Most computer professionals will tell you the life of your personal computer will vary greatly, but an average of four to five years is common. To increase those numbers, you should follow these simple steps.

· Update your virus protection regularly. Anti-virus and anti-spamwear programs are essential, and the life of any computer can be drastically lengthened by purchasing or downloading free versions of virus protection software. Then, run full scans of your computer at least weekly and update it often.

· Delete any suspicious e-mails without opening them. Also, don’t download any software or executive files you didn’t ask for.

· Use system tools to clean up your computer. For PCs, “Disk Cleanup” and other scheduled tasks are located in the “System Tools” folder. You should also delete old files, and all of these steps should be performed about once a month. The “Disk Defragmenter” should also be used a few times a year.

· Use a firewall. If you use the Internet, you should run a firewall to prevent hackers from gaining access to your computer.

· Store all of your files within the “My Documents” folder. If you have a PC, it’s called “My Documents,” and if you have a Macintosh, it’s “Documents.” Pictures, videos and music can also be stored in their corresponding folders, but try to avoid saving any files to the Desktop, and especially avoid saving them to the main hard drive – which can cause other serious issues. Keeping files in these locations not only keeps your computer tidy and helps in archiving and backing up your files, but your computer will run faster as a result.

· Uninstall programs you aren’t using. But make sure they are uninstalled correctly, and not just deleted. For a PC, click on “Add or Remove Programs” in the “Control Panel.” If these old programs aren’t removed correctly, they could cause errors. It will also help increase the speed of your computer.

· Use a surge protector. Lightning storms can severely damage your computer. Make sure all power cords associated with your computer are also plugged into the surge protector, and unplug everything when weather is bad.

· Restart your computer at least once a week. If you leave your computer running constantly, restarting it every Friday is a good way to increase its speed.