Column: How to look after your PC during work and homeschooling - advice from a family-run business in Banbury

With a huge amount of people now working from home and children being home-schooled due to pandemic, we are now becoming much more reliant on our home computers. As part of a regular column, Quickfix Computers - a local, family-run business founded in 2008, with shops in Banbury and Redditch - will be offering advice to help us get through our battles of man against machine. This week, they look at how to service your PC at home.

How to…service your PC at home

With many of us now working and teaching from home, it’s essential to stay on top of your PC maintenance. We’re come up with a little guide on how to protect your device to keep it going strong through this period.

1. Clean. This sounds basic but overtime dirt and dust builds up within your device and can cause overheating. If dust manages to find its way into your computer’s fan, it will make it prone to overhearing, which can cause it to stop working completely. If you take the time out once a month to clean internally and externally, it will remove these particles and allow your device to run quicker and smoother.

2. Back up your data. Imagine losing every file, every document and every picture. Use the 321 rules- 3 copies, 2 local copies and 1 offsite copy.

3. Delete old files and uninstall programmes you’re not using. By removing anything you don’t use off your device will give you more storage and will allow your system to run quicker. Clear out your bin, your desktop and close unused programmes in your task manger, these will all be slowing your system down. The recommended amount of storage to leave free is around 20 per cent, by keeping to this your computer will perform at its optimum efficiency.

4. Install updates. These will be popping up for a reason. These updates will fix bugs, glitches and anything that’s slowing down your computer. It will also keep your device as secure as possible by running the latest security updates.

5. Run antivirus. This is essential to protect your files and data. There are many different programmes and packages you can purchase to ensure that all your data is as safe as it can be from potential hackers. Just be sure to always buy from a trusted source.

For more information visit www.quickfix-computers.co.uk or call 01295 983308