Sure, it’s easy to borrow a charged battery from a friend, and easier still to forget to swap back. But here’s the problem: Those batteries have a lifespan, typically 2 years. So let’s say you have a newer computer than the friend you swapped with. If you don’t get your newer battery back, the one you kept will come to the end of its lifespan sooner than yours would – which means you will have to buy a new battery from the bookstore.

Net result? You pay, but your friend gets a newer battery for free. So keep track of your battery!

IF there is any one keyboard shortcut you should remember, it’s this one: CONTROL-S.  Stands for “SAVE.”

The minute you create a new document in Word – or any program, for that matter – give it a name and save it. Then get into the habit of pressing Control-S every 5 minutes. Should something happen, you’ll lose only 5 minutes’ worth of work, and that is far more palatable than losing an hours’ worth.

Speaking as one experienced in losing work because it wasn’t saved, I must tell you that pressing “Control-S” regularly - at least every 5 minutes - has saved me more than a few times.

So do it!  Control-S...Control-S...Control-S....    

Students: You pay a $250 insurance deductible when the problem with your tablet results from damage, meaning your tablet was dropped, dinged, thumped, bumped, or otherwise manhandled in a way that caused your tablet not to work. Be aware that even minimal damage can cause your hard drive or another internal component to fail.

You do not have to pay if the problem with your tablet is due to a manufacturing flaw of some kind, which is not your fault. For example, the LCD is doesn't light up or your computer doesn't power on (and there is no physical damage). You also do not have to pay to reimage your computer.

NOTE: If you damage the spare tablet we lent you, you will have to pay for that as well -- and that adds up to a hefty $500. So take care of you tablet, and use a case!

As you have undoubtedly noticed, after hanging out on Leggett Field, you find these tiny little rubber pellets everywhere -- in your socks, in your hair... These pellets get into your tablet keyboard too!

When that happens, the pellets make their way underneath the keys, keeping them from typing properly.

Avoid the problem entirely by keeping your tablet off the field, or at least in its case if you do put it on the field. If you can't get the pellets out yourself, come to the Taub Center. Now about those pellets in your socks...

It’s true. Limewire essentially opens your computer up to all kinds of spyware and other nasties which will wreak havoc with your system. When you install Limewire, it opens up a conduit between your computer and the rest of the world, and the rest of the world is free to send all kinds of junk right to your computer, whether you want it to or not. So uninstall it now and sleep well tonight.

WARNING!

If you see a pop-up on your computer which tells you that your computer is infected with a virus (or many viruses),

DO NOT CLICK ON IT!

It is a spoof. A scam. BAD.

This particularly nasty virus looks authentic, with a name like “Anti-Virus 2009.” But it’s really malware (”bad program”) in disguise. If you click on it, you are directed to a website which will ask you to pay for the “cure.” After that, the virus downloads to your tablet, wreaking havoc with it. Because it’s so tenacious, we have to reimage your tablet to get rid of it.

So when in doubt, just say no!

Recognize these?

They are examples of downloadable cursors from a site like Cursormania. They're cute, right? Know what else they are? They're BAD.

When you download them, you also download a virus called AdAware, which makes your tablet behave, well, badly. It will run slowly and erratically, among other things. So resist the urge!
Beside, who can really point with a flying banana?

Dust is everywhere. It’s in your nose, it’s in your hair. And it gets inside your tablet too. So do something about it. Clean it! Buy a can of compressed air at Staples. Use it on your keyboard; blow it at your fan. Make sure you hold the can upright when you do. You’ll be amazed (some would say horrified) at the dust that spills out. While you’re at it, dampen a paper towel with Windex and clean your keys. And your screen.

Next up: Laundry!

Here’s the short story about batteries.

New batteries have a limited number of times they can be recharged before they begin to lose power. Once your battery meets that limit, it may hold a charge for shorter and shorter periods of time,or it may simply stop working altogether. The warranty on your battery is good for one year. After that, you will need to buy a new one.
This is true not just for your tablet battery, but for virtually all rechargeable batteries, such as those in your cellphone and Dustbuster vacuum cleaner.
And that’s the way it is.

So you get home from school, eat a snack, and head off to do your homework, only to find you can’t get on the internet. No matter what you do, your tablet won’t connect.
Here’s a quick solution: Plug yourself in! Get an ethernet cable* and plug one end into your home router and the other into the ethernet port on the back of your tablet (it looks like a phone jack, only larger).
Now, you are hard-wired, as they say, to the internet. Sure, you may have to work within 6 feet of your router, but at least you can get your homework done.
*This may have come with your modem or router, or you can buy one at Staples, Best Buy, etc. They also come in 10’ lengths. Photo courtsey of TurboPhoto.com

Did you know that you should shut down* your tablet from the “start” menu at least a couple of times a week?
When you do this, all kinds of stuff that’s stuck in memory, clogging it up, and generally confusing your tablet, gets cleared out. It’s kind of like giving your tablet a decongestant!
*Keeping your tablet in hibernate, sleep, or standby mode all the time makes your tablet NOT happy. Powering down & restarting is what solves this problem.

This is a reminder to lock your tablets up if you are headed to the gym for a game or sporting event.
Most of our on-campus tablet thefts have taken place in the gym lobby. And typically, every May, five or six tablets disappear because they’re just lying about in the open.
Please help yourselves - and your parents - avoid the hassle of filing a police report and paying the $100 deductible if your tablet is stolen. Take care of your property! Put your tablet into a locker with a lock.

NO. Not if you are prepared!
Make sure your Google Drive is always syncing, and that you are backing up your music, pictures, and personal stuff onto an external hard drive or flash drive.
If you do those 2 things, then you will not lose anything when we reimage you. (You will have to re-install programs like AIM or iTunes, however.)

So put those horror stories to rest. Be prepared!

Viruses & malware have become a virtual epidemic here at school. Here is what we recommend doing about them:
1. Download Malwarebytes from www.cnet.com (do a search on CNET for malwarebytes, click on the “free download” link) and install it.
2. Restart your computer in safe mode: While the Fujitsu screen is up on your computer, repeatedly hit the F8 key. A black screen will come up, asking if you’d like to start in a variety of modes. Choose “safe mode.”
3. Run Malwarebytes and choose “Quick Scan.” Follow the directions when the scan is finished (they’re easy). If you have to restart after the scan, do so right away.

Malwarebytes does a good job of removing viruses, but doesn’t prevent them. So be careful...and run your anti-virus programs as soon as you think your computer is acting funny.

Need accessories?

Ms. Roth has so nicely created a page of links for you so you can purchase tablet accessories directly from Fujitsu. You can find these links by going to our school home page, clicking on “Academics,” and then “Technology.” You’ll see a page called “Tablet PC Accessories.” Of course, you’ll need a parent’s credit card. Don’t go too crazy with it.

They give you VIRUSES.

No kidding. I spent the better part of this past Monday eliminating the notorious “Alpha” and “Cyber Security" viruses which apparently infect computers through Facebook applications.

In particular, avoid applications that ask you to click a link to “see who has a crush on you.” We do know for sure that “City Fire Department” is an application that downloads a virus.

So be strong! And be prepared: If we can’t eliminate the virus, we may have to erase your hard drive, so make sure you back up your music and pictures to an external hard drive.

If you plan on editing a document that has been attached in an email, always save it first to your hard drive by choosing “SAVE AS” before you do anything else. That way, you are giving that document a name and a location to save to. Then exit email, browse to where you saved the document, and then open & edit it.

Don’t make the mistake of opening the attachment in email and just clicking “Save.” When you do that, the document actually goes into a temporary space causing it to be automatically deleted without your knowledge.

Here is a little metaphor to help you understand your hard drive.
As you can see from the drawing, your hard drive is like a file cabinet with two drawers. One of those drawers is your C drive. The other is your D drive.
Notice how your D drive is filled with folders? One of those is your Google Drive. It’s a thin folder, only 5 gigabytes in size. That is where you save your schoolwork.
See all those other folders in the D drawer? Those are for your personal stuff, like photos & music. You can store lots and lots of those in the D “drawer” - just not inside the iFolder.
As for the C “drawer” - that’s where we put programs and Windows. Nothing goes there unless you install a program. Or maybe your socks.

Here’s a suggestion to help your tablet charger maintain its life:
Don’t wrap the cords tightly around the brick.
Wrapping the cords tightly may make for a neat package - easier for you to carry around - but it also frays the wire inside the cable. Eventually, the wires will short out and your charger will fail. Instead, wrap the cables loosely around the brick, in a coil that’s parallel to the brick instead of around it. Your charger will live longer, and you will save yourself a big headache.

For those of you with the new tablet (that is, the small-bodied T580), please make absolutely sure your tablet is fully hibernated or in sleep mode before you close the lid and put it in your case.

The blue light should be off or blinking, not solid blue, when you close the lid of your computer.

If the blue light is solid and you close your tablet lid and put it in your case, your computer will overheat and drain your battery rapidly, potentially causing damage too. So hibernate, don't overheat!

Go ahead and click "Install Driver."

If you have one of the older tablets, you likely won't see any kind of progress bar. It might even appear that your computer has frozen. Don't worry, it hasn't. Just be patient. In about 3 clock minutes, the driver will finish installing and you'll be able to print.

Occasionally you might have to repair your printer software too. Click here for instructions to do that. If you still can't print, come to the Taub Center and we will help you.