Simple Computer Maintenance for Small Businesses & Nonprofits

Early this year, a quiet turn of the calendar marked Year 6 for $1.8 million worth of desktop and server computers at a cutting-edge product development company where I was CIO. The strategy used to put this into place was simple - we based it on our cars.

The average automobile, if you follow the maintenance schedule, protect it from rust and drive reasonably, should last you six to 10 years. The maintenance schedule is based on your use of the car as a complex tool to get you from Point A to Point B. Your computer is also a complex tool and your usage will determine its maintenance and protection needs; how you follow through with those needs will determine how long you'll get to use your computer, and when you'll need to put monies toward its replacement.

This five-part routine is based on my experience since the early days of personal and "mobile" (Kaypro II) computers in the 1980's. It is equally applicable to both Windows®- and Macintosh®-based computers, although I use Windows® XP as an example throughout simply because of the Windows® prevalence. I am assuming an office / cubicle-based computer. If your computers are located in dusty warehouses or manufacturing floors, step up the physical annual maintenance routine to be quarterly.

1. VERIFY YOUR PHYSICAL SETUP

Just as it's hard to keep a car in top condition out in a pasture, it's hard to keep a computer functioning well if it's in a poor environment. There are three factors to consider: temperature, air quality and electricity.

For most computers, room temperature should be between 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity level between 50-75% (to minimize any static build-up). While most offices are kept at this level, check with your landlord to ensure when you leave at night that the HVAC does not change (or is cutoff) to be above or below these levels.

Air quality is important because computers require air circulation to prevent overheating. There are two rules of thumb: First, the vents on the case need a good 3-4 inches of clear space (no blocking cable tangles, etc.) to get good airflow; that's roughly the width of your hand from thumb to pinkie finger. Second, if you use air cleaners / ionizers, keep them at least 2 feet from the computer or any particles heading for the cleaner will be drawn into the computer first.

Electricity is a dominant factor in determining the longevity of your computer. It's akin to the oil, fuel and coolant in your car's engine. Poor or dirty engine liquids will take their toll on your car and shorten its life. So-called "dirty" electricity (brownouts, surges, sags, spikes, etc.) will damage your computer, and your files, far more effectively than any virus.

There are four steps to good electrical conditions:

1. Ask your local power company to provide you a power profile / graph with the range of electrical sags and spikes entering your building over a typical billing period (if you lease, you may need to ask your landlord to obtain this). This will show you your problem areas and times. I recommend you obtain this report once per season (or quarter). We discovered a spike in power that occurred at 8:32am every morning when the neighboring manufacturing plant started its production lines.

2. Get good surge protection with battery backup. Plug your computer case and your monitor into the battery-back up portion - and your docking station if you have a laptop; everything else (including printer) simply receives surge protection. There are three goals for the 5-10 minutes of battery backup: provide you time to save your work; assess if this is just a momentary flicker or a longer outage; and then, for an outage, to turn off your computer.

3. After an outage, wait five minutes before turning back on your computer. If the power grid has problems, they will usually show up within less than 3-4 minutes after power is first restored.

4. Power sag problems can be noticed when your local printer suddenly prints comic-book characters ("@#!l%^", etc.) in the midst of printing. Beyond brief battery backup, contact the power company or a company like APC to work with you on solution options.

2. VERIFY YOUR ELECTRONIC SETUP

Automation is the name of the game when it comes to preventive computer maintenance for the busy small business owner or nonprofit executive. This is one area where automobiles are playing catch-up. There are three items that you must automate : virus protection, critical software updates and computer firewalls that are either part of the operating systems (such as Windows® XP's firewall) or part of your anti-virus software.

I recommend getting virus protection software that combines virus and spyware protection at a minimum; add the firewall option if you do not use an operating system with a built-in firewall (such as Windows® XP). Critical updates are just that - software patches rated as "critical" by the vendor; all other patches, enhancements and updates can wait for the end of the year.

3. MONTHLY PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

Once a month, perform two tasks: clean your temporary files and empty your trash/recycle bin (you can do this with the "Disk Cleanup" utility in Windows® XP); and then defragment your computer (run the "Disk Defragmenter" utility in Windows® XP). Think of this as checking your oil, tire pressure, window washer fluid, and cleaning out the kids' toys in your car.

4. ANNUAL COMPUTER MAINTENANCE

Just like a car needs a tune-up once a year, so too does a computer. There are two parts: electronic and physical.

The electronic tune-up consists of the monthly maintenance plus a scan disk of your hard drives and a manual check of all software for updates. In Windows® XP, utilize the "Check Disk" utility - check both boxes to fix file system errors and scan for bad sectors.

For each software package such as Adobe® Reader or Microsoft® Office, check for updates using their built-in method or via their support/downloads website sections. Although you may not be required to do so, I recommend restarting your computer after each different software package has been updated. This will allow the various bits of code to properly "register" with the computer and cause any error messages to be isolated to the last update you did (versus just "something").

The physical tune-up is short, yet can be intimidating. Don't let it be.

First, turn off and unplug your computer and your monitor. Second, unplug the rest of the cables from the computer case - the network cable, the printer cable, etc. Inspect the cabling for any broken or frayed bits. Third, unscrew the case (generally in the back) and lift it off (some computers, like Dell and HP, have flip-cases that you press down a plastic button to open).

Now, with the hose/bristle-sweep attachment of your vacuum, clean off the air vents on the outside of the computer case and the monitor. Then, gently vacuum out the dust from inside the case. This is not a detailed spring cleaning; go lightly and quickly - it should take you less than 30 seconds.

5. INDEPENDENT "HEALTH CHECK"

At least once every 18 months, if not yearly, ask someone you trust, or who comes recommended, to do a "health check" of your systems and processes. Think of this as your "10-point" check or other type of review you might subject your car to prior to a big trip. You want this done by an IT professional who is a generalist, not someone specialized in a particular aspect like back-up software or databases, or who has a solution in need of a problem. You want personalized advice focused on your technology, business and environment.

For recommendations, look on the web at generalist IT and consulting professional societies like ICCA.org, SPConsultants.org or IMCUSA.org. Educational institutes and nonprofits should also look at technology providers on NTEN.org or TechSoup.org.

If you or your organization cannot devote the time away from your business or mission, or are uncomfortable handling this maintenance, treat it no differently than your car - ask for help for an IT professional or service firm. Use the annual "health check" process to see their quality of work prior to any long-term commitment.

Following these simple guidelines will help you get the best benefit out of the technology you have for the least cost.

Copyright 2006 John Avellanet

John Avellanet is the managing director of Cerulean Associates LLC, a Virginia-based consultancy focused on helping clients improve their bottom-line by aligning IT and Compliance with business strategies. Cerulean offers a workshop for nonprofits on Cost-Effective IT Strategies and a part-time CIO service for nonprofits and small to mid-sized businesses. More information and downloads can be found on their website (www.CeruleanLLC.com).

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Home Computer Rentals

In recent years, the computer has become an indispensable part of human life. It has also tremendously influenced the activities, attitudes and the way masses think all over the world. Nowadays, most households have a computer. But, those who do not own one can get high tech computers for rental. Home computer rentals are a cost effective approach to access the latest technology for personal and professional use.

Depending on the need, you can rent any type, model, brand and number of computers for your home. There are countless companies that provide home computers for rental. Aardvark and Capital Computer Rental are two of the prominent companies dealing with home computer rentals. Most computer rental companies operate online, to meet the immediate demands of customers. Today, almost all top brands such as Intel, Dell, Compaq, Toshiba and Apple can be availed on rental for household purposes.

The main benefit of home computer rentals is that you get the opportunity to use recent models and the latest operating systems. Thus, you need not upgrade or change your home computer with the rapid changes in the market. Home computer rentals also avoid all the hassles of computer maintenance.

Depending on the need, computers can be obtained for short term and long term rentals. Rates will be based on the period and model of the rental. Generally, laptop computers are more expensive than desktop computers. The differences in rental rates are marginal from one company to another. It is always recommended to consider the duration while renting a computer for household use. Purchasing a computer will be a better option than renting it for a long period. For example, the rental cost of a Pentium 4 desktop computer is around $149 for a week; for a year or a month, the rate will be much higher. But a Pentium 4 desktop computer may be bought for around $4,000.

As the cost of new computers is drastically coming down, home computer rentals are only good for short term household purposes.

Computer Rentals provides detailed information on computer rentals, laptop computer rentals, computer projector rentals, desktop computer rentals and more. Computer Rentals is affiliated with Laptop Computer Sales.

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Computer Projector Rentals in Florida

Computer projector rentals in Florida provide all kinds of computer projectors for short and long term rental in the state. Florida is one of the prominent hubs for all major activities, business centers and educational institutions. Today, there are many rental companies in the state, specializing in computer projector rentals.

Computer projector rental is the most apt and economical way to possess expensive computer projectors for limited time duration. Today, the computer projector has become an indispensable part of digital presentation in almost all schools, colleges and companies. The enhanced qualities of computer projectors have imparted tremendous changes in the method and quality of presentations. These qualities have led to the popularity of computer projectors among people in all sections of society.

RUSH Computer Rentals Inc., Fort Lauderdale Computer Rental Service, and Saint Lucie Co. Civic Center are some of the major companies in the field of computer projector rentals in Florida. Most of the rental companies in Florida handle both corporate and personal orders. There are also online computer projector rental companies that provide services to people in and around Florida.

Depending on the need, one can avail computer projectors for rental in Florida on daily, weekly, monthly and yearly rentals. All types of computer projectors, ranging from mobile computer projectors to meeting room computer projectors, can be availed for rent. Almost all top brands of computer projectors including Infocus, Proxima, Mitsubishi and Toshiba are available in the state for rental. The rental rates are determined by the model and the duration of the rent. It will fluctuate from company to company and from city to city.

However, getting computer projectors for rental is a complex task, as most projectors are designed for different operating systems and even processors. Thus, it is always advisable to determine the type of the computer projector you need before renting it.

Computer Rentals provides detailed information on computer rentals, laptop computer rentals, computer projector rentals, desktop computer rentals and more. Computer Rentals is affiliated with Laptop Computer Sales.

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Protecting Your Computer

I have been around computers for years. I even teach on Introduction to Computers class at a four-year university. Despite my knowledge of computers, I was not immune to the problems that viruses and spyware can do to a computer. My computer was attacked and it was so bad I ended up replacing my hard drive. Does that sound scary to you? If so, I apologize. At the same time, I hope that my experience can benefit you.

While many computer users are familiar with the term virus, not as many understand the term spyware. Simply put, spyware is software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your computer, generally without your premission. Here are a few things that can happen if you get spyware on your computer.

* Pop-up advertisements will appear even when you are not on the internet.

* Your home page (the page that comes up when you first open your internet browser) changes all of sudden and you don't know why.

* A new toolbar appears and you can't seem to get rid of it.

* Your computer takes longer than usual to complete certain tasks.

* Your computer crashes a lot when it never used to.

Just reading the above list should be enough to encourage you to read on and do what you can to prevent viruses and spyware from attacking your computer. Below is a list I compiled of things you can do to protect yourself from viruses and/or spyware. Following these suggestions doesn't mean you will never have a problem. However, it should lessen the chance of it happening.

1. Everyone should have good anti-virus software on their computer. This is especially true it you use the internet. I use PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 on my computer. Before that I used Norton's Internet Security. Both are good but only work well if used properly. If you are a beginner computer user, I would recommend Norton over PC-cillin. However, PC-cillin is a good program for those who are more advanced computer users. It requires a little more patience to set up and a better understanding of computers than Norton's does.

2. While it is nice to have Internet Security software, one must make sure it is turned on and that it is updated weekly. New viruses are being created daily and if you don't update your anti-virus software weekly your computer is open to attack by new viruses.

3. Make sure you have a good firewall and that it is turned on. A firewall helps protect your computer from outside attacks. Again, a good Internet Security program such as Norton's and PC-cillin come with a firewall. However, remember they only work if they are turned on.

4. I use two free programs in addition to PC-cillin to give me a little extra protection from spyware. I run these programs once a week to ensure that my computer is free from spyware. The two programs I use are:

SpyBot - Search and Destroy

Spyware Blaster

Both these programs can be downloaded for free at http://www.downloads.com

5. I use a free program that checks for advertising trackers and lets me get rid of them. You can download a copy of this program at http://www.downloads.com. The name of this program is: Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal

There are a few other things I would like to mention concerning viruses and protecting yourself from them.

a. When you receive an email from someone you don't know and it has an attachment. Never open the attachment. Often times these attachments can have viruses in them.

b. If you receive an email from someone you know with an attachment and you weren't expecting it, don't open the attachment. Contact them first to make sure they sent it. Sometimes a virus can send out emails without the person even knowing.

c. Be careful when you are downloading software or programs off the internet. Often spyware software will install during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video files. Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.

d. Be careful when you use a file from someone else's computer. If someone gives you a disk, even if it is your best friend, run a virus scan on the disk before opening any files. It is possible for the file to have a virus without the person knowing about it.

I hope these tips will prove helpful to you. If you have good protection and exercise caution you have a much better chance of getting through your computer life without the headaches of viruses and spyware. However, remember there is no guarantee that it will never happen to you.

A computer virus is a program that invades your computer system, hides there, and replicates itself. Viruses spread when you launch an infected application or start up your computer from a disk that has infected system files.

Donna Rivera-Loudon
Tips on Computers and Technology
Donna has an MBA in Information Technology and is currently a Tupperware Director and CEO of her own company. She also teaches online Management and Business classes for a local community college as well as computer classes for a four-year university.

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IBM Teams UP with Computer Science Teachers Association to Provide Free Online

Online courses can now be obtained free of charge. These providers of free online computer courses offer free course materials that can be freely downloaded from their respective websites. But the main thing here is to assure the credibility of the sources and accuracy of the detailed information on a specific course. If such a provider has enough experience in the IT industry to back their claims, chances are, you're getting the best free online computer course deal in the country.

Now always remember that free online computer courses can be obtained by just acquiring a free set of educational materials on a specific field of interest. If free educational materials on computer courses are what you want, then you should consider getting these from IBM and the Computer Science Teachers Association. Through accredited schools in the country, that is.

Now these two top American IT specialist groups have actually teamed up with each other so as to provide free online computer course materials on various tech areas. The tech areas cover a wide range of specific skill-development training materials, such as free online computer course materials on advanced handheld equipment usability, JAVA-based programming, web design and development, Flash, and SQL programming. These free computer course materials have integrated a system to match each individual's skill level in a certain area of computer technology. The online system provides the distance learners the option of dictating their own pace when it comes to the learning process. Plus, since it's an online computer course they're availing, they could easily take on fun travel holidays even while continuing with the course.

There are free materials for beginner, intermediate, and expert learners, respectively. IBM and the Computer Science Teachers Association have created these materials so as to be integrated on the educational system of the country. With this, these free online computer course materials would be handled by each accredited educational institution.

For a beginner, these electronic computer-related training materials would be very useful. Compared to other online computer training courses, such digital materials do not need intermediary skills in computer navigation and basic computer software operation. In addition, these free digital materials do not require a learner to have the skills in navigating through the internet. Of course, the reason for this is quite obvious. If it's an online computer-related course a learner is intent on studying, this person must possess internet browsing and computer navigation skills that range from beginner levels to near-expert skills. But what IBM and the Computer Science Teachers Association have made accessible even to beginners are the materials themselves. Aside from the fact that these learners are given free online computer-related course materials based on their choice and skills, they can just download these free course materials and view them offline. This makes such materials accessible even to those without internet browsing knowledge. Some materials or documents are even available in non-electronic or hard copies, which make learning even more accessible to those without proper computer navigation and software operation skills.

On the other hand, intermediate to near-expert computer and IT specialists can also benefit from these free online computer course materials. The main reason for this is that these free online materials from IBM and the Computer Science Teachers Association have passed the strictest standards when it comes to quality and accuracy. Through the documents made available by the team-up, students with enough background on IT-related topics and subjects could already gain substantial knowledge in his or her chosen field. Thus, these free online computer course materials can greatly help in making the data from free online computer courses, or even the paid ones, virtually usable and easy to understand. In this sense, the free electronic course materials by IBM and the association can even be used as a stand-alone method of learning each field of IT; this could be very much advantageous to those who possess average to above average computer skills. Another additional bonus of these materials is that students could easily set their own pace of learning, without any pressure whatsoever from online course administrators who give out tight deadlines for projects and modular activities.

For more valuable information on college course online and computer course, please visit http://www.coursenotes.com

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Industrial Single Board Computers

Single board computers are small circuit boards that have all the components necessary to function as a complete digital computer. We do not see them often and when we do, we have a hard time recognizing them. However, most of us must have used a single board computer in one form or another. These components are often embedded in cell phones, fax machines, GPS receivers and other electronic products that make use of computer technology.

Electronic products are not the largest market for single board computers. They find wider use in industrial applications. Such computers are called industrial single board computers, or simply industrial computers. They are used for a variety of industrial functions. Most of these computers are embedded in industrial machines that perform complex tasks, while others are arranged in a rack-mount format and are used for data acquisition and processing, as well as in product research and development.

Industrial single board computers are different than your regular home or office desktop computers. They are even quite different from other single board computers embedded in electronic products. These differences are dictated by their industrial functions. Industrial single board computers are usually designed to perform a solitary task, unlike desktop computers that are for multitasking. Because they are used in industrial processes, industrial single board computers are specifically designed to withstand various industrial factors such as shocks, vibrations, humidity, electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference, dust, flash and mist.

Looking at the history, most industrial single board computers were initially manufactured in-house or by companies that use them. There are several reasons for this. First, industrial single board computers are often used for company-specific applications, so companies find it more practical to hire engineers to manufacture their own single board computers m rather than let another company manufacture single board computers for them.

Another reason is the lack of standards for single board computers, so the development in a particular single board computer does not necessarily affect other single board computers. Everything changed, however, when PCs began conquering the computer world. Shortly after the PC dominated the computer scene, standards for single board computers started to appear. These standards gave rise to the creation of off-the-shelf single board computers that conform to particular standards and can be programmed to perform specific tasks.

Because these single board computers cost less and are usually updated with new technologies, many companies have opted to use them rather than develop their own industrial single board computers. Some companies still opt for custom single board computers and purchase them from manufacturers rather than develop them in-house.

Single Board Computers provides detailed information on Single Board Computers, Embedded Single Board Computers, Industrial Single Board Computers, High Performance Single Board Computers and more. Single Board Computers is affiliated with Office Workstations.

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About The World Of Computer Building

If you are having trouble with your computer and would like to have it up graded. Or if you would like to just upgrade your computer for better performance. For gaming or graphic solutions or for better multitasking endeavors.

If you have a computer a lot of the basic parts in that computer are reusable, and not necessary to change out. Basic components would be the CD/DVD Rom A-Drive, HDD, and a lot of times the memory. By using the computer parts that are reusable you can save yourself hundreds of dollars, and be able to have the perfect computer system for your needs.

A computer tech service can cost hundreds of dollars for the most simple of problems. Just to take the side off the computer will cost an individual no less then fifty dollars. Let's say you are having a simple problem with your computer. Maybe one of your drives in the computer will not boot up. This can cause problems that will make the computer act very bad. So bad that you would think there was a major problem with your computer system. But because you don't know or understand how the computer works, and that the computer components all work together, and are tied into the motherboard of the computer. Or mite be hooked on the same cable that is hooked to the computers motherboard. You could in turn end up with a four hundred to seven hundred dollar computer repair bill. For a simple five dollar computer cable, or a thirteen dollar A-drive or a thirty dollar cd-rom drive.

The bottom line is this I have seen and talked to people how have spent as much money to repair their computer as it would of coast to buy a new computer. Myself I can't really understand that reasoning. Maybe it's because there is information on the computer that you really don't want to loss. Well let me just say this. If that's the case then you need to know that there are ways to retrieve that information off that computers hard drive. You don't have to loss that information. You just simply have to go after it. Unless the computers hard drive is shot, and then the information is lost any ways.

Building a computer is not hard you just have to know what the computer components are, and where the computer components go inside the computer. You don't have to know in great detail of how each computer component works. You just need a basic simple understanding of what each computer component dose.

Robert Emler: If you would like to lean just how simple it is to partake in building, and repairing your own computer. Something that will in no doubt save you hundreds of dollars go to. [http://pcextream.com] If you still would rather not go down this rout of computer building. But you would like to save hundreds of dollars by simply upgrading your computer system. I would be more then happy to help you do this. For a fee way less then you local computer tech shop would charge you.

This is all you need to do. Provide me with the information. Including any parts that you have that are reusable. Along with the amount of money you are willing to spend to achieve this. I will then get back with you, and let you know what I can do for you. If I can’t save you at least two hundred dollars or more towards the purchase of a new computer then I will let you know of your options and benefits of going either way.

To contact me you can send me e-mail at bob29tie@neo.rr.com

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