Click on the links for help on the following topics:
Keeping your computer up-to-date
To keep your computer secure it is essential to regularly download the free software "patches" provided by the manufacturer of your computer's operating system, e.g. Microsoft or Apple.
Updating a PC
Click on the "Start" button, then choose "Help and Support". Click on the link for "Windows update" then follow the online instructions.
Updating an Apple Mac
Choose "Software Update" from the Apple menu then review and install the latest downloads for your computer.
Web Browsers
It is important to have an up-to-date version of your web browser. The latest versions have better security features and older versions may not be able to display the latest websites successfully.
To check the version number of your browser, click on "Help" and then "About" in the menu at the top of the browser. To download an updated version, click on "Online support" or, for Netscape, "Support Centre" and then "Support on the Web".
Help using your browser
For help using your browser, click on the "Help" button in the toolbar at the top of the browser. Then click on "Contents and Index" for a searchable database of useful information.
The BBC Website has lots of useful information:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/askbruce/
Web browser settings
To use Usborne Quicklinks, your web browser security and privacy settings should be set to Medium. Please check with the owner of the computer before changing any settings.
To check your security and privacy settings, click on Tools/Internet Options and then "Security" or "Privacy" in the menu at the top of your web browser.
Make sure, too, that your pop-up blocker settings are set to Medium. To do this, click on Tools/Pop-up blocker in the menu at the top of your web browser.
Plug-ins
Plug-ins enable your browser to display video, animations, sounds and 3-D images. If you visit a website and you don't have one of the plug-ins you need, there will usually be a message on the site, and a button to download the plug-in. Once you have downloaded a plug-in, you don't need to do it again, but you do need to make sure you have the latest versions of plug-ins, so you can view the most recent material on the Internet.
You may need more than one plug-in to display, say, video, as different websites use different plug-ins. Here is a list of the most popular plug-ins, with links to download them.
Shockwave
Displays animated multimedia features programmed in Shockwave or Flash (see below).
Download or update Macromedia Shockwave
Flash
Displays animated website content. Flash can be downloaded separately, or as part of Shockwave (see above).
Download or update Macromedia Flash
Quicktime
Plays video, music, sound, animations and 3-D scenes.
Download or update Quicktime
RealPlayer
Enables you to watch and listen to "streaming" video and audio, that is, video and audio that you can see and listen to without downloading it to your computer. The basic version of RealPlayer is free, or you can pay for a more advanced version. Look carefully for the link to download the free, basic version rather than the "free trial version" for which you will need to register, then cancel your order if you do not want the advanced version.
Download or update RealPlayer
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player can play most of the popular audio and video formats, including Windows Media (ASF), MP3, WAV, AVI, MPEG, and more. If you are using Windows you will already have a version of the Media Player.
Download or update Windows Media Player
(search, or look for a link for Windows Media Player)
iPIX
View 360 degree panoramic images.
Download iPIX
Adobe Reader
Adobe Reader, is a free program that enables you to read and print out documents created in the Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. As usual, make sure you have the most up-to-date version.
Download or update Adobe Reader
Computer Viruses
A computer virus is a small program that can seriously damage your computer, or enable a "hacker"' to see inside your computer and monitor what you are doing on the Internet.
There are several ways in which your computer can pick up a virus:
- from a floppy disk already infected with a virus
- in an attachment that arrives with an e-mail
- by browsing an infected website and downloading a virus
The best way to avoid viruses is to install anti-virus software on your computer. You need to update the anti-virus software regularly, so it can protect you from new viruses.
To avoid receiving a virus via an email, never open an attachment unless you know what it is, even if it is from someone you know. (Many viruses are programmed to automatically send themselves to everyone in the address book of an infected computer.) You cannot pick up a virus from an ordinary email message. A virus is a program and it has to be transmitted as an attachment to the email, or embedded as a "macro" in a document attached to the email. (A "macro" is a small program to carry out a specific task, such as a calculation.)
Watch out, too, for "virus hoaxes". These are emails with urgent information about virus alerts, and what you should do about them. To check whether a virus alert is a hoax, see the Mcafee Website
For more information about viruses, and virus protection software, go to the How Stuff Works Website
JavaScript & Java
JavaScript is a programming language that enables your browser to carry out additional simple tasks, such as changing the colour of buttons when your mouse passes over them. It is different from Java, which allows developers to create complex applications, such as animated games, that can be downloaded over the Internet and played in your browser.
Most browsers are now distributed with Java and JavaScript "enabled", but if you visit a website and receive an error message about Java, you may need to make some changes to your browser settings.
Enabling Java on Microsoft Internet Explorer
Go to Tools/Internet Options/Advanced. Scroll down to Java VM and make sure the box next to "JIT compiler for virtual machine enabled" is checked. For more information, click on "Help" in the menu at the top of your browser.
Enabling Java on Netscape
Java is enabled as standard on Netscape. For more information, click on "Help" in the menu at the top of your browser and do a search for "Java".