Safe Computer Operating Procedures

1. Introduction

2. Static Electricity and Safe Electric Power

3. Proper Start-up and Shut Down Procedures

4. Emergency Recovery Utility (Win95)

5. Configuration Back-up (Win95)

6. Long File Names

7. Routine Back Ups
 
 

Introduction...

The professionals at Advantage Micro Corporation of Tucson (Advantage Computers) have been in the computer business for over two decades. We have seen tremendous, head-spinning changes in personal computers over the years. As we continue to build computers and networks for clients large and small, we have learned to incorporate some basic operating procedures that minimize headaches and hassles when the inevitable crashes and glitches happen.

We strongly recommend you read the information on this page completely, and follow these procedures to the letter. By doing so, you will minimize the likelihood of a catastrophic crash (they do happen, and usually at the worst possible time) and make it easier to recover should a crash or problem occur. You should print this information and make it required reading for everyone in your office or home, or, at the very least, have them take a few minutes to view this page on-line. The Advantage Computers Web Pages can be found at www.advantage77.com.

Let's start at the beginning (a good place to start, eh?) with power requirements and static electricity safety.

Static Electricity and Safe Electric Power...

We have found that static electricity and unsafe power sources are two of the most malicious killers of Personal Computers and Computer Networks.

The number one rule concerning static electricity is NO PLEXIGLAS FLOOR MATSI If you must use floor mats under your chair(s) be sure you are using the non-static variety. We recommend the kind with a ground wire attached. Don't believe the salesman, check for yourself. Lift up a comer of your floor mat and swipe your arm along the floor in the space between the mat and the floor. If you can feel the static electricity raising the hair on your arm, you are literally sitting on a time bomb. Advantage Computers does not warrantee computers when Plexiglas or static generating floor mats are in place.

If you notice static shocks occurring in or near your computer operating environment, you are also looking at potential major problems. Advantage Computers can either visit your location and make recommendations, or provide you with anti-static spray that will minimize static build-up in carpet and furniture in your computer's operating environment. Static discharge devices may be needed in areas with hard to handle static issues.

For more detailed information on static electricity and how it kills computers, check our website at advantage77.com.

Power supplies are also a primary consideration when looking at minimizing potential computer problems. In all situations we strongly recommend high quality, surge protecting power strips. Lightening and high winds create dangerous power fluctuations and surges that can completely destroy a computer in the blink of an eye! In more critical applications we recommend special power supplies such as Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS's).

In any case it is highly desirable to avoid plugging anything other than your computer and the peripherals (printer, scanner, monitor, etc.) into the surge protecting power strip. If possible, you should not use the circuit that your computer system is on for any other electrical device. Under no circumstances should you allow any electrical appliances to be plugged into the surge protecting power strip or the circuit that your computer system is using. This means ABSOLUTELY NO COPIERS, COFFEE MACHINES OR VACUM CLEANERS plugged into the same power strip as the computer.

For more detailed information on how to keep your power supply clean, check our website.

Proper Start-up and Shut Down Procedures...

Turn on your peripherals (monitor, printer, scanner, etc.) one at a time before you turn on your computer. Use the switches on the various peripheral uhits as opposed to using the high quality surge protecting power strip (you do have one, right?) to turn all of the various computer system components on at one time.

When you are shutting down, make sure you close all open programs first. Close windows. As a general rule, shut down the main computer unit first, then shut down your peripherals. Do not shut down your computer system by turning the power strip off. Do not shut down your computer system by turning the power strip off. Did we mention that you should not shut down your computer system by turning the power strip off?

Emergency Recovery Utility (Win95) and Configuration Back-up (Win95)

Emergency Recovery Utility...

In most cases, Advantage Computers will place both an ERU and a Cfgback icon on your Windows95 desktop. ERU (Emergency Recovery Utility) and Emergency Recovery Disk both refer to basically the same thing; a utility that backs up important software information stored in your computer. Cfgback backs up your computer's important hardware configuration information.

Run ERU before you add new software (applications and programs such as word processors, graphics programs, financial programs, games, etc.). To run ERU, simply double click on the ERU icon on the desktop (eru.exe). The first dialogue box you will see welcomes you to the ERU, and gives a brief explanation of the utility. Click on "next.'

Now you should see a dialogue box that asks you to select where you want to save the ERU information. Select "other directory' then click on "next." (Do not attempt to save the ERU information to floppy.)

The next dialogue box will ask you which specific directory you want to save your ERU information in. We generally choose a directory on your main drive (usually the "C" drive) called C:\ERD\'date', where "date' is the date on which the ERU is being run. For Instance: C:\ERD\111198. Subsequent ERD's run on the same day could be named CAERD\111198a, or

some other name that will show you which ERD was saved most recently. Remember, ERU and ERD refer to basically the same thing, and for our purposes here, the terms can be interchanged.

The final dialogue box you will see before starting the actual ERU will list the files to be saved. Stick with the default list, which should be about 10 files. Once again, click on "next.' At this point the ERU program should run, taking just a minute or two, or just a few seconds on faster systems.

The very last dialogue box will congratulate you on a successful ERU, and tell you how to run a recovery should it be needed.

The whole point of all of this is that should the installation of new software cause problems with your computer, you can run the ERU and reset the important software configuration files to exactly the way they were before the install of the offending program.

If, during the ERU process you run into any problems or unexpected dialogue boxes, just give us

a call. We should be able to walk you through any problems you may be having. The same

applies to restoring previous settings with ERU; call us and we will help you if you need itl

Configuration Back-up...

Configuration Back-up, or "cfgback' is a utility that backs up important hardware information. You need to run cfgback before you make changes to your computer system's hardware, such as new sound cards, modems, video cards, or other hardware.

To run cfgback, simply double click on the icon and follow the instructions in the dialogue box. Name your back up something like "121298" or a similar, date indicative name. Configuration Back-up does basically the same thing that ERU does for software, for hardware. Save your hardware configuration again, with a new file name, after installing new hardware by running cfgback.

Should you have problems with your system after installing new hardware, shut down your computer, remove the offending hardware, re-boot your computer (turn it back on) and run cfgback. Restore the configuration saved just before the installation of the offending hardware.

As always, if you have any problems or questions, give us a call.

Long File Names...

As you may know, Windows95 supports file names longer than 8 characters (which DOS and Windows3.x do not support). And, if you have been paying attention, you will have noticed that we try not to use file names longer than 8 characters. Why?

Sometimes, you may create a file in Windows95, then open the file in a non-Windows95 program. Or, a non-Windows95 program may want to use that file that has a long file name. In some cases, this will create serious problems. We have seen entire systems and networks crash due to long file names.

Long file names or 8 character file names - you decide.

Routine Back Ups...

There are several options available to you for backing-up your critical data. The important thing is that you must have a regular back-up routine if you wish to minimize the chances of losing critical data when your computer crashes. Notice we said "when" not "if." Computers crash, hardware fails, new software and hardware conflicts With your existing stuff.

We will help you find a back-up solution that is right for your situation.

Conclusion...

Computer technology changes and advances day by day. Thousands of different companies make software and hardware according to new and existing standards all the time. Software Liij hardware that are perfectly compatible today, may not be compatible tomorrow. Due to these facts, computers are often not very stable.

We have done our homework, and make every effort to build reliable, stable systems that will not give our clients headaches. We test your new computer extensively before we let you take it out the door. However, we cannot control the variables that your computer will encounter when it leaves our shop. If you don't add and remove tons of software and rarely change your hardware configuration, chances are you will have a happy, stable computer.

Follow the procedures and guidelines we have presented to you here, and you will minimize the chances of a crash, and make recovery, when you do crash, as easy as possible.