38 Getting Started
Selecting a place to work
Consider using a hard computer insulating pad or similarly
suitable hard insulating material when using a computer on
your lap.
Never place a heavy object on the computer and be
careful not to drop a heavy object onto the computer. It
could damage the computer or cause system failure.
❖Never turn off the computer if a drive light indicates a drive is
active.
Turning off the computer while it is reading from or
writing to a disk/disc or flash media may damage the
disk/disc or flash media, the drive, or both.
❖Keep the computer and disks away from objects that
generate strong magnetic fields, such as large stereo
speakers.
Information on some disks is stored magnetically.
Placing a magnet too close to a disk can erase important
files.
Handle discs carefully. Avoid touching the surface of the
disc. Grasp it by its center hole and edge. If you handle
the disc incorrectly, you could damage the disc and
possibly lose data.
❖Scan all new files for viruses.
This precaution is especially important for files you
receive via email or download from the Internet.
Occasionally, even new programs you buy from a
supplier may contain a computer virus. You need a
special program to check for viruses.