By Debbie Green

I teach numerous technology seminars across the country and I noticed that many attendees need help in understanding the basics of computers. Most people never enrolled in a class to learn basic computer knowledge. The biggest frustration people in our industry experience with computers is a lack of understanding of how computers work. Another problem I noticed is people click too fast before they understand all the options. I tell people in my seminars before they click be sure to look at all the options; that is how you will learn to use computers and software correctly. When people understand why and how computers work, the anxiety of using computers starts to dwindle. In the next several months, we have decided to dedicate the main article of our newsletter to learning and understanding the logic of using computers. Print each of these articles and refer to them whenever you need a quick refresher course.

This month we will discuss keeping your computer in good working order, setting up your filing system, saving files and finding lost files.

Disk Cleanup:

First on our list is to make sure you keep your computer in good working order. Everyone should run a Disk Cleanup and Defrag on a regular basis, at least once a month. Disk Cleanup locates files on your computer that may be taking up unnecessary space on your computer i.e., temporary files, deleted files in your recycle bin, old files, etc. To run Disk Cleanup, click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup > place a check in any file types you wish to delete.

CAUTION: Be careful about deleting old or unused files because some of these files may be used in some of your software programs.