Maintaining your computer is extremely important – especially if you are an Internet Marketer. As you know, without your computer, your business can come to a screeching halt. There are 4 important steps in which you can perform on a regular basis, to help protect your computer and your livelihood.

First line of defense, invest in quality virus software. Be it Norton AntiVirus, McAfee Virus Software
or another software program, protect yourself and your computer.

I personally have set Norton to run every evening. It may seem like a hassle when you're trying to
get a project done, however, a 10 minute break in the action is far better than a one or two days of
down time – and possible loss data, if your computer crashes. And trust me, I've learned this from experience.

Second line of defense, invest in ad ware software. I use Ad-Aware SE Personal – you can get the freeware
version or the shareware version – the decision is yours. I'm currently using the freeware version, but will eventually be going to the paid version for added protection. Anyway,
Ad-Aware SE will protect your computer from such critters as, data-mining, scumware, parasites, mulware,
browser hijackers, to name just a few.

A third line of defense is to always backup your data. Even though you don't want to hear this, realize that
your hard-drive can either go belly up or crash. It is always better to have a backup – it shortens the down time.

Just a side note, when I was working in the corporate world, I had the misfortune of having a supervisor
that was computer illiterate. My computer started to make sounds similar to that of a seagull. I told my supervisor that I thought my hard-drive was going out. She did not want to believe me, and stated "We do
not have the money in our budget for a hard-drive". I found that to be a rather crass remark and waited
nervously for my hard-drive to make its exit. To make a long story short, two days later, I get a cryptic
statement flashing on my screen that said "Back up your Hard-Drive - Error" -- than my hard-drive crashed
and died. Amazing, they did have $60 in their little old budget to get a new hard-drive. Now, how much
do you suppose my supervisor's statement cost the company?

Fourth line of defense and maintenance, always clean out
your temporary Internet files. It uses up memory!

To clear out your temporary Internet files do the following:
1. Open up your Internet connection.
2. Click On Tools, then Internet Options
3. Under the General Section you should see a section labeled "Temporary Internet Files"
4. Click on the button that says Delete Cookies, and then the button that says Delete Files. When you click on delete files,a box will open up and will ask you if you want to also delete off-line files – check that box, as well.

Within the General Section you should also see a section called
History. I decrease the number of days that I hold on to the pages
that I visited. Again, this helps to save memory.

These simple maintenance tips can keep your computer clean and protected, which is extremely important when you're making your living on the Internet.


About the Author
Vickie J Scanlon has a BBA degree in Administrative Management and
Marketing. Visit her site at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz for free tools, articles, ebooks, how to info, and computer software/hardware – to meet your budget and needs.