Video:

Article:
ABCD - New Year’s Computer Resolutions

As the New Year comes around, we make a lot of different resolutions to better life for us. Let me suggest 4 quick simple computer resolutions to keep your computers running well.

Doing these 4 simple things will go a long way towards ensuring your computer runs well over the next year, and protects you from a hard drive failure. Know that all hard drives eventually fail, the question is simply when. Also don’t be fooled into the common fallacy that a new computer or hard drive are less sceptible   to failures, that’s simply not true.

Think of these 4 items like changing your oil, rotating your tires and making sure you have insurance up to date on your vehicle.

ABCD: AntiVirus, Backup, Chrome, Don't

1. AntiVirus

Not all AntiVirus (AV) software is equal. I am a strong supporter of Norton Internet Security. It’s ease of use, light footprint, speed and “set and forget” operation are some of the reasons I’ve become a strong supporter of Norton since 2009. It also has among the highest catch rate for various types of infections. It doesn’t have the highest overall catch rate, but is right up there, and given the other considerations noted above, I believe it’s the best overall. If you are on Comcast, you can get Norton for free. You don’t want all the extra “constant guard” garbage, and they make it hard to find without it, however your computer guy has a hard to find link to it right here: Download Norton without Constant Guard.

2. Backup

All hard drives eventually fail. They are mechanical devices and as such are subject to wear and tear, bumps, drops, and electronic failures. If you have precious items, or don’t want to go through the hassle of reloading everything on your computer you absolutely must have a backup strategy in place. The two primary options are an online backup service such as Mozy and Carbonite, or a local backup system which consists of an external hard drive AND the software that handles the backup. Don’t underestimate the importance of the software. I have a 5 minute podcast detailing backup strategies you can listen to. This step is CRITICAL if you need to preserve memories or other information.

3. Chrome

Probably 60% or more of your computing is web-based, done through a web browser. Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome, Firefox are some of the big browser names. It makes sense that since a huge majority of your computing is with the web browser, that you spend a few minutes considering alternative browsers. I strongly recommend Google Chrome, a very fast web browser – the one I personally use most of the time. In fact the modern incarnation of Internet Explorer stole the minimalistic interface from Chrome. You can download Chrome for Free, and watch my 15 minute tutorial showing you the ropes to this great browser. 90% of my customers decide to stick with Chrome after using it for a week.

4. Don't install junkware

Software that claims it will speed up your computer is nearly always bogus. In fact more often than not, it actually has a negative effect on your computer. Also be aware when you are downloading anything that you don’t load unintended software that can be slid in with the intended download. To view an example of that, check out this tech tip post , about half way down that shows how a home page gets changed unknowingly. The process is exactly the same for junkware. We also have a tech tip article on registry cleaners / speed up PC apps.

Do these 4 simple things, ABCD, and you should be good not only for this year, but for many years to come! They definitely won’t prevent every problem, but much like good car maintenance, it goes a long way!

If you are interested in having PcComputerGuy do a yearly computer checkup and maintenance for you, just give us a ring! 317-883-PCCG (7224)