Basic Computer Maintenance For Internet Newbies
Almost everyone in the modern world has a personal computer, and most are connected to the Internet. Whether you use your computer for email only, spend hours a day on social media or playing games, or create or maintain a website, the Internet has become an important part of daily life.
When your computer starts to slow down or stops running, you may become frustrated and not know what to do. But with a few basic maintenance tools, the problems you encounter will be few and far between. Most of these tools are available online for free or at a nominal fee.
The most important online problem is viruses. There are mischievous people lurking in the cyber world who enjoy creating virus programs that can take over your computer. These viruses are usually hidden in programs and emails. By installing a creditable anti-virus program, you can stop them from entering your system.
Another problem that plagues Internet users is spyware. These are programs that enter your computer, unbeknownst to you, and share your personal information with the author of the program. Spyware may also help a criminal to access bank accounts and destroy your financial status. The simple solution is to install a decent anti-spyware program.
Both anti-virus and -spyware programs allow you to perform complete scans of all the files on your computer. Ideally, you should perform a scan at least once weekly. It will take an hour or two but it is worth waiting for these security systems to do their job.
When a computer is used often, “cookies” (bits of information) are created and stored locally on your computer by websites, so that the site owner can find out what parts of their site are being utilized, see where visitors are from, or store other useful tracking information. These cookies are usually harmless, but can be easily removed by a “system cleaner” program.
Finally, there is only so much space on a computer, and as you use up this space, your computer will slow down. Every time you perform a task, bits of information are saved, and it all accumulates — often in an untidy mess on the computer’s hard disk. The easy way to protect your computer is to use a defragmenter program that will make sure your data is neatly organised on the disk, and may also help you identify and eliminate space wasters. Most computers have a disk defragmenter built in that is free and easy to use.
As mentioned earlier, all these programs can be found for free online, and many offer a cheap upgrade to access more powerful features. Most of the programs can be used in the background as you continue to work or play. Proper maintenance is important if you are to get the most out of your computer.
