7 Things Your Computer Person Won’t Tell You

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  Keep it clean. On a PC, run Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter at least once a month. This will store files more efficiently so your system doesn’t slow down. After about four years, your computer is elderly. If you’re shelling out for a blazing-fast Internet connection, pony up for a new model.


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  Check the cables. “People are always shocked that a cable came loose,” says Geek Squad agent Derek Meister. Of course, everything that needs power is plugged into an outlet, right?
  
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  Got neighbors? If you do, protect your home wireless network with a password. “If a person knows what he’s doing, getting into a computer on a non-encrypted net-work is easy,” says Schildkraut.


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  You backed up your data, right? External hard drives with lots of memory now sell for under $200, and automated programs like Cobian Backup or Apple’s Time Machine make regular backups a no-brainer. Secure online backup services save your data offsite should anything happen to your home.


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  If you travel with your laptop, get a lock. A 2007 survey by the Computer Security Institute found that 50 percent of respondents had a laptop or other mobile device sto-len in the past year. A simple cable lock (starting at about $20) lets you physically secure your laptop anywhere you go.


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  Remember: If your company owns the computer, they own what’s on it, too—even your email in some cases. Act accordingly.


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  Please remember: We didn’t create the problem; we’re just trying to help you fix it.