Now that you’re back at work after the holiday season, you are trying to run everything as you normally would. But have you checked your systems lately? After leaving your computer(s) for a few days, or even just as an annual test, it is good to check that everything is running smoothly.

 

 

Routines:

Your routines are a good thing to check out first. Are your “checks” up to date? Viruses, spyware and security updates need to be updated because remember, new threats are posed every day! Check that all of your backups are still running as normal, and remember that there is no point doing backups unless you test that you can restore a backup successfully.  Don’t wait until you need a backup to find out you can’t restore it. Do you need to add new files to be backed up or get rid of now unnecessary files? Have your temporary files been regularly cleaned out? Temporary files are the worst offender for slowing down systems that have all the other virus and spyware issues sorted. Now is the best time to check out all of your equipment whilst planning the year ahead.

 

Internet:

Your internet service is also a good thing to be checking. Make sure that too much of your bandwidth isn't getting used up or anything unknown to you is being downloaded/uploaded. There is no time like the present to see if your internet service is adequate for you. Is the speed sufficient for your computer needs? Are you paying too much? Have a look at your internet security.  Are your firewalls blocking what you want or is malicious software coming through? Checking on your internet service could make your year much easier, and there’s no time like the first of the year to make that decision.

 

New Devices:

What about that shiny new piece of equipment you have implemented or installed? What about that new hand-held device you bought yourself? Linking all your systems together, including your mobile devices, can be of great benefit. Using the calendar on your mobile phone and then linking it to Outlook on your PC is a very useful tool, but have you checked what else you can do? You may find that your “shiny new piece of equipment” can do many more things than you expected. It’s possible that you just can't get your new device to work properly. New printers, sound devices, microphones, DVD burners, and more all need drivers and certain settings to work efficiently. Do(es) yours work efficiently?

What about uses for your old equipment? New computers are a necessity, but keeping your old ones and using them as a backup is a thing to consider.

 

Planning:

A useful tip for any business is to include a planned visit by your local Computer Troubleshooter to check out and clean-up your computers. This can prevent situations where your equipment is broken and needs to be fixed, which costs time and money, where instead the problem will be prevented before it can take place. Computer Troubleshooters can help you document and plan a proactive maintenance schedule with regular visits planned well in advance.

 

All of the things stated in this article are not easy to do yourself, so give your local Computer Troubleshooter a call to set up a maintenance schedule, or to just simply check if you are doing everything right.