Pts. 1,2,3: Suggestions for New Users

esacnitsuj

Greetings from esacnitsuj Smile

I know that travelling the internet highway can be hazardous in
these times.
People are getting so angry w/ Microsoft because many people
blindly click on the EULA (End User Licencing Agreement) w/o
reading it fully.
There is a lot of legalese in a EULA that basically frees Microsoft
and other software companies against lawsuits because their OSes &
software have so many holes, bugs, etc.

Microsoft putting a bounty of $250,000.00 IMHO is not a good
idea.
They offered a bounty for the original composers of MSBlaster,
etc, but haven't found the original composers yet & more than
likely never will!

What MS should do is use those $$$ is to to build a more secure
OS, , but I guess that MS thinks that it's much easier to rat people
out who create these worms/virii/trojans, etc.
Many of these Crackers are professionals and cover their tracks
very well and would never tell anyone what they've done.

They're not the script kiddie types who have a web page & boast
to their friends re a newer version of worms/virii/trojans, so these
people who can make malicious worms, such as SirCam, Code Red,
Nimda, MSBlaster, Welchia, MyDoom, etc, etc. keep
their tracks covered very well and probably don't tell a soul who
they are or what they've unleashed, so finding the original composers
is really a waste of time!

If enough people got angry enough with MS for not properly securing
their software, then maybe, just maybe they would get into securing
their OSes, but people have to make a stand!

Microsoft has deemed every OS secure since Windows 95, NT, 98,
98SE, ME, 2000, XP & Server 2003.
They have lied to the consumers too often
They (MS) contract w/ DELL, Gateway, HP, etc. to load their latest
OS. This is what's called OEM (Original Electronics Manufacturer)
installed.

Another thing MS should do is offer new users an easier OS to
start on.
Starting a new user on XP isn't wise!
Many people just expect to be able to turn on their PCs and have
it work properly for them, but there is so much more.

Also MS should have an option to be able to uninstall both
Internet Explorer & Windows Media Jukebox and have all registry
entries go with the uninstall.
When you DL software and then decide to uninstall it, there are
still remnants of the s/w left in the system registry and sometimes
in your C:/Program Files

BUT...you must be an advanced user to do a regedit.

If one happens to delete the wrong entries in the system registry,
it can wreak havock on your system.

IMHO...New Windows users should never start on such an adavnced
OS as Windows XP.
There are so many system settings that have to be tweaked
properly.
Much of the new s/w & h/w are Windows XP compatable, but if you
have older s/w or h/w, always look on the install disc to make sure
that it is Windows XP compatable.
If not, then go to the software's web site & see if they have driver
updates for your software.

VERY IMPORTANT:

> Never open an unknown e mail attachment. Some are very
well socially engineered, so they can trick people into deleting
System files, e.g. setdebug (w/ the little "bear" icon)
People often fall for these tricks!

> In your system files, there are very funny looking files with
odd looking names & extensions, but usually all of them are required.

> Microsoft NEVER sends out critcal update info via e mail.
NEVER open an attachment & run it that says it's from Microsoft
andmakes you believe that there are files that need to be deleted.

> Even if the attachment has a friend's name in the from line,
DO NOT OPEN IT & click on any .exe, .scr, .pif, etc.
Download it to a file first & then scan it with your AV (Antivirus) s/w.

> Always make sure that your virus definitions are up-to-date.
Even if you have "Live Update", I find that it is always good practise
to do a manual update at least once a week.

> Any antivirus s/w that is pre-loaded (OEM installed) usually
doesn't come with the software and is not on the Windows re-install
disc, so make sure you purchase the latest AV s/w of your choice to
do a re-install just in case files become corrupted.

> Once an AV file becomes corrupt, you cannot do a scan
and depending on how many files are corrupt, run Live Update, etc.
This isn't good because you cannot do a system scan or update
virus definitions.

Once your AV software is properly installed and configured, make
sure a full system scan is done immediately!

> ALWAYS run firewall software, e.g. Zone Alarm
and or hardware, e.g. D-Link these days!

A good idea to make your downloads easy to find is:

1) Open your C drive and create a new file by clicking on
File, then go to new, then folder. Right click on
"new file" and go to rename. Rename it My Downloads or
MyDLs or something like that, then press enter.

2) Right click on your new file that is created for your DLs & go
down to "send to"

3) Choose desktop (create shortcut)

4) Press enter & then go back to your desktop to make sure your
that the file icon is there.

5) When you go to a site such as http://www.download.com, always
DL the s/w to the My Downloads file you've created. NEVER open a
DLed file. Always save it, so it can be scanned by your AV software
before installing it.

6) When you go to DL software (s/w), drivers, etc. Make sure that
the s/w you're DLing goes to C:/My Downloads. Once that is done,
when you do another download (DL), it should go into
C:/My Downloads by default.

7) Always make sure that your DLs off of the Internet go to that
file. This makes it much easier to find your DLs, especially if
you've created the shortcut to your desktop as I mentioned above.

If you are a new user and don't know how to tweak settings,
create new files, shortcuts, etc, then ask someone who is more
of an advanced user to do it for you and watch closely at what
they do so you can learn for yourself.
This will help make life working on a PC much easier.

THIS SECTION IS IMPORTANT!

If you get a trojan horse, try to rid it ASAP because if a
malicious user gets hold of your BIOS (Basic Input/Output), you're
basically screwed big time!

Before you even go online, make sure your Antivirus s/w &
Firewall s/w
is installed & working properly and make sure you have the latest
virus definitions you'll have to go online for that, so be sure that
your firewall s/w is installed & properly configured.
Zone Alarm Free is great for the new user.
You can tell by my Avatar that Zone Alarm is my firewall of
choice.
If you have the $$$, I suggest the Pro version of Zone AlarmŽ
as it has cookie control, popup/under, banner ad & animation
blocking as well as "Mobile Code Control where you can disable
scripting, etc.
If you do run Zone Alarm and make changes, make sure you
reboot after the changes you've made. This will ensure that
Zone Alarm has saved your settings.
Also DL spyware s/w such as SpyBot S&D, Adaware, etc, but
you don't have to use that immediately.

Now you go to Windows Update & make sure all critical patches
are DLed. There are some non-critical that are not required, so
scrutinize the patches very carefully before you click on the EULA.
Many of Microsoft's patches have caused other apps to break &
MS still hasn't released a patch that works for I.E. 5x.
There are workarounds, such as disabling Active Scripting,
Active X, etc in I.E, but then your web pages won't load
properly.

After you've DLed all your critical patches & other patches,
DL your software for the hardware you are using & like I
mentioned, make
sure that your h/w & s/w is Windows XP compatable. If not,
go to
the hardware's site & select Downloads/Drivers and make
sure that they have Windows XP drivers. DL the driver to your
My Downloads file that you've created.
If you've DLed a lot of s/w and have DLed drivers
and aren't quite sure what they are, just right click on the icon,
go to properties and that will tell you what it is.

A PC really needs to be programmed in a certain order.
Always make sure you scan any new DLs off the internet with
your
AV software.
You can do this by right clicking on the icons & selecting scan
with Norton or whatever AV software you are using. If it's clean,
which it usually is, but is always good practise to scan all downloads.
Also, Windows can become unstable if you install & un-install too
much software.

Be extremely careful what sites you go on these days. I just
repaired a friend's WinXP DELL desktop & he had Ilookup
as his home page and I tried setting his home page to MSN, Yahoo, etc.
I'd then reboot, but Ilookup would set itself as his default home page again.
Be extremely careful with toolbars (BHOs) Browser Helper Objects!
DLing toolbars is not a wise thing to do.
It makes it easier to find things, e.g. the Google toolbar, but it's
much safer to just go to the site & do your search from there.

Where some of his AV s/w was corrupt, I couldn't do a full system
scan and it had never been done since he bought his puter.
He didn't have firewall s/w, but says to me:
Doesn't Windows XP have a firewall? Yes...but it is turned off by
default, plus like I mentioned above, XP's firewall is a piece of cr*p
IMHO
I cleaned his system, but it was too far gone. He had so much
spyware, adware, trojans, and I wouldn't doubt if he had a virus!
I did an online scan, but they're not as reliable as a scan with your
own AV software that is working properly.

I hope this helps the new users out a bit?

I'll type some more later, if you want? My fingers are almost getting
numb, I've been typing so much today, so gotta take a break!

Regards,
esacnitsuj

esacnitsuj

Setting Up & Keeping Your Computer Clean

Surge Protected Power Bars:

Always make sure that you use a "surge protected" power bar to plug your computer, monitor and other hardware in. Plugging your computer directly into the wall outlet is not a good idea in case of a power outage.
When the power comes back on from a power outage, there could be a powerful surge of electricity that could damage your computer.
Most computer outlets, hardware stores, etc. sell reasonably priced "surge protected" power bars.
Also be sure to look for a power bar that has coaxial cable and phone line inputs/outputs.
Coaxial cable is the cable that runs to your television, cable modem, etc.

Setting up your Personal Computer:

Make sure, if you own a destop PC that the Power supply on the back of your system unit, e.g. Tower & other hardware such as your monitor & cable modem have plenty of room to breathe.
I keep my computer desk pulled out @ least one foot from the wall.
This keeps your machine a lot cooler and easier to access.
It is also good to have a small - medium size fan behind your desk, placed on the floor and pointed to the system unit to help keep your computer cooler.
I keep two small fans on the floor on each side on my desk (behind) on the medium or high setting pointed toward the system unit, monitor, etc.

Your computer is set within your BIOS to auto shut down the Monitor or CPU (Central Processing Unit) if it reaches a certain temperature. Then you have to wait for your monitor and/or CPU to cool down again, so make sure your monitor and system unit has a lot of breathing space!

Your Power Supply is the fan/metal box on the back of your System Unit.

Make sure you NEVER smoke around your PC. If you must have a smoke, take a break from what you're doing & smoke at least 5 - 10 feet or more from your PC. Also keep the inside of your tower clean & dust free.
Also If you have a flat system unit, not a tower, it is not wise to sit your monitor on top of it. CRT Monitors are very heavy and can cause problems down the road if they are sitting on top of a flat system unit.
An LCD (flat panel) Monitor isn't as heavy, so it's alright to keep it on top of a "flat box" system unit.
If you are using a CRT monitor, try to make room on your desk or wherever you have your PC for the monitor to sit so that it doesn't have to be on top of your flat system unit.

Keep your keyboard & mouse clean.
I use rubbing alcohol for my ball mouse and on my keyboard as well.
If you are using an Optical Mouse, you can purchase special lubricant for the surface so it glides easier, and keep the surface clean!

Make sure your keyboard is kept clean & dust free. You can purchase small vacuum cleaners that are wonderful for keeping the outside of your monitor, system unit, keyboard, etc. dust free.

Make sure your monitor is not too close to you. This can cause a lot of eye strain. Refer to your Monitor setup manual to see how far to set your monitor away from you.

> BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR SYSTEM UNIT (TOWER, ETC.), MAKE SURE YOU ARE GROUNDED.
YOU CAN PURCHASE AN ANTI-STATIC BRACELET TO DISCHARGE THE STATIC FROM YOUR BODY AT MOST COMPUTER OUTLETS.

> IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ANTI-STATIC BRACELET OR ELECTRICIAN GLOVES, BE SURE TO RUB THE CHASSIS TO DISCHARGE ANY STATIC ELECTRICITY BEFORE GOING INSIDE TO INSTALL HARDWARE SUCH AS RAM, SOUND CARDS, DIAL-UP MODEMS, ETHERNET CARDS, ETC.

>IF YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, GET SOMEONE WHO DOES OR BRING IT TO A PRO FOR ANY HARDWARE INSTALLATION.

>WEAR CLOTHING THAT IS COTTON & DOESN'T ATTRACT A LOT OF STATIC. MANY FABRICS SUCH AS POLYESTER, WOOL, ETC. RETAIN A LOT OF STATIC ELECTRICITY!

>OPEN YOUR SYSTEM UNIT AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, ESPECIALLY IF YOU SMOKE AND/OR YOUR HOME IS DUSTY.

>BLOW OUT ALL THE DUST ETC USING COMPRESSED AIR. ANY COMPUTER SHOP/OUTLET SELLS CANS OF COMPRESSED AIR.
BE SURE TO HOLD THE NOSSLE AT LEAST 8 INCHES OR MORE FROM THE MOTHERBOARD, CPU, POWER SUPPLY, ETC & USE SHORT, QUICK SQUIRTS.
YOU MAY EVEN USE A HAIR DRYER SET AT COLD AND BE SURE NOT TO PUT IT TOO CLOSE TO THE MOTHERBOARD, CPU, POWER SUPPLY, ETC.

>MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CPU & POWER SUPPLY FANS ARE CLEAN & ARE NOT DAMAGED IN ANY WAY!

ARRANGING YOUR WORK AREA:

When you arrange your computer, position your monitor & keyboard directly in front of you. Place the mouse close to the keyboard so that you can use it w/o leaning or stretching over to one side.
The system unit is usually kept on the floor or in many cases computer desks have a place to keep your system unit, e.g. tower.
If your desk is large enough, place your tower beside your monitor, but not to close. I have mine @ 8 inches away from my monitor & still have room for my monitor to be facing me directly.
Having your tower up on your desk makes it much easier for you to work if you're using your CD-R/RW and/or DVD-R, discette drive(s), Zip drive(s), etc. It also makes it easier to pull your tower out to clean it.
If the back of your desk is blocked by a panel, and has holes to run the wires through, it is a good idea to:

1) Either not have your tower beside your monitor, place it on the floor or in the spot on your desk made for towers, flat boxes, etc.

2) If you really want your tower up beside you monitor, make sure you measure around your tower & cut out a peice of the back panel so the whole back of your tower is showing.
This also makes it much easier for the power supply to breathe, so you don't over-heat and also plug hardware into certain ports, e.g. plugging a web cam and/or scanner into your USB ports, etc.

3) Make sure that any hardware you have hooked up, i.e. mouse, keyboard, web cam, scanner(s), printer(s) is "seated" (plugged) firmly into your ports, e.g. USB ports. If you have problems, make sure that you unplug your mouse, keyboard, web cam, scanner, printer, etc, etc. and make sure
the ends are clean and that none of the pins are bent, then plug them firmly back in. This is refered to as "Reseating".
Always make sure your computer is powered down before doing this.

If you enjoy reading my articles, please let me know so I can do more to help. It is always good and very helpful to have some basic computer knowledge before & while you are using your computer!

Regards,
Esacnitsuj

esacnitsuj

Hi everyone,

My first two posts of Suggestions for new users basically covered
what I wanted to suggest regarding new users & computers.

For lots & I mean LOTS of more info on Computer hardware,
software, etc.
Check out the following URL:

http://www.howstuffworks.com

This site explains a lot about everything. Just click on "Computers"
on the Home Page & you're on your way to learning much about
how computers work Smile

I love "How Stuff Works.com" Wink

Regards,
Esacnitsuj


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