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List of Free Online Computer Maintenance Courses and Classes

See our list of top free online computer maintenance courses. Learn about what courses are available and what topics they cover to find the course that's right for you.

Take Free Courses. Earn Real College Credit.

Most free courses don't lead to college credit. Education-Portal.com's free courses do!

Here's how it works:

  1. 1. Watch free video lessons.
  2. 2. Pass an exam to earn real college credit.

Free Computer Maintenance Classes Info

Computer maintenance involves the repair and maintenance of the computer hardware itself, as well as the software being used. This can include cleaning infected files, doing regular security updates and performing the tasks necessary to keep the computer running as quickly and as efficiently as possible. While none of the online classes listed below lead to academic credit, students will learn about computer maintenance through a combination of videos, lessons, readings and projects.

Eli the Computer Guy

This website offers instruction through videos. Users are allowed to leave questions on the messaging board located beneath every video. Cleaning an Infected Windows PC offers beginners step-by step instruction in how to clean viruses from a PC using a Windows operating system. Students learn how to remove unnecessary software, install security software and run the scans needed to find infections. Through Introduction to Computer Security, users gain a basic understanding of firewalls and hackers, learn about the flaws inherent in most Web browsers and are shown what types of software are out there that might cause damage to a computer or try to collect information about the computer user.

Users wanting insight into the world of hacking might want to consider viewing the video, Introduction to Hacking. Viewers learn what hacking is, why hackers do it and what laws are out there to protect computer users, as well as about other protections. Video classes include class notes and some include additional resources.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

MIT is one of the universities and colleges offering free online college courses through the OCW (OpenCourseWare) consortium. This course in Network and Computer Security instructs users on risk assessment, software protection, cryptography and intrusion detection, among other topics. Suggested readings, as well as assignments and exams, are offered among its resources. Suggestions are included for a final project.

Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University offers online instruction in computer maintenance for both personal computers (PCs) and Macintosh terminals (Macs). Computer Clean Up is a six-minute video that teaches users how to get rid of unwanted files and speed up computer performance. Scan Your Hard Drive for Problems describes how to use Scandisk to search a computer's files and folders for errors. The tutorial covers the various options the computer user has in using ScanDisk. Clearing Internet Temporary Files gives instructions on how to clear a computer of the various cookies and files a computer can collect over time from the Web..

The Open University

The Open University's Keeping it Safe online class teaches students about different types of harmful software, such as worms, viruses and Trojans. The course also describes other forms of software and emails from the Web that can be problematic, such as spam, spyware and adware. How to protect children who go on the Internet is also covered. At the end of the course, one can learn about other online safety resources out there.

Earn Real Credit from Free Courses

While the free courses above don't award credit directly, you can earn credit by passing an exam and transferring credit to your college. There are two widely recognized and affordable options for exams that award credit.

Option #1: CLEP Exams

The College Board's 33 CLEP exams allow you to test out of your general education requirements. Credit is accepted at 2/3 of colleges and universities in the U.S.

Option #2: Excelsior College's Credit-by-Exam

Excelsior College offers over 40 exams that lead to transferable credit. You can also earn three full degrees by taking free online courses and earning your credit by exam.

Learn how Education Portal Academy will pay you to earn credit!

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5 Popular Schools

The schools in the listing below are not free but are popular choices among our users. Tuition and costs will vary across programs and locations. Be sure to always request tuition information before starting a program.

Other Popular Schools:

  • Areas of study you may find at Iowa State University include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Agriculture
    • Architecture
    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
    • Business
    • Communications and Journalism
    • Computer Sciences
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies
    • Medical and Health Professions
    • Physical Sciences
    • Psychology
    • Visual and Performing Arts
  • Areas of study you may find at University of Michigan include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, Master
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
    • Business
    • Communications and Journalism
    • Computer Sciences
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Legal
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    • Medical and Health Professions
    • Physical Sciences
    • Psychology
    • Visual and Performing Arts
  • Areas of study you may find at New England Institute of Technology include:
      • Non-Degree: Coursework
      • Undergraduate: Associate, Bachelor
    • Business
    • Communications and Journalism
    • Computer Sciences
    • Engineering
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies
    • Medical and Health Professions
    • Visual and Performing Arts
  • Areas of study you may find at Golden Gate University include:
      • Graduate: First Professional Degree, Master
      • Non-Degree: Certificate, Coursework
      • Post Degree Certificate: Postbaccalaureate Certificate
      • Undergraduate: Bachelor
    • Business
    • Computer Sciences
    • Legal
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    • Medical and Health Professions
    • Psychology
    • Visual and Performing Arts
  • Areas of study you may find at University of South Florida include:
      • Graduate: Doctorate, First Professional Degree, Master
      • Undergraduate: Associate, Bachelor
    • Architecture
    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
    • Business
    • Communications and Journalism
    • Computer Sciences
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    • Medical and Health Professions
    • Physical Sciences
    • Psychology
    • Visual and Performing Arts