WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:19.120 We rely on our computers for many different things. We trust them to keep our information 00:19.120 --> 00:23.960 safe, including our files and personal data. That's why it's important to protect your 00:23.960 --> 00:29.880 computer and do your best to keep it running smoothly. Here are some tips that can help. 00:29.880 --> 00:35.000 One of the biggest threats to computer safety is malware. Malware is any type of software 00:35.000 --> 00:39.280 that's designed to damage your computer or gain unauthorized access to your personal 00:39.280 --> 00:47.120 info. This can include viruses, spyware, Trojan horses, and other malicious software. 00:47.120 --> 00:51.680 Windows computers, Macs, and even Chromebooks can get malware. 00:51.680 --> 00:56.960 To protect your computer, you should use an anti-virus program, like Kaspersky, Norton, 00:56.960 --> 01:02.080 or the built-in Windows Defender. This helps prevent viruses from being installed and also 01:02.080 --> 01:07.800 lets you scan your computer and remove any viruses that are found. Keep in mind, no anti-virus 01:07.800 --> 01:14.500 program is perfect. To stay safe, you should still avoid suspicious looking ads or downloads. 01:14.500 --> 01:21.000 Run regular updates to your anti-virus program, and also run updates to your operating system. 01:21.000 --> 01:25.120 To keep your computer running smoothly, the latest version of Windows offers a couple 01:25.120 --> 01:30.640 useful features, including storage sense and defragment and optimized drives. You can 01:30.640 --> 01:35.440 access both of these in settings, or you can find them using the search bar. When you 01:35.440 --> 01:40.240 turn it on, storage sense helps your free up space on your hard drive by scanning for 01:40.240 --> 01:45.480 temporary files and other files that can be deleted. Once on it will run automatically 01:45.480 --> 01:51.800 in the background. Older versions of Windows offer a similar feature called disk cleanup. 01:51.800 --> 01:56.520 Defragment and Optimize drives rearranges the data on your hard drive to help your computer 01:56.520 --> 02:02.680 run faster and more efficiently. It should be running auto, particularly on a weekly basis, 02:02.680 --> 02:07.880 but you can easily check or change the schedule anytime. Backing up your files if something 02:07.880 --> 02:13.400 bad does happen to your computer, you could lose all of your important files. To prevent 02:13.400 --> 02:19.200 this, you should back up your computer regularly. One option is to buy an external hard drive 02:19.200 --> 02:24.720 and copy your files to it. To make this process even easier, you can use software like Windows 02:24.720 --> 02:30.160 Backup or Time Machine if you're using a Mac. Of course, if something happens to your computer 02:30.160 --> 02:36.720 and your backup drive, you'll still lose all of your files. Online backup services for more security, 02:36.720 --> 02:42.720 you can use an online backup service like IDrive or Carbonite. You may have to pay a monthly fee 02:42.720 --> 02:48.240 to use these services, but the advantage is that your files will stay safe in the cloud. No matter 02:48.240 --> 02:53.360 what happens to your computer, following these tips can help you protect your computer and keep 02:53.360 --> 02:58.800 your information safe. You can rest easy knowing that all of your files will be there when you need them.