Whatever option you go with, adhere to what tech pros call the 3-2-1 rule. My recommendation: Back up anything you don’t want to lose to the cloud. You don’t want to end up in a pinch because you never saved those files someplace safer. Beyond the privacy risk, think about what a pain it would be when your computer finally bites the dust. Maybe you keep financial records nicely organized or have a folder with all your essential medical documents. How many documents are stored on your computer that you really wouldn’t want someone else to get their hands on? I know people who have an Excel spreadsheet loaded with their passwords stored in the open on the desktop.

But you have to do it the right, smart way. Tap or click for the files and folders you should also toss for good right now.Ĭleaning up your computer doesn't take a ton of time. You need to manually empty that every so often. Start with your Recycle Bin on a PC or Trash Can on a Mac. Tap or click for a short privacy how-to everyone should read.Ĭlutter on your computer can be even tougher to wrangle. What you don't see are the invasive tracking cookies saved in your smartphone. Look no further than your phone and all those blurry photos and old screenshots in your gallery.