Computer Advice

Don't

Never shut down the computer by using the
power button.
Unless your computer freezes and the hard
drive light shows no activity this practice can
have adverse effects on your system. A bad
example of computer advice would be shutting
down your system by using the power button
may cause loss of data and/or Windows files.

Do

If you need to move the computer, at all, always
shutdown first. Setting up the monitor is a best
practice before turning the power on. Moving any
devices attached to the computer should also be
done with no power to the system. Unnecessary
movement (vibration) can cause degradation of sensitive parts which can reduce the working
lifetime. Your computer safety can be as serious as your own.

Don't

Use any magnets around your computer. Most towers have metal sides
on them that look like a great place to hang notes on with magnets. This
is a terrible idea. Even though most new hard drives can be immune to
the effects of the magnet, it is still a magnetic storage medium.
My computer advice is if little Shaylee comes home from school with a new picture,
stick it on the fridge where it belongs.

Do

Delete old files and programs that you no longer need. This will be more appreciated after you
run a defragmentation of your hard drive. Most hard drives these days are large enough that
they can hold many programs and files without putting a dent into the hard drive storage
capacity of your computer. These files and programs are regularly fragmented through use and
become spread out over any available space on your hard drive. You can find good computer
advice how to do that here.

Don't

Eat or drink over your keyboard. Spills and
crumbs can cause keys to stick or stop
responding because contact is not being
made. If you have to work through lunch to
finish a report make sure those foodstuffs are
always off to the side.

On a computer advice side note, it's not a great idea to
smoke around your computer. Smoke particles,
smaller than the eye can see would be able to
stop a hard drive in its tracks by stopping the
actuator arm from moving across the platters
(disks). A hard drive is a sealed piece of
equipment so the chances of smoke getting in
are slim to none.
The same cannot be said of the rest of your computer. Fans on the
computer case can pull cool air in to create a flow over the motherboard. Its common sense to
know where that smoke is going as well.

Do

Scan CD's with an antivirus scan before installing anything from the CD. Virus's can piggyback
on a program or file. Your friend may think he is sharing something cool with you but may be
sharing more than you want.

Don't

Do not unplug peripheral devices while the powered on. Removing
devices such as your mouse, keyboard, printer, etc. while powered
can short out the connector socket or even the motherboard.
Newer devices may be hot swappable but to be safe power your
system down.

Do

Keep all manuals and disks in a safe place. If by chance you do lose one or both they can be
found on the manufacturer's website. Keeping them safe will save you time looking for the
information.

This is a basic list of what to do and what not to do. At the end of the day it is your
computer. All I can do is offer common sense computer advice.