from Scot's Newsletter -- 6-12-2001....
COMPUTER SAVVY: RULE #2
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"Last issue I introduced Computer Savvy. It's the spot for
computing-school-of-hard-knocks advice about how to work shrewdly with
your PC to avoid problems and maximize performance and satisfaction.
scotfinnie.com
Rule #1 was, "When Troubleshooting, Eliminate the Variables." Here's the next commandment.
-- Rule #2: Never Upgrade over a Beta --
To some people this may be obvious, but to a lot of people it isn't.
Never, ever, install a newer version of a program over an existing beta
installation of that program. This includes installing a later beta
version over an earlier beta version as well as installing the final
version of a program over any of its betas. Beta software is prerelease
code, and programmers do not necessarily ensure that the final version of
their software will clean up well when installed over a previous beta.
Some software makers will tell you it's OK to do this. For example,
Qualcomm has sometimes said in past that it was okay to install Eudora Pro
over its betas. I still wouldn't do that. In most cases it's easy enough
to uninstall first.
I will even go so far as to say your computing experience will generally
be better if you uninstall a previous version of a program before you
install a newer version. People rarely do this, but it's the right habit
to get into. There are exceptions to this rule, but over the long haul,
get into the habit of removing the old before you install the new. Your PC
will be better off for it.
I'd like to take a moment with this rule to emphasize that installing any
beta of Internet Explorer is generally a bad idea because this program
doesn't uninstall well, and that could mean that you'll be headed for a
clean installation of your operating system at some point to clean up
after the beta.
-- Reader Rules --
After reading the inaugural Computer Savvy, several Scot's Newsletter
readers wrote in with their own expert rules of thumb. Here are three of
my favorites:
1. PERFECT PREP. After a clean install of Win98SE I eliminate all except
the bare bones OS itself, clean the registry using Easy Cleaner by Toni
Arts, boot to DOS, run scanreg/fix/opt. Then I run Defrag Pro and,
finally, using Drive Image 4.0 image the partition to CDR. Now I have the
"perfect" Windows 98 Second Edition ready to "clean install" with all my
net and user settings intact ready to roll. --Rick Steele
2. REBOOT, REBOOT, REBOOT. Here's a computing rule I now live by: Install & uninstall software only after doing a clean boot. I had tons of trouble
installing Norton Utilities 2000 until I did so. I also had to uninstall
my old version from a clean boot. The following link to Symantec's site
gives step-by-step instructions on how to do this in Windows 98:
service1.symantec.com:8080/SUPPORT/nunt.nsf/docid/1998429102510
After much gnashing of teeth and many hours of effort, I learned my
lesson. I don't necessarily do this for small programs but certainly do
for heavy hitters (Office, AutoCAD, Photoshop, etc.). --Pam Kovach
3. CAPTAIN'S LOG. Keep a log of all changes you make to your computer -
software additions and deletions, hardware changes, changes to settings. I
keep a Word document linked on my desktop and record the date for each
change. Also record any error messages, workarounds, so forth. I also
print it out once in a while so that I have that trusty hard copy.
Although this takes some effort, it's a very useful way to track down the
likely culprit of a problem. --Alan Moskowitz and Ken Cox
I'll be running more of these reader rules with each future installment of
Computer Savvy, so if you don't see yours here, it may appear at later
date."
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