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WINDOWS SUPPORT and ADVICE for NOVICES:We like our jobs and of course, want to make money servicing computers but unless you want to offer us a full-time job as a computer technician, you should read the following advice! If you spend time:
...it will greatly improve your level of satisfaction with your computer. A great place to start learning about protecting your computer is; Microsoft - Security at Home Automatic updating - Two of the more critical pieces of software rely heavily on updating via the Internet. They are the Windows operating system and the anti-virus program (we prefer Norton). Windows Update has several choices, to change or learn more about these settings, in Windows XP SP-2 (Service Pack 2) right-click on the 'My Computer' icon on your desktop and then left-click the 'Automatic Updates' tab.
When Windows Update is working, you will see a little yellow shield icon in your system tray (in the graphic above, it's the first icon from the left). Microsoft has a huge amount of information about this topic on it's web site for people of all computing levels. This page is a great place to start; Microsoft - Download and Updates Overview Your office productivity suite - whether it's Microsoft Office or Open Office or ... - needs to be updated via the Internet as well. Click here to access Microsoft Office Update. Norton Anti-Virus (if you chose to purchase it) works the same way. When we install it on your computer we choose to make it completely automatic to save you time and trouble. Should you wish to change these settings you can click on the 'Start' button, then 'Programs' then 'Norton'. Their updating feature is called 'Live Update'. You can also right-click the Norton Anti-Virus icon in your system tray and then left-click 'Configure'. Norton Anti-Virus' system tray icon, 2004 and previous, is the one that looks like a little computer with a yellow screen:
Norton AV 2005's icon looks like a little stethoscope in a bright yellow circle:
Norton Internet Security's 2005 icon is the dark yellow globe in Graphic 1 above. If/When we install Norton Anti-Virus, it's configured to automatically run and check your computer for viruses at 8 p.m. on Friday evening. You should leave your computer running Friday evening if you'd like to have these services do their thing. These settings can be changed by going to the Control Panel (Start>Settings>Control Panel>Scheduled Tasks). Firewall - It difficult if not impossible to overestimate the importance of a firewall. If you've been hooked up to the Internet without a firewall, someone owns your computer and it's not you! Windows XP has a simple, built-in firewall that is easy to activate. If you're running another version of Windows, there are some excellent firewall programs (that, albeit, are a little difficult for neophytes to figure out) and/or hardware firewalls available. There's some excellent info about firewalls at; Microsoft - FAQs about Firewalls Windows XP SP-2 has an improved built-in firewall. You should see a Windows Security icon in your system tray (in the graphic below it's the little red shield to the left). Double-clicking on this will bring up Windows' security settings panel. It's also accessible from the Control Panel.
The built-in Windows firewall is ok but better protection can be had by using one of the following products, Norton's being the easiest for novices. Kerio by Sunbelt (recommended, not expensive) Norton Internet Security by Symantec (getting bulkier by the year) McAfee Internet Security Suite Zone Alarm by Zone Labs (free but tries to trick you into paying) If you decide to go with a stronger, third-party solution then Windows' firewall should be disabled. You can do this from the Control Panel. Administrators, Users and Passwords - A computer (with Windows 2000 or XP) shouldn't have more than two administrator accounts. Realize that Windows XP Pro has an Administrator account that isn't listed on the 'Welcome' (sign in) screen. The account is accessible from the Welcome screen by pressing control-alt-delete (a.k.a. the three-fingered salute). Also, you shouldn't really run your computer as an Administrator (but it's kind of a pain-in-the-butt sometimes to run on a Limited User account). The Administrator account should be renamed to something different and all of the accounts should have passwords of at least eight characters, numbers and symbols mixed together and it shouldn't be something that's in the dictionary (hackers w/password cracking programs go through those first). The Guest account should be turned off. Installing programs - One of the more bothersome problems that we encounter when in the field is that people don't realize that they need to turn off their anti-virus program (and any other running programs and disconnect from the Internet) when installing new programs. To turn off Norton Anti-Virus, right-click their little icon in the system tray (see the graphic above) and then left-click 'Disable'. After installing any new program, don't forget to turn it back on! Chinese language programs & support - Be a little careful about installing Chinese language programs. It's a little technical to explain but basically, most Chinese mainland programmers use '2-bit characters' to display Chinese characters. This alters the core of the Windows operating system and can cause all kinds of weird things to happen. Chinese drivers (the software that helps the operating system control hardware) are usually no problem (if they're written correctly) but does that new piece of Chinese-made hardware you want to install require a Chinese program that may be written in 2-bit character mode? This is one reason why we use only top-of-the-line western hardware and software in the computers we build. It only takes one of these little programs to screw up your operating system. If you need a multi-lingual computer, read this page. Remote Assistance - One of the cool features of Windows XP is remote assistance. You can invite us (or someone else you trust) to use your computer via the Internet. Microsoft has a description of how to do this here. Another site has an excellent description here. Our MSN Messenger ID is; bccodotbiz Last but not least; let the computer completely start up before attempting to do anything with it, particularly connecting to the internet. Happy Computing! Should you need our help please don't hesitate to call or write. Note; We take absolutely no responsibility for the DIY (Do It Yourself) information presented here. |
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WINDOWS PC COMPUTER SUPPORT and ADVICE in ENGLISH in BEIJING! Professional, NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING COMPUTER TECHNICIANS. |
