Dec 08 2008
If Your Business Is Online, You Need To Take Care Of Your Computer
The day I started working from home was the day I realized I would have to take extra special care of my computer. It had become my lifeline and the only way I could connect to earn an income. No computer would mean no income.
If you find yourself in the same position, that can only mean one thing: you must do everything you can to ensure the longest life out of your computer!
Some of the simplest steps can help ensure the longest life from your machine. Here are a few ideas for you:
- Use that ridiculous can of air.
- Use up-to-date virus protection.
- If possible, keep your computer for work only and another for family use.
- I used to joke that the can of air that you buy from the store to clean out your electronics was stupid… until I bought a laptop.
When at the store, look for the aerosol which calls itself “dust remover”. It is basically compressed chemicals but it is safe for your computer. Do not shake or tilt the can while ‘dusting’ your computer or keyboard. Keep the end of the nozzle at least 2″ from your computer and spray the air in a series of short bursts. This will help get little bits of dust and such out from between the crevices of your keyboard and get rid of those dust bits that collect on your screen.
- No matter where you go online, if you are not keeping your computer protected it might cause a lot of problems. Viruses, spyware, keyloggers… in the best case it will only slow down your computer. In the worst case, they can steal important information and passwords which might result in many important things being hacked.
Granted you might want to consider some of the best paid programs available, there are some not-so-bad freebies as well. My personal favorite being AVG. I use their free option, although you may also purchase the paid version which offers even more protection.
- Although your family may not mean it, it is nearly impossible to tell what they might or might not get into when you have your back turned. Just as you’d keep them out of important documents filed away, you need to keep them out of important files on your computer. This may not directly connect to the care of your computer, but it will save you a headache when someone has deleted an important file.
Going a little deeper, it’s hard to tell what websites they will access and what will end up on your computer. Even with virus protection, it’s hard to tell what might happen when others use your computer for personal use. Rather than worry, give them another computer to play on instead. It may cost you money, but it’ll save you something much more important - your computer.
Photo Credit: Don Fulano
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Not A Member? Register for Free!
