FixIT

Tips and tricks from the workshop

1. Cleanliness is next to godliness! Dust is the number one enemy of computers. It stops the cool air from flowing around your components causing parts to overheat, and could cause a fire! Give your PC a christmas gift every year (at least) and take off the cover and suck the dust out - gently - with the small brush attachment on your vaccuum cleaner. A small new paint brush can help get into those tight spaces.

2. Where you place your PC can be a cause of dust buildup and overheating too. Preferably put your PC up at desk height, off the floor (especially if you have carpet) with plenty of room behind for greater air flow.

3. A PC will be a significant asset purchase for most people, so learn to use it properly. Just as you need to get a driver's licence before taking to the road, so you should be similarly qualified to "drive" your PC. Ask a friend who knows how to show you, sign up for classes at the local TAFE or adult education centre, or call me and I can show you how to use your PC correctly and more efficiently.

4. Create and use STRONG passwords for your computer and online accounts. Don't use the same password for all your accounts. For more detailed information visit here:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/create.mspx.

5. Use an account with low privileges to go online, surf the 'net and access emails. If a hacker gets into your system, they will be able to do anything to your computer that you can do, so if you use a low privilege account, they won't be able to do very much.

6. Regularly use a disk cleaner to clean up old and outdated files from your hard disk. Currently I recommend CCleaner run at least weekly. Also use a hard disk defragmenter like MyDefrag. Even if it's run once a month, it can significantly improve the speed of your whole system.

7. Take a good hard look at your installed applications and remove the ones you don't use. Most computers come pre-installed from the factory with applications your PC vendor thought you may need. In reality these programs can clog up your hard disk, and if not used, only take up space and slow down your hard disk. It's also a good idea to get to know which applications you DO use and then when you see an application you don't recognise, it may point to a virus infection or other malware infecting your system.