Are you sure that you communicate with technology on a first-name basis? If you have not heard of at least one of the points listed below, it means that you have not yet matured into a “specialist”.
1. There is no need to double-click everywhere
By double clicking you open the necessary things in Windows. However, in a browser, for example, double-clicking would be too much: you might accidentally archive something or add it twice. If this is not about you, then it is definitely about someone you know.
2. Use slashes or backslashes in the right situations
Let's be clear: "/" is a slash, and "\" is a backslash. The latter are often used to indicate addresses Windows files(C:\Program Files\Something), and slashes appear in Internet addresses (http: //www. Whatever.com/nonsense.html).
3. Record the exact error message
When your PC crashes, it often tries to tell you why it happened. In general, you will see a message with a regular, although not always understandable, set of letters and numbers. Write everything down carefully (you can take a screenshot) so that later you can “punch” this error into Google or send it to your support team. If you still missed it, go to the Control Panel and check archived messages or error reports.
4. Bring previously erased files back to life
When deleting files from a computer or memory card, they are actually not completely deleted from hard drive. You simply erase the index information that tells the PC where the file is located. After such “erasing,” the computer, of course, considers the freed space as a new field for activity. If you've erased something unwanted, utilities like Recuva can help you find those files again, as long as you didn't overwrite the file with something new. Never leave your personal data on the hard drive of your old PC!
5. Clean your hard drive before getting rid of it
Since your computer doesn't immediately get rid of the files you delete, simply format HDD before selling or replacing your computer will not be enough. Why? Yes, because someone can use the application to recover erased files and restore your “secret” data. There are enough options for final “erasing”, but we recommend trying the CCleaner application. A simple interface and clear functionality will help you get used to it in no time.
6. Take your time to check the boxes when installing
Many useful applications offer us to install additional panels tools and other "bonuses". It happens that some of them “insist” on their usefulness (they automatically want to be installed), so you need to manually uncheck the “tick” already checked by someone. In such cases, it is better to think twice. Especially if you have no idea what information the “add-on” offered to you transmits or receives. Very often, such add-ons are bundled with the “main” program only because they bring extra money to the developers, and not because they are super useful. In general, watch what you “sign up for” during installation.
7. Beware of viruses living in Office documents
More experienced Microsoft users Office can usefully use built-in Visual Basic to support applications to automatically handle all the complex macro issues. However, the developers malware They may well use the same techniques to create viruses that prevent you or your colleagues from working peacefully. By default, Office disables all macros and warns you when a document you're reading contains them (to activate this setting, select Word -> Word Options -> Trust Center -> Trust Center Settings -> Macro Settings), so in this regard you are still protected.
8. Don't forget about the security of your PC!
Any newcomer to working with a computer needs to immediately learn one simple rule: any computer that has any connections with the “outside” world is subject to the threat of infection. Even an ordinary flash drive (when in contact with other computers) can harbor unpleasant surprises in the form of viruses and Trojans. What can we say about “how many wonderful discoveries” the Internet is preparing for us. The World Wide Web is especially insidious towards inexperienced users who naively trust bright, inviting advertising and sites of dubious content.
Our advice is not to test your fate and get rid of many potential problems at once with one solution. Just install an antivirus. Fortunately, there are enough high-quality developments on the market these days that have the status of free software. This means that you won’t have to pay to use it. We recommend downloading Avast antivirus for free! - one of the best of its kind.
9. Remove obsolete programs
If you constantly download and install new programs, you should not engage in unnecessary collections - clean up useless or old programs. To do this, go to Control Panel and Programs, go through the huge list and uninstall applications you don’t need. You may need to take a look at C:/Program Files/ to hunt down a couple more unused applications. The less junk you have on your PC, the more reliably it will work.
10. Protect your PC or laptop from spilled drinks
If it's too late and this happens, don't panic! You can still save your data from kaput, and your motherboard from combustion. Quickly and firmly unplug the power cord and remove the battery. Don't wait for Windows to shut down on its own. Then unplug everything connected to the PC (network cables, USB devices) and remove any "removable" components such as optical disk. Tilt your PC so that the liquid flows out where it came from. But be careful: you don’t want to “drive” her even deeper. If there is moisture on the surface of the computer, wipe it off with a towel. At this stage, you have two options: 1) disassemble the PC yourself and wipe the electronics, or 2) give it to “specialists” for inspection. The choice is yours.
11. Turn off User Account Control
Both Vista and Windows 7 provide this feature, dimming your screen and throwing out a window when you install apps or change system settings. While this feature can be useful in preventing weird apps from installing themselves, it can also be annoying. In any case, you can adjust the function settings in the User Accounts control panel. Click Accounts users -> Change control settings and you can make sure that you are warned, but do not darken the screen.
12. Do not work in an admin account
Many of us are used to doing our business on a PC as an administrator. Of course, this is much more convenient when installing new programs - you don’t have to log out and log in while working under a regular account. However, working in the admin panel also makes the system more susceptible to viruses and malware. So avoid this practice.
It is convenient to add a user to the "power users" group and use it for normal online activities, switching to the administrator for serious system settings.
13. Keep the Control Panel in Icon View
The categories and sections of the Control Panel can be very useful at any time. Select Classic View (Vista) or Large Icons from the View menu (Windows 7), and get quick access to all the panel's features.
Organize your chaos system line, placing all the icons in pairs.
14. Clear the notification area
Very often, applications are placed precisely in the notification area (the row of icons at the bottom right of the taskbar) and remain there without your knowledge. Pay attention to them. Open Control Panel -> All Items -> Notification Area Icons and decide which icons you need to see while working and which ones are best disabled. In the latter case, your PC's memory may even say "Thank you" to you.
15. Adjust your power settings
For those who use a laptop, information about the battery level will always be useful. Open Power Options in Control Panel and select the settings that suit you. There you can also choose your own power plan that best suits your “computer needs”.
You can configure your laptop to maximum performance at available connection to the power grid and make it automatically switch to energy saving mode when reading a book on the sofa or in a cafe.
In the resumes of candidates for non-IT specialties, the following stamp is often found: " experienced PC user" or " advanced PC user".
Without claiming to be the ultimate truth, I offer a small test my own making for that are you an experienced PC user?.
Answer 10 questions without following the commands suggested in the questions, without running the specified programs, or using the help of other people. That is, everything is purely from memory. Throughout the questions it is assumed that you are using operating system Windows, for example Windows XP. Answers are given immediately after each question.
Question No. 1. You clicked on the name of some file in Windows Explorer, and then pressed the F2 key on the keyboard. What can you do with the file now?
Answer:Change file name.
Question No. 2. You typed the Win+R key combination on your keyboard, and then in the dialog that appeared, typed the calc command and pressed the Enter key on your keyboard. What will happen?
Answer:The Calculator program will launch.
Question No. 3. You double-clicked on the title bar of a window in Windows. What will happen?
Answer:If the window was maximized to full screen, it will be restored to its normal size. Otherwise it will be expanded to full screen.
Question No. 4. You are editing text in MS Word. You selected a word with the mouse and pressed the key combination Ctrl+B. What will happen?
Answer:The word will be printed in bold. If it was already printed in bold, the font will become normal.
Question No. 5. Match the following file formats to their "native" programs: docx, rtf, txt, doc. Programs: MS Word 2003, Notepad, MS Word 2007, WordPad.
Answer:
txt - Notepad
rtf - WordPad
doc - MS Word 2003
docx - MS Word 2007
Question No. 6. From the listed formats, select graphic formats: docx, tiff, bmp, ppt, rtf, txt, jpg, doc, gif, xls, png.
Answer: tiff, bmp, jpg, gif, png.
Question No. 7. You are working with a MS Excel table. You need to sum the values from the first to tenth cells in the second column and place this value in some cell. What should you write in this cell?
Answer:=SUM(B1:B10). Note: there may be other correct answer options, check for yourself in MS Excel.
Question No. 8. What mode does this button turn on and off in MS Word:
Answer:Display non-printing characters.
Question No. 9. What does the Ctrl+A command usually mean?
Answer: Select all.
Question No. 10. Name the file format for viewing Adobe program Reader.
Answer: pdf.
If you were able to answer 8 or more questions correctly, then you really know how to work effectively in Windows with standard programs. If you have less than 8 correct answers, then you should improve your knowledge and practice more.
Now we will look at what skills a confident PC user should master. Once the basic skills are acquired, you can easily cope with more complex tasks.
Confident PC user: what are the requirements for him?
First of all, you need to know how to work with your operating system. This item should include maintaining the system in a stable operating condition, setting the “desktop” parameters, correct installation and organization file structure(in which you can easily find any document, folder or unzipping files in order to bring data to the optimal size. This is the basic knowledge that any confident PC user should receive.
This is not a matter of fad or fashion; such skills are really important, because if you, for example, do not remove programs correctly, there is a chance that after a few months the computer will completely refuse to work.
Confident PC user cares about security
You need to be completely confident in the security of your computer, as well as all the data stored on it. For this purpose, you will have to master perfectly antivirus programs from various manufacturers.
This skill cannot be called an exception, since it applies to absolutely all people who want to master a personal computer. It should be noted that if the Internet is the field of your professional activity (you, for example, create various copyrighted materials), then the loss of all personal data is often comparable in losses to bankruptcy!
Work in the "office" right at home
If we talk about who a confident PC user is, of course, this is a person who knows how to use basic office programs such as Excel and Word. It's not just about typing, it's about making full use of these tools to create fully formatted spreadsheets and documents.
To conduct business correspondence, create documents and databases, and analyze statistics, you will need Excel programs and Word. Skillful use of these tools will allow you to automatically sort data in tables, count the number of words and characters in the created document, write letters, significantly reducing the likelihood of accidental errors.
What is the Internet?
One of the main skills of any computer user is skillful work on the Internet. It is necessary to learn how to search for information on the World Wide Web without hours of fruitless wandering through sites with a dubious reputation. You should be able to manage bookmarks to your favorite sites, as well as save all important information, which you will find on your computer.
The ability to use various modern browsers, which include many add-ons aimed at making surfing the Internet fun and comfortable for a person, will come in handy. A confident PC user can use special software to work with the entire incoming flow Email, which allows you to save received messages to personal computer, and also process the received data several times faster.
Often you will need to use programs to download files, taking into account possible work according to a given schedule, with its temporary suspension, subsequent downloading of data, disconnection of the Internet when the process of downloading materials is completed. In addition to the above skills, the main ones include the ability to write data onto CDs and DVDs, as well as other storage media.
