By Laura Katz
Modems in the night, how strange the messages-Oh well let’s get back to basics. You’ve had the computer a few weeks and now it’s time to scan disk and defrag. Even my computer spell check didn’t recognize those words. Frankly neither did I when Gil Boyd once the fearless leader of the Beginning Windows Sig told me to do it. (Now for all you newcomers the fearless leader of the Beginning Windows sig is Jay Kolenovsky.) Let me explain. Scan disk checks your hard drive out to see if it is OK. It’s like taking the car to the dealer for its inspection. You want to make sure everything is working properly before you take it on a trip. Now defrag is a little bit different. If you do the wash you don’t throw the clothes all over the floor once they are cleaned (do you?) Defrag organizes your data into one neat pile so you have more room to put more stuff on. Another analogy is packing a suitcase. When I pack for a trip I throw everything I want to take into the suitcase without folding it. My husband folds everything into neat little piles. When he repacks my suitcase I can put ten times more stuff into it. Defrag does the same with your computer.
OK you’ve convinced me to do it. Now how do I? Go to start, programs, accessories, system tools-first run scan disk, choose thorough and repair. When it is finished (it could take anywhere from about 15 minutes to a few hours) run Defrag. The computer may tell you it’s not necessary-just ignore that and do it anyway. That could also take a few minutes or much longer to run. It depends on how much the defraging is necessary. These things are necessary to keep your computer from crashing. They don’t have to be done on a daily basis, but a biweekly basis is definitely recommended.
Being comfortable (and painfree)
On a personal basis I have been having shoulder pain (a rotator cuff injury) which necessitated a shot of cortisone-but the pain didn’t get any better. I made my husband go out and get me a raised chair (one of those chairs that have a jack under the seat-purchased on sale at Office Max for $29.00) to use when I am at my computer. My computer is on one of those large folding tables .My shoulder pain has decreased considerably. My point being, after spending so much money on a computer-make sure you are not setting yourself up for carpal tunnel syndrome or other type of injuries. Use the right equipment to keep your computer and printer easy to use and not cause yourself harm.
Magazine subscriptions-
When I first started playing with computers I went crazy with magazine subscriptions. I couldn’t read them all and some of them were too hard to understand. The place where I found the best information was one called PC novice. The magazine is now called “Smart Computing”. They have a web address if you want further information. Another great source of information is the daily newspaper. I always read the Houston Chronicle on Fridays. The Friday paper has a complete technology section. Dwight Silverman’s column is
is always informative and up to date. The other pages have articles on cool web sites, current viruses; business uses for computers, etc. There is even a column on Mac’s as well. I always learn something when I read the paper.
How do I stop the screen from going blank?
OK you are now bored with the screen as it now stands. Well put your mouse in middle of your screen and right click. You have brought up a little menu. Look down at the bottom of the menu and find the word properties. Click on it. You now see a little screen that says display properties. You can now change the wallpaper and the screen saver from here. If you don’t like what you have done you can change it back. Appearance can change the color of all your buttons, your background and the colors in your message boxes. Have fun.
Meetings-they are too advanced for me!
No they are not. The main meeting has a time from 5-6 specifically for beginners to ask all those questions you feel embarrassed to ask at work. or worse (gasp!) boring, but not all of them. Go anyway, you might win a door prize. You might actually learn something; I have. OK you don’t want to go to the George R.Brown. Go to the Wednesday night Win 98 sig. Go to the Saturday sig for beginners. You have paid for these meetings with your dues. You might as well go. I did not know anything more than you did when I started. I was not a computer literate person. Hal has brought me up to date.
We now even have computer classes. Learn how to use a word processor. Learn how to use a spreadsheet program. If you are lucky enough to be retired or filthy rich you can attend our classes during the day. (Lucky you!)
Do you have the wrong time? (Or date?)
. If you find your computer has the wrong date or the wrong time. Be careful. Your battery may be going dead. If your battery fails you will lose your cmos settings. Gasp! What are cmos settings? OK turn your computer off by shutting it down properly-now watch. See where is says to press del. to change settings. Do it. Now what did you see? You saw a blue screen with settings that look very scary. They are if you lose them. Take a piece of paper and write them down. You might also do a search for a program called MSD-this program will print out all your settings so you can have a hard copy of them without going to the trouble of writing them down.
Please email me at with all your Newby questions. I promise to keep you anonymous but your questions are just what other inquiring minds want to know. Next month I will discuss downloads, what are they, how do I and why bother, drivers-no not the back seat kind- and viruses. No not the flu kind, the computer kind!
Laura Katz is a HAL-PC member.