Don Trauger – Kennett
I’ve been asked many times if I would consider a class for beginners. I’ve thought about it and have finally come to the decision to hold one for the August session of the PC Computer Club. The PC Club has always been open for anyone, including beginners, but some have been reluctant to attend for various reasons. This month I will cover basic computer maintenance. I’ve selected this subject because it’s important that some basic level of maintenance be performed on a computer.
Now don’t let that scare you! If you can click the mouse or use the touchpad on a laptop, you can learn to safely perform this required maintenance. Computers can’t run forever and maintain a degree of reliability without maintenance. As a beginner, you may not have been exposed to any training in this regard, unless you have previously attended a computer class somewhere or have attended the PC Club covering this subject. Typical users seem to shy away from this mundane area.
A good way to approach this subject is to come to the meeting and see how it’s done first hand. With exposure you will learn how to care for your computer without paying a service company and experiencing downtime.
You will learn to delete unneeded files that take up space that can slow down the computer. You will also learn to defragment the hard drive. The hard drive is the device that stores your Windows operating system, programs and files. The term defragment means to realign and prioritize the files on the hard drive so the computer starts up (boots) faster. The best part is Microsoft has included these free tools in all versions of Windows. Learning to do maintenance can save hundreds of dollars in repair bills over the life span of the computer.
Bring something to take notes so you can apply what you have learned when you arrive home. In addition, the Channel 20 website for homeowners, www.hersheysmill.org, is a great resource, not only for past articles of Technology Tips, but also for additional Hershey’s Mill information. To find past computer articles copy this link: http:\\\\www.hersheysmill.org//resources/ to your browser (Internet Explorer) and press enter.
Our PC Club sessions are the 2nd Tuesday of each month at