compunerds

Although you didn't design or construct your personal computer, you are able to turn it into a device that responds to your preferences of using it just like you were the original designer or developer. That's due to the fact that the PC is a mere workbench - a blank canvas, if you will - allowing you to guide its workings or create the ideal system. All this can be done through doing just a few clicks in your personal computer's present configuration. You may get assistance to do this through online PC support.

Your computer's main settings are located in the Windows Control Panel. Within this tiny section of Windows OS, you may make some huge adaptations, starting with the way that your PC desktop looks to the way that your computer responds to those who utilize it.

But your modifications do not only affect Windows, they also apply to the dozens of programs which are set up on the PC (in addition to the fact that many software applications may be customized even more via their own settings). We aren't going to touch on them all, but we shall introduce some of the most common ones so that you might get a feel of the control of your machine that these configurations give you.

Users. Before we get into the individual settings, it's important that you understand that each set of configurations you make is specific to the users that sit down in front of a personal computer. Changes made to a system by one person will differ from the changes made by another. Enabled by a username and password, individual desktop settings (icons, background picture, and other settings) are available after logging onto Windows.

Display Properties. Through Display Properties, a user can change the background of the Windows Desktop, add a screen-saver, change the overall color scheme and fonts of Windows, and adjust a computer's color depth and/or resolution (screen area). Not just a bunch of preference settings, display properties help individuals who have to deal with visual problems.

Accessibility Options. Speaking of visual problems, another setting that's useful is accessibility options. This setting allows people with disabilities to use a personal computer that accommodates vision and hearing problems.

Keyboard and Mouse Options. The keyboard and mouse controls give users the option of speeding up or slowing down the movements of both of these peripherals. For those entering the United States from a foreign country, users will appreciate how Windows grants use of keyboard layouts native to their original language. Other uses will appreciate the different selection of cursors and the ability to add additional ones.

Passwords. Since the computer in use may be shared with others, passwords give the almighty administrator the means to determine whether all users will share the same preferences and desktop settings or if users can customize preferences and desktop settings. 

Regional Settings. Things get really personal in Regional Settings - as this configuration makes changes according to a user's location and language. Options available can accommodate a person's preference for the display of numbers, currency, time, and date format.

Sounds Properties. Multimedia fans can create a rich PC environment filled with sound through this setting. Sounds can be assigned to numerous events and they don't even need to be the default sounds installed by Windows. Users can download sounds from the Internet or create their own sounds with a microphone.

From just these basic configuration options, you can create your own experience with a computer each time you sit down in front of one. Customizing your PC is what makes using a PC truly unique and enjoyable, so have fun and build a situation at home or a work in which you'll love to work with everyday. Should you feel a little nervous about it at first, remember that can get assistance doing this via online PC support, and your computer's original configuration can be saved to a backup file should you ever want to restore it to the same state that it was in when you first bought it.

Best regards,

Robert Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

The author, Dr. Robert Hosken, has more than 30 years of career work in software development with personal computers. Ever since his teenage years he has built and run a number of profitable firms and charitable organizations. You can get his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and find out the most effective methods to work with your personal computer at Online PC Support, or see his Offsite Backups page, or email him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - thank you!

Computer glitches can crop up when you don't expect, they might cause the whole system to suddenly crash, or they can unfortunately mess up your information to the point where it cannot be understood - a big reason you need offsite backups. Although glitches cannot always be bypassed, it is vital to remember that personal computer glitches may usually be corrected. The solution is to learn what computer glitches are, understand what they signify when they appear, and know how to reduce their occurrence at all. Advice can be found through online PC support.

Essentially, PC errors may be caused by several items which might or may not be related to the manner in which the PC is used. They are generated when there's a conflict among instructions. Remember that PCs basically operate from a string of instructions, and it's usually a smooth routine. However, in case one command clashes with a different command - or when one command asks for a piece of code or information that isn't available, the personal computer generates responses which aren't suitable: that's an error message. The most feared error message is the fatal Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) which appears on your screen when something has caused your system to crash.

A frequent example of this sort of error message is if users attempt to run software that isn't suitable for their computer. Virtually all applications are accompanied by a description of system requirements that spells out what a computer should have  for the application to run successfully. To cut down on errors of this kind, always check that your PC possesses the required components. A project management program that you're interested in might only run on a specific operating system, such as Windows 7 for example. And although this program may install OK on a Windows XP PC, it will generate a series of errors once it's started.

Insufficient RAM will create error messages also. For this reason programs often include minimum memory requirements. A software package which requires 14 megabytes of RAM will generate error messages on a computer that only possesses 4 megabytes of RAM available - if it will start at all. The same applies for hard disk space, monitor color range and resolution. Insuch instances, problems crop up as soon as a program attempts to connect to the things (devices, RAM, hard disk space, monitor resolution, etc.) which it cannot locate.

Because many programs share common dynamic link library files, glitches could also appear if these common DLLs are'nt current. For instance, let's say that Program A is already installed on a computer and it is running quite nicely. Next let's say that the personal computer user finds on the Internet and sets up Program B. Program B requires a DLL that Program A installed some time ago, however, when Program B is run, glitches pop up. Those errors are caused by Program B attempting to use an outdated common DLL which was included with Program A. So that he can overcome that problem, the user must download an updated version of the shared DLL (which to say the least - isn't the easiest thing to find or do).

At times, glitches pop up because a computer does not have the right drivers or if the drivers which are on the PC are not the correct version. Both errors in these cases may be fixed by checking for updates to the PC on a frequent schedule. Microsoft has a section on its servers that can automatically update a PC online, and that company provides this at no cost in an effort to minimize errors such as this. Always try to keep your personal computer up to date so that in case a program shares a dynamic link library file, it will share the same DLL that has been updated on millions of PCs like yours.

This article does not even begin to address the entire spectrum of PC glitches - but more ideas concerning how to get assistance with a personal computer problem (including computer error messages) may be found in my essay about "Computer Help" regardless of what the problem is. You may also get online PC support to help resolve these errors.

Yours truly,

Bob Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

Dr. Robert Hosken, the author, has over 30 years of career experience with personal computers. Beginning in his teens he has set up and headed several businesses and non-profit organizations. Download his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and learn the most effective ways to use your personal computer at Online PC Support, or see his Offsite Backups page, or contact him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - thank you!

An increasing number of people in the older generation are catching the personal computer bug and jumping into the Internet. The active baby boomers have matured and turned into energetic seniors seeking to move out and explore the universe surrounding them. The WWW and personal computers together have burst open the doors to various forms of entertainment and fun for these in the older generation.

No more are these people destined to only playing bingo or canasta with their local friends for their entertainment. Now with the help of computers and the Internet they can play such games and get online PC support over online connections with folks from all over the world. While learning how to use a PC is still one of the biggest challenges to some in the older generation, when most of them learn how to use a PC, they can't believe that they were ever worried about it whatsoever.

Many elderly people have expressed nervousness when it comes to learning how to use a computer and interact with friends over the WWW. They are doubly proud when they not only learn how to use a computer, but can manage to even send text messages and use other computer applications with no outside assistance at all.

While some in the older generation may have had a little acquaintance with personal computers in their previous employment, many are learning the basics of personal computer use from the ground up. It's really an ordeal at the start for most of these people who find it all a bit overwhelming. This feeling quickly goes away, however, as they learn the basics very quickly and begin to see real progress after only a few class sessions.

PC use among seniors has proven to be very beneficial to them in several aspects. It gets them to become active in something again. While using a PC isn't the same thing as doing exercise for the body, using a PC is a very stimulating method for them to give a workout to their most vital muscle - their brain. By keeping mentally stimulated, many in the older generation find that they are not lonely any more and there is much more they can do with the help of a personal computer.

Not only can they use computer applications to help them to work on any hobbies they may have, but also the Internet can assist them to keep in contact with friends who have the same interest. Staying in touch with relatives and acquaintances by way of email is an additional good way to help those in the older generation to feel a part of the lives of friends and the world around them. By keeping in close contact, they find more purpose in their golden years.

Some in the older generation even are skilled enough with their computer use that they can take on part time jobs doing basic data entry for companies. They can also assist in teaching other elderly people about the benefits of knowing how to use a personal computer and the amazing universe of the WWW. Many seniors might have only heard about the millions of places on the web out there which contain so much info which they can easily tap into.

For many elderly people it is like switching on a light which shows them how much they have missed out on all their lives. They begin to be passionate about their search for information with PCs and the Internet. The sense of loneliness is lifted right away as soon as they upload and download their first email messages with somebody they know. It doesn't matter if the person is across the country or just across the street, the excitement is the same. Soon they find out how to be part of the world once more and can participate in more conversations as their grasp of computers and the Internet grows.

Being able to reconnect with old friends that they haven't heard from for years is a very big deal for these elderly people. They also can support one another to learn more while they experience with each other many of the same discoveries while finding out more about personal computers and the WWW. This is where online PC support is helpful. Also, many in the older generation with hearing problems find it a lot easier to email somebody, or use MySpace, Skype or Facebook to contact them, rather than trying to converse with the person on the phone.

Elderly people who are grandparents find that the Internet is a tremendous way to remain a part of their grandkids' lives. By exchanging emails and chatting about everyday happenings, the family grows closer and remains closer also. By utilizing the Internet, many in the older generation have discovered friends with shared interests. No matter if those interests are pasttimes or health matters they have in common, the excitement of being able to message someone and let them send a message back to you just about in real-time is very fun for these people in the older generation.

Yours truly,

Bob Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

The author, Dr. Robert Hosken, has accumulated over 30 years of professional work with personal computers. Starting in his teenage years he has set up and run many profitable firms and non-profit entities. You can get his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and see the most efficient techniques to utilize your computer at Online PC Support, or see his Offsite Backups page, or email him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - see you there!

You know, it can't be denied - no matter how new or how well-supported our personal computers are, we all meet up with computer problems sometime or other. The good news is that you do not have to face them alone. There are all sorts of helps available to assist us with PC issues, but it might take a bit of ingenuity in figuring out how to locate them. This little tale will show you how to find online PC support.

1. Vendor websites. If you're experiencing a problem with a program or with a hardware device, look up the website of that software's or hardware's supplier. Many (if not all) vendors set aside a part of cyberspace and use it to maintain the products which they provide. Microsoft's help desk is an excellent example.

2. Don't forget help files. It is funny, but people often seem to forget that every PC itself and every program loaded on a personal computer has its own help file. Even the operating system of a personal computer comes with a help file, so that really ought to be the starting point to begin for solutions. Help files are designed not only to instruct in how to use a personal computer, they are also put together to answer problems. Inside a help file, look for a section called, "Troubleshooting" (or something similar) when you need to resolve an issue. This section is reserved for solving problems specific to the software or hardware that you're using.

3. User groups. User groups probably isn't the best name for this source, but one can locate websites which are dedicated to supporting the owners of a certain software program or piece of equipment. We call them "user groups" since the maintainers of these sites have no affiliation with the vendors that they support! Call them what you want, but their free assistance is invaluable and without it, we wouldn't have many of the wonderful solutions and top-notch problem solving resources that we have at present.

4. Usenet newsgroups. Another underutilized source on the WWW, Usenet newsgroups have scores and scores of discussion groups focused on some of the most popular PC systems, operating systems, hardware vendors, and individual software applications. Sometimes, a few employees of the suppliers take part, but most of the time, the help in such groups is user-to-user, and this is just as valuable because you are working with a group of skilled users.

5. Support Lines. Another source for assistance that we mustn't forget are the help lines of different manufacturers. You may contact these lines by dialing the phone number connected with the product which you are having trouble with. Calls may be free (1-800 or 1-877 numbers), or it may cost a small amount (1-900).

6. PC support groups or computer clubs are another source for help. These are groups that meet in libraries, PC stores, or other local areas, and they talk about all kinds of problems dealing with a particular item. Even if you aren't having a similar personal computer or software difficulty, support groups are interesting to take part in, and they can help you make contacts for similar areas, for example, work or educational possibilities.

7. Surprisingly, you might even find a helping hand from the salespersons at your nearby personal computer business. We don't recommend that you make this your first pit stop if you encounter a problem, but we do not think that you should rule out this alternative altogether either. Computer salespeople are hired for a reason - and that is their knowledge. Frequently these kind people can assist you to resolve a problem over the phone and prevent you from having to pay for an expensive repair job.

From this you can see that help is not hard to locate - you've just got to know where to look for it. The majority of the people within these resources are very friendly and glad to take the time to walk you through an issue at little or no cost. From online user groups, to the help files on your own PC, to online PC support, help is frequently just a phone call away.

Best regards,

Robert Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

The author, Dr. Robert Hosken, has over 30 years of career work in IT. Beginning in his teenage years he has established and run many profitable firms and charitable organizations. You can get his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and learn the most efficient ways to utilize your personal computer at Online PC Support, see his Offsite Backups page, or email him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - see you there!

Diagnostic programs that are utilized with computers can assist you to track down any issue or breakdown that computers experience when they are having difficulties. Diagnostics can be utilized to test out the personal computer system, and this includes both the BIOS, memory, programs, and even the hardware plugged into the personal computer. Many times this can be done remotely, using online PC support from an expert.

The most frequent sorts of issues will occur when your computer is down to very low memory, which might either be a low amount of RAM, or low hard drive space. Such conditions are very frequent, and usually result in your computer running very slow. This may be resolved quite easily, often all you need to do is delete some programs and data that you do not use or need any longer, and next, defragment your hard disk.  Other times it may be a virus, and that is when you ought to have offsite backups installed beforehand.

Almost all kinds of computer diagnostic software can pinpoint and fix just about every problem that you are having.  It normally starts off with a BIOS checkup, and proceeds from there. PC diagnostic software can pin down quite a bit from checking the BIOS, from the common settings to those that might have a major impact on both the personal computer's start up time and its performance.

No matter what, you almost never ought to adjust or tamper with the BIOS settings, as this can lead to profound problems. If you do plan to adjust or mess with your computer's BIOS, you should always create a copy of it first, just in case something goes wrong. BIOS settings can be very tricky, and they are responsible for a lot to do with your personal computer's smooth operation. If you've never been in the BIOS before, you really should not be modifying or messing with anything inside of it.

Regarding the diagnostics software that you are using, there are several different variations to choose from. At present, two of the most popular are Norton Systemworks and PC Doctor. Both of these programs provide full diagnostics, capable of fixing just about any software-related PC problem you might imagine.  

Once you run the software, you'll have the ability to select the diagnostic test that you are planning to use. Some offer you a complete system scan, which will scan your whole PC and then display any problems that your personal computer is having. After showing any issues, the program will usually provide you an option to go ahead and correct it. If the issue is nothing serious, the diagnostic software can normally correct it.

The more difficult issues, for example hardware failures or hard disk crashes, are a completely different story. They call for a technician who is very experienced, and who can restore the hardware. Diagnostic software packages can indicate a hardware issue to you, but most of the time they are not able to repair it.

There are several other computer diagnostic software packages that you launch when starting the PC, which will check all sorts of things, from the BIOS to the operating system to the programs. Such diagnostic tools are great, and some are free, although programs such as Norton and PC Doctor are usually better. They provide far more options, including defragment, checking for bad sectors on your hard drive, cleaning cache, and the choice to erase your temporary Internet files. These options are great to have, especially if you aren't the technical type.

For more reasons than one, diagnosing your personal computer via remote PC repair is the fastest method to locate and prevent issues with your computer: you don't have to load it up and take it anywhere, and you actually watch and learn while the specialist checks out and fixes it over the Internet.

Also, several companies provide you offsite backup services, which is the best way to back up your information. You can back up your files at a specified set time, or simply go ahead and have the software back up your files automatically. These services are very easy to use, even if you are completely new to computers.

For everything they provide you, offsite backups and PC diagnostic programs are the perfect ways to prevent problems before they occur and resolve them when they do.

Sincerely,

Robert Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

Dr. Robert Hosken, the author, has more than 30 years of professional experience in IT. Ever since his teens he has set up and run several businesses and charitable organizations. Get his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and learn the most efficient methods to utilize your computer at Online PC Support, see also Offsite Backups, or email him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - thank you!

Loss of information is a matter which could well be terribly devastating.  If it is a business with critical programs and information, or an individual with irreplaceable photos and videos, losing data can be an extremely traumatic and upsetting situation.  If you've never lived through hard disk burn-out or losing data in the past, you'll find out that it will in fact be a disaster where you find yourself wondering what to do. Your best choice beforehand is offsite backups, since in the event of an "act of God" or human mistakes any local backups may also be destroyed.

No matter what occurs, you must not stress out or let it conquer you.  Although computers are great devices to use, and hard disks normally function quite well for storage, they are both mechanical, and are bound to crash after some period of time.  It doesn't matter how well-engineered hard drives get, they'll never be able to completely avoid crashes or wearing out.

In many instances, your drive may be recovered, which is always great news. When your hard disk first burns out or you notice that a portion of your information has disappeared, you must bring it to a nearby expert immediately.  The specialist can inspect your hard disk, determine and then inform you what the problem is. The evaluation process could take anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks, so you need to always be prepared for anything.

After the hard disk has been inspected, the expert should tell you of the choices that exist and go over pricing with you. At this time, you can decide if you should replace the hard drive and recover your information from a backup, or accept the specialist's proposal. Bear in mind that his offer could be quite expensive, but at this point it might very possibly be the only alternative left for recovering your data... if you don't perform backups.

The smartest way to avoid data recovery completely is to perform a backup of your files and continue backing up on a regular basis.  Businesses and those who work professionally on PCs must always backup things at least daily. In this way, if your hard disk decides to burn out or you accidentally delete some of your data, you'll have the backup files safe and sound. So when you bring your hard drive to a expert to be restored, you will have the data to continue working. Also, at this juncture you can choose if you wish to have the hard disk recovered, or just scrap it and buy a new disk - as you'll have all your data backed up and ready to start working again.

In case of data loss or hard drive crash, you should always remain calm and remember that there are options out there to help you recover your data. If you've been backing up your data, you won't have to worry nearly as much. From having the wisdom to create offsite backups of your data beforehand, to using information recovery specialists - you'll have the choices you need to keep your sanity and restore your lost information.

Sincerely,

Bob Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

Dr. Robert Hosken, the author, has more than 30 years of professional work with computers. Beginning in his teenage years he has set up and headed many businesses and non-profit organizations. Download his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and find out the most up-to-date ways to backup your valuable files at offsite backups, see his homepage, or email him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - thanks!

No matter who you are, what company you work for, or what type of computer you work with - your computer's data is at risk all the time. With viruses, power surges, thunderstorms, tornadoes, burglary, fire, human mistakes and hackers around, the threats are always real. To be secure, you'll have to back up your information and continue doing it on a regular basis. The best choice is offsite backups, because in case of disaster or human causes any local backup may also be destroyed. In case of your hard drive failing and you don't have a backup, you'll need data recovery - which is the only option available.

Before you travel down that long road of data recovery, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you're are working at your computer and a program starts to behave funny, you must shut down the personal computer right away. You may also hear a few very odd sounds as well, which is the first indication that your hard drive is working excessively. When you shut down your computer right away at this point, you may keep information loss from happening. In case, however, you do not shut down your personal computer, but allow the failing hard disk to continue running, it's only a matter of how long before the hard drive completly destroys itself - which will ultimately bring about your loss of data.

When this happens and you lose all of your information, you must never try to fix the hard disk by yourself unless you are certain of exactly what must be done. At this point, professional data retrieval services are not just a luxury - they are something you must have. The procedure for data retrieval is time consuming, and requires both special instruments and a clean work space. Trying to repair a hard disk by yourself is very difficult, and might end up making matters far worse if you do not know exactly what you are doing.

Although there are programs out there for information recovery, you should not utilize them unless you know exactly what you are doing. Because most hard disk problems are very intricate, software might do more damage than good. Even though a recovery service might claim that their program will repair the problem and retrieve your information, you should always use caution and simply avoid the use of do-it-yourself information recovery programs.

Just to be safe with your hard disk and retrieve the information which was lost, you usually ought to turn to a reputable local data retrieval service. This way, you can know that your hard drive is in good hands and it'll be fixed correctly. Professional retrieval services can repair almost any hard drive problem, and recover any type of information. In occurs, you should be prepared to buy a replacement hard drive - and count your blessings that you thought to perform offsite backups of your information in advance.

Yours truly,

Bob Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

Dr. Robert Hosken, the author, has over 30 years of professional experience with computers. Ever since his teens he has established and operated many companies and charitable organizations. Download his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and find out the most up-to-date methods to save your irreplaceable data at offsite backups, see his homepage, or contact him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - see you there!

Visit any computer store these days and you will find what appears to be row after row of programs for sale. Certainly enticing purchases, however, you may encounter some difficulties when purchasing software off the shelf. Off-the shelf programs - otherwise known as "commercial software" - could be more costly, incompatible and outdated when compared to what's downloadable online.

Fortunately, there is an another choice to commercial software, and although it is not new, it's one of the most under-utilized opportunities in the software industry. We're talking about shareware - programs that you can try out before you shell out any money. And you can get it over the Internet, just like getting online PC support.

Shareware possesses a lengthy history and had been insanely popular in the days when BBSes - bulletin board systems - ruled over the Internet-based software business. Shareware has not gone anywhere, but the competition withcommercial programs is fierce - so tough that shareware seems to be pushed to the back burner among novice PC users. This is too bad, because shareware has lots of plusses over commercial programs.

One of these advantages is its price. On average, shareware is most often much cheaper than commercial software. But don't misunderstand the cost. With shareware, cheap does not equal low-quality, because there are plenty of cases which indicate shareware frequently outshines the quality of commercial software many times. What kind of savings are we talking about? You could buy a quality word processor, spreadsheet or database program, or a computer utility program anywhere from only $20 to just under $100. This is practically unheard of in stores like Office Depot, Circuit City or Egghead, but the programs offered in this price range compete with even Microsoft's Office suite.

One other advantage that shareware has in comparison with commercial software is its suitability. We are not implying that shareware is compatible with all operating systems. What we're implying is that since we may try shareware before you shell out any money for it, we are able to determine first whether the software is completely suitable for our systems. This way, we may find out whether the software works like we want it to, but should anyone try to do the same with commercial software, they'll be in for a big shock.

Commercial programs policy doesn't even permit returns, not to mention using a friend's programs to try them.

The final advantage that shareware possesses compared to commercial software (but certainly not the least) is its being up-to-date. Put simply, shareware comes out far ahead if you need to keep up-to-date with the most recent release of a certain program. Certainly, computer businesses try hard to maintain their stock up-to-date, but when you are able to download the most recent edition 5.7062 of a shareware program compared to buying a commercial 3.0 version from the neighborhood computer business, there's just no comparison.

This up the following point. Just where does a person acquire shareware? It can be found just about everywhere on the Web and it is really hard not to locate it. The most well-liked places to find shareware is from thousands of download libraries, however, the firms (and even independent developers) producing shareware are increasingly providing shareware from their proprietary websites. A simple search on Google or Yahoo for a certain kind of software will produce all kinds of results that direct you toward items that you can try out before you buy.

Keep in mind, though, that since shareware is not commercial software, you might not find the full features of the program in the manner you would if you had bought the program out of a box. Shareware might or might not be limited - which means that some functions might not be available to you until the program is paid for. These limits are usually small and do not interfere with how its full version works. They're actually implemented simply as a way to prompt payment. Remember that shareware is not open source software. You should not try to utilize shareware as a commercial software package without purchasing it.

Just about the only point that is similar between shareware and commercial programs is the way in which they may be paid for. Using a credit card, you can be the next owner of a new program in just a few minutes. Even if you don't have a credit card, you will be able to actually get online PC support, yes, over the WWW!

Sincerely,

Bob Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

The author, Dr. Robert Hosken, has accumulated more than 30 years of career experience in IT. Beginning in his teenage years he has set up and operated several companies and charitable entities. Get his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and find out the most efficient ways to utilize your PC at online PC support, or write him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - thank you!

Getting support for your personal computer's programs should be faster if you know the correct terminology to use. One of the greatest difficulties that new personal computer users run into with a technician is not knowing how to properly describe the difficulty which they're having. And it isn't right to expect a tech support person to automatically understand what a "thingy" or "whatcha-ma-call-it" is. With the right terms, the computer specialist might even provide you online PC support.

The appearance of your PC programs is called the "GUI" (sounds like "gooey") that means "graphical user interface" The list below describes the correct names for common parts of the computer screen appearance so that if you experience difficulty, you can properly describe the issue that you're experiencing, which allows a technician easily resolve it.

User interface - means the whole visual appearance of the desktop and programs. It may consist of pop-ups, boxes, terms, images, and buttons. When you are experiencing a lack of memory, as an example, you might see a black rectangle around the user interface of your software.

Title bar - this is is the top-most part of a program that might display its own name, or it might define the contents from another part of the interface. If a program is incorrectly coded, you may see a wrong description in this part of its interface.

Menu bar - this portion of the program shows menu items and their options. Some of the most common sections on a menu bar grant access to File options, Open options, Save commands, and Close commands. An example of an error in this part of an interface might be if an option was gone or grayed out (lighter shaded).

Toolbar - this portion across the top of a program displays little icons which represent tools. If you click an icon it will open a tool or run a command which may also exist on the program's menu bar. Problems in this portion of an interface are not very common, but if you find yourself clicking an icon over and over with no results, you can correctly define the problem by mentioning the specific icon on the toolbar.

Minimize, Maximize, and Exit buttons - these 3 buttons are found on the right-most upper corner of the program's interface, and they let you minimize a program's screen, maximize it or restore it to its previous position, or totally close the program.

Scroll bar - this convenient item allows users to scroll data up and down the PC screen.

Status bar - this portion of a program is found on the bottom-most portion of its interface, and it usually shows small messages that tell the status of a task. If written incorrectly, a program could display the wrong message in this area.

Input box - an input box is usually a small rectangle that allow the user to type information into a simple text box in a program, webpage or browser window. If you find that you aren't able to type data into one of these, you can more effectively resolve the problem with a tech support person by calling it an input box, rather than a "spot," a "white rectangle," or a "place to write something in."

Context menu - similar to the menu bar, the context menu appears when the user right-clicks on an item. It shows commands similar to what appears on a File or Help menu.

Button - this helpful item performs a task when the user clicks it with a mouse. Problems occur if the text on the button is grayed out or if it does not appear to be pressed into the interface when clicked.

Check box - the check box is a tiny box that allows the user to indicate several choices among many. When clicked, a small "x" appears inside a box.

Radio Button - a radio button is like the check box, but permits a user to indicate only one choice among several. Issues with radio buttons and check boxes occur when the user makes one choice, but the interface responds as if the user selected many choices (or none at all).

When you describe a problem to a computer specialist, be sure to indicate whether the problem occurs with a check box or a radio box. PC novices mistakenly interchange the names of both of these controls. So master the right terms, then the computer specialist can actually give you online PC support, yes, even over the Internet!

Best regards,

Robert Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

The author, Dr. Robert Hosken, has more than 30 years of career experience in software development. Beginning in his teens he has started and operated several profitable firms and non-profit organizations. Get his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and learn the most efficient methods to use your PC at online PC support, or write him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - thank you!

If you are acquainted with PC-DOS at all, you'll recall that it's a command-driven operating system that carries out tasks you issue at the C:> prompt. The only way to get an early MS-DOS computer to perform something was to type a command at the C:> prompt; and as you can imagine, it was a rather clumsy method to use a personal computer. But that's how large mainframe computers worked, and it was simply carried over to early PCs.

As an example, start up Microsoft's basic editing program, you had to enter the drive letter where the program was located, the directory (they called a folder a "directory" back then) where the program was installed, and then the program name. So if Microsoft Edit was located in a folder called "Programs" you would start the program by typing "C:>programs\edit.com". Only then could the program load up so you could use it.

This example is a small command, but just imagine if you had a program that was deeply nested within several levels of folders. You would be typing a command the width of your computer's monitor, or even worse, so long that the entire command would begin to wrap onto the following line! So imagine that you had to enter such long commands each time that you wanted to start a program. How awful!

That is only one of the reasons why batch files were so well-liked. Batch files are small text documents with a *.bat suffix that consist of a string of these instructions, each on their own line. When run, they would perform each instruction so the user wouldn't have to type each and every one of them. Go to our offsite backups link below to learn how to use batch files with the "PersonalBackup" program to keep a month's worth of versions of your weekly (full) and daily (partial) backups.

When Windows was introduced, the need for entering commands was essentially eliminated, thanks to using the point-and-click (mouse) interface. However, this did not stop the batch program fever that started with PC-DOS - and in some small groups, batch programs are still as popular these days as they were in the beginning.

Although you may be using Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7, batch files can save you lots of time by automatically starting several programs and performing different functions at one click of a mouse. They do not require any heavy-duty training in programming and they do not need to be encrypted with a weird, expensive compiler. Batch programs are simple text files, and you could write one for your personal use in Windows Notepad.

You can build a batch file which starts up your favorite websites all at once, for example, or you can make a batch program that fills your screen with the most important applications for each day. To do so only requires a little knowledge about the locations of these applications.

Let's assume that every day we need to start up the Yahoo web browser, then launch Microsoft Word, and then start up the calculator that is included with Windows. Rather than doing this manually, we can write a batch program to do it automatically.

First, we'd start up Notepad and type in the following:

START "http://www.yahoo.com"
START "c:\program files\microsoft office\office/winword.exe"
START "c:\windows\calc.exe"

We would next save these lines in a file named "mytasks.bat" onto our Desktop for easy access. Each time we double-clicked on this file, the Yahoo website would start up, Microsoft Word would run, and the simple calculator would pop up.

Since we want these programs to run every day, we could create a shortcut to this batch file and then place the shortcut to our personal computer's Startup folder. This way, these three programs will start each time we switch on the PC. If you wanted these programs to start minimized, you can type the following into a batch program instead:

START "http://www.yahoo.com" /m
START "c:\program files\microsoft office\office/winword.exe" /m
START "c:\windows\calc.exe" /m

This would run all three programs as previously, but the "/m" parameter will minimize them in order that they wouldn't fill up the Desktop.

Other people have invented many more creative and productive ways to utilize batch files, but the essential point is that you know that they're a resource you can use to save a few seconds or minutes in performing important jobs. Also, check out our offsite backups link about automating your backups with the free "PersonalBackup" application.

We have progressed a long way from PC-DOS, but batch programs remain a helpful tool for automation that anyone can utilize with no extensive programming knowledge at all.

Yours truly,

Robert Hosken
"Dr. Bob the CompuNerd"

Dr. Robert Hosken, the author, has over 30 years of career work with computers. Starting in his teenage years he has set up and headed several companies and non-profit organizations. You can get his free e-Book "How To Maintain Your Computer" and see the most up-to-date methods to save your irreplaceable information at offsite backups, or email him at Robert@CompuNerds.Net - see you there!