COMPUTER MAINTENANCE
*Do's in Using a Computer
1. Do run anti-virus
It is a software that helps you to prevent viruses from infecting your computer. Simply having the anti-virus software isn't enough. People need to constantly update and use it as malicious software is being created everyday.
2. Do routinely reinstall your operating system
The nature of the operating system is after 12 to 18 months. Windows is simply going to slow down and it's going to become less and less efficient. The solution? Reinstalling the operating system.
3. Do use the cloud
The famous cloud is really just the Internet. Storing backup information or files on the Internet allows you to access them from anywhere. So if, worst case scenario, your house burns down, your digital photos will be safe even though your computer and external hard drive are fried.
4. Do get a solid state drive
If you want to invest in your computer, consider getting a solid state drive, an alternative to the traditional spinning hard drive. They are expensive but they will make your computer run about several times faster.
5. Do backup
Make sure that you either save your files in an area that is backed up or that you back up (copy to some other PC/Media) your files regularly, so that if there is a crash, or theft, you have current copies of your documents.
6. Do shut down properly
When you turn off your PC/Laptop please shut it down properly, try not to just turn the power off. This will ensure that everything is saved and closed properly.
*Don'ts in Using a Computer
1. Don't click on short links
At least, don't click without doing proper research first. When it comes to bit links, the problem is that the final destination is unknown.
2. Don't open attachments in email from unknown, suspicious, or untrustworthy sources
If it is an executable don't open it. Those executable e files often end in (.exe). In today's hacker-friendly world, getting a hold of someone's email address is relatively easy.
3. Don't blindly click on links in browsers or emails
Just because the link reads www.facebook.com doesn't mean it's going to Facebook. It is recommended to hover over the link with their mouse and look at the bottom of their browser to see the exact destination address don't match up, don't click.
4. Don't fill your hard drive to capacity
It is recommended to keep at least 20 percent of the hard drive free. If you are doing a gazillion things at once on your computer, chances are that you have used up your entire RAM. Once your RAM is used, your computer uses your hard drive as additional RAM. But if your hard drive is full to the brim, this will end up crashing your computer.
5. Don't store anything on your desktop
The desktop is typically not backed up, so if the computer crashes then anything on the desktop is lost.
6. Don't save passwords
It is better that you input it every time. If you get any SpyWare on your PC one of the two major things they do is look across your system for any saved passwords, also means that if someone else is working at your computer they won't have automatic access.
7. Don't install anything
If you don't know exactly what you are installing, on your computer, then don't install it. It may be what it seems. Especially SpyWare cleaners, they are more likely to infect you than clean.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Disk Defragmentation - Defragmentation is the process of locating the noncontigous fragments of data into which a computer file may be divided as it is stored on a hard disk and rearranging the fragments and restoring them into fewer fragments or into the whole file. Defragmentation reduces data access time and allows storage to be used more efficiently.
"Computers are like Old Testament Gods; lots of rules and no mercy."~by Joseph Campbell
