With a few notable exceptions (viruses on the Internet and e-mail attachments, sledge-hammers) it is very hard to break a computer.
Computers are not like washing machines or old cars… if you have a late model computer, it will be very difficult for you to make it malfunction.
Don’t stress about which button to press and when – in most cases, it is best to just have a go.
If you click on the wrong icon or button, or if you type the wrong thing somewhere, there are a few things you can do to get right back to where you want to be:
1. Hold down “Ctrl” on the keyboard, and press “Z” on the keyboard whilst still holding down Ctrl. This is the ‘undo’ function in many programs, and will undo whatever it is you’ve just done! This is particularly useful for word processing, when you accidentally make everything turn purple, or delete everything on the screen by accident.
2. If you have opened up a program that you no longer want, or was opened accidentally, just click the X in the top right of the screen. This will close the program. Don’t worry, if you have been writing something you wish to keep, you will be prompted to save the work first before the program actually closes completely.
3. If you’re on the Internet and you visit a site you do not want to be at, click the ‘Back’ button – the left-facing arrow usually in the top left of the screen. If you can’t go back this way, just close down the Internet program by clicking the X in the top right corner, re-open it in the normal fashion and try again!
4. Have patience! Sometimes websites and computers themselves take a long time to complete certain tasks. Don’t wait all day, but remain calm as the complicated functions are completed by your machine.
