Do Not Ever Do These Things To Your PC
You may not think that you could have done anything to negatively influence your computer, and in most cases this is true. But there are a few cases where it could be your fault, and that there was possibly something you may have done to cause your computer to go wacky. Let us take a look at some of those things.
Believe it or not, computers are somewhat conservative. They do not enjoy change very much. The most reliable system you will ever see is one that only has one or two programs such as Microsoft Word or Excel installed on it. This type of PC will run much better than any other you will come across. It is when you start installing various programs on the computer that you begin to have problems. Of course, this is the reason for computers in the first place, but you have to realize the risk involved with each new piece of software.
The thing is that often times we install some many different programs on our PC that we forget when we installed them and then the problems seem completely random to us. For example, your sound may go out one day. Then if you recall, you may have installed a new program last week, but only noticed the sound gone today because this was the first time since then that you tried to listen to audio, so the problem seems random. Keep in mind that just a simple little screen saver or a wacky video your friend sent you can cause your PC to act strangely.
While it would be great to have a computer for every program, it is certainly not practical. So the only thing you can do is try to manage your system along with what software you select to install. One fabulous recommendation is to maintain a log on what software that is installed or updated on your PC. You do this using either a small notebook or even a text file. You need to record not only the name and the version of the program, but you also need to jot down the time and date it was installed as well.
One great habit you should develop is researching a piece of software before installing it on your computer. You should ensure that your system has the capability to accommodate the requirements of the software. There is just no excuse at all for not being able to get this information. It can always be found at the website of the manufacturer or developer. If they have no presence on the internet, then you should not do business with them in the first place.
Another thing you could do to harm your computer is to manually delete files that should not have been deleted. Everybody gets in the mood to get on Windows Explorer and do some housecleaning. This is fine, but it should be done cautiously. As a basic rule of thumb, only delete files that you created yourself. Anything else should be left to the software, operating systems, or a qualified technician. To be more specific, only delete files, folders, and any files in the folders that are in the account profile area where you normally store files. And that is the only files you should ever delete manually.
There is really no need for you to delete files anywhere else on your computer. While the desire to do so may be strong, resist the urge. Now, do not get confused here. There are other files that you can get deleted, but not manually. There are proper ways to delete cookies or old games that you no longer want to play for example. All programs these days usually have an uninstall option which will safely remove all files pertaining to that software. If this is not the case, then use the remove software option in your control panel. In addition, the disk cleanup tool under system tools can be used to clean away any temporary files from your system that is unnecessary. Keep in mind that the key distinction here is manually. Do not manually delete files other than those mentioned earlier.
When you think about managing the health of a PC, it is really just a matter of using some common sense. If you will just apply the methods and principles discussed here, it will make a huge difference in how long you can keep your PC running great. The important aspect of all this is persistence. Keep in mind that all it takes is one download or the deletion of one vital file to cause your PC to crash.
Filed under: Computers & Technology