Despite all the advice available online on sites like this, it's really easy to make stupid mistakes on your computer, because of distraction, bad knowledge or because of bad advisers. By following this guide, however, we should be prepared enough to escape any problems and avoid making mistakes that can ruin our computer .
The following rules are not absolute and the most expert people may not follow them by acting with attention and competence, without creating any problem for their PC.
However, these rules remain a fundamental starting point for everyone and following them is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition to keep a PC in excellent shape for a long time .
Rule 1: Do not use pre-installed programs
It is true that not all programs that are pre-installed on a new PC are useless, but most of them are there because the company that developed them paid for the computer manufacturer.
Some may be good while others may not.
It is therefore worth using programs like PC Decrapifier to remove heavy and unnecessary programs.
Rule 2: Do not install programs with the default procedure, without using the custom or Custom one
We all love free programs, but when software is free, unless it is open source, it is accompanied by an advertising sponsor.
In many cases the installer of a program also brings in another program which is often a commercial product, an ad-ware or a toolbar that slows down the PC.
To avoid these sponsor programs you must always use the Custom or Custom installation and deselect the options in the wizard.
For more details, read the article: How to install a freeware program without additional sponsor
Rule 3: Do not clean the registry
Even if until some time ago it could have been useful, today cleaning the registry is useless and in any case, for sure, it does not make the PC faster.
Using one of the registry cleaning tools is much more likely to ruin your PC than to improve it.
For more details read: Registry Cleaner: more problems than benefits
Rule 4: defragment the disk too often
Disk defragmentation in Windows 8 and Windows 7 occurs in the background automatically so there is no need to do it manually.
Also, you only need to defragment your drive if it is 5-10% fragmented and if it's not a solid state SSD drive.
Solid State Drives (SSD) are in fact ruined by defragmentation.
In the Windows 7 and 8 Start Menu, search for defragmentation utilities to change the options for when to do automatic defragmentation.
Rule 5: Restart the computer
Whenever the Windows computer behaves strangely, the first way to solve the problem is to restart the computer.
We have seen in another article how many problems are solved by restarting the computer so it would be a mistake to never turn it off.
Rule 6: Back up important data
A computer is made of pieces that can break easily and the most delicate piece is the hard disk where personal data and documents are saved.
These files can also easily be deleted accidentally, or because of viruses or simply because of a power failure and due to a sudden shutdown.
I will never repeat enough that it is important to have a backup strategy, even if minimal.
In other articles we have seen how:
- Important folders and files to save on a Windows PC
- Better ways to backup, prevent disasters and not lose data
Rule 7: Keep Windows and all installed programs up to date
Program developers release new updates for several reasons.
In 90% of cases, these are updates that correct bu and cover security holes.
Failure to update the operating system and programs leaves open vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malware to infect and ruin your PC.
In Windows 7, to keep automatic updating active, go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> Operation Center .
From here, expand the security section and make sure Windows Update is automatic.
In Windows 8, go to Settings -> PC settings -> Update and reset .
It is essential that the antivirus and all security programs are updated regularly.
Drivers should also be kept up to date for a more stable computer.
Rule 8 : Do periodic maintenance of Windows
Of this I have already written an in-depth article.
To summarize there are at least 5 operations to do from time to time:
- Uninstall the programs you no longer use.
- Clean up the disk from temporary files or junk
- Check the automatic start of programs
- Scan for malware
- Keep your programs and system up to date
If you follow these 8 golden rules, then everything should be fine and the computer should last a long time, unless there are accidents or bad internet use.
READ ALSO: 10 common mistakes in computer care to avoid
