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Hints and Cautions When Using Your Personal Computer

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Keep in mind the following general hints and cautions as you use your personal computer. Several of these hints refer to more detailed information provided elsewhere.

...About Network Connections

  • In the residence halls and offices, be sure to use the Ethernet network connections (ports) to connect your personal computer to the Dartmouth network. The network may be damaged if you connect something else to the port. Connect the opposite end of the cable to the Ethernet port of your personal computer. Additionally, the Ethernet connection on campus will most likely be faster and is more secure than using a wireless connection. For more information, consult your owner's manual or see Using a Personal Computer at Dartmouth.

...About Security

  • Security must be a primary concern for all users in today's computing environment. Having a healthy computer is more efficient in the long run, eliminating downtime and costly file recovery. Keeping your computer's system software updated and having antivirus software enabled and updated, are both necessary components. See Safe Computing at Dartmouth for more information.
  • When using your laptop around the campus in public areas, be sure not to leave it unattended for any length of time.
  • Making sure your important documents and data are backed up is another vital component that is often overlooked until it is too late. Have a backup process in place before something happens to your computer. For better security, backed up data should reside on another device at another location than your primary location. While making a simple backup on a writeable CD can seem a nuisance, this minimal investment in time can make the difference between inconvenience and catastrophe.
  • To encrypt your data over the Dartmouth network, make sure you log in via VPN.

...About Traveling with Your Personal Computer

  • Save the boxes and packing material in which your equipment came. Disks are delicate and can be damaged in transit if you do not take proper precautions. If you need to ship your computer or to check it in as luggage on an plane, it is much safer in its original box.
  • For laptop computers, make sure to also purchase a padded bag made for your computer model. Look for one that either fits the computer snugly, or has adjustable straps to keep it from shifting. Before traveling long distances, such as overseas, be sure to back up your documents on a separate device, and pack a copy in a different bag than your computer case. Take your system disks with you, as they can be used to repair system errors. Application installation disks can also be useful if you have to install updates or if you need to reinstall or repair an application that might become corrupted.

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02/16/07

Last Updated: 2/20/07