taking care of your pc
protecting your pc from power surges
Power surges, for example voltage spikes, power outages, or brownouts, may
cause software problems.
Symptoms of voltage spikes include a flickering video display, unexpected PC
startups, and the PC not responding to your commands. A voltage spike can
occasionally corrupt or destroy files. Because of this, you should:
•
Consistently make backup copies of your data files.
And
•
Prevent damage from voltage spikes by installing a PC surge suppressor
between the electrical outlet and the PC power cord.
using virus protection programs
HP provides a virus-scanning software program to help protect your PC (select
models only).
A PC virus can destroy information on the hard disk drive. You can get a virus
from infected files that you open from:
•
An e-mail message or attachment.
•
A file downloaded from the Internet.
•
A diskette (floppy disk).
•
A CD or DVD disc.
Some viruses affect your PC immediately, while others may activate only if you
open a certain file or do not delete the file before a certain date. New types of
viruses are invented all the time.
The virus-scanning software program on your PC has pre-set options that make
your PC safe. After you enable the virus-scanning program, it checks your PC
files for viruses.
taking care of your pc
75