So you're working from home, and your PC/Mac along with your broadband are your primary connection to the outside world, family, work, customers and suppliers.
And then your computer starts acting up - your PC is so slooooow! Your internet stutters and some programs have begun to go on the fritz.
Fear not - several tools will help fix problems and speed up slow PCs with essential functions are available for free. Here are a few I recommend:
CCleaner - (Free and Premium versions)
This product has many handy features. It can remove temporary files left behind by installers, delete cookies and search history left behind by browsers. It also cleans the registry on your computer - that's your PC's engine - this critical part of your operating system can become littered with broken settings and errors.
Thor Premium Home - (€67.46 for 3 PC's)
This provides a very comprehensive set of tools to protect you from cyber attacks - anti-virus, anti-malware and machine learning to stop ransomware and online scams. This product is a lightweight installation and does not hog memory or slow down your PC, unlike other solutions.
MiniTool ShadowMaker - (PC, Free and Premium)
This is a simple backup tool that allows you to safely and efficiently back up your PC to an external drive that means you have your files safe should something go wrong with your PC.
Time Machine - (Mac, Free)
This is a tool built into every modern Mac and once set up, it will back up every 10 mins to an external drive and allow you to restore previous versions of files going back minutes, hours, days, months or years - a lifesaver. Even if you make changes to a document and want to restore some of the previously deleted content, you can open the old version copy that text and paste it into your new document.
Turn it off and turn it on again - (Free)
Don't forget the most prized of IT secrets if all else fails, turn off your PC / Mac and turn it back on - if it is a laptop turn it off and remove the battery then reinstall the battery after 1 minute and power it up. This process can resolve a myriad of issues with both PCs and Macs. p.s. Don’t tell anyone!
Delete old files to free up space - (Free)
If your Hard Drive is more than 60% full, then it can slow down your PC - deleting files no longer required can help speed things up. If your Hard Drive is more than 90% full then bad things will start to happen - so you need to delete some files or move them onto a USB stick or external hard drive. To find the biggest files on your PC in Win 10 see here for instructions from Laptop Mag or for Mac see these instructions courtesy of OSXDaily.
Upgrade your Hard Drive (€250 - €350)
If you still find you PC / Mac is too slow then consider replacing your hard drive with a Solid State Drive. This upgrade will dramatically increase the speed of your PC / Mac. NOTE. You may need to engage your friendly IT partner on this one!