Windows: In the Start menu, click the Settings gear icon, and then click Update & Security. If any updates are pending, click Install now in the right panel to get them. If not, click Check for updates, and then follow any on-screen instructions. Windows updates automatically in the background during normal use. Sometimes you’ll be prompted to restart your computer to finish installing updates—make sure to save anything you’re working on before doing this. macOS: Click the Apple menu at the top-left corner of your screen, select System Preferences, and then click Software Update. [1] X Research source If updates are available, click Update Now to install them. If there’s a newer version of macOS available, you’ll see an Upgrade Now option—click this to install the latest and greatest version of the operating system.
Windows updates automatically in the background during normal use. Sometimes you’ll be prompted to restart your computer to finish installing updates—make sure to save anything you’re working on before doing this.
Windows updates automatically in the background during normal use. Sometimes you’ll be prompted to restart your computer to finish installing updates—make sure to save anything you’re working on before doing this.
Windows updates automatically in the background during normal use. Sometimes you’ll be prompted to restart your computer to finish installing updates—make sure to save anything you’re working on before doing this.
Windows updates automatically in the background during normal use. Sometimes you’ll be prompted to restart your computer to finish installing updates—make sure to save anything you’re working on before doing this.
Windows updates automatically in the background during normal use. Sometimes you’ll be prompted to restart your computer to finish installing updates—make sure to save anything you’re working on before doing this.
Windows: Disk Cleanup is a great tool that can help you delete unneeded system files from your PC. To open it, Press Windows key + S to activate Windows Search, type cleanup, and then click Disk Cleanup. Storage Sense: Storage Sense ensures that unneeded files (like deleted files in the Recycle Bin, old backups, and old update installers) are automatically deleted when your hard drive space gets too low. Open the Start menu, click Settings, click System, and then click Storage. If Storage Sense isn’t enabled, you can switch it on now. macOS: To find out how much storage is available, click the Apple menu, select About this Mac, and then click Storage. [2] X Research source Click the Manage button next to your storage information to find a variety of storage tools and recommendations, including the option to Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Reduce Clutter, and Empty Trash Automatically. Make sure you have at least 20% of your hard drive free at all times to help ensure that the computer can function at its highest levels.
Disk Cleanup is a great tool that can help you delete unneeded system files from your PC. To open it, Press Windows key + S to activate Windows Search, type cleanup, and then click Disk Cleanup. Storage Sense: Storage Sense ensures that unneeded files (like deleted files in the Recycle Bin, old backups, and old update installers) are automatically deleted when your hard drive space gets too low. Open the Start menu, click Settings, click System, and then click Storage. If Storage Sense isn’t enabled, you can switch it on now.
Both Windows and macOS have pretty good built-in antivirus/antimalware protection. If you’re using Windows, your PC periodically scans for (and gets rid of) malware, and you can even run deeper scans yourself. If you have a Mac, there’s no option to run any type of malware scan without installing a third-party app. Both Mac and Windows users can download a simple, awesome malware scanner called Malwarebytes. Malwarebytes is free to use for scanning purposes, but if you want to use it for ongoing protection, you’ll need to pay for an upgrade. Download the software, open it, and click Scan Now to find any malicious files. If Malwarebytes finds any, it will automatically quarantine those files so they can’t harm your computer.
Windows: Open the Start menu, click Settings, and then click Apps. You’ll find your installed programs in the right panel—to delete an app, click its name and select Uninstall. Mac: Open Finder and click Applications in the left panel. To delete an app, just drag it down to the Trash icon on the Dock, which is usually at the bottom of your screen. Alternatively, if the app has its own uninstaller, double-click that file in the app’s folder to remove the app. Getting rid of programs that are automatically included in your startup, but are of no use to you, can also certainly make a difference.
Windows: You can reset Windows 10, which gives you the option of keeping your personal files and settings (if you didn’t do a backup) or deleting those as well. Mac: If you’re using a Mac, you can reinstall macOS by booting into macOS Recovery. [3] X Research source If you have an Apple Silicon processor, power down your Mac, and then, when turning it back on, press and hold the Power button, click the gear when it appears, and then click Options. You can then choose the option to reinstall macOS. If you have an Intel processor, turn off your Mac, turn it back on, and then press and hold Command + R until you see the Apple logo. When you see the option to reinstall macOS, choose it.
If you have an Apple Silicon processor, power down your Mac, and then, when turning it back on, press and hold the Power button, click the gear when it appears, and then click Options. You can then choose the option to reinstall macOS. If you have an Intel processor, turn off your Mac, turn it back on, and then press and hold Command + R until you see the Apple logo. When you see the option to reinstall macOS, choose it.
Lint-free cloths, such as microfiber screen or eyeglass wipes. Cotton swabs (such as Q-Tips). Electronics cleaner—if you don’t have any, you can mix equal parts rubbing alcohol (99%) and clean water. [4] X Research source A can of compressed air (for cleaning out your keyboard and ports). A flat, clean, dust-free surface to work on.
To prevent scuffing on a glossy finish laptop, you can set your laptop upside-down on paper towels before you remove the battery pack.
Obviously, the goal is to remove crumbs and dust, not push them farther into your computer. Be mindful of this as you aim your compressed air. You may need to gently tilt your laptop or tower to encourage difficult particles to roll closer to where you can flush them out, but don’t ever shake or slap it. If overused, compressed air can hurt/ruin sensitive components. Always spray from a little distance and in short bursts rather than a sustained stream. If you feel comfortable opening your computer to clean the inside, you can use compressed air to do that as well. If you’re spraying around the CPU cooling fan(s), be extremely careful not to get too close or spray for too long—you could easily crack or break the blades this way.
Change swabs as often as you need to until the job is done. Don’t reuse the same swab for the entire job, as it can get dirty and only smear dirt around your computer case. Be careful not to get liquid inside your computer! If you are using a water/alcohol mixture, use the dry side of a cotton swab or a microfiber cloth to remove excess moisture left behind from cleaning.
Don’t use a vacuum cleaner on your keyboard, especially if you’re using a laptop. The vacuum can create a static charge that could damage components underneath. You can also suction keys right off the keyboard and into the vacuum dust container. Touchpads and trackballs can be cleaned the same way as keys, with a cotton swab and a bit of rubbing alcohol. As always, discard each swab when it gets dirty and switch to a new one.
Avoid getting the cloth too wet—you wouldn’t want any liquids creeping into the monitor or laptop’s inside components. Don’t use any ammonia-based cleaners on your monitor.
