Most of the work at life michael is done online. Tutorials, seminars and courses are delivered online. Professional advice is delivered online. Mistakes sometimes happen. In this post, we tried to summarize the Best Practices (learned at our company the hard way) for preparing the computer in advance before the online meeting starts. The following recommendations are strongly recommended.
Up-to-date Operating System on Our Machine
Many operating systems have software updates that must be installed from time to time. In most operating systems, when you wait too long with the installation of a published update, the operating system might stop working properly. We’ve seen this happen on both Windows and macOS. Before each Zoom meeting (or any other video conference software), make sure that the operating system on the computer you are using is up to date and that there is no update waiting to be installed. Do not wait to the last minute with this update of the operating system. Sometimes the update takes more than few mionutes. It is recommended to update the operating system the day before so as not to be surprised with an update that takes 3 hours to install.
Up-to-date VoIP Application on Our Machine
From time to time, software updates are released for the video conferencing software you are using. It is important to make these updates immediately. If we don’t update the video conference software we use, strange glitches may happen. Just like updating your operating system, don’t wait until the last minute to update your video conferencing software. Sometimes the update takes more than few minutes. It is recommended to update the video conference software the day before so as not to find ourselves surprised with an update that takes hours to install.
Make Sure Your Headphones and Video Camera Work Fine in Advance
Check, in advance, the microphone and the headphones you intend to use in your conference call. Do not assume that every microphone and every headset will work properly. Malfunctions can happen. You can easily complete this check by joining the zoom chat https://zoom.us/test.
Restart Your Computer before The Conference Call Takes Place
A computer that has been working for many days without any reboot (especially if it is a computer that uses the Windows operating system) might be an overloaded computer and the chance of malfunctions is bigger. It is highly recommended to reboot the computer once in a while, and especially before important online meetings.
Close All Windows before The Online Conference Starts
If you are going to share the computer screen and/or there is a chance that this will happen (even if it is the smallest chance) it is highly recommended to close all windows and all apps that work in the background before the conference call starts.
Use Google Chrome with a Dedicated User You Create in Advance
It is highly recommended to make sure before the conference call starts that the web browser doesn’t display websites that you don’t want the other participants to know. It is highly recommended to create a new User on Google which will be used for all conference calls you might share your computer with. This is the best way to protect your privacy. This way, when sharing your desktop with others, other won’t accidently see the URL addresses you visited at.
If you happen to have an important insight you would like to contribute to this post please don’t hesitate and share it with us. It would be our pleasure to update this post accordingly.