How You Can Maintain Your Personal Computer

It has been said that computers are the new revolution. Once thought only to be essential for business offices, computers are now in over 60% of all homes in the US and other countries are quickly getting there as well. Computers used to be for the scientist or the geek but now people from all walks of life use the computers to get onto the Internet to communicate via email, read the news, share pictures and videos and even work from home. With the number of home computers now almost as common as homes with television sets, the issue of PC maintenance comes into the picture. Should you buy the limited or lifetime warranty on your PC or MAC, or should you scout your local classified section of your newspaper to get a technician to call in case something goes wrong? Or should you just do maintenance yourself? We're going to concentrate on how you can maintain your PC to avoid making that call to a technician.

1. Power surge protection

While electricity is what powers your home PC, it can also be its worst enemy. Power surges are now the number one cause of computer data and critical parts malfunction in the United States and elsewhere. A power surge is a sudden increase in the power coming into your home through the electrical outlets. This sometimes can come about as a result of a storm that causes lightning to surge through the power grid causing a temporary interruption and then resumption of power. This slight electrical hiccup can cause a massive power surge to be sent into your PC and practically fry critical components. To guard against this, you need to purchase a Power Surge Protector. The best ones come from a company called APC.

2. Do not turn off PC

Many people have this impression that computers, like television sets or radios, need to be turned off when they go to bed. This is not the case. Windows operated computers need not be turned off and on all the time. Turning computers off and then on may result in data damage and even a system crash. Most PCs have a sleep or hibernate button which should be pressed to enable to computer to "snooze"

3. Do not download from unknown websites

A computer's worst enemy is a computer virus. Viruses travel across the Internet and gain entry into one's computer via emails, email attachments and downloading software and other programs from third party sites which have a dubious origin. Viruses can also get into your computer via streaming media (watching streaming video or listening to audio from unverified sites). If you are given to visiting third party sites and downloading media and programs, make sure you have a recent version of a good anti-virus software such as Norton or McAfee. Also do anti-virus scans on your PC and do not open email attachments from people you do not know.



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