What is hardware? Hardware is your computer and all the equipment attached to it. This includes a printer or external hard drive and even the thumb drive you have for moving files around. You need to take care of your hardware because it is the most valuable tool you have throughout your college career. Here are some important steps to support you computer:
- Reboot at least once a week. That means from the Start menu do a restart or complete shutdown. If you are having trouble with software, a reboot may fix the problem.
- Allow your computer to do its updates. The updates usually close security holes in your software. Sometimes they just make the software function better.
- Do not abuse your equipment, no banging on the keyboard, leaving your laptop laying on the floor or throwing it around in your book bag with a bunch of heavy books.
- Do not eat over your keyboard.
- If you spill liquid on your laptop, turn it off and then turn it over. Do not attempt to turn it back on until someone who knows hardware has checked it out. Usually you can call your help desk at your college and they will direct you. If you have a desktop computer, unplug it. Water and electricity do not mix. You could get shocked so be careful.
One of the most important things you will do during your college experience will be to back up your work. When I am working on an important project I backup continuously. Take the following quiz to see if you need to read the Backing Up Your Work page with the step by step instructions and a video demonstration:
Once you submit the quiz you will get the answers to the questions.
