Issue 38.15
The Control Panel of your PC is one of the most powerful and important items you can access. It provides connections to installed programs, security settings, user settings and passwords, network setting and many other important functions that can make a significant difference in the abilities and functions of your computer.
One of the biggest problems I had with Windows 8 is that they hid the control panel and you had to know how to find it and go through a number of steps to do so. Windows 10 has restored the ability to easily access the control panel by right clicking on the start button (usually in the lower left corner of your screen) and looking through the menu that pops up when you do so. In Windows 7, you can do the same thing or even use the left click on the same button.
One of the key features here is a listing of installed programs. Once displayed, you can highlight individual programs and have them uninstalled (or removed from your computer). Be careful with this feature. Some people have uninstalled critical components from their computer with this process and find that their computer will not work correctly after having done so. It is difficult to repair this error and may take a technician and possibly even repurchasing the software or Operating System you have removed.
Another key thing you can do here is check the status of your firewall. A firewall is a program that limits outside users or programs from entering your computer or placing files, programs or information there. It is the most important checkpoint that can keep viruses and malware from infecting your computer. Your anti-virus or anti-malware programs are also important, but the firewall is critical. Windows has a firewall included that is fairly capable and is sufficient for most users. Most commercial Anti-virus programs (ones you actually pay for yearly) have an advanced firewall as well which replaces the Windows firewall in your system. If you remove your anti-virus program for any reason or if you are getting a lot of unwanted popups or programs, check in the control panel to see if you have an active firewall. If not, be sure to activate it as soon as possible. In some cases that may take a technician, but most situations can be resolved by simply telling the control panel to turn it on.
The control panel is also where you can modify your user or add and delete other users from your computer. Most of these functions are only available if your user is listed as an administrator rather than as a simple user. Make sure you do not remove other users and especially their files, pictures and documents unless you are sure you want to. It is also a very good idea to back up any of those things before removing the user, just in case you find you need those items later.
There are a lot of other features of the control panel that we will visit in a future article, but these are the ones that most people need to know about. Be careful, but get to know your control panel – and make sure you always have a backup of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 33 years, 26 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently works as a computer consultant. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or shaun@musicomp.net.