You may not have “National Clean Out Your Computer Day” on your calendar, but you might want to consider adding it. Failure to clean things out once and a while can slow you down. And, as a Virtual Assistant (or entrepreneur) who wants a slow computer??? Cleaning things up and reviewing things also makes me feel safe.National Clean Out Your Computer Day

I boot both ways and my processes for maintaining my systems are different. Before I start I make sure all of my backup systems are working properly and are dependable, and I that I have clean back ups just in-cases.

Here is a list of things that I do to keep both my systems running smoothly.

For both systems I do these things:

  • Check for updates and run any that are needed.
  • Clean up hard drive space by removing temporary  and unused files and emptying the recycle bin. I also do a thorough review of my Dropbox and remove anything there that can be deleted.
  • Remove unused/outdated programs. Let’s face it. We get things we don’t use. On my iPad and iPhone I have to delete apps I don’t use for space… why not apply that same logic here.
  • Review your spyware and malware systems and be sure they are doing their jobs.
  • Determine your BIOS version and check the manufactures website to see if you need to update.

For my PC:

  • Defrag. You will need to check with your own IT person on how to do this safely and properly.

For my Mac (which I seem to be more loyal to lately):

  • I check my login items: Many applications by default open automatically at startup. Go to System Preferences, then to Users & Groups and then click on the Login Items tab to see a list of the apps that open when you boot your Mac. Uncheck the apps you don’t need at startup.
  • My Mac is my #1 business tool (after ME), so I take extra time to clean up unused files. First, I open my Mac’s built-in Disk Utility program and click on my hard drive in the left panel. I ensure I am viewing the First Aid tab and then I click the Repair Disk button in the lower-right corner. This runs a lengthy scan of my Mac, making repairs as necessary.

My two biggest offenders in terms of taking up hard-drive space are iTunes and iPhoto, which does not come as a surprise. Every year or so, I move a year (or two) of photos to an external drive (while also backing up my iPhoto library to another drive via Time Machine) to reclaim some of my hard-drive capacity.

There are pieces of this plan that I do monthly and quarterly, too… but setting aside time once a year to really look at things is cleansing, in more ways than one. I am seasoned at knowing what it takes to maintain my systems and you may not be, so I suggest you instill some IT help if that makes you more comfortable. I want trust-worthy systems… my process makes me feel like I am proactively maintaining these systems (and myself) as efficiently as possible.

So, will you be adding “National Clean Out Your Computer Day” to your calendar on February 10th? What are your plans?