Computer Tips to Keep Your PC Running Smoothly

By Matthew Byrne

In a world that runs on technology, it is important to keep your home computer system healthy. This requires vigilance. In order to maintain a smoothly running system, here are a few computer tips that you should implement.

Image courtesy of ppart/Shutterstock.

Install anti-virus software and keep it up to date.
The most common injury to a system is through the introduction of a virus. Paramount among the computer tips for virus prevention is to defend against them. These nasty little programs can do everything from destroy the data on your system to steal your identity. To protect yourself, install, maintain and use anti-virus software on your system. Make sure it is updated daily. Most high-quality security software applications update automatically. For the best protection, use anti-virus software such as BitDefender, Kaspersky, Webroot or Norton to ensure full coverage and protection from infection.
Keep Windows up to date.
If you are a Mac user, this obviously doesn't apply to you. One of the easiest computer tips to overlook is to keep your operating system up to date. There are numerous bugs in any system, and keeping it updated will prevent those problems from becoming major issues.
Windows will typically update automatically, but you will often be prompted to tell the computer which updates you want to install. Always install high-priority updates, and you will usually want to install the secondary updates and drivers as well. The best rule here is to follow Microsoft's recommendations.
Install and update anti-spyware software.
Among the computer tips for a healthy system, this is nearly as important as having virus-scanning software. Trojans, malware and other nasty infections require additional software to keep your computer protected and operating smoothly. Make sure that you are totally covered by using and updating this kind of software as well as your other security applications.
Do not use Internet Explorer or Outlook.
Microsoft applications can be very useful. The company is also the most prolific software manufacturer on the planet. This means that its software is the most vulnerable to attacks. One of the best computer tips to follow to maintain a healthy system is to avoid using Microsoft software. Even Homeland Security recommended that all businesses refrain from using Microsoft's products. There are simply too many security holes.

There is outstanding free software that works better than Microsoft products do at performing the same functions. Some additional computer tips include using Firefox as your web browser and Thunderbird as your email client. These are solid applications with high levels of customizability. Most people who try them would not go back to Internet Explorer and Outlook even if those applications were totally safe.
Install a firewall.
If you keep your Windows OS and your security software updated, you should already have a firewall installed. Among the computer tips for a healthy system, using a firewall will usually only provide minimal protection, but even a little bit is better than none at all. Adding a firewall to the whole range of your protective measures is just additional security.
Back up your hard drive.
This might not save your machine if it becomes infected, but is still one of the most useful computer tips you follow because it will protect your personal files, which are impossible to replace if they're lost – unlike operating systems and software, which are replaceable. By backing up your hard drive, you can more easily fight back after an infection.

The two best media for backing up your drive are to burn your files to a disc such as a CD or DVD, or to save them on a flash drive. These methods work best if you have small amounts of data. If you have a larger number of important files, using a secondary, external hard drive or one of the many online backup services to secure your files is among the most-useful computer tips. For a nominal fee, you can store your data entirely on a separate drive on a backup service's server systems. These company's usually guarantee that your data will not be lost. With this method, backing up your files is fast and easy.

You should perform backups often. The more you use your system, the more often you should be saving your data. For individuals who work on their computers every day, that is how often they should be saving their data to an external storage device.

Maintaining a safe and healthy system is an investment in peace of mind. After the initial set up process, securing your data takes less time than brushing your teeth, and it will inevitably save you from pain and suffering later on because all hard drives fail eventually.

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