Whether your computer 1 day or 10 years old, these next 10 tips can help your biggest technological tool last much longer. I always recommend backing up your data just in case, but if you follow these tips the chances for disaster will greatly decrease.

1. Once every 6 months, take a air gun to the inside of the PC. Dust and animal fur/dander can destroy a PC. You know it only takes 30 volts to electrifry your computer so make sure that when you open your computer, take an air gun and blow out any dust that exist on the system board and the fans that are in the computer. This will literally lower the temperature of the computer, making it last longer.

2. Make sure your PC is not on the ground, especially carpet. Place it at least 3 inches above the ground. Many computers that overheat and die were on the floor for years with tons of dust in it. Just elevate the computer on a chair, a stool, or a table, and that will solve that issue.

3. Make sure you have the latest drivers for all hardware you have installed. This may require a little work, but it helps. For every piece of hardware they is software that sometimes get corrupted and the manufacturer knows that. They will let users know of the update but not you directly! You have to bookmark the websites of all the manufactures and monitor them for any updates.

4. Know what anti-virus you have installed. I cant stress this one enough. There are so many fake programs out there claiming to be an antivirus program getting rid of problems, when all along they are tricking you to click on their links to doom! When you know what you already have, you wont be tricked into installing something you don’t want.

5. Don’t eat or drink near your computer. Food and drinks can short circuit a keyboard, a laptop or anything electronic. That’s why the dining or kitchen table was created. Use it!

6. Keep kids away from your computer. Kids can navigate to websites you don’t want to be at. Make sure you installed internet security that prevents them from going to unauthorized websites or installing naughty programs.

7. If you see even a hint of something wrong, have it checked out immediately!! Don’t let your pride bring you down! Call someone if you notice anything out of the ordinary, like a slower response time, pop ups, blue screens or browser issues. Better to be safe than sorry especially where your data is concerned.

8. Only add new software or hardware from well-known companies. Hardware that cost $10 when the average cost is $50 is trouble written all over it. Faulty hardware can destroy a computer so make sure you know where you programs or hardware is coming from. Pirated software can also mess up your pc with unknown errors and viruses so buy your software from either the manufacturers website, the store, or your ComputerMan. You may save some cash in the short term, but you will be killing your computer over the life of your purchase.

9. Windows 7. If your PC is able to, upgrade your computer to the latest operating system. Windows 7 is not only the most stable OS to date, it is easier to use, maintain, and run even if your computer skills are at a minimum. If your pc is too slow to run Windows 7, then make sure you have the latest software updates installed on Windows XP using Windows Updates. A lot of issues that you may have may already been addressed long ago, but you just did not know. This includes Java! Java is the biggest vulnerability in computers that viruses can attack, so make sure you go to www.java.com and download the latest version of that software.

10. Don’t overtax your computer. Giving your computer more work than it can handle is not a good idea. If you do, it just increases your chances of a total meltdown. You are better off spending the money to get a bigger hard drive, more RAM, or more ports to plug all your peripherals in.

There are many more ways to extend the life of your digital best friend, and I will point them out in the future, but if you do have any questions or need service on your computer to address any of these issues, you can always call, the COMPUTERMAN!