Triona's Tech Tips

My column in today’s Northwest Herald talks about the importance of regular maintenance for your computer, and how a qualified computer professional can help keep your systems up and running. But there are also some things you can do on your own to maintain your computer.

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to my Tech Tips email newsletter you’ll receive tips like these, plus tech support tricks and other ways you can get the most out of your PC or Mac computer. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

• Turn your computer off. Some people like to leave their computers on all the time, and that’s fine. But computers benefit from a proper shutdown, so be sure you turn it off once a week so it can refresh itself at startup.
• Check your security software. Double-clicking on your software’s icon in the lower right-hand corner of your Windows screen will bring up a status window. As for Mac users, don’t forget that you need antivirus software too. I’m fond of Intego VirusBarrier.
• Run a cleaning utility. I like CCleaner for Windows and Snow Leopard Cache Cleaner for Mac (also works on Tiger and Leopard). These programs don’t do anything on their own but instead provide a convenient way to run the built-in utilities for Windows and Mac, which means they are very reliable and safe to use.

When in doubt, call a professional. It’s easier to fix small problems before they become too large, and it’s best to have a trained expert assist with your computer needs.