A computer system in the office is much like a car or truck. You need it for work, and you need it to work, but you don’t really have time to look into the strange sounds or odd behavior. But when was the last time you had a mechanic look at your computer compared to your truck?
A computer will last 5 to 10 years of good use before the hardware starts failing.
You have a mechanic for your car. Do you have a mechanic for your computer?
Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it works.
All the parts in your computer have a rated lifespan. A hard drive, where all your essential data is stored, has a rated lifespan of 5 to 10 years. That seems like a long time, but in 2020, that means if your computer was purchased new in 2015, the hard drive can be expected to fail at some point in the next few years. The same is true for power supplies, motherboards, and flash drives.
Updates are the bane for older computers, as there is no real guarantee that your particular devices will continue to work. Whether it’s a Java update breaking your online service or a Windows update disabling your printer, making a change to one part of the software can cause problems for other parts.
Malware and viruses are a danger, but good habits on the side of the user and a robust antivirus and anti malware system will generally handle this. This is the one you hear about the most, but in my experience its the other two which are more likely to cause your business trouble.