want to learn about computers where should i start?

Post Reply New Topic

I really want to learn how to take care of my computer properly. So I want to learn more about computers but don't know where to go. I really don't know anything about computers I have always just used them to surf the web.
how did all of you learn so much about PCs? where did you start? can you suggest a book or a website I could go to?

Do you mean like proper maintenance procedures? Like defending it from viruses, "spring cleaning" (things like defraging the hard drive, cleaning the registry, etc.), and literally cleaning the devices?

Or do you mean something else?

In general you can look at questions on Stack Exchange sites or ask your own. Though people there are mean.

you have to not fear any consequences of experimenting. there is nothing you can do without expert knowledge that will result in a fatal conclusion.

experiment with impunity and you will learn, and it is better you learn by exploration than instruction i believe.

Stack Exchange is a "no nonsense" type forum people are there to answer serious questions with serious answers. I have been on Math SE for around 3 months now and I am in the 11%.

I wouldn't recommend the Stack Exchange sites though. Learn the basics first then you can progress. If you are going to learn a programming language I'd recommend Python. Coding languages can be put into classes based in how similar they are to English C++ and C aren't very close to English, Python is closer to English there could very well be a day when you can just type sentences, compile the program and run it.

Yes I mean like defending my computer from viruses, so like computer repair and upgrading my PC.
that sounds like a good start.

Don't they teach this stuff in school? Or did you skip that class?

What DO kids actually learn in school these days anyway?

They do not actually. Not even to teachers. Only students who know these things outside of school know these things and are usually the ones that go up and help people with their tech problems becuase the person in the district whose job is to keep these things running takes like 3 weeks to get there and by then people have moved on. The basic classes that exist are at community centers and only cover things like how to use Microsoft Word and the like. Maybe how to use Google. I grew up in Silicon Valley and their schools used, until about 2 years ago, computers running Windows XP from 2002. You'd think schools there would have the latest and greatest, but you'd be wrong. The latest 'tech upgrade' those school got were Chromebooks, becuase of Common Core and the Smarter Balance Test.

Best thing for the OP is to just search your questions using Google and see where it takes you from there. You can research all the tools that are out there, see what they do, look at reviews, find out what and why they do what they do.

Some basic questions are:
'How can I speed up Window 10?'
'What is the Registry?'
'What are drivers and how do I keep them up to date?'
'How do I backup my system?'
'What is a firewall?'

A good book that you might be able to find in a local library is Building Extreme PCs: The Complete Guide to Modding and Custom PCs which you can buy at http://www.amazon.com/Building-Extreme-PCs-Complete-Modding/dp/0596101368. The information in that book is dated, but it is helpful nonetheless. It's spends a long time explaining each part of your computer, what overclocking is (Google it) and how to do it, literally building a computer (which it spends only like 3 pages on explaining despite it being a nicely sized book), and things you can do that will speed up the use of your computer. It's a good introductory book that goes over a lot of topics you might find useful.

I recommend any Linux OS to help you explore security from a neteork perspective and access large public software repositories/language archives. Personally I run Windows 7/10 and Fedora 22.

From a hell of a lot of trial-and-error. Prepare yourself to burn through hundreds if not thousands of dollars with various testing of what works and what does not. Try putting your own systems together. Take them apart and put them back together. You probably WILL break things, and ruin various two-hundred-dollar components, like I did, but as long as you keep paying attention, you will eventually figure out how to fix even the most-severe of problems. Hope you have enough money to buy all of the stuff & parts needed for you to be able to build & test things out for yourself. Otherwise try to become an apprentice to an expert if possible.

that's not fair. I have been out of school for 5 years and I only took one computer class freshmen year(06-07).
All I remember doing in that class was geocities and power point.

that's a lot for the info that's really helpful.

I also learned from experimenting. I've loved computers my whole life. I started building my own gaming desktops because I got so tired of bloatware, (software that comes installed on name brand computers). Also I was modding my own cases because so much of the gaming world is aimed at males, and I wanted something different.

A lot of what I learned was from magazines initially. I subscribed to Maximum PC, Wired, PC World, and several others. I now get most of my information online. Everything you want to know about computers is online. You can find a lot on Youtube as well as forums, and sites dedicated to computer lovers. Do a search on computer maintenance to find some good sites. I recommend Tom's Hardware.

The sites are helpful in learning about computers, and more importantly, fixing the mistakes you make as you boldly experiment with your system. You can't break a computer unless you physically smash it, or something like that. Messing around with the software, including the operating system is something you can do without fear of ruining your computer. The worst you can do is make it inoperable until you restore the operating system. This is time consuming, but otherwise simple. Before you do any experimenting, look up how to restore your operating system, and print out or memorize this process in case you lose access to the internet until you've fixed your computer.

The only thing to keep in mind is that if you have any important data or photos stored on your computer, you should put them in the cloud, (like Dropbox) and/or back them up to removable media, (like an external USB hard drive). Also, always have a copy of your operating system on hand in case you have to reinstall it. Lots of laptops these days don't come with a DVD drive anymore, so if you don't have one, you should get an external USB version until you master installing your OS from a USB thumbdrive.

After you've spent some time experimenting, and breaking your operating system a few times and reinstalling it, you'll gain confidence in your new skills, and may even find yourself building your next computer system from parts you selected based on your needs and reviews. It's a fun hobby, and eventually you can help others with their computer issues.