Top Priority Rules

1- Stay out of the registry  (leave it to professionals or until you know you are an expert).  Many a computer has been screwed by the novice playing.

2- Never change names of folders or files inside your Windows Operating system.  That means "do not change a single  thing" in that windows folder.  Do not move any files or folders that came in your Windows operating system, period.  Moving or renaming operating files for Windows or any program disallows it to find the files or folders when needed.  The computer must remember where the files and folders are to operate them. (your computer's operating system and other software programs gives your computer all of it's direction to run your computer and or the programs.) You find Windows under my computer in Windows XP C:\WINDOWS and in Windows 98 you find it at the same address inside your computer, C:\WINDOWS

3- Never change the name of any file that came with a packaged or downloaded program, that means, not one file name is to be changed.   A program can't run if it can't find it's direction and it's direction or file path is in the names of the items that came packaged with it.  I really messed up the computer identities.  I had progressed to going through my windows files and learning where things were located and wanted this particular folder more easily accessible.  I made the folder accessible but I also fixed it so my computer didn't know where it was anymore.  There is a plus to being married to a man who works a lot with computers.  Even then he had a fun time getting things back as they should be.

You have a lot of free reign to name or rename files you write yourself when you use a software program.  If you rename a folder after you have written a file and saved the file into that folder and then re-open the program to do editing of the file (editing = changing wording, paragraphs etc), your program will not know where to go to find the file you wrote.  You will have to browse (browse = look around, just like shopping) to the newly named folder yourself to find your file to read or to edit.  You will have to help the program re-find a folder it remembers as being somewhere or named something else.  Your computer's programs remember and if you change what it thought was in it's memory, you have to give it a new memory to replace the one you changed by browsing to the change or the newly named folder.  Notepad defaults (default = the return point a program generally remembers as the spot where its files are being saved) to the last folder a file written in it was saved to.  I save Notepad files in dozens of folders so I have to browse to the folder I want to open to find the text file I want to read or edit, almost every time I use Notepad.  I use Notepad for recipes and almost anything that is not a real involved write up.  It is also smaller in kb size to save.  The page you are now reading is being written in my Microsoft FrontPage.  I also use WordPad and Microsoft Works which I don't like and I use Microsoft Word a lot as it gives me more options for corrections in the grammar I use in the written file.

As you use your computer becoming more familiar with it, you will begin to recognize it talking to you in subtle and in some less than subtle ways.  Other than calling you a stupid ass, it may use sound files that sound off as warnings to tell you something you did isn't acceptable to it.  Pop up windows will also make you aware of things the programs question.  Don't be afraid to look under the tabs on software by clicking on the tabs to see what your software program can do for you.  Clicking on tabs is legal.  Read the subtitles and look for arrows beside subtitles under the tabs, click on them. You can back out of them by hitting the cancel or okay button after reading what you want to read. 

4- Stay aware of how your computer is reacting as you surf or work in your programs.  Reboot when necessary.  Do your updates.  Do not run more programs at a time than your computer can handle.  Blue screens are warnings as is a slow reaction time from mouse commands.  It's easier to reboot than to do a thorough disk scan. 

Don't forget to do  your defragging, don't forget to do your scans regularly (start\program files\tools\accessories\system tools or tools).

Do virus and spyware scans often.  We do scans a lot after unfamiliar surfing, if something noticeably unusual happens or after a regular of time passed.  We never open an attachment or a downloaded program without checking it for virus (trendmicro virus check, it's free).  I check all downloads before I open them. You can pick up virus from emails and from infected pages.  Run scans before shutting down your computer to catch them before they begin to propagate.  You are much better off and may save yourself some big bucks in the long run. 

If I don't like the navigation of a page, I leave it.  There are millions of pages on the internet.  Many enjoy your company and are set up in ways to make navigation pleasant not difficult for you.  Companies are on the internet to sell you their product.  Many have a lesser product for you to use for free.  Free does not make it a bad product but finding the free download may be difficult.  Study the page.  The download is usually listed under downloads or free stuff.  If you click on something that has a price tag by mistake, you can back out or refuse it.  They can't put it on your credit card if you haven't given them the number.

5- Never open a download, a borrowed or sent to you program or file of any kind without knowing, without a doubt, it is free of virus.  This advice stands for anything you download, anything that came to you in your emails and any disk or CD you receive from a friend in snail mail.  It has not been unheard of to purchase new software with a virus or offensive add-on's in them.

6-Never change the name of a font.  If you collect fonts, store them in a folder other than your font folder in Widows.  You can lose collected fonts in that folder if you have to re-install windows as it defaults the folder to the original folder files at re-install.

6- Never store vital information in your computer.  If you can dial a company, do it instead of giving out your credit card on the internet.  My husband and I still do not trust the safety of the internet with our credit cards and I personally, even though it may be easier to shop via the internet, prefer good bargains at our local stores.  You can see what you are getting and bring it home with you.  Returns are as easy as the purchase.  This is not to say we haven't made internet purchases on the net  but we are very careful.

All pages have been designed, thought out and compiled as helps for use by Seniors and persons new to computing by: RSBlain aka LittleEgypt of http://www.flyingpigwebdesign.com 

*Scripts used are from:  Dynamic Drive