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There’s no shortage of "experts" when it comes to computers.

However, many purported experts may be anything but - or at least not infallible when it comes to guiding you in using your machine.

For instance, a common myth encountered by Ft. Lauderdale computer repair technicians is that you can't do anything to hurt your computer, save for unnecessary physical abuse.

Come on now.

There are hundreds, even thousands of ways to break your own computer and they aren’t limited to banging your fists on your laptop keyboard.

If you decline to use a power source that's non-interrupted, or at least a surge protector, and a computer can fry in a split second.

Fail to update your anti-virus protection and ensure proper security, and you will risk losing all data, something our Fort Lauderdale computer repair experts see all the time.

Another myth is that Windows - compared to other operating systems - is full of holes and wildly non-secure.

Windows may not be perfectly secure, but a study by the government found that in 2005, out of 5,198 reported vulnerabilities, 812 were designated Windows vulnerabilities, while 2,328 were Unix/Linux, and 2,058 could be found on multiple operating systems.

Another myth involves cookies, which many visitors to Broward computer services believe are the same as spam or a virus.

A cookie is just a small text file, often used - in a good, harmless way - to make things easier for when you log onto a site.

For instance, if you create a personalized page on a site, a cookie is created on your hard disk to create and save your personal settings.

Cookies aren’t viruses, spyware or even programs. They are just text files. There are bad cookies out there, but hardly ever on reputable sites. Stay in safe realms on the web and you will be okay.

Then there is the matter of a screen saver.

Long ago, old monitors often suffered from “burn in,” in which an image burned into the screen’s posphorus coating if you left it there too long.

Most modern screens don't have this issue - so screen savers do nothing for you except deny prying eyes or provide amusement.