It's the time of the year where we make all kinds of resolutions -- lose weight, spend less, quit smoking, and so on -- but you also shouldn't neglect your personal computer.
After all, if you add up how many hours a week you spend on your PC or Mac, you'll see why you should take your beloved machine's health seriously.
The following are five suggestions for "techy" new year's resolutions in 2012.
I will back up my important info
You know the old adage -- you don't know what you got until it's gone -- so be sure to back up your important files on a regular basis in case of theft, fire, a virus or power surge.
Examples of the kinds of files you should back up include irreplaceable digital photos, documents, email addresses, calendar appointments, favorite web bookmarks, and so forth. You can burn a disc with these files, copy and paste them onto an inexpensive USB memory stick or if you're a digital pack rat, invest in a portable hard drive that can store a lot of files.
In case of fire, it's best to keep those saved files at a family member's house or in a safety deposit box. Alternatively, as a back-up, upload your important files online to one of the many password-protected storage sites (Windows Live SkyDrive, for example, gives you 25 Gigabytes for free).
I will use Internet security software
The Internet isn't the safest of places these days, so be sure to purchase and install protective software — such as "anti-malware" programs -- that can safeguard your PC and files from damaging viruses (that can infect your computer), spyware (that can monitor your web surfing behavior), hackers (who want to access your files) and phishing attempts (where malicious types try to steal your personal information, like credit card or banking information, for financial gain).
Some security software may be offered for free with your Internet Service Provider, plus there are many free solutions available online (check out the Top 10 list at Download.com). But for the most robust protection, it's recommended to invest in a software suite from the likes of Symantec, McAfee, Kaspersky, Webroot, and so on.
I will clean up my PC
April may be a few months away, but it's not too early to spring clean your computer.
For example, is your desktop littered with so many icons that you can't see the photo behind it? Or do you have games and other programs installed you haven't used in more than a year?
It's time to uninstall unused programs from your hard drive to free up more space.
It's also a good idea to take advantage of your computer's built-in system tools, such as Disk Defragmenter (and Scan Disk with older versions of Windows), so it can make your computer run faster and smoother.
I will update my programs
Software makers are continually updating their programs to fix problems or add more functionality.
If you have the option for "automatic" updates — in software such as Windows 7, Internet security programs, web browser, games or media player, for example — click to accept this feature, as updates will be automatically downloaded to your computer whenever they become available. This way, you won't have to remember to manually check for updates and download them one at a time.
Many computer manufacturers, such as HP and Dell, also give you the option to check periodically for online updates to commonly used programs or hardware (such as an update for your laptop's video card or built-in webcam).
I will fight back against spam
A thorn in many a computer user's side is junk email, or "spam," that clutters up one's inbox, promising everything from erectile dysfunction to bad credit.
The good news is you can greatly reduce the amount of unwanted email.
Chances are your email program, such as Microsoft Outlook, lets you bump up the filters so that it catches more junk mail. You can also block specific senders or flag words that might suggest the message is spam (such as "Viagra" or "Cialis").
On a related note, a free but powerful Outlook plug-in called SPAMfighter can dramatically reduce the amount of junk mail you get by segregating suspicious messages and dropping it into a junk folder.
Also, be selective about to whom you're giving out your email address when online and if you want to share it to trusted companies (such as a retailer) set up a free, secondary web mail address, such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo! Mail, to keep your main inbox dedicated to family, friends or colleagues.
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