Properly maintaining your desktop PC is an important part of increasing its longevity. A proper cleaning schedule will help to avoid “clogging” the fans or dust accumulation, both of which can lead to overheating and significant damage to internal components. Below are some steps that can be taken to ensure maximum health for your PC over time.
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How To Speed Up Your Pc [7 Things To Check]
1. Hardware
The first step in maintenance should always be determining if there are any underlying symptoms of problems before beginning a routine maintenance plan for your desktop PC. If you are noticing symptoms such as excessive noise or erratic cooling fans, then it’s time for a more thorough approach. Check the bulk of the problem by shutting down the computer while it is cool and removing any side panels from the case.
Look for clogged vents or fans that are dirty or damaged. You may also notice that the thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink has dried out, requiring the replacement of the paste with new grease. If this is not an issue, move on to more regular maintenance procedures…
A good rule of thumb is to clean your computer out about once a month. This can be done by removing all cords and peripherals from the back of your desktop PC before moving it to a well-lit area where you can work comfortably. Further break down internal components such as the power supply, hard drive cage, and motherboard tray for better reach within tight areas. You should bring compressed air and a microfiber cloth with you into the workspace to use on various parts inside the computer.
Remove dust from the exterior and interior of your desktop PC with compressed air. If you do not have any on hand, a standard household vacuum cleaner can also be used to clear out dirt and debris that has found its way into your PC. Use caution when using a vacuum though as it may be easy to accidentally damage sensitive parts such as the motherboard or processor if they are accidentally sucked up by the device’s nozzle. Be sure to move components around once you start cleaning them so that no areas are missed in the process.
If you choose to use a microfiber cloth for this task, make sure that it is free of lint or other particles which could scratch surfaces while wiping them down. The same can be said for cotton swabs which could also scratch optical drives and other smooth surfaces.
Just a few simple precautions when done on a regular basis will keep your PC in top offensive and that way it will operate optimally for years to come.
So, remember the following- never use compressed air on a part with moving parts, do not spray liquid directly on a component and make sure you regularly clean your PC to keep it running smoothly.
If you follow this guide from start to finish, you’ll have a clean computer in no time.
2. Software
Keeping your PC’s software well maintained is easy. A lot of software companies offer free updates to keep their products up to date.
3. Updates
Download these regularly, but don’t install them right away- always read the release notes before installing anything since it may include important bug fixes or changes in functionality.
4. Antivirus
Virus Removal Programs are your best friends when it comes to keeping your PC clean from dangerous viruses including Avast SafePrice and malware that could slow down your computer’s performance, so you should use some sort of antivirus software on a regular basis, especially if you regularly download files off the internet which can be infected with all sorts of harmful programs.
Anti-virus software has been around for many years and works by scanning all incoming data or anything currently on your PC which you request be opened (and thus scanned) for viruses. Virus protection can be obtained relatively cheaply from companies such as McAfee, Symantec and Avast and the best free Antivirus for windows 10 who all offer virus protections varying in price against how many computers it protects and how often you want updates pushed out to you. This type of software is essential for the protection of your personal data so you should have some form installed on all PCs that access the internet.
5. Spyware Protection
Spyware Protection is another type of program that helps you get rid of the annoying spyware on your computer that can often be a root cause of all sorts of software issues and slow down your PC’s performance. Spyware Protection Programs are also great at detecting and blocking any websites that may try to install malware, adware or other types of harmful programs onto your computer without you knowing about it.
While not every PC may have problems with spyware, it is becoming an increasing problem in the world of online computing. It’s good to have a program on your computer that will try to detect if there are any spyware programs running on your system and take steps to get rid of them.
6. Firewall Software
A firewall is a hardware device or program that prevents unauthorized access to or from a private network, usually by constantly checking whether, and if so what, traffic is passing between that network and other networks. A firewall acts as a protective boundary between your computer(s) and everything outside it (e.g., hackers).
There are many forms of firewalls including ones built-in to routers that sit on the edge of an internal network (usually behind another router), software firewalls running on individual computers like Windows Firewall (built into Windows 7 & 8) or third party software like Comodo Firewall (free for personal use).
7. Hard Disk Checks
Ensure that your data is safe by an automatic scan of your hard disks at least once a week (it may take hours). Look out for error messages that might indicate hard disk failure, or if you have USB drives running the same check on those too just in case.
To do this, open DiskCheckup from the Start menu and start an analysis. It will list all the volumes attached to your system including any USB drives you have plugged in so choose one or all depending on whether you want to scan multiple disks at once. Then press Analyze. The resulting report will be saved as a log file so even if something goes wrong it can be used later if needed.
If this sounds a bit overwhelming for you, you can always hire a PC repair technician who would be able to assist you with most of these tasks.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to computer maintenance. You can’t expect everything to keep working, but just the same with your car, if you take care of your PC, it will last longer and help you do what you need it for.
PCs are very complicated in their inner workings so knowing how they work is key if one wants them to function properly in the long run. If something goes wrong, be sure to consult with a professional who knows how to fix your specific model so you don’t have to replace expensive hardware when simpler solutions would suffice.