As the warm weather is creeping in, some of us are getting the urge to get outside, get active, and start cleaning! “Spring cleaning” is a trend every year because the warmer weather and the abundant sunshine give us more energy and motivation. We finally have the motivation to clean out the attic and the storage closet, so why not use this energy to clean up our technology? You should look at your laptop or computer like you would the junky storage closet in your home. Over the past year, a lot of “stuff” has piled up on your computer, like files, pictures, screenshots, applications, software, and even viruses. Therefore, it is very important to spring clean your computer every year to avoid your computer slowing down, crashing, or becoming terminally infected by a virus.
Clear your trash folder.
We’ll start with the easy part. You’ve moved several files to the trash folder over the last year, but it still takes up storage on your computer. Free up that storage space, and empty the entire folder. This will give you extra storage for more important files, and might even help your computer run faster.
Sort through old files and programs.
Start with the oldest files and work your way up to the most recent. If you see a file from 2015 that you don’t even recognize, you most likely will never need it again. Trash it! Usually, this process starts easily because you effortlessly can trash numerous files and programs from several years back. However, sorting through more recent files can be challenging because you have to think harder about whether you will need the file or program again or not.
Clean up your desktop.
Take this opportunity to remove links from your desktop that you don’t use. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t clicked on it in the last three weeks, it’s time to move it to a folder like “downloads” or “documents.” Remember that when you remove something from your desktop, it doesn’t mean you are deleting it! If you move it to a folder, it will still be accessible if you need it down the road.
Run any and all updates.
Let’s be honest, you’ve clicked “remind me later” on that update pop-up every day for that past 5 months! It always seems to be an inconvenient time to update because you are working on the computer when you see that an update needs to be completed. Consider running the update on a day you aren’t working so you don’t lose any work time.
Update and renew your security program subscription.
Use this “spring cleaning” opportunity to update or fix any bugs within your computer security program. Also, check to see when your subscription runs out. If it is soon, go ahead and renew the subscription for the next year!
Spring cleaning your technology can be a time-consuming process, but the outcome is well worth your effort. You will feel much better working because you know that you’ve checked off everything on this list. If you are a small business owner who needs assistance with IT management, contact Integracon to learn more about the IT solutions that we offer. We look forward to helping your business grow through the power of IT.
