Computer tips

65nspry

65nspry

New Member
Anyone got any computer advice? Everyday is like a struggle, have been searching for something I can relate to, but when they start of with 'go int settings' I'm outa there!
 

I struggle all the time. I usually find YouTube or just searching the web is the key for me to figure out my problem. For problems I don't seem able to remember how to resolve, I keep a little file on my desktop with the instructions. I had to do that with the steps to get pictures off the phone I used to use. Seems that my current phone uploads my pictures all by itself, but I have no idea how to find them on Google or wherever they back themselves up to. The most frequent words spoken in my house are 'Hey Google, how do I ...' (in my daughter's house it is 'Siri, how do I ...')
 

Thanks Nathan, I guess I should take some REAL courses - every day more quesions :) I learned how to type in high school, am at least quick at that. I subscribed for windows365 so im hoping to dive into that soon.
 
Since nothing seems to come with manuals any more, what I did in the past was go to a really big good bookstore (I used Barnes and Noble, not intending to give an ad or testimonial here) and they have shelves of all kinds of manuals for every kind of device, from very basic to high tech. When. I acquired a used laptop, I got a manual for Windows 7, and later one for iPad . Sometimes they don’t match up perfectly to your particular device gives a pretty good roadmap. And improves your knowledge enough to at least have a better idea of what questions to ask. They are also available on line to order and purchase.
 
Whenever I sort out a problem for myself, my wife, the office computer for our association, or for other people in our condo building, I am constantly wondering how people deal with these issues if they are not well versed in how computers work and the problem solving step at a time mind set. Most people I observe seem to jump around willy-nilly hoping to land on a solution. Sometimes they do, but most of the time they get all tangled up. It takes informed discipline to go one tiny step at a time, eliminating variables until the solution reveals itself. Remember that trouble shooting is mostly a process of eliminating variables.

What I think many people don't realize when first getting a computer is that they have to be their own IT department unless they can enlist the help of a more knowledgeable friend. The risk there is burning that bridge by wearing out one's welcome after a while. I see again and again, how desperate and focused on the computer problem at hand people become, so that they often don't even bother with any sort of greeting, and simply dump their problem on that friend as soon as they see him or her. I have been on the receiving end of that far too many times.

1. As already suggested, take courses - informative courses that focus on real world issues and solutions. One older couple in our condo association took a couple of community course and they rarely had to bother me about their computer. If they did, it was usually a real problem such as replacing a power supply or performing some upgrade.

2. Read informative books on the subject and experiment, learning from your mistakes and your successes. This is what hobbyists do. I was a hobbyist well before getting my degree and getting into engineering. I would suggest that for this route, you get another computer to experiment on and leave your main computer alone as long as it is working properly. :)

3. Join one or more computer-centric forums where you can ask questions and get solutions. Most of us will use google to quickly determine who else has had this problem and what the solution(s) are. Over time, you become adept at sorting the BS from the solid information.

4. I don't know if computer clubs still exist. If they do, that is a wonderful place to learn directly from other folks' experiences. As a bonus, as you learn, you get to give back by helping new members.

5. Whatever you do, don't get caught up with other folks in computer "religious wars" (i.e. this OS sucks, this one is better...). I always appreciated when I worked at Cisco Systems their idea of "no technology religion". We each have our own needs for a computer and should make our own informed choices.

Anyway, that is just off the top of my head for this morning.

Tony
 
Nathan said:
65nspry, when I got my first computer got stuck on some issue, I asked a co-worker how I should learn about everything- he said "just play with it". The internet is a valuable source for learning, I always look for multiple sources to make sure I'm getting legitimate,current information.
Click to expand...
Just play with it is good advice. You can't break anything. Mostly, there is more than one way to do what you want to do. You will get used to the frustration to the point where you are not frustrated anymore. Expect it.
 
Be careful when you play with it. You CAN mess something up if you don't know what you are doing. I have had to fix things that people messed up on many occasions. The safest way to approach "just playing with it" is to do a bit of google legwork and/or get a good book on how to get around in your operating system (i.e. such as one of those Windows tell all type books) and read about the things to be careful of when you do start digging around on your computer.

The most common ways people break something is to change some setting or delete some file that other software may be dependent on. Breaking something in most cases on a computer means to cause software to no longer function properly, and that software can include the operating system environment itself. Usually, breaking something doesn't mean physically breaking the computer, though I suppose that is possible with some effort.

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
Be careful when you play with it. You CAN mess something up if you don't know what you are doing. I have had to fix things that people messed up on many occasions. The safest way to approach "just playing with it" is to do a bit of google legwork and/or get a good book on how to get around in your operating system (i.e. such as one of those Windows tell all type books) and read about the things to be careful of when you do start digging around on your computer.

The most common ways people break something is to change some setting or delete some file that other software may be dependent on. Breaking something in most cases on a computer means to cause software to no longer function properly, and that software can include the operating system environment itself. Usually, breaking something doesn't mean physically breaking the computer, though I suppose that is possible with some effort.

Tony
Click to expand...
Well, I do have a big hammer, just in case :)
 
tbeltrans said:
Whenever I sort out a problem for myself, my wife, the office computer for our association, or for other people in our condo building, I am constantly wondering how people deal with these issues if they are not well versed in how computers work and the problem solving step at a time mind set. Most people I observe seem to jump around willy-nilly hoping to land on a solution. Sometimes they do, but most of the time they get all tangled up. It takes informed discipline to go one tiny step at a time, eliminating variables until the solution reveals itself. Remember that trouble shooting is mostly a process of eliminating variables.

What I think many people don't realize when first getting a computer is that they have to be their own IT department unless they can enlist the help of a more knowledgeable friend. The risk there is burning that bridge by wearing out one's welcome after a while. I see again and again, how desperate and focused on the computer problem at hand people become, so that they often don't even bother with any sort of greeting, and simply dump their problem on that friend as soon as they see him or her. I have been on the receiving end of that far too many times.

1. As already suggested, take courses - informative courses that focus on real world issues and solutions. One older couple in our condo association took a couple of community course and they rarely had to bother me about their computer. If they did, it was usually a real problem such as replacing a power supply or performing some upgrade.

2. Read informative books on the subject and experiment, learning from your mistakes and your successes. This is what hobbyists do. I was a hobbyist well before getting my degree and getting into engineering. I would suggest that for this route, you get another computer to experiment on and leave your main computer alone as long as it is working properly. :)

3. Join one or more computer-centric forums where you can ask questions and get solutions. Most of us will use google to quickly determine who else has had this problem and what the solution(s) are. Over time, you become adept at sorting the BS from the solid information.

4. I don't know if computer clubs still exist. If they do, that is a wonderful place to learn directly from other folks' experiences. As a bonus, as you learn, you get to give back by helping new members.

5. Whatever you do, don't get caught up with other folks in computer "religious wars" (i.e. this OS sucks, this one is better...). I always appreciated when I worked at Cisco Systems their idea of "no technology religion". We each have our own needs for a computer and should make our own informed choices.

Anyway, that is just off the top of my head for this morning.

Tony
Click to expand...
That's some great advice! Yes, I've aleady heard that Windows 7 is better than 10 and 'why didn't you get an apple' :)
 
Nathan said:
65nspry, when I got my first computer got stuck on some issue, I asked a co-worker how I should learn about everything- he said "just play with it". The internet is a valuable source for learning, I always look for multiple sources to make sure I'm getting legitimate,current information.
Click to expand...

Sounds good until you end up with the dreaded blue screen. :(
 
What galls me is always having to keep up with the frequently advancing technology. It seems new software is on a geometric curve. You buy a system and by the time it's delivered, it's obsolete. You have to keep up or get left behind which means frequent updating . This is a slippery slope for me. I like to learn a system, then stay with it. I'd still be using Windows 95 if it was compatible with my ISP.
 
debodun said:
What galls me is always having to keep up with the frequently advancing technology. It seems new software is on a geometric curve. You buy a system and by the time it's delivered, it's obsolete. You have to keep up or get left behind which means frequent updating . This is a slippery slope for me. I like to learn a system, then stay with it. I'd still be using Windows 95 if it was compatible with my ISP.
Click to expand...
You got that right! I've been looking through youtube, there's a lot of good stuff in there, but way over my head. I'm from one of them-there fly-over states :) and you know how "smort" we are!
 
Years ago, I was one of the first to get a computer. In those days, if you wanted to add a printer, it took a weekend. job And you had to enter long lines of code like, "<a>///.drkn^^/\\.5sd<a2;-(6h2>>........................................................................................." WITHOUT A MISTAKE. Now, I have a hard time finding the 'on' switch. But, while my computer literacy is still pretty much in the "Dick & Jane" stage, hey, I'm online and doing everything I need to get buy. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!! It's one of those things where you just have to go and DO stuff, to learn how.
 
65nspry said:
What kind of music do you play? I'm a songwriter from way back never had anything hit yet, but NEVER GIVE UP!
Click to expand...
For some time I played solo fingerstyle guitar. This is essentially similar to classical guitar except that the music consists of pop tunes and standards arranged for solo instrumental fingerstyle playing. I have been tending more toward jazz chord melody because, instead of having to memorize a piece, you play it how you want to, which can be different every time. You learn the vocabulary, much like learning any language, and then use it as we are doing here.

I never developed an interest in singing. Most people, when they see you with a guitar, ask why I don't sing. Or if I do play a tune, wonder why I didn't sing. So I finally gave up on that and just do it for my own enjoyment. Back in the late 70s, I did play professionally full time in a trio that played supper clubs, resorts, and Holiday Inn type hotels. That was a union (AF of M) job and I did it for about 2 years until deciding that I wanted to settle down in one place.

What genre(s) do you play and write for?

Edit: I just saw your post with the answer to my question.

Tony
 
squatting dog said:
Sounds good until you end up with the dreaded blue screen. :(
Click to expand...
I still remember learning how to read the "blue screen of death". Unfortunately, the information captured (stack traces, memory dumps, registers) has some delay so that it rarely points to exactly what happened, but does provide clues as to where to look.

Tony
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Years ago, I was one of the first to get a computer. In those days, if you wanted to add a printer, it took a weekend. job And you had to enter long lines of code like, "<a>///.drkn^^/\\.5sd<a2;-(6h2>>........................................................................................." WITHOUT A MISTAKE. Now, I have a hard time finding the 'on' switch. But, while my computer literacy is still pretty much in the "Dick & Jane" stage, hey, I'm online and doing everything I need to get buy. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
I can definitely relate to that!
 
tbeltrans said:
I still remember learning how to read the "blue screen of death". Unfortunately, the information captured (stack traces, memory dumps, registers) has some delay so that it rarely points to exactly what happened, but does provide clues as to where to look.

Tony
Click to expand...
We've had computers since the days of 5 1/2 floppy disc. I may still have leisure suit Larry on a floppy somewhere. 🤣
 
My (now) wife had an Apple II+ back in the early 80s. I built my own first computer from scratch around 1980 or 1981. A year or two later, I got a complete S-100 system really, really cheap as a computer store was going out of business and just dumping the stuff.

Tony
 
squatting dog said:
We've had computers since the days of 5 1/2 floppy disc. I may still have leisure suit Larry on a floppy somewhere. 🤣
Click to expand...
I remember buying a pair of 8" floppy drives out at a computer flea market in Half Moon Bay (Bay area) once when I was out there for a class at Intel. I used these on my S-100 system that consisted of a box full of S-100 cards and a terminal. 5 1/4" floppies came along a bit later for me. At that time, my wife and I were just friends. I thought her Apple II+ was pretty cool for games, but I was more interested in programming and building stuff. My S-100 system had an EPROM burner card and I had one of those EPROM eraser lights. I wrote my own firmware in assembler for the Z-80 processor and programmed my own EPROMs. That was much more fun for me than the games on her Apple.

Tony
 


Back
Top