storage space and when a hard drive becomes too full the operating system will stop functioning properly and the device will become unusable until space is recovered. Temporary files in your web browser can also cause users to have issues when logging into websites, your web browser cache can be cleared to resolve this but should only be done if you exhausted other options as you will be logged out of all websites in the process.

Registry errors can be caused when you install and then uninstall a program or perform software updates. Since both happen regularly, these errors are unavoidable. You may not even notice that there is a problem but once the errors are resolved, background operations can run more smoothly resulting in a better user experience. Even with yearly maintenance most computers we see accumulate over a thousand or more registry errors, just another example of why regular maintenance is a good idea. Some automated programs will and can take care of the registry errors but can sometimes cause issues so users should always do thorough research if utilizing a registry cleaner yourself.

Malicious software that is installed on your device may not be obvious to the average user. While viruses and potentially unwanted programs can appear unexpectedly on your computer, often users unknowingly allow them in. An active antivirus no matter how good, won’t always prevent a user from installing software that could have legitimate purposes but that most would consider an unwanted or malicious program. These programs can sometimes be removed by using malware removal software but most often users can just uninstall the programs from the normal add/remove programs or apps and feature screen from within settings. To access this screen you can right-click on your start button and then click on apps and features from the top of the menu screen.

Pop-ups, errors & conflicts that you encounter can often be resolved by regular maintenance as well. Investigating these problems can sometimes lead to prevent of a potentially bigger issue. Often, we remember how simple computers used to be while disregarding just how frequently we use and rely on our devices today this has become even more obvious since the start of the pandemic. Since most of the things we use computers for also incorporate using the internet, maintenance is even more vital than it was in the past. If you are experiencing ongoing issues with your machine you can consider whether or not it would be better to replace your device or invest in having it maintained and upgraded.