There are a number of important things you can do to make using your computer a much better experience overall. Follow these handy hints to help.
- Use a good security suite on your computer for full protection. I recommend Norton Security Premium or Kaspersky Total Security. The use of FREE Anti-Virus software as your main protection is not recommended as their protection level is not high enough.
- You can't just rely on your main security suite to protect you 100% against viruses and threats. There is no such thing. Install and run extra malware protection software Malwarebytes and SUPERAntiSpyware to ensure that no other nasties are infecting your computer. Both are free and can be downloaded from the downloads section.
- You need to maintain your computer like your car. Tune-up your computer with CCleaner and optimise (defrag) your hard disk drive with Defraggler. Both are free and can be downloaded from the downloads section.
- Always download the latest version of your software and hardware drivers from the manufacturer's website. Installation CD's are always out of date even when a product is purchased brand new.
- Software such as: Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, Adobe Flash & Shockwave players, Java and many more are constantly being updated to fix security issues. Make sure you keep them up-to-date always.
- A computer can always be fixed no matter what problem it has. Purchasing a new computer isn't necessarily required just because it isn't working properly. It's cheaper to fix your computer than buying a new one, in most cases.
- Computers and most technology today are considered old and out-of-date after 3 years or so. Companies usually release updated hardware and technology on a yearly basis.
- Google can be your best friend. Doing a search on the Internet about your computer problem may yield the answer to solving it. You may be able to fix certain problems yourself with a little know-how.
- Use a high quality power board with built-in surge protection as a cheap $10 board may not protect you against a power surge.
- If you have private data that you don't want anyone else to see or use, make sure you add a password or PIN to your user account.
- Storing all your data on only 1 device is not a good idea as hardware failure is very common. Store your data on at least 2 devices to protect yourself. For example: have all your data stored on your computer and an external hard disk drive for back up purposes.
- If your hard disk drive or other storage device is physically damaged or faulty, you may need to enlist the services of a professional Data Recovery company. They can retrieve data from almost all devices, no matter what condition it is in. This is a very expensive procedure, which ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars, so back up your data regularly.
