What happens when your computer stops working? In this episode, we learn some trouble shooting tips and ways to get the most out of calls to the tech support line. We also learn how to keep your computer running smoothly, so we don't have to make those calls in the first place!
Guests
Professor Joe Konstan
Professor Joe Konstan
Professor Joe Konstan works in the University of Minnesota's Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He’s author of the book, Word of Mouse as well as numerous articles on computer usage and he specializes in problems of computer usability or human computer interaction.
Bob Hanson
Bob Hanson
Bob Hanson is an Information Technology Specialist at the University of Minnesota. Although his non-technical wife calls it play, he works very hard at researching new technologies.
Leonard Miller
Leonard Miller
Leonard Miller works in the University’s Computer Services Department. Leonard programs computers, answers customers calls at the help desk, and takes apart and repairs computers. Leonard has been using computers since he was five, and has been working at the University’s Computer Services Department even before he got his degree in Computer Science.
For Your Files
To keep your computer healthy, Professor Konstan says:
"Be healthy about what goes into it. And that’s primarily power. So one of the things you want to do with any computer, particularly a desktop computer, is to protect its power supply. I recommend getting an uninterruptible power source, or a UPS. The other thing which is very similar to this is to make sure that the computer shuts down properly. [But,] I think the bigger challenge with computers is keeping them protected on the software side. And for that the biggest thing you can do is worry about good virus protection."
Professor Konstan suggests that before you update a computer program:
"Always make backups of what you have, especially before installing anything new. Backing up your data files is the one thing you really can do to prevent problems on computers. The other thing you can be careful about is trying to install software the way it’s designed. Most software, on PCs and Macintoshes, includes an uninstall option. If you install something and suddenly things don’t look right, you can uninstall it and see if things work again the way they should."
Leonard Miller, the technician who actually fixes computers, warned:
"When you’ve lost a document, the most important thing to do is absolutely nothing. Turn your computer off the right way and don’t touch it again. Let someone who knows what they’re doing try to recover the file. Usually that would mean bringing it in to a repair shop."
Leonard also advised that if you’re on your computer when the power goes out:
"If you’re in the middle of writing [something,] whatever your writing was lost, or at least corrupted, and you have no idea how good that data is anymore. If you’re lucky that’s all that happened to that data, that whatever you were writing is bad. If you’re not so lucky, that little arm spinning back and forth [in the hard drive] will cause some sort of damage on the disc because the power was cut out unexpectedly.
Hard Drive
A hard drive stores digital data on magnetic disks.
UPS
Uninterruptible Power Source. A power backup that protects the
outlets from surges and supplies power for a few minutes in the
event of a power failure.
Virus Definitions
Files that antivirus software programs use to identify viruses. New viruses
are introduced into the computer community almost every day, so
virus definitions files must be updated regularly to ensure your
computer is protected against newer viruses.