7 Things You Should Know If You Own A Computer

I guess almost every one owns a personal computer now, but you would be surprised to know how little many people can do with their computers. Back in school, I know people who only used their laptops to watch movies and play games. Even if you are tech savvy, still have a look at these, you might learn something, plus, you can also share what you know that you think others should also know in the comment box.

1. Set Up a Simple Backup System

We all know we should back up our computers, but it’s always one of those things that you’ll set up “one day”. Setting up a backup only takes minutes, though, so you can do it right now and forget about it until you need it—and when you do need it, you’ll be glad you set it up. If you’re just backing up to an external drive, you can just use the simple tools built in to your computer,like Windows Backup or Apple’s Time Machine. However, that’ll only keep you safe if your computer fails. If you lose your home in a fire, get all your gear stolen, or experience any other kind of disaster (God forbid), you’ll have lost all those important documents, family photos, and other files forever. So, we recommend using a service like CrashPlan to back up your computer online. That way, it can back up no matter where you are, and that data will be safe no matter what happens to your hardware.

2. Do Everything Faster with Shortcuts

The great thing about computers is that they can do a lot of things much faster than a human. Say you’re looking for a specific word on a web page. Instead of scanning it yourself, all you need to do is press Ctrl+F and type the word you’re looking for. There are mountains of shortcut like this, from pressing Ctrl+S to instantly save the file you’re working on, Ctrl+P to print it out, or Ctrl+T to open a new tab in your web browser. It may seem like more trouble than its worth at first, but after you use a shortcut one or two times, you’ll wonder why you ever did anything with the mouse. There are more than a hundred shortcuts you an start with.

3. Protect Yourself From Viruses

Windows users have long known the pain of viruses and other malware, but the good news is it’s pretty easy to avoid. First,you should have a good antivirus installed if you so choose. But in the end, the best way to avoid viruses is to use common sense: don’t open links that look suspicious, don’t install programs from untrusted sources, and if a window pops up saying your computer’s infected, make sure it’s actually your antivirus software saying that and not a fake web page.

4. Keep Your PC Free of Crap

Ever wonder how that Yahoo toolbar got on your system, or why there’s so much junk installed on your brand new machine? Crapware is a huge problem in the world of Windows, but that doesn’t mean you have to take it lying down. With the right tools and a little know-how, you can avoid that crapware forevermore: just uninstall the stuff that came with your system, and learn the ways companies trick you into installing stuff you don’t want. You’ll keep that system nice and clean, and beat the scammers at their own game.

5. Access Your Home Computer From Anywhere

Ever go out with your laptop and realize you left something important on your computer at home? One way to solve this problem is to use a service like Dropbox, so your files are with you everywhere you go. However, it’s also handy to know how to use your home computer from anywhere. With a simple app like TeamViewer, you can log into your home computer from another machine and use it as if you were sitting right at your desk—whether you just need to grab a quick file or access a program you don’t have elsewhere.

6. Easily Find Your Lost or Stolen Gadgets

You never know when you might misplace your phone, laptop, or other tech, so set up some safeguards now. iPhone users can enable Find My iPhone, and Android users should enable the Android Device Manager, which allows you to track your phone if you lose it. Of course, the best solution is making sure it doesn’t get stolen in the first place, and making sure all your personal data is locked down. Which brings us to our last tip.

7. Keep Your Personal Information Safe and Secure

Unfortunately, the internet isn’t always a safe place, which means everyone needs to make sure they’re keeping their personal information safe. Make sure you use strong passwords, remove personal information from photos and other files, and never use open public Wi-Fi networks without protection (awoof dey run belle o). Keeping your personal information safe is easier than it sounds, and if you aren’t sure what to do, check out this  checklist for staying safe online. You’d be surprised how unsafe you were being before.

Original post: Lifehacker