Computer Basics: Tips for Preparing to Upgrade Your Computer

When it's time to upgrade your PC, don't get caught unprepared. Whether your old computer died and you need to start over, or if you just want to update your hardware or OS (operating system) version, setting up a new computer can be painful.

These tips will help you set up your new machine while saving as much information as possible from your old setup. If possible, do these tasks before losing access to your old computer.

Computer Basics: Tips for Preparing to Re-install Software

Various circumstances can force you to re-install the software on your PC. Perhaps a program had a problem such as its corrupted settings, and you need to uninstall and re-install it.

Or you may need to re-install all of your software. Maybe your computer crashed and is irrevocable. Maybe you bought a new computer to replace an obsolete one. Either way, you now face the challenge of moving all your old software to a new machine.

These tips will help you prepare for the inevitability of re-installing your software:

Computer Basics: Determining What Software Reads a Data File

Do you have a data file that you can't read? Occasionally, you may run across a file that you don't know what software program created it. Perhaps you found an old unknown file on your hard drive or you inherited the file from another user who left your company or passed away. To access the data, you need to do some detective work to figure out what software can read it.

Here are some tips for finding out which program can read your unknown file.

Computer Basics: Fixing Lost File Associations

Every file in Windows has a file type, also called a file extension. If you double-click directly on a file name in Windows Explorer, Windows uses that file type to decide what program to launch to read that file. The program associated with the file type is the file type association.

For example, the file type JPG is usually associated with your graphics editing software. So clicking on the name of a JPG file should launch your graphics software with that file already opened.

Computer Basics: Spring Cleaning Your Computer

As the weather warms up in the spring, it's traditional to open your windows and clean out the house. Clear up the clutter, sweep out the garage, and donate your old clothes.

While you're in the mood, consider cleaning up your computer too.

Here are 10 ideas for Spring Cleaning your computer:

Computer Basics: Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

You can access many functions in Windows from your keyboard. Here is a "cheat sheet" of general Windows keyboard shortcuts and their results. These functions work in most Windows programs that use the standard Windows interface. Exact functionality varies from one application to another as needs differ.

Computer Basics: 4 More Tips for Effective Backups

Previously, we talked about setting up an effective backup routine to help prevent data loss in case of disaster. Backups are particularly important in times of uncertainty and rapid change, when your circumstances — even your hardware setup — need to be flexible.

Here are 4 more tips for keeping backups:

Computer Basics: 3 Tips for Effective Backups

Disaster can strike at any time, whether it's computer failure, fire, or human error. For anyone doing computer work that involves creating new data — whether your work is writing, business and finance, or programming — backing up your files is critical. Even losing a day's worth of writing or artwork can be devastating.

Keeping safe backups of all of your original data is important.

Computer Basics: Setting a Default Printer in Windows

You can tell Windows to use a default printer for all Windows applications. You may need to change this setting if you connect a new printer. Also, unfortunately, sometimes programs interfere with this setting and change it without verifying the change with the end user, requiring you to reset it.

Computer Basics: How to Create a Shortcut on Your Desktop

If you have a file or program that you access constantly, you may find it useful to have a shortcut to it right on your Windows desktop.