10 Things a User Should Know About Their PC

Pen - 10 Things a User Should Know About Their PC

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Processor and ram

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About Pen

For the majority of PC users, the most important computer components to consider are the Processor and the RAM. The processor is the brain of a computer. It controls and manages all the activities of a computer. The processor is a busy component and it needs to "work area" to do it's job. The processor uses random access memory (RAM) as a rapid temporary storage area in which to store its work. To cut a long story short, you can upgrade your processor and/or RAM to significantly increase the speed of a PC.

Operating system

There are several operating systems available for people to use. MSDOS, Linux, Mac, BeOS are a few to mention but for most, Microsoft Windows is the most common. Although we still encountersome older Windows machines (95, 98, etc) the majority of users are using Windows XP. So whether you are considering upgrading to XP or indeed upgrading from XP to the new Vista operating system you must first consider the computer's specifications. Make sure that your machine has the hardware to run the new software. From experience we find that realistically to machine must have 2.5 times the stated minimum requirements in order to smoothly run a Windows operating system. For the moment we advise to stick with Windows XP until the teething problems with Vista are resolved.

Input and output devices

An input device is any device that sends information to a machine (Scanner, light pen, keyboard etc.) On the other hand, an output device is any device that sendsinformation from a machine to the outside world (Speakers, monitor, printer etc) Adding peripherals such as printers, scanners, iPods, cameras etc, to a computer is very common these days. If a device is plug and play then loading the device is as simple as just connecting it. However if the device is non-plug and play then you will have to load a specific device driver to enable the computer to run that device. Device drivers can usually be found on an CD that came with the device. However check the manufacturers website for the most up to date version. Please be aware that there are many devices still not compatible with Vista.

Windows updates

Ok, I know you have a computer with good hardware that easily runs your operating system, What's next? Like anyoperating system, Windows is not perfect. Over time, security holes are found in the operating system. These security holes are used by worms, viruses and hackers to compromise your system. In an effort to patch these security holes, Microsoft releases updates. It is vital that computers are kept up to date with the most recent update releases. The first time you update your computer it may take a long time, especially if you have to download service packs. However this time is well spent and it is possible to set your computer to automatically retrieve and install updates when they are released. Updates are only available once you have verified that your copy of Windows is licensed.

Office applications

If you buy a Microsoft computer without Microsoft Office,it will most likely come with loaded Microsoft Works. This will allow you to create letters and spreadsheets. However it does not have a lot of the features that come with Microsoft Office. The most common used applications in Microsoft Office are Word (Word Processor), Excel (Spreadsheets), Access (Database), PowerPoint (Presentation) and Outlook (Email Client). The most common version of Office 2003 is at the moment however the 2007 is becoming more popular. An issues exists where Office 2007 saves its documents as a .docx file. This is not compatible with Office 2003. A converter is available for download on the Microsoft Website. Also, check out Open Office. It is a free alternative to Microsoft Office.

Firewalls

A firewall is either a hardware or softwaredevice that protects a computer from outside menaces Forum. Any machine connected directly to the internet must have a firewall. There are reports of computers being attacked only seconds after disabling a firewall. With XP service pack 2 there is a built in firewall. However this will only protect you from external traffic entering your PC. What about internal software sending your sensitive data to outside sources without you knowing? You can install third party firewalls which incoming and outgoing traffic monitor to ensure that only permitted data is sent. Enabling firewalls can sometimes cause issues with some services such as remote connections or file and printer sharing etc so make sure you know what you are doing.

Antivirus software

It is common knowledgethat all computers should have an Antivirus application installed. When choosing antivirus software, consider the following. An antivirus program should have real time protection, automatically update, run frequent scans and not take up too much of your computers resources. Antivirus programs such as McAfee and Norton are notorious for being resource hogs. These may seriously slow down your machine. A computer should only ever have one antivirus program installed.

Antimalware software

Malware is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. Software is considered malware based on the intent of the creator. It includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, andother malicious and unwanted software Common tell-tale signs of malware are: Your homepage has changed, frequent unwanted pop-ups, slow internet connection, slow PC and Internet Explorer crashing. Most users are protected against viruses but are not protected against the full range of malware. Unfortunately there are numerous antimalware programs available for download that are in fact malware themselves. It is advisable to have several anti-malware programs installed on your PC. Unfortunately it is next to impossible to keep malware out of your PC so it is important to be vigilant and clean out the unwanted software on a regular occasion. We also advise that you make the switch to the Mozilla Firefox web browser.

Installed programs

Legitimate installedprograms can also cause problems for your computer. Viewing your notification area or more importantly task manager it may become evident that you have programs running in the background of the computer that are not needed. Some programs automatically begin when you start your computer so that when you call on them, they will load quickly. However, why should these programs run silently in the background and soak up RAM resources. It is possible to configure the Microsoft Configuration Utility to prevent these applications from automatically running on start up.

Hard disk maintenance

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