In this section I will share useful tips and other information to help you get the most out of your computer, things that I have come across and have helped me and hopefully can help you too!

Time For A New Computer?

If you are in the market for a computer, there are some factors involved in making a decision - the right one for you:

Do you want a desktop or laptop?

What will you be using it for?
(i.e. school, work, internet/email access, gaming)
Is it just for your personal use or will you be sharing it with others?

Will you need special applications/software installed?

Will you need a wireless connection?

How much do you want to spend?

Depending on your answers, you have to decide first on the hardware, considering the speed of the cpu, size of the hard drive and memory, and other accessories you may want and/or need.

You can ask others for their opinion, but their needs may be different than yours so you have to look at your own situation. If you're still not sure, you can ask someone you know who is very familiar with computers and they can help you select one that will be right for you.

If you go to the store, unaware of what you want, don't make this known to the salesperson. They will try to sell you the most expensive computer in the store - not in your best interest, but theirs because they're interesting in making a sale.

Although the prices for computers have dropped in recent years, you still want to make sure you get the right computer at the price. A lot of stores will also sell computers along with a all-in-one printer or router which are called 'bundles' and the price may be higher because these items are included. If you don't need these items or already have them, speak with the salesperson to see if these items can be taken off which could produce the price. If the salesperson really wants to please you as the customer and make the sale, he/she should will do it.

Also, make sure that the computer is brand new; not refurbished or remanufactured which is a computer that has had parts recently replaced and a limited warranty may be offered for that particular computer (30 days) - my suggestion is to stay away from these.

You want a computer to last you at least 3 years before something needs to be upgraded and/replaced.

Reliable reviews for making your next computer purchase!

Your Data - The What

Any time you deal with computers, the information stored on the computer is very important because it's YOUR information.

In my last 3 IT positions, part of my job was to backup and restore client's information or data that was installed on their computers and in most cases, they didn't have a clue themselves on how to do it-:(

While you may expect and rely on a IT professional to do what they can to help you, it's really in YOUR best interest to make sure you can do it YOURSELF and guess what? It's not hard!

First, you need to be familiar with how your data is stored on your computer. This is called the file structure.

I have the Windows XP operating system installed on my computer.

This is a screenshot of what is on my computer:

This is data that is stored on my hard drive which is always called the C drive

I don't have too much data, however if you notice the folder called Documents & Settings this is the section that is going to be important right now.

Everytime you log on to a Windows computer, the file structure is set up in a way that while more than one person can log on to the computer, a separate profile is created for that person. Notice the next screenshot:

This also is good in regards to security. If I log on to my computer, I would not be able to see what is in your profile and you would not be able to see what is in my profile.

In other words: one profile per person!

Makes sense?

So now that you understand the file structure, now you want to see if you can backup your data. You have choices to make.

In my previous jobs, sometimes I would back up the client's entire profile, that is, the folder that has their name and other times I would backup folders within that profile or name. It all depends on the person and their situation.

Here's another screenshot of what is in my profile:

important folders

My Documents, Desktop, Favorites, My Downloads, Music Downloads

If you notice there are some hidden folders, Application Data, Local Settings, etc. Application Data may store folders that are associated with a program. Depending on the type of software program, you may need to back-up this folder.

Local Settings is associated with your profile. Although you may not need to back up this entire folder, there are folders that are associated with Microsoft Outlook that may need to be backed up. Outlook is a folder under Local Settings that is set up to be the default location for your email information.

I can share many horror stories of clients who did not back-up this folder and they lost all of their email information. If you're still not sure, be on the safe side and go ahead and back up these two folders as well or you can still back-up your entire profile or folder that has your username. I like to call it the 'username folder'.

Software programs and applications should not be backed up, they need to be reinstalled again.
Backing up a program such ITunes is not really saving that program. You can save the music that you downloaded, BUT you still need to reinstall ITunes again.

Here is a screenshot of all my software programs and applications:

Program Files

C drive or hard drive

Every single program and/or application you have installed on your computer is located in this folder.

Now that you have idea of the file structure of what's ON your computer, how can you save it or back-it-up?

Your Data - The How

There are many companies that offer data back-up solutions and ususally they will keep your data stored on a server, which basically is a larger computer that stores companies' programs and applications, including your data.

Doesn't sound like something that would be free, would it? Think also too, would you really want to store YOUR data on someone else's computer or server? Of course, the decision is yours.

Would you want to pay $$$ to a company per month to back up your data when you can do it yourself for much less, even free?

You have many choices. There is the common 'cut & paste', 'Ctrl C & Ctrl V' to a blank CD or DVD.

You can also back up your data to a USB flash drive or an external hard drive

Microsoft Windows has a back-up utility called System Backup which you can use to back-up your data. Notice the screenshot below:

Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup

Your Data - When?

That all depends on YOU. How much time do you spend on your computer, creating and saving new files? If you do this every day, it would be good to back-up your data once a week.

During slower times that you're using your computer, backing up your data every two weeks or even once a month is sufficient.

When it comes to YOUR data, it's not just about the what, how and when - it's about being aware, being safe, and being mindful and making sure that......YOU BACK UP YOUR DATA!

When Problems Occur

It would be nice if we can use our computers all the time without having problems, but they do come up. Here are examples of a few.

Does this screen look familiar to you? Yes, the infamous BSOD -Blue Screen of Death.

The BSOD can be caused by corruption in the operating system, recently installed software drivers that might not be compatible with your computer, also hardware could be involved. A recent hardware upgrade which may cause conflict with another hardware component in your computer could also cause this blue screen.

Sometimes the blue screen message may flash on the screen so quickly you'll miss it. If you are able to see the message, get a pencil or pen and jot it down.

There is a website that I have been using for a few years now that has helped me figure out what my blue screen message was directed from - a possible software or hardware issue or maybe both.

The website is called AltaVista

Type in the error message that you were able to jot down and Altavista will show results and possible solutions to that particular blue screen message.

I have this website bookmarked as one of my Internet Explorer favorites, I recommend you bookmark this website as well.

"Cannot find .DLL"

DLL (Dynamic Link Library)are files that are used by a Windows operating system. (Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista)

A recent software install, virus, spyware, etc. can cause a dll file to get corrupted. Before you decide on your possible solutions, find out what type of dll file is in question.

There is a website, specifically designed to identify the particular dll file and offer solutions as well as the ability to download the file to your computer.

Look Up DLL Error Message
Scroll down and you will see where you can either choose the first letter of the name of the dll file or you can type the entire file name in the white box.

You also have the choice of reinstalling your Windows operating system - provided you have your important data already backed up.

There may be other steps that need to be taken to restore and/or fix your dll problem - either way it turns out, knowing exactly what file is in question is better than not knowing.

DOS - Disk Operating System

There were commands that could be executed to attempt to fix both hardware and software issues and guess what? THEY STILL WORK!

Call me old-fashion or old-school, I still have success using DOS commands. There are two that remain ideal in cases where your computer does not boot and/or you suspect that your hard drive is about to crash.

Good old CHKDSK-:)

CHKDSK (Checkdisk)

space /f: fixes errors on the hard drive

space /r: automatically finds and fixes bad spots on the hard drive

You can run both commands at the same time by typing them both on the same line at the command or C prompt. Here is screenshot of a command or C prompt and the letter C represents your hard drive.

Is Your Computer Protected?

Just like we keep our automobiles and homes safe, it should be the same with our computers.

As the internet becomes more popular and used so often, there is still the threat of getting a virus or spyware corrupting our computer and we need to keep this from happening.

In the past, I've used Norton, McAfee, Panda, SpySweeper but I recently came across a new program and so far I am very happy with it and I wanted to recommed it. And best of all, it's free!

It's called AVG Antivirus Security. You may be happy with the program you're using and that's fine. But if you're looking for a program that will daily check to make sure your computer is virus and spyware free, this program is definitely worth looking into.

If you chose to download AVG, make sure you uninstall any other anti-virus programs FIRST.

Taking Care Of Your Computer

Taking care of your computer means more than just making sure that you don't have a virus or you want to get rid of pop-ups. Taking care of the outside is just as important, if not, more important than taking care of what's installed on the inside.

Q. What is a good product to use on a computer monitor or laptop LCD screen?

A. Instead of using a glass cleaner,(like Windex) it is better to use a screen cleaner or isopropyl alcohol. Not only does it make your screen brighter, it also removes static charge that causes dust to stick to the screen.

Q. What can be used to get rid of dust that builds up inside a desktop computer?

A. Canned air. Spray out your desktop computer once a month, as well as your floppy/CD-Rom/DVD drive. It is good to spray out your keyboard once a week and afterwards, you can turn it upside down to allow any trapped pieces of crumbs or food, etc. to fall out - it's best NOT to eat near your computer anyway.

Q. I have a new desktop with Windows Vista but it's not compatible with my finance software. Can I downgrade my new computer to Windows XP?

A. Because new computers are less expensive and easy to get, more often than not, the buyer is not really thinking about their long-term computer needs as far what software they will need AFTER the new computer is set up. Windows Vista is an 'eye-candy' operating system, but it still has compatibity issues with older software packages. If you purchase a new computer that has Windows Vista, check with the manufacturer of that computer to see if Windows XP is compatible. If so, that's a good thing. If not, you should not try and downgrade the computer yourself. If so, you stand the chance of creating more problems for your computer.

Q. Is Windows 7 better than Windows Vista?

A. I tested out the beta version of Windows personally about two weeks ago (12/09) and I believe the glitches that were present in Windows Vista have definitely be taken care of. I also noticed that Windows 7 runs faster than Windows Vista and I was very impressed with the functions that a user would have available to them with Windows 7. I would highly recommend Windows 7 instead of Vista. For more information on Windows 7, check out the link below and see it in action for yourself.

Windows 7 Has Arrived!

Q. I have a stubborn virus on my computer and I am ready to get rid of this computer and get another one. What should I do?

A. Every problem has a solution and it's the same with our computers. With the tight economy, computers are cheaper but there are many people who still cannot afford a new computer. If you have a virus or another issue with your computer, it definitely would be worth looking into getting that stubborn virus off the computer - it can be done!

Q.I have an old anti-virus program and I just installed a new program on my computer to get rid of a virus but it won't work.

A. You need to uninstall the previous software program before you can install another anti-virus program. You should not have more than one anti-virus program installed on your computer. To remove the older program, go to Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs and you should see the program on list. When you click on that particular program, you will have a choice to uninstall it. After uninstalling it, restart your computer, check to make sure that the program is no longer showing in Add/Remove programs. If so, you can install the newer anti-virus program.

If you have a question you'd like to ask or share, please fill out the form at the bottom and submit it! Check back for more Q&A!

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