Byting Back

Alabama Nurse,  Dec 2003-Feb 2004  by Bishop, April

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

There is nothing quite as frustrating as losing everything you have in your computer. Even worse, being able to see your files but being "denied access" by some miscreant with too much time on their hands! Alabama State Nurses Association had their own run-in with a virus that did just that two weeks before our Annual Convention this year. Luckily, we were able to outwit the virus and lost only one or two documents. Most of the time you are not that lucky. So, here is a quick course on computer maintenance. Not only will performing these tasks help avoid viruses, they'll shorten the time you have to wait, and wait, and wait for your computer to save, open or even shut down. These simple steps will save time, energy, and your sanity.

1. Update your virus definitions on a regular basis. If for you this means only after they have restored your operating system for the fifth time due to a crash, you are not updating often enough! Norton, McAfee and the other virus protection companies update their systems SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. You should do an update at least once a week if not more often. The longer you wait in between updates, the longer you wait to download definitions; and the more at risk you are for a virus. Once the download is complete, be sure to scan your computer. If you don't have an Anti-virus software on your computer, use your "Web Mail." Using your Web mail takes a little getting used to, but it actually works much like your regular e-mail. The difference is that your "Web mail" is opening up off of your internet provider's server instead of your computer. This reduces the risk of "infection."

2. Delete old "temp" files: Every time you get onto the Web, you inadvertently save a little piece of it to your "Temporary Internet Files" file. By regularly deleting these, you increase your computer's efficiency. There are two way to do this:

1. You do not need to connect to the internet for this option. Right click with your mouse button on your internet access icon on the desk top. Go to "Properties," click on "delete files." It will ask whether you want to do this, just say yes. If you've never done this, it may take a minute or two. Once you're finished with that, "clear" your history. You should only keep pages of history for up to three days. When you're done, click on "OK."

2. Requires that you be connected to the internet. Go to "Tools" on the top of your start-up page. Select options, and click on "delete files," then "clear history," finally "OK."

3. System Maintenance: Click on your "start" button, go to "programs," "accessories," "system tools," "disk defragmenter," "defragment." If you have never done this, I can tell you that it could take up to 2 hours for this to finish, so plan ahead. You should try to defrag your computer at least every 45 days. Especially if you open up a lot of documents. Like Web pages, every time you open a document in your computer it saves little bits and pieces somewhere else.

by April Bishop, ASNA Staff

Copyright Alabama State Nurses' Association Dec 2003-Feb 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved