Caring for your office tech is of utmost importance. Performing routing IT health checks can improve device performance and security, and will free up storage where it’s needed most. All this will help to enhance productivity in the workplace in the long run. But who has time during the workday to perform a whole cleanup? Surprise, you do! If you can take the time to clean up the clutter on your desk, you will have the time to clean up your computer on the inside. It doesn’t take as long as you may think. We previously explored tips for preventative maintenance, which detailed steps you can take to physically clean and dust your computer, monitor, and mouse. Now, let’s take a look at how you can clean up your system from the inside:
Clean Up and Consolidate Files into Folders
If you’re anything like the average computer user, your files and documents are probably unorganized and strewn throughout the file manager on your computer. You should take the time to review each document and organize them into folders by client, project, date, or other relevant parameters. Also, create a separate folder for files which you no longer need. You may choose to just delete these files, but only if you know you will never need them again. Otherwise, having a separate folder lets you access these files if the need should ever arise. Organize files of every type, including documents, pictures, downloads, music, videos, etc..Having a clean and organized desktop will make you feel refreshed and may inspire organization in other areas of your life.
Optimize Your Storage
Once you organize all your files, go through and delete any apps you no longer use. In doing so, you should also look at how much storage is left on your machine. Music, videos, and pictures take up the most amount of storage on your hard drive, so clean up where you can. Another option if you don’t want to trash files, but you don’t have enough storage in your hard drive to keep them, is to have a backup. Secure your system to an external hard drive. This works similarly to a flash drive, but allows for extreme amounts of storage. That way, you have a copy of all your files in a secure location, and you can delete what you no longer use from your computer. This will ultimately allow you to free up storage on your machine, and get your device back to working like new. Optimizing storage improves the health and speed and extends the longevity of your computer.
Install and Run Antivirus and Anti-malware
One of the best ways to improve device security is to install and run antivirus and anti-malware software programs on your computer. With antivirus software, you can scan your computer for viruses and clean up your system of these harmful files that lie hidden in your hard drive. Anti-malware works similarly, in that it scans your system for malicious software (malware) that can also harm your computer and poses a threat to your security and that of the network and any devices connected to the network. Another benefit of these programs is that they run live in the background 24/7, and can block malicious websites. There are plenty of free options that provide basic, trusted security to your devices.
At M&H Consulting, we understand how important IT is to your business. It’s important to regularly maintain your equipment for improved performance, increased security, and to optimize storage. Our technicians are ready and eager to help with all your IT needs.
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