Computer Repair in Kalamazoo

One of the easiest methods to keep your computer running at its best, is also one of its most overlooked or forgotten.  Regular maintenance of your computer is essential, be it Mac or a Windows machine, to ensure not only efficient operation, but also the security of your data.  Geek Easy Computers, in our effort to help make your technology easier, have previously addressed various aspects of this such as PC Hygiene, Spring Cleaning, and Updating Drivers.

With this new year off to a rousing start, we thought it a good idea to address this topic in depth again.  So without any further delay….

Your computer needs you

.  Yes, they are amazing machines that do things today that the originators couldn’t have imagined, but they still need our help to stay at tip top performance, and they need us for protection.  They need a regular program of maintenance just like your car does.  They need to be physically cleaned periodically.  They need to be regularly tuned-up.  They need to be protected from viruses and malware.  Basically its a partnership.  You treat your computer right and it will last well beyond its warranty!

First things first.

Let’s start with the simplest act.  Keeping the computer physically clean.  What do we mean?  Wiping the dust and debris that accumulates around your desktop or laptops fan vents away.  You know what I’m talking about.  You buy that new computer, stick it under your desk, and there it sits until the day you have to haul it out for whatever reason.  Lo and behold, you’ve got a massive herd of “dust bunnies” living on the back of your machine!  That’s not good.  Why?  Well other than the obvious health issues (allergies, etc.), the accumulation of dust and other debris severely inhibits the flow of fresh, cooling air in your computer.  This causes your computer to operate at a temperature higher than what it was designed to safely operate at.  Over time, this will cause damage to not only your processor, but other electronic components of your computers.  Not too mention, it will degrade the performance and lifespan of your machine.  But all of this can be easily avoided.  Once a week, just take a duster or paper towel and wipe the dust from the vents. Canned air works even better, just make sure you’re not blowing the dust INTO the vents!  Then, once every 6 months or so, take your computer into your local computer professional (such as Geek Easy Computers) and let them disassemble and thoroughly clean out the inside of your computer.  Yes, dust can and does accumulate internally also.  Keeping the outside of the computer clean will minimize this.

The next step is a regular tune-up.

This is important to keep your computer running its best.  While using your computer, over time, data is getting shuffled around, programs are getting installed and uninstalled, things are getting added to the boot process, etc.  All this combines to slow down your computer.  Just like your car benefits from an oil change and fresh spark plugs,
Geek Easy offers a computer optimization “Tune-up” service which includes streamlining your start-up/boot process, we optimize the operating system, customized for each individual PC, we clean the registry and remove unneeded/unnecessary entries and much more!  This service will leave your machine running faster and more efficiently, which will help to prolong its “life”.

Protection.

It’s non-negotiable these days.  A must have.  If you are operating your computer without antivirus/malware protection, you are asking for dark days ahead.  It’s not a matter of ‘if’ it will happen, but ‘when’ it will happen.  With no protection, when the inevitable infection does happen, you will have no recourse.  The answer?  Invest in good protection software.  There are indeed lots of free anti-virus software out there, and some of them are pretty decent (such as Panda), but none of them are going to offer the security & reliability of a commercial product.  Geek Easy Computers recommends Norton Anti-virus, and as an alternative, Kaspersky Anti-virus.  Both are highly rated commercial security programs (Norton is the current leader).  Commercial antivirus products are updated more frequently and consistently; and have reliable support behind them. It’s also wise to have layered approach to your computer security, using antivirus, antispyware/malware, firewalls, and training on what to avoid, or asking the experts when you don’t know.

Following these simple tips will lead to you enjoying your computer a lot longer.  Check back here frequently for more tips and information to help make your computing easy!