Preventative Measures Or: Delaying the Inevitable System Crash A guide to minimizing computer problems and data loss Written by Ben Edwards Georgia CTAE Resource Network 2010

Objectives Students will learn precautionary measures to prevent or minimize computer problems or damage resulting from computer failure.

Overview It is said that anyone who claims to understand quantum mechanics is either lying or crazy. The same can likely be said of computers. Computers are so complex and intricate that something, somewhere will inevitably go wrong. But by following a few guidelines, one can minimize problems and the resulting damage.

Quick Points to Remember Save often Immunize Update Minimize human error Keep an emergency kit

Save Often! It is important to save your work often, whatever you’re doing. Even for the best equipped and most knowledgeable, a crash could occur at any time. Probably at the worst time, knowing your luck.

Save Often! For larger projects, it is helpful to save various versions of your work by naming them differently. This way, if your most recent work doesn't work or doesn't include some necessary element that it previously had, the old versions are at your fingertips.

Save Often! Backups can save a lot of trouble in case of hard drive failure or accidental deletion. You can save backups by saving your files to a location other than your working folder, such as: USB flash drive External hard drive Internet location

Save Often! Some companies specialize in online backups. For a fee, they back up data to a remote location in real-time or at scheduled times. Mozy and Carbonite are examples. It is good practice to backup data to multiple locations, such as online and an external harddrive. That way, if one dies, the data lives on.

Immunize! Keep a virus scanner and spyware/adware/malware detection software handy, and have them do regular/automatic scans. Examples of virus software are Norton (commercial) and AVG (freeware). Examples of malware detection software are Adaware, Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, and HijackThis.

Immunize! Make sure your browser is equipped with a pop-up blocker. Be wary of email attachments from strangers, or strange attachments from friends. Don't go to the dark side. A major source of many computer problems is websites and applications that you probably shouldn't be using anyway!

Immunize! Watch out for imposters! A recent trend in malware has been “rogue antispyware” programs, which impersonate antispyware software in an attempt to get the user to “pay for the full version,” but is in fact a virus! -- Don’t be fooled! Know what software you have! Imposter!

Update! Keep that virus/malware software up to date! Most software includes the option to update automatically. Make sure your operating system's security updates are installed. You can also have this done automatically.

Update! Updates for browsers and other software such as Flash or Adobe Acrobat are not just cosmetic! Often they include patches for important security holes. Keeping your drivers up to date will also help prevent against seemingly hardware related issues. Peripherals like printers, externals like digital cameras, and internals like sound cards all rely on drivers to run smoothly with the rest of your system. But if something else does something new and expects the old drivers to follow along, there will be trouble.

Minimize Human Error! Try to have your backups, scans, and updates run regularly and automatically. This gives you less to worry about, and eliminates the distinct probability that your computer will crash the one day you forgot to do all the important stuff.

Minimize Human Error! Keep your workspace tidy. This includes keeping cords organized and out of the way, keeping food and drinks safely away from hardware, and even keeping files and folders well organized. Many an important document has been lost due to pulled plugs, soda spills, and accidental deletions due to poor organization. So organize!

Keep an Emergency Kit! Keep the phone numbers and web addresses of your software and hardware companies nearby. These are often included in the manuals, so having a drawer full of manuals or a notepad with information can come in quite handy.

Keep an Emergency Kit! Keep a list of useful informational sites, especially for viruses and malware. Since threats are constantly evolving, sometimes realtime help is the best. To that end, virus/spyware forums such as spywareinfoforum.com or bleepingcomputer.com are great resources and always up to date. In some cases, viruses can disable your antivirus software. Keep a list of free online virus scans, like those of PandaSecurity, Kaspersky, and BitDefender.

Keep an Emergency Kit! Keep a copy of Hiren's Boot CD on hand (and on a CD!). This collection of freeware and shareware covers most problems, and includes antivirus, antimalware, backup tools, hard drive and file recovery, network tools, browsers, file access tools (for when your computer won't boot), and many other pieces of software that you'll hopefully never have to use. www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd Have this downloaded and burned to a disk in case of internet or computer failure.

Final Notes Know your geek. Learn from your mistakes. There is likely someone nearby who can answer your questions. Know who this is. Learn from your mistakes. Keep a log of problems encountered and the actions which solved them. Learn from others’ mistakes. Don’t let bad history repeat itself. r Photo courtesy ThinkGeek.com

Final Notes BANG HEAD HERE Remember, computer failure is inevitable. Be prepared to minimize data loss before it happens. But sometimes there is no way to retrieve data. When all else fails, install a padded wall for head-banging, and a sound-proof room for crying. BANG HEAD HERE