Outside of your phone, your PC is likely the one piece of technology you use the most. If for no other reason than that, you should take care of it. Not only will it last for longer, but it will also work better over the time that you keep it. In this how-to, we'll share some tips on how to take care of your PC. Of course, it's impossible to cover this topic from every angle, so think of this guide as an introduction more than anything else.

How to clean your computer and peripherals

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Windows PCs, especially desktops, come in various shapes and sizes, but the tips we're about to go through here will help you clean your computer whether you bought it prebuilt or put together yourself. If you own a laptop, look at our recent Mac organization guide. All the steps we detail there will work just as well for a Windows portable.

Before cleaning the inside of your computer, start with your display and peripherals. At this stage, all you'll need is some distilled water in a spray bottle and a microfiber cloth. You can buy the former at a grocery store or make it yourself. And if you don't already own any microfiber cloths, Amazon sells affordable 24-packs you can get for about $15. Once you have those in hand, spray the water onto a clean cloth and wipe down your computer's display before moving to the mouse and keyboard. You want to start with your screen to avoid transferring dirt and residue to the panel.

It’s possible to write an entirely separate guide on how to clean keyboards, but the short version is you'll want to pick up a keycap puller and use that to give you unobstructed access to any debris and gunk that has been building up under your keys. If the keycaps have a lot of dirt and residue on them, your best option is to soak them in warm water and use a toothbrush to scrub away the buildup. Give them plenty of time to dry before reinstalling them on your keyboard.

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Once you’re done with those, turn off your PC and unplug everything that's connected to it. You'll also want to switch off the power supply unit (PSU) by flipping the toggle on its outside to the "O" position. Next, push down on the power button a couple of times to discharge any static electricity that you might be carrying around.

If at all possible, do most of the steps we're about to describe outside. The last thing you want to do is go through the trouble of cleaning your computer and then let it pull in all that dust again.

Once you've moved your computer, start by removing the side panels. Most modern cases allow you to do this without any tools, but you'll need at least one screwdriver for most of the work we'll detail in a moment. When it comes to most screws inside your computer, a 4-inch Phillips screwdriver should be all you need. Some components, such as your GPU, may include Torx screws and the like, but don't worry about those for now since we won't be taking them apart. If you don't already own a decent set of screwdrivers and have something of a DIY streak in you, a driver kit from iFixit is your best bet. The 16, 32 and 62-bit kits it sells are an excellent starting point, and they'll come in handy with more than just your computer.

If your PC has any dust filters, remove those now and give them a rinse at the sink before setting them aside to dry. Depending on how long your computer has been collecting dust, you may want to remove some components such as the GPU to make it easier to clean everything. If that's something you feel comfortable doing and it's your first time removing any of the internals, use your phone to take photos of the interior. The images will help you put all the parts in their original place at the end. That's important to do since there's an optimal way to install many of the components in your computer. For instance, you always want to install your GPU in the fastest available PCIe lane. When it comes to removing any PCI cards, first unscrew its mounting bracket and then push the corresponding release on your motherboard before pulling the card out.

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Whether you decide to keep all your computer's internals in place or not, you'll need something to blow all that dust away. A can of compressed air is one option, but I like to use a Giottos Rocket Blower. It was designed for cleaning camera sensors and won't damage any of your components. It's also a one-time purchase. Whatever you have at hand, use it to blow away the dust that's been building up on your computer's internal components, fans and grills. Pay special attention to the heatsinks attached to your PC’s CPU, GPU, chipset and voltage regulators. They will likely have most of the hardest to remove dust in your system thanks to their tight fin stacks. What’s more, especially bad buildup can make them ineffective at cooling those components, which will, in turn, affect their performance.

When cleaning any exposed PCB, use an antistatic brush (like this one from OXO) instead of a microfiber cloth. You'll avoid damaging any of the sensitive components on the board. You can go over any non-electronic part with a dampened microfiber cloth.

At this point, all you need to do is put everything back in its place. As one final tip, if there's any way you can avoid leaving your desktop on the floor, you'll end up spending less time cleaning it since it won't be near all the dust and dander that collects there. If your desk setup or living space makes that not an option, a PC tower stand is a cheap but effective way to elevate your computer off the ground and help it pull in less debris.

How to organize your PC’s storage drives

MacPaw

If it's been a while since you've done an audit of all the software you have installed on your computer, the best place to start is in the Task Manager. It's here you can see how much of its resources your computer is devoting to specific processes. Since everyone will have different software installed on their PC, it's hard to offer blanket recommendations, but using the Task Manager you can get a sense of the apps that may be slowing down your computer. For most people, there will be two main culprits: bloatware and antivirus software.

If you bought your PC from a system integrator like Dell, it will almost certainly include software your computer doesn't need to operate. So you can safely uninstall those apps to improve performance and save on space.

This next tip may be contentious for some, but I believe as long as you avoid clicking on sketchy links and stay away from the dark corners of the internet, Windows Defender is all you need to protect your computer from the majority of malware that's out there. While there are good antivirus programs like Bitdefender and Malwarebytes, the majority cost far too much for what they offer and will only slow down your computer. If you don't feel comfortable uninstalling your antivirus software, then by all means, leave it on your computer.

While you're in the task manager, you'll also want to click on the "Startup" tab to see what programs your computer is launching when you power it on. You can speed up that process simply by limiting that list to as few apps as possible. As for the actual process of deleting any software you don't need, always uninstall programs from the Control Panel as this will leave the fewest leftovers when everything is said and done. If you've used Windows for a while, you'll have errant files, folders and registry entries all over the place. It's possible to cull those manually, but doing so can be time-consuming. So we recommend using a program like Iolo System Mechanic or CleanMy PC to complete a deep clean of your system.

If you have any mechanical drives installed in your computer, it's good to get into the habit of defragging them regularly. First, launch the built-in Defragment and Optimize Drives app and click the "Optimize" button. Depending on the size of your hard drive, this process may take a while. Don't defrag your SSDs, as you'll only shorten their lifespan for little to no performance improvement.

How to organize your apps, tabs and other windows

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Say what you will about Windows 10, but the fact is it comes with some of the best window management tools built right into an operating system. You don't need to download any additional software to organize your desktop, but there are some settings you can tweak to get even more out of its signature Snap functionality.

As you may already know, you can press the Windows and Tab keys at the same time to bring up the Task View pane. It's here that you can add additional virtual desktops. If you're not already using virtual desktops, they're great for organizing your active windows so that you don't have to constantly rearrange them when you're trying to find a specific one. You can quickly press the Windows key, Ctrl and either the left or right arrow keys to move between desktops. But to make things even simpler, head to the Settings app and into the Multitasking section of the System menu. Under the "Virtual desktops" heading, switch both settings to "All desktops." You can now use the Alt-Tab shortcut or taskbar to switch to any app on any desktop.

When it comes to wrangling your tabs, a lot of that will depend on the browser you use. But as a decent starting point, all the most popular ones include a feature that allows you to pin tabs. I use this to keep the websites I visit most frequently throughout a workday (in my case, Gmail, Trello and Google Drive) open at all times and at the top of my tab bar. In that way, those tabs never get lost among the countless other websites I might have open for a story I'm writing. What's more, in the case of Brave, the browser I use, I can use a handful of keyboard shortcuts to jump to those tabs quickly.

In closing, we want to highlight just how much customization Windows 10 offers you when it comes to the organization of your computer. As just one example, you can right-click on items located on the taskbar and start menu to put the apps and shortcuts you use most frequently within easy reach. However, if you want to really dig into all the options Windows 10 offers on that front, websites like Windows Central have detailed how-tos that are an excellent starting point.

Instagram is testing a new feature called “Limits” that allows users to lock their accounts and limit any potential interactions when they feel they’re the target of harassment. In introducing the tool, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, referenced the recent Euro 2020 final, which saw three Black players on the English National team face a flood of harassment after England lost to Italy when the match went to a penalty shootout.

“Racism and hate speech have no place on Instagram,” Mosseri said in a video he shared on Thursday. “It is not only honestly fucked up to see people treated that way, but it breaks how Instagram works.”

In trying to curb harassment on the platform, Mosseri said Instagram plans to try to reduce hate speech to “as close to zero as we possibly can.” However, knowing that it will likely be impossible to completely eradicate all forms of racism from the app, the company also plans to give people new tools that will allow them “to take some power back.” That’s where Limits fits in. “We know that people sometimes are in temporary moments of real risk and pain, and we need to give them tools to protect,” Mosseri said of the feature.

Ahead of wide rollout, Instagram is currently testing Limits in select countries across the world. In the meantime, Mosseri promised the company would have more to share on how it plans to tackle racism on Instagram in the coming months.

Electronic Arts held its EA Play Live 2021 event today. During the approximately 40-minute presentation, we got a first look at Grid Legends, a new entry in Codemasters' ongoing racing franchise that will feature a single-player story with live-action performances. Lost in Random, the upcoming Tim Burton-inspired action-adventure game from Fe developer Zoink Games, also got a release date. It's coming out on September 10th on current and last-generation consoles, as well as PC. For Battlefield fans, EA offered a look at 2042's new Portal mode that will allow fans to create their own custom match types that they can share with the game's community.       

But EA saved the best news for last. In a short teaser, the publisher confirmed Motive Studios is working on a remake of Dead Space for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S. In addition to more modern graphics courtesy of Dice's Frostbite engine, EA promised gameplay improvements, as well as new story and character elements. 

A week after Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared health misinformation an "urgent threat" to the US public, Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico have introduced new legislation that would modify Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act to strip liability protections from technology companies if their platforms help spread misinformation during a health crisis.

If passed, the Health Misinformation Act of 2021 would create an exception to Section 230 that would see social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter "treated as the publisher or speaker of health misinformation" when their platforms algorithmically amplify misleading health content. What falls under the definition of health-related misinformation would be decided by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The exception would only apply during a public health crisis, which the HMS Secretary would have to declare beforehand.

In establishing a rationale for the change, the bill cites a joint report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate and Anti-Vax Watch that found that as much 73 percent of vaccine misinformation on Facebook can be linked to a group of 12 individuals known as the "disinformation dozen." White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki recently referenced that same report, saying that many of those individuals are still active on the social network.

"For far too long, online platforms have not done enough to protect the health of Americans. These are some of the biggest, richest companies in the world and they must do more to prevent the spread of deadly vaccine misinformation," Senator Klobuchar said in a statement. "The coronavirus pandemic has shown us how lethal misinformation can be and it is our responsibility to take action."

The bill's introduction also follows a recent statement made by President Joe Biden. He said platforms like Facebook were "killing people" by not doing more to stop vaccine- and health-related misinformation. "We will not be distracted by accusations which aren't supported by facts," a spokesperson for Facebook told Engadget after Biden made his comments. "The facts show that Facebook is helping save lives. Period." The president later walked back his statement, noting the people using the platform to spread their misinformation were the ones doing harm but reiterated his belief that Facebook could do more to combat what was happening.

Google has long run an Android Auto beta program, but joining it was almost impossible before today. Those who tried to take part often got an error message that said the program was maxed out. Thankfully, that's no longer the case. Google is expanding the program, giving anyone with an Android device and a willingness to put up with bugs the opportunity to test the platform's latest features before they're available to the public.

"As a beta tester, you can help us build a better version of Android Auto. You can test how well new features work with your specific phone and vehicle in your part of the world," Google says of the initiative on a support page. "When you share your feedback, we'll use it to help plan improvements for future releases."

You can join the program by visiting the beta opt-in page Google has set up. Click the "Become a tester" button, and then download the beta version of Android Auto from the Play Store. If you eventually decide using unstable software isn't all it's made out to be, you can leave the program.

With Google inching closer to the official release of Android 12, the company likely wants to avoid a repeat of last year's Android 11 release. While the operating system was buggy as a whole at release, Android Auto suffered from some particularly rough bugs. There were numerous audio issues and missing apps. In some instances, the software was also known to 'soft-brick' devices like the Pixel 3 XL. So it's no surprise Google wants more help testing the software.

Electronic Arts will release Lost in Random, the latest entry in its ongoing Originals lineup, on September 10th, the publisher announced today during its EA Play Live event. First announced last year, the Tim Burton-inspired adventure game is the latest project from Fe developer Zoink. In Lost in Random, your character Even is on a mission to save her sister, Odd. A die named Dicey will join your quest, and their abilities are essential to your success. In its moment-to-moment gameplay, Lost in Random is a mix of a third-person adventure title and deck-building games like Slay the Spire and Griftlands.            

EA will release Lost in Random on Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. On PC, it will be available on both Steam and Origin.  

If you can't access online services like Sony's PlayStation Network and Steam, as well as websites like Airbnb, you're not the only one. Starting at approximately 11:20AM ET, Downdetector began logging a spike in outage reports across a variety of online services and websites. Outside of PSN and Steam, some of the more notable platforms people can't seem to connect to include LastPass, TikTok and UPS. Visiting the PlayStation Store and other affected websites, they come back with a DNS error. 

Based on Twitter reports, the source of the problem is Akamai, one of the largest content delivery networks in the world. "We are aware of an emerging issue with the Edge DNS service," the company said in an update on its website posted at 12:09PM ET. "We are actively investigating the issue." As of the writing of this article, Akamai has not said what's causing the issue.    

Developing...

The Epic Mega Sale and Steam Summer Sale may have come and gone, but if you want to save on some PC games, you have another chance to do so. The Epic Games Store is kicking off its Summer Sale today.

Unfortunately, the Epic Coupon isn’t back this time around, but there are decent deals to be found all the same. If you’re looking to save on a relatively new game, you can get 20 percent off of Sony’s Days Gone and half off on EGS exclusive Hitman 3. Other highlights we’ve spotted include 66 percent off of Frostpunk, 90 percent off of Deponia: The Complete Journey and a third off on Cyberpunk 2077. As with other EGS sales, bundles are the way to go. For instance, you can get the entire Mafia trilogy for $32.99 instead of $59.00. As always, there are many more games that are on sale. So take a look to see what Epic has on offer to see if there’s a game you’ve been waiting to check out. The sale ends on August 5th.

Verizon (Engadget’s parent company) is expanding the availability of its Fios app. In an announcement spotted by 9to5Mac, the carrier said starting tomorrow, July 22nd, Fios customers can download the software to their Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV devices. In the former case, that includes both the 4K and HD models.

You’ll still need a Fios TV One somewhere in your home before you can access the app on those devices, but it saves you the trouble of paying for additional hardware from the carrier if you want to use your TV bundle on more than one television.

"Parents can watch live sports events on the Fios box in the living room while kids watch cartoons and teens watch comedies on connected TVs in their bedrooms," said Verizon. "With Fios TV One enabling more flexibility, Fios TV users can more easily place TVs in the kitchen, on the back patio or other areas of the house."

The one limitation is that you can only watch two simultaneous streams per Fios TV box, but a Fios TV One device is now included with all of Verizon’s Mix and Match TV plans. Those currently start at $56 per month before taxes and equipment fees.

As expected, Verizon (Engadget's parent company) is working on an Alexa-powered device. Following an FCC sighting in June, the carrier announced the Verizon Smart Display today at Amazon's Alexa Live event, confirming in the process that the device will respond to both "Alexa" and "Hi, Verizon" wake words. 

In addition to an 8-inch 1,280 by 800 display, 4GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a privacy shutter, the device features 4G LTE connectivity, which Verizon told CNET it will use to provide troubleshooting support to customers during service outages and setup. You'll use the "Hi, Verizon" wake word to access that functionality. That same custom assistant will also field questions about recent bills and the carrier's Fios services. 

Alexa, on the other hand, will handle nearly everything else. The carrier said the device will work with various music and video streaming services. The smart display is one of the first smart home devices to come out of Amazon's Alexa Custom Assistant program. Verizon will beta test the smart display with a select group of Fios customers this fall, with greater availability to follow sometime next year.