Set up Administration Systems Tool Kit

How to set up your home administration system for your computer. Organise back up CD's, security, original program disc's in a useful tool kit which will help keep your computer running for years.

Your Shopping List.

• Two large plastic boxes, each at least 3-4 cm deep, and large enough to easily hold A4 sized manuals. Ideally, buy these in different colours, so that you can tell them apart. Alternatively, buy one box (which will become your Masters Box), plus a brief case or zip folder of some kind (your future Tool Kit);


• A large CD holder (box or folder according to personal preference) - the bigger the better. This will be for backup disks that you will set up over the years ahead;


• A smaller CD holder, able to hold 25 to 50 CDs. This will be for the ‘working copies’ of important software, and of disk tools;


• If you have a floppy drive, buy a few blank floppies. If you have a CD burner or a DVD burner, buy 10 or more blank disks for each;


• Buy a small note book, in which to set up passwords (your future Password Book);


• Finally, buy a cleaning kit for your disk drives - a floppy drive cleaner if you have a floppy drive, and a CD lens cleaner kit if you have a CD or DVD player.

Preparations

• Create a Masters Box: use one of the large boxes to set up your original software disks (‘masters’), receipts and warranties.


• The other box (or brief case) plus the small CD holder becomes your Tool Kit. Between them, they will hold your manuals, plus working copies of all your software.Topic 3:


• The large CD holder is used to store Backup CDs and DVDs.

Setting up your system

• When you buy a new computer, it will usually come with various receipts, warranties and manuals, plus one or more CDs or DVDs. These all go into the Masters Box.


• As soon as possible, set up copies of all the disks. Keep the originals (known as ’masters’) in the Masters Box, which you keep stored away in a safe place, and the copies (known as ‘working copies’) in your Tool Kit.


• Amongst the CDs that come with a new computer is, or should be, a Windows CD. This CD is often half of the value of your computer. If you didn’t get one, contact the retailer or manufacturer, and find out what happened. Maybe you have to buy one, or burn one from your hard-disk, in which case do this. If you get no satisfaction at all, contact Microsoft. If that fails, consider asking for your money back. If your computer is to last for several years, you absolutely must have a Windows CD.


• Over the next few years, it is highly likely that you will acquire some additional software. Keep the masters for this software in the Masters Box, and copies in the Tool Kit.


• In due course, you will be making some tools to use when things go wrong. These will include a Boot Disk, and a Password Reset disk. Store these in your Tool Kit.


• Some software will not run unless its CD is in the CD player. Movies, music and some games are examples. Burn additional copies of these CDs, and keep them separate from your Tool Kit.

Doing all of this is your homework