Spring Cleaning for Your Computer

Each year as the weather begins to improve, spring cleaning becomes the focus for many people. "Honey-do" project lists are created, cleaning products are inventoried and professionals are lined up for jobs that exceed layman capabilities. This year, plan to do more to get your space in order. Tackle the unsightly cobwebs and clutter from the winter months – including those affecting your computer.

Attack the Exterior – Take the time to remove dust on your computer and keyboard that may be blocking vents. Begin by shutting off your computer; use a vinegar and water solution or liquid cleaner to remove the static that attracts dust.

NOTE: Do not spray liquids directly onto your computer!– spray a cloth. On a regular basis, wipe surfaces with an anti-static cloth, remove dust from your keyboard, vents and drives with canned air and vacuum surfaces – especially if you smoke or have pets. To remove any spilled liquids, unplug your keyboard or laptop, turn it over, dry with a paper towel and let things sit overnight.

Avoid a Crisis – ALWAYS BACKUP before cleaning up your files.   You do not lose priceless photos or other key documents. Use a program that allows you to sync files to another computer or save files to a hard drive or use one of the cloud storage systems. 

De-Clutter Your Desktop – Remove unwanted files and photos that you have not used in a while from your desktop, and take your task bar to task by eliminating unnecessary icons with a simple right click. Once you have cleaned your home page, organize your remaining data into folders. 

Improve performance – speed up your computer’s productivity by removing old, unused files. Tap into the program’s uninstall kit or delete the files from your computer’s Control Panel to avoid wasting space and slowing down your computer.

Organize your data closet – The information that you use on your computer each day continues to live wherever it can find space on your computer. This may help you access some data quickly, but as time goes on and information is randomly stored – searching for data becomes more of a chore. The computer’s defrag tool helps keep your hard drive organized and you less frazzled (Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter).

Improve the status quo – Maximize performance and avoid compromising your computer files by updating your operating system and patching software. Keeping programs current is your best defense against unruly malware threats. Get updates from the manufacturer’s website, use your security system’s vulnerability resources or invest in scanner software that identifies problematic programs and targets available updates.  **Warning – backup your system before you do anything.  Verify the compatibility of new software before you start on this path.  This burns so many people causing them to purchase upgrades and such when they were not expecting it.  Think ahead.

Say goodbye to your skeletons in the closet- Your web searches are saved in a Temporary Internet Folder, thus slowing things down. Remove this history from your web browser or use your internet security program to free up valuable space and accelerate your computer speed.

Make cleaning your computer this spring a priority by scheduling time and tackling some, if not all, of the cleaning checklist above.   In fact, do not limit yourself to once a year.  Most of us understand when the computer will not work at all (downtime) but we actually lose more productivity to “slowdowntime”.  This is the state where our computer is not responding as crisply as we once did and our ability to get things done is reduced. 

Stay efficient my friends. 

Dan Adams, CEO of Woburn-based New England Network Solutions (NENS), is a serial entrepreneur who ran his first retail operation in high school.  He founded NENS in 1993 and over the years, owned and managed several start-up companies. For more information, visit www.nens.com or call 781-933-9300.