Money is Tight

The news is depressing, your budget is shot, and your computers are younger than dirt but not by alot. So, what are you gonna do when you need new systems?When your praying that your old slow system will keep running because you have no budget to replace it?

There is an answer that spends little and pays big.Do basic maintenance on a routine schedule along with backing up your data.It is just that simple.And the benefits are great.

Think about it.If you keep your computers running longer instead of replacing them your saving money.Getting additional productive life out of the investment in your computers with a little maintenance increases your ROI. The downtime for changeover of systems is reduced saving labor cost. Just build a schedule of simple and quick tasks to keep your computers running longer and faster along with having the “insurance policy” of a quality offsite backup and your money ahead.

So here’s what you need to do:

Keep your Antivirus up to date

Updating your virus scanner is the most important thing you can do for your computer. New viruses are discovered daily. If you don’t update your antivirus program, you are taking a big risk.A virus scanner is only good if it’s updated so it know how to keep damaging viruses away. Most virus scanners will check for updates automatically and you have to do nothing. I highly recommend you use a virus program with this capability.

Operating System Updates are a Must

Along with keeping your virus scanner, you need to keep your Operating System (Windows, MAC, Linux) updated.Windows systems use Windows update center. YUM, DEB, or APT for Linux. And Apple has the aptly named Software Update.You should configure your system to update weekly. People to neglect this leave their computers open to hackers and other attacks.

Keep your Computer Running Right

If you have a car, you follow a maintenance schedule. You should do the same for your computer. Once a week delete your Temporary Internet files.Check for antivirus updates daily. Keep your computer safe from spills (soda is NOT good for keyboards).And don’t be afraid to get the vacume cleaner out and get all the dust off your computer and keyboard. Dirt makes computers run hotter and that shortens the life of your computer. Just follow this routine and your computer should stay in great shape.

Backup your Disk

Even with all the preventative maintenance in the world the inevitable will occur.Your computer will fail. The fear of this is the number one reason people buy new computers even if their current system is perfectly good.But ponder this.You can remove that fear with a small investment in remote online backup of your data. The newer Internet Attached Storage services are much like antivirus software.Easy to use, inexpensive, and they keep you backed up automatically.

How much longer can you keep a computer running fast and efficiently with a little maintenance and prevention? I have a system built in 1996 that I’m writing this article on right now. Every day I look to make sure the virus scanner is up and running. I make sure the icon for my remote online backup software is there. I keep the keyboard clean, and clean the computer itself every week.I’ve only upgraded the hard disk and replaced a power supply. That’s it. Now that’s what I call ROI.