Computers are so indispensable today. Neither individuals nor businesses can pass a day without them, properly. A lot of our lives today are controlled by computers.  Important documents, details related to business and property, even banking details are stored on computers these days. So a computer that is malfunctioning or not running at optimum capacity is nothing short of a nightmare. Hence, taking good care of a computer right from the very first day is important. Many first time users and those who are not so experienced in dealing with computers make mistakes that can cost dearly on the life of a computer. Thus the care one takes while using his or her computer will determine how long it works without any hitches at all.

Switch Off a Computer Properly

First and foremost, switching off a computer properly is crucial. The operating system must shut down first before the power source is turned off. If done otherwise, the hard drive may suffer serious and even permanent damage.  Forcing the computer to shut down is not a good thing at all. And this should be done only when the hard drive refuses to respond or gets hung up. Emergency forced shutdown should be performed only when absolutely necessary.

Use a UPS

The power supply to the computer should be constant and steady. The line should be free from voltage fluctuations as this will adversely affect the internal circuitry of the computer. To prevent any such conditions it is best to use a UPS to stabilize the power supply. In the event of power disconnections, the stored power in the UPS will hold out for sometime giving the user a chance to shut it down properly rather than forcing a sudden and emergency shutdown.

Use Good Anti-virus Software

Also a good anti-virus software program should be used once every two or three weeks to scan the hard disks and check them thoroughly for malware. Virus attacks can cause multiple problems for a computer. Sometimes a particularly dangerous one might erase all the data and information off the hard disk, causing a severe problem. Apart from this, having anti-virus software installed will save the computer from worms, spam and viruses. Good anti-virus programs can be downloaded free of cost off the internet. There are several good ones available.

Additionally, the peripheral devices like speakers, printers, external drives, etc should not be suddenly unplugged when they are fully powered up. This can cause too many damages to the motherboard.

Firewall Option Should be Activated

Also the firewall option should be activated at the highest possible security settings, if a high speed internet connection is used. A firewall prevents a computer from being hijacked and any crucial information being extracted from it. A hacked computer is a storehouse of information that can cause potentially threatening situations for the user.

Never Discard the Original Installer Files and Programs

Also never discard the original installer files and programs that were used while setting up the computer initially. This is because computers often need to be reformatted and then these installer programs come in handy. Additionally, one should keep 100 MB or more of free space in the local hard drive to prevent the computer from slowing down. Also running multiple programs as soon as the computer powers on is detrimental to the health of the processor.

Delete Unnecessary Files

Another very big issue with computers that surfaces often is the processing speed of the hardware becoming very slow. When this thing happens, all applications run on the computer take a long time to react. Excess pressure on the hard disk memory as well as the RAM is the primary cause of a computer becoming slow. There are certain methods by which this can be dealt with.

A main cause of slow performance is a clogged up RAM. Temporary files generated by internet usage eat up precious space on the hard disk. This in turn affects the computer’s performance. There are several programs available on the internet that if used to scan the computer’s various files, can effectively identify these unnecessary files without tampering in any way with applications that are needed by the machine.

Sometimes there are programs or software that becomes unnecessary for the user. They often delete such programs from the computer. But all the files related to the computer do not get deleted from the computer’s memory. These unnecessary files also clog up the computer and largely hamper the speed of performance.

Defragmenting

Installing or deleting programs or software from a computer creates some invalid files that are spread all over the hard disk in fragments. These fragmented pieces of the same program being spread all over the machine are a major reason why the computer takes a long time to run applications and programs. Defragmenting or joining these pieces can thus help improve the performance of the computer. Also removing all unnecessary programs from the computer is a basic measure to free hard disk space and improve the performance of the PC.

These methods and tips are sure to come in handy to derive optimum service from a computer.