5 Things Your PC Wants You to Know

Businesses run on technology. Most of us like to think that we run the technology. And we do—we’re the ones that click this, tap that, and issue commands for the printer and the Internet. But do we speak technology? More importantly, do we understand technology when it is spoken to us?

We’re not talking about communicating to the computer directly in binary code. Do we know enough about our machines to decode what they’re telling us? Not always. Sometimes, we need an interpreter.

5 Things Your PC Wants You to Know

1. Please Be Patient. Sometimes I’m Busy. You know how your computer occasionally doesn’t do what you tell it to? It makes a kind of humming noise, and nothing much happens. Is your response to click away like a maniac until something starts? Please don’t. Click once or twice. Then wait. Sometimes the computer is essentially busy and needs a minute.
2. I Have a Reset. At times, good things go bad. Updates don’t work—or work in ways that are absolutely unintended. (A recent update made it impossible for certain Windows 7 users I know to log in to their accounts. Yikes.) Or someone starts changing things that shouldn’t be changed. Fortunately, Windows has a built-in reset button known as System Restore. It lets you turn the clock back to when your computer worked well. And your personal files don’t get disturbed in the process. Good save, right?
3. I Need Rest—Turn Off the Power Once in a While. In a way, your computer’s RAM is like your brain’s short-term memory. It needs sleep to work properly; otherwise it becomes a little quirky. Your computer’s “short-term memory” is reset when you turn off or restart your computer. Computers have more RAM than they used to, but the programs we use are more intensive as well. If your computer seems a bit slow, try restarting it, or simply turn it off at night.
4. My Memory is Ample, But Fragile. Space for your music, movies, photos, and documents is usually not an issue for desktop or laptop PCs. There’s enough and to spare. But your computer’s long-term memory (i.e., its storage space, expressed in GBs or TBs) is vulnerable to damage. For 99% of the time, you’ll be fine. But just in case, back up your important information to secure cloud storage or to an external hard drive, DVD, USB drive, or other storage device.
5. I Don’t Always Play Well With Others. There’s a little thing known as backwards compatibility in the computer world. Basically, it means old programs should work on new machines. With Windows 8 and higher, this isn’t always the case; the old programs were simply not designed for the kind of fast processing power computers have now. This can also be true with older printers, routers, and other devices. Sometimes this can be tweaked with software. Sometimes not. It just happens.

Yes, these are the basics of computer communication. That’s where learning any language starts. While you may not become fully PC-fluent (and you may not need to), you can now understand a bit of what your computer is saying.

Do you need help with your IT? Contact TechSperts Services today. Our Managed IT and other programs are designed for small businesses just like yours.

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