Working With Computers

In Today's Society, There's No Escape Well, we've been warned that this time would come - probably from the earlier eighties on. Yes, computers have finally taken over and if you doubt it, we're here to convince you - but not because we want to or because we can. We want to convince you that if you don't take the necessary steps to control that reign, you're going to be left behind further than you could have ever imagined. Computers are everywhere. Take a moment to try and think of a place a business where you didn't see a computer in use. From the small local corner store to the largest hospital, computers are in every gas station, grocery store, bank, restaurant, beauty shop, and doctor's office around. From a consumer's point of view - you may not think that's much to worry about. But along with computers, we've also been infiltrated with a little thing called "self-service." Today, there are more self-serviced resources than ever and in an effort to synchronize them with headquarter databases, they're provided via your inescapable computer. Here are some examples. Banking is self-serviced through the desktop-clad ATM machine. Gas stations are self-serviced through a menu-clad touch screen kiosk. Most cash registers are Windows XP or Vista machines that send purchase details back to headquarters via the Internet (or a small Intranet). Having your weight, blood pressure, and heart rate measured and recorded is now a digitized process. Even ordering a pizza is now a simple matter of dialing from a wireless cell phone and making a few selections from series of pre-programmed menus! The important thing to realize here is that this phenomenon isn't a new convenience - it's a new requirement. And if you haven't jumped onto the binary wagon, you're going to face a few problems. For just as this new lifestyle was once predicted, we're going to predict that "the old ways" will slowly disappear. We're going to predict that all paper-based transactions (checks, money orders, etc.) and documentation (think of the old filing cabinet system) will disappear. We're going to predict that chips will replace everything that was once transported from one location to another through the trusty post office. And we're going to predict that homes will become less cluttered with stacks of paper and that our natural resources will flourish as a result of it. This all sounds fine and dandy of course, but if you're not computer savvy, you're going to feel a little lost once the choice has past and the revolution is 100% complete. Fortunately, computer systems are designed in a way that even a child can manipulate them. In fact, if you can remember that most systems are designed along the line of menus and the selections of a few options on these menus, you'll do just fine no matter how many buttons there are to push. For example, when you're faced with an electronic system, look for a main menu. Most main menus display themselves as soon as a device is turned on, so chances are that if you're standing before a device that shows a bunch of choices to do something, you're looking at a main menu. The buttons on these main menus of course take you to additional menus, which in turn give you even more choices to make. And all of those choices will eventually bring you to the service that you need. One very important choice you'll want to keep your eye on is the option to return to the main menu. This way, you can return to the beginning of a system and start over in case you get lost among the way. Another important choice that you want to keep your eye on is the choice to get help! This option may not be available on every device that you encounter, but when it is available, be sure to use it. There's just no way around it. Computers and computerized systems are here to stay. There's no need to fear them - but you surely can't avoid them. Just remember the menu system and you'll soon discover that you can approach and use these things as if you designed them yourself.

Employer Sponsored Online Computer Training

Most human resource professionals would agree that the most vital aspect in maintaining a good employee is through training. Keeping personnel trained on the most up to date aspects of their profession creates a more valuable employee. The downfall to this is that in a budget crunch, an experienced employee seeking more compensation will have numerous options available. The reasoning: a trained employee is a valuable employee. Unfortunately this is true. In actuality, the employer must hope for loyalty in their employees. Without this loyalty, the doors can be virtually blown off their hinges. An answer to this dilemma may be in providing online computer training to employees for the basic requirements of the job at hand where practical. Certifications expire but don't require classroom attendance. Many online computer training courses are available covering everything from archaeology to zoology and everything in-between. One only need do a Google search for online computer training that covers the given subject to discover this. A dilemma faced by many employers as it refers to training is expense. In a lot of training situations, class reservations, hotel reservations, meals and other expenses become a factor. Sometimes these expenses overshadow the expense of the course alone. In addition to this, the employer loses the employee for an extended period causing a slow down in production. Another consideration is the travel expense; gas, wear and tear on a company owned vehicle that make some training cost prohibitive. All of these expenses add up, sometimes into an astronomical amount that may discourage an employer from sending an employee for training. Online computer training is beneficial in many ways and answers many facets of this dilemma. For one, there are no hotel reservations, or meal expenses. That alone can save money to make online computer training an attractive option. Productivity will be only minimally affected depending on the arrangements made for time to take the online computer training. Given the aforementioned, travel expenses; gas, wear and tear on the company vehicle are eliminated. The only true expense is that of paying the employee while they train. If accomplished properly, the expense can be negated. Many online computer training institutions provide group discounts, thereby lightening the load on the employers wallet even further. In addition, most provide instant or relatively instant course results to the employer. As part of the majority of marketing schemes, these institutions also keep the employer up to date with their latest training schedules thereby building a rapport. Whatever the case, having this information hands-on allows an employer abreast of potential training opportunities. Training an employee builds the employees value. This may increase the possibility that the employee may leave for 'greener pastures'. However, the more optimistic thought process implies that a trained employee is a happy employee. Keeping employees happy through training makes for loyal employees. In keeping with this, employers should not only be productive and proactive towards company goals. By providing not only training, but online computer training the expense bourn by the employer is lost.

When Less Is More Clean Your Disk Drive of Unnecessary Files and Your Computer's Performance Will Improve

When it comes to maintaining your computer, you've probably heard it all before. "Run Defrag!" "Scan Your Disk for Errors!" Although these two activities are important, there's more you can do to extend the life of your computer beyond today's predicted two-year span. In fact, by following the simple advice below, you can enjoy the use of your computer to up to five years or more - reserving expenses to simple software upgrades rather then complete and costly hardware upgrades. One of the easiest and least expensive things you can do to extend the life of your computer is to get rid of unnecessary programs, folders, and files. A disk drive that's clogged with unnecessary and unused files is disk drive that works harder than it has to. Although Window's defrag system can ease some of the stress that these files place onto the drive, it doesn't do much to get rid of the problem in the first place. This is because the defrag program simply organizes the files in a system that makes it easier for the computer to access. (Thus cutting down on the work required to find and load them). But this method merely "relieves" the symptoms that these files induce - it doesn't attack the cause. These files need to be deleted - not "organized!" Of course, deleting files can be a scary adventure to most users. Most computer users don't know which files are safe to delete and which aren't. The worst thing anyone could do is snoop around crucial Window directories and haphazardly delete files that don't look familiar. Doing so could render important programs inoperable, corrupt the Windows operating system, and possibly prevent the computer from even starting. That's why using special deletion software is so important. Deletion programs will analyze a computer's operating system and installed programs to determine which files are crucial to computer function versus which files are safe to delete. You already have such a program on your computer and it's Windows' Add/Remove Programs (available from the Control Panel). This software will assist you with deleting programs that you not only no longer want, but additional files that these program use as well (dynamic link libraries, database files, registry references, shortcut icons, etc.). But sometimes Windows' Add/Remove Programs isn't enough. Although this software does a pretty good job of removing unwanted programs, it can leave some files behind even after a complete uninstall - files which become orphan files. And it's these orphan files that can really clutter up a hard drive and shorten the life of an otherwise, young and robust PC. Orphans are usually files that contain temporary data created by a program, files created by the user, partial files left over from a computer crash, or any other kind of miscellaneous files created for almost any other reason. The problem is that an uninstall program doesn't delete the orphan files it leaves behind because they were never part of the program when it was first installed. An uninstall program can remove only the files it placed onto a hard drive during its install routine. So while Windows' Add/Remove Programs can remove an entire program, you'll need to get rid of those pesky little things with a more advance file cleaner like CleanSweep for example. CleanSweep is a unique program that will specifically seek out files that are no longer associated with a program, and then ask if you want to delete them. The only time that you wouldn't want to delete an orphan file is if the file were an actual document that you created before deleting a program. If you were to say, uninstall Microsoft Word, all the documents that you created with Word would then turn into orphan files. Or if you were to uninstall a graphics-editing program, all the pictures you made with the program would become orphan files. The smart thing to do when you don't want to lose the data that you created with an unwanted program is to: 1. Save or convert your documents to a format that will work with different program first (that is, a program that you intend to keep) 2. Archive them onto a floppy disk, flash drive, or CD-ROM 3. Proceed with a program like CleanSweep. Using CleanSweep or any other similar type of utility could delete anywhere from less than a megabyte of hard drive space to over five megabytes and up. That may seem like a small amount of "clog material" to you, but to your computer, it's a lot less to process!

Viruses - What They Are And One Reason Why People Make Them

Over recent years, computers have become synonymous with viruses and viruses don't show any signs of disappearing any time soon. In recent news, LiveScience.com reported that "Before the month is even done, April has set a record for virus e-mails."1 In the past, we would be comfortable in telling new computer users not to worry about viruses and that catching a computer virus is rare. Today, that would be some of the worst advice we could give anyone. As reported in countless news reports, computer viruses are rampant and they're extremely worrisome. This article will describe what viruses are and then point you in the direction of some rather unique protection and prevention. In short, a computer virus is a software program designed to destroy or steal data. It attacks computers via distribution - often unknowingly - through email attachments, software downloads, and even some types of advanced web scripting. Viruses that destroy data are known as Trojan horses, viruses that explode their attacks are called bombs, and viruses that duplicate themselves are called worms. Some viruses are a combination of each, however they can be further identified according to where they're located on a computer. A virus originating from the boot sector of a computer is a boot-sector virus and this nasty devil does its dirty work the moment a computer is turned on. A virus that attaches itself to (infects) other programs is a file virus and activates the moment that an infected program starts. File viruses may also be referred to as parasitic viruses, however should a virus work from both the boot-sector and from an infected program, the virus is then known as a multipartite virus. Why viruses exist remains a mystery, however we had privy access to the mind behind a virus programmer who explained his motivation behind his destructive inclinations. Apparently, this person had a deep grudge against a popular online service which shall remain unnamed. In this hacker's mind, the online service failed to do a quality job in protecting children from online smut and as retaliation, he created and distributed a virus to as many file libraries of this service as he could. His intentions were to disable the computers of the online service's users so much that they wouldn't be able to connect for days. In his mind, the loss of connection meant loss of revenue for the online service. Although the malicious code that this person generated may have worked for a small percentage of users, sufficed to say, the online service continued on and still exists today. Despite his motivation or intention, his efforts were null. We wouldn't be surprised to learn if other motivations behind spreading viruses were similar to this person's, but that doesn't justify the damage that viruses do. Innocent people become pawns for the evil plans of others who've convinced themselves they're doing the "right" thing. To protect a computer from getting a virus, or clean a virus from a computer system once infected requires the use of an antivirus utility. But may be something else we can do. Perhaps we could make an effort to educate the people who want put viruses into the public about ways to display dissatisfaction with a service or product that don't involve harming innocent parties. In doing so, we just might reduce the number of virus news stories and protect our own investments at the same time.

Computer errors

Computer errors can pop up when least expected, they can cause the entire system to suddenly shut down, and they can inadvertently corrupt data to the point where it can't be deciphered. Although they can't always be avoided, it's important to remember that computer errors can be corrected. The key is to understand what computer errors are, understand what they mean when they show up, and understand how to minimize their occurrence in the first place. Basically, computer errors are the result of a number of things that may or may not have anything to do with the way the computer is used. They "operate" whenever there's a conflict among commands. Remember that computers essentially run off of a series of commands and it's usually a smooth process. But when one command conflicts with another command - or when one command asks for a process or information that isn't available, the computer returns results that aren't useable. That's an error. A prime example of this kind of error is when users attempt to use software that isn't applicable for their system. Almost all software accompanies a list of system requirements which dictates what a computer needs to have in order for the software to work properly. To minimize errors of this sort, always verify that your computer has the required components. A project management program that you're interested in may require a specific operating system, like Windows XP for example. And although this program may install just fine on a Windows 98 machine, it will generate a multitude of errors once its started. Insufficient memory will cause errors as well. That's why software programs include minimum memory requirements. A program that needs 14MB of memory will generate errors on a computer that only has 4MB of memory if it runs at all. The same goes for disk space, monitor color depth and resolution. In these situations, problems occur the moment that a piece of software attempts to access the things (hardware, memory, space, resolution, etc.) that it cannot find. Because some programs share common files, errors can also occur when these shared files are not up to date. For instance, let's say that Program A is already installed on a computer and it's working just fine. Then let's say that the user of that computer downloads and installs Program B. Program B uses a file that Program A installed much earlier, but when Program B is run, errors popup. Those errors are the result of Program B attempting to use an outdated (shared) file that was installed by Program A. In order to fix that problem, the user would have to download an updated version of the shared file (which to say the least - is not an easy thing to find or do). Sometimes, errors occur because a system doesn't have the required drivers or the drivers that are on the system are the incorrect version. Both errors in these cases can be resolved by updating the computer on a regular basis. Microsoft provides a section on its website that can automatically update a computer online and it does this at no cost in an effort to reduce errors like this. Always try to keep your computer updated so that should a program share a file, it will share a file that has been updated on hundreds of thousands of computers, like yours. This article doesn't even begin to cover the entire gamut of computer errors - but additional information regarding how to get help with a computer issue (including computer errors) can be found in our article titled, "Computer Help" no matter what the problem is.

military computer

Today's military is on the leading edge of technology. Leaders in the US Armed Forces have long recognized that a trained soldier is a good soldier. Along with this: a good soldier is a happy soldier; a happy soldier is a retained soldier. With advances in technology, and the advent of the internet, it was only a matter of time before the military would come online. Due to this steadfast belief, the military evolved. If mother necessity were the mother of invention, then education was the necessity. Military members now have access to advanced training and other educational materials through online computer training. In the military of old, training was conducted primarily in a classroom environment: no online computer training whatsoever. The alternative to classroom instruction was correspondence courses. While some training requires the student to be under direct supervision of the trainer: other's don't. To alleviate this, the military designed correspondence courses. Each correspondence course had attached a pre-test and a final test: the member would mail in the pre-test and receive a final exam to complete and return. Correspondence courses alleviated the stress put upon training commands and allowed students to study at their own pace. At the time, this was a boon to the military and it's personnel. Problems arose with this program, though. Problems such as lost or misrouted mail often prevented members from obtaining much needed certificates. The course completion certificate was considered the only proof required for course completion. Also, the certificate often served as a substitute for training requirements. In addition to this, certificates were the only requirement for obtaining points toward promotion. With the aforementioned problem came personnel problems. Personnel problems were an issue that if not solved expediently added to retention problems. The military recognized this issue and determined to do something about it. Another issue faced by military members of the past was obtaining a college degree. Members were often deployed or stationed in locations where access to college was not possible. Due to this problem, members attempting to obtain a degree had issues with continuity of their education. A simple change from one duty station to another created problems also: one college not accepting another colleges curriculum. Eventually, the military recognized both problems and determined that providing military members to online computer training would benefit everyone. Nowadays, on any military installation one can find an 'internet café'. These locations were established to serve the member with the opportunity to access the internet. Internet access provided the opportunity for accessing online computer training. Members now access courses that were previously offered only through correspondence. Through online computer training, members can now complete an online degree no matter where they are on the globe. That is, of course, provided that they can access the internet. Generally the only places that have problems with internet connectivity are submarines, yet with technology advancing that may not be a problem for long. And the problem with correspondence courses? Online computer training resolved all of that. Members now have instant access to completion certificates. Certificates lead to points, and points lead to promotions. All of these combined makes a trained, retainable soldier. Therefore, online computer training has helped keep the US Armed Forces truly a force to be reckoned with.

Home Computer Training

Welcome home! You're so excited to have your new computer system up and running. It is pretty exciting, isn't it? So what's next? For some of you, you're off to the races, ready to go to the ends of the Internet. For others, you may be staring at your new system like a calf staring at a new gate. This is why most home users of personal computers can benefit from home computer training. So what are some of the things a home computer user should get trained on? Let's take a look at a short list of things you need to know to be efficient on your home computer and keep it running in tip-top shape. Home computer training should always include how to do back-ups. It goes without saying that if something is important, you should have two copies of it. It's nice to have a hard copy (print-out) of a document or file, but it's also nice to have a back-up of the actual computer file. Just imagine what happens when the spreadsheet you've been using to balance your accounts suddenly get corrupted. If you don't have a electronic copy of the file, then you will be stuck with re-entering all of the information by hand. With home computer training you can get the skills to know how to best back up your files, which files to back up, and what utilities will best meet your needs. Another area that should be covered through home computer training is that of file system maintenance. At this point, we've already covered back-ups. In this area, let's look at two areas that often get overlooked until the system slows down so much it is basically at a stand still. One is disk cleanup and the other is file fragmentation. Home computer training will help the new computer user learn how to recognize when a hard drive is becoming cluttered, and what to do about it. Often, third party software creates temporary files while you are using it, and then conveniently neglects to delete these files when you are done. In addition, trash can collect in your recycle bin as well. Combine these with temporary internet files and cookies and you can be bogged down pretty quickly. Home computer training will also help you understand what causes a file to get fragmented into dozens of pieces on your hard drive. While this doesn't destroy the file, it sure does slow down the computer's access time to it, which increases your wait time while using that software or opening that particular project. A final area that is often overlooked by the new computer user is that of Internet security and setting up of the firewall. A good home computer training class will cover how to set up your firewall, and how to optimize your Internet browser to ensure a good experience while online. All of these areas are important when operating a computer in this modern Internet age. So be sure and address these when you are signing up for home computer training. A good home computer training class will not only address these main issues, but go above and beyond in bringing you up to speed on modern computing.