Unnecessary Computer Repair Can Be Avoided With A Little Maintenance

You Myrtle Beach computer repair specialists, 1on1-Computers, wants you to know there are maintenance steps that you can take to avoid unexpected computer repair.

Here are our top 11 computer maintenance tips to avoid computer repair:

1.  Do not turn your computer off by using the power switch until Windows has completely shut down.  There is only one exception to this rule – a locked up computer.  If your computer is not running (i.e. the light on your hard drive is not blinking) you can use the power switch to turn off your computer without doing any harm.  However, you still run the risk of data loss in this situation.  This should be a last resort.  The best solution for a system lockup is to press the ctrl-alt-delete keys at the same time and get into the task manager.  This will allow you to close down programs that are not running and prevent a computer repair situation.
2. Always plug your computer and peripherals into a power supply.  This is a great recommendation for all of your appliances.  Your local electrician can help you with whole-house surge protection.  An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) will protect your computer from surges during storms.  In Myrtle Beach, this is the time of year we experience a lot of thunderstorms and this will save your system from necessary computer repair in the event of an electrical strike.
3. Backup – I have mentioned this before and I can’t stress this too strongly.  You can’t afford to lose your data.  I can tell you hundreds of horror stories about precious data, photos and videos being lost that can never be recovered.  For ultimate safety, you will want to utilize an offline data source.
4. Run a defrag and scandisk of your system at least once each month.  This will keep your hard drive cleaned up and help to prevent crashes and can even increase the speed of your system.  Both of these programs are included with Windows and can be found on your start menu under Accessories and System Tools.
5. If you need to unplug your peripherals from the computer, always power down your computer first.  Removing them with the power still on can actually short out the motherboard or the connector socket which is a major computer repair.  The only exception to this rule is peripherals such as headsets or external hard drives that use the USB of your computer. 
6. Leave a portion of your hard drive free for Windows.  As a rule of thumb this should be around 500 MBs.  Not leaving enough space will cause Windows to start dumping data on your hard drive in order to make room for operations.  You will start to notice your computer slowing down when this happens.  Running the programs in step 4 will help this situation.  Also, you will want to run programs such as CCleaner  or PC Pitstop periodically 
7. Monitor the programs that automatically start when you start your computer.  They use up memory and valuable Windows resources.  The systems tray in the lower right hand corner will tell you which programs load upon starting.  This will usually be your anti-virus program, screen capture programs and possibly share programs like DropBox.  You will want to change the settings on any program that is opening on startup that you do not need.
8. Always use an anti-virus checker.  This is one of the programs that need to start when you start your computer.  This will help to trap viruses before they have a chance to invade your computer.  One of the major causes for computer repair is a virus.  If you are not certain if you have a virus checker or want a recommendation on which program is best, contact your Myrtle Beach Computer Repair specialist.
9. You may need a firewall program if you use a high speed connection to the internet.  This program will keep out devious predators that are seeking to hijack your system and gain access to personal information.  Believe me, you don’t want someone else in your computer.  The current versions of Windows already have a firewall program installed.  You can use your Control Panel to access your firewall.  Never turn off the firewall unless you are instructed to do so while you are installing a program and then always remember to turn it back on when you are finished.  Make sure you are installing the software from a trusted provider before following their instructions.  If you are in doubt, you will want to call your Myrtle Beach Computer Repair specialist to check before doing this procedure.
10. Use a spreadsheet to keep track of your software disks with any keys, new peripherals and driver specifications.  Depending on the type of backup you are using, you may need this information if your hard drive needs to be reformatted and reinstalled (which can happen during computer repair). Always keep your software disks in a clean, dry spot.
11. Run Windows updates when prompted or have them set to run automatically.  Microsoft is always coming out with new updates that will add new features and help the performance of your computer.

Using a few common computer maintenance steps can help prevent the cost of a computer repair.  However, if you have used a computer for any length of time, you know that computers fail and a computer repair call will need to be made.

The next time you need to make that call for a computer repair, call 1on1 Computers, your Myrtle Beach Computer Repair specialists.