Protecting the health of your computer

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:33:09 +0000

If you use a computer you know how challenging it is to keep it running smoothly, avoiding crashes or loss of processing speed. Inevitably though, problems arise: systems develop bugs, software becomes corrupted – your computer may even come down with a virus! The following points will help you keep your computer and data in good condition and working smoothly:

Never cut off the power supply to your computer without shutting down the system first. If you shut your computer down properly every time, your software is less likely to become corrupted.
Install an anti-virus programme. Make sure it will automatically scan your files, and make sure it updates itself at least once a week. This is particularly important for Microsoft Windows users.
Back up your system at least once a week. It’s not a question of if you will have a system or hard-disk failure, but of when it will happen. If you aren’t prepared, then you are very likely to lose some or all of your valuable files.
Avoid software copies and pirated software.
If you have a broadband internet connection, update your software regularly, because developers are making improvements all the time. Most applications will alert you when updates become available on the internet and you can then choose to install them.
Remove software applications you no longer use. Uninstall and remove the programme files.
Don’t install too much software on your computer, as it can slow your system down and cause problems.
Don’t let your hard drive get more than 75% full or your computer will slow down.
Keep your desktop folder as clean and empty as possible. Desktop clutter contributes to slowing your computer down.
When in doubt, restart your computer. A simple restart can solve many problems. Always restart your computer before attempting any complicated trouble-shooting.
If you have more than one person using a computer regularly, consider setting up separate accounts for each user.

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account

broadband

computer

anti-virus

Operating systems

katie — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:22:23 +0000

Your operating system (OS) is an essential part of your computer – it controls the most basic running of your hardware. It allocates memory, performs tasks and acts as the interface for the applications you use. Without an OS, software applications will not work and your hardware is basically useless. The most common operating systems are Microsoft Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Generally any OS is compatible with any computer, with the exception of MacOS, which can only be used on a Macintosh computer. It is more than likely that when you bought your computer the operating system was already installed, and it was probably Windows, although Ubuntu Linux is also gaining in popularity. In order to ensure that the applications you want to use on your computer are compatible with its operating system, you need to know what OS your computer is running. If you are only using a computer for web-browsing, email and creating text documents you needn't worry too much, because all operating systems come with programmes that will allow you to do these things. However, if there are programmes and applications that you prefer to use, you should make sure that they will run on the operating system that comes with your computer. It's important to keep up with updates to your operating system. It is inevitable that some of the software coding that makes the operating system work will contain undiscovered errors, and it is likely that some of these errors could undermine your computer's security. Software developers continue to find these errors and periodically release updates to fix them. It is therefore essential that you frequently update all of the software on your computer, including the operating system.

If Windows is not updating itself automatically, you can configure it to do so by clicking the 'Start' menu, selecting 'All programmes' and clicking 'Windows Update'.

If you ever need to do an actual upgrade to a newer version of your operating system, there are two things to keep in mind:

1. Will the software you've already got installed on the computer be compatible with the new version of the OS? Most developers will release new versions of their software that are compatible with new versions of operating systems, but often they are not ready until after the new OS is released. 2. Will your computer meet the system requirements of the upgrade? Every new OS version requires greater hardware capacity and will be designed to take advantage of the latest components. Always check the system requirements for the upgraded OS and if your computer doesn't meet them, don't upgrade.

Tags:

Digital Survival - Microsoft Windows

Protecting the health of your computer

Operating systems