6 Ways To Keep Your Computer Healthy

I can only describe this past week as computer hell. A Malware invasion that crashed my Wordpress site - yup. An Email program snafu that banished over 200 of my messages to never, never land - you bet. A freaky bug that wouldn't let me delete an errant email - of course. Top this all off with the fact that my last back up was over a week ago (I know, I know) and you have a recipe for technology turmoil. It seems like everyone from small business owners to multinational moguls to working moms, spend as much time fixing issues on their computer as they do working on them.

"Malware, viruses, identity theft and spyware account for about 80% of all computer issues resulting in downtime," reveals IT expert Chip Reaves. "It is estimated that the lost-productivity cost due to these alone is around $50 billion, and the associated IT costs of dealing with it has skyrocketed from $20 billion to $198 billion in the last five years."

Depending on the degree to which you rely on your computer, an interruption of service can be a mere inconvenience, or can add up to thousands of dollars in lost downtime or data.

Although the mere thought of trying to 'fix' a computer can cause most of us to break out in a cold sweat, Reaves, the National Director of Computer Troubleshooters, says there are some simple tips everyone can use to keep their computers in tip-top shape.

1. Old Hardware. Studies have shown that the likelihood of physical problems with computer equipment goes up significantly after 24 to 36 months," says Reaves. Consider replacing computer systems every three years - considering how inexpensive computers have become, one major repair bill could easily cost more than purchasing an entire new system.

2. Power Protection. Surges and power drops can cause data loss and are always damaging to sensitive components, reducing their lifespan. Most people do use surge protectors, but what many don't realize is that surge protection wears off over time. For the best protection make sure that the surge protectors for all your computer equipment are replaced every 2 to 3 years.

3. Training. Having to spend money training your staff might sound like a waste, but most employees understand less than 20% of the software packages they use. The gain in productivity far outweighs the training costs.

4. Firewall and Security. The internet is full of hackers who regularly try to access computers for nefarious purposes. If they get in (either directly, or with the help of exploits from malware or viruses) the list of problems they can cause is pretty big; including stealing files or customer records, and deleting important data. It's important to be sure that all computers in your organization are updated with the latest security patches from Microsoft or Apple, and that firewalls are installed and maintained properly.

5. Backup Data. It sounds so obvious but most companies fail to keep 100% of their important data backed up 100% of the time - there are often gaps in what's being backed up which are only discovered when it's too late. The consequences of lost data can put a company out of business on the spot, and data retrieval is frighteningly expensive.

6. Spam, Viruses and Spyware. 80% of all Computer Troubleshooters' service calls worldwide are from people with problems directly linked to these issues. You should consider good virus protection, spam filters and anti-spyware programs as mandatory if you want a trouble-free computer.

With a small amount of common sense and a minimum weekly maintenance (much of which you can do yourself), you can look forward to more trouble-free workdays.

Please note that this article is copyrighted by Karen Leland. If you would like to reprint any or all of it on your blog or website for non-commercial purposes, you are welcome to do so, provided you give credit and a live link back to this post.

Karen Leland is author of Watercooler Wisdom: How Smart People Prosper in the Face of Conflict, Pressure and Change. Read more at her blog As Soon As I Finish Carving The Ice Sculpture - True Confessions of an Overachiever

Follow Karen Leland on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Karenleland

Comments

[PresidentRobertBooth]

***Many of those ads go back to the initiator and would therefore be impossible for the person putting those ads on their site to know - since they could easily flip it a day or two after setting it up and after you have checked it. Plus, people farm out programming to foreigners or people they don't know (it's cheaper) and are setting themselves up for malicious intent.
You shouldn't chime into an area you know little about - but that seems to be about right with you righties.***

You think I'm a righty?

Oh dear

Sarcasm goes over your head.

[progressivegreg]

I consider myself very fortunate, for although I know very little about computers I have a good friend who works in the industry and has helped me. He's installed several FREE programs that have worked out for me. One is called Ad-Aware that keeps a lookout for any invaders and when I run it (daily) it always removes numerous tracking cookies and the like. He also installed Free Mozilla virus protection that will warn me when a site presents potential danger. Another program is called "window washer" that scans the basic windows set-up every time I start the computer. And finally he installed TuneUp 1-Click Maintenance that quickly checks out and cleans up the major programs on my computer. It's been working great and of course I always take the Windows upgrades and I feel pretty safe when using my computer. It doesn't take long and it keeps me running nice and fast.

[pammiethekid]

I know this is like a broken record from Mac people, but I've used Macs for going on eighteen years now without experiencing any of these problems. I'm finally giving my eight year old laptop away only because it doesn't have the Intel processor, so can no longer be upgraded. It is possible to get bogged down if you don't back up your files, upgrade your software, clean your hard disk, or if you let your kids download from questionable websites, but all else being equal, the Mac is going to hold up better under duress. I've worked in ad departments at newspapers and in other large companies, where there were both Macs and PCs. The PCs were networked together, Macs together. Every few months the PCs would go down, while the Apple computers in the graphics department never picked up viruses, and slowed down only long enough to get their hard disks cleaned before getting back in the game.

[drumz]

It is a broken record. Maybe you should go work for Apple as a salesman?

[JoDeeVa]

Ahh, if only one's love-o-Apple made it that easy! Personally, I'd go to work at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino in a nano-second. Alas, I have to be content to just buy their products!
Meanwhile, about that broken record? Play it for me one more time...;}

[moho]

I hear that! My Mac never has these issues - EVER.

The cost in the end is WORTH it. HuffPo, can we have a similar article for Macs?

[skatoolaki]

Thank you for this. As an i.t. tech for the past ten years, I can concur that 80% of calls and problems stem from computers so bogged down with viruses and/or malware that they were running too sluggishly to perform or not at all. People tend to forget that computers need regular maintenance, just like your car. Taking a little bit of time to keep your computer updated and clean of malware is invaluable.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

We need comprehensive legislation to deal with viruses, spyware, and malware.

It needs to target A- the people who create such software, and B- the people and companies that allow them to be placed on their websites in the form of banners and pop-ups.

[drumz]

Many of those ads go back to the initiator and would therefore be impossible for the person putting those ads on their site to know - since they could easily flip it a day or two after setting it up and after you have checked it. Plus, people farm out programming to foreigners or people they don't know (it's cheaper) and are setting themselves up for malicious intent.
You shouldn't chime into an area you know little about - but that seems to be about right with you righties.