PCWorld.com - Busting the Biggest PC Myths

The August 2004 issue of PC World magazine has an article called "Busting the Biggest PC Myths" which is aimed at educating us all about the bad advice we worry about.

Here are some examples of myths covered in the article:

• Magnets zap your data . . . only for old floppy diskettes.


• If you don't 'stop' a USB device before unplugging it from a PC, you'll screw things up . . . actually, no.


• Terrible things happen if you turn off your PC without shutting down Windows . . . no ill effects.


• Turning off your PC daily to save power shortens its life . . . shutting off does more good than harm.

The article also address a few half-truths and some claims that are absolutely true, such as "Hackers can destroy data on your computer's hard drive." The whole article is definitely worth a read.