My first impression about real estate professionals is that they have nice cars. They take care of their cars. They drive prospective buyers around and the car must be neat and clean. The car is a tool to help the real estate professional sell their listings. Their computers are also a tool to help them sell their listings. They use the computer to find listings, edit documents, upload photos, email, and a lot more. However, the computer is never really serviced until something bad happens. The performance will suddenly slow to a crawl or the computer will not even boot up. There are some basic tools and techniques everyone can do to keep their computer performing satisfactorily.
The Dos and Don’ts.
1. Always shutdown your computer the right way. Yes there is a right way. On Windows the procedure is to click the Start button and then Shutdown. Turn off your computer when it says it is safe to turn off the computer. Do not just reach over and hit the power off button. You can also press the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys at the same time. This will pop up a window and in that window will be a shutdown button.
2. Use the Windows ScanDisk and Disk Defragmenter every week. These programs come with Windows and are in the Accessories menu section under System Tools. ScanDisk will scan your hard drive for logical and physical errors. Scandisk can also repair those areas that are damaged or mark them so they cannot be used. The Disk Defragmenter will free up space on your hard drive. It rearranges the files so there is less movement in the hard drive to get to the data. Less movement means less wear and tear.
3. Get a battery backup with a surge suppressor. Having your computer turned off by lack of power is the same as just turning the power off. Make sure you get a battery backup that can keep your computer going for at least 30 minutes. This gives you time to finish what you are doing and shutdown the computer the right way. Even if you have a surge suppressor, you should turn off and unplug your computer when it is storming outside. The surge protector might guarantee your equipment but not your data.
4. Backup your files to an external drive. External drives are cheap and having a second place for your data is essential. You do not want to lose that important contract.
5. Last but not least, get Anti-Virus software and sign up for the updates. Not only do these prevent viruses from infecting your computer but they also look out for spyware. This is the one item that is a must for all computers.

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