Keeping Your Home PC Healthy

1
Keeping Your Home PC Healthy

• Thomas Clark
• King Philip Middle School
• March 24, 2004

2
Introduction

• Keeping Your Home PC Healthy
• Working With Information
• Overall PC Strategies

3
Keeping Your Home PC Healthy

• How do I prevent my computer from crashing?
• Windows has many helpful programs
• Preventing a computer virus
• What is a computer virus?
• How do I protect myself?
• Recovering from crashes
• My computer crashed! What do I do now?

4
Prevent Computer Crashes

• Microsoft is constantly revising and updating
  their operating system (OS)
• Keep your Windows up to date by visiting
• http//windowsupdate.microsoft.com
• Open Internet Explorer (IE) and click on the
  tools menu and choose windows update

5
Prevent Computer Crashes (Contd)

• Windows provides tools to help keep your system
  running at its best
• Disk Scan / Disk Defragmentation (All Windows)
• Disk Cleanup (Win2K / XP)
• System Restore (ME / Win2k / XP )
• Add / Remove Programs (All Windows)

6
Preventing Computer Crashes (Contd)

• Set up Scheduled Tasks program to handle these
  weekly chores

7
Prevent A Computer Virus

• What is a computer virus?
• A computer virus is a program a piece of
  executable code that has the unique ability to
  replicate. Like biological viruses, computer
  viruses can spread quickly and are often
  difficult to eradicate. They can attach
  themselves to just about any type of file and are
  spread as files that are copied and sent from
  individual to individual.

http//www.trendmicro.com/en/security/general/viru
s/overview.htm
8
Preventing A Computer Virus (Contd)

• How Do I Protect Myself?
• Purchase an anti-virus program
• Norton Anti-Virus
• Mcafee Virus Scan
• Trendmicro PC-Cillin
• Keep your anti-virus program up-to-date
• Use the interactive updater
• Run the weekly scan
• Maintain your subscription annually

9
Preventing A Computer Virus (Contd)

• Know Where The Online Resources Are
• Norton -- http//securityresponse.symantec.com/
• Mcafee -- http//us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/
• Trend Micro -- http//www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/
• Be Aware Of Your System Security
• Scan ALL Files you receive from friends,
  students, and loved ones
• TRUST NO FILE

10
Recovering From Crashes

• My Computer Crashed! What Do I Do?
• Reasons For Crashes
• Some Solutions For Crashes
• Where To Go For Help

11
Recovering From Crashes (Contd)

• Reasons For Crashes
• Windows Error
• Sometimes Windows just crashes / hangs
• Save Early, Save Often!
• Copy down any errors for future reporting
• (You can search Microsoft.com for more
  information)
• Hardware Error
• Nothing lasts forever
• If it doesnt work on reboot, check with the
  hardware
• vendor or any help files for more information

12
Recovering From Crashes (Contd)

• Solutions For Crashes
• Restart (Program or Computer)
• Clears buffers (Memory, Page, Interrupts)
• Resets setting
• Save Save Save!
• Use the Task Manager (All Windows)

13
Recovering From Crashes (Contd)

• Where to go for help
• Visit the website for your hardware or software
  vendor for specific help
• www.google.com
• Search for the name of the vendor using quotes
• (i.e.. 3com Network Interface Card)

14
Working With Information

• Data pl.n. Computer Science. Numerical or other
  information represented in a form suitable for
  processing by computer
• Understandable Data is Information

http//dictionary.reference.com/search?qdata
15
Working With Information (Contd)

• Information Storage Media
• Setting Up And Using Storage Devices
• Trouble Shooting Device Issues

16
Information Storage Media

• Computer Network
• A computer network is a system for communication
  among two or more computers.
• When computers are placed on a network, they are
  potentially able to share their resources. An
  important resource is hard drive space.
• Backing up the data on all the hard drives of all
  the nodes on a network is not cost effective, and
  administration of the many hard drives can be
  difficult.

http//www.worldhistory.com/wiki/c/computer-networ
k.htm
17
Information Storage Media (Contd)

• Floppy Disk
• A floppy disk is a type of data storage device
  that comprises a circular piece of thin, flexible
  (hence the name) magnetic media encased in a
  square or rectangular plastic wallet. The fact
  that the exterior aspect is not circular confuses
  some novice users. Floppy disks are read and
  written by a floppy disk drive or FDD, not to be
  confused with "fixed disk drive", which is an old
  IBM term for a hard disk drive.
• Todays Floppy Disk holds 1.44MB of data

http//www.worldhistory.com/wiki/f/floppy-disk.htm
18
Information Storage Media (Contd)

• Zip Drives
• Launched in 1995, the Iomega Zip drive is one of
  the most successful personal computer products
  ever. Home and business users have adopted the
  Zip platform by the millions, cementing its
  reputation as the reliable, high-capacity
  removable storage standard that is rugged,
  convenient and secure. With firmware-based
  password protection, drag-and-drop file
  management, and high read-write speeds (the Zip
  750MB drive outpaces most CD-RW drives in
  rewritable performance), the Zip platform
  continues to be a favorite portable storage
  solution for users today.
• Zip Disks hold 100MB 200MB or 750MB

http//www.iomega.com/na/products/product_family.j
sp?FOLDER3C3Efolder_id63233ASSORTMENT3C3East
_id63191bmUID1079916031357
19
Information Storage Media (Contd)

• CD-ROM (CD-R /RW)
• The CD-ROM was invented in 1980 by Philips in
  conjunction with SONY and in 1997 the CD-R
  technology was invented by Memorell, Maxell, and
  TDK
• CD-R/RW Discs hold up to 700MB of information
• Tips for remembering
• CD-ROM CD-Read Only Memory
• CD-R CD-Rite Once
• CD-RW CD-Re-Write

http//www.cdrfaq.org/
20
Information Storage Media (Contd)

• USB Drives (Key Drives / Thumb Drives )
• Keydrives take their power from the USB
  connection of the PC they are connected to and do
  not need batteries. They are impervious to the
  scratches and dust that have plagued previous
  forms of portable storage media like Compact
  Discs and floppy disks. Most are lightweight and
  small - about the size of a key or a thumb. They
  are popular with people who carry data between
  home and school or work and are quickly replacing
  the floppy disk as a portable data device.

http//www.worldhistory.com/wiki/k/keydrive.htm
21
Information Storage Media (Contd)

• By centralizing the hard drive space allocated to
  each user, you get the benefit of a central place
  where all files can be backed up on a tape drive.
  
• Because it is available on a network the space
  follows you to any computer you log in with
  your user name
• Use your G drive to back up all important
  documents from your teachers station

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Setup / Use Storage Devices

• Network
• Floppy
• CD-R/RW
• Zip Drive
• USB Drives
• Driver Installation
• Hardware Connection

23
Setup / Use Storage Devices (Contd)

• Drivers
• A device driver, often called a driver for
  short, is a computer program that is intended to
  allow another program (typically, an operating
  system) to interact with a hardware device.
• All hardware should come with drivers
• Be sure to install drivers BEFORE using hardware

http//www.worldhistory.com/wiki/d/device-driver.h
tm
24
Setup / Use Storage Devices (Contd)

• When Things Go Wrong
• Improperly Installed Drivers
• Connected device before install
• Incorrectly identified device
• Incorrectly removed device

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Setup / Use Storage Devices (Contd)

• Transferring Data
• Keep files in one location on home computer and
  one location on school computer
• Use your transfer media of choice
• Remember E-mail is also an option with a
  acceptably fast enough Internet connection

26
Setup / Use Storage Devices (Contd)

• Recovering Lost Data
• Windows Programs
• Windows Restore will not recover lost data ?
• Control Z works in most programs to undo one or
  more levels of mistakes. This can bring back cut
  or deleted information (except Recycle Bin
  empties)
• Backed up Data can be restored most easily
• 3rd Party Software
• http//www.ntfs.com/products.htm
• http//www.executive.com/undelete/undelete.asp

27
Overall PC Strategies

• Backing Up Data
• Data that is kept in one location can be easily
  backed up
• When possible, use CD-R media because the write
  once keeps data from being altered by accident
  or on purpose
• Keep data that changes often on two different
  backup media

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Overall PC Strategies (Contd)

• Keep Data Organized
• Use the My Documents Folder
• Move the My Documents Folder to the D drive if
  possible
• Point any programs to My Documents when setting
  up save directories

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Overall PC Strategies (Contd)

• Keep Your Hard Drive Tidy
• Install programs to the D drive
• Use the Advanced button (Keep and eye out for
  Cancel or Back)
• Consider each program you install
• At least SKIM the EULA (End User License
  Agreement)You could be opening your computer up
  to unwanted spyware or adware

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Overall PC Strategies (Contd)

• Use Add/Remove Programs
• DONT delete files from Program Files(unless you
  have removed the program properly)
• Check for suspicious programs(buy-it!
  Shoppers-helper etc.)
• Do NOT remove programs unless you know what they
  do

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Overall PC Strategies (Contd)

• Use Spyware and Adware Checking Programs
• Ad-aware can help remove unwanted advertisement
  pop-up programs
• http//www.lavasoftusa.com
• Spybot can prevent personal information from
  being reported back to program creators
• http//www.safer-networking.org

32
Overall PC Strategies (Contd)

• Error Examples Understand Geek Speak
• Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD)
• Non System Disk Error
• Stop Error
• STOP 0x0000001E (0xc0000006, 0xA011C102,
  0x00000000, 0x00000000)
• ltprogramgt caused an lterrorgt in ltlocationgt at
  015f7106a742ltprogramgt Exception access
  violation (0xc0000005), Address 0x00000000

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Overall PC Strategies (Contd)

• In school
• E-mail helpdesk_at_whps.org
• Name
• School
• Room
• Problem / Error
• At home
• Hardware / Software vendors (help docs)
• Google / Microsoft.com
• Techie friends and relatives

34
Conclusion

• Keeping Your PC Healthy
• Working With Information
• Overall PC Strategies
• Where Do You Go From Here?

35
Resources

• http//windowsupdate.microsoft.com
• http//www.trendmicro.com/en/security/general/viru
  s/overview.htm
• http//www.symantec.com/
• http//securityresponse.symantec.com/
• http//www.mcafee.com/
• http//us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/
• http//www.trendmicro.com/vinfo
• http//www.trendmicro.com/vinfo
• http//dictionary.reference.com/search?qdata
• http//www.worldhistory.com/wiki/c/computer-networ
  k.htm
• http//www.worldhistory.com/wiki/f/floppy-disk.htm
  
• http//www.iomega.com/na/products/product_family.j
  sp?FOLDER3C3Efolder_id63233ASSORTMENT3C3East
  _id63191bmUID1079916031357

36
Resources

• http//www.cdrfaq.org/
• http//www.worldhistory.com/wiki/k/keydrive.htm
• http//www.worldhistory.com/wiki/d/device-driver.h
  tm
• http//www.ntfs.com/products.htm
• http//www.executive.com/undelete/undelete.asp