7 Things Your Computer Person Won’t Tell You

Computer experts reveal secrets that don't come in a manual!

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  • Keep it clean. On a PC, run Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter at least once a month. This will store files more efficiently so your system doesn’t slow down. After about four years, your computer is elderly. If you’re shelling out for a blazing-fast Internet connection, pony up for a new model.

  • Check the cables. “People are always shocked that a cable came loose,” says Geek Squad agent Derek Meister. Of course, everything that needs power is plugged into an outlet, right?

  • Got neighbors? If you do, protect your home wireless network with a password. “If a person knows what he’s doing, getting into a computer on a non-encrypted net-work is easy,” says Schildkraut.

  • You backed up your data, right? External hard drives with lots of memory now sell for under $200, and automated programs like Cobian Backup or Apple’s Time Machine make regular backups a no-brainer. Secure online backup services save your data offsite should anything happen to your home.

  • If you travel with your laptop, get a lock. A 2007 survey by the Computer Security Institute found that 50 percent of respondents had a laptop or other mobile device sto-len in the past year. A simple cable lock (starting at about $20) lets you physically secure your laptop anywhere you go.
  • Remember: If your company owns the computer, they own what’s on it, too—even your email in some cases. Act accordingly.
  • Please remember: We didn’t create the problem; we’re just trying to help you fix it.
SEE 13 MORE THINGS YOUR COMPUTER PERSON WON'T TELL YOU

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For computer technicians you all sound pretty uneducated. The title may be "7 things your computer person won't tell you", but this is obviously just to catch peoples attention and not be literal. I am willing to bet that those who insult apple products aren't really that good of tech people anyway. There is another reason they don't get viruses. It's called Unix. Also, they run faster because their file system isn't so flawed that it literally has to be PUT BACK TOGETHER on a regular basis.

By ProgrammerSam, on 12/06/2008
Jim, try before you speak. Macs use industry standard hardware except for the graphics card and keyboard. Plug in a PC keyboard & it'll ask you to tap the keys next to the shift keys & voila it works!. Compare that to a PC. Can you install or uninstall software on a PC simply by dragging it into or out of the Applications folder? The enormous amount of software is nearly all high quality, Windows has more of course, mostly viruses, trojans & general nastiness, but it is more secure, right?! LOL

By rubaiyat, on 08/31/2008
"Get a Mac"? Seriously? That's VERY situational advice. Telling the average, non-savvy user to get a Mac is stupid. Macs are only slightly better than PCs, only because nobody cares enough to make viruses. Besides that, they're worse than PC for the average user- harder to upgrade, harder to get fixed, and most importantly, they're compatible with very little software or hardware.

By warlocc, on 08/22/2008
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