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.
From Reader's Digest
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.
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
"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.
We are a computer service company and everyone here agrees that most of these tips are not very good. What "computer guy" isn't going to tell you to get virus protection or secure your laptop??!? Also your first tip about rebooting is NOT correct. Rebooting isn't going to "fix" the problem. It's only going to cover it up for a short time. The problem most likely will come back and, depending on the situation, could get worse and worse if not addressed.
My husband has supported our family for years as a self employed "computer geek". He has always told his customers things like "restart your computer" and "check it out on snopes.com first". You can't build a businees by trying to take people for their time and money. He's an honest guy making an honest living. -Brandy Largo, FL
How ridiculous. I tell each and every one of my customers these tips. It would be crazy not to do so. If my customers pay attention, it's LESS work for me in the long run, not more.
What a croc! I too do computer support, and I actually go to people's home to fix it. All of what you say computer person won't tell you, I tell all of my customers. And even more. And I speak in terms the customer understands. As for the password advice given in the article in the magazine, its junk. Get a password storage utility like KeePass, then encrypt the file. Set it to use the longest passwords possible. My long random password storage is encrypted with a 28 character password.