5 Things Every Windows PC Owner MUST Do

Here are 5 tech tips to prepare you against common computer software problems.

In this time and age when hackers activities are on the increase and many PCs are being plagued with one virus or the other, it's a good idea if you begin to practice some safety habits.

For those who don't already know, Gizmo has compiled the following tips to help you ensure your computer is protected and also save you from a lot of misery in future.

1. Make a system restore or recovery disk: A restore or recovery disk is a copy of the restore partition that comes with most PCs. Few manufacturers provide a Windows installation disk or even a restore disk with a PC these days so you have to make your own. If your hard drive ever fails, you'll be glad you did. Also, many PCs come with OEM software for creating a restore disk from the restore partition. It won't replace an up-to-date full backup but it's a lot better than nothing. If you are more ambitious, you can periodically create a new drive image with all your latest files. Making an image of an entire hard drive should be done on an external hard drive.
2. Back up your data: This may seem like stale advice but it has to be repeated. Everybody knows they should back up but they don't. "Back up" seems to rank in popularity with the advice to "get more exercise and eat more vegetables". Neglected it may be, but backing up personal data and files is a must. Look what happens over and over. Somebody's hard drive crashes or they lose their personal data to some malware infection and there go all those precious photos or other important files. Don't let that happen to you. Data backup is a simpler and quicker process than imaging a full disk so it can and should be done frequently.
3. Write down the Windows product key: It seems to happen all the time. People's system gets bollixed and they need to reinstall Windows. Then they discover that they do not know the product key for the original installation. On laptops, it may be on the bottom of the case but often is not or is undecipherable. So record your product key in a safe place somewhere.
4. Make an emergency Windows boot or startup disk:Sometimes it happens that a PC won't boot or load Windows when you turn it on. An emergency repair disk that can be booted can be a lifesaver when that happens. Both Windows 7 and Windows 8 provide for the creation of a CD or USB key to be used to repair a Windows installation that has corrupted system files and won't boot. This is a much smaller disk than a full installation or restore disk and is just a set of tools to help repair the Windows system.
5. Make a bootable rescue disk with anti-malware programs on it: If you are unlucky enough to get a malware infection that keeps your system from booting or that your installed anti-virus program is not removing, an external bootable disk with anti-malware program or programs on it may be able to save you. By working outside of the infected system, an anti-malware program has a better chance of dealing with an infected PC. The major anti-malware programs provide for a way to create a bootable disk so check yours out and create a live CD for running your particular antivirus program.

source:- http://pulse.ng/lifestyle/tech/tech-tips-5-things-every-windows-pc-owner-must-do-id3237599.html