More Ways to Extend the Life of Your Computer

Here at FixMeStick, we pride ourselves on helping you save and maintain your computer, making it last longer so you don’t have to purchase more computers in the long run.

As mentioned in our Earth Day blog, saving your current computer also helps reduce the amount of Electronic waste going into landfills each year. This is a small step you can do to save our planet. That’s why we decided to make a new article with even more ways you can extend the life of your computer.

Choose a Quality Computer

Before you think about extending the life of your current computer, you have to make sure you purchase a quality one first. Not only will a quality computer last longer, you will also run into less problems using it. Checkout this helpful guide from Consumer Reports as your starting point

Some important features you can look into when choosing a new computer is the processor, which is called the CPU, the Hard Drive, and the random access memory, or RAM.

The CPU determines how fast your computer can process a program. The hard drive determines how many applications and files you can store in your computer, while the RAM controls the amount of data your computer can process at a time.

Of course, the better these features are, the better your computer will function and the longer they will last. If you are unable to get better features due to budget restrictions, you can still try out our tips below for more ways to extend the life of your current computer.

Use a StartMeStick

We’ve created StartMeStick as a sister-product to the FixMeStick. The concept is simple – use a StartMeStick to access a private online browser without the inconveniences of a slow computer or operating system.

And the best part? StartMeStick will work even when your computer’s operating system does not. For example, if your computer boots to a blue screen, StartMeStick will allow you to use it once again. It’s a great way to bring your computer back from the dead!

If you are tired of waiting for ages to load online videos, make online purchases, print documents from your computer, or if you are worried about the security and privacy of your internet traffic when you do things like online banking, try a StartMeStick for those activities today!

Internal Maintenance

Internal maintenance involves uninstalling any applications and deleting files you no longer need. Like a good spring cleaning, taking these steps will free up your hard drive as well as your CPU and RAM, making your computer feel like it’s new again.

Free Up Your CPU

To free up the CPU on your computer, start off by pressing the CTRL, ALT, and DELETE keys all at once on your keyboard. Then, click on Task Manager and look for any possible processes that are using extensive CPU. You can click on ‘End Task’ to stop these processes and speed up your CPU.

If you are on a Mac computer, you will have to open your Activity Monitor, which can be found by searching in your Applications list. Here, you can view your CPU usage and kill any unnecessary tasks by clicking on the ‘X’ symbol at the top left-hand corner of the window.

To maintain good CPU performance, make sure you don’t run too many programs at once. Once you close a program, it might be running in the background. You can also use the ‘Task Manager’ once again to end any programs you are not using. You can also use a software such as System Mechanic to improve your CPU performance

Cleanup Your Hard Drive

All Windows computers actually have a Disk Cleanup option built into-it. This feature will delete any temporary files and free up space on the hard drive.

The Disk Cleanup feature can be found by typing its name in your computer’s search bar, but its location will vary depending on which version of Windows software you have. Check out our blog post here for detailed instructions on how to do this.

Unfortunately, this feature is not available on Mac computers, so you can consider manually deleting any unused applications as well as transferring your files and folders to an external hard drive.

Free Up Your RAM

RAM is like CPU. You need enough of it to help your computer function smoothly. You can clear your CPU by opening the Task Manager using the CTRL, ALT, and DELETE keys again. Once there, look for a tab called Memory. This indicates your RAM usage.

Look for any programs and applications that are using an excessive amount of RAM. You can end them or even uninstall these apps if you no longer need them.You can read our blog post here for how to uninstall programs on your computer.

On Mac computers, your RAM information can be found under the Activity Monitor again, but under the Memory tab. You can click on the large ‘X’ at the top left-hand corner of the Activity Monitor window to end unwanted tasks.

External Maintenance

The external components of the computer refers to the monitor, the main tower, the keyboard, the mouse, and an external harddrive if you have one. These components must be taken care of to ensure software can run on your computer without any problems

The best way to maintain the external components is to keep your computer cool. This can be done by unblocking the fans on your computer to get rid of any accumulated dust. You can do this using compressed gas. If your computer is a laptop, make sure to place it on a cool, hard surface where heat can easily dissipate.

Keep It Secure

Keeping your computer secure from external threats can also extend the lifetime of your computer. We recommend running an antivirus program such as McAfee alongside the FixMeStick for added protection.

Antiviruses such as McAfee to protect your computer against live viruses while FixMeStick can find leftover viruses that the antivirus program cannot reach.

And lastly, don’t forget to run a FixMeStick scan as part of your computer maintenance routine! You can try it today!