Owning a computer today is as common as owning a toaster. However, most people do not realize that, unlike their toasters, computers need a little TLC to keep them running as well as they did the day they came home. According to a study conducted by Staples in 2011, most people feel technologically inept and would rather “visit the DMV or wait in bumper-to-bumper traffic than perform computer maintenance.”

You do not have to be a computer programmer in order to conduct the easy maintenance that will keep your computer humming along. Take a look at these basic computer maintenance tips that anyone can incorporate and learn what you can do to protect your investment and your data.

Keep It Clean

Liquids and heat will corrode your computer and eventually will stop it from working correctly. Do what you can to keep water, coffee or any other liquids far away from your it. You do not have to be an IT support person to realize what may happen with an unfortunate spill. Wipe your screen down with lint free wipes and use compressed air on your keyboard to remove anything that is not meant be there. A thorough cleaning of your computer should be completed every few months. A detailed guide to cleaning can be found here.

Update Patches

Adobe Acrobat, iTunes, Java, and Flash are just a few examples of the applications that need to perform periodic updates to apply security patches. Security holes are being identified and exploited all the time. Application designers issues patches to combat the risk to your computer. You can download a free utility that will help you stay on top of all the latest patches. Another way to update your computer with patches is allowing applications to update when you receive a pop up asking for permission.

Keep Antivirus Programs Updated

Having antiviral software loaded up on your computer but not activating it is a common mistake that computer owners make. Always confirm that your antivirus program is working in the background while your computer is running. Check the settings of the software to schedule regular computer scans and confirm that your antivirus software performs definition updates every day.

Run Diagnostics

Simply rebooting or running an antivirus program is not enough. There are several different inexpensive or free diagnostic tools that you can purchase to run a sweep of your computer. Diagnostic applications identify and help you remove unused files, delete any remaining online history and clean out your registry.

Backing Up Periodically

Regardless of the other maintenance you perform, backing up your computer should be done weekly. One option for backing up your files is purchasing an external hard drive. This does carry a certain amount of risk if the external hard drive is damaged along with the computer. If you are concerned with physical damage, consider a cloud back up service. These companies store your data off site but keep it readily accessible. You can also download emule to facilitate file transfer between computers if you want to keep your files backed up on another device.

There are many reasons why people do not perform basic computer maintenance: they do not feel like they are technologically savvy enough, they do not realize that a computer needs maintenance, or they simply forget. Following these basic tips will prevent you from becoming one of the many people who end up dragging their computer to a data recovery firm that may or may not be able to retrieve the lost data.