5 Easy Ways to Avoid Computer Problems

The errors computer users will experience range from halts, and exe errors to a non-responsive system that crashes on several occassions and the sad news is that these errors are almost impossible to avoid.

But fortunately, there are a few things you can do to dramatically reduce the occurrance of these issues.

1. Update your system frequently

Try your best to install the latest Windows updates; these contain valuable security updates and improve the stability of your system.

It is also a good idea to keep your installed software updated with the latest version. Every time software is updated, it fixes internal bugs. And fixing these bugs can prevent unstable programs from damaging other files, such as shared DLL files, by crashing with these files in memory.

2. Get rid of old unused junk

Those old files and programs you never use? They are actually one of the biggest resource hogs on your computer.

First of all, they are wasting hard drive space and at some point in time you are likely to run out of space. Additionally, many programs will automatically update themselves in the background and run other processes, wasting system resources on completely useless tasks.

To get rid of unused programs:

Click Start, then run… (Windows XP)
Click Win R (Windows Vista)

In the dialogue box type appwiz.cpl, this takes you to a list of installed programs, go through it uninstall any programs you are not using.

You should also take steps to get rid of old files and duplicate data, aside from wasting space they will slow down Data Access Time which has a negative impact on performance.

Another great way to free up some hard drive space is to use the Windows Disk Cleanup tool:

· Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup

This tool let’s you get rid of old and temporary files, like emptying the Trashbin, old internet files etc…, you probably won’t see any drastic performance increase, but you will free up some space and it helps keep your hard drive healthy in the long run.

3. Take proper care ofthe hard drive

The computer hard drive stores everything on your computer, so keeping it in shape is very important.
And deleting programs and moving files around will cause your hard drive to become fragmented as the physical locations become somewhat messy, so you should periodically use Disk Defragmentation to reorganize the locations.

Click on My Computer, and then right click the hard drive you want to defragment and select Properties in the drop down menu. In the pop-up window select Tools and then Defragment to begin the defragmentation process.

4. Take proper care of hardware devices

Each and every piece of hardware attached to your computer has a driver installed with it, even the laptop batteries and the on/off button. What these drivers do is work as a communications link between Windows and hardware devices, in simpler terms, the drivers tell the software how the hardware works, and if you have missing or outdated drivers your hardware will begin to malfunction.

Most of your drivers will not update themselves, so you are left with this task for yourself, but it is important none the less as faulty drivers are on of the leading causes of computer crashes and Blue Screen errors.

The drivers can be found on the hardware manufacturers website, look for a “driver” link, or in their support section. To save time and ensure you do get the right drivers you can also get a driver update utility, this type of program will automatically download and install all the latest drivers for your hardware, saving you the tedious task of doing it yourself.

5. Keep malware of your computer

Malware is the leading cause of computer destruction worldwide, reports say that close to 90% of home computers are infected with malware, so you should take the necessary steps to prevent unwelcome intrusions.

If you own a computer you will probably have some form of antivirus installed, if you don’t; get one as soon as possible and scan your computer for malware at least once a week. It is also important your antivirus is up to date with the latest virus definitions, this is information about the latest malware dicovered and if your antivirus don’t know them it will not detect them, so keep it updated.

A firewall is equally important, there are many people who will try to remotely access computers to grab sensitive information and a firewall will block all suspicious attempts at accessing your computer

But malware developers are more and more deceptive, so it is important to be vigilant and stay clear of suspicious sites, never open email attachements from people you don’t know and only download exe files (programs) from trusted sources.

Just by taking the 5 steps above you will be miles ahead of most Windows users in terms of both safety and computer maintenance, and your computer will not only perform better as a result, but it will live significantly longer.
So take what you have learned, apply it and watch the positive change happen.