The new year is here, and it’s time to make some resolutions! I’ve got plenty of habits that need some reworking, so here’s what downloadsquad.com has resolved to do in 2010:
1. Back up my important files regularly. I’ve always sucked at doing this, and it’s time to change that. With so many good online options (like Mozy, Backblaze, and Carbonite) and external hard drives being so cheap, there’s really no excuse for operating without a good set up backups.
2. Keep my operating system, applications, and plugins updated. I’m good with keeping my OS up to date – Windows does that for me. Antivirus programs? They take care of themselves, too.
3. Perform regular system maintenance. I’ve got it installed, and I’m going to make sure I start using CCleaner on a regular basis. Setting up a scheduled file cleanup and registry de-cluttering is easy – just set the scheduled task up in Windows and add some command line parameters.
4. Stop malware from getting near my PCs. I’m going to switch my router to a DNS service like Google Public DNS or Open DNS to help all the systems in my house steer clear of malicious links and sites. Both services blacklist the bad guys, making it a little safer to surf.
5. Better utilize time-saving features that are built-in. Windows 7 has loads of great features that I’m really under-utilizing. I should be setting up hotkeys to launch common shortcuts that I don’t want to pin to my taskbar. I should set up more Libraries to make accessing files on all my systems easier and more logical. I should customize search to index places I need indexed and ignore ones I don’t.
Photo by alxsanchez.