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Marie Kondo Your Tech Life during the Lockdown

Written By Arel Ebana
Published • April 19th, 2020
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Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant known for her Netflix reality show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, where she helps people on organizing their things. Applying Marie Kondo’s principles to our digital life, here are some of the best ways you organize your data and important files while we are on lockdown.

Table of Contents

Backup your laptop/PC

One of the best things you should do is to backup all your files on your laptop. It prevents any loss of data during unfortuitous events like virus attacks, power outages, hard drive failure, or accidental deletion of a file.

The simplest way to save all your data through a Windows desktop is by using its built-in backup feature. To do this, go to the Start Menu, then Settings, and look for Update & Security, then search for Backup. You can use either a partition on your computer or through an external hard drive to store the files. Third-party backup solutions like Microsoft’s OneDrive or other cloud storage services can also be used for this method.

Note: locally backing up files on windows won’t work on the newer versions of windows, but if you have the old one, this is one of the best ways to do a backup.

Backup your smartphone

After securing copies of your files on your laptop, do the same thing with your phone. There are tons of ways to backup your data like transferring files to cloud storage like iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox, which offer as big as 15GB. If that’s not enough, you can opt for additional storage at a pretty reasonable price, or you can do the more traditional way of backing up your files – by using an OTG USB. There are risks, such as losing that thumb drive, but unlike cloud storage, you don’t have to download your files through the internet to access your data.

Update your passwords

Protecting passwords for various accounts are mandatory. Our accounts contain sensitive and vital information, which is why updating and changing your password more often is a must to prevent being hacked.

There are password managers found in the Appstore and PlayStore, but I recommend using Lastpass or 1Password. These apps will generate passwords that are hard to guess. If you don’t want to use a password manager, you can make one on your own. Just be sure it’s complicated by using a mix of capital letters, numbers, and special characters.

We do not advise you to use the Autofill feature since it’s possible for someone to gain access to your accounts when you lose your device.

Declutter your files

If you are running low on memory, whether on your computer or smartphone, it’s best to delete unnecessary applications and files to reduce space. Delete apps that you rarely use, as well as photos and videos that you’ve already saved on cloud or storage devices. If you did back up some files, it is best to delete all the data that you don’t need.

Reformat your Laptop to make it faster

If your laptop still feels sluggish after backing up all your important data, maybe it’s got a lot of cache, unnecessary files, and even viruses. The best way to get rid of these is by wiping your laptop/PC clean. You will feel the snappiness of your pc after reformatting your system.

Clean the insides of your PC from dust

Our PC collects dust, and if you don’t clean it, it could cause components inside the system to produce more heat. To do this, you’ll need to turn off your computer and unplug it from the electrical outlet. Open up your PC’s case, and use compressed air to dust off the internal components of your motherboard, memory, processor, and expansion cards. Do take note that you should be a few inches away from these components to prevent these from damages. You should also remove the dust build-up on your fan using cloth/cotton dabbed in alcohol. However, be cautious in cleaning the fans because it can break easily.

Clean your keyboard

One of the nastiest parts of your computer/laptop is the keyboard. We sometimes use our laptops/PCs while we eat, or if not, over time, it will also collect dust, and because of this, it affects your keyboard’s performance. You can use compressed air to dust the inside of your keyboard, and isopropyl alcohol to wipe germs and dirt on your keys. If you have a mechanical keyboard, you can remove the keycaps to make the cleaning process easier.

If you are curious about how dirty your gadgets are, watch this video.

Make your Old Phone Faster

There are many factors why our smartphones feel sluggish over time. Here are some tips you can try to make your Old Smartphone fast again. Click here

Organize Cables and Chargers

Having a tangled cable can cause a headache to people, especially when you’re trying to catch that 1% battery of your phone. One of the best ways to keep your phone tangle-free is to use velcro, zip tie, or a binder clip. You could also use a Showbox with partitions to store all your cables for better organization.

Fix, Throw out, Recycle, Donate Old Gadgets

Some gadgets are just aging on our drawers over time. Instead of letting them collect dust, why not try to fix it, if possible, to bring its life back. If you feel like doing a good deed, perhaps you can give to a family member or friend that might need it.

Alternatively, you could donate it to the E-Waste Project of the University of the Philippines. Instead of letting it sit in a landfill, the E-Waste Project properly dismantles and disposes of electronic parts.

If you are bored, and you have nothing to do, try these tips. Your future self will definitely thank you after.