Have your computer questions answered here! Search the PC Doctor archive or submit a question of your own at info@athollibrary.org
Dear PC Doctor,
I leave my computer on all the time and I’m thinking that it might not be good for it. I’ve heard that it uses a lot of power too. My friend says that I can change the settings so the computer goes to “sleep” when I’m not using it. Will this help me save money and help my computer to run better?
Harry
Dear Harry,
Yes, there is a great feature on Windows computers that allows your computer to go into a low-power mode, but not completely shut down. Therefore when you leave it alone for a period of time, it will automatically go into “Hibernate” mode. On any version of Windows, click on Start and go to the “Control Panel”. In there you will find the “Power Options” preferences. There are many settings that you can configure to your specifications. You can set it up so that after 10 minutes of inactivity the computer will go to sleep. After changing the settings to your liking, click Apply. When you return to your computer after it has gone into Hibernate mode, just tap any key on the keyboard or shake the mouse to resume your computing session!
While I can’t promise it will help make your computer run better, it will definitely cut down on the power you’re consuming by letting it run all the time.
PC Doctor
Dear PC Doctor,
My son set up my new computer for me, but he made more than one user account for the computer. I don’t let anyone else use my computer, so I don’t want this account to be there anymore. How can I take this off so no one else can use my computer? I’m so used to my old computer that I can’t find anything on here.
Ronald
Dear Ronald,
I can relate to not wanting anyone else to use my computer— once I get things set up just right, I don’t want anyone messing with my stuff!
Fortunately, it’s very easy to delete user accounts on a Windows computer. First, make sure you’re logged into your “Administrator” account. Click Start and in the search bar, type “user accounts” and hit Enter on your keyboard. The user account settings will appear and you can change your preferences. Click on “Manage another account”, and then select the user account you wish to delete. Select “Delete this account” and a confirmation window will pop up. If you have files on the account, it will ask you if you wish to save the files before deleting the user. If you want to save the files, click “Keep Files”. The computer will move your files into a folder on your Administrator’s desktop before deleting the account. Click “Delete Account” and the computer will do the rest!
PC Doctor
Until next time…happy computing!
Posted: to Athol Library News on Tue, Dec 14, 2010
Updated: Tue, Dec 14, 2010