Issue 5.11
I am amazed that we have arrived at our one hundredth article for the Senior Sampler. I am grateful to Pete and Barbara Leadenham (owners) for the opportunity to share some of what I know and get to know many of you who are readers of this wonderful magazine. I have had a number of people tell me I shouldn’t give away my knowledge because it helps people solve their own computer problems and then they don’t have to pay me. I’ve never worried about that because I want people to be able to solve the simple stuff. There are still many complex problems that need my experience and many people who just want help from someone they know and trust.
There are two quick hints that may save you headaches and help you when you need it. The first is to follow the maxim “If you didn’t ask for it, don’t open it or download it!”. New viruses continue to be a serious problem for most PC users. Macintosh users are also now being introduced to the frustration and fear viruses can cause. If you avoid clicking on pop-up ads or notices that say you have a virus but it is not specifically from your anti-virus program, you may save yourself a lot of trouble and expense. Emails that ask you to download pictures or other data may also be viruses – even if they are from someone you know. If you click on these types of messages, you can inadvertently give a virus permission to install on your system in spite of your anti-virus program. If you have doubts, don’t click on it – even to close it. Just turn off your computer and then restart it. If the pop-up or message returns, call a professional for advice.
The second hint is to use the wonderful resource that the Senior Sampler has provided by archiving all our old articles online. Simply go to www.seniorsampler.com and then click on my name and you can review old articles. The information in them stays valid, but the newest ones have the most up-to-date input I can give you.
I thought I would run out of ideas for articles fairly quickly, but my customers keep coming up with new and different concerns and problems that help me share solutions with you. If you have ideas for articles you would like to see or questions I can address here, drop me a line at shaun@musicomp.net. Thanks to all of you and especially Pete and Barbara for this opportunity to do a little good in the world and, as I always say – stay safe – and make sure you have a backup of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 29 years (locally with Musicomp & Bits ‘N’ Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions, you can reach him at 668-7118.