Maintain Your Desktop



Physical CareComputers include various sensitive internal structures, and it’s important to protectthe physical wellbeing of your PC to maintain the internal components that make it run:

• Regularly clean and dust. Make sure you take the time to clean your PC ofdust and debris on a regular basis. Most electronics stores carry cans ofcompressed air that are perfect for clearing out the dust and crumbs hidingunder the keys of your keyboard. Additionally, dust that collects in the airvents of your PC could cause overheating. Try to make it a monthly habit to clean your PC’s air vents, connection ports,and keyboard with compressed air. Additionally, you should wipe down yourmouse and computer casing with a cleaning cloth. However, do not useabrasive cleaners – a clean, dry microfiber cloth will do.• Inspect power supply and devices. You more than likely use surge protectorsor similar devices to power your computer. It’s crucial to make sure thesedevices stay in safe working order. You should regularly check your powersupply and power outlets and look for any signs of dust or moistureaccumulation – either could be serious hazards.Make it a point to check the power cords and other cables attached to your PCfor signs of damage or fraying. Such damage can interfere with your PC’sperformance and is a fire hazard.

Internal PerformanceCleaning your computer internally means maintaining your system to ensure optimalperformance. Additionally, proper maintenance will help keep your files secure. Apoorly maintained or rarely updated system is more vulnerable to sophisticated hackingmethods.Try to make a few things part of your daily routine:

• Run antivirus. Your computer may have vulnerabilities that you don’t noticeuntil it’s too late. It’s important to run your antivirus scan every day to makesure any changes you made or files you downloaded have not compromisedyour system. Additionally, some malicious programs embed into systemswithout warning and require specific actions to trigger. Scanning your systemdaily will help prevent this.• Scan hard disk files. Over time, your computer’s hard drive can slow down dueto cluttered files. When you scan your system for errors using a diskdefragmenter or similar program, you’re essentially eliminating wasted spaceand helping your PC run more efficiently.• Update data backups. You should have at least one method for backing upyour data, whether it is on a cloud storage server or an external hard drive.Make sure you take the time to update your backups every day. That way youwon’t have to worry about losing a day’s work in the event your PCunexpectedly crashes.• Clear your web browser. Every time you go online, the sites you visit storetemporary files such as cookies and browsing history. Clear these files outto help keep them from bogging down your system.• Shut down properly. At the end of the day, make sure you save your workbefore closing all your programs and shutting down your PC. Leaving your PCon when not in use for extended periods prevents it from cooling and canimpact the machine’s performance. If shutting down interferes with your dailyroutine or business requirements, put your computer into a low-power orhibernation mode instead.