“You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid” 13 tips to avoid problems with your computer technology…

As we go through the holidays and approach the end of the year, we can't help but notice how many numbered lists there are....top 10 great sports moments of the year, 7 greatest natural disasters, top 5 newsworthy people, top 3 movies of the year, etc.

Not to be outdone, we've got our own list, which may not be as interesting as some of the other year-end offerings, but hopefully will be more valuable.  Our list was suggested by a favorite holiday pastime... watching the same holiday movies, over and over again.

"A Christmas Story" was on the other night - and I had to stop and watch it, again.  Along with the Bumpus hounds, Scott Farkus, and Ovaltine, there's one of the great movie lines of all time... "You'll shoot your eye out, kid".  Poor Ralphie.  No one thinks he should get his coveted Daisy Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, because "you'll shoot your eye out, kid".  But Ralphie does get the Red Ryder - and what happens?  He nearly shoots his eye out.

What's Ralphie's BB gun have to do with technology?  Maybe not much, but indulge me in the analogy... sometimes computer technology is like that Red Ryder BB gun - it's wanted, it's needed, but we're not always prepared to use it - and even when we are, sometimes accidents still happen.

That's when we often get the call for help.  And often, the problem was something preventable - and the resolution something the computer user could address on their own.  With that in mind, here's our list of the "Top 13 things you can do to avoid shooting your eye out when it comes to computer technology"....

1.     When you have a problem, reboot -- you'd be surprised how many issues can be fixed just by giving your PC a fresh start.

2.     Power is your computer's best friend

3.     Install and keep current a good antivirus/antimalware program

4.     Backup

5.     Backup (yes we put it in again, it's that important)

6.     Have a secure password, and keep it secure (that sticky note on your monitor is not a secure password)

7.     "Click on" common sense.  If you don't know what it is or where it came from, don't click on it. 

8.     Defrag your hard drive

9.     Purge your Internet temp files

10.  Stay away from "file sharing" programs and networks, especially important if you share your home machine with tech-savvy teenagers who like to "share" music

11.  Keep your programs up to date

12.  When keeping programs up to date, be careful that you don't update past what your PC can handle

13.  Check the expiration date on the eggnog, and step away from the fruitcake.

Our exclusive IT Vigilance remote monitoring and management service can provide the protection and automate the tasks to handle many of these items - though it can't do much about the eggnog.  If you'd like to know more about how to handle some of these yourself - or would like to try IT Vigilance on a FREE, no obligation trial (some restrictions apply), please contact us today.