I've compiled a list of Do's and Don'ts. Some of these may just seem like common sense but sometimes you just don't know. It's not just new users that need some helpful computer advice either. We all have some bad habit that may be a danger to our computers. Don't Never shut down the computer by using the power button. Unless your computer freezes and the hard drive light shows no activity this practice can have adverse effects on your system. A bad example of computer advice would be shutting down your system by using the power button may cause loss of data and/or Windows files. Do If you need to move the computer, at all, always shutdown first. Setting up the monitor is a best practice before turning the power on. Moving any devices attached to the computer should also be done with no power to the system. Unnecessary movement (vibration) can cause degradation of sensitive parts which can reduce the working lifetime. Your computer safety can be as serious as your own. Don't Use any magnets around your computer. Most towers have metal sides on them that look like a great place to hang notes on with magnets. This is a terrible idea. Even though most new hard drives can be immune to the effects of the magnet, it is still a magnetic storage medium. My computer advice is if little Shaylee comes home from school with a new picture, stick it on the fridge where it belongs. Do Delete old files and programs that you no longer need. This will be more appreciated after you run a defragmentation of your hard drive. Most hard drives these days are large enough that they can hold many programs and files without putting a dent into the hard drive storage capacity of your computer. These files and programs are regularly fragmented through use and become spread out over any available space on your hard drive. You can find good computer advice how to do that here. Don't Eat or drink over your keyboard. Spills and crumbs can cause keys to stick or stop responding because contact is not being made. If you have to work through lunch to finish a report make sure those foodstuffs are always off to the side. On a computer advice side note, it's not a great idea to smoke around your computer. Smoke particles, smaller than the eye can see would be able to stop a hard drive in its tracks by stopping the actuator arm from moving across the platters (disks). A hard drive is a sealed piece of equipment so the chances of smoke getting in are slim to none. The same cannot be said of the rest of your computer. Fans on the computer case can pull cool air in to create a flow over the motherboard. Its common sense to know where that smoke is going as well. Do Scan CD's with an antivirus scan before installing anything from the CD. Virus's can piggyback on a program or file. Your friend may think he is sharing something cool with you but may be sharing more than you want. Don't Do not unplug peripheral devices while the powered on. Removing devices such as your mouse, keyboard, printer, etc. while powered can short out the connector socket or even the motherboard. Newer devices may be hot swappable but to be safe power your system down. Do Keep all manuals and disks in a safe place. If by chance you do lose one or both they can be found on the manufacturer's website. Keeping them safe will save you time looking for the information. This is a basic list of what to do and what not to do. At the end of the day it is your computer. All I can do is offer common sense computer advice. Computer Advice by PC Apprentice 2009 - 2017 If Gore invented the Internet, I invented spell-check. - Former Vice President J. Danforth Quayle