If you are like a lot of computer users, you push through operating system updates when they happen, but otherwise you don’t think too much about your OS. It just sits in the background, making all your other programs work. But forgetting about your OS can wreck havoc with your PC or Mac! Let’s talk about how.
Manufacturer Bloat
If you purchased your computer from a major manufacturer, odds are that it came with a whole bunch of software that you probably did not want or need. This can clog up your startup menu, slowing down your computer during launch. Even when you uninstall a program, a registry entry often remains, and this can also cause slowdowns over time.
A clean install of a direct-from-the-vendor operating system gives you a system that has nothing on it but what you’ve installed, which can be exactly what you need.
Poorly Written Software
There’s a lot of software out in the world, and not all of it was created as equal. If your business requires you to frequently install and uninstall software, it’s possible for artifacts of those programs to remain in the background, slowing down your machine. Sometimes, illegitimate software programs install secondary software in the background, which runs in your system tray. It’s difficult to find – much less than to uninstall, and it can make your computer vulnerable.
Being hacked is a problem for the average computer user, but for a business, the results can be catastrophic. Lost information, lost customer confidence, and lost time as problems are resolved can be enough to close an otherwise successful business.
How to Reinstall your OS
Reinstalling your operating system, whether Mac or PC, is not particularly complicated, but it is time intensive. Like many other computer tasks, the consequences for doing it incorrectly can be very serious. You need to back up any data that you want saved, make sure that it doesn’t contain any viruses or malware, and then reinstall the operating system, while formatting the drive as you go. Once the OS is reinstalled, you will need to reinstall any updates to the operating system that rolled out since you purchased your copy, as well as reinstalling any software that you use on your computer.
While you can certainly manage this process on your own, if you haven’t done it before you may want a pro to hold your hand. Get in touch with Nerds 2 You to find out more about how to speed up your computer by reinstalling your operating system.
