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How to Avoid Costly Computer Service Calls

Computer technicians can be expensive to hire even for small tasks such as virus removal. Practicing good preventative maintenance and performing basic troubleshooting yourself can help avoid unnecessary service calls. Install anti-virus...
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Practice Good Preventative Maintenance

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    Install anti-virus software and be sure to keep your virus definitions up to date. Out of date anti-virus software is about as effective as no anti-virus software.
    1. Note: Multiple anti-virus suites does not mean more protection. Choose one anti-virus package and only one.
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    Periodically remove unused applications from your system. Every application on your system has settings and files stored all over the place. Periodically go through and remove programs that you do not use anymore.
    1. Use "Add/Remove Programs" under your control panel to properly remove any applications that you know you no longer use.
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    Physically clean your computer every few weeks. Use compressed air to remove dust from the inside of your computer and a damp cloth to remove any dirt from the outside. Dust and other contaminates can cause system performance issues over time and drastically effect the life span of sensitive components.
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    Avoid heavy smoking near your computer. Tar and other byproducts of tobacco smoke can gunk up on internal computer components and is extremely difficult to remove.
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    Shut down your computer when not in use. Although everyone wants to push the uptime of their computer regularly shutting down or restarting gives the computer time to rest and will clear out the memory (RAM).
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    Clear temporary folders and caches. Regularly cleaning out temp and cache folders helps to remove stale cache information and clear up storage space.
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Avoid Threats

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    Do not click links from people you do not know. If you receive emails or instant messages from unknown contacts that contain links avoid clicking them.
    1. Tip: copy the link into a google search to check validity.
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    Do not click unfamiliar links from friends. Unusual messages from friends that contain links should be validated before clicking. If a friend sends you a message such as "Checkout this awesome link: www.wikihow.com" ask them what it is before clicking.
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    Do not install software or "plug-ins" from untrusted vendors. Before downloading executable files (.exe) or plug-ins from unknown sources run a quick Google search to verify the vendor and software.
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    Be cautious of shortened URLs. When a URL has been shortened using services such as bit.ly it's impossible to tell where it points on first glance. Use a service such as unshorten.com to find out where the link really goes.
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What to do When Something Does go Wrong

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    Search for solutions online. Use Google to search for error messages or problem descriptions.
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    Use product knowledge bases to search for solutions. Many software and hardware vendors provide online help sources such as the Microsoft Knowledge Base (support.microsoft.com).
    1. Browse to the website of the company who makes the software or hardware with the issue and look for a "Help" or "Support" link.
    2. Use the on-site search or links to narrow down the issue.
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    Seek help on online forums or discussion boards. Many online communities exist that help people with computer issues for free. Some patience may be required as it can take a few days to get a response in some cases. When posting provide as many details as possible about the issue, the lead up to the issue, and your computer.
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    Consider calling a professional if your attempts to fix the issue are making it worse. You may need to call a professional service technician or technical support if things seem to be deteriorating.
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