This @!*# computer! How to handle ten common gripes.(Tech Life)(Column)

Publication: Consumer Reports

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COPYRIGHT 2001 Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.

A crash may be the worst computer problem, but it's not the only one. Here, the ten biggest beefs from staffers and visitors to our web site, www.ConsumerReports.org--with our advice on ways to overcome (or at least cope with) each one.

(1) Why do start-up and shutdown take so long? Some boot-up time--for an antivirus check, say--is unavoidable. And shutdown takes longer than necessary if you don't close all open programs first. Of course, you can avoid a lengthy boot-up if you use standby or hibernation instead of shutdown. "Standby," available on both Macintosh and Windows computers, is a partial shutdown that lets you quickly return to readiness, often by pressing any key. Trouble is, standby may require a reboot anyway. "Hibernation," standard...

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