Backup important data
A computer or its hard
drive can fail at any time and without warning. When it does all
your personal documents, letters, pictures, music, video, etc. is lost and
in many situations cannot be recovered or costs a lot of money to be
recovered. Make sure you have backups of all your important data so it is
not lost when the computer fails.
Protect the computer
Make sure to protect your computer from
electrical surges,
brownouts, and black outs. At the
very least, every computer user should have a decent
surge protector on their computer and
phone line if they use a modem. Surge protectors can help protect your
computer during an electrical storm and could save you hundreds of dollars
in repair, if it were to get damaged. It is also a good idea to have the
computer running on a UPS, which can help
prevent damage to a computer during a brownout or blackout.
Keep computer and its programs updated
There is no such thing as a perfect software program or
hardware drivers. After the developer has released their program they may
discover errors and release updates to fix these problems. In the case of
major software programs and operating systems, there can be several hundred
updates and service packs released during its life time. Making sure your
computer and its programs are up-to-date can help prevent problems.
In addition to updating a program, programs that use other
programs or plugins may also need updates, for example, it is very important
to make sure all the plugins for your Internet browser are also up-to-date.
- How to update a Microsoft Windows computer.
- System information tool to check your browser for the latest plugins.
- What hardware device drivers should be updated?
Keep the computer safe and be familiar with viruses, spyware,
phishing and spam
Every computer connected to the Internet or other network
need to be protected. If you're using Microsoft Windows, we recommend having
some form of antivirus program installed and running on the computer. It's
also a good idea to have a malware detection program running on the computer
to pickup any spyware or malware that an antivirus may not have detected.
Finally, every computer user should also be fully aware of other security
risks such as chain mails, phishing, and spam while on the Internet.
- What is a computer virus?
- What are the current available antivirus programs?
- See the chain mail, malware, phishing, spam, spyware, and virus computer definitions for further information about each of these terms.
Read, understand, and watch for tricks
One of the most common mistakes new computer users make is
agreeing to dialog text boxes, agreements, or other prompts without reading
the dialog text box or understanding it. Before clicking any Ok or Install
button, make sure you understand what you are doing. If you do not
understand the prompt, click the Cancel button or close the box.
Also, while installing any program watch for any check boxes.
Often free programs, plugins, and updates have check boxes that ask if it's
ok to install additional programs onto the computer. For example, when
installing the Adobe Flash plugin there is often a check box to install an
additional antivirus, firewall, toolbar, or other program. If left checked
(often checked by default), these additional programs will be installed and
may cause problems or frustration because it is not something you wanted.
Clean the computer clean
Keeping the computer physically clean can help keep the
computer running smoothly, help prevent issues such as over heating, and
help protect you from getting sick. While cleaning the computer, it's also a
good idea to clean the data on the computer. Microsoft Windows users can run
ScanDisk to check the hard drive for errors and Defrag to keep the data on
the hard drive organized. It's also a good idea to go through the installed
programs and uninstall anything you no longer use.
- Cleaning the computer and its components.
- How do I run Microsoft ScanDisk?
- How do I run Microsoft Defrag?
- How to uninstall a program in Windows.
Be familiar with free alternatives
Be familiar with and know about free alternatives to popular
commercial programs. For example, almost every computer user needs a
word processor program installed on
their computer. Instead of purchasing Microsoft Office, which is several
hundred dollars use a free alternative such as Open Office that is just as
capable.
Take full advantage of all the mouse buttons and wheels
Many new computer users only use the left mouse button. Use
the mouse to its full potential by also using the right mouse button to
access the context menu. For example, if you highlight text and then
right-click that text it will bring up a menu that will allow you to copy,
cut, and perform many other options that text, the same thing applies to
files.
Although most users already use the mouse wheel to scroll up
and down on a web page, this wheel can also often be used as a third-button
by pressing down on the mouse. Some computer mice also allow the wheel to be
pushed right-and-left on to perform additional features such as moving
forward and back on a web page.
Finally, many computer mice also have side buttons also known
as thumb buttons that can be programmed to do any number of features,
including going back on a web page or opening a magnifier.
Use included help files and the Internet
Every program includes some type of online help that can
often be accessed by pressing the F1
function key while in the program or through the file help menu. If the
included help does not answer your questions, searching the Internet or
using online help services such as Computer Hope can answer those questions.
Become familiar with and use shortcut keys
Every computer user should become familiar with and use
keyboard shortcuts. Knowing these shortcuts can drastically increase your
productivity on the computer and make your overall computer experience much
more enjoyable.
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