Computer Care/Safety

Computer Safety and Care
Follow these guidelines for using a computer, monitor, keyboard, and printer safely.

1.  Keep air vents unobstructed to prevent overheating.

2.  Place your keyboarding where it won't get bumped off the desk.

3.  Adjust the angle, brightness, and focus of the monitor for comfortable viewing and to reduce glare.

4.  Do not remove or insert computer cables or attach any device to your computer without authorization and without first turning off the equipment.

5.  Keep the screen free of dust and fingerprints by dusting it often with a soft, lint-free cloth.

6.  Do not put fingers, pencils, pens, paper clips, etc. into disk drives.

7.  When loading paper into a printer, fan the paper first to separate pages that may be stuck together.  This avoids paper jams.

8.  Do not attempt to clear paper jams in a printer without your instructor's authorization.

9.  Use correct keyboarding techniques and posture to prevent repetitive stress injury.

10.  Do not unplug any electrical equipment by pulling the cord.

11.  Do not touch frayed electrical cords.  Report immediately to your instructor.

12.  Do not drop books or objects near the computer equipment.

13.  Do not take food or liquids (including aerosol sprays or cleaners) near the equipment.

14.  Do not remove equipment without permission and proper assistance.

Protecting Computer Software and Data

1.  Do not press down on a CD-ROM, DVD drive when opening or closing it.

2.  Handle floppy disks and compact disks (CDs) by their labels or edges.  Do not touch the shutter of a 3.5' inch disk.

3.  Do not insert or remove a disk while the drive's in use light is on.

4.  Keep disks away from extreme heat or cold, direct sunlight, static electricity or magnetic fields.

5.  Save and exit any application program and files you have open before you "shut down" your computer to prevent data loss.

6.  Do not change a file's filename extension.  This may cause the file to become unusable.

7.  Do not delete or move files that are part of an installed program.  This may make the program unusable.

8.  Do not disable virus-scanning software, unless you are installing commercially available software.

9.  Do not place your computer or monitor near equipment that generates magnetisms, such as telephones, speakers, or flourescent lighting.  Do not place magnets on or near computer equipment.