Denver computer guru gives a crash course on PC care
They have been around for decades, and the American consumer has become completely accustomed to life with a personal computer. So why is it, then, that we keep screwing them up and, in the process, our lives?
Spyware, spamware, anti- this-and-that proliferate the computer marketplace and, still, consumers struggle to understand what exactly makes things go wrong.
“To a lot of people, computers are still a relatively new thing,” said Ryan Chipps, owner of Computer Guru in Denver, a service that saves businesses and individuals from themselves. “Though we grew up on them, there was no training on maintenance; it’s essentially self-taught.”
The variety of mistakes people make — the dumbest things they do — that affect their computer are easily avoided. Here are some of the top ones compiled from various sources, and how to prevent the problem.
• Porn. Private viewing or not, free porn sites use a number of viewing programs that require codes, or information from your computer, to run properly. These provide backdoor access for viruses to come in from spyware. Solution: Avoid porn. But if you must — or can’t help yourself — then be sure you trust the site you’re frequenting.
• Unprotected network or wireless network. Not password protecting your Internet access points is just dumb. Too many people see their computers hacked because of this. Read the manual and put in a password.
• Liquids and computers don’t mix.So why do we insist on setting coffee, Coke or water next to it as we work? “It’s amazing people still do it,” Chipps said. What to do when things spill? Turn off the power immediately and, if a laptop, remove the battery. Let it dry out before reassembling it all.
• Hard drives fail. It’s a fact. The only question is when. Regular maintenance is a must to keep it running smoothly, so ask your local computer shop about checkups.
• Anti-virus programs stop everything. Wrong. They can prevent a lot of harmful things from getting access, but truth is, programs that try to do it all often cause more problems. Be sure to run regular updates for your anti-virus programs to stop the newest problems from infiltrating your machine. And if it’s attached to an e-mail, ignore it, especially if you don’t know who it’s from or you didn’t ask for it.
• Credit-card information on computers. Says Chipps: “That’s just giving everyone free access to your personal financial life. Don’t ever save credit-card information on a computer or website, and if you do, get rid of it now.”
The worst Chipps has seen? “The one too embarrassed to admit the entire glass of water spilled on the computer and fried it,” he said. “They handed it to me and said they had no idea why it wasn’t working.”
David Migoya: 303-954-1506 or dmigoya@denverpost.com
The top 10 dumbest things people do that hurt their computers
1) Visiting free porn websites.
2) Not protecting network or wireless access.
3) Keeping open liquids near computer.
4) Failing to run regular maintenance on the hard drive.
5) Not updating anti-virus programs.
6) Keeping credit-card information on the computer.
7) Trying to fix the problem yourself.
Opening e-mail attachments you didn’t ask for.
9) Believing Windows updates don’t apply to you.
10) Failing to back up your computer regularly.
Sources: ComputerGuru.com; support.com
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