Simple Tips to Improve Your PC Experience

Ophtek, PC, pc checkup, PC Maintenance, PC Server, PC Tips, PC Tools, , ,
22
Dec 2020

If you’re using a PC on a daily basis then you want the experience to be as simple and comfortable as possible. But not everyone knows how to achieve this. 

Consisting of numerous forms of software and hardware, the build of a PC can be a complex and confusing one. Thankfully, operating one is relatively simple once you understand the basics. But there’s still room for plenty of improvement. And, most excitingly, if you can improve the way in which you use your PC you will quickly become more productive. It’s a win/win situation and one that is more than worthy of your organization’s attention. 

All you need to get started is a handy list of simple tips to improve your PC experience. And that’s exactly what we’re here to deliver. 

Enhance Your PC Experience 

You can quickly start enhancing your PC experience with the following tips: 

  • Speed Up with a Solid State Drive (SSD): Long boot times are a frustrating drain to anyone’s productivity, but this problem can easily be consigned to the past. A traditional hard drive disk (HDD) is comprised of a number of moving parts; the motion involved in operating a HDD’s movable parts, naturally, takes time to complete. But an SSD uses semi-conductor memory chips instead of moving parts. And this significantly speeds up boot times and other disk operations, so upgrading to an SSD is a no-brainer.
  • Remap Your Mouse Buttons:  A computer mouse is set up with right-handed people in mind. But what happens when a left- handed person, or someone who has injured their right hand, wants to use a mouse? The answer is simple: they get frustrated and struggle to use their PC correctly. However, it’s possible to remap your mouse buttons through the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center app. From here you can reassign different commands to different mouse buttons e.g. reprogramming the left hand mouse button execute right hand mouse functions.
  • Make Things Bigger with Magnifier: It’s not always easy, at the best of times, to see things on a PC screen. The information you need can often be written too small and take several examinations to read clearly. Microsoft, though, are aware of this and has designed the Magnifier app to stop you squinting at the screen. Located in the Ease of Access section of Windows Settings, Magnifier provides you with a magnifying glass icon which you can use to magnify any area of the screen you want. 

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals. 

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5 Things That Are Slowing Your PC Down

Best Practices, Data Security, Data Storage, disk cleanup, Hacking, IT Efficiency, Ophtek, PC Tips, PC Tools, Speed, , , ,
29
Sep 2020

We live in a high speed age which allows us to be more productive than ever, but if anything can throw a wrench in the works it’s a slow PC.

The experience of a slow and sluggish PC is one that everyone is familiar with. And dealing with this frustration never gets easier. In fact, a PC which regularly slows down can have a serious impact on your job productivity. The complexities of the inner workings of a PC mean that identifying the exact cause is difficult. But this doesn’t mean you need to continue struggling.
It’s possible, with relative ease, to employ a number of methods and practices that will help restore your PCs speed.

5 Steps Towards a Faster PC

If you want to start ramping your productivity back up then make sure you look at the following:

  1. Defragment Your Hard Drive: A PC is, essentially, a data storage device. But the data stored on a PC needs to be retrieved every time it’s required. And the more data you store on your PC the more uneven this data distribution is. The end result is fragmented data that becomes increasingly harder to piece together. Naturally, this means that processes take longer to complete. Performing a disk defragmentation will help to reorganize your data and can easily be achieved with the Microsoft Drive Optimizer app.
  2. Browser Add-Ons: Installing add-ons to your web browser can help to maximize your online productivity, but too many can start to slow down your browsing experience. It’s common, however, to install add-ons that soon fall into disuse and no longer serve any purpose. Therefore, if your speed issues are only apparent when you’re using your browser, it may be worth evaluating your active add-ons and disabling any you don’t need.
  3. Start-up Programs: When a PC loads up it will automatically load up a long list of programs that are listed in your System Configuration. The more programs that are listed in System Configuration then the longer your PC will take to load up. Many of these programs, though, are not necessary during the start-up process e.g. a messaging app that you don’t use regularly. To avoid a bloated start-up experience just head into MSConfig and check what’s included in your start-up.
  4. Hard Drive Space: Your hard drive may, for example, have a capacity of 500GB but it’s not recommended to fill it to breaking point. The operating system on your PC needs a certain amount of hard drive space to carry out essential tasks such as creating temporary files. And if this space isn’t available then your PC will struggle to operate correctly. Regularly evaluating what is on your PC and what can be removed is crucial to avoid this.
  5. Malware: Hackers are keen to take control of PCs through the use of resource-heavy malware. Depending on the nature of the malware, such as a DDoS attack, your PCs memory can soon become overloaded and grind to a halt. Accordingly, you need to maintain good security practices to prevent the impact of malware.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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General Maintenance Tips to Keep Your PC Healthy

IT Best Practices, IT Efficiency, Ophtek, PC, PC Maintenance, PC Tips, , ,
25
Aug 2020

A healthy PC is a happy PC and one that will serve your organization well. But to keep your PC healthy you need to carry out regular maintenance.

Take the casing off a PC and you will see that it’s a complex collection of circuitry, wires, boards and fans. All of these parts combine to bring your PC to life. But, with so many different components at play, it’s very easy for one of these to fail. Even the most unassuming, basic component can play a major role in the performance of your PC, so maintaining these is crucial. A PC, as we’ve stated, contains numerous different parts. And that’s only the start. The software contained within the PC also needs maintaining to prevent system errors and hardware damage.

It may sound as though you have a mountain to climb when it comes to PC maintenance, but it’s actually very easy.

Keeping Your PC Healthy

Thankfully, there are a number of simple and quick practices you can carry out to maximize the health of your PC. These are a mixture of software and hardware tips which include:

  • Shut Down Correctly: The end of the working day often signifies a rush to leave and the process of shutting a PC down correctly often suffers. Hitting the power button may be quicker, but it risks a number of problems. Firstly, there’s the risk that unsaved work will be lost and, secondly, the shutdown process allows the disk drives and RAM to power down correctly. Modern PCs may be mostly immune to power spikes, but they’re not completely So, take your time and shut down correctly. 
  • Clean Your Keyboard: A keyboard remains an essential part of any PC and allows you to complete almost every necessary task. That’s why a failed keyboard will instantly affect your productivity. It may be that a single key doesn’t work or it may be that the entire device is damaged. Either way, it’s vital that you regularly clean the keyboard. The best way to do this is by turning the keyboard upside down and shaking it before using a can of compressed air to blast anything else out. Finally, use an alcohol-based wipe to fully clean the surface. 
  • Organize Your Cables: Even the most modern PCs require a number of cables to connect all the required components. The sheer number of cables involved can soon become jumbled. And this only becomes more complicated the more additions you make to your system. If these cables are not organized correctly then your PC will be left vulnerable to damage. Not only is there the risk of entire systems getting pulled on the floor, but there’s the risk of electrocution. Avoid this by detangling cables and using cable ties to gather them together. 
  • Always Update: It’s important that all updates and patches are installed as soon as they are available. The process may feel time consuming, but the majority of these procedures will take place in the background with minimal impact on performance. And, by installing these upgrades, you will maximize your PCs performance and protect it from any software vulnerabilities.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Make Remote Working Easier with these PC Tips

Ophtek, PC Tips, remote work, remote workers, working from home, working remotely, , ,
02
Jun 2020

Remote working has become the norm for countless employees over the last two months, but it’s not easy. However, you can make remote working easier.

It’s not that remote working is difficult, it’s more that it’s a break from your normal working routine. And, depending on your age, this routine could have been in place for decades. It’s not easy to make this transition seamlessly and, given the current headlines, it’s understandable that working from home can feel tough. But you don’t have to let this situation descend into frustration. Instead, you can make a number of changes which make remote working that little bit easier.

An excellent place to start is by making changes to the way you use your PC.

How to Make Life Easier

There are many ways that you can make remote working easier and some of the simplest and most effective are:

  • Work Near Your Router: Home internet connections are more than capable of handling your workload, but this is all dependent on the strength of your signal. Therefore you need to work as near to your router as possible. That bed in your spare bedroom may be comfortable, but if the wireless signal there is weak then you run the risk of frequent disconnections. Be sure to use a good quality router.
  • Work with a Calendar App: Remote working tends to involve working on your own for long periods of time. Sure, there’s the modern luxury of video conferencing and chat software, but it’s not the same as being surrounded by your work colleagues. Accordingly, it can be difficult to stay on track with your schedule and workload. However, this situation can be reversed by setting yourself reminders. The calendar within Microsoft Outlook is more than adequate for this, but it’s possible to install third-party apps if you need more options.
  • Block Online Distractions: It’s easy to become distracted by the internet when you’re working from home, but this doesn’t have to be the case. There are a number of ‘blocker’ apps that can be installed on a PC to block out distractions. So, for example, if you want to block access to social media sites for an afternoon, you can program this into an app such as Freedom. You are then free to focus exclusively on your workload and ensure that you keep on top of it.
  • Connect Your Laptop to your TV: Working on a laptop isn’t always easy due to the limited screen sizes that are available. And this can be a problem if you need a large screen to organize your work. But there’s a very simple solution. Almost all modern laptops contain HDMI ports, so you should be able to easily connect your laptop to your 50” television set. All you need is a HDMI cable and a modern TV.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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