Clean Out your Computer Day: 7 Steps Checklist
According to a Forrester Research estimate, there are more than two billion PCs out there in the world. Although your average mobile device is definitely a more popular product today, more than 106.000.000 computers were bought this year already. Believe it or not, even tablets are gaining up on our beloved PCs.
But this doesn't mean that we use them less now than we did before. On the contrary! Entire infrastructures, banking systems, communications, healthcare – probably everything that we know and use on a daily basis is somehow connected to a computer. In fact, did you know that only 8% of the entire world's currency is actual, physical money? The rest of it is neatly stored in our, you guessed it, beloved computers.
Once a year (on the February 8, to be precise), the time comes for us, regular PC users, to give something back to our trusted devices and clean them out thoroughly. Worldwide users clean their desktops, delete old files, uninstall unwanted apps, and some of us even give our actual components a good scrubbing. Well, not the actual scrubbing, of course.
So if you missed to clean out your computer this year, it is not too late to do so now. If you need a hand in organizing this endeavor, here is a short but comprehensive checklist which might just come in handy.
#1: Backing up your files
Take a moment and make sure that all of your vital data is stored properly. It is well recommended to store all important information in two separate places. Whether if are keeping your backup's backup in a cloud, or on any sort of an external device, make sure and check your data, and its safety, before going any further down the list. Better to be safe than sorry. If you are looking for some additional free storage to keep your files safe, you will find the very best on this list.
#2: Cleaning up your hard drive
There are certainly numerous apps and software that you haven't used in months, or even for a whole year, that are taking up at least some of the space on your hard drive. We just tend to store all types of apps for no apparent reason. In fact, more than 60% of mobile apps are never going to be used at all, which is close to a 64% of applications and features that we have on our PCs but never use as well. Cleaning up those apps shouldn't present an issue, and you will find them all in your Programs and Features, which you can find in your Control Panel (presuming that you are using Windows OS). It will be beneficial for your hard drive, and for the overall performance of your PC. It might even speed up your internet connection, since many background apps and programs use data traffic. You can even check this with a quick internet speed test after you finish cleaning up.
#3: Updating software
Although most of the software that we use today will probably remind you that you need to update it from time to time, this is not the case for a somewhat older applications and software that you certainly use even today. Alternatively, some of the applications that you use frequently are even reminding you of this, but you simply never have the time to do so. While this may take you awhile, depending on how many applications you actually have and use, make sure that you update every one of them. Especially your Antiviruses and other security software. So stop avoiding pop ups and rescheduling your updates, get prepared for some extensive clicking work, and bring your software up to date.
#4: Defragmentation (Your hard drive will love it)
The more you alter data (meaning save, change, delete etc.) the more fragmented your information gets. Meaning – it gets stored in completely different locations on your hard drive. Normally, this makes your PC work much harder than it really should, and of course that you are going to feel this lag when you are using your PC for more than a year. So once in every six months, it is always wise to defrag your PC. You can do this from your Control Panel, but if you are looking for a professional software to perform this task, I advise you to visit this list. Some of those applications are even free.
#5: Bite the dust
Ironically, if you don't clean your PC often, the dust is going to be the number one reason why your computer will bite the dust. If your PC's tower is located on the floor (which is a common but not an advisable practice), your computer is probably full with it, and you need to tackle this issue ASAP. The best way to do this is to clean the interior, and the exterior, of your PC with compressed air. However, if you are not in a position to do so and you are using a cloth – never apply cleaning products directly on your computer. Use very little, and spray it on the cloth, not on your PC.
#6: Check all additional components
If you do have a can of a compressed air, that is the best way to clean your keyboard and your monitor too. Another way to clean a keyboard, and a more thorough one, is to use a toothbrush (buy a new one especially for this purpose alone). After you gave every component a good wipe-down, check your printer as well. If you want to keep your printer in the perfect working order, you need to make sure that your toners are full and that your nozzles are clear.
#7: Getting ready for work
Once you've checked all the components, and your computer is clean, it is ready to put your computer in a proper use. But before you start it up, make sure that you don't plug it in for at least an hour after your wipe-down, just to make sure. After that, feel free to install an antivirus if you didn't already, clean up your desktop, and enjoy your PC.
