Using Your Computer
Starting the Computer
To start your computer, turn on the power button or on button. If you have a separate processor, turn that on first and then turn on the monitor.
Shutting Down the Computer
First save your work.
Exit your application program.
Select Shutdown from the start menu or the special menu.
Wait for the message to appear on your screen telling you to turn off your computer.
Turn off your power button or on button. If your processor is separate from your monitor, turn your monitor off first and then turn your processor off.
Saving Your Work (in more ways than one)
It is important to save your work often. Try to click on the save function every ten minutes or so. If your computer can do it, set it on AutoSave for the computer to save your work automatically. By doing this, if your computer suddenly loses power (for example by a temporary power failure when it is raining) you will not have lost a lot of work.
When you save something on the computer, the saved file is called a soft copy. When you print it out, the printed file is called a hard copy.
Backing Up
If you have important documents saved on your hard drive, copy them to disk about once a week. If you save all your work on disk, save a copy of those disks. Put these copies in a location other than the room your computer is stored in. If your computer and the disks beside it get stolen, at least you still have your work on the second set of disks in the wardrobe or at a friend's place. This is especially important if you work from home or save university essays on your computer.