How NOT to Use Your Computer

Long gone are the days when only those who fantasized about having a computer actually got to work with one. Now everybody needs a laptop or a desktop at the office or at home for various tasks. This places one of these devices in the hands of every person. Including in the hands of people who are not careful with them or who think they are literally “built to last”. Unfortunately, the things we do that affect the life of our PCs or that endanger the content of our computers are not only extreme things, but also day to day minor mistakes. And most of us make them. Check out this article and see how many of them did you do today alone.

11 Common Mistakes We Make That Affect Our PCs and Their Content

1.Randomly Clicking on Buttons when the System Freezes

We have all done this. We have unleashed our frustration for having allowed yet another deadline to creep up on us and we overuse the computer. Overheated and overwhelmed with the amount of tasks we are bombarding it with, the PC freezes and starts working even slower. As we hit button after button and we sometimes give random and repeated commands, it registers them all only to perform them in slow motion in a very long queue. So, next time you are stressed because your laptop took a few extra seconds to load a page, remember you could lose a lot more time if you lose your temper.

2.Not Letting Antivirus Programs Run All the Way

No matter how much you are in a hurry, stopping antivirus scans from running all the way may affect your computer as you might have undetected threats. Remember to make the time and run these programs when the stress is over. Really remember and really do it!

3.Clicking on Notifications Without Reading

We see OK, NEXT, CANCEL or IGNORE and we just want to get on with what we were doing. Only to ignore the fact that the computer is trying to let us know it needs an upgrade without which it will start running slower. We do not bother to read the text, we sometimes install things that impact the system we end up frustrated about how poorly the poor PC is performing.

4.Turning It Off from the Switch or by Unplugging

Once again, our lack of patience may cause us to lose some of our work. A battery backed computer has no such threats yet a desktop may lose some of the files it had in the write-back cache. The shut-down option you are too impatient to wait for is actually giving the computer some extra electrical surge and it gives it time to close smoothly.

5.Opening Links to Dangerous Websites

You know those links with such appealing titles you simply cannot resist? Know that somebody is waiting for you to click them and access your computer. You may not notice it at first, but you will start getting spam e-mails and your personal information may even be at risk. You should know by now which sites are safe and which are not. Try to apply this knowledge!

6.Downloading and Installing Bad Programs

Randomly downloading and installing programs you know little about can severely impact the system. You could be downloading viruses or adware which will prove incredibly annoying. Put on your computer only trustworthy programs from trustworthy sources.

7.Not using a power surge

Using a wall outlet can make your computer vulnerable to power fluctuations and blackouts. Use a power-bar with built-in surge protection and make sure it is not a simple extension cord. Some of the cheap ones are sold as such.

8.Not cleaning the dust build-up

Maybe you saw a couple of people do this from time to time but you did not imagine you had to do it as well. Newsflash! Dust gets everywhere and you need to clean it. Dust build-up inside your computer will clog the fans, reducing the air flow and obstructing the cooling system.

9.Not Updating when Updates Are Available

You may only think of them as bothersome ads, but system updates actually play their part in keeping the system running smoothly. Do not disregard its importance because you will end up with a computer so outdated that you will feel ashamed to take it to repairs.

10.Having More than One Antivirus Programs Installed

These programs are so embedded in your operating system and they operate on the background even before you run another program and you open a new link that you are likely to forget about them. Having two of them running at the same time may cancel each other’s actions, making your computer prone to virus infection and even crash. Commit to one antivirus program and stick to it.

11.Obstructing Air Flow

Just like in the case of the dust build-up, obstructing air flow will affect the computer’s cooling system. However, this time, you risk doing this by covering the vents or by placing the tower too close to the wall. The same goes for laptops when you are holding the tower in a position that does not allow the vents to fully function.

We usually tell ourselves we were in a hurry, we were stressed and the computer was not working at full speed, to the full extent to the capacity we imagine it should have in our hour of need. Maybe we have grown accustomed so much to having one that we automatically think that should this one break down, we will definitely buy a new one, because it is such a great necessity. But what happens when we ruin that one as well? Also, new and upgraded versions are available on the market every year. Yet none of them are built to take ill use and poor management of resources.