Training: Your Key to Computing Happiness

Have you ever felt frustrated when you knew your PC could help you do something easier, but you just didn't know how to make it do what you want? The cost of owning a computer is more than just the purchase price of the PC. It also includes support and training. If you don't spend money on training, you will spend money on lost productivity when your employees spend time learning on their own or reverting to slower, less effective ways to accomplish tasks. So spending a little money on training will save you lots of money in increased employee effectiveness and job satisfaction.

There are many ways for you to get the training you need. The four main methods are: self-study, computer-based training, classroom training, and one-on-one tutoring.

Self-study is where you read the manuals or purchase a book from a computer store or bookstore. The advantages are low cost and flexibility – you can train when you want. The disadvantages are that not all people can learn efficiently from a book, and that you can't ask the book any questions.

Computer-based training (CBT) can be more effective than self-study because the computer can immediately let you know if you're doing something right or not. It also has the same disadvantages as self-study.

Most people only think of classrooms when they think of computer training, and it is a very popular way to learn. The disadvantages are that it may be the most expensive way to learn, and you have to leave your office for an extended amount of time.

Tutoring is a very effective alternative because you only learn what you need, and you learn at your own pace using your own programs on your own computer. We find that many customers request an hour or two a week for a few weeks until they are comfortable with their computers.

We can help you determine which training program is best for you. We can find for you the best training materials, online courseware and classroom training. We provide individual tutoring for all our customers. Please call us for more information.

Clean Windows are Happy – Part 2

Many of you have commented that this was the best article in our previous newsletter. We thank you for your feedback. There's one item to mention from the previous article on removing temporary files: what to do if there are no temporary files in the C:\WINDOWS\TEMP folder. If you are using Windows NT or Windows 3.1, the default location is C:\TEMP. Also, your Windows 95 or 98 may be configured to store temporary files in that location. Wherever you find those temporary files, they may be deleted in the manner mentioned previously. If you have any questions or problems, please let us know.

The next step to cleaning your computer is to defragment the hard disk. When files are stored on your PC, they may be broken into pieces and stored in fragments. The Disk Defragmenter program will put these files back together, which can dramatically increase your computer's performance. We recommend that you defragment your hard disk at least once per month.

To defragment your hard disk, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then Disk Defragmenter. On the Select Drive window, click OK to defragment Drive C. In Windows 95, it will then display a dialog box indicating the amount of fragmentation. If it says that that there is 1% or more fragmentation, we recommend that you continue with the defragmenting process. This process may take from ten minutes to several hours, depending upon fragmentation level, hard disk size, and processor speed. Windows 98 can take quite some time since by default it rearranges files so the most frequently accessed files are moved to the front.

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