COMPUTER FAQ #11: WHERE’S THE BEST PLACE TO PUT MY COMPUTER?

COMPUTER FAQ #12: MUST I RUN WINDOWS UPDATES?

COMPUTER FAQ #13: I HAVE AN ANTI-VIRUS AND WINDOWS FIREWALL - DO I NEED A FULL SOFTWARE FIREWALL?

COMPUTER FAQ #14: SHOULD I UPGRADE MY OPERATING SYSTEM? 

COMPUTER FAQ #15: HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE SPYWARE ON MY COMPUTER?

COMPUTER FAQ #16: WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT SPAM?

COMPUTER FAQ #17: SHOULD I SWITCH FROM MICROSOFT OFFICE TO ONE OF THE FREE OR WEB OFFICE SUITES?

COMPUTER FAQ #18: SHOULD I CONSIDER GETTING A VOIP TELEPHONE SERVICE OR A MAGICJACK?

COMPUTER FAQ #19: TO UPGRADE (HARDWARE) OR NOT - IS THAT THE QUESTION?

COMPUTER FAQ #20: WHAT’RE ALL THOSE “F” KEYS AT THE TOP OF MY KEYBOARD AND WHAT DO THEY DO?

COMPUTER FAQ #21: WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH MUSIC AND VIDEO DOWNLOAD SITES?

COMPUTER FAQ #22: HOW COME MY COMPUTER DOESN’T LOSE THE DATE AND TIME, EVEN WHEN IT’S UNPLUGGED?

COMPUTER FAQ #23: SHOULD I CONSIDER GETTING A LAPTOP? A NETBOOK? AN iPAD?

COMPUTER FAQ #24: HOW OFTEN SHOULD I SHUT MY COMPUTER AND OTHER HARDWARE  OFF?

COMPUTER FAQ #25: WHY DO HACKERS AND SPYS DO WHAT THEY DO?

COMPUTER FAQ #26: HOW DO I CHARGE A CELL PHONE BATTERY AND HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?

COMPUTER FAQ #27: I HAVE A LAPTOP.  IS IT BAD TO LEAVE IT PLUGGED IN ALL THE TIME WITH THE BATTERY INSIDE?

COMPUTER FAQ #28: HOW DO I EXTEND THE LIFE OF MY LAPTOP BATTERY?

COMPUTER FAQ #29: I’M GETTING A NEW COMPUTER, DO I HAVE TO WIPE MY HARD DRIVE AND, IF SO, HOW MUCH?

COMPUTER FAQ #30: HOW CAN I BEST PROTECT MY COMPUTER FROM VIRUSES & SPYWARE?

COMPUTER FAQ #31: SHOULD I GET A WIRELESS ROUTER AND, IF SO, WHICH ONE?

COMPUTER FAQ #32: SHOULD I GET A 32 BIT OR A 64 BIT WINDOWS SYSTEM?

COMPUTER FAQ #33: CAN COMPUTER VIRUSES HARM HARDWARE?

COMPUTER FAQ #34: CAN I RECOVER A FILE I HAVE DELETED?

COMPUTER FAQ #35: HOW MUCH SHOULD I TRUST CUSTOMER SUPPORT?

COMPUTER FAQ #36: WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO TRANSFER DOCUMENTS TO MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS?

COMPUTER FAQ #37: WHAT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE DOCUMENTS FOR E-DISCOVERY?

COMPUTER FAQ #38: MY COMPUTER KEEPS SHUTTING DOWN, WHAT CAN I DO?

COMPUTER FAQ #39: HOW CAN I SET UP PARENTAL CONTROLS FOR MY KIDS?

COMPUTER FAQ #40: WHY CAN’T I PLUG IN MY HEADSET, MOUSE OR KEYBOARD ON MY NEW LAPTOP?

COMPUTER FAQ #41: HOW CAN I PROTECT MY CELL PHONE AGAINST HACKING?

COMPUTER FAQ #1: DO I REALLY NEED A COMPUTER AND, IF SO, WHAT’S IT GOING TO DO FOR ME? Before investing in a computer, it’s a good idea to think about why you are considering purchasing one.  If it’s a requirement for business or school, you’ve already got that issue settled.  If you’re getting it because relatives are bugging you about your lack of computer savvy, or you feel pressured into learning computers simply because everyone else seems to have one, you should at least consider what a computer actually does and whether it will make your life easier or more difficult.  [Remember, too, that if you don’t know how to type, it’ll make learning that much more difficult for you, as the main computer interface is through a keyboard. And those dictation-type interfaces (discussed elswhere), which may look easy, have their own issues.]  Essentially, a computer serves two major purposes: It can store, retrieve and generate data (text, music, photos), and it is also a communication device.  The data function is useful because, once you have created text, sound or video data, you can manipulate it, edit it and distribute it endlessly without  “reinventing the wheel”.  The communication function is, in turn, two basic functions:  E-Mail and Web.  E-Mail is the personal communication between you and one or more other people in the form of a computerized text message, which can have various image, video or other enclosures (think photos of grandchildren or pets or vacation) attached.  It is personal (“dynamic”) between two or more users and is identifiable by the format joeuser@anyweb.com.  Web, on the other hand, is always “static” (or the same) each time no matter which users are viewing the site, and is much like an electronic catalog or library. You can find websites for virtually anything: Toys, medical information, bridge, pornography, classic videos, auctions, etc.  Websites are identifiable by the format: www.anywebsite.com or the like.  So, if neither of the above uses (which account for some 80% of the web) interests you, you might not be a good candidate for a computer.  The point is that you should think about what benefit you expect to derive from computer ownership before spending the time and money on one.  A computer can be a portal which can take you to information and images right from your home that might be virtually impossible to access any other way, and it can allow you to communicate with others, even see them, from thousands of miles away, at no cost.  Or it can be a really expensive paperweight.

COMPUTER FAQ #2: IS THERE REALLY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPUTERS, OR IS IT ALL JUST BRANDING AND PRICING? The old adage “you only get what you pay for” applies to computers as well.  Just as you can buy a car with a 6 cylinder engine for $5,000 or $50,000, you know that there’s a big difference between a Mercedes and a Yugo (do they still make these?), even though both may have the same number of cylinders in the same size engine.  Similarly, computer components are manufactured in varying degrees of quality for what may appear to customers to be the same size, speed or capacity (e.g. 120Gb hard drives, 512Mb RAM, 32-bit video or sound cards): However, tolerances, quality, materials, speeds, designs and warranties come in various levels and costs.  Moreover, many (less expensive) computers offer all of the components of the system on a single printed circuit board.  This means not only that the sound, video, ethernet and modem may be “built-in” on the main board, making some repairs difficult or impossible, but that they are also using the computer’s random access memory (“RAM”) for their own use, effectively reducing the amount of leftover RAM that will be available to you for running your programs.  (Computer insiders sometimes call this type of entry-level computer a “VCR computer”, meaning that if something malfunctions, it’s as disposable as a VCR, which is hardly ever worth the expense of repair.)  Computers which have separate boards (called “cards” which plug into the main board) usually use their own RAM and are more easily upgraded and replaced than the less expensive all-in-one boards.  Also, don’t fall for simple speed comparisons in advertising.  If all you looked at when purchasing a new car is how fast it goes from zero to 60mph it wouldn’t be a valid indicator of usefulness or value.  Same with computers: The processor speed is just one indicator of the usefulness of the computer.  Finally, check the warranty.  Some are less than 90 days now.  A year should be normal.

So, what to buy?  Generally, you can purchase either a custom built or off-the-shelf computer.  These days, there are lots of reputable computer builders to choose from, but you have to know what you want built, so if you’re not an expert, at least speak to a consultant or ask the builder lots of questions: In effect, shop for a computer salesman or consultant before you shop for a computer.  If he speaks your language, trust him; his advice may continue to be a valued resource after the initial purchase. 

Off-the-shelf computers generally come either through “big box” stores (Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, etc.) or on-line stores (Dell, HP, etc.).  Big box stores generally sell the entire “system” (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse and printer) at a discount from purchasing each individual component, and may not sell only the computer (“CPU”) separately.  Generally, these stores sell residential grade computers. But beware: Often they will push a particular brand of computer over others because the store may receive a higher margin or the sales people may get a bonus (called a “spiff” or Special Payment Incentive for Fast Sales) for a particular model, which may not necessarily be the right one for you.  And they usually push the extended warranty, a big money maker for them, maybe unnecessary for you (although I strongly recommend it for laptops.)  On line stores do push the systems, but will sell the box (just the CPU) separately if asked.  (If you already have a computer and the printer, mouse, keyboard and monitor are working, all you may need to replace is the CPU.)  On line stores direct from manufacturers generally sell three grades of computers - residential (sufficient for e-mail, web surfing, word processing, but no heavy lifting), mid-level (business quality components and software, suitable for heavier use over a longer time), and server (a powerhouse computer built to operate a network 24x7x365). 

I believe that the best bet is to first decide what you want to use the computer for (photo editing may, for example, require a superior video card and faster processor or more RAM, while music downloads might dictate a better sound card and speaker system) then compare the cost of a mid-level computer (you only get what you pay for - a cheap computer probably won’t last very long or perform very well, a server computer is probably overkill) from an on-line supplier to that of a locally built computer.  Remember, the local computer can be serviced where you live, while an on-line purchased computer may require a little more effort to obtain even local service.  If confused or in doubt - call us - we’ll service or build any computer, no matter where or when it’s been purchased!  See, SALES. For discussion about whether the cost of computers has actually decreased, click HERE.

COMPUTER FAQ #3: SHOULD I CONSIDER GETTING AN APPLE COMPUTER INSTEAD OF A PC?  Both Apple and PCs are excellent machines and, to me, the issue usually comes down to the quality and availability of software for the intended use of the computer.  Click HERE for my advice.

COMPUTER FAQ #4: I DON’T DO MUCH WITH MY COMPUTER, DO I REALLY NEED ANTI-VIRUS? Yes.  Absolutely.  Your computer is an electronic and mechanical tool.  And even when maintained and used carefully, it can become sick, just like you.  And just like a healthy person can risk disability or death without inoculation against serious diseases, if you are not using preventive maintenance on your computer such as antivirus, your computer can become infected, get sick and even die.   Luckily, a computer can be wiped clean and set up from scratch again to remove viruses.  But this can be expensive and you will lose your personal data if you have not backed it up (see these FAQs about backing up).  Installing and maintaining a good antivirus program is a must and it is not expensive, often absolutely free.  But you still have to be vigilant - just as you can still get the flu even though you have had a flu shot, your computer can still get a virus, even with antivirus software.

COMPUTER FAQ #5: DO I REALLY NEED TO PAY FOR AN ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAM? WHAT ABOUT THE FREE ONES?  For residential users, particularly ones with laptops, I generally recommend using one of the free anti-virus programs you can download from the Internet (e.g. AVG, Clamwin, Avira, Avast, Microsoft Essentials).  Not because they’re free, but because, unlike Norton and McAfee, they don’t hog system resources, possibly slowing your machine to a crawl.  And they do about as well protecting you.  The paid versions don’t do much more for non-business users, as they’re not on networks.  Don’t fall for the scare tactics of  anti-virus companies - they count cookies and other items as possible infections to increase the number of threats - which overreport and exaggerate security problems to get your business.  There’s no standard for what truly constitutes a threat or attack, so there’s no true way to evaluate these programs.

COMPUTER FAQ #6: WHAT IS “BACKING UP” MY COMPUTER, AND WHY SHOULD I DO SO? “Backing up” your computer means to take some or all of the information stored on your computer’s hard disk drive and copying it somewhere outside of the computer in case it’s lost due to hardware failure, virus or user error.  Backups can be made by floppy disks, CDs or DVDs, magnetic tape, flash drives or secondary hard disk drives depending on the amount of information to be backed up and its importance.  At some point, residential users will at least want to back up to an external hard drive or CD/DVD, since floppy disks can quickly degrade and flash drives have a finite life (as few as 10,000 write cycles, which sounds like a lot but really isn’t; even if you use them in a “series of threes,” they can fail quite quickly).  Use the flash drives and floppies just for quick data transfer, to be safe.  Usually, it is not necessary to back up the entire hard disk drive itself (because it can normally be restored with an operating system), but only the data that you have created and stored on the hard drive.  [For businesses, which often have to comply with time and regulatory constraints, the process may be more complex.]  Recently available are many relatively inexpensive on-line archive services that allow you to back up data and drives to the “cloud” which can be used by both individuals and businesses that can’t afford to be without their computers or data for even a short time.

Windows internal backup software could sometimes be pretty undependable in XP and Vista, but if you have Win7, it has the ability to make “shadow” copies of data, “ghost” system images, system restore points and full data backups rather easily.  It’s pretty similar to Mac’s “Time Machine” backup features.  Win8’s upcoming “history vault” is supposed to be even better.  Of course, if you have an office or large network, it’s probably better to get third party software.

It’s important to consider at the outset how you want to back up your system or files, so a few definitions are in order:  A “clone” of the entire hard drive creates a bootable duplicate drive that can be immediately substituted if the main hard drive crashes, necessarily primarily for businesses which can’t lose a second of production.  Remember, if your hard drive crashes or becomes infected, your data (letters, accounting data, photos and the like) may be lost forever if you haven’t made a backup.  Often, we can recover lost data on a hard drive if it hasn’t been overwritten, but this is a very expensive and time consuming process, one which you could have easily avoided.  [In business applications “Backup” generally refers to the ability to store and then restore lost files when data is destroyed or lost; “Archiving” pertains to long-term bulk storage for later retrieval.] 

Keep in mind that backup is only half the issue.  You have to restore your files from the backup if they are lost or damaged.  Therefore, especially if you are a business, you have to determine not only how and where the backups are implemented, but whether they contain “rollbacks” for various points in time, or just one current total backup and whether you can restore individual files or folders or only perform a complete system restore.  These are determinations that must be made when installing the backup software, not when catastrophe strikes.  We furnish and install a full line of backup media and easy-to-use programs - please call us for advice and information...

COMPUTER FAQ #7: WHAT’S BETTER, CABLE, DSL or FIOS? This question doesn’t have a simple answer, because there are several considerations including availability, cost, speed and service.  Click HERE for a very detailed discussion about cable, DSL and FIOS...

COMPUTER FAQ #8: I’VE HEARD THAT I SHOULD DEFRAGMENT MY HARD DRIVE EVERY WEEK - SHOULD I? Years ago, when hard drives were much, much smaller and much, much slower, you had to “defrag” the drives fairly often (almost weekly), depending on the amount of data stored on them.  Now with the higher drive speeds and larger capacities, depending on use, you really don’t have to defragment the drive any more often than every few months.  And you may not notice any significant speed increase once you’ve done so, either.  Whether defragmentation will improve the performance of your computer depends on a variety of factors, including what type of disk drives you have (IDE, SATA, SCSI), what file system (NTFS, FAT) you use, and how full your drives are.  A benchmark of 7ms average “nonsequential seek time” is standard for hard drives; severely fragmented files, particularly execute files, can add significantly to the time it takes to load a program, so if you notice slowness, it couldn’t hurt to defrag your drive.  Luckily, if you use the built-in Windows Defragmenter in Windows XP (Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Defragmenter) it’ll tell you if defragmentation is unnecessary for the selected drive.  If you have Vista, it is by default set to defragment once a week, but you can modify this setting.  And Windows 7 has a different defragmentation algorithm which doesn’t move fragments larger than 64Mb on the theory that 64Mb is large enough not to have any appreciable impact on performance.  Also new with Win7:  It can defragment multiple hard disks simultaneously; it defragments system files that previous versions simply bypassed; and it allows you to terminate or interrupt a defragmentation more quickly and safely than previous versions.  As with Vista, the defragmentation can be scheduled.  And NEVER defragment a solid-state drive!

COMPUTER FAQ #9: IS SURGE PROTECTION REALLY NECESSARY?  WHAT ABOUT BATTERY BACKUP? I’ve always said that I’d rather see a client spend less on the bells and whistles and more on surge protection and data backup.  Without an explanation of joules and clamp time, suffice it to say that a decent surge protector, which costs about $40, can save your entire computer system.  We live in the lightning capital of the world (click HERE for interesting lightning info), and construction is going on all over the area.  You should expect power interruptions and surges and be prepared for them.  A battery backup or UPS (“Uninterruptible Power Supply”) not only keeps your computer running for a little while if the power is cut off, but the battery itself can absorb a substantially larger “hit” from a surge than a simple surge protector.  These cost about $75 and up.  Both are an excellent investment, much less expensive than a new computer! [For more information, see the definitions in the Glossary for SURGE SUPPRESSORS and UPS.]  JUST AS IMPORTANT: Protect your telephone or cable modem line.  Your surge protector or UPS should include protection for these two inputs to your computer.  Almost half of the power surges that damage computers are found to have come into the computer, not from the power line, but from the telephone or cable connection.  Protect it!  ALSO, don’t plug your laser printer into the UPS or surge protector (see discussion in TIPS) because it may exceed the power limit when it starts up or damage the printer.  Inkjet printers, however, can be plugged into the UPS outlets.

COMPUTER FAQ #10: IS IT O.K. TO DAISY-CHAIN SURGE PROTECTORS AND UPSs?  No.  Each unit should be plugged into a properly grounded outlet for optimum power protection.  “Daisy-chaining” protection devices (plugging one into another) will not provide any additional surge protection, or UPS runtime, and will effectively result in overloading the first UPS or surge protector on the line, knocking out all of the others downline.  If you have them, connect each separately.

COMPUTER FAQ #11: WHERE’S THE BEST PLACE TO PUT MY COMPUTER? The two most physically damaging elements to computer hardware are heat and dirt.  Those fans inside your computer are there for a reason, to keep it cool.  Try not to shove your computer way back under a desk, especially if it’s in a cabinet with a door that is closed.  The heat will build up and shorten it’s life, not to mention squelching any wireless signal.  Same for dirt:  If it covers the boards, fans and components inside the machine, it will act like a blanket and cause it to overheat and possibly short out.

COMPUTER FAQ #12: MUST I RUN WINDOWS UPDATES? Years ago, I used to recommend that you periodically run Windows Updates.  These days, the Updates, usually issued on Tuesdays, are more often “patches” to correct security or incompatibility issues than to install new features (except for the last Tuesday of the month, when Microsoft releases non-security updates, those resolving Wiondows problems).  Sometimes these updates create more problems than they correct, or correct a lot of problems that the casual user might never have, particularly if an antivirus and/or firewall is installed.  I generally recommend manually reviewing the updates and only installing those that are crucial to you, perhaps just the security and critical updates.  After all, correcting problems with the Kannada or Telegu language support in Windows doesn’t affect many people.  If unsure, just wait until professional help arrives.  And never stop in the middle of an upgrade!  COROLLARY:  You SHOULD install program (particularly Adobe and Java) and Internet Explorer updates when prompted, even if you’re not currently using them.  Why?  Unpatched software can be a “back door” into your computer for unwanted intrusions and viruses.  It’s like leaving your back door open when you leave your home.

COMPUTER FAQ #13: I HAVE AN ANTI-VIRUS AND WINDOWS FIREWALL - DO I NEED ANOTHER FIREWALL? As you probably know, antivirus protects your computer from malicious code that is introduced to your computer, while the purpose of a firewall is to protect your computer from unwanted intrusions onto your computer, good or bad. For residential users, the Windows firewall in XP and Vista is usually sufficient.  Many users also have a hardware firewall if they use a router.  If you have a broadband (i.e. cable, DSL) connection, your modem is on 24/7 and it’s “address” never changes, so once someone has that address, they can theoretically get back into your computer.  The firewall that comes with Windows can prevent this and protect you from “incoming” communication.  The additional software programs (e.g. Black Ice, Zone Alarm) that you can purchase also provide a firewall covering “outgoing” communication, by limiting the websites that you can access from the computer.  Trouble is, the insistent questioning by the firewall program itself can be annoying to residential users.  Business users, however, should almost always have a full firewall installed.

COMPUTER FAQ #14: SHOULD I UPGRADE MY OPERATING SYSTEM?  This decision depends on several factors which you must consider.  These include (1) the age of your computer, (2) the age of your peripherals (printers, scanners, monitors, etc.), (3) the software (particularly proprietary programs) that you are using and (4) the nature of the particular operating system upgrade.

Whether your have an Apple or a PC, you’ve got to see if the new upgrade has features that are truly important to you.  If not, why bother?  (Of course, if you have to have the same O/S as your office, that’s another story, you may have to upgrade for sheer consistency.)  If you have a PC running Windows XP, leaving Microsoft’s most popular, and now unsupported, O/S isn’t completely necessary.  XP is still the most used O/S right now.  It’s successor, Vista, was never widely adopted.  And Windows 7, while very nice, can involve both software and hardware obsolescence (see below).  The move from Apple Snow Leopard to Apple Lion has the same drawbacks.

If you have Windows XP, I would say leave it as is. Just use your computer, which may be approaching the end of its useful life anyway, because it may not be able to physically handle Windows 7’s heavy demands.   Although it is more than 10 years old, XP is an extremely stable operating system, is quite widely adopted, and will still be supported by Microsoft through 2014.  Vista, on the other hand, offered very little improvement and caused many problems so, unless it came pre-installed on your computer, don’t ever upgrade to it.   Windows 7, which came out on 10/22/09 not only fixed Vista’s shortcomings, but has turned out to be an excellent O/S.  But it takes a lot of power, so be sure your hardware can handle it (not an issue, of course, if you purchase it pre-loaded on a new computer).  [You can speed it up by typing “adjust” in the “search” box on the Start button, then disabling items in Visual Effects.]  Also, as Windows 7 is a completely new rewrite of Windows, you may have some issues with the availability of or incompatibility with legacy (older) drivers (for some  printers, scanners, cards) and programs (e.g. Photoshop, QuickBooks), including some utilities (Flash, Nero, RealPlayer).  So check first for available drivers and updates (especially if you upgrade to 64 bit Win 7), if you want to continue to use your old programs and hardware.  I hate to say it, but you may need a new computer. 

Similarly, Apple switched to Intel processors in 2006, which required it to write completely new software for the different machine architecture.  So, while Apple Lion adds new features over OS X Snow Leopard, including an iPad-style interface, wireless file sharing and an expanded group of multi-touch gestures, it removed some software such as Rosetta and may require upgrades for other programs such as Photoshop and Office. 

[For both O/S’s, the adoption of cloud software may soften the issue, since they are platform neutral, and any upgrade of software will fall on the cloud vendors themselves.]

Consider the issues above, and there’ll be few surprises if you decide to upgrade. 

COMPUTER FAQ #15: HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE SPYWARE ON MY COMPUTER? A sure sign that you have a virus or spyware on your computer is if it has become noticeably sluggish when operating.  Also, if you feel like operating your computer has become like playing “Whac-A-Mole,” x-ing out an endless string of pop-up ad windows.  (You know, that arcade game where you hit pop-up “moles” with a mallet and, as soon as you hit one, another one pops right up somewhere else.)  Other indicators: Redirection to websites other than the one you wanted to go to, new toolbars that mysteriously show up on your web browser, new icons in the task tray, a new home page on your browser, a change in your search engine or the appearance of Windows error messages or other purported Microsoft messages.  For more information about spyware, adware and the like see SPYWARE link.

COMPUTER FAQ #16: WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT SPAM?   Here are just a few tips on spam prevention:  1.) Do NOT click on removal button of known spammers, it only lets them know you are there.  [Although legitimate (corporate) e-mail spam may be removed using the unsubscribe button (or SafeSubscribe)]  True spammers, don’t even try. 2.) Use a "disposable" e-mail address for lists, etc. I have a separate e-mail account at g-mail (they do a great job on spam by the way). I use this account for all the newsletters, list-serves, etc. that I am on. I can easily shut it down anytime I want without losing important info. 3.) Make certain that when you do opt-in to a list or S/N site that privacy restrictions are in place. 4.) Use a spam filter like iHateSpam or Spam Arrest to weed things out before they come to you. [See the Links and Baseline and Security pages in this site].   5.)  READ the boilerplate, EULA or installation information before installing software to be sure you’re not agreeing to additional software installation, and uncheck boxes that agree to these items.

COMPUTER FAQ #17: SHOULD I SWITCH FROM MICROSOFT OFFICE TO ONE OF THE FREE OR WEB OFFICE SUITES?  It depends, but probably not, for several reasons:  First, Microsoft products are designed for consistency and interoperability.  Second, the web-based office suites (think Google, Adobe, Think Free, Zoho), while universally accessible, are dependent on the speed and availability of internet access.  And, even if stored on a local drive, your data will reside on the Web, which may cause privacy concerns.  Third, Office dominates the office suite market, meaning you’ll be exchanging documents with customers and partners for the foreseeable future.  Fourth, your templates and macros in office may not work with the web software, nor may you be able to link to an external server.  Finally, there will be a learning curve switching the software.  These problems are more apparent for web-based software, but also apply to free-ware (Star Office, Open Office, and IBM Lotus Symphony which are free or at minimal cost; available for Windows, Mac, Solaris and Linux).  Also, for a small fee for up to 3 users, SoftMaker Office, at $79.95.  If you’re a home user balking at the high cost of Office, either use the Windows word processor (Wordpad) or MS Works, and perhaps that will suffice.  If you are a small office, try and purchase less than the full MS Office package (i.e. basic, free but ad supported or student edition).  Although web-based or freeware office suites are getting much better, there are still compatibility issues if you’re exchanging work or personal data with others, particularly users of Microsoft Office. If your computer came with Star or Open Office and you’re just using it for yourself, it’ll probably suffice.  But beware formatting problems exchanging documents between Open Office and MS Office since Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems (who bought out the original StarDivision developer) in 1999, creating incompatabilities between older Office versions, resulting in the offshoot development of LibreOffice by disgruntled Oracle developers.  Oracle has finally given the code to Apache, so it’s open again, but it’s still not the same thing as the original Open Office.

COMPUTER FAQ #18: SHOULD I CONSIDER GETTING A VOIP TELEPHONE SERVICE OR A MAGICJACK?  Services like Vonage and Skype are cost effective and a useful alternative to land line telephone services, particularly for those who have heavy long-distance bills, but there are negatives and limitations.  For a full discussion, see the TELEPHONE page of this site.

COMPUTER FAQ #19: TO UPGRADE (HARDWARE) OR NOT - IS THAT THE QUESTION?  Years ago, when computers cost a lot more and new boards and other components weren’t being introduced and replaced as quickly, upgrading a computer was quite common, just as “overclocking” made the machine faster.  But today, it is usually more cost effective to completely replace the CPU than to upgrade it.  There are several reasons for this:  Main boards are often manufactured for a short period, and can be proprietary, so that they cannot be replaced. [For example, we had a Dell XPS tower, less than a year old, for which we couldn’t get a replacement main board.]  Main boards also have limitations on the processor, RAM and other attachments that cannot be exceeded without replacing some of the other components as well, usually not worth the total cost.  Also, even if only some components can be upgraded on the main board, it often requires additional hardware, such as RAM, fans or heat syncs, which again increase the cost of the upgrade beyond the expense of a new computer (and you’ll still have an old main board).  Many of the less expensive computers have everything on the main board (not separate riser cards), so that the failure or replacement of any major component may well make the entire machine a throw-away. CONCLUSION:  Usually, unless you are increasing the RAM, adding an additional or replacement hard drive or repairing a power supply, these days you’re better off with a new CPU rather than attempting an upgrade.  Check with your computer pro first.  VISTA, WIN7 NOTE:  While you can increase the amount of RAM on most boards, the CPU speed might require another main board, or the amount or type of RAM that can be recognized by your main board may be limited, so check your hardware requirements before upgrading your O/S (See #14 above).

COMPUTER FAQ #20: WHAT’RE ALL THOSE “F” KEYS AT THE TOP OF MY KEYBOARD AND WHAT DO THEY DO? Years ago, before the mouse and Windows were invented, computer users had to type “commands” using their keyboards, because that was all they had.  So, for example, if you wanted a word to be shown in bold type, you would type Ctrl+B to start the bold attribute, then Ctrl+B again to stop it.  As the number of these commands increased, computer keyboards were built with so-called “function” keys across the top, which were shortcuts (macros) for the keyboard commands.  So, for example, in Word Perfect Version 5, the shortcut for bold might have been the F4 key.  After a while, the 12 function keys weren’t sufficient for all of the new commands, so another 12 resulted from the combination of the Shift+F keys; another 12 with the Ctrl+Fkeys; still another 12 with the Alt+F keys.  People who used certain programs like word processors actually had templates, and later flip charts, attached to the top of their keyboards detailing all of the function key combinations.  For example, click HERE to see a chart I recently created for Word.  This became rather burdensome, so with the invention of the mouse came the Windows menu bar with its drop-down and fly-out menus, allowing you to see and click on the various commands.  The function keys became largely an anachronism with the exception of certain (usually proprietary) programs which specifically require you to use a function key.  Still, by force of habit, the standard 101 key IBM-type keyboard retains the function keys.

COMPUTER FAQ #21: WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH MUSIC AND VIDEO DOWNLOAD SITES? Let me explain once again why P2P networks are such a great security threat:  These file-sharing networks (KaZaa, Napster, Morpheus, Limewire and even BitTorrent), when used by the uninitiated (or uncaring) can easily result in the sharing of confidential information, sometimes illegally.   Most often this occurs because users (or their progeny) have installed a P2P program to download music or a TV show, then routinely clicked “O.K.” to all questions during the install process.  One of those questions was undoubtedly which folder to share files from, and often the default is the Windows “My Documents” folder.  The result is that everything, whether business, personal or confidential in the default My Documents folder can be shared, literally with the world.  In addition, you are downloading files from an unknown, possibly virus infected, computer which could result in infecting your own computer or even the entire network that you may be on.  Even in large businesses, one simple P2P music download can result in the sharing of thousands of confidential or proprietary documents.  If you run a business, you should periodically search the Internet to determine whether you have had any security breaches.  You might be surprised by the results...

COMPUTER FAQ #22: HOW COME MY COMPUTER DOESN’T LOSE THE DATE AND TIME, EVEN WHEN IT’S UNPLUGGED? Your timer coffee pot won’t remember, how come your computer can?  The reason that your computer doesn’t forget the date and the time and “what it is” (its drives, software, settings) is because there is a very small, low voltage battery on the main board that saves these settings.  The battery is commonly a silver nickle-sized device that is held on the board by a spring clip.  As your computer ages, especially if it remains unplugged for lengthy periods of time, the battery will eventually run down, and must be replaced.  If you notice that your Windows clock is losing time, it’s a good indication that it’s time to replace the battery, otherwise you may lose some crucial settings and have to rebuild the BIOS.

COMPUTER FAQ #23: SHOULD I CONSIDER GETTING A LAPTOP? A NETBOOK? AN iPAD? Laptops can be great.  They take up much less of a physical “footprint” than a desktop and can transported to operate at more than one location.  But there is a cost for this.  Laptops can be more expensive than desktop computers:  The smaller the computer, and the greater number of desktop features, the higher the cost.  Laptops generally have a shorter life - 5 years on the average vs. 7 years for a desktop.  Moreover, the screens can be tiring, as can the smaller keys, odd key layouts and built-in mouse.  For long periods of use, the laptop can be especially tiring, because the screen is lower than a desktop screen, causing you to hunch over, and the mouse and keyboard are closer together, causing more frequent mistakes.  And they run hotter, so you need to keep it well ventilated if you use it a lot, possibly putting it on a “fan pad”. If you truly require a transportable machine or have limited space, a laptop may be correct for you.  Or perhaps a netbook, a tablet (like an iPad) or a smart phone, all of which have more limited capability, may be sufficient for your needs, particularly if you only need the Internet. Figure out what you want it for, there are lots of choices in the portables category.  One more tip:  Because laptops are difficult, expensive and time consuming to repair, usually requiring return to the manufacturer, be sure to get the longest possible warranty and, if offered, the warranty that covers the machine against all damages, including possible abuse.  Even replacement of the screen (the most frequent repair) can cost hundreds of dollars.  (For a discussion of the types and features of laptops, tablets, notebooks, etc. go to “laptop” in the Glossary.) 

COMPUTER FAQ #24: HOW OFTEN SHOULD I SHUT MY COMPUTER AND OTHER HARDWARE OFF?  There’s no single answer to this question.  It depends both on your system and the amount of use.  If you have a business system running, say, Windows Server 2008 software, you should probably never shut down the server.  (In fact, Shut Down isn’t even offered as an option, except to upgrade software or hardware.)  These type of machines are designed to run continuously, 24x7x365.  The answer for a home computer is slightly different. A good rule of thumb is the “two hour rule”:  Once you’re done with your computer for the moment, you should leave it on if you expect to use it again within the next two hours or so.  If not (perhaps you’ve read your e-mail in the morning and don’t expect to return again until later in the afternoon), then turn it off.  Particularly if it’s a laptop, which generates more heat, which can decrease the overall life of the computer. (See FAQs 27 and 28 about extending laptop battery life.)  There are some popular misconceptions about power usage that, after researching, I will now dispel:  First, that turning the PC on and off will reduce its performance and useful life.  Absolutely not.  Modern computers are designed to handle some 40,000 on/off cycles before failure.  During an average computer’s 5 to 7 year life span, then, you would have to on-off cycle every five minutes of that time to harm a hard drive.  Not likely.  Second, that the power used turning on the PC negates any power savings resulting from turning it off.  Again, no.  In reality, the small surge of power created when some devices are turned on is vastly smaller than the energy used by running the device when not needed.  Third, that leaving the PC on but running the screen saver will save energy.  Nope.  Screen savers don’t save energy, and some of the more graphic-intensive ones can actually burn even more energy and prevent the computer from going into hibernation. Now, about the printers:  You should always turn off your laser printer at the end of the day or if it’s not going to be used for a while.  The fuser (that hot bar on a laser that uses heat to “fuse” the toner to the paper; see Printers for more) has to be set to a certain continuous temperature in order for the printer to print.  If continuously left on, it not only consumes power, but shortens the life of the fuser itself.  Inkjet printers can consume power as well, why not shut them off.  Today’s flat panel monitors use less power and generate less heat than the old CRT monitors, but you can and should save power by turning them off when not in use for any substantial period of time. See Tip #34 if you’re going away for a while.

COMPUTER FAQ #25: WHY DO HACKERS AND SPYS DO WHAT THEY DO? This is one of the most frequently asked questions we get.  And there are almost as many explanations as questions.  While there are a few hackers that break into computers and networks just for the fun of showing they can do it (real experts or just “script kiddies”), this is not really the primary reason for hacking.  Denial of Service (“DOS”) attacks, which actually can “shut down” a particular web site, have their own reasons: Some, like the Twitter DOS assault in August 2009 were politically motivated (silencing blogger Georgy Jalhaia [online known as Cyxymu], a critic of the Russian Government), crippling Twitter, Facebook and LiveJournal (where Jalhaia was known to blog).  Or consider the wave of targeted attacks in January, 2010 from China on Google, Adobe and more than 20 other companies that began with users at the targeted companies getting duped by spear phishing messages with poisoned attachments, the main goal of which was to access the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists on their servers.  Iran claims that the U.S. and Israel, both of which have cyberwarfare programs, unleashed the Stuxnet worm in 2010, which allegedly sabotaged Iran’s nuclear program by attacking computers which controlled industrial and nuclear power plants.  Other hacks cover up fraud, such as when attackers have stolen ATM information and don’t want victims to be able to see their diminishing balances on their bank’s website.  Disgruntled employees can sabotage their former employer’s web site.  One company, say a car dealer, could knock out a rival dealer’s website on a particularly busy holiday or sale day.  Of course, such overkill often results in crippling tens of thousands of legitimate users of these sites as well (as in the Twitter attack).  Even more onerous, terrorists may be probing networks for electrical grids or military installations, toward disruption of our way of life.  Why such an increase lately?  If you read the SPYWARE section of this site, you will see that there are many botnets of infected computers all over the Internet, just waiting for the instruction to launch attacks, infect with viruses or send spam.  No password cracking is necessary.  Of late, the creators of these botnets actually “rent” these networks to those willing to pay as little as $200 per incident.  It’s as simple as a couple of clicks and entering an address, no hacking ability necessary.  Hence the doubling of botnet activity in the last year alone.  As for spam, keyloggers and the like, as discussed in the SPYWARE page of this site, the overriding purpose is to make money, either through pay-per-click referrals through a page hijacker or pop-up, or tracking of visited sites and sending e-mail and advertisements that a viewer might likely click on. As bank robber Willie Sutton used to say: “Follow the money.”  Consider, for example, the indictment in mid-2010 of three men for “scareware” pop-ups such as AntiVirus 20XX, WinFixer and VirusRemover 20XX, who tricked users into installing malicious software by leading them to believe their computers were infected - They raised $100 million alone on these products by using deceptive screens and checkboxes on web sites.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Even legitimate advertising is unbelievably lucrative:  Take Google, for example:  Advertisers bid on specific words or phrases, and Google attempts to show ads to people who are most likely to click on them.  If someone clicks, the advertiser pays Google for that click.  You probably know this.  But how much they pay is often quite surprising.  According to WordStream, the following per-click rates are currently (8/2011) applicable:  “auto insurance price quotes” is $54.91; “consolidate graduate student loans” is $44.28; “alcohol rehab center” goes for $33.59; and “cord blood bank” costs $27.80.  For each click! Yeah, follow the money.

A good explanation of the source of corporate data theft is provided by the 2010 Data Breach Investigation Report jointly issued by Verizon and the U.S. Secret Service.  According to the report, 85% of all stolen data records can be traced to organized crime.  Insiders, like employees, seem to participate in much smaller breaches: While they were actively involved in 48% of the breaches, they were implicated in only 3% of the total records stolen.  Even more surprising, no foreign governments at all were implicated in data thefts.  How do they get the data? 98% was snatched directly from the company servers through malware or hacking.  The second most popular method is by infections requiring user interaction (“click here to clean your system”).  Keyloggers, while making up about 36% of breaches, accounted for only about 1% of the collected data.  Even more interesting, there wasn’t a single reported instance where malware exploited a system or software vulnerability.  Of course, this is just last year’s trends - they may well be different next year.

COMPUTER FAQ #26: HOW DO I CHARGE A CELL PHONE BATTERY AND HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? Depending on its usage, your cell phone may last from six hours to six days on a single charge.  You can extend the charge life by dimming the display, turning off searching features (e.g. for wi-fi, bluetooth or 3G networks), checking mail manually, turning on “airport” mode or using various conservation apps. The older batteries were made of nickel cadmium; they suffered from memory loss.  If you didn’t fully charge and then fully discharge it each time, it would hold a progressively smaller amount of juice.  The newer lithium-ion batteries don’t suffer from such memory loss - it’s safe to “top off” the battery because they can’t be overcharged - the device’s circuitry cuts off the power when full.  However, battery manufacturers still recommend that laptops not be continually connected to power once the battery is charged to capacity.  And, if it won’t be used for several months, they recommend that it be stored in a fifty percent charge state.  Eventually, every battery will fail to hold a new charge for very long, and it will be time to replace it.  Generally, batteries can be fully charged and discharged for a fixed number of “cycles,” usually between 300 and 500 cycles. [For further information, check your battery manufacturer’s website, or go to www.batteryuniversity.com.]]

COMPUTER FAQ #27: I HAVE A LAPTOP.  IS IT BAD TO LEAVE IT PLUGGED IN ALL THE TIME WITH THE BATTERY INSIDE? No. Once it’s charged 100%, it will stop charging and will work on your home or office power. It won’t hurt the battery, though, to leave it plugged in all the time. Of course, any battery will slowly degrade over time whether it’s plugged in or not, so don’t expect it to last more than three years or so either way (See next topic for more discussion).  It’ll still degrade even if you unplug it and leave it in a drawer; but at least it’ll provide some UPS protection if you leave it plugged in.  On the other hand, if it’s out, your computer might run cooler with the additional ventilation. 

COMPUTER FAQ #28: HOW DO I EXTEND THE LIFE OF MY LAPTOP BATTERY? [Most recent computers have lithium ion (“Li-ion” or “LIB”) batteries, so these comments are limited to these types.] Battery experts recommend the following:  Keep your batteries at room temperature and especially away from heat.   Because batteries deteriorate about the same over time, whether or not they’re used, getting two at the same time doesn’t help much.  Even if you store it in your refrigerator (contrary to popular myth).  But you can purchase a high capacity lithium ion battery, which will probably last longer.  (Don’t forget to check the manufacturing date, get one that’s recent; some of those Internet specials probably aren’t.)  Generally, don’t completely discharge a lithium ion battery, with one exception: After about 30 charges or more, you should almost completely discharge (see below) then recharge the battery, eliminating the condition known as “digital memory,” which results in decreasing accuracy in your device’s power gauge, among other things.  Discharge resets the gauge.  Whatever you do, never completely discharge a lithium ion battery, because if it falls below 2.5 volts per cell, a safety circuit built into the battery opens and the battery will appear to be dead, and cannot be resuscitated with the  original charger (a special charger with a “boost function” may have a chance of restoring power). If you must store a laptop battery, never store if fully charged, you’ll be sorry.  You should discharge it to about 40%, then store it in a cool place (refrigerator is O.K., but not the freezer).  Note:  This information is equally applicable to your cell phone battery.  And, to answer another frequently asked question - CAN A BAD BATTERY HURT MY COMPUTER? - the answer is no.  If you’re on electric power, it’s not being used.  If not, it’ll just shut your machine off, and you may lose your data if you’re working on something at the time (and ignore the warnings) but it will have no effect on performance nor will it damage your computer.

COMPUTER FAQ #29: I’M GETTING A NEW COMPUTER, DO I HAVE TO WIPE MY HARD DRIVE AND, IF SO, HOW MUCH?  Whether discarding your old computer, or just your old hard drive, it’s always a good idea to “wipe” (erase) your personal data off of the drive.  Not only that, if you have installed any programs other than those that came with the computer, you should also uninstall those and wipe any data associated with them, otherwise you may not be able to reinstall them on your new computer.  How seriously you should delete your data and programs depends on what you stored on your computer.  If it’s just a bunch of website “favorites” (bookmarks), then it’s no big deal.  Erase your e-mail account, favorites, browsing history and documents, and you’re O.K.   If you use online banking or bill paying, erase your web links from your favorites, and also your cookies, which might contain some data.  Nothing else is on your computer from those sites.  But if you use the computer for business, investing or tax purposes, you might want to consider wiping all information off the entire drive.  Just “deleting” the data may not do the trick.  In fact, when you cut, move, delete or otherwise erase a file from any location on your computer, Windows doesn’t normally do anything to the file’s original data but, instead, the file’s header is simply changed to mark the space as available for reuse (until overwritten). If it hasn’t been overwritten yet, then the original data can be recovered with any unerase, undelete or file-recovery tool.  There are many free and paid programs that will wipe a drive.  Many promise that they make multiple “passes” over the disk in order to fully erase that data.  It may not really be all that necessary: This technology originated a long time ago when data could be found and restored because it was stored more contiguously; these days, with faster drives and different technology, the only gain from multiple passes is drive wear and time lost. Besides, if someone wants to get your data, there are lots easier ways (key logging, social networking, malware and the like) and few people are running around willing to spend the time and expense of decoding discarded drives.  Unless you’re in the mob or on the run from the IRS, you probably don’t require sophisticated drive wiping technology.  And, if you’re really into wiping info, don’t forget to wipe (or just overwrite) your router settings as well if you’re discarding the router.

COMPUTER FAQ #30: HOW CAN I BEST PROTECT MY COMPUTER FROM VIRUSES & SPYWARE? Click here for the link to the SPYWARE page and a discussion (“How to Protect Yourself”) about how to protect yourself from viruses, intrusions, spyware, keyloggers, social interaction and the like.

COMPUTER FAQ #31: SHOULD I GET A WIRELESS ROUTER AND, IF SO, WHICH ONE?  Wireless routers not only help you get an Internet signal throughout your house, or even outside of your house quite easily, but also allow several users connected to that router to access the Internet simultaneously.  So, while you’re using the Internet in your office, your wife could use the Internet in the kitchen to get a recipe, while your kids could be gaming on the Internet out at the pool.  An additional benefit is that wireless routers have a built-in firewall to protect you from malicious hackers.  A router is an electronic box that takes the Internet signal received from the cable or DSL modem, splits it up into at least four signals, and broadcasts them either wired or wirelessly to computers throughout your home or office.  They cost between $60 and $150 and come in current versions known as “G” and “N”.  The “N” series are faster (you can download that movie in less time)  and have more range (can pass through more physical obstacles and travel further).  I recommend the N series.  Also, if you expect interference from other electronic devices such as cordless phones and microwave ovens) the N series routers can also be “dual band” which is a little more costly but solves these potential issues.  Finally, there are “Powerline” routers, which operate through your electrical system, but they can be slower and spotty.  The newer ones are much faster, though, and can be used to create “hybrid” wired and wireless networks.  See the discussion HERE.  In reality, your Internet travels at only 5 to 11 Mbps, far less than the 300 Mbps that the N signal transmits.  But, if you’re downloading large files or tranferring files between computers, it may be necessary.  Also, if you have the choice, always use a cable to connect to the router (for example on your main computer), as it will always be twice as fast (100 Mbps vs. 54Mbps) as wireless.  Finally, if you’re buying a router now or in the future, make sure it is IPv6 compatible, as this will be necessary for future web surfing.  Dual Stack IPv4/IPv6 is fine. Click HERE to link for more about IPv.

COMPUTER FAQ #32: SHOULD I GET A 32 BIT OR A  64 BIT WINDOWS SYSTEM?   First of all, if you’re not even sure what the difference is, you’d better click HERE.  Now, even though the 64 bit version of Windows has been available since the introduction of XP in 2005, very few processors were available back then with 64 bit architecture, so getting it was kind of pointless.  Not much 64 bit software was written, either.  Now, virtually every piece of hardware supports 64 bit, including printer and card drivers.  So, should you go to 64 bit and, if so, why?  The answer is yes, it’s here and it’s the future.   One of the primary benefits is that the 64 bit registers make it possible to surpass the 32 bit 4GB RAM limitation, so you can increase your RAM to 8GB (Win 7 Starter and Home Basic), 16GB (Home Premium) or even up to 192GB (Professional and Ultimate versions).  RAM is far less expensive than processors and even a moderate increase in RAM will noticeably speed up your operations, particularly if you are running several things at once or are using memory-hogging applications such as video, music and image editing. Why not, then?  If you are running some sort of proprietary program that will not operate on a 64 bit system (you have to check this; also check to see if it might still run on XP compatibility mode, even if it won’t run in 64 bit mode), or if you have legacy hardware that doesn’t have 64 bit drivers, and you want to keep it; or if you have some applications (used to be iTunes, Google’s Chrome or Adobe Flash, all of which seem to be O.K. now) which don’t play well with Win 7 64 bit; or if you just don’t need the power -  then you might want to hold back on the upgrade.  Otherwise, it’s a good bet now and for the future.  If you’re buying a new computer, you’re probably safe.  If you’re upgrading, check the Windows site for the minimum hardware recommendations to be sure you’re safe.

COMPUTER FAQ #33: CAN COMPUTER VIRUSES HARM HARDWARE?  We’ve heard this question enough that it bears answering:  Yes.  Computer viruses can harm your computer hardware as well as the hardware that it may control.  Witness the Stuxnet virus of 2010, which was used to burn out the centrifuges in Iran’s nuclear program by causing them to increase their speed until they self-destructed.  Your computer accepts and generates instructions that control itself and other hardware and, when those instructions are corrupted, the hardware can suffer.  That being said, most viruses don’t do this, but instead are content to spy on you or use your contacts to make money by redirecting your searches toward sites where they can make money off of you.

COMPUTER FAQ #34: CAN I RECOVER A FILE I HAVE DELETED?   We’ve all done it - that “d-oh” moment when we realize we deleted a file we now need.  It just can’t be gone forever.  Can it?  The good news is that with the newer operating systems, there’s at least some chance that it may be recoverable.  But first, let’s get this straight:  If you’ve never saved the file, it’s gone forever.  It you’ve created a document, then didn’t save it when prompted, it’s gone.  That’s it.  But if you’ve actually created and saved it at one time or another, it may be retrievable.  These are your choices:  Recent deletions may be recovered from the Recycle Bin (all recent versions of Windows have this feature).  Not so recent?  Try the Restore Previous Versions function if you have Windows 7.  Also, if you have Windows 7 backup or other (e.g. Acronis) backup software, you can recover from that.  Finally, you may be able to recover it from an old System Image.  System Restore won’t save earlier versions of your data files, though (see Computer Tips #23 for more).  If it’s really, really important (e.g. a tax return), and it hasn’t been overwritten (which depends on how long ago you deleted it), a computer expert may be able to recover it.  But it’ll cost.

COMPUTER FAQ #35: HOW MUCH SHOULD I TRUST CUSTOMER SUPPORT?  In a perfect world, the technical support from every vendor, including Microsoft and Apple, would demonstrate a complete knowledge of their products and interactions.  But, alas, this isn’t always the case.  First, let me say that there are many technical support people who are excellent.  Apple, particularly, usually delivers a high level of support, although I’ve had a few exceptions, probably newbies.  Microsoft and Linksys are also usually pretty good, although you may have to go to a higher level of support to reach the more knowledgeable reps.  The lowest level simply uses “cookbooks” of instructions that the rep parrots back to you, having no personal experience with your problem.  But, in general, because customer support isn’t an income generating part of the company, it suffers from poor training, outsourcing and lack of response and is often judged more by the number of calls handled per day rather than customer satisfaction (despite the survey you may complete).  Forgetting the more obvious problems of not understanding what the tech is saying (poor English skills), knowing that they’re wrong and either getting no return calls or e-mails, watch out for the following:  Any tech who tells you that the answer to your problem is to either (1) purchase additional software to diagnose or correct the problem, (2) reformat and reinstall your system [probably failing to mention that all will be lost] or (3) taking control over your system remotely without telling you what he will be doing while he is doing it.  It’s like telling you that, in order so fix that sink leak in your bathroom, you have to strip the room down to the walls, then rebuild it.  Overkill would be an understatement.  A professional computer consultant has lots of tools and skills at his disposal to attempt to solve the problem short of refomatting. These are signs that you have a “one solution tech rep” who gives the same solution to everyone and who probably doesn’t fully understand the software and its interaction with operating systems.  You’re far better off  either Googling, checking blogs or forums or even checking the vendor’s FAQs before calling for technical support.   But Beware:  Many of those people on blog and tech support sites that offer advice can’t see your computer directly, so their solutions may be incorrect, inappropriate or even damaging to your computer.  I’ve seen this happen.  There’s no substitute for sitting in front of a damaged computer and seeing the whole picture.  The internet advice might have worked on someone else’s computer, but they might have actually had a completely different problem than yours, just the same symptoms.  Don’t trust just anyone because they claim they have a solution.

COMPUTER FAQ #36: WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO TRANSFER DOCUMENTS TO MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS?  We get asked this quite a bit.  Say you’re having a meeting and want to make sure all seven recipients, not all of which are in your office, get a copy of your fifteen page document ahead of time.  What are your choices?  Well, of course you could print, collate, staple and deliver it to each of them.  That’d be time consuming, expensive and use lots of trees.  Then again, you could e-mail to each of them, letting them decide whether to print it out, but that assumes that each has the correct program and version to open it, and retain the formatting, which may be important to you.  This may be easier if you are in a cloud environment, which will be consistent, at least within a company, but what about outsiders?  Your best bet is to transmit a PDF file.  It will retain the formatting intended by the sender, will be secure, and is compressed for faster transmission.  Most of the newer Office programs even include a “Save as PDF” button right there for you.  And, even if you don’t have Adobe Acrobat, which can cost a bit, there are lots of free programs such as PDFCreator, deskPDF and CutePDF, all of which will do the trick nicely (See Links).

COMPUTER FAQ #37: WHAT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE DOCUMENTS FOR E-DISCOVERY?  If you’re in any type of business, odds are that someday, you’ll be unlucky enough to be involved in a lawsuit.  And, if you are, you’ll be asked to produce whatever documents are relevant or may possibly produce relevant information about the litigation.  Even if you’re not a direct party to the dispute.  Years ago, this was bad enough.  It was reams of paper.  But now, in the electronic information age, it’s a serious burden.  Consider: Not just paper documents, but audio and video tapes, e-mails, texts, collaborations and all of their incremental backups at the very least.  Wherever it’s stored:  Computers, laptops, iPads, cell phones, all of them.  It is therefore imperative that you prepare for this immediately, before any litigation, because if you can’t timely comply with a court-ordered discovery request, you may suffer severe consequences.  See, Laws.  Developing your storage and identification strategy well before litigation will make it so you can identify and retrieve the relevant documents quickly and easily and won’t be in the position of altering the metadata (the data about the data) which attaches to it.  Also, you won’t be risking failure to comply with a litigation “hold” order.  You should consider your business processes, the data that they generate, how the data created and stored and who is in charge of it.  It may even dictate how you archive and back up your data.  This proactive approach does consume some thought and time, but it will save you time, cost and liability in the event of litigation, when it will probably be too late and may well bring your organization to a standstill.  See, Disaster Recovery Plans for more.

COMPUTER FAQ #38: MY COMPUTER KEEPS SHUTTING DOWN, WHAT CAN I DO?  Computers can shut down, with or without rebooting, for any number of reasons.  Viruses, failing hard drives or power supplies, power surge damage, to name a few.  But by far the most common cause is overheating, so check this first.  And it’s an easy fix.  If you’ve ever looked inside your computer case (or unscrewed the back of your laptop), you’ll notice a number of fans and a finned metal heat sink over the processor and maybe another on the video card.  When these parts accumulate dust, they can be far less efficient in their duties cooling the computer chip and other parts in the case.   The heat sink wicks heat off of the processor chip over which it is attached; the fans remove heat from the boards and case.  Most parts operate efficiently at temperatures below 100 degrees or so, but the temperature of a chip can exceed five times that if there is a problem.  [Luckily, most motherboards have a fail-safe that will shut down the computer if it suspects overheating.  That’s one indication of an overheating issue.]  Often, just removing the cover, then (gently) removing the dust on those parts with a vacuum or canned air will solve the problem.  On older computers, if the problem persists and you feel mechanical, you may have to remove the heat sink, scrape off the special thermal paste that cements it to the chip, and put in new paste before reassembling.  Or oiling the fan spindle, if you know how.  There are several programs (e.g. Intel Active Monitor, SpeedFan, available on-line which let you monitor your system’s temperatures if you feel like trying them, and your motherboard manufacturer should be able to tell you the proper temperature range.  If the problem still persists, at least your system is clean.

COMPUTER FAQ #39: HOW CAN I SET UP PARENTAL CONTROLS FOR MY KIDS?  Once you face the fact that many kids (or their helpful friends) will welcome the opportunity to figure out how to get around any controls you install, there are many types of controls you can set up.  The younger your children are, the more success you will have.  Easiest are the controls which come built right in to you operating system.  In current Windows systems, you should first set up unique user accounts for each child.  (Control Panel>Add or Remove User Accounts>Create New Account).  Once it is set up, click on the “Set Up Parental Controls” link where it says “Additional Things You Can Do”.  You will see a screen  which will let you set up time limits for use, game ratings, program limits and the like.  If you sign up for a Windows Live ID (free), you can do more.  After you sign in, you will notice an option to “Monitor Account” to the right of each of the accounts.  If you check that option and select a Family Safety Member for monitoring (both web and offline activities), it’ll walk you through the setup.  Once installed, you can block websites and other activities, and enable or disable lots of other features, including how often and how to view the activity report.  Want even more?  There are lots of specialized programs, both free and paid, as well as settings from various ISPs, such as AOL. 

COMPUTER FAQ #40: WHY CAN’T I PLUG IN MY HEADSET, MOUSE OR KEYBOARD ON MY NEW LAPTOP?  In the world of computers, things are constantly changing.  Keyboard plugs have evolved from DIN to PS2 to USB connectors, mice from serial to PS2 to USB connectors.  Now, headsets have changed connectors from the two-prong type (audio and mic) to a single pin headphone connector.  While adaptors are sometimes available to bridge the gap for these changes, it’s not guaranteed that they will work or continue to work.  For more, see photos at Connectors.

COMPUTER FAQ #41: HOW CAN I PROTECT MY CELL PHONE AGAINST HACKING?  Now that cell and smart phones have replaced many laptops for mobile apps, they can be hacked just like the computers they are:  Hackers can remotely listen to your calls, read your texts, track your movements, snap photos with your cell camera, even access your passwords to bank and billing accounts.  A sophisticated hacker can even have your phone transmit audio and video when it is turned off, allowing them access to intimate encounters or sensitive business negotiations.  Most compromises come through what’s called the “man-in-the-middle” attack (see Spyware), which is when someone hacks into the phone’s operating system and reroutes data to make a pit stop at a snooping third party before sending it on to its destination.  How to protect yourself:  The only sure way is to remove your phone’s battery (or maybe use a prepaid disposable SIM card, if your carrier uses cards), but that’s a big inconvenience for something that may never happen.  Many of the usual cautions for computers apply:  If you receive a message from your cell phone provider asking for permission to “reprovision” or alter any of your phone’s settings due to some network outage or other problem, don’t click O.K. but call the carrier directly to verify this.  Same for downloading apps from an unknown developer.   Don’t agree to grant permissions to app developers that may be overreaching, like making phone calls or playing audio when it doesn’t seem to be necessary for a game.  Don’t download free unofficial versions of popular apps.  Do download anti-virus and anti-malware apps as well as security updates for your phone.  Look for unexplained increases or charges on your cell phone bill, delayed e-mails or texts, slowness in receiving e-mails and shortened battery life.  Try to use 3G rather than Wi-Fi if available, 3G is much more secure. 

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