All PCs need maintenance, for this reason it happens in blogs like this, to know what should be done to make the computer as fast as possible and without errors, so that they do all the work automatically. The problem when an inexperienced person asks friends for advice or searches the internet for guides is to get wrong answers and make mistakes in the care of the PC that can have opposite and harmful effects .
These errors could cause hardware damage, security issues, accidental data loss, unnecessary spending of money and general system instability.
On Navigaweb you can generally read computer maintenance guides to fix Windows, but knowing what not to do and what mistakes to avoid is also important.
It is therefore worth knowing what the most common mistakes are made with the computer so that you can avoid them and keep your PC healthy and functioning .
READ ALSO: Causes and solutions of a slow computer
1) Failure to update Windows and programs
The Windows operating system is updated weekly by Microsoft with security patches to cover the discovered vulnerabilities.
The same happens for a certain category of programs such as antivirus, browsers and related plug-ins frequently updated with security fixes.
If you are using an outdated version of Windows, an old version of Firefox or Java, your computer is at risk.
To be sure that your computer is up to date you need to activate automatic updates in Windows and check that the browser version is the latest available.
There are also tools to automatically update the programs installed on your computer.
2) Allow dust to accumulate
Dust inside the PC over time can cause serious problems to the operation of the computer.
The problem is that dust can clog the vents, weigh down the fans and prevent the CPU from cooling properly.
Every now and then you have to open the computer case and clean the dust on the fans inside and maybe even using a can of compressed air inside .
Cleaning the dust inside your laptop is more difficult, however the important thing is to make sure that the spaces where the fans run are free and clean.
3) Do not backup important files
A little out of laziness, a little out of forgetfulness we often end up neglecting to save important files on a different disk than the one where the operating system is installed.
Unfortunately, the hard disk is always the most fragile piece of the computer so you have to take into account the possibility that it breaks.
Important data must therefore be saved on another disk that serves as a backup copy.
Since you don't necessarily need a complex backup program, in other articles we have seen:
- All possible ways of making a backup
- What are the important folders and files to save in a backup on a Windows PC.
It would be a big mistake to ignore backups and lose all important photos and documents just out of forgetfulness or laziness.
4) Insert the computer plug directly into the power outlet
Having the computer plugged directly into the wall outlet wouldn't be the best thing to do.
This is because the PC is exposed to power surges that can damage the computer, if there is no intermediate socket that acts as a voltage limiter.
In practice it would be better to have the computer connected to a power strip with switch.
Even better would be to use a UPS as an energy battery for the PC that turns the computer off gently even if the light goes out.
5) Defragment the hard disk unnecessarily
Disk defragmentation was a required maintenance task on PCs with limited disks, running Windows XP and earlier.
With Windows 7 and Windows 8 defragmentation has become almost useless because they better manage the free space.
Unless special cases, defragmenting the hard disk or is probably unnecessary.
If you have a computer with a solid state drive, defragmentation is also harmful and should never be done.
6) Run multiple antivirus programs together
A computer is no longer protected if you add multiple antiviruses.
On a PC you can only install an antivirus that checks in real time by intercepting the viruses before they can do damage (in practice it remains running in the background all the time).
If you want to be more secure, you can install, at most, a program to scan your computer and to remove malware that runs away from the main antivirus.
There are also antivirus programs that provide additional protection on the computer as well as Panda Cloud Antivirus
Installing two antivirus programs that attempt to control your computer together conflict and can cause instability and crash your PC.
They can identify each other as malware or prevent each other from working.
If you want a second opinion, you can use one of those antivirus programs that will only scan your system when not running in the background.
7) Use a registry cleaner
On this topic I have written several articles advising programs to clean the Windows registry, but also advising against using them (see: Registry Cleaner: more problems than benefits).
The advice therefore is to stay away from programs that promise to make the computer go faster.
8) Obstruct air flows
This is a mistake that is often made when using a laptop when you put it on your legs or on a soft surface that sinks like that of a bed, thus covering the air vents that cool the inside of the PC.
Air vents can be blocked not only with dust buildup but also if you push your desktop PC too close to the wall or in an enclosed space.
This is especially important when pushing computer resources to the max, for example playing a 3D video game.
9) Install dangerous or annoying programs
When installing free programs on your computer it is always important to be careful about their installation.
In fact, many programs are accompanied by sponsors, that is, other programs that have nothing to do with what you want to install and that, often, is just annoying.
Read the guide to install a free program without additional sponsors to see the most common cases and also consider the categories of programs to never install on your PC such as the toolbar for the browser or non-original versions of famous programs such as VLC, Firefox or Emule.
10) Surf the internet without looking at random clicking
Using a computer today means above all surfing the internet, visiting sites, doing research, sending emails and writing on Facebook.
On each site, however, a trap can be hidden which can be a virus, a malicious program or, simply, a script that captures personal data.
Using the internet with common sense is the basis of computer security and, consequently, also of good computer care.
In another article you can check whether you are protected enough on the internet by keeping your PC safe.
I'm sure we've all made one of these mistakes (I'm lazy with backups, for example), so it's important to recognize the problem to know how to deal with it later.
READ ALSO: Speed up your computer: Summary of things to do
