Buying a computer is an important investment. Once you have made your purchase, you will want it to work reliably for years to come.
When You Get Home
It is important that you keep all documentation from your computer purchase. Installation codes, proof of purchase and detailed specifications on your system will be necessary if you ever need to reinstall software, have warranty work done or want to upgrade your system at a later date. Keep them in a safe place along with all your software CDs and manuals.
Installation
All the materials necessary to hook up your computer, install new software or hook up a new peripheral will be included with the respective object. These instructions will help you get everything set up and running. It is important to remember that most software companies require that you activate their products for them to function properly.
Checking for Problems
If you encounter any problems with the software or hardware you have purchased then write down any error messages or codes that you have encountered and what you were doing (i.e. installing software or trying to print a page) when the error was generated. You can then call the manufacturer’s technical support lines and they will help to resolve your problems.
Maintaining Your Hardware
Computer equipment should be placed on a sturdy table or desk, out of direct sunlight and away from other sources of heat, such as radiators. Surge protection is advisable so consider buying a power bar that has built-in surge protection or, better yet, a battery backup unit with built-in surge protection.
Dust, dirt, food, pet hair and smoke all take their toll on your computer equipment; getting into electronics, clogging fans, making keyboards sticky and leaving a grimy film on your system. A damp (not wet) cloth can be used to keep the exterior of your system clean and special cleaners are available for cleaning LCD displays. Compressed air can be used to clean fans, the interior of your system and keyboards to keep them free of dust, pet hair and food.
Most operating systems come with a suite of tools for file maintenance, including disk defragmentation. It is important to defragment your hard disk on a regular basis to keep your computer running smoothly and maintain speed. In order to run the disk defragmentation tools you must maintain at least 15% free space on your hard drives.
If you are connected to the Internet it is a good idea to run a software firewall to prevent unauthorized entry to your system and in today’s climate a good antivirus program is a must. Don’t rely on your memory key as the sole storage location of your files. Memory keys can be lost, erased by contact with magnets or become corrupted due to improper removal from a computer.
Always back up your work! Many a thesis has been lost due to equipment failure, user error and bad luck. It is time consuming and expensive to restore lost data and in many cases it is simply impossible.
