By Jeané Blunt. A very important holiday falls on February 14. No, not that one! National Clean Out Your Computer Day is celebrated the second Monday in February.
Nowadays we rely on computers to pay bills, communicate, play games, store information, and even date. This Valentine’s Day, give yourself the gift of a clean slate.
Follow the tips below to start cleaning out your computer.
UC Records
UC records come with their own set of rules. When dealing with official UC records, you need to dispose of them in accordance with the retention schedule. To learn more, read about records management best practices. If you still have questions, contact your local Records Management Coordinator.
Backup Files
To secure crucial documents and information, back up the files and store the backup in a safe location. Important files might include family photos, financial information, or personal documents. To backup these files:
- Copy the files to a secondary location (external hard drive, thumb drive, or cloud storage)
- Store external hard drive/thumb drive in a safe location
- Delete any unwanted/duplicate files
Organize Folders
Create the folder system that is best for you and stick to it. It may be tempting to save everything to your desktop, but the repetition of placing files in the new, specific folders will create a habit in no time. As time goes on files pile up, having organized information to sift through will save time and effort.
Clean the Machine
Computers sit in the same place day after day, and many times year after year. These machines are dust magnets and they need to be physically cleaned regularly. To clean the computer screen, use an anti-static cloth. Take your keyboard (or laptop) outside and turn it upside down. Gently shake it so any large, looser items will come out. To deep clean a keyboard, a can of compressed air is ideal. A q-tip is also useful to get into those hard-to-reach places.
Jeané Blunt is IT communications and UC FCC licensing coordinator at UC Office of the President.
I thought this was a joke when I first saw it on the UC IT Blog. But low and behold it’s a thing. IDK about you, but IMO you should focus on the person you love the most on that day, even if that person happens to be you.
With that said… I do need to tidy up my desktop so I set a reminder to “Clean Computer” on Tuesday, February 15 at 9:00am.
Thank you. This is great information. A can of compressed air is on my shopping list.