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,
and videos, is lost and in many situations cannot be recovered or costs lots of
money to be recovered. Make sure you have backups
of all your important data in case your computer fails.
Protect
the computer
Make sure to protect your computer
from electrical surges, brownouts, and blackouts. 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 costs if it
were to get damaged. It is also a good idea to have computers 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 lifetime. Making sure
your computer and its programs are up-to-date can help prevent problems.
In addition to updating programs,
programs that use other programs or plugins may also need updates, for example,
it is important to make sure all the plugins for your Internet browser are also
up-to-date.
Keep
the safe from viruses, spyware, phishing, and spam
Every computer connected to the
Internet or other networks need to be protected. If you are using Microsoft
Windows, we recommend having some form of antivirus program installed and
running on the computer. It is 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.
Read,
understand, and watch for tricks
One of the most common mistakes a
new computer user makes 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 is ok to install additional programs onto the computer.
For example, when installing the Adobe Flash plugin there may be a check box to
install additional antivirus, firewall, toolbar, or other programs. If left
checked (often checked by default), these programs are 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
overheating, and help protect you from getting sick. While cleaning the
computer, it is 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 is also a good idea to go through
the installed programs and uninstall anything you no longer use.
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 brings up a menu that allows you to copy, cut,
and perform 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 has online help that
is usually 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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