Greetings!

Its still (technically) Winter, though it feels like Spring has Sprung here in our beautiful mountains. Before we completely relinquish our winter-dormancy, consider taking some time to get to know your computer better. After all, we are continuing to rely more heavily on our PCs for both business and personal resources.

This month, we'd like to share with you some nifty keyboard shortcuts. We'll help you to extend your knowledge with free courses. We will also provide you with general computer tips for all levels of users, through the novice to more experienced PC gurus.

Please know that Christopher's Computers will be sporadically returning calls the week of February 26- March 2, 2008. We will not be making appointments during this week as we'll be on a greatly anticipated vacation!

Happy Computing,

Keyboard Short Cuts

Want to be a bit more efficient in using your PC? Try using some keyboard shortcuts. Learn one or two at a time and before long you'll be mastering these shortcuts (and as an added bonus, impress your friends with your dexterous knowledge!)

Listed here are some of the shortcuts to use on a daily basis.

To begin, lets first print out these directions. You can do that by pressing CTRL-P right now. (hold the 'Ctrl' key, its located at the bottom of your keyboard on the left and right, and tap 'p' once) It will bring up your printing window. You will also find 'Alt' near Ctrl.

Now open up a document in Word to work with. Try these key combinations , starting with holding down the Control Key and adding the next key.

How to Save:
Say you're working diligently on a letter, or your excel spreadsheet and you want to save periodically (which is a good idea!). Anytime you want to save, just use Ctrl-S. It saves your document in an instant (you'll know because you'll see the little hourglass icon flash for a moment as it saves your material). Just remember the -first- time you save something you're working on, to go under File, then "Save-as" option to delegate where your data should be stored on your computer.

How to quit a program or close a window:
Want to quickly close a program or window? Just use ALT-F4. (dont do it now or you'll close this newsletter) This will close whatever program is running or whatever window is open that is in FRONT. If you have multiple windows open at the same time, it will not close all of your windows (unless you use ALT-F4 for each window individually).

Below you will find a link for more quick keyboard tactics.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Free Classes

Recently ABC's 20/20 announced that Denmark is the world's happiest place on earth. There are many factors discussed as to why Denmark produces generally happy people, one of which is Free College Education.

We'd like to share with you a link to MIT's Open-Course-Ware program where anyone can download course materials online for FREE from a multitude of subjects.

Hope this makes your day a bit more bright!

MIT Course Materials

PC Tips Level I User

PC Tips Level II User

1. Use an antivirus program at all times. We use AVG which can be obtained for free for the home user at Download.com.

2. Screen Savers are fun but remember that they waste memory and hard drive space. Screen Savers can also cause software conflicts.

3. Installing new software: Refrain from using "bootleg" software. It's illegal and you can't use the benefit of software support. Never buy and install "Version 1.0" of anything! Wait until the new software is out there a few months before you take the plunge!

4. Reboot your machine periodically. (at least every couple of days)

PC Tips Level III User

PC Tips Level IV User

1. Make sure that the hard drive that your Windows folder resides on has AT LEAST 500MB of free space. The more the better! This is the most common cause of "Out of Memory" errors and bizarre behavior. Windows needs the "elbow room"

2. Clean out your C:WindowsTemp folder and Internet Explorer "Temporary Internet Files" at least weekly. The best time to do this is as soon as you get to the Windows Desktop on startup, before you run any applications. A build up of either the number of total files in this folder or the total drive space taken by files in this folder can cause:
A. Printing/spooling problems.
B. "Out of memory" errors.
C. Other bizarre, unpredictable behavior.

3. Run Scandisk and Defrag on the hard drive(s) regularly. If running either results in the constant "restart" of either program- try running them after unloading your antivirus program

4. Only load the software you need at Startup: Most new Windows systems these days load a ton of little junk programs at system startup-that's why the "tray" in the lower right hand corner of your screen is just chock full of little icons! All those icons represent programs running all the time, in the background. Check your Startup Folder-get rid of the applications you don't need.

PC Tips Level V Users

1. Installing new Hardware: Same basic rule as above-if it does not work remove it! Stick with "brand name" hardware-3COM, Xircom, HP, Western Digital, Intel, IBM etc. These brands tend to have better tech support and help websites. Again, if after a reasonable amount of effort, you can't make it work-call Christopher’s Computers for help!!

2. Keep your hardware drivers (especially for your video card) up to date: Check places like driverguide.com for the latest versions.

3. Keep your system virus free: The main virus threats to your system come from these sources: EMail -if you use MS Outlook; removable media (CDs, USB drives, floppies, Zips, etc) passed to you by someone else or shared network files. To better protect your system install and regularly update your antivirus software. Turn on the "autoprotect" feature. Run a full anti-virus scan on any removable disks that are passed to you by others (before you use the files on the disks) and on your hard drive periodically. If you don't have an anti-virus program, AVG for personal use is a good, free program. You can obtain this at Download.com

Recycling Available

Contact Information

Thank you for supporting your local small businesses. We greatly appreciate your continued patronage and referrals.

828.670.9800

Christopher@ChristophersComputers.com

***Proud member of the Weaverville Business Association.***

PC Services Provided in Your Home or Office:

Repair

Upgrades

Tutoring

New Computers

Data Recovery

Data Backup

Wireless Networking

Software Installing

Hardware Installing

Memory Install

Optical Drive Install

Hard Drive Install

Refurbished Computers

Formating

Websites

Databases

Digital Music Training

Digital Imaging (Photo) Training

Digital Video Training

Diagnostics

System Tune-Up

ETC...

Competitive Prices

$65 per hour for all residential and business needs.

Tutoring rates for individuals and small groups:
1 hour= $65
2 consecutive hours= $100

Remember, we come to you!

Custom Computers Available

We build customized new computers to meet your individualized needs. We can also assist you in purchasing exactly what you need if you're looking for a laptop.

Refurbished machines are available, also.

All computers purchased through Christopher's Computers include free home delivery and set up as well as warranty on all parts.

Worry-Free Data Backup

Be conservative and humble in how you treat your system.
Install just what you need, not every last "cool" piece of software you find out on the internet.

If you're not sure how -don't do it- get professional help!
Don't trust your system to a friend, neighbor or relative that claims they "know something about computers!!"
There are far too many "computer" people out there that can "talk the talk" but can't "walk the walk".

Find and develop a relationship with a reputable local computer repair shop.

Would you get your car repaired by just anyone? Then don't treat your computer that way!