Effective computer maintenance can be the difference between a reliable system and one that is plagued with problems. Computer maintenance can take many different forms, but all are centered around extending the lifespan of your IT equipment through careful use and taking sensible precautions. By maintaining your computer effectively, you can help your business get the best possible return on its IT investment.
Hardware maintenance is any practice undertaken to keep your computer's physical components in working order. Cleaning is one of the most common forms of hardware maintenance. The small scale and precision manufacturing of some computer components means that exposure to dust or debris can cause major problems. As such, regular cleaning of your computer's external components can extend its lifespan significantly. Replacing defective or underperforming components can also be thought of as a type of hardware maintenance.
Software maintenance helps to ensure that your computer's programs and files are accessible and work correctly. Anti-virus scans are a form of software maintenance, as their principal function is to ensure that your computer is not running any software that it should not be. Backups also fall into this category, as they allow you to minimize the effects of future software problems by perserving a record of a working program or file that can be restored at a later date if trouble occurs.
Making changes to the environment your computer operates in can help to increase its longevity. This can be as simple as implementing policies and rules for those who use your organization's computers. For example, you could reduce the risk of spillage incidents by forbidding people from drinking at their desks. Regulating the temperature of your office or server room and preventing the buildup of dust on surfaces are also forms of environmental maintenance.
Upgrading your computer's components is a type of perfective maintenance. Perfective maintenance is maintenance that does not fundamentally change the way your computer functions, but rather allows it to perform its existing role more effectively. By upgrading certain key components, such as your computer's onboard memory or hard drive, you can allow it to perform tasks that it would not have been able to when first built. This in turn can help to extend that system's lifespan and potentially eliminate the need for you to buy a brand-new computer.
Andy Walton has been a technology writer since 2009, specializing in networking and mobile communications. He was previously an IT technician and product manager. Walton is based in Leicester, England, and holds a bachelor's degree in information systems from the University of Leeds.
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