Spring is finally here, and while
we’re all busy cleaning our houses and throwing out things we don’t need, it’s
important not to neglect cleaning our digital lives as well.
Files can build up quickly on our computers
and have an effect on their performance and also make it harder to find the
items you actually need!
Here are our tips for keeping your
PC clean:
1)
Run an Antivirus scan
For those of you who are lucky
enough to own an Apple Macintosh, viruses are extremely rare. But those who own
Windows-powered machines should be running antivirus scans on a regular basis to
ensure their computer is free of malware.
Not only can malware invade your
privacy, steal your data and ruin your digital life, but it can also
significantly slow down your computer.
AVG Antivirus is consistently one of
the more favourable antivirus programs because it’s easy and free to use.
2)
Run a disk cleaner
AVG also offers what it calls “PC
TuneUp,” which could be very helpful in removing old, unnecessary files and
speeding up your computer.
What other disk cleaners essentially
do is remove old temporary files used by programs that are not needed. Many
would be surprised at how many of these files are on their computer after a few
months of use, making disk cleaners very important for both Mac & Windows powered
machines.
3)
Uninstall old programs
The easiest thing to do for Windows
computers is to head over to the Control Panel and then to Programs. There
should be a long list of all the programs that have been installed over the
months or years you’ve owned your machine. Now, it’s always important to be
careful when removing old programs, as you don’t want to remove something that
you need or that is important for the computer to run.
If however, you see a game that you
installed which you haven’t touched in six months, perhaps it’s time to get rid
of it for the purpose of freeing up space on your computer.
On most Macintosh machines, there
will be a number of programs you’ve never heard of, or in fact ever touched – it
is normally best not to touch these unless you know exactly what you’re doing
as they may be integral to the running of the computer.
4)
Put things in folders
Cleaning a computer isn’t always
just about removing files, it can also be organising them. While not essential
to how your computer runs, organising files into folders can greatly help you
in being more productive.
It makes it easier to find things
when necessary, plus it looks prettier than a long list of unorganised files.
5)
Clear cookies and browsing history
This is about more than just keeping
what you do on the internet a secret. Going into your computers browsing and
clearing out all the data that it has collected can also speed up your system.
These small files build up over time, and if left untreated for a long time,
they can greatly slow things down.
While you’re cleaning your computer,
why not visit our fully secure, SSL protected Discount Landlord website for a
quick-quote on your landlord insurance?
Categories: PC, spring clean tips
