…in order to protect your computer and help you stay away from the frustration and pain that computers can sometimes create.

You know how hard it can be to deal with computers sometimes.

Well if you follow all of these tips you can alleviate a lot of the potential pain that can occur with the use of a computer.

Tip 1 – Why You Should Always Have Up-To-Date Security Software Installed and Running.

Tip 2 – Always Update Your Computer (via Windows Update or via Software Update – Mac).

Tip 3 – Be Careful of Who You Let Use Your Computer, It Might End Up Costing You.

Tip 4 – Are You Experiencing a Slow Computer? Computers Slow Down Over Time!

Tip 5 – You Should Always, Always, Always Backup Your Data!

Hopefully these tips have helped you to protect yourself against losing data and having to go through the pain of getting your computer back up and running properly.

If you found these tips helpful you can grab them for offline viewing right here, “5 Things Every Computer User Should Know” as a free eBook.

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is the 5th Tip in our “5 Things Ever Computer User Should Know.” If you’d like to take these 5 tips on the go with you, go ahead and grab the eBook, right here.

…that every computer user should know.

Always, Always, Always backup your data. This preventative measure can save you from hours or even days of frustration.

There are just so many reasons why you should always have a backup:

• Power outages
• Computer viruses or spy-ware
• Accidental deletion
• Battery runs out of power
• Hard drive crash
• Computer hardware crash
• Your computer gets stolen!

You could accidentally lose any amount of data at any time!

We’ve rescued many people in this situation, and they’ve all said “MAN! I wish I had a backup!”

Another thing you can do that will also prevent you from frustration and pain is save anything that you might be working on every couple of minutes.

It’s easy to do if you learn the keyboard shortcut for saving in the program you’re using — for example, in Word, press your Control key, and then press S (on Windows computers), or press your Command key and press S (on Mac’s).

Yes saving might take a second to do, but if you accidentally delete something you will definitely be thankful you followed this additional tip.

Having a backup of data will save you in a tight situation. Now you might be asking what ways are there that can help me backup my data. Well there are many ways, some of which include:

• Having an extra hard drive to manually copy files you wish to backup.
• Having a flash (or USB) drive to backup files you wish to have copies of.

These ways of backing up data are time consuming, so why not automate backing up data.

If you’re a business owner, Entech offers complete solutions, learn more by reading about Managed Backup & Data Recovery services.

If you are a home computer user there are many online alternatives with which you can automatically backup your data.

Having a backup is definitely the MOST important thing every computer user should know.

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is the 4th Tip in our “5 Things Ever Computer User Should Know.” If you’d like to take these 5 tips on the go with you, go ahead and grab the eBook, right here.

…when it’s slow and you’re in a hurry.

You turn on your computer only to have it take:

• 5 minutes to start up
• 2 minutes to get to the program you want to use
• 1 minute for you printer to warm up
• and another minute to print (if you’re lucky!).

That’s almost 10 minutes of your time completely wasted, waiting on your computer!

You’re probably thinking -

“What’s the deal with my slow computer and how did it get that way?”

Computers are slow for many reasons, such as:

• The most common reason – not enough computer operating memory (RAM)!
  • As you add newer programs that require more memory, you outgrow the RAM that was installed when you purchased your computer.
• The addition of programs and files over time.
• Spyware, malware or viruses running in the background (You already know all about these from Tip 1).
• A full hard drive – you’re nearing the end of the total storage space available.

Believe it or not, there are quick ways to remedy these issues:

First, try rebooting your computer. This clears up the computers memory, allowing it to work faster (at least for a while!)

If it is still slower than you’d like, it’s time for a memory upgrade.

If you believe that it’s your hard drive that is the problem, then there are 2 things that you can try:

1. It could be beneficial to run a disk defragmenter. Your computer doesn’t always organize everything properly when it’s first saved onto your hard drive. Organizing all of the files is what a defragmenter does. This might not be something that you can visually see once your computer is done defragmenting, but your computer can tell the difference.
2. Simply deleting programs that you don’t use can have a tremendous impact on the speed of your computer; a full hard drive will always be slower than an empty one.

Hopefully these tips have gotten that slow computer back in working shape pronto.

It’s very important to me that you have a positive and productive experience with technology!

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is the 3rd Tip in our “5 Things Ever Computer User Should Know.” If you’d like to take these 5 tips on the go with you, go ahead and grab the eBook, right here.

“Here, take a look through my check register!”

Your computer is just like your checkbook. It houses a ton of private information about you. So why would you let someone you barely know get on and look at all of your private information?

Most likely you have all of your passwords set up so that even you don’t have to remember them (if you do type them in yourself you are already protecting yourself!)

Using the “Keep me logged in” or “remember me” check box when you log onto any site that you frequent (for example Facebook).

On many occasions, you may even have your web browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc…) remember your passwords for you.

Basically anyone who you allow get on your computer has access to such things as:

• Online Banking
• Student Accounts (If you or your child is in college)
• Facebook (or other social networking sites)
• Work Accounts
• Email Accounts (such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Hotmail)

So what can you do to help protect yourself from people getting onto personal accounts such as these?

Here are a few simple tips that you can use to protect yourself:

• Password protect your computer!
• Don’t post your passwords in obvious places (i.e. sticky notes on your monitor, or on a bulletin board by your computer!)
• Don’t tell anyone your passwords.
• Don’t have your web browser save your passwords
• If you do have your web browser remember your passwords, set up a master password for them.
• Have your web browser clear cookies and history when you close it.

With these simple tips you can avoid a lot of problems and save yourself from potentially painful trouble.

Every computer user should…

Be careful of who you let use your computer, and protect yourself if you do let others use it.

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

restart it 5 minutes later. (What a PITA!)

This is the 2nd Tip in our “5 Things Every Computer User Should Know.” If you’d like to take these 5 tips on the go with you, go ahead and grab the eBook, right here.

It’s really important that you continually update your computer as updates are made available.

What does a system update do?

System updates are created to fix problems on our computers. These problems can range from something unnoticeable to a frustrating issue that you have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

System updates can include:

• Fixing security vulnerabilities
• Fixing bugs
• Improving performance
• Improving usability
• Improving stability

While these are all good things for your computer, there is occasionally a downside to updates.

Some updates can cause new problems after fixing the old ones.

So what should the average computer user do?

To download or not to download that is the question…

The best thing to do before you install a new update is to check if it is causing any new problems. You can do this by performing a simple Internet search using keywords such as, “mac update problems”.

Don’t let this scare you though. If a problem does arise in an update it is usually very quickly fixed, depending on the severity of the problem that has been created.

So don’t forget…

Always update your computer (via Windows Update or via Software Update – Mac).

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is the 1st Tip in our “5 Things Every Computer User Should Know.” If you’d like to take these 5 tips on the go with you, go ahead and grab the eBook, right here.

…your computer is always vulnerable to viruses, malware, spyware and hackers, so make sure you have security software.

What does a virus do to your computer?

A computer virus can have varying effects on a computer, depending on what it was designed to do (HINT: all viruses are designed to make your life more difficult).

You might get lucky and get a virus that simply corrupts files or destroys data that is saved on your computer. This can still be a massive hassle for any computer user, as it may corrupt things such as Word documents or Excel files.

In the worst case scenario you could get a virus that completely disables your computer by erasing files that are necessary for your computer to function. Although this happens less often, it obviously results in:

• Huge amounts of downtime
• Possible data loss
• Computer service to restore your system.

If you believe that there is spyware or a virus on your computer you can run a spyware sweep or virus scanner.

What is a hacker?

A person who is attempting to take sensitive information from your computer, usually for personal gain.

Information such as:

• Bank Account numbers
• Credit Card numbers
• User names and passwords
• Any sensitive information that is stored on your computer

Can be the target of a hacker.

Hackers aren’t the only people out there who are trying to get your sensitive information though. There are also things called phishing scams, in which a person who wants to get sensitive information attempts to get the computer user to give up their bank account or credit card information (for example) by looking like a legitimate web site or business.

What is the best way to avoid going through all of the pain that any of the above situations would create?

Up-to-date security software that is constantly running is the solution.

This applies to all computer users, including Apple computers. Contrary to popular belief, Macs can get viruses.

There are many different security based programs out there for a computer user to use. Some of them are free and others cost money.

Some of the more popular security programs are made by: McAfee, Norton, and Kaspersky.

So be careful, and assure you always have up-to-date security software that is installed, updated and running!

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

…and I’m sure that it’s a large part of your personal life as well.

So exactly what computer basics might I be talking about?

Well there are 5 things that are quite important to think about when using your computer, whether for personal or professional use.

• Computer security
• Computer updates
• People who use your computer
• Computer speeds
• Computer backup

While you are using your computer you should always be cautious and take every preventative measure that you can so that you can avoid the pain and frustration of having to fix your computer.

Luckily if you are using your computer professionally, you will probably have a technology person who can help you out.

But if you don’t, who are you gonna call?

If you are experiencing any problems with or you need any help with your Computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

but you aren’t really sure what you need or where to begin.

Luckily you’ve stumbled upon the only resource that you’ll need when it comes to Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

So without further adieu, here are the 15 Tips (plus a Bonus Tip) that will make your Mac OS X Snow Leopard experience a great one.

Tip 1 – Mac OS X Snow Leopard – Apple’s Newest Operating System

Tip 2 – Mac OS X Features – The Features You Need To Enable

Tip 3 - iLife ’09 – iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, and iDVD.

Tip 4 - iWork ‘09 – Pages, Keynote, and Numbers.

Tip 5 – Microsoft Office for Mac!

Tip 6 – Mobile Me – The Amazing Benefits of Cloud Computing.

Tip 7 – Spotlight, Spaces and Quicklook. Speed Up Your Efficiency.

Tip 8 – Address Book, iCal and Mail – Your New email Client!

Tip 9 – Front Row: Your Quick, Easy Entertainment Center

Tip 10 – iChat: Video Chat on Your Computer

Tip 11 – Dashboard and Exposé, Information at the Touch of a Button

Tip 12 – Time Machine: Don’t Lose Anything Ever Again!

Tip 13 – Calculator, TextEdit, Stickies, and Photo Booth: Everyday Programs for Everyday Use.

Tip 14 – Mac Virus Protection, You Can Get Viruses and You Do Need To Protect Yourself.

Tip 15 – Running Windows on Your Mac, Get The Best of Both Worlds!

Bonus Tip – Bonus Tip – Mac Programs to Help Eliminate Your Minor Frustrations.

Hopefully these tips have saved you time and even increased your efficiency when using Mac OS X.

If you’d like, you can even download all these tips in our “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know” eBook and review it all at your convenience.

If you are experiencing any problems with Mac OS X Snow Leopard or you need any help with your computer – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is a Bonus Tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

Now what about those few programs that misbehave?

Not every program is created equally and when it comes to computers, there are so many different formats that it’s hard to find 1 program that will play well with them all.

So here are a few programs that can help relieve some potentially minor frustrations for you.

1st things first, Quicktime doesn’t play well with a lot of video formats (especially .wmv files).

There are a few programs that can help alleviate this problem.

• Flip4Mac
• Perian
• VLC

Flip4Mac is a plug-in that works with Quicktime, converting .wmv files as you watch them.

Perian works in similar fashion but supports many more file types.

Finally you have VLC, which is a stand alone video player.

VLC is a great alternative to Quicktime and it supports just about every video file format out there, which means it’s a 1 stop shop for you.

So now that your video viewing problems are solved, we can move on to .zip and .rar files.

The built in Archive Utility in Mac OS X is alright but for heavy duty jobs your are going to want to grab UnRarX.

This is a great file compression program that should do the trick for all your file compression needs.

That should take care of the majority of your minor frustrations, if you had any in the first place that is.

Enjoy Mac OS X Leopard!

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 15th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

…you still need a few things from your old friend Microsoft Windows.

Well running Windows on your Mac is very simple!

There are 2 different ways that you can run Windows on a Mac: virtualization and Boot Camp.

Lets look at virtualization first.

If you want to run Windows and Mac applications at the same time — without rebooting — you can install Windows using Windows virtualization software.

• Parallels Desktop 5.0

• VMware Fusion 3

Both of these programs allow you to run Windows on your Mac, but the advantage of these programs is that you can access both your Windows and Mac programs at the same time.

Boot Camp, on the other hand is a cheaper alternative (free with Mac OS X Leopard).

The main drawback of Boot Camp is that you must choose whether you want to run Windows or Mac OS X Leopard when you start your computer up.

So it’s really up to you and your budget, which route you want to go. But both are good quality.

You will need a legitimate copy of Microsoft Windows in order to run Windows on your Mac.

If you are experiencing any problems with running Windows on your Mac or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.