How to Keep your Old Computer Alive and Kicking

We may be on the second decade of the new millennium and many expect that everyone on this planet has already thrown away their old computer. By computer or technology standard old computer means you computer is more than one year old. But this is not what i am getting into my old computer means ten years or more, yup those Pentium 11, 111 and 4 or it's equivalent in other manufacturer.

Yup somewhere in this planet there are organization that still uses this computer simple because they do not have the financial budget to have a new computer and software. These organization mostly relay on donation by other organization or corporation. Their financial resources are better spend on their main goal or mission.So they cannot afford to but a new computer let alone a new software.

Image by sammyfung via Flickr

Now if your organization falls under these categories and you as the sole IT guy in there need to make sure that everything is all well with this old computer. There is still hope for this old computer as long as those dreaded hardware failure those not creep in. 

How to go about this?

Determine the case to case basis need of every employee of the organization. This should be easy for small organization since there small number of workers and each assign task for them is pretty simple.

Most office works only need a spreadsheet and word processing software. Most of this software can still run on the machine like Pentium II, especially the older software version. These application does not need a lot of memory, 128 or 256 memory is decent enough for the computer to get up and running and storage capacity so a 20 to 40 Gigs of hard disk is enough for this application to work. 

Image via Wikipedia

Give this computer to those whose job is to create documentation and records. Now another life saving and extending measure for you old computer is to prevent or minimize electrical or power outages. To minimize these make sure to check all your electrical outlet for proper grounding. Also use a low priced but quality surge suppressor to minimize power outages. Also regularly cleaning the inside by removing the dust that build up can make the air circulation more effective thereby reducing heat inside the case.

Image via Wikipedia

Now that we have done all we can for the hardware lets now focus on the software. In the long run more software is added in the computer, where this software is not really needed by the user. We need to determined which is the need and the want for the software. Removed all software that are not needed and keep only those that is really needed. In this way we can also save valuable hard disk space for storing more files. Also software that run when computer start-up can occupy large amount of memory. removed or disable this software so that much needed memory resources can be used.

Another thing is do not install new software in the old computer. Yes it might install correctly in this computer but will it run properly. Can your hardware resources handle such an application. It is like driving a sport car, even if you know how to drive standard cars yet if you do not have the abilities to drive and handle this fast pace sport car then do not try one. The same is true with computer do not put high end software on a low end hardware, it will not produced the necessary result. You will just get frustrated.

Image via Wikipedia

Another potential software problem is viruses and spyware. These menace can easily be downloaded and install in seconds if your computer is not properly protected from online treat. This can be prevented or minimize by educating your workers and regularly updating your operating system and anti-virus software to combat these things. Also it will help to keep the hard disk in top shape by regularly scanning and fragmenting them, this is needed to fix loose registry files and correcting file fragmentation.

Another use for old computer is making them terminals where  a new high single computer is used for the server and all information is stored in that server. We only need a network to connect all terminals, and these terminal cam be used to access the information on the server. All the processing and storage is done on the server. The terminals do not need computing and processing power also they do not need storage capability since they will only be used to open files from the the server.

These old computer ca still be used productively we just need to define and find them in our organization, they can still be used longer until the dreaded hardware failure comes in and really end the life of the machine we know as the computer.

ANTIVIRUS SYSTEM PRO “SPYWARE ALERT”?

The following popup:

“Spyware Alert! Vulnerabilities found. Your computer is infected by spyware – 34 serious threats have been found while scanning your files and registry. It is strongly recommended that you disinfect your computer and activate Real time secure protection against future instructions.”

The above may seem like a genuine spyware alert by a legitimate antivirus program, but it is actually a misleading advertisement displayed by the rogue anti-spyware Antivirus System Pro. This is done in order to trick users into thinking that their computer is infected, so that hopefully they would purchase the “full version” of this scare ware program. 

Can an antivirus be a virus? 

Yes and it is actually virus disguised as an antivirus software that opens a backdoor and downloads other virus into user’s computer system. The best thing to be made is download a legitimate antivirus that will fully take all viruses out of the computer. A legitimate antivirus never ruins the user’s computer. In no way will this legitimate antivirus ruin the user’s computer browser and no pop-ups usage. 

Symptoms of PC that has been infected by Antivirus System Pro

Slow PC Performance. Most Adware is not optimized and coded very poorly which causes the computer system to become unstable, slow and unreliable. This kind of adware is constantly running in the computer background.

Numerous undesirable and annoying pop-ups. A typical adware parasite keeps track of your internet browsing habits, sending your browsing history data to remote servers. This adware is owned by third party companies that use this information to advertise their products via numerous pop-ups, toolbars, hijacked homepages and spam letters. All these undesirable advertising methods are used for the victims of this Antivirus System Pro.

Slow internet connection. Antivirus System Pro is constantly using the user’s internet to send the user’s private information to remote server as well as receive ads ad pop-ups from the third party servers. This adware causes much slower internet connection speed and stability. 

Is Antivirus System Pro a SCAM?

Definitely it is a scam. Antivirus System Pro is a successor of some famous malware like System Guard 2009 and Spyware Protect 2009. It is installed through backdoor Trojans and rogue websites. Therefore users must not trust this application that might suggest the users to acquire this program. If Antivirus System Pro sneaks into the computer automatically it slows down the computer system, performs loads of systems scans and tries to scare the user with numerous false security warnings.  It is highly suggested that users must buy a licensed version of antivirus that will eliminate these “threats” and to avoid this scheme. 

Image by chrisdigo via Flickr

Beware that this Antivirus System Pro does not work as a security program. But instead, it’s a malicious software which is not able to provide any kind of fog system protection of the computer. The best thing to be done is remove the Antivirus System Pro as soon as it is detected. 

Another tip! Antivirus System Pro is an identical twin of recent Antivir System Pro malware.

Written by Frederic Lewmann a freelance writer who covers antivirus topics, pc tools antivirus social medias, android apps, registry cleaner review and other reviews.

Related articles

 

• Are free antivirus effective? (robbiz1978.blogspot.com)
• The Best Antivirus App for Mac [Mac App Directory] (lifehacker.com)
• iYogi Alerts: Fake Antivirus Scam (prweb.com)
• Popular free antivirus apps for Android fail anti-malware tests (zdnet.com)
• Is there anything wrong with installing two antivirus programs on a PC (wiki.answers.com)
• Cloud Antivirus 1.5.1 (jaskarantrickscentre.wordpress.com)
• How to avoid the nasty fake antivirus scam (msnbc.msn.com)

How do I know what security setting is right for my computer?

More often than usual our computer connects to different types of network in work places, school, public places and at home. We used this different network to access the internet and all of this network have different security setup. It is a must that we make sure to keep the security system of our personal computer from laptop, tablet, Smart phone to the personal computer always updated to prevent unwanted security breaches whenever we connect to all these different types of networks.

Below is the list of things for Windows Based systems that we need to check on to make sure our computer are properly secured.

Action Center

Use Action Center to make sure your firewall is on, your antivirus software is up to date, and you’re is computer set up to install updates automatically. 

Action Center checks several security and maintenance-related items of your computer that help indicate your computer's overall performance. When the status of a monitored item changes (for example, your antivirus software becomes out of date) Action Center notifies you with a message in the notification area on the taskbar, the status of the item in Action Center changes color to reflect the severity of the message, and an action is recommended.

To change which items Action Center checks:

1.       Click to open Action Center.

2.       Click Change Action Center settings.

3.       Select a check box to make Action Center check an item for changes or problems, or clear a check box to stop checking the item.

4.       Click OK.

If you prefer to keep track of an item yourself (for example, you use a backup program other than the one included in Windows, or you back up your files manually), and you don't want to see notifications about its status, you can turn off notifications for the item.  When you clear the check box for an item on the Change Action Center settings page, you won’t receive any messages, and you won’t see the item's status in Action Center. We recommend checking the status of all items listed, since many can help warn you about security issues. However, if you decide to turn off messages for an item, you can always turn messages back on. On the Change Action Center settings page, select the check box for the item and then click OK. Or, click the appropriate Turn on messages link next to the item on the main page.

Windows Defender

Use Windows Defender to prevent malicious software, like spyware or viruses, from infecting your computer. 

Using Windows Defender

Windows Defender is anti spyware software that's included with Windows and runs automatically when it's turned on. Using anti spyware software can help protect your computer against spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Spyware can be installed on your computer without your knowledge any time you connect to the Internet, and it can infect your computer when you install some programs using a CD, DVD, or other removable media. Spyware can also be programmed to run at unexpected times, not just when it's installed. Windows Defender offers two ways to help keep spyware from infecting your computer: Real-time protection.‍‍ Windows Defender alerts you when spyware attempts to install itself or to run on your computer. It also alerts you when programs attempt to change important Windows settings. 

Scanning options

You can use Windows Defender to scan for spyware that might be installed on your computer, to schedule scans on a regular basis, and to automatically remove anything that's detected during a scan.

When you use Windows Defender, it's important to have up-to-date definitions. Definitions are files that act like an ever-growing encyclopedia of potential software threats. Windows Defender uses definitions to alert you to potential risks if it determines that software detected is spyware or other potentially unwanted software. To help keep your definitions up to date, Windows Defender works with Windows Update to automatically install new definitions as they're released. You can also set Windows Defender to check online for updated definitions before scanning. 

User Account Control

User Account Control prompts you for your permission before installing software or opening certain kinds of programs that could potentially harm your computer or make it vulnerable to security threats.

What is User Account Control?

User Account Control (UAC) is a feature in Windows that can help you stay in control of your computer by informing you when a program makes a change that requires administrator-level permission. UAC works by adjusting the permission level of your user account. If you’re doing tasks that can be done as a standard user, such as reading e‑mail, listening to music, or creating documents, you have the permissions of a standard user—even if you’re logged on as an administrator.

When changes are going to be made to your computer that requires administrator-level permission, UAC notifies you. If you are an administrator, you can click yes to continue. If you are not an administrator, someone with an administrator account on the computer will have to enter their password for you to continue. If you give permission, you are temporarily given the rights of an administrator to complete the task and then your permissions are returned back to that of a standard user. This makes it so that even if you're using an administrator account, changes cannot be made to your computer without you knowing about it, which can help prevent malicious software (malware) and spyware from being installed on or making changes to your computer. When your permission or password is needed to complete a task, UAC will notify you with one of four different types of dialog boxes. 

It is recommended that you log on to your computer with a standard user account most of the time. You can browse the Internet, send e‑mail, and use a word processor, all without an administrator account. When you want to perform an administrative task, such as installing a new program or changing a setting that will affect other users, you don't have to switch to an administrator account; Windows will prompt you for permission or an administrator password before performing the task. We also recommend that you create standard user accounts for all the people who use your computer.

Then we have Backup and Restore, Windows Update and Windows Firewall all this five components should be enough to determine the correct security setting for your computer.