It should go without saying that repairing a computer is often cheaper than replacing one. Well, maintaining them and “tuning them up” is even cheaper than repairing. Unfortunately, most people don’t know how to do that, and that’s where we come in.

Today we’re going to explain some basic remedies for common problems and minor tweaks for getting things running more smoothly. If you feel your expensive hardware should be performing better than it currently does, you may be right, and you should read on.

Dust Kills Computers

Dust creates heat. Heat destroys expensive equipment. Routinely taking the equipment apart and blowing out the dust with compressed air will save your machine. This is a process that should be performed every three months at a minimum.

Are you uncomfortable taking your computer apart or having your employees do it? That’s quite understandable. For many people, it can be as intimidating as looking at the engine of a car — and just as confusing and possible to damage if they’re not familiar with it. This is a standard part of maintenance that we can help with if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself.

Update Your Operating System

Are you running Windows? Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday comes out once a month. Don’t put it off for the sake of convenience. Plan around it, and keep your machines updated. These patches come with a plethora of fixes, optimizations and “plugs” for very dangerous security holes. New malware and exploits are discovered daily. Your OS and antivirus protection need to be current in order to offer any real protection.

Run Your Virus Scanner

This should be done after updating it. Antivirus software using an outdated database isn’t going to help you very much if you’ve been infected with something more current. If you’re using Windows Defender, run a full scan after all Windows updates are 100% complete. (Depending on how far behind you are on updates, several manual update checks and restarts may be required. We can help you make that determination, if you’re unsure.)

If you’re using a different antivirus product, it will have to be updated separately. Each program has its own service for that, which you will have to check for. If you’re using our services and products, we can take care of that for you.

Remove “Junk” Files

Obviously, we’re not telling you to go and manually delete random files. For a long time, the go-to program built into Windows for keeping your hard drive clean was called Disk Cleanup. However, one of the more recent changes to Windows 10 has depreciated that program, and if it’s still on your system, you shouldn’t use it. Instead, you should use the new Storage Sense feature. It’s much safer to use than Disk Cleanup, which shouldn’t even be accessible to you anymore if you’ve been regularly updating. If you’re unsure how to properly use this feature or you’re not using a Windows machine, we can help with that, too.

Update Your Drivers and Firmware

Drivers and firmware are what make the hardware components of your machine work as intended — or at all. They, too, receive updates, often separate from Windows. These updates can be located and downloaded from the manufacturer’s website and must be kept current — not only so that they play nicely with each other, but also to patch security problems within the devices themselves.

When not properly installed, driver problems can crop up that are tricky for average users to diagnose and can cause all sorts of issues that you may not even recognize. If you’re unfamiliar with a specific component’s driver (or updating drivers in general), we can look at it ourselves and figure out what’s going on.

Computer repairs and replacements are expensive. You would be amazed at how much money your business can save by simply taking care of the things properly in the first place. Let us help you get the most of your systems — and your wallet.

Since 1995, Manassas Park, VA-based V2 Systems has employed local systems administrators, network engineers, security consultants, help desk technicians and partnering companies to meet a wide range of clients’ IT needs, from research, to implementation, to maintenance. Concentrate on your VISION…We’ll handle the TECHNOLOGY!