| Anchor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
...
- Computers should be carried in a bag with lots of padding and protection.
- Alternatively, you can purchase a "laptop sleeve" to protect your computer. Models with padding inside and a hard shell are preferred.
- Don't place food, drink, or other potentially harmful substances nearby or in a bag with your computer, as liquid spills on laptops are all too common and often come with a heavy price tag.
- Be sure to include accident protection in your warranty, if you are concerned about accidental damage or spills.
- Try not to place anything on the top-side of your laptop (the part that has your monitor/screen attached to it), it is not uncommon to have too much pressure from the top side that can cause the screen to crack. If possible have your laptop on top of anything in your bag, or nothing else in the bag with the laptop.
Step Two: Power Off Your Computer
...
- Depending on your computer, your hard drive (where your data is stored) can be made of a series of spinning discs with a read/write head (like a record on a record player). Thus, transporting or moving your laptop while powered on can cause corruption to the hard drive (analogous to a record scratch).
- To avoid long boot-up times, you can also put your computer into Sleep, Standby, or Hibernate modes.
- Any time your computer is not running as smoothly as it used to, make sure the first thing you try is power cycling the machine.
- As convenient as having your computer come up quickly can be, sometimes it will need a rest as well. It won't hurt the machine to be put to sleep a couple of times in a row, but if something pressing isn't required within a short period of time, we'd suggest to simply shut it down fully.
Step Three: Screens and Keyboards
...
| Info | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
Professionally known as portable computers, the term "laptop" can be deceiving. Most of the circulation for the computer to cool itself is located to the back, sides, and bottoms of the machine. When you use your computer on your lap or on a soft surface like a bed or pillow, you can obstruct the ventilation causing the computer to overheat. This can easily be resolved by using the computer on a flat surface like a table or desk, or even on a specially made lap desk that is designed to support airflow to the computer. |
Step Five: Backup Data Regularly
Backup your data regularly and backup important files to multiple locations.
- Hard drive failure is difficult to predict and may even occur within the first few months of computer ownership
- Develop a strategy for backing up your data regularly, suggestions are available at answers.syr.edu for how to backup your data.
...
Step Seven: Security
Install a good an Antivirus, keep it updated, and perform scans regularly.
- Be sure to install a /wiki/spaces/scpay101/pages/150373782. Your an antivirus on your computer. Your computer may come with a free trial of another antivirus, but we strongly suggest a complete version to be installed. Many of these can be found online, or through physical electronics stores or computer stores.
- Keep the software updated by checking for daily updates.
- You can set times for it to perform scans, or you can perform manual ones yourself. Depending on the volume of internet usage you will want to run it somewhere between once a week to a couple of times a month.
Step Eight: Passwords
Set strong passwords.
...
- To have the best patches and security updates available, be sure to regularly update your computer, or better yet, turn on automatic updates for Windows and for /wiki/spaces/scpay101/pages/150382552
Step Eleven: Illegal Downloading
Avoid P2P software. Please refer to our File Sharing Policies.
- P2P, or "peer-to-peer" software, allows you to download files such as music, videos, TV shows, etc, is not allowed on our Networks.
- P2P programs often come bundled with adware or spyware.
- P2P downloads can sometimes be bogus files and may contain viruses.
...