Busting Five Common Computer Myths
This week I wanted to delve into a few computer related myths running around out there in cyberspace. Often these myths, like all myths, have either a grain of truth or were originally true but have since become outdated. Listening to these myths can sometimes cost you money and or damage your computer.
Turning your computer off will save wear and tear on your computer. This myth is both true and false. If you use your computer once or twice a week, I recommend that you turn your computer off in between uses. If you are a daily user of your computer I recommend that you keep your computer running 24/7. If you want to save a bit of energy, turn off your monitor, but leave the computer running.
The main reason to leave your computer on is that I suggest you schedule regular virus scans, backups and anti-spyware scans for the middle of the night. There is nothing more annoying than trying to work on your computer in the middle of the day while the virus scanner is running. Leaving your computer on will give these programs full access to your computer to perform their assigned duties, while not annoying you.
Turning off your computer will save it from getting damaged during a lightning strike. This is false. Even though to the user the computer looks like it is turned off, there is still electricity running through the computer system and parts of it are still turned on. The only sure way to keep your computer from getting damaged is by unplugging the power and Internet cables from the computer as well as the power cables from your printer and other peripherals connected to your computer. Lightning can easily enter your computer from a printer or external hard drive.
The best way to protect your computer is by purchasing a good quality surge protector that also offers protection for your Internet cable. A good quality surge protector will come with insurance that will replace or repair your equipment in case of damage. Good quality surge protectors start off at $30. Unplugging your computer is effective until that one time you forget to unplug everything before the storm.
Using your credit card online is not safe. This is false. Statistics show that you are more likely to get your credit card number stolen when you use it at a store or a restaurant. The keys to protecting yourself from credit card theft online are: 1) only purchase from well known merchants, 2) make sure the lock symbol shows up on the page you are entering your card number (this means the page is encrypted and you are less likely to get your number stolen,) and 3) NEVER, EVER respond to an email solicitation that asks for money.
I need to defrag my computer every week. This myth is rooted in truth. Back in the days of Windows 98 and 95 it was necessary to defrag every week to keep your computer running fast, but in today’s age of Windows XP, Vista and 7, the need to defrag every week is overkill. Defragging once every three to six months is sufficient. For the average user, every six months is good. If you delete and add a lot of files and programs on a regular basis, then defragging more often is appropriate.
Defragging your hard drive is the process of rearranging the block on your hard drive so that the computer can read the files faster. Like putting the pages of a book in order so you don’t have to continually search through it to find the next page. The Disk Defragmenter can be found under System Tools in the Accessories section of the Start menu.
Registry cleaner programs will make my computer run better. Registry cleaning and other “speed up your computer” type utilities are full of hype and broken promises. The truth is that these tools can actually damage your computer if improperly used. They have great marketing pitches, but in reality do very little to speed up your computer. I would say that you should leave these tools to skilled technicians, but a skilled technician should know how to repair a computer without such tools. The only tools you need to keep your computer running properly are an anti-virus, an anti-malware software and Disk Defragmenter.
You can find links to free anti-virus and anti-spyware downloads, as well as links to an archive of these articles on my website www.connectutech.com.
Turning your computer off will save wear and tear on your computer. This myth is both true and false. If you use your computer once or twice a week, I recommend that you turn your computer off in between uses. If you are a daily user of your computer I recommend that you keep your computer running 24/7. If you want to save a bit of energy, turn off your monitor, but leave the computer running.
The main reason to leave your computer on is that I suggest you schedule regular virus scans, backups and anti-spyware scans for the middle of the night. There is nothing more annoying than trying to work on your computer in the middle of the day while the virus scanner is running. Leaving your computer on will give these programs full access to your computer to perform their assigned duties, while not annoying you.
Turning off your computer will save it from getting damaged during a lightning strike. This is false. Even though to the user the computer looks like it is turned off, there is still electricity running through the computer system and parts of it are still turned on. The only sure way to keep your computer from getting damaged is by unplugging the power and Internet cables from the computer as well as the power cables from your printer and other peripherals connected to your computer. Lightning can easily enter your computer from a printer or external hard drive.
The best way to protect your computer is by purchasing a good quality surge protector that also offers protection for your Internet cable. A good quality surge protector will come with insurance that will replace or repair your equipment in case of damage. Good quality surge protectors start off at $30. Unplugging your computer is effective until that one time you forget to unplug everything before the storm.
Using your credit card online is not safe. This is false. Statistics show that you are more likely to get your credit card number stolen when you use it at a store or a restaurant. The keys to protecting yourself from credit card theft online are: 1) only purchase from well known merchants, 2) make sure the lock symbol shows up on the page you are entering your card number (this means the page is encrypted and you are less likely to get your number stolen,) and 3) NEVER, EVER respond to an email solicitation that asks for money.
I need to defrag my computer every week. This myth is rooted in truth. Back in the days of Windows 98 and 95 it was necessary to defrag every week to keep your computer running fast, but in today’s age of Windows XP, Vista and 7, the need to defrag every week is overkill. Defragging once every three to six months is sufficient. For the average user, every six months is good. If you delete and add a lot of files and programs on a regular basis, then defragging more often is appropriate.
Defragging your hard drive is the process of rearranging the block on your hard drive so that the computer can read the files faster. Like putting the pages of a book in order so you don’t have to continually search through it to find the next page. The Disk Defragmenter can be found under System Tools in the Accessories section of the Start menu.
Registry cleaner programs will make my computer run better. Registry cleaning and other “speed up your computer” type utilities are full of hype and broken promises. The truth is that these tools can actually damage your computer if improperly used. They have great marketing pitches, but in reality do very little to speed up your computer. I would say that you should leave these tools to skilled technicians, but a skilled technician should know how to repair a computer without such tools. The only tools you need to keep your computer running properly are an anti-virus, an anti-malware software and Disk Defragmenter.
You can find links to free anti-virus and anti-spyware downloads, as well as links to an archive of these articles on my website www.connectutech.com.
posted by Eric at
9:37 PM
