If you're in the ice cream business, the summer may be your "hottest" season. But, many businesses seem to slow down over the summer--schools are out and many clients and employees are enjoying vacations and family time.
Smart business owners take advantage of this slowdown to set goals and review business strategies. It's also a great time to maintain your computer systems and review your technology needs for the year ahead.
Don't let the summer slowdown affect your computer too! Here are 7 tips to keep your Windows or Mac computer running at sizzling speeds in the fast lane:
1. Uninstall unused programs, and if you're a Mac user, uninstall unnecessary language files too! Another tip for Mac users: If you're using an Intel-based machine, remove the unused Power PC binaries, too. While it may seem obvious, we recommend that you double check that you really don't need these programs before removing, in particular, anything that looks like it might be system related.
2. Clean out your temp files, temporary Internet files and other junk files at least once a month. If you're a Windows user, don't forget to clean up that registry. Mac users, clear your cache. You might want to invest in some good third-party software to do these steps on your Windows and Mac machines.
3. Empty the trash! This applies to both Windows and Mac users alike.
4. Maintain at least 10-15% free disk space on both Windows and Mac platforms. The operating system needs room to maneuver-be sure to give your system the space it needs.
5. Clean out your email. If you must hang on to it, consider moving items to an archive folder or file.
6. Defragment your system. Newer Mac and Windows operating systems (OS X and Windows 7) do not require this as much; however, if you're still using an older machine, you will see a performance benefit from defragmenting your hard disk.
7. Shutdown your machine regularly, don't just put it to sleep. Not only is it "green," it will perform a complete system reset and give your computer a burst of "energy."
Now that you've cleaned things up, keep it up! We recommend performing these routine maintenance tasks at least monthly-preferably weekly.
Don't let the lazy days of summer make you lazy too! Carpe diem... seize the day! Give IT Radix a call and we'll be happy to help you make the most of this summer's slowdown
As a seasoned IT professional and business owner at IT Radix, Cathy Coloff enjoys working with small-to-medium sized businesses on getting the most out of their technology dollars. Technology is serious business, but she likes to have fun making I.T. work for you.
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