PC Maintenance - Introduction Article

We live in a world where each of us can take so much for granted. Like owning a vehicle, appliances, and pretty much anything that can be defined as a machine, we have become accustomed to "getting in, turning the key, and just go". There is always someone else who takes the time to know what makes it tick. When the machine "breaks down", we take it to a shop, or have someone come to us, who can "bang the compressor", or "exterminate the bugs", that somehow got into the box. And, when we own a machine, it comes with a user's guide, and another set of instructions that tell us how to keep these break downs to a minimum. A warranty also accompanies these machines for items that may have a manufacturer's defect. But how you use a machine, and how long it lasts is up to the user. Whether it was read or told to us, we know the basics in maintaining our machines, and it seems that others want to see what "this baby can do." When it comes to automobiles, the average rule is to change your oil every 3,000 mile, and get a tune up once or twice a year. Somehow, checking the pressure in the tires can get lost in translation to when it is done, and who does it. For many, it only becomes a real need when the tire is flat. One thing we all know is that it seems typical that something always breaks down when it is most needed, or in the case of automobiles, we lose clam when this thing breaks down so far from home, on a deserted road, or just as we are heading to a special occasion. So, we all have the desire to know just enough to get from point A to point B, and not much more than to keep it reliable, and keep the cost of going to someone else on a regular basis. After all, life is to short to invest all the time into just one thing.

When we do have a problem, we pause for a second. And, unless this is the same problem happening a second or more times, where then we can reflect on how to resolve it, we are unknowledgeable of how to get this fixed. The best way to prepare for an issue is to learn from someone else who has been there, as well as it is to tell your story on how you got back on track, to those who are about to go down that same road you did.My intent is not to make you "mechanics", nor is this a school in the makings. Instead, this is more along the lines of basic awareness, which I will most likely refer you to another certified resource, or have you think about preparing for issues, and give a basic knowledge on how to keep the machine going, so you can just start it up and go. My descriptions are not out to be "politically correct", but instead, look for a common comparison that the reader in general can compare to and get the basic concepts of what they may plan, schedule, work, or experiment with. If anything, there will be things you can do to make owning a computer more comfortable, allowing you to feel more proficient, and if nothing else, assist in getting a basic concept of understanding, should computers and computer maintenance ever come up in conversation. Owning a computer, and going places you have never been in the real world can be said to be like entering in a new dimension, or better yet, a virtual world, which can be adventurous, exciting, educational, and sometimes intimidating. And like going to foreign countries, there are words and abbreviations that have a different meaning than what you knew them as, and until Webster catches up with technology, there will be words never used before, like in the music industry. I say that because, not all the words in music will make it to the Dictionary either, but depending on their purpose or meaning, they are out there.

Before ending this here... if anything, my goal is to let you know what is available, and to have you look for the best approaches to resolving issues, and hopefully point out that there is a place to go when everything else fails to bring your machine back to a normal state of operation. I will write my topics in brief pages, and instruct with the basics to get a task done, but understand now, that if there is a problem with you machine, you need to find either tech support, or a technician to get your machine running again.

Almost every new machine of any kind comes with a warranty, a user's guide, and reference or glossary for quick solutions. Many are toll free telephone numbers where there is a staff of technicians to answer your questions, and talk you through resolving your computer and accessory problems. And, should you not have the papers, and you still have access to the Internet, the manufacturer of your machine, accessories, and software has a contact web page, for technical support, and some even have a downloadable copy of your user's guide, as well as support reference material. Whether it is about your printer or scanner, digital camera or photo shop software, it seems that all the manufacturers have made a web page to get you the assistance you need to help understand the problem, and how to resolve it. They will also answer you questions, such as how it might have happened in the first place, or at least how to prevent it from happening again.

Technical support is a different type of repair than mechanics and automobiles for example. Technical support will walk you through the steps to resolving the problem, and rarely take over to fix the problem. Could you imagine your mechanic talking to you on the telephone, and walking you through an oil change, tune up, or a change of a tire? Yes, this is a completely different way of resolving problems. But if you did have a "walk through" of these mechanical jobs mentioned, the concept that would be compared to with technical support is that you walk away with knowing a little more than before you started handling the project (or crisis), and you might even start doing some of it yourself...at least for a time. Technical support keeps you involved in resolving the issue, or at least helping them in deciding whether it is able to be resolved over the telephone, or if you need to have a technician come to you, or the machine needs to go to a shop. In some ways, this should be something both you and the Technician choose as a last resort. After all, it would mean time lost, and wires to disconnect, travel involved, and in some cases, the nature of the issue disappears, because it might have to do with something else you have plugged in at home, such as a printer or external hard drive, that you would not bring with you to the shop.

What Support usually asks before getting to the problem? The first time you call for technical support, it may seem like they are asking more questions about your computer, than just getting to the root of the problem. Well, every model of every type of machine has its own type of characteristics, and some models might have more features than other models. Then, they might ask if your software is up to date. This might leave you unsure. Basically, every program can be updated by going out to the manufacturer's Internet site to a web page that's usually is called downloads and updates. Other programs such as virus protection and professional office software have the ability to be configured to go out to the site and download the updates automatically. Service packs are also updated versions of some software, where the original software had issues, or just needed more features. These are usually about your operating system, but depending upon the manufacturer, is not limited to just operating systems. They may also ask about the type of virus protection software (or in some rare occasions, other types of software) because there might be a configuration in that software that may be causing the issue, and most of the time just needs a slight configuration change. They may ask you for a version of the software. Most of the time, this can be found in the Help menu, and under About (the products name). Rarely does a version need to be found through steps that take you close to removing that product, but there are times where the product version can be only found through those steps, and the technical support will be able to walk you through that. Describing the problem is another fashion that seems to be asked to be in detail. Technical support cannot diagnose the problems with just hearing that it no longer will do a certain task or job. Being able to describe the problem in a detail is also something that can be frustrating if you never have done it before. In short, I wanted to write this, and some of it was from remembering my first initial times for calling Technical support. Knowing that this is a process that is much needed from you; will hopefully make that first support call a little more comfortable, and having some of the answers before the call will save time for both you and the technician.

With every known product, all the manufacturers know that having support has become a reality in life, especially when the purpose of keeping products from being returned for small problems can be costly. But at the same time, not all products and manufacturers can afford to provide free support. In many cases, support is only free for the time of the warranty of the new product. But for those who keep the product longer, support is not denied, but it does come with a fee. For the purpose of understanding, I will break this into two different types of support; the business, and the home user. For the businesses, it is an investment to have available support paid in advance, to get at the issues at hand, and get business back on track. For the home user, since you are not at the computer eight hours a day, and use it for Capital Gains, the support is made available through use of a credit card, or the option to buy a plan, much like the businesses do. But typically, the home user will first ask friends, family, and associates about a problem, and sometimes find someone who has had a similar problem. This will never substitute the need for Technical support, because the average person may have resolved the issue, but won't remember every single step to fixing the problem. And for argument sake, you should own a business type product, for personal use, big manufacturers have available hourly support, through payment of a credit card. Getting free support is not nonexistent for basic issues, but free support will never be available for every issue, but as time has passed support no longer costs and arm or a leg. Many support calls for products past their warranty (and extended warranty) will always be available. For others, there will always be resources in books, found at libraries and book stores. And although the price is cheaper, the know how to resolving issues will be through practice and repetition, and the self help user may find this just as costly, and more time consuming, especially if the issue is small, and probably won't happen again. But learning from a book has its own value. One is that you can use again. And, the second is that in it can be considered an investment.

The Virtual world is just that, a world of its own. There is too much ground to cover, and with every computer hardware and software manufacturer building and designing features not available to other manufacturers, the world will always be an interesting, progressive, and diverse, adventurous, and even confusing place to see... even if it is called Virtual, it does exist. And to compare it to real world concepts, the Virtual world has maps and guidelines, expectations and dangers, and its own economic growth that is parallel to real world lifestyles. Its amazing how much time can pass when sitting in front of a machine, with a keyboard and mouse. But the time that passes here is no more devastating than the chores of housekeeping, the time that was spent working and planning a time in life to retire, nor other investments an individual may desire. This is a Virtual world that you can find just as invigorating or tiring depending on your opinions, as any facet in the real world. And just like life, it is what you make of it. Two worlds...wow what a concept. But, it is more believable if you think about how much time you do spend in front of the machine. And to call it another world, well, you cannot be in both places at the same time, all the time. Either the computer or real life needs your undivided attention when it comes to specific tasks at hand. When your machine seems to have problems, it feels like a part of your world is falling apart. And, sometimes the help, opinions, suggestions, or even thoughts of others can help cope with the everyday struggles of life...real or virtual. These articles are no different than advice on doing laundry, balancing a check book, or even good recipe to try. Only the "Pros" have the ability to take charge of an issue, and look towards getting you to getting the expectations you desired. I am not just writing about keeping your machine healthy... I truly cannot help you and will run away at the thought of baking an Angel Food Cake. There are some things that you need to look elsewhere. But basic maintenance is something that I can write about, along with what you might find involving. By writing these articles, you may have most of the specifications and answers required, and are able to keep you looking for the right resources. By the way, I love Angel Food Cake. I just cannot bake it.

The excitement of owning a computer doesn't have the same intensity of owning a house, but the upkeep and building of your computer is something that can only be ignored for a medium duration. To get to articles like this one, you have to be connected to the Internet. And to get this far means that for your safety of the machine, you should have some kind of Virus Protection, before even connecting to the Internet. By receiving mail, and downloading from sites there is a risk that there is an unsuspecting virus being carried, and may even be passed on by your computer someday. Having virus protection software not only protects you, but protects others that you connect to later. It is more like a community responsibility. That is when you are interacting with the Internet. But, let's say you choose to limit your connections to just one computer, and you have another that will remain offline. You cannot catch viruses' offline, but there are other issues that computers can have besides the concept of community. Even if you owned an automobile and never drove it, in time tires still go flat, the exterior gets dirty, and the interior will still fade in the sun. And you the driver, if this is your only car, slowly lack the same driving practices and skill as those who have driven to do chores, see the sights, and even the everyday trip back and forth to the workplace. To keep in practice, and build your skills, you must turn on that button, and put your machine to practical use, hence my old saying, "The worst abuse toward any machine is not to use it at all". The computer will not fade, and except for gathering dust, it will not decay in a physical fashion, but it still needs care and maintenance when you use it for any type of file gathering, and you decide to start "cleaning up" the hard drive, and deleting files. Still, if you only use the computer to do bills offline with, most likely you will never see the reason for doing anything but do bills, and maintenance would refer to when the physical accessories such as a printers runs out of ink.

There are many reasons for writing articles. Usually those roles fall into two categories, which are either personal or business gains; personal gains are broader in definition, where it does not always have a monetary goal (money). My reasons for writing these articles at the root is personal, and has everything to do with the desire to improve, from my writing skills, to paying attention to detail, to being able to communicate my abilities and assist others with at least basically understanding what all the talk is about. I am not out to compare manufacturer's products, nor sell you on one thought, and eventually since my environment is Microsoft based, if my family members are living and working in a Macintosh environment, they will be praised for any involvement in showing articles that help the basic user better understand their machine. I will not be writing to replace the need for technical support on the huge issues, and even the simplest maintenance can sometimes not go as planned. But to write about some little cleaning and even dabble in self help issues, to at least addressing the issue to support, and knowing the steps they would need, may make even the fearfully crippling problem go a little smoother. These articles will go into detail to help you maintain your computer, understand a network (as well as the World Wide Web), share basic "know how" to working on projects (like swapping recipes), and even in the future challenge you with projects and tasks to entertain yourself with your abilities to build something yourself. Where there will be issues that seem less avoidable, I will refer you to seek professional support, and will tell you where you can find that support for your machine, operating system, and other programs, in a generalized fashion, this includes support articles and downloads, and even where to find support articles through a website. Truly my goal is self improvement, self awareness, and the ability to share. Your investment is the time you take to "improve your driving skills", and enjoy the journey both with others, and other journeys not traveled.

I only know a fraction of what I want to do, until I get immersed into the project. At current, I struggle with understanding Server Extensions, and how they work with posting articles, allowing uploading information, and being able to find the articles in a Search has lead me down to reading and sometimes reading again. I continue to build the same project from a different perspective, until I build a model that will work and the steps be able to be replicated in future posting projects. That was well advanced from those who simply use their machines to read emails and do research. But the concept is the same with anything you do with computers. Sometimes you have to invest the time to understand what makes something tick, to get it to do what you desire. And, there are no "one size fits all" scenarios. High school only prepared us for the world, not only in basic math and writing, but also a general buildup of study skills, and routine practices to routinely improve upon. School may be out, but learning and study is a lifetime ambition. Your machine was basically programmed with commands that were to assist in giving you a starting point with tools. And your computer will only do what the manufacturer built it to do. Thus artificial Intelligence only goes as far as the brilliance of the human mind. Where we struggle is not to tame the computer to do new tricks, but how we try to understand what the programmer and developer was thinking. To those Developers and Programmers, I would like to thank them for giving us unlimited avenues of help to get my projects done, and tell you how much I appreciate it when the work placed into writing the program works like how I imagined it would. My point here is that those who developed the machines keep one thing in mind, "who will be using this, and how do I make it user friendly for that scope of users." An extreme investment of time goes into building support and basic books of understanding, but the computer will never serve you, instead, it will serve the purpose you intend it for. We are losing the days of just turning on a switch and turning on a light bulb, and even industries now have become so complex that a switch does not just start an assembly line.

You can quickly recall those words from the old Star Trek series that starts out with, "Space...the Final Frontier...", and for those "Trekies out there", the theme song looms in the back ground of your mind. In one of many examples, that's imagination at work. If the Webster dictionary was looking for another definition of a computer, my definition would be, "a device that allows the person to forever create". Many corporate support teams use words like "sand Box" to describe a testing environment of their software. For me that's small thinking, and I want a "playground", to play and invent in. Imagine wanting to build a house on a land you still need to own, or chase a dream of building a better mouse trap (my feeble attempt to find a broad example). From right "out of the box" (another technical term used often), your computer starts you out with the basic tools to create. You can buy architecture software to build that house, and design that land...or you can use the Paint Program. The difference between these programs is one went to extremes to supply you with all the equipment and materials you needs, while the other starts you out with the ability to draw lines and circles, shading and coloring, shaping and sizing, and the basics to building that virtual house. Truly one is more work and skill to use to even come close to the same results, but depending on the imagination, time, and desire, you can build a house...just with simpler detail. But even the person who uses the computer for a task like emails can grasp the concept that if you plan to do more than read, you will have to write to respond or be the originator of the letter. You can write the letter in its simplest form, but to personalize that letter to give it expression, you have to work with imagination, learn what's available, and master how to use it. So even in emails, you sit down to create. And with computers, like any projects, those deeply desiring to leave a good impression look back at their project, to seek improvements. To forever create starts when that machine is turned on, and you will find that deep down, and with time, the imagination comes out, to be seen by others, and realized by yourself. To those who still hear that theme song, I leave a challenge...is space the final frontier, or can a journey begin by what you will do next? Whatever you dream, the computer is a great "playground" to see it happen.