From a Dreary Thursday to a Digital Passion
Hi, I’m Jeff Porter. If you’ve ever felt like your computer was winning the argument, believe me – I’ve been there.
I didn’t grow up with computers. I came to them as an adult, and for a long time I really struggled. The terminology felt like a brick wall that I couldn’t get through, and the software felt like a puzzle with half the pieces missing.
My breaking point was a seven-day battle with a dial-up modem, trying to get the thing to connect. Then, one dreary Thursday evening in the middle of winter, I finally heard that familiar connection noise and the Freeserve homepage slowly crawled onto my screen. Seeing that first webpage load changed everything.
From that day on, I was fascinated by technology and how, once you understand it, it can be a tool for absolutely anyone. I started this site to share that fascination with you, minus the week-long headache.
From Repair Shop to Website
In 2010 I started a small, local computer repair business fixing Windows PCs. At Home Computer grew out of the questions my customers kept asking: “How do I do this?”, “How can I make that happen?”
At first I’d just answer on the spot, showing them on their own machine, then scribbling down simple notes so they’d remember what to do once they got home, where to click, what to type. The kind of notes we all end up making for ourselves.
That’s really where the idea for this site came from. With a website, I could turn those notes into proper walkthrough guides: straightforward tutorials in plain language, with images and step-by-step instructions. Over time, the guides grew from the basics into far more advanced territory.
Why Windows Only?
I started out on Windows 95, in the huge beige box it came in — a 2GB hard drive and a whopping 8MB of RAM. It was brilliant.
I’ve experimented with Linux over the years, and I still keep a dedicated Linux machine for testing. But Windows is home. I’d rather be genuinely expert in one thing than just “okay” at everything, and I want to give you the most confident, reliable advice I can, so this site sticks to the Windows ecosystem.
I run through every single guide on the site to make sure that they actually work.
Who This Site Is For
I work with people of all ages and abilities, from absolute beginners to advanced users. At Home Computer is my attempt to show everyone, wherever they’re starting from, how to get more confident with their machine.
Not using a computer well puts you at a real disadvantage these days. A TV programme tells you to “visit the website.” A restaurant asks you to “scan the QR code.” The digital world is everywhere, and I don’t want anyone to feel left behind by it.
Building Confidence Through Understanding
When I show someone how to complete a task, or explain what a cryptic pop-up message actually means, I get to watch their confidence grow in real time. That’s genuinely my favourite part of this.
Understanding is the key to losing the fear. My guides don’t just show you what to click, they explain why you’re clicking it. The goal is simple, honest, straightforward advice you can trust to work every time.
The At Home Computer Course
Everyone has to start somewhere. If you don’t know how to do the simple things, getting anything else done becomes impossible.
So I grouped the basic guides together into a starter course for complete beginners. Each lesson builds on the one before it and leads into the next, a logical progression, rather than jumping randomly from one question to another.
Start with the At Home Computer Course, or jump straight into whichever guide matches what you’re stuck on right now.