Keeping your laptop up to date and virus free

In this day and age, technology is maturing faster than any type of living thing on earth! You do your research and go out and buy a nice, top-of-the-line laptop; you take good care of it, adding new programs when they become available, and the next year your laptop is a relic of the Stone Age. It's almost ridiculous how quickly your laptop can become out of date. And to make matters worse, there are thousands of viruses out there just waiting to attack your computer. You have to guard it not only against the inevitable "out of date" phenomenon, but also against viruses. But how do you know what to do? What are the best ways to keep your laptop up to day as well as virus free? Is it possible?

You can breathe easy because it is indeed possible. Let's start with ways to keep your laptop up to date
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1. Vendor patches: Most software companies provide regular updates to fix bugs and close security holes in their programs. These updates are usually free and available online. You should regularly check for new program updates online to ensure that your laptop is kept up to date.
2. Automatic updates: Your computer has the ability to make automatic updates on various programs. Most of these updates are very useful and will prevent your laptop from becoming out of date more quickly.
3. Clean your hard drive: Part of keeping your laptop up to date is keeping it clean and healthy. Your laptop will surely not last as long if it is not taken care of. So each month you should take the time to go through your hard drive and look at the files you've accumulated. Determine which ones are obsolete and delete them. If you have downloaded a program that you only needed for a limited period of time, properly un-install it.
4. Defrag your hard drive: Defragging your hard drive is another way to help your laptop remain up to date and healthy. You should defrag about once a month. This will help your programs run more quickly and make better use of the space on your hard drive. You should also notice fewer software crashes or freeze ups if you defrag regularly.

And now, here are a few ways to keep your laptop virus free.

1. Anti-virus updates: you should have some kind of anti-virus software installed on your computer at all times. Checking for viruses on your laptop is probably the most important thing you can do each week. Most virus programs will automatically alert you when updates are ready for your program, and many programs simply do the updates on their own. You should update your virus program each week to ensure maximum virus protection. You should also run your virus check at least once a week. Try picking a scheduled time each week to run your virus check so that you don't forget to do it.
2. Firewall software updates: You should also have a firewall program that you keep up to date. Remember that your laptop contains personal data that you don't want anyone to be able to access. Be sure that you check your firewall weekly for updates and to ensure that it's running smoothly.
3. Be careful with downloads: You should be wary about the type of programs or attachments you choose to download to your computer. They should be from reliable sites with a good reputation. But even then, there may still be viruses attached to the downloaded program. Be sure that you have the kind of virus protection that will be able to detect if the program is contaminated.

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