Nado Don's               
COMMON SENSE COMPUTER ADVICE

164 Elkwood Ave #B,Imperial Beach, CA  91932
Phone: (619) 300-8485 
Email: Don@nadodon.net

 SETTING UP YOUR COMPUTER & GETTING STARTED

OK, you've taken the big step and bought a computer, now comes the fun part, putting it together and getting it working.  Follow the steps below and you will be well on your way to Internet access & other fun.  If you are not comfortable with doing this by yourself please get a computer technician from the computer store you bought it at, a local computer consultant or a computer savvy friend to help assemble and start up your system.   Most reputable computer stores offer in home set up and one hour of orientation for around $90.

  1. Unpack your computer and check to ensure the parts inventory is complete, read the assembly instructions thoroughly (most are very straight forward and hook ups are color coded), then assemble the computer in its final installation location.
  2. Turn on the computer and follow the start up instructions as they appear on your monitor.  You will need all of your software disks available during this process as you will be fine tuning your system software and registering all software using the codes on the disk jacket or user guide as you progress through the initial system startup routine.  
  3. Maufacturers do not provide system recovery disks anymore.  Instead they have factory restore DVD and emergency Windows repair disk creation software loaded on the new CPUs  They prompt you to create a set of system recovery DVDs during the initial system startup.  While you don't have to do it when prompted, DO NOT WAIT long as even new systems can occasionally breakdown soon after purchase.  Store these in a safe location.  Note: these will not restore any files or programs created/ added after the initial install;  you will have to have original disks or a Windows backup system copy to restore those.
  4. Setup your Internet account using your existing ISP on the desktop or consult my guide for choosing an ISP.  
  5. Use the tutorials included in the software to familiarize yourself with the OS and other software programs.  
  6. Register your computer and all software with the manufacturers. Do not hesitate to call the manufacturer if you have a problem as most warranties cover phone technical; support for 90 days to a year. The manufacturer's Web sites will also have online technical support libraries that can answer most routine questions and save a phone call.  It is a good idea to set each manufactureres Web site as a bookmark  (Firefox) or favorite (Internet Explorer/AOL) on your browser to get quick access to each site.
  7. Use the Windows backup program to backup your data files like address book, browser & E-mail preferences and office documents. The more you use the computer, the more often you should back up your data. At a minimum back up those files once a month.  Since your windows backup is usually colocated with your computer onsite, its best to use an online backup service like CarboniteŠ to maintain an offsite backup which will keep your data safe from any local disasters (fire, flood, earthquake, etc..).
  8. Should the system crash and the system restore or full system backup disks have to be used to restore your computer; the data file back ups can be reinserted directly back into the reloaded software data folder they came from using the Windows backup-restore function.
  9. You do not need to shut off your computer daily unless you have major security concerns.
    Laptops should be shutdown overnight as their compact size leads to heat issues which will effect system performance  Windows & most manufacturers shells have a power saver function built in that will power down the system  including monitor, if it is left unattended.  Reboot your computer every 4-5 days if you use it frequently or whenever it appears to slow appreciably. This helps to clear out any errors or boot up conflicts from your daily use.  
  10. When deleting /reinstalling software or installing hardware, restart your computer after each removal to ensure your boot file is started from scratch and a clean updated registry is reconstructed.

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