5 Computer Maintenance Tips and Tricks for the 2012 Office

The New Year is the perfect time to start fresh and take some of those company problems off the back burner. One of the most common things business owners tend to ignore is computer maintenance. It seems so easy, but when it comes time to sit down and protect a computer, many do not know where to begin. For most office workers, shutting it down every night is the extent of their computer maintenance, but this is unfortunately not enough to keep a computer in good shape as it gets older and older. Think of it like a person—you have to take care of it when its “young” if you want it to have a good life when it’s “old.”
There are certain things you should be doing with your computer every single day, and there are other things that you should be doing every few weeks. It may seem like a hassle, but many companies are beginning to post charts and explain to employees how to maintain their computers. In the long run you will find that although it’s a bit more trouble than completely ignoring computer maintenance, it will save you time and money in the long run. Consider a few of these tips to computer maintenance:
Make Computer Maintenance in the Office a Priority
1. Files – What your employees do with their files is important. If you want a computer to run faster and easier, it’s important to store all of the files in one place. Creating a folder under “My Documents” is the easiest way to make this happen. It’s important to remember not to store files on the “C: Drive” because this can easily cause errors and slow the entire system down. You may even consider purchasing document management software if you have a lot of documents on one machine.



2. Downloads – While downloads eventually turn into files, it’s important to delete the download once you’ve extracted what you need (this is particularly common when someone downloads a “Zip” file). It’s also important to remind employees to stay away from suspicious files. If you don’t know who sent it, trash it.
3. Anti-Virus Software – This is one aspect of computer maintenance that companies often miss. Many businesses take this seriously at the start of a business, set up anti-virus software on all the computers, and then forget about it. The truth is, viruses change every day. According to Kaspersky Lab, there were “238,045,358 malicious programs were detected and neutralized on user computers.” For this reason, it is important to update the software each morning. Although it may seem like a lot, it doesn’t take long to update the software if you do it every day. At the very least, try to make this a monthly priority. Also consider running a full anti-virus scan on each computer a few times each year.
4. Emails and Passwords – This is the part of computer maintenance that many would call “nerve-racking.” It’s important to delete old emails and change passwords every few months. If you have thousands of emails stored on the computer, you will certainly see your computer begin to slow down when trying to open websites and documents. It’s also important to change your password frequently in order to keep all of your information safe from hackers or dishonest co-workers (which often occurs even if a company completes a background check). You may want to consider purchasing encryption software for an extra layer of protection.
5. Cleaning – Not many people realize the importance of keeping a computer dust free. If a computer is full of dust, it can overheat and will then eventually break. This is difficult for many companies to remember because dust can be difficult to see. If your employees keep their computers on the floor, no one really thinks to even look down. For this reason, you may want to consider a 15 minute computer cleaning break every few weeks.
In such an up-and-down economy, it is important to cut costs wherever possible. It would be a shame to have to buy new computers each year simply because employees did not take the time to properly take care of their systems. However, the fault does not entirely lie on the employees. Many people do not understand computer maintenance, and it is the job of the employer to make this known.