6 Common Mistakes Computer Users Should Avoid

If you’ve had a computer system for any length of time, then it’s more than likely that you’ve had at least one encounter where your system failed to boot or your hard drive crashed. In cases like that, we can lose practically everything that we keep in our computer systems, especially if we do not have backup measures.

Such situations are not the kind of thing the average user thinks about. Since most are oblivious to the types of catastrophes that can happen, until they happen. It is only the most experienced users who steer clear of them and therefore take the necessary steps to protect themselves from such occurrences, when they happen.

For this reason, it is so important that you are aware of the various measures you can take to protect your system.

Below is a list of the biggest mistakes the average computer user will make. Many of which may or may not be immediately apparent to you. Therefore, knowing these things will put you in the best possible position, should something unexpected happen to your system.

1.Use ransomware protection

One mistake many computer users make is not having some form of ransomware protection on their system.

Ransomware is basically a type of malicious file that once it enters your system, it will locate and lock sensitive information on your computer behind an encryption. Therefore, in order to access this information, you will need to pay the creator of the virus, hence the ransomware ransom.

This is undoubtedly one of the worst things that can happen to your system, but it is preventable, if you know how. The most effective thing you can do is to use antivirus software, which will prevent any ransomware virus from entering your system. There are a number of tools you can use, some specialist anti-ransomware tools you can check out, and also a built-in Windows feature called Controlled Folder Access.

This built-in Windows feature is very adept at keeping your system secure and works excellently well in conjunction with Microsoft Defender. It is advisable that you use both, but at least Controlled Folder Access, to protect your most sensitive data from hackers and malicious files.

2. Net reboot your system

Whenever your system seems to be crashing, maybe things are starting to move very slowly and there is no explainable reason for it, the first thing you should try is a simple system reboot. Rebooting your system is one of the most effective ways to fix a large number of issues that occur on your system. Some of the things that a simple reboot can fix on your system include:

• Programs run slower than usual.
• Applications that consume considerable amounts of memory.
• Internet connectivity problems.
• Blue screen of death errors.

3. Not backing up your computer

Hard drive failure is one of the most disastrous things that can happen to your system and it only gets worse if you don’t have a backup plan in place. To keep your data safe, all you need to do is use cloud storage or buy another hard drive, either internal or external. Alternatively, you can use a flash drive, if you intend to back up only smaller documents.

When you have your backup system in place, it should take regular backups on your behalf, as long as you have enough storage space to do so.

When it comes to using something like a flash drive or external hard drive, you’ll need to plug them in manually, at the appropriate time, so that the backup can take place. This can be once a week or once a month, ideally you want to have as many backups as possible, but you don’t want to go overboard.

Of course, there is nothing to stop your flash drive or external hard drive from failing. However, with cloud storage this is minimized. You can use the cloud to back up literally anything, and it works considerably faster than other backup methods. If you are thinking of backing up your tablet or phone, then cloud storage is something you can consider investing in.

Just make sure you keep track of what’s being backed up and understand how to restore this data, should you need it.

4. Not keeping your operating system up to date

Developers are constantly releasing new updates for their software, and for good reason. These reasons may include, to fix bugs, add new features, patch known security vulnerabilities, and make systems more secure. When you forget to keep your operating system up to date, you essentially leave your system out to be exploited. One of the best things you can do for your computer system is to have Windows Updates set to automatic.

5. Constant use of Disk Defragmenter

If you have one of the latest Windows operating systems, then you don’t need to think about defragmenting your hard drive, this is because your operating system is set to do it automatically. You should only consider doing it manually, if your hard drive is unusually fragmented. And this should only be done on standard HDD. Your later SSD drives do not need to be defragmented, nor do they benefit from the process in any way, as data is stored very differently on them.

6. Using the power button to turn off the Ones system

If you just press the power button, it will go through the shutdown process. However, if you hold down the power button, it will perform what is called a forced shutdown. This will abruptly shut down your computer, closing all files and programs in the process. This is not a recommended way to shut down the system as it can lead to data corruption, data loss, and even hardware failure.

You may find certain discussions on the net that there is nothing wrong with shutting down your system in this way. But the reality is that they are very wrong. You should only use a complete shutdown in emergencies.