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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Storing files in the cloud is becoming increasingly popular for businesses, but how do you choose the right cloud storage provider when there are so many?

There are a wide range of factors to consider when choosing a cloud storage provider, so it’s no surprise that settling on one is difficult. All providers will offer different options and plans, but the good news is that there are set basics which will apply to your business. The first step is making sure you can find a provider who can satisfy your basic needs..

To help you get started, we’re going to look at what these foundations of cloud storage are and how they apply to your organization.

Data Volume

The amount of data that your organization processes is important when it comes to choosing a cloud storage provider. After all, different providers are going to have different capabilities when it comes to storing data. The basic plan available through Dropbox, for example, is 2GB and while that may be fine for an individual running their own business, an organization with 250 employees is going to need a little more. Obviously, numerous pricing plans are available for different providers depending on your storage needs, so it makes sense to calculate your storage needs (and future needs) and compare prices.

Uptime

Cloud servers are not infallible and they can fail just as easily as your own servers can. However, certain service providers’ networks fail more than others. And this can present a serious problem for your operations if your data is unavailable when you need it most. Therefore, you should always ask cloud storage providers to demonstrate their contingency plans in the case of server failure and, more importantly, statistics which show the reliability of their servers in terms of uptime.

Speed

Download speeds are one of the most essential elements of cloud storage for you to consider. The speed at which you can download your data can have a significant impact on your ability to do business. Say, for example, you’ve suffered a data disaster and need your data restored as soon as possible, if your cloud storage provider has a cap on their download speed then it’s going to take longer to get back up and running. That’s why you need to make sure you understand the download speeds that are available from your cloud storage provider.

Security

If your data becomes compromised then cloud storage provides a useful backup. However, there’s no guarantee that your cloud storage provider is safe from security breaches. And, if they are compromised, then the safety net of their backup is suddenly removed. This leaves you in a precarious situation whereby the safety of your data is significantly reduced. Therefore, understanding your cloud storage provider’s security measures are paramount. The main factors to consider are the provider’s physical security of their servers and the level of encryption they apply to stored data.

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

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