- 1.
Turn it off, turn it back on.
“Nine times out of ten, rebooting your computer-and any equipment that connects to it-will solve the problem,” says Aaron Schildkraut, who owns a home tech-support service in the New York tristate area.
- 2.
Just because we're “buddies” at work,
don’t expect me to come running every time you’ve got a problem. I’ve got a slew of IT problems to fix.
- 3.
We're like Santa: We know if you've been bad or good.
Fessing up to what really happened right before the system crashed is going to save time-and I’m going to figure it out anyway.
- 4.
Use “strong” passwords.
Geek Squad agent Derek Meister suggests combining letters and numbers-but not your birth date-to create a “base” password, and adding a unique suffix for each site you use. If your base password is your spouse’s initials and your anniversary date (say, SP061789), your Amazon password might be “SP061789AM.”
- 5.
Make sure you have current antivirus and anti-spyware protection,
and set it to update at least once a day and run a full-system scan at least once a week.
- 6.
There's no free lunch.
Downloading free music, movies, and games from file-sharing sites can open holes in your system for others to exploit. Play it safe and use established services like Rhapsody, iTunes, and Netflix.
- 7.
Remember: Public Wi-Fi is public.
If you don’t have a compelling reason to check your e-mail or bank account while sipping a latte at the mall, don’t do it. While you’re on a public network, even one that’s encrypted, a nearby hacker can capture your passwords.
- 8.
Give it a rest.
Turning off your computer when it’s not in use saves energy and clears out the RAM, or temporary memory, which would otherwise slow your machine over time.
- 9.
If you can't get online, call your Internet service provider first.
Connection problems can often be checked and fixed-free.
- 10.
If you want to see less of me, get a Mac.
That’s what we use. “Macs are actually a little bad for my business,” says Schildkraut.
- 11.
No, you can't use your cell phone to pop popcorn.
Next time an Internet rumor drops into your inbox, don’t just pass it on-check it out at snopes.com first.
- 12.
Sometimes we talk about you--in code.
If you hear “HKI error” (for human-keyboard interface) or “PEBCAK” (problem exists between chair and keyboard), we’re insulting you.
- 13.
If you don't understand me, I'm not doing my job.
Confusing tech jargon is a sign of insecurity, not intelligence.
–Interviews by Adam Bluestein. Sources: Derek Meister, Geek Squad; Aaron Schildkraut, myhometech.net; anonymous posters on TechRepublic.com; techcomedy.com.
