Owning a computer can be more work than owning a pet. You have to keep up with the latest updates and patches for every program, including your Operation System. Most people think that a computer has no maintenance, and that you set it and forget it, this isn?t Ronco baby. You must think of your computer like you think of your car, if you don?t maintain then your to blame. You must keep everything updated and backed up.
To maintain your computer you must keep things organized for one. Don?t save files all over the place, keep your files in one location, PREFERABLY, My Documents. Then make sure you backup consistent to your use. If you have critical information that you can?t afford to lose then you should backup up everyday. Whether it be a CD or DVD, tape backup or even an external hard drive or data store. If you don?t want to lose it then back it up.
General things that you should backup would be the ?My Documents? folder, your favorites, and your email store for ?Outlook Express? or your pst files for ?Microsoft Outlook?. Most other email programs are web based and are kept on your providers end. It is best to ask your provider if you are not using either one of these email programs.
If you follow these guidelines you won?t have to learn the hard way when you LOSE EVERYTHING for you where not attentive enough to take initiative and back your files up.
Another most important thing you must do is keep things updated. This means everything from your Windows updates to your Anti-Virus programs. You wouldn?t believe how many times I have went out to find that they don?t even have service pack 2 installed or that their virus definitions haven?t been updated since it was installed. Then they ask how could this have happened?
Windows Updates
Some updates are designed to address critical security issues, and not applying them could leave you vulnerable to attack. Others are to fix a flaw found. It just makes sense to install windows updates. Sometimes you will find that the update causes some minor problem but the good new is that you can uninstall that hotfix.
Anti-Virus Programs
Its purpose is to protect and fix you PC from viruses, which are small programs that are meant to steal info or cause damage. If you don?t keep your definitions up to date and don?t keep your subscription up then you leave yourself open to attack. Even if you do keep it up, just remember that the virus comes out BEFORE the cure. So as in life you need to protect yourself in the virtual world.
Other Programs
Most programs will set up a small program to run always looking for an update to the programs as in Adobe or QuickBooks. You can usually find an update option in almost every program or go to the company website of that program and check out their download page to see if they have an update for your program. It is also good to checkout firmware updates on hardware.
Owning a computer takes some responsibility and the more you use it the more you need to maintain, as you would your car. You need to be more consistent with your updates and backups as you would your oil changes on your vehicles. Remember, I don?t want to hear you bawling later because you didn?t follow these simple procedures.
Read more about backing up from GeekGirl.
http://www.geekgirls.com/windows_backup_strategies.htm
Read more about Updates
Windows
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/msupdate_keep_current.mspx
Mac
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106704
Read more about Viruses from HPhttp://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?cc=us&lc=en&docname=bph07130
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