Tip Archive
Nearby Computer Services
- Henry at VDO – makes house calls! Space 958, phone 480-357-7162
- SoftQue Premier Computer Services – 480-832-4600, 801 S. Power Road, Suite 108, Mesa, AZ 85206 www.softque.com
- Bits N Bytes Computers Sales & Service – Recycle Here Free! 480-380-5340, 9333 E. Apache Trail, Mesa, AZ 85207
General
- 5 THINGS TO DO – As soon as you purchase a new computer
- SIMPLE COMPUTER JARGON – Definition for common Internet terms
- DONATING YOUR COMPUTER – Before you give away or donate an older machine be sure to follow the five steps in the article.
- WHY DO INSTALL PROGRAMS ASK YOU TO CLOSE EVERYTHING FIRST – When installing software, here’s why you should close down all running applications.
- 7 REASONS WHY COMPUTERS RUN SLOWER AS THEY GET OLDER – Unfortunately as the computer got older problems started occurring. Crashes became more frequent, web pages took longer to load, games appeared slightly jerky and the overall computing experience lost its luster. Why
Flash Drives
- HOW TO USE A FLASH DRIVE – Two page PDF on the proper use of USB drives.
- USB FLASH DRIVES – THE FULL STORY – Two page PDF on what to look for when shopping for a USB drive.
- DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLASH DRIVES – Three page PDF on the many faces of a USB drive.
- TRANSFERRING PHOTOS WITH A FLASH DRIVE – One page PDF on transferring photos with a flash drive. A guide for getting photos from the “Photos Only” computer in the Internet Cafe of the photographs taken at VDO’s various events to your flash drive.
Old Computer Equipment Disposal
- No equipment donations accepted at the PC room – absolutely DO NOT leave donations at the door!
- If you have old printers, computers or other electronic devices we encourage you to donate to “Students Recycling Used Technology” – www.AZStRUT.org
- Two drop-off points are:
- Red Mountain High School, 7301 Brown Road (just east of Power Road), 480-472-8000
- Batteries Plus Bulbs, 1145 S. Power, Suite 102, Mesa, AZ, 480-654-3870
Data Usage
HOW TO CONSERVE AND CONTROL DATA USAGE USING YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION – Tips for conserving your “limited” data plan.
- UNDERSTANDING EMAIL CLIENTS – The main difference between email clients is the user interface. Regardless of which software you decide to use, follow good security practices when reading or sending email.
- BENEFITS OF BCC – Although in may situations it may be appropriate to list email recipients in the TO: or CC: fields, sometimes using the BCC: field may be the most desirable option.
- USE CAUTION WITH EMAIL ATTACHMENTS – While email attachments are a popular and convenient way to send documents, they are also a common source of viruses.
- REDUCING SPAM – Spam is a common and often frustrating side effect to having an email account. Although you will probably not be able to eliminate it, there are ways to reduce it.
- EMAIL TIPS – Three page PDF with tips on email etiquette.
Security and Safe Computing
- UNDERSTANDING ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE – Antivirus software can identify and block many viruses before they can infect your computer. Once you install antivirus software it is important to keep it up-to-date.
- WHAT IS https: – Explain the difference between http: and https: for secure Internet communications.
- EFFECTIVELY ERASING FILES – Think that your files are gone when you delete them? Read this article to really remove files of private information.
- PROTECTING YOUR PRIVACY – Before submitting your email address or other personal information online, you need to be sure that the privacy of that information will be protected.
- GOOD SECURITY HABITS – There are some simple habits you can adopt that, if performed consistently, may dramatically reduce the chances that the information on your computer will be lost or corrupted.
- SECURING WIRELESS NETWORKS – Because wireless networks do not require a wire between a computer and the Internet connection, it is possible for attackers who are within range to hijack or intercept an unprotected connection.
- CHOOSING & PROTECTING PASSWORDS – By choosing good passwords and keeping them confidential, you can make it more difficult for an unauthorized person to access your information.
- UNDERSTANDING FIREWALLS – When anyone or anything can access your computer at any time, your computer is more susceptible to be attacked. You can restrict outside access to your computer and the information on it with a firewall.
- RECOGNIZING AND AVOIDING SPYWARE – Because of its popularity, the Internet has become an ideal target for advertising. As a result, spyware, or adware, has become increasingly prevalent.