{"id":563,"date":"2019-03-05T21:42:23","date_gmt":"2019-03-06T03:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/?p=563"},"modified":"2023-02-21T10:05:06","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T16:05:06","slug":"six-steps-for-spring-cleaning-your-computer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cmitsolutions.com\/roundrock-tx-1071\/blog\/six-steps-for-spring-cleaning-your-computer\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Steps for Spring Cleaning Your Computer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Your computer should be no different than your house \u2013 it needs a good deep cleaning every so often. The upcoming change of seasons is a great reminder that it\u2019s time to share our tips for spring cleaning your computer! Organize your desktop, delete old programs, sweep your network for security bugs, and make sure your back up systems are in working order.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Six Steps for Spring Cleaning Your Computer<\/h2>\n
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Step 1: Clean up the shortcut icons and random files on your desktop.<\/b>
\nI know this might seem scary, but honestly, are you using them? Having a nice, clean starting point on your computer can make the world of difference to how you approach your day (and free up some file space too). There are some\u00a0great applications<\/a>\u00a0that help make this an easy task.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Step 2: Remove old, unused applications.
\n<\/b>You might be wondering what harm unused applications are doing to your computer. They just sit in the background \u2013 right? The answer is no. Old and unused applications are taking up precious hard drive space that can slow down your processor. They can also be sitting in the startup tray (again draining resources) or set to auto-update (another resource suck and opens you up to security issues). Last, but certainly not least, old programs can also have security issues that increase your risk of a security breach. Take the time to review your applications and delete the ones you aren\u2019t using. If you find you need it, you can always reinstall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Step 3: Clean out the junk files<\/b>
\nIt\u2019s inevitable in today\u2019s digital age \u2013 junk files tend to build up quickly. It\u2019s kind of like looking at expiration dates in your fridge. These junk \u2013 or temporary \u2013 files build up as you install new programs, download files from email, etc. Windows 10 has a built in disk cleanup application or you can try\u00a0CC Cleaner<\/a>. If you are a Mac user,\u00a0CleanMyMac<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0CC Cleaner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Step 4: Sweep your network for security issues<\/b>
\nIt is more critical than ever that your\u00a0antivirus and antimalware systems<\/a>\u00a0stay current. Take the time to run a long scan and review the results. You might also try to use a tool that you normally don\u2019t use. For example, download and run Microsoft Safety Scanner (from the Microsoft server) to provide a \u201csecond\u201d pair of eyes on your system. If anything doesn\u2019t make sense or comes up alarming, contact an IT Solutions professional immediately!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Step 6: Don\u2019t forget the actual cleaning!<\/b>
\nDust, food particles, and general grime can also wear a computer down. Grab a can of compressed air, antibacterial wipes, and a q-tip or two. Wipe down your keyboard, monitor, computer system. Spray your keyboard out and use a q-tip to get into the cracks and crevasses. Your computer will thank you!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If you have any questions, please don\u2019t hesitate to\u00a0contact us today!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your computer should be no different than your house \u2013 it needs…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[47,46,45],"class_list":["post-563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-it","tag-computer-desktop","tag-network-security-issues","tag-six-steps-to-cleaning-computer"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t