One thing I always try to do at the beginning of each year is to do some routine maintenance on my computer so it will be ready for productivity all year long. I’ve listed five of those tasks below.

Update Your Drivers

Every piece of hardware in your computer has a driver. When was the last time you installed new drivers? This is especially important for graphics cards as manufacturers regularly release new drivers to address issues and boost performance.

Backup Your Data

I sure hope you backup your data a lot more often than once a year. But now is a good time to think about it and make sure all of your data is backed up. Of course my favorite tool for backing up regularly is GoodSync.

Clean Out the Dust

No matter how clean your office, dust builds up inside your computer and can create serious problems. For those who have their computer on the floor, the problem is even worse. Pop off the cover and clean out that dust now before problems arise. Not sure how? Watch me (as the Cave Creek Geek) clean out a computer for a friend.

Update Your Software

With almost all software, updates are released at least a few times after the initial release. Have you installed all the latest updates? Could it be time to move to a newer version instead of running an ancient version?

Clean Up The Clutter

It has often been said that I’m a piler, not a filer. That’s right, my desk can be a bit cluttered. My computer is just the opposite as I keep it in good order. Schedule some time to clean up any physical clutter in your workspace as well as files (or software) cluttering up your computer.