According to Pew Research, 80% of homes have either a desktop computer or laptop and 23% have more than three desktop computers in a singular home. With the amount of households that contain at least one desktop, the importance of computer maintenance continues to rise.

Your computer’s health, both internally and externally, is crucial to a long lasting desktop or laptop. Taking proper care of your device can save you time and money. At Auburn IT, we provide an array of computer and hardware maintenance services to keep your computer performing at high speed.

Here are some computer maintenance tips to put into practice to ensure your computer is healthy both on the inside out:

Cleaning

This seems like a simple tip, but your computer’s health starts with a little polishing. Anything from crumbs to loose hairs can get stuck in between your keys or in the crease on a laptop, which can result in you having to replace your keyboard entirely.

For a cosmetic clean, taking a lightly damped, lint free cloth can wipe away any stickiness or oil. For a deeper clean, a compressed air canister is an affordable way to get into the cracks and crevices of your keyboard and mouse.

Covering

Your laptop is an essential piece for on-the-go work and entertainment, but it can be subjected to wear and tear. Accidents happen all the time, especially hustling to work or class, so protecting your laptop from outward elements is a key to maintaining a healthy computer.

There are many types of laptop cases that are both durable and stylish. They come in all different types including hard and soft shell covers and sleeves to slip your laptop into. If you like the clean look without a case, try using a specific bag to keep your laptop in when traveling from place to place.

Updates

Updating your computer regularly is a simple way to keep your computer’s internal health up. Your computer usually notifies you if it’s time for an update, but it can be easy to ignore them if you are in the middle of working on something.

However, updating your computer is crucial to protecting your computer from possible viruses that can infect your computer and slow it down exponentially. Set some time aside during your day to make sure your computer is up to date for optimal computer health.

Battery Life

Keeping your device constantly on the charger does not necessarily mean your battery is super charged. It is actually much worse for your computer’s battery life to keep it plugged in most of the day because it stunts your devices ability to hold a charge. If not careful, you might always have to keep your laptop plugged in.

It is important to keep your device’s battery in mind in regards to your computer’s overall health, so not charging until your computer’s battery is under around 20% and not keeping it plugged in past 100% will help maintain the longevity of your computer.

Organization

Organization is an overlooked component of proper computer maintenance, but it is a key part of keeping your computer healthy. Unused files and old programs can crowd your desktop and eventually slow down your computer’s performance.

Emptying out your trash, utilizing a system cleaner and deleting temporary files are all simple ways to purge your computer of unused information. After sorting out that information, it will be much easier to organize your desktop into the proper folders and create a clean look.

Maintaining your computer’s health is an easy task but often overlooked. At Auburn IT, we want to help take that burden off of you and help maintain your computer’s health for long term use. Contact us today to learn more about our services!