Gateway E-1600, System Manual

Page: 60 / 108

52
Managing Your Computer
You can save space on the hard drive by decreasing the size of the Recycle Bin.
To decrease the size of the Recycle Bin:
1
Right-click the
Recycle Bin,
then select
Properties
.
2
At the Global tab, select either
Configure drives independently
or
Use one
setting for all drives.
3
If you are configuring drives independently, click the tab for the drive
you want to configure.
4 Move the slider to set the size of the Recycle Bin. A good initial setting
is 5%.
5 Click
OK
.
Protecting your computer from viruses
A virus is a program that attaches itself to a program or data file on a computer,
then spreads from one computer to another. Viruses can damage data, cause
computers to malfunction, and can display annoying or offensive messages.
Some viruses can go unnoticed for long periods of time because they are
activated by a certain date or time. Protect your computer from viruses by:
■
Using an anti-virus program to check files and programs that are on
diskettes, attached to e-mail messages, or downloaded from the Internet.
After you run the anti-virus program you can back up your files to
diskettes, a separate hard drive, or a high-capacity storage drive.
■
Keeping your anti-virus program updated.
■
Obtaining all software from reputable sources and checking the software
for viruses before installing it.
■
Disabling macros on suspicious Microsoft Word and Excel files. These
programs will warn you if a document that you are opening contains a
macro that might have a virus.
To remove a virus:
1
Find and remove the virus immediately using your anti-virus program.
2
Turn off your computer and leave it off for at least 30 seconds.
3
Turn on the computer and rescan for the virus.
4
If the virus is still on your computer, contact Gateway Client Care.
8506999.book Page 52 Friday, December 15, 2000 8:22 AM