Nowadays, it is hard to find a single household without a single computer, laptop or netbook. In some cases, they even have all three at the same time. This is due to the drastic changes we have in this technological era where all we need to survive is a personal computer and a broadband or wireless connection.

Needless to say, there are some people who are well content with their PC as long as they can surf, watch, listen, encode, download and play.

However, there are some other things that people should be aware of regarding their computers to avoid losing important files and programs.

Here are some things that are frequently taken for granted about their computers which should be given immediate attention:

1. People enjoy downloading a lot. It could really be fun, especially with movies, music and games but you have to be really careful. These are vehicles for malwares and viruses to enter your unit and at the same time could make your PC slower due to pop-ups and memory space needed. There's nothing wrong with downloading files, just make sure to have it from secured sites and keep your anti-virus up to date. Get Internet Help if ever you are having troubles, trying to finding a solution on your own might even give you a worse headache.

2. Leaving your administrator password blank. This could make it easier for Trojan viruses to remotely connect to their computer and for hackers to take control of your files and the computer itself. This is the reason why it is a must for everyone to set an 8-character password, which contains numbers or uppercase letters, as a protector for their unit. A Spyware and Virus Removal service is also of help to prevent this from happening.

3. Running the defragment utility. This should be done at least once every one to two months. The defragment utility will help ensure that your files are located at the right place on the hard drive and should boost the overall speed of your computer.

4. Keep magnets away from your computer and discs. Magnets can delete or erase files.

5. Properly shutting down the computer is a must. You might be late for an appointment or something but please turn off your computer safely and completely. This might take a few minutes of your time but it could save you from the agony of losing your files or damaging your hard wares. Always close all the programs before shutting down.

Computers can be really helpful, no doubt about that, but can also be very destructive. Not taking the time to keep your PC safe and protected from dangerous viruses and malwares could lead to your computers destruction. Hence, having back-up files and a computer clean up is also a big MUST.