Tips n Tricks

Fix it Yourself
Sometimes minor computer problems can be solved with a simple restart of your computer.
Especially if it's been constantly running for a long time. Shut your computer completely down and leave it off for 20 seconds before
powering it back up.

Installing Protection
 When installing a virus scanner, be sure any existing virus scanner is removed first.

Protecting Yourself
With 20,000 new viruses being unleashed on the internet every day, no virus scanner is 100% effective.
If your virus scanners data base files are out of date, your virus scanners effectiveness is reduced even further.
Keep your virus scanner up to date.

Frozen Computer
Computer lock up on you and you can't shut it off? Hold the power button down for 7 seconds, it will turn off.
This method should NOT be used to normally turn off your computer.

Already Infected
If you think you've already been infected with a virus, don't make your computer worse by installing more
software in an attempt to remove it. Removing a virus does not remove the damage it has done.
If your up to date virus scanner didn't detect the infection in the first place, nothing short of
manually removing the virus will get rid of it. Not to mention some of that software you may be installing could be additional viruses.

Secret Shortcuts
Context sensitive menus can often offer you short cuts to common tasks in the programs you use.
To see what options might be available, right click in the window area your working in.

Steal Back The Power
On the bar at the bottom of your screen, (called a task bar) the right side may show few or many icons. These icons represent programs
partially or fully running in the background on your computer. In general, the more of these that are present when your computer starts
up, the less power you have for other tasks. Right clicking on these icons may offer options or settings where you can set them to NOT
start up every time Windows starts up. If you have doubts about what's safe to turn off, then leave it on.

Watch What You Install
Don't hyper click! When installing new software, read the screens. A lot of the new software these days often include snazzy
toolbars for your browser or a nifty new home page you don't want. Pay attention to what settings the new software wants to change.

Is It Free or Not?
Upgrades and Updates are not created equal. Upgrades are major feature changes to a software and are almost always
accompanied with a price tag. Updates are bug fixes, security updates, minor additional features, and other updates
to make your software current. These are always free.

It's Already Old Software
Always update any software you install. No matter how new you think it is, it's not. Between the time that software was burned onto
a CD or DVD, shipped to a store and waited to be sold, the software developer has fixed minor problems.
Make sure to check for updates to any new software you install.

Calling It a Hard Drive Is Deceptive
Never attempt to move an external hard drive while it's powered up. Hard drives spin at incredibly high speeds.
About 3 times faster than your cars engine does when you're doing 60 MPH!
The tolerances in hard drives are measured in micro inches. They are no doubt sensitive instruments. Slight jarring while the hard drive is
spinning can throw off those small measurements causing the total loss of your data.

Poor Mans Surge Protection
No surge protector on your computer? You can tie a simple knot in your power cord between the computer and the wall. This will
give you minimal protection from surges. The knot counters the magnetic field produced by electrical currents.

Wiggly Piggly
Laptops can develop a problem over time where the AC adapter no longer fits snuggly in the laptop. Eventually, the laptop wont
power up or charge the battery when it's plugged in. Pay special attention to the angle the power cord comes out of the
laptop when it's plugged in. There should be no sharp angles in the cord for the first 12" from the laptop.
Never move the laptop while it's plugged in. Even if it's off.

Get What You Pay For
It's scary to think about, but some of those $50 amateur techs are reading this same page looking for a free technical education.
So we purposefully listed useful tips we hope they already know.



Top