Computers and Technology

Here's some personal advice on how not to screw up your computer or laptop based on stupid things I've done over the years. This article should be of help to people who are brand new on the computer, people without much experience and possibly people with mid-level computer skills, who if nothing else can use this as a refresher. I've also included some other advice and pointers to help you avoid other potential computer pitfalls. I'm sure this is elementary advice to the more experienced computer user.

What Not to Do on Your Computer or Laptop if You Don't Want to Mess Them up:

1. Do not delete anything that you don't know what you're deleting. For example, if you delete a driver, you can totally screw the computer up. So do not delete anything unless you know what you're deleting & know it won't harm your computer by deleting. If you're not sure, do not delete.

2. Do not go to porn sites at all. This has nothing to do with morality but a lot of them have viruses,spyware and adware on them.

3. Do not open up any email with an attachment that you do not know who the sender is. Delete them. I also would not open up any email period if you do not know who the sender is. If you see an email from a place like Ebay, Paypal and Amazon, a Bank, etc. and the subject does not make sense- I.E., "Your account is suspended", etc., do not open it up, chances are its bogus with some nasty hidden computer code attached or its a scam email, On a lot of these suspicious emails you can check if they're genuine by looking at the messages on the actual site. I would never open up any eBay message for example unless it is in your eBay message Box.

4. Do not download any software from a site unless you know it is a legitimate site. A lot of sites are known to contain spyware, adware, and perhaps viruses. If you are going to download free software, I would only do it from sites like Download.com, Tucows, Microsoft, the software company's website, etc.

5, If you are not sure how to install a program, ask someone with experience. If you do install a program, initially just use the defaults and don't try to custom install it because the chances are you will screw it up.

6. When deleting a program, go to the control panel where it says add or delete a program and if during the deletion process it asks you if you wish to remove all files or a certain file which may cause damage, click no and/or no to all. This will seem clearer to you when that happens.

7. If you see some outrageous offer like free dinner, etc., for clicking a site, don't click it. Chances are you'll be getting spam, spyware, adware or worse.

8. Keep a separate email address for personal email for people you know. Keep a separate one for e-commerce.

9. Try to not put your personal email address on anything you buy online, use a separate email address for online purchases. I would also try to avoid using your correct phone number, address, full name, etc., unless you absolutely have to or the website is from an established place like Amazon, etc. Obviously if you purchase something online you will have to give a correct address and name but you don't have to give a correct phone number. I would also give incorrect birthday dates that you'll remember. On websites/services that will not be sending you stuff in the mail, I would try to avoid giving your true information out altogether even if it means changing it after your original info was put in and verified. I mean there's nothing like an angry person you sold something to online, harassing you by phone. Do not give out your Social Security Number! Repeat do not give out your Social Security Number.

10. Do not open up your computer and put things in like extra memory, drives, etc., if you haven't done that before as you're liable to screw things up big-time.

11. Have your computer plugged into a good surge protector that you get at a computer place or retail store like Best Buy based on a salesman's recommendation or online reviews. Do not buy at your local supermarket. If there is lightning outside, I'd recommend shutting your computer off completely as it still could get messed up even with the surge protector.

12. Do not let a friend or anyone else use your computer without you seeing what they're doing as they''re bound to do things covered here that I said you shouldn't do!

13. Don't leave your laptop outside for a long period of time if its hot as that could cause your computer to overheat.

14. If you hear your computer making a strange sound or smell anything burning, turn your computer off at once. The sound is probably coming from its fan. I once had a computer at work start to burn up from the fan.

15. Treat your laptop with care. If you drop it, bang it, etc., there is a good chance you will have caused some damage.

16. I personally recommend if you're not that experienced with a computer, to always buy a new one that has most things already installed- plug and play. If you buya used one, there's a chance that there could be something wrong that an experienced person could fix right away but you can't. Let the buyer beware. Here's justa quick example. I bought a used laptop online from someone years ago and he said everything was set to how the laptop was when it was in the store. Well Idiscovered massive amounts of spyware, adware, some viruses, etc., on it but I was experienced enough to know how to remove them with the aid of the right software. If you're not and try to do it, your asking for possibly even worse problems.

17. Don't drink any soda, water, etc. near your computer and try not to eat near the keyboard, either.

18. If a key gets stuck on your keyboard, do not pull it out, especially on a laptop, A lot of times, if a key comes off a laptop and you can't put it back in place, if you get it fixed, they will replace all the keys and charge you accordingly. Bummer.

19, I would get an extended warranty on a computer because if disaster strikes at least you won't be totally wiped out. Think of it as insurance.

20. Make sure you understand what you're doing with new software programs before you start using them.

These are just a few basic things and I'm sure I haven't come close to touching the surface but things will come fairly easy to you once you use the computer regularly.