Congratulations on your endeavors, authors. You are part of an elite group of caring individuals. You care for your words, characters, worlds, and subjects. Yet, caring for your computers? Not so much.

I read too many complaints in writing groups that go something like this:

“My computer is slower than a sloth working a fast-food counter.”

“I can’t save the 700th novel draft on my hard drive.”

“Oh, no, my laptop crashed. I lost the only copy of my 500-page, coming-of-age, cyberpunk dinosaur romance.”

The Common Problem Trifecta

As a writer and IT administrator, I’ve repeatedly seen these issues across many industries. On the one hand, I sympathize with your difficulties. On the other, I grind my teeth and softly scream into my mouse pad at your issues. The fact is these problems are solvable.

A trio of circumstances causes the most common problems:

1. You haven’t updated your operating system (OS), firmware (hardware programs), or security patches.

2. You leave multiple tabs on your internet browser, causing excessive use of memory and processing time.

3. You don’t back up your material, and your hard drive is near capacity, causing file saving to fail.

Additionally, one or all these issues could occur if you don’t update your system’s security. Without proper protection, cybercriminals can leave enormous files on the computer for malicious activities.

Solutions Equal Success

Treating your computer like other tools is essential. For example, if you don’t clean your coffee maker, you won’t have your precious creative juice to move forward. Similarly, if you don’t maintain your computer, productivity decreases while your frustrations increase. In both cases, you probably end up sobbing in a fetal position.

Here’s how to maintain your computer for writing success.

1. First, update your computer’s OS and other productivity software, including your internet browser. The excuse, “Oh, but I like how everything is set up,” doesn’t play here. If good, you wouldn’t slam your head against the desk each time the device stopped working.

2. Update your device’s firmware, which is software added to hardware components to handle regular operations. Although this step is done at the factory, regular updates maintain items like the processor, memory board, keyboard, and monitor. If you’re uncomfortable performing these updates, reach out to your local computer repair shop for help.

3. Backup critical files. I would put this statement in flashing neon fireworks if I could. When you leave original stories on your system without a backup, the computer gremlins rub their hands with glee at erasing your life’s work. Move your material to a Cloud service like OneDrive or Google Drive. Also, save it to a thumb drive (portable hard drive) and as a hard copy. Generally, back up as many copies as possible and keep updating them.

4. Reduce the number of browser tabs. Image files or ad-heavy sites can drain the most powerful computer processor. Save essential URLs to your browser’s bookmark bar or folders and exit the tabs. If you use Google Chrome, there are several ways to reduce CPU usage.

5. Invest in and configure security software, even if it’s a built-in product like Microsoft Defender. Although it doesn’t eliminate cyberattacks on your computer, risks are greatly reduced. On top of securing your device, you gain a sense of peace that you’ve done everything to shield your work.

Yes, some of the above steps take time to complete. If your computer needs numerous updates, it could take hours to finish. However, the return on investment is well worth the maintenance.

When you treat your computer well, it responds with ease of use. In the end, let the device become an extension of your creative soul for success instead of the devil spawn you consider it today.

Bio: Rich Keller is a technical writer by day and a superhuman writer all other times. His works include Coffee Cup Tales, Thinking Inside My Box, and the Kindle Vella series The Mediocre Quest of Rathspun. More information on Rich is available at  WPantsCreations.