TIPS & ADVICE

• When removing a USB thumb drive from your computer, always choose the Safe Eject option before removing the drive. If you do not, you risk clearing your drive's memory!
  
  
• Avoid leaving your laptop computer out doors or in your car during cold or hot weather. Extreme temperatures can cause permanent damage to the screen.
  
  
• Once a month, clean the inside of your computer. With the computer turned off, remove the side panel and use a can of compressed air to remove dust inside the computer. Dust collections can slow down your hardware, and generate heat inside your computer.
  
  
• Be very careful when you have food or drinks near a laptop computer. Unlike a desktop computer, a laptop computer's hardware is located directly underneath the keyboard. Anything which falls into the keys (food crumbs, spilt drinks) can severely damage your hardware.
  
  
• Avoid shutting down your computer by holding down the Power button. Follow normal shut-down procedures (click Start on the toolbar, and click Turn Off Computer) to avoid causing harm to your computer. Hold down the Power button ONLY in emergency situations, and understand that you risk losing your data.
  
  
• Purchasing anti-virus and anti-spyware software is vital to maintaining your system's security. There are a number of websites offering "Free Virus Scans", which actually install spyware on your computer in the disguise of being an anti-virus.