There are far too many guides on how to build a PC on the internet. But I feel there's not enough dialogue around the best tips to help PC users avoid various frustrating and irrevocable situations. Being a PC user for over 20 years now, I can confirm that PCs are not always sunshine and rainbows. Sure, building a premium gaming PC, playing & streaming the latest games, or watching your favorite YouTuber is great, but some things can always go wrong — Murphy's Law, maybe?

Having dealt with issues ranging from crashed OS installations and corrupted files to inexplicable black and blue screens, I've learned some crucial life lessons along the way. I've tried to condense all of that into a handful of best practices to help fellow PCMR members steer clear of avoidable mishaps.

8 Creating regular OS images

Travel back in time

Perhaps the most useful habit I've picked up is backing up my OS partition regularly (daily, in fact). While this didn't happen all that often a few years ago, I've noticed that, of late, my Windows 10 installation has a weird tendency to go bust every 2 months or so. I tried the usual diagnostic playbook — checking SSD health, repairing the Windows copy, and even checking the RAM for errors. But the issue kept recurring in the form of boot loops or unresponsive black screens.

I even suspected my secondary Windows 11 installation (which was on a separate SSD) of causing conflicts with my primary Windows 10 installation. But even a fresh Windows 11 installation or checking the secondary SSD for errors did nothing to get rid of the issue. That's when I decided to create daily images of my OS partition so that I could simply revert to the previous day's copy in case something went horribly wrong.

I use Macrium Reflect for backing up my Windows partition but you can use any of the other methods to back up your Windows 11 PC.

7 Having an OS-exclusive partition

Don't mix work with pleasure

A related but different practice I adopted long ago was to not install anything else on my Windows partition — no games, no software, no media files. This way, if my Windows installation gets corrupted, I can quickly reinstall Windows on the OS partition without worrying about overwriting important data like my programs, save files, or media collection.

And yes, I'm aware you can back up your data in a "Windows.old" folder before formatting the partition, but I don't prefer doing that. Instead, I like keeping things separate and organized under different partitions to minimize any potential damage. This saves me a lot of time and effort after I reinstall Windows, as all of my games and apps are untouched in their separate partitions.

6 Not ignoring restore points

They can often come to your rescue

System Restore in Windows is often roasted for being absolutely useless when users actually need it. And while I agree with the sentiment, I've found myself coming around to the feature in recent years. For the worst-case scenarios, I always have my system image to restore things back to normal. But, for the more frequent and minor problems caused by a buggy Windows update or a third-party app, I've often found restore points to be useful.

They might not work every time and for everyone, but creating automatic restore points doesn't hurt. It doesn't cost any time and the worst that can happen is that you'll need to use an alternate backup strategy. But, just to account for the off chance that a restore point ends up working, I suggest you don't ignore this Windows feature.

5 Disabling all overclocks

Controversial, but hear me out

I was a big fan of overclocking back in the day (which was as recent as 2022) but I've increasingly found that I don't really get any major gains out of it. Leave aside the hit and trial it takes to nail a perfect overclock (CPU or GPU) on a new build, there are often needless downsides that you need to deal with. For instance, dialing in an automatic PBO setting using Ryzen Master on my Ryzen 7 5700X resulted in higher idle temperatures without benefitting me in any significant way.

I could have switched from Ryzen Master to overclocking my CPU in the BIOS but there's so little incentive to do that nowadays. The best CPUs today are already quite powerful and manufacturers often optimize their chips as much as possible before shipping them out. Outside of a niche enthusiast community, overclocking is not as popular as it was before. Hence, I've found myself running my hardware at stock settings rather than tinkering with it, and enjoying my games and work more than ever before.

4 Coming around to a UPS

Dedicated power backup is underrated

I may not have cared much about uninterrupted PC usage back in my childhood but after I started relying on my PC for work, having a UPS seemed all but necessary. Power backups in our apartments certainly help during an outage but they often don't kick in instantaneously, which is where a UPS comes in. You not only get an uninterrupted experience during work or a gaming session (with enough time to save your progress) but the best UPS also offer surge protection for your precious hardware.

A UPS with enough capacity for your PC might cost you a pretty penny but the returns are well worth it. You save yourself from lost work during last-minute crunch situations and avoid rage-quitting moments in case a power outage wipes your game progress, or worse, corrupts your save file.

3 Getting a good wallpaper app

Your desktop should reflect your tastes

Like most of us, I was guilty of downloading wallpapers from anywhere I could, sticking them on my desktop, and calling it a day. While it made my younger self quite content, I've now realized I need something a lot more polished, organized, and seamless when it comes to a wallpaper system for my desktop. You can use animated wallpapers on Windows through third-party apps to take your desktop experience to a whole new level above simple static images.

Personally, I prefer Wallpaper Engine for my PC, cycling through the best Wallpaper Engine wallpapers in my collection every day. The app is extremely cheap for the value it offers, and you get to access thousands of high-quality animated wallpapers thanks to a great community. You can have all your downloaded and favorite wallpapers in a single location and can customize various aspects of them to your liking. Needless to say, I'm never getting tired of searching for new wallpapers to add to my favorites list.

2 Investing in a clean & spacious desk

The setup matters just as much as the PC

This realization comes with time as you leave your over-enthusiastic days behind and start valuing a clean PC setup more than just the raw power of your PC. When I moved houses a few years ago, I decided I'd get rid of my cramped old desk and get a spacious white one instead. Suffice it to say that it was the right choice. Not only did I get much more room to place my headphone stand, desk mat, and faux plants, but the decision gave my setup a fresh, uncluttered look.

You could do a lot of things to give your PC an instant makeover but if your desk is not clean enough, you won't be able to enjoy your PC to the fullest. A neat and large desk is conducive to enhanced productivity as well as the willingness to invest time in prolonged gaming sessions. And while you're at it, you can go a step further and invest in a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse to get rid of cables. You'll thank me for an even cleaner look that doesn't sacrifice any performance.

1 Cleaning the PC now and then

A necessary evil

No one likes to clean their PC regularly, I get it. It's just something that gets sidelined after the few first weeks of a new build, and before you know it, you end up with dirty front fans and dust-caked GPU backplates. But, as much as we hate it, it's important to clean our PCs occasionally to maintain the looks and performance of our beloved machines.

You can fix a schedule to clean your PC tower, say, once every month or so. For your desk, you'll probably have to stick to a more frequent schedule or simply get to it when it gets too visible that you can't ignore it anymore. Doing this will help you keep your PC setup looking sparkly and inviting, plus avoid any potential issues due to dust buildup.

PC maintenance is a lifelong learning

Building PCs is an activity many of us enjoy. Maintaining PCs, however, can take some effort to adopt, but don't worry too much as it's an ongoing process. You might learn from your mistakes the hard way or encounter unprecedented issues with your PC that you couldn't have prepared for. But, at the end of the day, picking up useful tips and best practices from other PC users can go a long way toward an enjoyable and stress-free PC experience.