Since offices around the world pivoted to work-from-home setups, employees’ personal tech has moonlighted as professional devices. If your work-from-home gig is permanent, it’s time to treat your personal computer like the workhorse it is. Here are five tips recommended by freelance developers, that will help you maintain your computer while you work from home
1. Shut it off When You Aren’t Using it
It may sound simple, but you might be surprised by how few people shut off their computers properly. Most let it rest in hibernation mode in between uses.
This bad habit puts undue stress on your computer and causes it to run slower than you’d like. Luckily the fix is easy. Just shut off your computer completely after each workday. This closes all the software and processes involved in running the device, clearing the RAM for another day.
2. Download an Antivirus Program
When you’re working from home, you’re using your computer a lot more often. The average workday has you checking email, downloading attachments, and following links sent by your colleagues and clients alike.
While many of these attachments or links are perfectly safe, some might contain viruses either unknowingly sent from your contacts or maliciously sent to pilfer your information.A basic antivirus program can detect and remove malware before it corrupts your data.
3. Be Prepared for the Unexpected
Sometimes, things can go wrong despite your best intentions. You can turn on your computer only to see the blue screen of death. No anti-virus program will fix this issue. You’ll have to take it into for repairs or buy a replacement.
While nobody wants to deal with these issues, it is a reality of owning tech nowadays. That’s why it’s crucial you set aside some cash each month for an emergency fund.
You can put in $10 or $50 whenever you have some extra money to spare. Over time, these minor contributions add up tosignificant savings, which you can use to upgrade your tech.
If your savings ever fall short, you can find direct installment loans online to make up the difference. Some online direct lender loans are available even if your credit isn’t the greatest, so research installment loans for bad credit if you need help in an unexpected emergency.
4. Back-Up Your Data
Next to the cost of repairs, the worst thing about your computer being out of commission is losing all your data.
Sometimes, it’s a single file gone, but you could lose everything if you wind up replacing your computer. That’s why you should get into the habit of backing up data, even while your device is running smoothly.
You can use flash drives or external hard drives, but the easiest way is using the cloud.
5. Accept Software Updates
When a notification comes up alerting you to a scheduled update, what do you do? If you’re like most people, you postpone this function for another day, repeating this process for as long as you can. But if you truly care about your computer’s performance, you’ll want to start accepting them as soon as they’re available.
Critical security updates patch bugs that leave your data vulnerable to fraudsters. They also add new features that help your device operate faster and more efficiently.
The Takeaway
These five tips can give a boost to your work-from-home performance. Best of all, they’re easy enough that you can make them a daily habit!
