4 Simple PC Maintenance Tasks You Should Perform Regularly

Taking care of your home computer and making sure it stays in good working order is something a lot of people neglect. The assumption that "it just works" can make you forget that your system needs regular maintenance and you should get in the habit of performing a few basic tasks at least every couple of weeks.

This article will provide you with a simple checklist of four tasks you should perform on a regular basis, to make sure your PC is always in its best possible shape.

1. Table of Contents

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   Check for updates, both for Windows and software you regularly use

Windows 10 is pretty consistent and updates are generally pushed to users without any delays, but it doesn't hurt to manually check for any available updates every other week.

The same is valid for any software you use on a regular basis. While a lot of programs will have decent, integrated auto-update capabilities, you may still have a few applications that will need you to manually probe them for updates, either through a menu inside the application or just by visiting the application's website.

2. Backup your data

Whether you use the backup solution integrated in Windows 10 or opt for a third-party application that makes backups, it is always a good idea to make backups regularly.

Even if you do not use an automated backup software, at the very least make sure you manually backup your important data and personal files by copying them to external media that is not always connected to your PC at least once a month or so. This will significantly minimize any possible data loss in case your system is affected by dangerous malware or your storage has a hardware failure.

3. Run regular malware scans

Once again, regardless of whether you use simply Windows Defender or have a third-party anti-malware application installed, it is a great idea to run a complete system scan once a month. You don't have to always include all your storage devices in each scan, but you should perform complete scans of all your connected drives once in a while too.

While you're doing malware scans, you might also want to check your drives for integrity and bad sectors, using the tools provided in Windows.

4. Clean the inside of your PC case

If you have a laptop, things are a lot more difficult and a lot of people prefer to have qualified technicians perform any cleaning of their laptop's insides. However, if you have a regular desktop PC with a tower case, you should get in the habit of opening the case and cleaning the insides at least once every 4-6 months.

Depending on the environment where you store your case, there will be either a bit or a ton of dust and lint gathered inside after a few months. Dust balls and lint can cause a lot of important hardware to run hotter than normal, clogging radiators and fans. Given that regular cleaning involves simply opening the side plate of your case and using a can of compressed air or even a simple vacuum cleaner (handled with great care when near your hardware, of course), there is no real excuse not to do it often.