Spring Clean your Computer
*Quick Note: These guides apply to Macs but we would be more than happy to walk your through the same steps on your PC if you reach out*
With the warmer weather comes the annual spring cleaning. One part of your home that is often overlooked while organizing? Your computer! Make sure to add this to your spring cleaning checklist to ensure that your computer is running in tip-top shape and all of your files are where they need to be.
Delete your Downloads
Notice your webpages loading a bit more slowly and maybe even your entire computer running sluggish? You could have hundreds of megabytes of data causing your computer to slow. Whether your downloading photos, design files, documents, or apps, chances are you have accumulated more downloads in your files than you think. In addition to helping your computer run faster, clearing downloads can also enhance security. Click HERE to learn how to clear your downloads on a PC.
How-To on Mac:
Locate the “Finder” on your Mac
Navigate to the downloads section
Select all items by pressing Command+A
Organize your Desktop
Here is a reminder to clean up your desktop! Likely there are files, lingering screenshots, and other random documents that no longer need to be front and center on your computer. Take some time and decide what needs to remain on your desktop such as frequently used applications and documents and files that you need easy and consistent access to. Otherwise, clear the clutter and add other files to an external hard drive or cloud based storage.
Uninstall any Unused Applications
This one is simple. If you aren’t using an application anymore, uninstall. They are just taking up valuable space on your device and likely making it run slower.
Back Up Important Files
We all know the dreaded computer crash where an important document that you have been working on but neglected to save gets completely deleted. In college, eGuide’s own Lauren Biolsi had her computer completely shut down the week of finals. Thank goodness she had been storing her semester’s work in Google Drive otherwise she would have been SOL. Store your files in a cloud based system like DropBox or Google Drive, or invest in an external hard drive to house important items. Set yourself a monthly reminder to back everything up, that way you won’t lose EVERYTHING should your computer break or get stolen.
Clear your Browsing Data
Do you ever notice some sites loading more slowly or certain features not working? You may need to clear your browsing data. Clearing your cache and your cookies can also eliminate some of the tracking that websites and corporations use. To learn more about your browsing history click HERE.
At the very top of your computer click on the tab that says “Chrome”
Click on “Clear Browsing Data” in the Drop Down
A new tab displaying this will pop-up and you can choose to clear cookies, cache, or browsing history.
Select your prefered time frame to clear data from, then press “Clear Data.”
Update your Operating System
Navigate to your “System Preferences” by clicking on the above icon.
Locate the “Software Update” cog icon.
You can select to keep your Mac updated automatically and your machine will automatically download and install updates when needed, or you can manually press “Update Now.”
Empty your Trash Bin
Just like in the physical world, you need to dispose of your trash regularly. There’s little correlation between a full bin and a slow running machine, but while you’re already tidying up your computer, why not just take the trash out as well.
