by Deb Shinder, Tech Republic

We all do dumb things now and then, and computer users are no exception. Inadvertently pressing the wrong key combination or innocently clicking OK in the wrong dialog box can change important settings that alter a computer's behavior or even crash the system.

Nervous newbies are often fearful that one wrong move might break the computer forever. Luckily, short of taking a sledge hammer to the box, the consequences aren't usually quite that dire. Even so, users often do create problems for their computers and for your network. Here's a description of common missteps you can share with your users to help them steer clear of preventable problems.

1. Plug into the wall without surge protection
2. Surf the Internet without a firewall
3. Neglect to run or update antivirus and anti-spyware programs
4. Install and uninstall lots of programs, especially betas
5. Keep disks full and fragmented
6. Open all attachments
7. Click on everything
8. Share and share alike
9. Pick the wrong passwords
10. Ignore the need for a backup and recovery plan

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