B
BulldogXX
Here are four steps every computer user can take that will cure 95% of the problems people commonly experience with Windows, in no particular order:
1- Backup
2- Clean install
3- Protect against attack
4- Understand how to use a computer the right way
Most of the other 5% of the problems you may experience come from software bugs, both known and unknown. Those are inevitable in anything created by human beings. I'll describe the four steps below, but I can only give an overview here. There are many more details that you can learn about on the internet.
Backup
There are basically two types of backup: an image backup and a folder-and-file backup. For simplicity I'll call these an image and a backup. An image is a copy of everything on a partition, including the metadata that describes the partition in technical terms. A backup is a copy of individual folders and files.
When you make an image of your hard drive, you are making an exact copy of that hard drive. Think about what that means: Let's say I conduct an experiment on my computer, and the experiment doesn't work out too well. Now my computer is having a 'bad trip' (if you're old enough to remember what that means.) What do I do now?
It's no problem - I simply restore the image that my imaging program makes automatically overnight and in a matter of minutes my computer has been transported back in time to when everything was working well. Thus, an image is ideal for restoring your computer to the way it used to be.
A backup is ideal for making a copy of your personal data, like your critical financial records, or the irreplaceable videos of your children's first steps, or their precious childhood pictures, or that novel you've spent years working on.
Images and backups can be combined in advanced techniques that are beyond the scope of this post. The point is: When you have a backup, you have the security of knowing that you won't lose anything, no matter what happens to your computer. And not only will you not lose anything, you can easily put everything back to the way it was before. That's peace of mind.
Imagine never having to re-install Windows? After you install Windows for the first time, and after running Microsoft Update until your computer is completely up to date, make an image of your hard drive. From now on, instead of re-installing Windows, which can take hours, all you have to do is restore your image, which takes just a few minutes and you'll have a completely installed copy of Windows ready to go.
Clean install
No savvy computer user wants to upgrade their computer to a new version of Windows. Smart computer users will do a clean install, which is computer-speak for a fresh start. A clean install means erasing your hard drive and starting all over again from the beginning. It's a total do-over.
[Note: You don't have to actually erase your hard drive to do a clean install. The installer breaks all connections to whatever was already on the hard drive, so it's as though whatever was on the hard drive previously has been erased.]
On the other hand, when you upgrade your existing version of Windows to Windows 10, you carry with it all the problems, all the mistakes and all the bad decisions you've made - those you know about and those you don't yet know about - and bring them to Windows 10. It's like bringing all the emotional baggage from your old relationships to your new relationship. Who wants that?
A clean install carries none of that baggage. Instead, you get a fresh start with a brand new, squeaky clean copy of the operating system. No sins of the past to haunt you. And don't think that savvy computer users are free of sin; it's just that their sins are more advanced.
So if a clean install is so great, why do people upgrade to new versions of Windows? Because it's easier. Doing a clean install the right way requires a good deal of technical knowledge that most people don't have. But there's nothing standing in the way of learning all that technical knowledge. It ain't rocket science. All it takes is a commitment to learn and an investment in time. It's an investment that pays off wonderfully when the end result is a computer that zings. And the internet has piles of resources to help you.
If Microsoft is to be believed, Windows 10 is the last version of Windows. Does that mean no more clean installs? Not exactly. Windows 10 is due to receive two major upgrades each year. Each major upgrade is, essentially, a new version of Windows although the changes are not as dramatic as they used to be. It's fine to simply upgrade your computer to these new versions, but every few years you'll probably want to do a clean install.
Protect against attack
From the very beginning of the personal computer industry there have been bad guys who were out to cause trouble for computer users. As time has gone by, the bad guys have gotten increasingly sophisticated. Today the techniques they employ are absolutely stunning in their complexity and their ingenuity. Your computer could be completely compromised (pwned in computer-speak) and you'll never know.
There is no way to prevent a computer from being attacked. That is not possible. The best that anyone can do is to deter an attack by making it so difficult and inconvenient for an attacker that they don't bother trying.
To this end there are best practices that have been designed into operating systems over the years, and every computer user should take advantage of them for increased protection. These include:
The number one defense against attack, by far, is you and me. Computer users need to educate themselves about the risks they face, to be able to recognize an attack when it's about to happen and back away before it hits. We have to be aware and skeptical of unusual things that may be happening on our computers. And we need to stay current with the latest threats to our security so we'll know how best to defend our computers.
The second line of defense against attack is software, to protect our computers against threats we don't know about or don't understand. Every computer needs to have anti-virus software (anti-malware is a more accurate name) that scans the computer constantly for threats, and a firewall that watches all data coming into and going out of the computer.
Hackers love users who ignore the rules and otherwise don't take steps to protect themselves. Don't be a sucker ... instead, make the hacker's life suck.
Understand how to use a computer the right way
No one said using a computer was easy. There's a lot to learn, and not everyone is a 'computer person.' Nevertheless, it's very important to learn how to use a computer correctly.
Fortunately, the internet is a fabulous source of information offered at every level from dummy to expert and in many formats such as tutorials, video, blogs, etc. Just about everything you need to know to operate a computer successfully is out there on the internet. And if the internet doesn't suit you, there are still excellent books to read and courses to take. But we have to take the initiative to learn; we have to make the effort.
Reasonable people can disagree, strongly, about how Windows was designed. However, and like all software, Windows works the way it was coded to work, not the way we wish it would work, so if you want to succeed with Windows you have to understand how Microsoft designed it to be used.
If you make changes to Windows that work against its design, to make it work the way you think it should work, you may or may not succeed in the short run but you will definitely suffer in the long run when a future update stumbles over a configuration it was not expecting to see and your computer stops working properly or stops working altogether.
The key to productive learning on the internet is formulating the right search term. The right search term opens doors to relevent search results, but the wrong search term leads to dead ends. Unfortunately, only experience will help you craft good search terms. You also have to develop a discerning eye to separate the good information from the junk that also fills the internet. This too takes practice. Here are some of the ways I know I'm reading the right information on the internet:
Like it or not, technology doesn't stand still. It changes rapidly and we have to keep up with those changes.
--------------
For years I was making a mess of things on my computer. I've done just about every wrong thing that's possible to do on a computer, and several things previously thought to be impossible. Finally, I got fed up with constantly struggling while the 'smart' computer users were so successful and doing such interesting things with their computers. Why not me? So I resolved to learn what the 'smart' computer users knew that I didn't. (A lot.)
Looking back, these are the four techniques that worked best for me. I won't claim that I never have problems, but even so I am a confident and proficient computer user. You should be, too.
These are not the only techniques that will solve 95% of your problems with a computer. You probably have your own great ideas, and you should post them here.
Continue reading...
1- Backup
2- Clean install
3- Protect against attack
4- Understand how to use a computer the right way
Most of the other 5% of the problems you may experience come from software bugs, both known and unknown. Those are inevitable in anything created by human beings. I'll describe the four steps below, but I can only give an overview here. There are many more details that you can learn about on the internet.
Backup
There are basically two types of backup: an image backup and a folder-and-file backup. For simplicity I'll call these an image and a backup. An image is a copy of everything on a partition, including the metadata that describes the partition in technical terms. A backup is a copy of individual folders and files.
When you make an image of your hard drive, you are making an exact copy of that hard drive. Think about what that means: Let's say I conduct an experiment on my computer, and the experiment doesn't work out too well. Now my computer is having a 'bad trip' (if you're old enough to remember what that means.) What do I do now?
It's no problem - I simply restore the image that my imaging program makes automatically overnight and in a matter of minutes my computer has been transported back in time to when everything was working well. Thus, an image is ideal for restoring your computer to the way it used to be.
A backup is ideal for making a copy of your personal data, like your critical financial records, or the irreplaceable videos of your children's first steps, or their precious childhood pictures, or that novel you've spent years working on.
Images and backups can be combined in advanced techniques that are beyond the scope of this post. The point is: When you have a backup, you have the security of knowing that you won't lose anything, no matter what happens to your computer. And not only will you not lose anything, you can easily put everything back to the way it was before. That's peace of mind.
Imagine never having to re-install Windows? After you install Windows for the first time, and after running Microsoft Update until your computer is completely up to date, make an image of your hard drive. From now on, instead of re-installing Windows, which can take hours, all you have to do is restore your image, which takes just a few minutes and you'll have a completely installed copy of Windows ready to go.
Clean install
No savvy computer user wants to upgrade their computer to a new version of Windows. Smart computer users will do a clean install, which is computer-speak for a fresh start. A clean install means erasing your hard drive and starting all over again from the beginning. It's a total do-over.
[Note: You don't have to actually erase your hard drive to do a clean install. The installer breaks all connections to whatever was already on the hard drive, so it's as though whatever was on the hard drive previously has been erased.]
On the other hand, when you upgrade your existing version of Windows to Windows 10, you carry with it all the problems, all the mistakes and all the bad decisions you've made - those you know about and those you don't yet know about - and bring them to Windows 10. It's like bringing all the emotional baggage from your old relationships to your new relationship. Who wants that?
A clean install carries none of that baggage. Instead, you get a fresh start with a brand new, squeaky clean copy of the operating system. No sins of the past to haunt you. And don't think that savvy computer users are free of sin; it's just that their sins are more advanced.
So if a clean install is so great, why do people upgrade to new versions of Windows? Because it's easier. Doing a clean install the right way requires a good deal of technical knowledge that most people don't have. But there's nothing standing in the way of learning all that technical knowledge. It ain't rocket science. All it takes is a commitment to learn and an investment in time. It's an investment that pays off wonderfully when the end result is a computer that zings. And the internet has piles of resources to help you.
If Microsoft is to be believed, Windows 10 is the last version of Windows. Does that mean no more clean installs? Not exactly. Windows 10 is due to receive two major upgrades each year. Each major upgrade is, essentially, a new version of Windows although the changes are not as dramatic as they used to be. It's fine to simply upgrade your computer to these new versions, but every few years you'll probably want to do a clean install.
Protect against attack
From the very beginning of the personal computer industry there have been bad guys who were out to cause trouble for computer users. As time has gone by, the bad guys have gotten increasingly sophisticated. Today the techniques they employ are absolutely stunning in their complexity and their ingenuity. Your computer could be completely compromised (pwned in computer-speak) and you'll never know.
There is no way to prevent a computer from being attacked. That is not possible. The best that anyone can do is to deter an attack by making it so difficult and inconvenient for an attacker that they don't bother trying.
To this end there are best practices that have been designed into operating systems over the years, and every computer user should take advantage of them for increased protection. These include:
- password-protecting all user accounts, including online accounts, with long, uncrackable passwords (and using a password manager to organize them)
- two factor authentication (abbreviated as 2FA)
- doing day-to-day computing from a Standard User account (the principle of least privileges) and using an Administrator account only for tasks that require Administrator permissions
- file and folder access controls
- keeping the operating system and applications up to date
The number one defense against attack, by far, is you and me. Computer users need to educate themselves about the risks they face, to be able to recognize an attack when it's about to happen and back away before it hits. We have to be aware and skeptical of unusual things that may be happening on our computers. And we need to stay current with the latest threats to our security so we'll know how best to defend our computers.
The second line of defense against attack is software, to protect our computers against threats we don't know about or don't understand. Every computer needs to have anti-virus software (anti-malware is a more accurate name) that scans the computer constantly for threats, and a firewall that watches all data coming into and going out of the computer.
Hackers love users who ignore the rules and otherwise don't take steps to protect themselves. Don't be a sucker ... instead, make the hacker's life suck.
Understand how to use a computer the right way
No one said using a computer was easy. There's a lot to learn, and not everyone is a 'computer person.' Nevertheless, it's very important to learn how to use a computer correctly.
Fortunately, the internet is a fabulous source of information offered at every level from dummy to expert and in many formats such as tutorials, video, blogs, etc. Just about everything you need to know to operate a computer successfully is out there on the internet. And if the internet doesn't suit you, there are still excellent books to read and courses to take. But we have to take the initiative to learn; we have to make the effort.
Reasonable people can disagree, strongly, about how Windows was designed. However, and like all software, Windows works the way it was coded to work, not the way we wish it would work, so if you want to succeed with Windows you have to understand how Microsoft designed it to be used.
If you make changes to Windows that work against its design, to make it work the way you think it should work, you may or may not succeed in the short run but you will definitely suffer in the long run when a future update stumbles over a configuration it was not expecting to see and your computer stops working properly or stops working altogether.
The key to productive learning on the internet is formulating the right search term. The right search term opens doors to relevent search results, but the wrong search term leads to dead ends. Unfortunately, only experience will help you craft good search terms. You also have to develop a discerning eye to separate the good information from the junk that also fills the internet. This too takes practice. Here are some of the ways I know I'm reading the right information on the internet:
- the author is a well-known and well-regarded professional
- the author doesn't write with an attitude
- the information can be corroborated from other equally well-known and well-regarded sources
Like it or not, technology doesn't stand still. It changes rapidly and we have to keep up with those changes.
--------------
For years I was making a mess of things on my computer. I've done just about every wrong thing that's possible to do on a computer, and several things previously thought to be impossible. Finally, I got fed up with constantly struggling while the 'smart' computer users were so successful and doing such interesting things with their computers. Why not me? So I resolved to learn what the 'smart' computer users knew that I didn't. (A lot.)
Looking back, these are the four techniques that worked best for me. I won't claim that I never have problems, but even so I am a confident and proficient computer user. You should be, too.
These are not the only techniques that will solve 95% of your problems with a computer. You probably have your own great ideas, and you should post them here.
Continue reading...