Day 0: Subject: [[Firstname]], computer tips. What’s inside your computer? Hi [[Firstname]], Thanks for subscribing to for the computer tips. My name is <> and in the coming few days, I will be sending you some valuable tips which will help you in troubleshooting your PC. So if you see an email from me, remember to read it :-) Here are today’s tips which will help you understand what’s inside your PC. You have probably a few of these before but don’t understand what they are. Well there’s no excuse now. Here is basically what is inside your PC. You need to know this when you speak to a technician who is giving you advice. *CPU/Processor* This computer chip determines the speed of your computer and runs your computer programs. *Hard Disk* Where your programs and data are stored *RAM (Random Access Memory)* Your computer memory. Provides fast storage for your computer to use. The more RAM you have, the quicker your PC will operate since it can store and execute information on hand. *Video Card/Graphics Accelerator Card* Generates all the videos, images and text you see on your PC. *Sound Card/Audio Card* Outputs the sound to your connected speakers. Also includes a socket to plug in your microphone to record sounds. *Motherboard* A board that connects all your components together. *Cooling Fan* A small fan which cools down the motherboard and the CPU so that it doesn’t overheat. In my next email, I will be sending you some tips on what software to install on your PC. A lot of these won’t cost you a dime! If you’re serious with becoming your own computer expert, take a look at the book “Becoming A Computer Expert In 7 Days” at <>> Talk to you soon, <> <> Day 2: Subject: [[Firstname]], computer tips – What software should you install? Hi [[Firstname]], A few days ago, I sent you an email telling you what the various components are inside your computer. Today, I’ll recommend some software which you need to install on your PC to improve productivity and secure your computer. Enjoy and learn! *Microsoft Office/Open Office* An office application suite will give you a word processor, spreadsheet and a presentation software. The most famous one is Microsoft Office. An alternative is OpenOffice which you can download for free at http://www.openoffice.org/ There’s no need to pay for licenses and upgrades :-) *Antivirus Software* As soon as your PC is setup with the basic applications, download the antivirus software AVG at http://free.avg.com/ which also doesn’t cost anything. An antivirus software is essential to protect your data. *Download Manager* Try FlashGet at http://www.flashget.com It’s a download manager which allows you to download programs and data quickly from the internet. You can use it to download several files at once and it also helps you in resuming downloads if your internet connection is broken half way. *Compression Software* The most widely used compression software is WinZip at http://www.winzip.com It compresses any files you have to reduce the size. A good alternative to Winzip is WinRar which you can download for free at http://www.win-rar.com/ It compresses file into .rar extensions but it also supports Winzip files. *Backup Software* Backing up your PC is one of the most important things you need to do regularly, to prevent yourself from disasters. FBackup at http://www.fbackup.com/ is a free backup software which can safely secure your data if disaster happens. It is advised that you set up a schedule to backup your data such as daily, after you finish working. For more software recommendations and troubleshooting tips, read the book “Becoming A Computer Expert In 7 Days” at <> In the next few days, I’ll be sending you tips on how to troubleshoot your PC. You don’t want to miss this! Happy Computing! <> <> Day 4: Subject: [[Firstname]], here are some troubleshooting tips for your PC Hi [[Firstname]], Today’s the last email of computer tips which you’ll be receiving from me. I hope that with these tips, you’ll be able to save hours of stress when your computer has problems. If you want to dig in and know more about troubleshooting computers by yourself, read the book “Becoming A Computer Expert In 7 Days” at <>. Here are some tips which you can learn in the meantime. *Cannot save a file onto your hard disk* Check your hard disk to see if it still has space available. Delete some files if possible. Run a virus scan on your computer and make sure that there are no viruses present. Reinstall the application you are using and see if it solves the problem. *Monitor does not display anything* Check the obvious -- Monitor’s LED light is on, power is plugged in and cable is connected to both the monitor and PC. When you turn on your PC, check to see if there are any strange beeping noises. If so, there could be a problem with your graphics card. You will need to replace the graphics card in this case. To see which is the graphics card (VGA card) inside your PC, look at which card the monitor cable is connected to. *Keyboard/mouse doesn’t work* If it’s a wireless keyboard/mouse, check to see if the batteries need replacing. If it’s not a wireless keyboard/mouse, check to see if the cable is plugged in properly. It may be that the USB port which you plug your keyboard/mouse cable to is faulty. Try another USB port if you have one. If there are no USB ports available, buy a USB hub which will allow you increase the number of USB ports. Plug your keyboard/mouse cable here. If the device doesn’t work, you will need to replace it. *Mouse cursor is hard to control* This normally happens with a mouse that has no infrared. It’s because the inside of the mouse is dirty due to long usage. Remove the ball from the mouse and clean it. Use a pin and scrape off the dirt from the rollers inside the mouse. That’s it for the tips. There are many more troubleshooting tips in the book “Becoming A Computer Expert In 7 Days” at <> I hope you’ve enjoyed the tips I sent you. I realize how frustrating and how expensive it’ll cost when your computer at home dies on you. So I’ve hope I’ve done my part in helping you. Best Regards, <> <>