Dear Geek,
I was given a new laptop for Christmas. I hear so many horror stories about PC problems, how can I avoid trouble?
Concerned of Chestfield
Dear Concerned,
Don’t worry, enjoy your new PC! Just follow the Geek’s New Year Resolutions for IT happiness:
1) Antivirus – your new PC may have come with a free trial of some security software. But when that trial expires, old protection is as bad as no protection. You don’t have to stick with what you’re given just because it earns the shop the most commission. There are good, free alternatives around, at the moment I like Microsoft Security Essentials. But if you’re going to let your children on the PC or visit certain interesting websites, it’s worth paying for something really good, like Eset.
2) Don’t download everything that you see online – who needs thousands of smiley faces or another toolbar? Most of these do nothing but display more adverts and make your PC slower. And those are the good ones.
3) Backup – if your PC keeps pestering you to create a restore disc, do it now! This will come in handy one day. Now look at creating regular backups. An occasional full system image is a great idea, look at something like the free Paragon Backup & Recovery software. An online, live backup is great for keep working documents safe, try SugarSync or Carbonite.
4) Keep all your discs, license keys, and account details somewhere safe. Chances are, one day your PC will need to be rebuilt. Knowing where this information is saves time, money and heartache.
As your question was chosen to be printed, I’ll be seeing you soon to do all the above, for free!
Geek x
A Microsoft Certified Professional with many years of large corporate experience and training, he now focuses on helping small businesses make the most of their IT.
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