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.

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.