Keeping Your PC In Tip Top Shape!
It’s Spring cleaning time for your computer! Just think about it – Can’t remember how long has it been since the last time you cleaned your PC? Got rid of those old useless files? If you can’t when, you are most likely due for a cleaning.
No worries, a lot of people don’t have the time set aside to clean their computer, but they do find that time when their system slows down. Regularly cleaning your computer and it’s parts, especially in a restaurant environment, can keep your system running smoothly and help you determine which files are still important from the ones that needed to be removed. This can also get your restaurant POS system up and working perfectly as expected.
Below are a couple of suggestions for spring (and anytime) cleaning:
1. Clean the mouse. It’s not that big of a deal, but your mouse could hold lots of harmful bacteria that may cause illness. Use a proper amount of cleaning solution on a lint free cloth to clean your mouse every now and then. If other people, using your computer, are getting sick because of it, then maybe you need to clean your computer more often.
2. Cleaning your keyboard. Keyboards collect a lot of extras from you – little crumbs of food, dust from papers or folders scattered across the desk, and sometimes even from your unwashed hands on the keyboard. Cleaning the keyboard is a piece of cake, first shut down your computer, unplug all wires and take your keyboard to a trash can. Turn it upside down, to prevent it from falling to the ground, and lightly shake it or use compressed air to remove any dirt under the keys.
After getting rid of the dirt from around the keys, use cotton {swabs|buds} with a little cleaning solution like isopropyl alcohol to clean in between the keys. Next use a lint free cloth with a little bit of cleaning solution to wipe the top of all the keys. Finish up by wiping the whole keyboard with a dry cloth.
3. Clean your computer. This is the actual computer component that your monitor, keyboard and mouse plug in to is either a tower or desktop unit. These units can collect an astonishing amount of dirt, especially if they are placed on the floor. Did you just look down at your tower bewildered? If so, then you seriously need a spring cleaning time!
With the same cloth and cleaning solution you used for your mouse and keyboard, wipe down the outside vents and around the connections. You have to make sure you get as much dirt as you can off the vents. The more dust, the more heat is kept inside. is going to overheat.}
4. Trashing old useless files. Don’t remember how long has it been since you visited the recycle bin and emptied its content? The recycle bin is where all deleted files go before they are permanently removed from your computers hard drive. To empty the recycle bin is easy, all you need to do is right click on the “trashcan” icon, then click on “yes” and it will permanently remove all files giving you more free space for your hard drive.
5. Clear the cache. Another disk space hog can be temporary internet files that have never been deleted. To simply delete temporary internet files within MS Internet Explorer, open IE, click on Tools -> Then choose Internet Options. The Browsing History section has a button labeled “Delete…” under it. Click it and you will see several choices like Temporary Inter Files, Cookies, History, Form data and Passwords, which you can delete whenever you want.
Below is a brief description of the choices under the Browsing History section:
Temporary Internet Files – Deleting the temporary internet files will remove copies of websites/webpages, images and media that are saved on your PC for {faster|quick} viewing.
Cookies – Also called the browser coockies, serves as the storage area where your web browser store bits of information. Deleting this will, remove all your website preferences such as login information.
History – Selecting this option will delete all websites you have visited.
Form Data – This will delete any saved information that you have typed into forms.
Password – This option contains all passwords that are automatically filled in when you log on to your online accounts. Deleting this will permanently remove all stored info from all websites you’ve visited.
There is also a Delete All button that will clear all of the above.
So maintain a healthy PC! Always clean {your computer regularly, especially if your PC is placed in an environment, like a restaurant kitchen, where dirts and spills are common.}
The author of this article is the Customer Relations Vice President for POS-For-Restaurants. With over 20 years of restaurant POS solutions experience, POS-For-Restaurants helps you use your technology to be more efficient, more productive and more profitable.
More information on our website: POS-For-Restaurants.com
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