8 SAFETY TIPS TO KEEP YOUR COMPUTER HEALTHY

Computer devices can be found on almost any home because of the wide range of technology. In most homes the computer system is without care and security and this affects their income and spending rate most of the time. I want to talk about few tips that would help to put your computer system in good shape and also cut down your excess spending….

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I.                  POWER SURGE

This is a sudden increase in the electrical potential energy which can cause an increase in the current flowing to the wall outlet. Common causes of power surge are lightening, wrong wiring, high power electrical devices. To arrest this occurrence a surge arrestor is advice to be installed in a building, so as to check unwanted flow of currents.

Power surge could damage your computer. Once excess current flows into the computer system it fries the mother board and renders your computer useless. To avoid such occurrences never fix your computer plug directly to the wall outlet but instead it should be plugged to a surge protector

II.               BE MINDFUL OF INSTALLED PROGRAMS

Most computer users are guilty of this rule. Due to the free versions of software stuffing the internet, computer users download various softwares and install on their operating system without a thorough check. Avoid programs that that looks scammy. Most software on the internet are malicious programs, such as keyloggers, virus, spyware, etc that could expose your computer system to danger. Be very careful.

III.           UPDATE OPERATING SYSTEM & OTHER SOFTWARES

Outdated operating system and software applications, renders the computer vulnerable to attacks and also freezes the computer when in use. It causes slow response to execute commands and also could bring about crashing of the window explorer and other applications.  Recent software updates are worked upon by the developers to fix bugs that were in the past versions and enhance security.

     Therefore, to avoid a clogged file system, crashes or attacks, it is advised to keep the operating system and all applications up-to-date. It is recommended to set your computer to automatically update the OS and software applications such as browsers, flash players, java, antivirus, etc. This helps to protect the computer and keep it in good condition.

IV.           KEEP OUT OF REACH FOR WATER & BABIES

Electronic gadgets are never friends with water. Water, when spilled on a working computer system could fry up the mother board, damage the keyboard panel and also bring about mal-function. Avoid water or water related substance to be placed near the computer system.

     Children of tender age should also be kept far from the computer system to avoid hampering or tampering with the computer system because they are fragile objects and when mis-handled they could get damaged.

V.              PROPER VENTILATION SYSTEM

A proper ventilation system is required to keep your personal computer healthy as it dissipates heat. The computer requires much air flow when it is running a heavy program such as photoshop, corel draw, games etc because much heat is dissipated at that moment of execution.

Your personal computer should not be placed on a condition where it does not receive proper air flow such as placing it on a foam or firmly attached to the wall so as to avoid dust clogging up on the cooling fan. The heat sink/cooling fan should be checked to be in good condition.

VI.           PERIODIC CLEAN UP

When the computer system is been kept on an open space or in use for a while, dust accumulates within the computer casing and this clogs up the cooling fan with dust, reducing proper air flow and thereby causing an increase in the temperature of the computer system. Crashes would occur when the dissipated heat is unable to find an escape route and thereby causing a high rise in temperature,

Occasionally, the computer system should be dis-assembled and excess dust build-up be wiped off. This is best done by a can compressed air, the computer pats should be sprayed with compressed air. If the technical know-how to assemble and  dis-assemble a computer system is lacked, a computer technician should be contacted to avoid further damages or attend a computer training for future aids.

VII.       ANTIVIRUS

When an operating system is installed on a computer, antivirus program is advised to be installed next so as to check every other installed programs against virus. The use of an antivirus is compulsory and inevitable. Some antivirus program are malware, ensure genuine and good antivirus are installed. Examples of good antivirus are Bitdefender, AvG, Avast, Norton, Kapersky, Microsoft windows defender.

Only one antivirus program should be installed on a system but if two programs are so desired they should be installed on different drive partitions and only one out of the two (2) should be running in the background else a system crashing could occur if they interfere with each other.

VIII.     NEVER USE YOUR PC ON THE BED

When you dizzy, it is not advisable you use your personal computer because at that moment you could do some things that are unknown to you such as lying on the keyboard that could alter the system configurations or affect the keyboard panel.

Using a laptop on the bed also increases the temperature of the laptop thereby causing severe damages if for a long time.

          BACK UP & RESTORE YOUR EMAILS

IX.           BACK UP YOUR FILES

Nothing lasts forever! Your hard drive may fail any time and it’s never going to pre-inform you. When it fails, all your important files would be lost. All those photos, notes you’ve gathered for years would suddenly be wiped out if you fail to back up.

What’s your back up plan? Cloud back up or external storage back up, which ever you use but it is advisable you make use of both. You can schedule you computer to periodically create a backup on your computer

 Are there any healthy tips that should be observed to keep your computer in safe and good condition?  Share with us through the comment box