Here are some tips on getting the most out of your computer and some basic troubleshooting steps.
 

	You paid serious money for your computer system  Don't expect a $4.95 power strip to protect your investment.  A good UPS (uninterruptable power supply) will help protect your computer from power problems.  When everyone in your neighborhood starts using their air conditioner or that car hits the power pole outside, or lightning hits the tree next door, you'll be glad for that constant power supply.  Don't forget the surge protection for your modem phone line as well!
	Those mysterious lock-ups you keep getting?  A lot of those are also caused by less than pure power or heat.  Make sure your computer is not wearing a coat of dust.  Using filtered compressed air, clean all heat sinks, clean out your fans, and make sure you have good ventilation around your computer.
	Before you install any new software, take the software manufacturer's requirements seriously.  They can always be printed on the outside of the box.  Just because your computer meets the minimum requirements also usually does not define a good user experience with that software.  Look at the recommended system requirements!  Also follow ALL the manufacturers instructions when installing.
	Keep your computer upgrades balanced.  Upgrading just your processor may not give you the performance gains you expected.  A Pentium III with only 16MB of RAM will not keep you very happy.  Upgrade your memory to at least 64MB these days (would always recommend more) and you'll be very pleasantly surprised.  If you have an old hard drive and your motherboard supports UltraDMA (or ATA), a new 7200rpm hard drive may give you the most bang for your buck.

Troubleshooting Ink-Jet Printers
 

	Check the ink cartridge and print head.  Some printers have a separate print head that gets clogged.
	The print head might get clogged if you turn off your printer using a surge protector power switch.  Always turn your printer off using the printer power switch so the print head will cap correctly, preventing your ink from drying out.
	Use the ink recommended by your printer's manufacturer.  Other brands could, and usually do, leak because of poor quality control.
	If you refill ink cartridges with after-market ink, be aware that the cartridges may contain a bad head.  Simply refilling a faulty cartridge won't work;  you'll need to change it.
	Cover the printer when it's not being used.  Most ink-jet printers feed paper from the top, and the opening collects dust, paperclips, etc.  You should use your ink-jet once a week to keep the ink flowing and to prevent clogging.

Questions and Answers

Question: How do I know how much RAM; what size hard drive; and what processor is in my computer?

Answer: Most of your answers will be in the System icon in the Control Panel.  However, it usually does not state what hard drive size and speed of the processor you have.  Your best bet for hard drive and processor speed is to go into the CMOS setup of your computer and there it will tell you what speed processor you have and what size hard drive is installed.  CAUTION!  Do not change any of the settings in the CMOS setup.  Any changes made in this area can cause irrepairable damage to your computer.

Question: Some of my computer files were recently damaged.  For me this really reinforced how important it is to have a good system for backing up data on my hard drive.  How often and what devices are best for backing up the data on my hard drive?

Answer: It is important to backup the data on your hard drive in case of hard drive failure or data corruption.  The importance of the data on your hard drive should specify how often you perform a backup of that data.  If your information is not that critical, once every month may suffice.  If the data is critical or you make considerable daily changes, you should back up every day.

There are a number of different devices you can use to backup a hard drive.  Floppies, Zip drives, Tape drives, CD-Rewriters, removable hard drives are all options.  They all have their advantages and disadvantages.  Your choice will most likely be based on your specific need.

Question: Occasionally I experience problems with my monitor: the picture is too dim, too bright, not centered, to small, not showing all colors, etc.  How can I correct these problems?

Answer: Adjusting the controls on your monitor should solve most of these type of problems.  Although some cheaper monitors have the ability to adjust things like size and centering, a better monitor will often remember your settings from before so you will only have to set these settings once.