Spring is nearly here and as we start to consider spring-cleaning our houses, how about spring cleaning your computer too? Keeping your computer up to date and free of harmful viruses will help to improve your system performance as well as increasing the lifespan of your device. Here are top 5 tips to clean up your computer and keep it operating at its best.
Step One
Before you clean up your computer, make sure you conduct a complete backup. There are plenty of ways to keep your data safe and avoid losing your important documents, program settings and most importantly your photos.
Discover the most popular ways to do this:
Backup through an External Drive
Back up to an external USB hard drive by using your computer’s built-in backup features. The benefits of choosing this backing up option is that is cheaper and faster, however, if you lose the physical drive, you won’t be able to recover your information.
Backup through Internet Programs
Some programs over the internet will run in the background on your PC, automatically backing up your files to the service’s web storage. This is a great opportunity to protect your files from natural disasters or hard drive failures.
Use a Cloud Storage Service
There are various cloud storage services available which will help you to easily save your information, although there may be storage costs to bear.
Step 2 – Update Your Software
Making sure your operating system is up to date is key in offering some protection against cyber-attacks. Software updates might help to mitigate security gaps and remove computer viruses. We also encourage everyone to do regular updates, as your computer will have new features or better compatibility with other applications. This process will also improve the performance of your existing programs, which will refine your user experience.
Step 3 – Install An Anti-Virus Software
Imagine having a house without a door. This is equivalent of having a computer without an Anti-Virus software. An unprotected house will receive unwanted guests, such as thieves and in the computer world, this reflects an open door to malware and hacker attacks. If you are using a work computer or laptop it may be that your company has multi subscription to an Anti-virus service. It is worth checking when this software will need updating, with no risk of it running out. Working on a personal laptop? Do not worry there are plenty of anti-virus subscriptions available, and plenty of free ones.
Step 4 – Remove Unnecessary Files and Programs
Unwanted files and programs will only occupy unnecessary space on your disk, as well as impact your laptop effectiveness and speed. This is the perfect time to clean up your computer internally, by removing or uninstalling programs that you don’t use anymore. This way you can easily boost your computer performance and open room for new and productive programs.
This does not mean completely deleting these files but removing them and storing them on an external device will only have a positive impact on your machine.
Step 5 – Clean Up Your Computer Inside and Out
Dusting your computer
Once you have done an inside clean, you will now need to take care of the outside. If you work with a computer, you may have noticed that these devices produce a lot of heat and depending on your work environment attract a lot of dust. You should take a dry cloth and wipe over your computer and monitor screen; any tough stains use distilled or filtered water.
Keyboard
The most used part of your computer or laptop is your keyboard. We may not want to think about it, but you will be touching these for long hours of the day, and from this they will begin to collect bacteria. Firstly, we would start by unplugging your keyword and flipping it over, you may be amazed at how much dirt, crumbs fall out! A quick spray using your can of compressed air will get rid of any stuck, stubborn dirt. Finally, we would then use an anti—bacterial wipe and gently wipe down.
Vents and fan health
To combat overheating, every computer has several small fans built into it, that take cooler air from around the computer and cycle it through to cool it down. To ensure these continue to do their job you should regularly check and clean the vents and fans. We recommend using a can of compressed air, that will gently blow away the dust. Excess dust, dirt, or grime can damage your computer, which will directly affect your PC performance and shortening its lifespan.
Vinci Energies UK and ROI acquires Nouveau Solutions Ltd
VINCI Energies, the VINCI subsidiary specialising in energy and information and communication technology, announces the acquisition of Nouveau Solutions Ltd. This acquisition strengthens its Axians portfolio of ICT security, cloud and managed services in the United Kingdom. Axians is the brand of VINCI Energies dedicated to ICT solutions and services.
Nouveau Solutions Ltd is a specialist IT managed services company with a strategic focus on delivering cloud, infrastructure, compliance, network and security solutions. The company specialises in finding the optimum solution to meet its customers’ operational needs and supporting their business growth and transformation ambitions.
Established over 25 years ago, Nouveau Solutions Ltd provides expert advice, design and proactive managed services and solutions to a wide range of clients across the private and public sectors. Nouveau Solutions’ areas of expertise cover security services, including a fully managed SIEM service, business managed IT services and support, Microsoft development and implementation services, as well as a wide range of data centre and cloud services. Based in Wokingham, Nouveau Solutions Ltd serves a wide UK customer base and employs 35 staff, with an annual turnover of £7 million.
The acquisition, finalised on 29th of March, enhances the services offered by VINCI Energies UK & ROI through its ICT brand, Axians, which provides Network Systems Integration services across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Rochdi Ziyat, Chief Executive Officer, VINCI Energies UK & ROI, said: “Nouveau Solutions Ltd is a fantastic addition to the VINCI Energies group and marks another big milestone in our ambitious plan. VINCI Energies entered the UK’s ICT market in 2014 and this latest acquisition will bolster the strengths of our Axians brand and bring complementary capabilities to Axians Networks, enabling us to make our customers’ ICT solutions ready for their secure digital future.”
Andy Stevens, Managing Director, Nouveau Solutions Ltd, commented: “We are really excited to be setting out on the next stage of our journey and thrilled to have become a part of the VINCI Energies group. The group’s business model was a real attraction for us, giving us the ability to grow our company and use the strength of the Axians network of business units, both in the UK and across the globe. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to accelerate our efforts and at the same time retain our autonomy and culture so we can continue to deliver personal experience to our clients.”
For any media enquiries, please contact Berni.MAGUIRE@axians.co.uk.
More information
ABOUT VINCI ENERGIES
In a world undergoing constant change, VINCI Energies focuses on connections, performance, energy efficiency and data to fast-track the rollout of new technologies and support two major changes: the digital transformation and the energy transition. With their strong regional roots and agile organisational structure, VINCI Energies’ business units boost the reliability, safety and efficiency of energy, transport and communication infrastructure, factories, buildings and information systems.
2019: €12.6 billion revenue // 77,500 employees // 1,800 business units // 53 countries
www.vinci-energies.com //
www.vinci-energies.co.uk
ABOUT AXIANS
Axians is an international network that Axians supports its customers — private-sector companies, public-sector entities, operators and service providers — in their infrastructures and digital solutions development. They offer a comprehensive range of ICT solutions and services spanning business applications and data analytics, enterprise networks and digital workspaces, datacenters and cloud services, telecommunications infrastructure and cybersecurity. They specialise in consulting, design, integration and service teams to develop bespoke digital transformation solutions that contribute to successful business outcomes for its customers.
Revenues of €2.3 billion, across 22 countries with over 10,000 employees.
www.axians.com //
www.axians.co.uk