Lauren's List Breaks Down Basic Computer Mistakes We All Make

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- More than 86-percent of all homes in the United States have a computer.

Most of us use computers at work or school every single day.

You'd think we'd have mastered the basics by now, right?

Not quite.

Many of us are still making basic computer mistakes each day that could put our computer and our security at risk.

Today's "Lauren's List" breaks down the common computer mistakes you should stop making today.

1. Being impatient: I know the feeling. You fire up your laptop or desktop and want to get straight to the task at hand. But everything is going so slow. Well, many times applications and services are still initializing in the background when you first reboot. It does not necessarily mean that your computer is slow. You just need to slow down a bit to give it the time it needs to function efficiently.

2. Not running updates: When your operating system offers an update, do it. Sure, it's annoying and time consuming and restarting is a pain, but tech experts tell RD.com skipping these updates can leave your computer vulnerable to attacks from hackers or malware. But, before running an update, make sure it's legit!

3. Too many tabs: Computers can multi-task, but even the best machines have their limits. If your computer is going slow, close  all the extra windows or tabs you're not using. It sounds so simple, but many computer techs report that as a main issue they see when people complain about performance speed.

4. Not backing up: Hard drives are not meant to last forever. They will fail. So be sure to back-up. Better yet, set up automatic back-ups. And be sure to actually confirm the back-up works. Speaking of storing your stuff; heed the warnings when your device tells you disk space is full. As storage space decreases, the risk of crashes increases.

Do you make any of these common computer mistakes?

Tell me on Facebook or Twitter.

If you have an idea for a future "Lauren's List", send it to lpastrana@cbs.com.