Clearing Your Cache
When you 'surf' the web, your web browser creates what
is called a cache. It stores graphics, web pages, etc.
from the web onto your hard drive temporarily. The more
files you write, delete, and rewrite onto your hard
drive, the more likely it is to become fragmented. To
delete these files, in Internet Explorer under Tools,
select Internet Options. From there, you can
delete cookies and temporary files. It is also recommended
that you defragment your computer once a month. To do
this, right click on your hard drive (usually C), and
select Properties. Click Tools and
then Defragment Now.
Protecting Your Compact
Discs
Compact Discs (CDs) are very fragile. You probably need to take better care of them than you do standard 3.5 floppy disks. Make sure you keep them free from smudges and scratches, and be sure to hold them only by the sides or via the center hole. Keep them away from dust, liquids, or other damaging or corrosive substances. If you tend to have problems with CDs, buy yourself a CD cleaner and read the instructions carefully. CDs can go bad, and with them can go a huge investment.
Save Your Work Often
Here is a simple trick. Save your work often. Too simple a tip, you say? Why am I mentioning it here, you might say? Because most people STILL DO NOT save their files until they are done working with them.
Imagine a well-known author working on a manuscript for a sure-to-be best seller novel. This author decides that the pressures of working within walls stifles his creativity, so the decision is made to work outside. All of the work is done outside and written on sheets of paper. The author decides, to make the writing process easier, to scatter the papers around.
It rains. It thunderstorms. A dog comes running through the paper. Any way you look at it, the paper is ruined.
That's what you are doing when you don't save a file in progress but wait until you are finished to save your work. You are trusting your file to the elements. A power surge can strike; a program error could crash the operating system; someone could trip over the plug. UPS systems can fail. I have seen each of these things happen personally so I can attest to the fact.
Heed this warning for your own data safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I leave my computer
on all the time?
Yes. The only time you should turn a system off is when
it will be unused for longer than a weekend. Computers
like being on all the time.
You leave your refrigerator on all night or when you're
away on trips, so why not your PC? It doesn't increase
your electrical bill much, either. Whatever you do with
your PC, it's always a good idea to turn its monitor
off when you're away. Some monitors can sleep
just like PCs, but if they don't, turning them off can
save some electricity.
If you do leave your computer on all the time, don't
put it under a dust cover. The dust cover gives the
computer its very own greenhouse effect and brings the
temperatures inside the system way past the sweltering
point.
Another good idea: Turn off the computer during an electrical
storm. Unplug the computer, and remember to unplug the
phone line as well. You can't be too careful.
How should I clean my
monitor?
To clean your monitor, spray some window cleaner on
a soft towel or tissue. Then gently rub the screen.
Never spray window cleaner directly on the screen. It
may dribble down into the monitor itself and wreak electronic
terror.
Is it ok to download screen
savers from the Internet?
You should beware of downloading a screen saver from
the Internet. Although some of them are legitimate screen
savers, some of them are invasive ads that are nearly
impossible to uninstall or remove. If you download such
a screen saver, then you're pretty much stuck with it.
So be careful! |
