MY COMPUTER IS A GOOD FRIEND

I got my pal the puter so that I could get on the internet. However when I arrived there I started hearing of people having problems. Seemed like there was no end to the array of the things causing the problems. Some would cuss the ISP they had hired others were blaming microsoft. Of course since I was new to the net I assumed they knew what they were talking about. Ya know a funny thought occured to me one day. No one seemed to be causing the problems themselves.

So I started paying closer attention to the way people were using the puters and what the results were. To make a long story a little shorter. I found very quickly If I did exactly as they did I had the same problems. I will not tell you how to create these problems but I will explain instead some things I have learned to reduce them.

I use windows 95 I also have a number of other programs including netscape products, ICQ, Lotus, and several graphic and audio programs. The ones I am going to focus a little bit on here is Win95 IE and a lil bit of ICQ. I will not deny there may be some bugs in the systems but I believe the biggest bug to be the user.

[TiP #1] I rarely use Navigator however I do on occasion because some pages just adapt better to it. My reason for avoiding Navigator is simple. It has to many bells and whistles all these neat little gadgets are fun but make for a more complicated system. The other major reason that I will share here is IE was made by microsoft and so is windows. Do I need to say more?

[TiP #2] DEFRAG I have been informed every body knows about defrag. Maybe so but to be safe. Defrag is a program found in windows on the desk top by clicking start go over to the last menu called "accessories" you will find a catagory there called "system tools". In this I have a program titled "disk defragmenter" I use it to defrag my computer. I do this often even though it says I do not need to I never allow my computer to reach a point beyound 0% fragmented. It takes me all of 5 minutes to use this program.

[TiP #3]SCANDISC it is found in same area as defrag. Every other time I run defrag I run scandisc. Some folks tell me these programs run every time they start up the puter. Mine does also however any one that has ever had the electric go off can tell you it often says to run the other one so they certianly are not the same thing.

[TiP #4]CLEAN OUT what I call clean out is getting rid of the accumulated junk. I Know... again I hear the cries... but my puter does that automaticly. I have also discovered again they are some of the bunch always cussin the programs or the ISP's. First let me tell on the recycle bin. If you go to the recycle bin an right click you get a menu. I select "properties" here. next when I look at mine there is a check mark next to "Do not move files to the recycle bin". I have found when that is not checked whatever I delete goes right back into the puter.

[TiP #5] Next I click on start go to "settings" then over to "controll panel" then to a thing called "Internet tools" I open this and go to an area called "temporary internet files" and a little button that says "settings" when I click it another set of files appears and I click a button "View Files" that opens a window at the top I click "edit" then go down the menu to "select all" and all those little file thingys get highlighted. Next I go to "file" click it to get the menu and go to "delete" and click on it. If any ask am I sure I always say yes. After it has finished I click "OK" at the bottom of that section.

[TiP #6] This takes me back one page at the bottom of which is button that says "clear history" the little white window next to it is set at "0" Then I push the button "clear history". When that stops I click the "OK" at the bottom of that page.

[TiP #7] FREQUENCY i clean out after every 7-8 pages I have viewed. every other time i do this i also defrag.

[TiP #8] NEVER accept files or URL's from ICQ unless the system is clean. When files or URL's are downloading or opening make sure no other programs are still running. Make sure when accepting a file that the puter has sufficient space for it. ICQ is a very sophisicated piece of software. It can be set to where the files will await your permission to down load.

Well there is a lot more I could say but I am tired so I will get back and add more later prehaps. © olenfat