There comes a time in our life where we begin to slow down in how we conduct day-to-day activities. However, to maintain our energy level, it is important to eat right, exercise, and maintain a positive outlook about life.

Now you may ask what this has to do with “Secrets To A Healthy Computer?”

Well, in the same way we all like a computer. If you neglect to take care of yourself you will soon stop functioning properly and many of the tasks that had been easy to do now take twice as long to achieve and often require you to rest or “reboot” after the damage.

I cannot tell you what foods to eat or what exercise to do because I am not a nutritionist. However, with my experience in the personal computer field, I can share with you some tips on how to maintain your personal computer to achieve the maximum performance over a long time.

Some important steps to follow are ….

Put Your Computer in Well Ventilated Area.

* Make sure that your computer is located in well-ventilated area and that all air vents are properly functioning to prevent overheating and premature failure of internal components of any kind.

Clean Your Computer from the Dust Build-ups.

* Clean the dust that has been build-ups for at least every 6 months from the inside of the computer case including case vents, power supply vents, and all visible circuit with a few cans of compressed air that can be purchased from a large computer store or electronics outlet. This will help reduce the possibility of over-heating and damage the circuit.

Before cleaning, be certain to always remove the computer from the wall outlet and never physically contact the circuit in the computer case to prevent damage.

Always Back Up Your Crucial Data.

* Be prepared for the unexpected failure by always making backups of all important data that you do not and can not afford to lose.

I personally keep updated backups of my website and even store the disks in a remote location far away from where I use the computer, in case a disaster happens and my main computers were destroyed and the files are lost.

Install Highly Trusted Antivirus

* Purchase and install a well known anti-virus programs that can be regularly updated with the latest virus definitions and ran during boot-up to help protect your computer from becoming victims of an unwanted infestation.

Regularly Defragment Your Hard Drive.

* Every few months, run the “scandisk” program followed by the “defragmenter” program to maximize the efficiency of your hard drive.

If you are unsure about using this utility, and these defragmenter programs varies slightly from one another operating system, simply use the “help” option which can be found by clicking the START button found on your computer desktop .

The START menu will open the drop-down-box should display the “Help” option. By going here you can enter keywords related to the answer to your search topic.

Clean Up Your Data from Useless Files.

* Run your computers “Disk Cleanup” utility once a week or more. If set the “Disk Cleanup” utility will automatically empty the recycling bin and recover some wasted disk space by deleting temporary internet files that seem to always pile up.

Once again, use the “Help” option if you are unsure about how to perform this task.

No Smoking Area.

* Never smoke near a computer because the cooling fan will draw smoke into the case where it can coat the parts inside the computer with a residue which in turn can damage sensitive components.

Put It In Well Situated Place.

* Place the computer case in areas where he would not accidentally kicked or bumped into to prevent the loosening of cables and damage the internal parts.

Protect Against Unstable Electric Current.

* Invest in high-quality surge protectors for computers and monitors to provide protections against voltage spikes or “surges” that can dramatically shorten the life of your system. Like most things in the store, “you get what you pay for”. So, do not skip on this important device!

Its also not a bad idea to invest in surge protector with the so-called “Data Line Protector” which allows you to connect your phone line and modem as wave and modem against shocking electrical current.

Disconnect from Electric Current When You Are Away.

* Finally, if you plan to be away from home for more than a few days at a time, or if there is a storm brewing in your neighborhood, it is a very wise decision to always remove ALL electrical lines and modem telephone lines from your system. Even with the electric shock protector installed, it is possible that a large voltage spike such as that caused by a lightening strike could prove fatal to any computer system.

If you follow these simple steps, the results would be healthy computer that will make you more productive and happier.