Some computer ‘don’ts’

Email Bill Husted at tecbud@bellsouth.net

I spend a lot of time suggesting things you should do to make computing easier, safer and more fun. But today we’ll talk about things you shouldn’t do.

Don’t be quick on the trigger

If you spend much time on the Web you’ll regularly bump into offers for programs – both free and ones you have to pay to get – that seem like miracle workers. They’ll scan your computer, fix any problems automatically, make it run faster … the list goes on and includes everything but a back rub.

I’ve found that many of these programs create more problems than they solve. They’ll scan your computer and – even if it’s a brand new one – find literally hundreds of problems. Many of these “problems” don’t exist. It’s just an effort to convince you that your computer is in terrible shape and impress you with the program. That’s bad but the real sucker punch comes next. That same program proceeds to fix problems that don’t exist. When you “fix” something that isn’t broken, trouble often results.

So be cynical when you run across these programs. At the very least spend some time with a search engine such as Google and see if others have run into problems running the programs. Even then, think twice about downloading and using them.

It’s OK to be paranoid

Hey, they really are out to get you. Most of us get email from scammers on an almost daily basis. Maybe it’s a note saying an African prince who wants to give you millions of dollars, or perhaps it’s a note that allegedly comes from someone you know explaining that they are in London, have lost their wallet and need you to send money. Luckily scams like that are easy to spot.

But there are other scams that are much slicker. Fake emails often seem to come from your bank, your Internet provider or a reputable business. They look right and often include a link that takes you to a website that is a perfect imitation of the real thing. You’re told to sign in using your password. Once the crooks have harvested your password, they have a key that lets them steal money or personal data.

This stuff has been around a long time and most of us know that it’s out there. And yet, each year, they yield millions in cash and an infinite amount of grief. Just don’t answer emails like that. If you worry that the mail is legitimate (and it almost never is) then telephone the merchant or bank and ask.

Don’t be quick to fix

I’d guess that at least half the emails I receive from readers involve disasters created after they tried to fix some computer problem – real or imagined. It’s hard to blame them. They want to learn, want to save money instead of taking the computer to a technician. So they do some research using the Web, find a solution and dive right in.

What you need to remember is that any fool can create a website, and perfect idiots can create a recipe for fixing problems. Sure there’s a lot of great information out there, legitimate stuff that works. But unless you know enough to separate those legitimate solutions from the crazy ones, it’s easy to get trapped.

And even when the suggested fix is a good one, a person can get into trouble if they fail to follow the directions precisely. Look it is fine to try to learn, great to take the initiative and fix a computer yourself. But you must be sure that you’re not letting your reach exceed your grasp. It’s just human nature to believe you know more than you really do. I do that all the danged time.

The good thing is that most of this boils down to using common sense. So it’s not a case of being technically proficient. Instead, treat all this just as you do other decisions you make in your life. Don’t believe everything you hear and – especially when things sound too good to be true – consider that they might sound that way because they’re not true.