Many people or businesses rely upon their computers for a great deal. Whether it is communication, organisation, or running a full business, they are massively important.

It is important, then, that they be kept in optimal condition and routinely serviced. They are machines of myriad moving and delicate parts, which are under almost constant stressors. However, many businesses and individuals simply do not consider proactive maintenance when it comes to their computer infrastructure. Just as you would not leave a car without checking oil, water levels, and tire treads for months at a time, the approach should be the same with computers.

Below, we will look at why proactive maintenance is a good idea, and how best to go about it.

Have a Schedule

Desktop computers, notebooks, and other sophisticated technologies will malfunction at some point. That is an unpleasant fact. When a device harbours so many advanced parts and must perform so many tasks, it is almost unavoidable. What is avoidable, however, is the severity and frequency of these breakdowns. When important matters – such a business and personal use, suffer because of these breakdowns, the results can be disastrous. That is why it pays to create and maintain a regular maintenance schedule.

If dealing with a large network of computers, which all require software updates, hardware maintenance, and just general cleaning, the task can become Herculean in scope. Computer repair and maintenance servicers can help. The inside of a PC, for example, can be an alien world to most users. They may be utterly proficient at using the system itself, but are none too savvy when it comes to internal maintenance.

Experienced computer service technicians can help a business or individual to come up with a workable schedule that will eliminate potential breakdowns down the road – an MOT for the computer or network, if you will.

Potential Problems

Anyone who has used a computer knows that the scope of things that could go wrong is very large. The problem is that small problems, if left to fester, can become infinitely more damaging and expensive in the long run. That is why it is always best to be aware of the potential dangers and the benefits of regular, scheduled maintenance.

Dust

Dust, for example, is one of the main reasons for PC and laptop malfunction. This simple, seemingly innocuous cause is actually very serious. If opening up a computer that has not seen maintenance in a couple of years, the scale of the problem becomes readily apparent. Drawn in through fans and other openings, dust can cling to vital components, causing them to short and, in extreme cases, catch fire. As such, it is imperative that a PC undergoes thorough physical maintenance, as well as the updating of softwares and hardware.

Tools and expertise are required for such a job, as the nonprofessional might touch, scratch, or break something that makes the problem ten times worse. For example, many hoovers will discharge static electricity that could be severely damaging to a PC, laptop’s or printer’s internal mechanisms. This is something that might not even occur to the everyday user.  

Backup Backup Backup

Avoid the all too familiar song of the people who have poorly pcs  “oh no all my documents and pictures” –  back up your data, if the worst should happen you’re looking at a data retrieval bill for the sake of an external drive or cloud storage routine backup.

Viruses

As well as physical causes such as dust, maintenance is required on the everyday components of the computer. The computer who’s spyware and virus definitions, for example, are not regularly updated runs a great risk of becoming infected with viruses, Trojans, and even more extreme problems. For the business or personal user, this could mean the theft of highly sensitive data. This could be bank details, internal memos, or any number of other things. For the business that suffers such problems, client confidence can plummet. Why would a customer want to work with a business who cannot keep their data safe? This, in the long-term, could cost the business dearly.

Defragmentation

Aside from security, hard drives are another potential source of problems. Data quickly stacks up on a hard drive, often without the user noticing. This can lead to an infuriatingly slow, choppy computer, which takes minutes to complete even the simplest of tasks. By the point that a PC or laptop is behaving in this way, the only recourse is a long defragmentation of the hard drive which could, potentially, take hours. For most businesses, this is a long time for a workstation to be offline. Instead, it is much better to regularly defragment the hard drive and put everything back into order. Instead of taking hours, it will take minutes, and will ensure that everything is running at top speed. It’s worth mentioning that some laptops and pcs have solid state drives which are not recommended for defragmentation despite some vendors producing software for just this purpose, so if you’re not sure, it’s time for a trip to the PC repair shop.

Get Proactive Today

As seen above, there are many potential problems that a PC, laptop, or other technology can suffer from. Luckily, there is one solution to all of them – proactive maintenance. Once a schedule is established and adhered to, there is little, aside from unprecedented failures, than can strike. It only takes the willingness to combat problems before they happen, rather than reacting once they happen, which is already far too late.