How to avoid common PC mistakes

Whether you are a computer novice or a seasoned PC user it's easy to make slip-ups when it comes to your computer hardware, software or even etiquette.

The results can be as trivial as dented pride, or as serious as a compromised PC that's recording bank details and website passwords for criminals to use.

In this article we list 10 of the most common mistakes we hear about, and how you can avoid them all.

Accidental sharing
Put a document or a photograph on paper and what you see is what you get, but assume the same on a computer screen and you could come unstuck.

Many files include hidden information: digital cameras add the time, date and exposure settings of a photo to the photos they create, for example, while documents saved in Microsoft Word might include the author names, the revision date and number, or even how long it took to produce the text.

In most cases this metadata isn't such a big deal, but knowing the date of a digital photo could reveal where somebody was at a given time. Also, as the Prime Minister's office found out with its February 2003 dossier on Iraq, metadata can reveal who has modified a Word document and when.

You can see some of this information by right-clicking a file in Windows, selecting Properties and clicking the Details tab, where you will also find the option to ‘Remove Properties and Personal Information'.

There is a limit to how much metadata this will remove, unfortunately: if you are working on a document that is important or confidential, it's best to use Word's Save as... feature to save a document as a text-only file.

Damaging USB drives
USB devices are handy, but it's easy to whip the USB plug out before Windows has finished with one, which can lead to all sorts of problems.

In the case of devices such as a printer, the worst thing likely to happen is that you will need to restart your PC and printer before beginning a print job again, but it's a much bigger problem for storage devices; pulling the plug can cause them to lose the data they are saving - or, worse still, mess up the files that they already hold.

To avoid the risk, look in the Windows notification area (at the bottom right of the screen) for the ‘Safely Remove Hardware' icon and double-click it for a list of your computer's removable devices. Select your device and click OK. Windows will then tell you when it's safe to remove.

Leaving a PC unlocked
If we are honest, logging onto Windows is a chore we could probably all do without. It's another password to remember, and yet another thing to do before you can get on with using your PC.

But a PC with no password is like a front door with no lock – there is little to stop uninvited guests wandering in, making prank phone calls and running off with your stuff.

To protect yourself click the Start button, type user into the Start Menu search box and click User Accounts (In XP look for ‘User Accounts' in the Control Panel).

This starts a Control Panel tool that lets you add or change the passwords on your own and other users' accounts. To make the most of password protection, always use the Start Menu to shut down, log off or lock (press the Windows key and L together) your computer whenever you leave it.

Falling for fake warnings
Many legitimate programs display messages to let you know that they are out of date or that they have found a problem, but by faking such messages, hackers and data thieves can trick the unwary into installing dangerous software, or even revealing financial details.

The first rule is to ensure that your computer is up-to-date and protected from viruses, but it also pays to think before you click.

If a ‘virus scanner' warns that your PC is infected, check to see if it is from the software you actually installed on your computer – if not, it's a trick to be avoided.

Other web pages might open a pop-up window to say that your computer is ‘slow' or needs some kind of a scan, but these are in fact scams and should be ignored.

Recently there has even been a trend for supposed ‘Microsoft employees' to call people and offer to fix the ‘problem' on their PC. Microsoft does not do this and, unless you have a specific support agreement, nor will anybody else. Protect yourself with a healthy dose of cynicism and hang up the phone.

Buying the wrong hardware
Whether you are buying a new PC or the parts to upgrade an old one, shopping without research can leave you paying over the odds, saddled with ageing technology, or simply staring at expensive and incompatible bits and pieces.

When it comes to upgrades, then, the safest approach is to contact the maker of your PC and either ask its advice or buy directly – however, this may not be the best value.

If you are buying memory, which is a particularly complicated business, make sure you get the right components by using an online scanner such as the one Crucial.

Once you know the recommended upgrade you could buy it elsewhere, but use a seller's scanner and they will usually guarantee compatibility.

Remember that if you are buying over the internet that the Distance Selling Regulations give you a cooling-off period of seven days to return almost all goods, so if you do get the wrong component you should be able to return it.

Wherever you are buying, use a credit card for added protection on purchases above £100.