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Computer Mistakes.....
And How to Avoid Them!
An Educational E-book
Written by Conan Stevens
Distributed by www.ComputerHelpers.com.au
Forward
At long last a book written for computer users to help them
avoid the most common
problems with their computers, written in a simple, easy to read format.
This guide should serve as a starting point every time you have a computer probl
em and for
that reason we recommend printing it out and keeping it handy when a problem occ
urs.
Run through the list and try the recommended solution for your compute
r problem before calling your professional technician, this should save you t
ime and money.
We would like to thank ComputerHelpers.com.au for their help in distributing thi
s free e-
book. It takes a business really focused on helping people to give away a f
ree book that
actually cuts into their profits.
!!! Please feel free to email this book to any of your friends
who might also find it helpful !!!
About the Author
Conan Stevens has been involved with computers, programming, repairing
and building for the last 23 years nobody knows home computers better.
His first experience was at the tender age of 12. The school he attended had
just taken shipment of arguably the world's first 'home' computer the
Sinclair Spectrum ZX81 with 1K of memory!
Upon entering the new computer room, he spied an older student playing
Moon Lander the basic but popular arcade game of the time. Upon asking to p
lay, the
older student said Yes, sure but you have to write it yourself and plonked down a
large
book on programming.
To look back now and imagine how much different his life would have progressed
had he
played the game a couple of times and wandered off again.....
His interest gradually changed from programming to hardware and building compute
rs. He
has since worked as a computer repairer, Broadband Internet helpdesk senior, con
sultant to
businesses, laptop repair specialist, network installer, computer
manufacturer,
reconditioning expert, and salesman. For 23 years he has lived
, worked and breathed
computers, there is no problem Mark has not seen and fixed before.
Mark currently holds the position of Head Technician at ComputerHelpers.com.au,
helping
and guiding the next generation of Technicians with his vast knowledge and exper
ience.
Table Of Contents
CHAPTER PAGE
1 Introduction 4
2 Check your Cables & Switches 5
3 Common Printer Problems 6
4 Boot Troubles? 7
5 Reboot Your Computer 8
6 Anti-Virus Information 9
7 Lack Of Training 10
8 Dial Up Connection Problems 11
9 Taking Back Your Internet Start Page 12
10 Banking and Funds Scams 13
11 Upgrade or Buy a New Computer? 14
12 Non-Professional Help 15
13 Backing Up 16
14 Mistake Number 13 17
BONUS Cut your telephone bill in Half!
18
So Long And Thanks For All The Fish. 19
About Computer Helpers
Computer Helpers is distributing this book to all clients in the hope that it w
ill help them,
and stand the company in the highest praise of its customers, thereby creating
goodwill and
cutomer loyalty. The Computer Helpers repair business can best be summed up
by their
service promise and guarantee :-
We Promise to:
Send a friendly helper,
who will arrive on time,
get your computer running smoothly
and leave you 100% satisfied....
OR we will give your money back,
no hassles, no fuss.
When you need someone you can trust to fix that computer and get it running smoo
thly call
Computer Helpers, the phone number of whom is listed at the bottom of each page
in this
Introduction
When it comes to our computers we all want them to work, and work right.....
ALL THE
TIME!
Unfortunately, the modern marvel that we call a Personal Computer is a machine,
and let's
face it - machines fail, as we all saw in Terminator II - Rise of The Machines or
2001: A
Space Odyssey !
Often they fail at the time that we seem to need them most.
This is why I have written this book, many times I have thought
to myself, Gee, the
average person must get into a heck of a mess when this happens to them and so I
gathered
my thoughts and wrote this simple guide to help the average person out in many
of those
circumstances.
When computer problems happen there are some very "obvious" reasons why they fai
l.
As computer owners, we should assume responsibility for checking
the basics, before
calling for technical help or repairs. This saves you time and money.
If you are not sure how to fix a problem yourself with this guide, then it is no
t going to be
fixable over the phone either. In all likelihood, your computer will
have be repaired in
person by a professional.
If you do need professional computer help within the Sydney (Australia) then pl
ease call
Computer Helpers, their phone number is listed at the bottom of each page.
Listed below are some things every computer owner should check pri
or to making that
repair call, so read on and enjoy....
Anti-Virus Information
Things like your computer acting erratically, locking up, blue screening, or jus
t not running
at its usual performance pace often signify that the strange behavior of the
computer is
indeed the work of a virus .
What exactly is a virus? A virus is a computer program written to reproduce itse
lf, spread
and quite often, cause damage by impacting computer performance or deleting data
. While
dangerous, a virus cannot spread on its own; it must be executed or run to do an
y damage.
What kind of damage can a virus do? The majority of viruses are not
much more than
harmless e-graffiti (commonly known as "hoax viruses"), ways for hackers to
prove that
they could have disabled your computer system had they so desired. The viruses
with both
bark and bite, capable of crippling your operating system or wiping crucial fil
es from your
hard disk, are the REAL dangers!
So.. how can you prevent this from happening to you? Well, there are several thi
ngs that can
and should be done. First and foremost, purchase a good anti-virus program and k
eep it up-
to-date. Most people think that if they purchase the anti-virus software and i
nstall it, that
they re finished. No, no, no, no, no!
Virus protection is like taking cold medicine. You wouldn t take one dose an
d expect to
never get a cold again. Well, it s the same with updating your anti-virus software
. Because
there are as many as 6 new viruses created every day, updating should be done a
s often as
once a day.
The more often your anti-virus checks for updates, the less likely one will
slip through its
defenses.
We use and recommend Trend-Micro's PC-Cillin, it has an inbuilt firewall, inbuil
t spyware
remover, updates more often than some of the other big names in the field and t
hey have a
lot more features that the others charge seperately for.
If you have not heard of Trend-Micro, maybe you have heard of Hotmail? Trend do
all the
virus scanning for all hotmail users. We have faith that they can look after our
computer as
well.
Visit www.computerhelpers.com.au/antivirus for the latest information
on antivirus
recommendations.
If you do get a virus and cannot remove it with a change of anti-virus software
then you will
need to call a professional in to help you out.
Lack Of Training
Many of us have never thought of taking a computer lessons. Yet, we are frustra
ted when we don't know the answer.Just like learning to drive a car, the more l
essons you have, the more confident you become. A some point you gain enough ski
ll and confidence to drive by yourself, then after a short time you no longer h
ave to even think about it you just do it.
Computers are the same, once you gain a basic understanding
you will find that all programs run under generally the same rules and
are all laid out similarly. So once you
learn how to use one program you have a fair idea on all the others.
Remember how daunting your first time in the drivers seat was?
I am a true believer in continuing education and in the field of computerisatio
n it is a must.
There is an old belief that if we devote one hour each day to the subject of o
ur choice we
will become an expert in three years.
Even just 15 minutes a day for 6 months and you will get a reasonable understand
ing or
better yet book a 1 hour lesson every week with a professional to make rapid adv
ancement.
Soon your friends will be calling you the computer whiz !
Start with a typing tutor program, this will teach you the keyboard layout. Once
you know
the layout of the letters on the keyboard everything else becomes easier a
nd faster. Do a
search on Google for freeware or shareware typing tutor, to get a free program.
Next it is often useful to play simple games such as blackjack or hearts that co
mes with your
computer, this will give you familiarity with using a mouse and with the file me
nus.
After you gain these basics it is possible to join a part-time or night
coarse at your local
college or tafe to gain more skills.
The quickest, easiest way though is to call in a professional and get a lesso
n every week,
this should realistically only take 4 weeks to get you up and running to the poi
nt where you
will be able to do most things by yourself from then on even teach your friends!
Please read on to our bonus chapter on saving an average of 50% on your phone bi
lls.
Cut Your Telephone Bill in Half !!!
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the new and innovative way to make
and receive
phone calls. It involves the transmission of ordinary telephone calls ov
er the Internet. In
other words, VoIP can send voice over the Internet, rather t
han through the regular
telephone network.
Traditionally, VoIP technology has only been used by large corporations that can
afford to
invest in this cost saving technology. This same technology is now affordable di
rectly to the
consumer household.
As an VOIP user, you can make calls with any touch-tone telephone and receive ca
lls from
any type of phone on any service. If the person you are calling also has an VO
IP number,
those calls can be completely free from any telephony charges.
All you need is a broadband Internet connection, a VOIP box which you p
lug into your
router and then plug your normal telephone into the VOIP box. Then start to save
!
As VOIP technology has improved the quality of the calls is now the same stand
ard as a
standard copper line, but with much greater functionality, and cheaper cost.
A standard VOIP box will support up to two seperate telephone lines (and numbers
) over a
standard offering 256Mb Broadband Connection, this can give considerable s
avings to a
small business. Faxes are also available over this service.
Best of all you can travel around with your VOIP box and make and receive calls
as if you
were in your local area! Travel to Melbourne for business often? Take you ph
one number
with you! There is no limit how far you can travel, as long
as you have access to a
broadband internet connection at the other end.
Very exciting for businesses.
Check these call rates from one provider:
Calls between major cities 10c untimed
10c untimed
Local calls
5c per minute
National Calls
29c per minute
Calls to Mobiles
Calls within the network Free
International (26 countries) 4c per minute or less
For more up-to-date information visit:
www.ComputerHelpers.com.au/VOIP