Though just about everyone in the civilized world has a computer, it would be surprising to learn how few really know how to get the most out of them. The good news is that there are simple tips that can help give you greater control.
Read on to find out how these simple tips can make you feel more comfortable behind your keyboard. These are easy enough that anyone can follow along, so don’t worry about becoming overwhelmed.
Declutter Your Desktop
There are plenty of things that are a bit more complicated, like finding out what percentage of total CPU power is in use. The beautiful thing is that there are plenty of other simple tech tips that can make your life a lot easier. One of the simplest is to simply keep your desktop decluttered.
If you have a lot of different applications or files on your desktop, it can become a lot tougher to find what you are looking for. Make your digital workspace look like your physical one and it can improve efficiency and focus. Delete old files, set up a file hierarchy, and transfer any files you don’t need but want to keep to an external drive.
Shut Down and Restart Regularly
A common mistake that people make is simply putting their computer to sleep. While it is convenient to simply sit down and log in right away, consider shutting down your computer on a regular basis. There are apps often running in the background, taking up memory, shortening battery life (for laptops), and slowing your computer down.
By shutting down and restarting regularly, you will stop all of those processes. Even better, automatic updates can be installed on startup, ensuring that you have the latest software. Even once a week or so would be enough to keep things moving efficiently and ensure that your device is as up-to-date as it should be.
Backup with an External Hard Drive
It is something that many don’t think about or forget to do, but backing up your computer is crucial. Things happen all the time. Computers crash, drives become corrupted, etc. By backing up your computer, you can ensure that you are able to pick up where you left off.
Best of all, you can store your backups in a couple of ways. You could opt for cloud storage, but an external hard drive is just as effective. With the latter, you can install your backup without the need for an internet connection. Besides, having an external hard drive is great because it provides you with additional storage on the go.
Know Your Storage Systems
Sometimes, the basics are forgotten. One good place to start is to look at the areas of storage on your computer. Depending on what you are using, that could include messaging attachments, screenshots, web downloads, and more. They can end up in different places, too, which makes it much tougher to find what it is you are looking for.
If you have the time, look through your local files. Open them, edit them, send them to someone, or delete them. This will help get you familiar with where the files are going so that you can find them in no time. With important files, the last thing you need to do is store them in a spot that you can’t find. It is a simple but effective way of keeping critical files in an easily accessible place. More importantly, it will help save you the frustration of not being able to locate one of those files.