Top 3 Things You Can Do To Keep Your Computer Running Smoothly

After writing extensively on how to make money fixing peoples computers, and start your own computer repair business I figured it was time to do some good will for the people and share my top three tips to keeping your computer running smoothly and out of the pc repair shop. After fixing literally thousands of computers, there are several common threads with most computers coming across my bench. I am going to order them in order of importance, certainly this list should mostly be common sense but sometimes it’s good to be reminded.

Keep Your Computer Running In Top Form & Error Free

1.Scan Your Computer For Spyware & Virus’s Regularly

It’s pretty much common knowledge that you should always run some sort of virus protection on your computer. That said, they key is keeping it updated, many software suites automatically update these days but you need to make sure that they are in fact working. The same goes for whichever spyware protection you choose to use. I am not saying everyone needs to run both, but if you are the type of person that has issues with spyware, pop up’s or virus’s you should use both. I recommend AVG since it is free and something like ad-aware or spybot. Run weekly scans when it is convenient for you and make sure the programs are up to date. A few minutes monitoring can save you hours of headache, lost files, and a ton of cash.

2.Keep Your Computer Clean, Yes Clean the Hardware

So there is no confusion yes, I am talking about physically clean. There are a lot of moving parts inside your computer like fans that aid crucial cooling of your system. Make it a habit to at least once a year check all fans inside your computer. Make sure that they are not only running but running well. Also take advantage of this opportunity to clean out all the dust bunnies and make sure all the cables inside your computer are clear of any fans and wrapped up nicely when possible. This will increase air flow and keep everything running cool and smooth. For added bonus use some windex or fantastic to clean the outside of the case, keyboard, and mouse. This is more of a cosmetic thing, but hey, you should take some pride in your computer.

3.Keep The Hard Drive Clean and Maintained

Now this one is more related to software. I realize there is a lot involved with keeping a clean computer but I like to explain it like a closet. Once a year like we do in spring you should spring clean it, remove any unused programs, clean up your files by removing temporary internet files, and run things like the defragment utility. These types of things coupled with using the msconfig tool to keep your computer’s boot up clean will keep you computer running smoothly for the long haul.

Make these steps a part of your routine with your home or work computer and you will thank me. It will keep your computer nice and clean, performing well, and it’s about all you can do to avoid hardware troubles.

To Our Members
Share this type of information with your customers, I guarantee you nobody else is and they will thank you for it. I usually include a small print out of this type of information with every repair, you couldn’t imagine the number of smiles and thank you’s it gets. Just more satisfied customers.