Laptops may not be the most powerful computers, but the benefits they provide are indisputable. For one thing, they deliver a similar user experience as your huge desktop PC, but much more conveniently and affordably. But before you reap their many benefits, here are five steps you should take before using them to improve their performance.
1. Update your laptop’s operating system
One of the first things you should do before using your laptop is upgrade its operating system (OS). Assuming you did not purchase the laptop when it was first released, your laptop will still be running an older OS. With important patches and fixes released with each new update, it is recommended that you install the latest one to ensure your laptop is free of any vulnerabilities.
2. Remove bloatware
When turning on your laptop for the first time, you might notice that there are several pre-loaded software in the system — some of which you will probably never use. These are known as bloatware.
These apps take up a lot of your valuable drive space, so consider getting rid of them. The easiest way to do this is by downloading a bulk uninstaller, which allows you to check all the bloatware apps you don’t want and remove them in one fell swoop.
See our blog on getting better use of your hard drive space.
3. Install protection software
It’s no secret that the world we live in is unsafe. And with so much confidential information nowadays becoming digitalised, it is necessary to protect yourself against losing important data from your computer. The solution to this is very simple. By installing antivirus software that can automatically — or manually — scan your computer at a scheduled time, potential attacks can be thwarted before they become more serious.
Not only is your laptop’s data vulnerable to cyberattacks, but there is always a chance your laptop can get lost or stolen. While there are preventive steps you can take — such as being mindful while using your laptop in public places — another solution would be to install anti-theft software. Security features such as Find My Device for Windows 10 and Prey for other operating systems can help you locate your device if it’s ever stolen or misplaced.
4. Optimise your power settings
One of the most frequent problems that laptop users have is that their batteries run out of juice too fast. However, you can actually extend the battery life by making a few tweaks to your power settings.
Reduce your display brightness, but not so much that it causes eye and mental fatigue.
Use the Sleep or Hibernate mode for your operating system.
See our tips on extending laptop battery life.
5. Set up a backup plan
Imagine spending months working on an important project and suddenly finding it nonexistent the next day just because your laptop crashed. Deadlines will be missed. Profit margins will decrease. Customers will leave unhappy. And if worse comes to worst, you’ll be out of business.
Why add stress if you can prevent it from happening in the first place? By setting up an automatic backup system, you can regularly save all your important files; that way, you’d still be able to recover your data should anything happen to the original file.
You can also store all your important documents in the cloud, which ensures access whenever you need, even if your laptop crashes or gets stolen.
Getting a new laptop can be fun, but the joy might be short-lived if you don’t set up any preventive measures from the start.
Time for a new laptop?
If you're buying a laptop or any type of notebook or tablet PC for your child, look over our blog on BYOD recommendations.
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Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
