Do-It-Yourself Computer Troubleshooting & Optimization Tips

Whether you’re a common PC users or business professional, a smooth, error-free computer is essential for optimal productivity and overall usage. Maintaining your computer depends on how extensive you use it, as well as the risks you expose your operating system (OS) to.

In addition to software maintenance and consistent OS upkeep, ensuring your computer is running optimally addresses hardware issues as well. Learning the basics of computer troubleshooting and optimization can be momentous in maintaining your computer system for years to come.

Computer Invaders: 25 Infamous Viruses Over the Last 25 Years

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A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly, but erroneously, used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have a reproductive ability.

Malware includes computer viruses, computer worms, Trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware and other malicious or unwanted software, including true viruses. Viruses are sometimes confused with worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself automatically to other computers through networks, while a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but hides malicious functions. Worms and Trojan horses, like viruses, may harm a computer system's data or performance. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious or simply do nothing to call attention to themselves. Some viruses do nothing beyond reproducing themselves.

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Keep Your Computer Healthy: How to Avoid Contracting a Virus

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What do you do to keep yourself healthy? Perhaps you stay active, take vitamin supplements, eat fruits and vegetables and get lots of sleep to keep your immune system strong? If you feel a little run down, you go to bed early and give your body the rest that it needs to fight off an impending illness. However, although you take care of yourself to prevent illness, do you take the time to protect one of your most important possessions; your computer?

Your computer is just like you; if it gets exposed to viruses and it’s immune system is lowered then it is at risk of coming down with an illness. However, rather than causing stomach flu, headache or sore throat, a virus in your computer can compromise your personal information and even destroy the computer completely. Even though viruses have a devastating effect on your device, many people pay very little attention to the health of their personal computer until it is too late.

However, there are many ways that you can keep your computer healthy and ensure that it has a great “immune system” for fighting off potential viruses. Here are a few ideas of what you can do to stay one step ahead of computer viruses and keep your device safe:

Vaccinate with an Anti-Virus Program

When it comes to computers, an anti-virus program is like a vaccination, it allows your computer’s immune system to recognize any invading viruses and stop them before they cause infection. You should always have a quality, trusted anti-virus software installed on your computer from the very first day that you use it. Every time you surf the internet you are exposed to countless malware, viruses and spyware so it is crucial to be protected.

Keep Your Immune System Strong

Every now and then, your anti-virus software will ask you to do an update. You should always click “yes” because this is very important to the strength of your computer immune system. Internet hackers keep coming up with new viruses and so your anti-virus software needs to keep updating itself so that it stays one step ahead of infection. If you miss this step, your computer could be infected by a virus that your anti-virus software doesn’t recognize yet.

Avoid Possibly Infectious Websites

You wouldn’t lick the handrail on the subway, or share a straw with someone in an infectious disease ward, so why would you hang around suspicious websites which could harm your computer? If you have a good virus protection program it will warn you whenever you are visiting a website that will put your computer at risk. Whenever you get this warning, close the browser window or navigate away from the website; it’s not worth the risk.

Be Careful What You Download

If you are like most internet users, you will probably download music, movies and other fun things. However, these downloads could be hiding a virus. Make sure that you only accept them from websites that you trust and that you scan them before you open them.

Know the Symptoms

Sometimes your computer can be ill for a while before you even notice, because you don’t know what symptoms to look for. You should have an idea of what normal pop-up windows on your computer look like and be able to spot the tell-tale signs that your machine is coming down with something. This will help you catch virus risks right away and fix them before they cause too much harm.

These are just a few ways that you can keep your computer strong and healthy and avoid a virus which will erase all of your important data. Your computer is important to you, so take the time to look after its health and it will run smoothly for a long time.

Taking care of your computer’s health such as by installing a program like&McAfee antivirus , will help prevent the loss of your valuable information.

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What to Look for in an Anti-virus software?

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Antivirus or anti-virus software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including but not limited to computer viruses, computer worms, trojan horses, spyware and adware. Computer security, including protection from social engineering techniques, is commonly offered in products and services of antivirus software companies. This page discusses the software used for the prevention and removal of malware threats, rather than computer security implemented by software methods.

No matter how useful antivirus software can be, it can sometimes have drawbacks. Antivirus software can impair a computer's performance. Inexperienced users may also have trouble understanding the prompts and decisions that antivirus software presents them with. An incorrect decision may lead to a security breach. If the antivirus software employs heuristic detection, success depends on achieving the right balance between false positives and false negatives. False positives can be as destructive as false negatives. Finally, antivirus software generally runs at the highly trusted kernel level of the operating system, creating a potential avenue of attack.

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How to Protect you Computer from Computer Viruses

Computer virus is just like its human counterpart where it infects quickly to a unprotected person. Computer virus has become synonymous with computer that no matter who you talk to, everyone has either had a computer virus or knows of someone who has gone through the agony of trying to get rid of the problem. Computer viruses are a topic that seems to affect everyone who owns a computer system, whether at work or at home. The companies that produce software programs that catch and delete these computer viruses are constantly updating their databases for virus types and definitions so that they can better protect your system against all the newest viruses. Creating virus protection programs is a multi-billion dollar business that is growing more and more everyday. The number of viruses being created and uploaded to the Internet is growing at an astounding rate of a new one every eighteen seconds! This definitely keeps the virus protection companies on their toes with research and development. 

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Because these viruses copy themselves to any computer system they come in contact with, the spread of viruses throughout a computer network or the Internet is a very fast and deadly thing to happen to your computer. Because computer viruses are a hot topic, they routinely are the subject of magazine articles and forum topics online. While some viruses do nothing more than frustrate you with pop-up ads or other messages, others are completely malicious and set out from the start to destroy the files and operating systems of your computer. 

Of the 53,000 viruses that have been identified and classed, more than 80 percent of them have been classed as malicious and capable of harming your computer system or data files. These computer viruses behave in much the same way as biological viruses by contaminating any computer systems they come in contact with. These self-executing programs are generally very small and work at damaging the way your computer works or by damaging or completely removing key system files. 

Computer Virus (Photo credit: willandbeyond)

As more and more people find out about the destructive power of these programs. They look for ways to educate themselves. In this way a great many people find out about virus protection programs and rush out to get the newest protection programs or they ensure that their computer virus protection is up to date. Many magazine and news articles about computer viruses have the effect of sometimes panicking people into believing that their computers are at risk. Having a good anti-virus program and current updates is one of the best ways to protect your computer system against virus attacks. 

This must also be coupled with good file habits such as scanning all downloaded files with the anti-virus program before opening them. It is always a good idea to take the time to ensure that the file you thought you were downloading is indeed the file you have. For instance, a file that labels itself as a movie file and is less than one megabyte in size is not a movie file. Movie files are generally nearly a thousand times that size and therefore, the file you have downloaded is most likely not a movie file and may in fact be a computer virus.

Computer viruses become a problem at the office when a virus attack manages to get past protection protocols put in place by the network administrators. All it takes is one person allowing some executable files they have been sent to open and start replicating itself through the network of computers to make life Hell for that company. Virus attacks can cripple office systems very quickly resulting in lost revenue and consumer confidence which can affect the way that stocks in that company are traded resulting in even further financial losses. That is why it is so important for larger businesses to have comprehensive computer virus protection programs in place. 

Computer Virus (Photo credit: willandbeyond)

These virus programs are much more detailed and powerful than the anti-virus programs that many consumers have protecting their computer systems. Because the fallout from a virus attack is much more financially damaging to a large corporation, the virus protection program needs to be much more robust and capable of protecting multiple systems within the corporation. Computer viruses are a hot topic among businesses simply because of the way that they can affect the company financially.

Ways on How to Make your Computer Secure while Online.

Securing your computer while online seriously isn’t as difficult as it looks provided that you educate yourself to the dangers that is in existence or ever presence on the internet. Also make use of your good common sense like do not go to site that is known to have been a source of malware and the likes. In this post I shall be focusing on eight ways that you can do to make your computer secure while online can be compromised and some common sense approaches you can use to avoid this from taking place.

Many individuals get freaked out when you mention the expression “computer internet security”. They immediately leap to the assumption that it can only be done by somebody well-versed in computer expertise or you need to pay out big money on computer Internet security software. This is not true because even ordinary people can make their computer secure while online. This fear is completely unfounded and in fact there are numerous simple, common sense things that anyone, with even a tiny grasp of computers, can do to help preserve their computer security from dangers pose by using the internet.

1. Make use of well designed passwords. I have a post about this; never use your own name, birthday, street address or other personal information as a password. Anyone who knows you or has access even to general details about you can easily figure these out. There are even tools used by expert computer hackers that will crack dictionary-generated passwords. The best password frequently consists of no less than eight characters, a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols all randomly selected. Although these kinds of passwords are difficult for you to remember, they’re offer much tougher lock for the hacker to crack as well. A way for you to remember these special passwords is to create an acronym utilizing each of the numbers, letters and symbols used. In addition there are software programs available that will randomly create passwords for you. The key thing is you have to discover one way to remember them whether doing it manually yourself or having a program do it automatically.

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2. Change your password regularly or at least maintain a routine of keeping your password new. It all depends on you for how long, it makes be one month or longer before you change or alter your password. Regrettably this straightforward step is what gets many computer users into trouble. They utilize the same password year after year and sooner or later someone is going to gain access to it, either unintentionally or on purpose. Especially if an individual has needed to provide the password to other people to allow access to their computer for a specific program or account.

3. Be a Wise E-mail User. E-mailing continues to become one of the most utilized strategies by people implicated in Internet crimes to gain accessibility to a computer through spyware and other types of malware, or just for spreading computer viruses through the internet community. On no occasion for you to open e-mail attachments or click on links within e-mails from mysterious senders as they could either install unsafe programs onto your computer or send you to inappropriate internet sites. Never deliberately provide information to e-mails from somebody you don’t recognize, actually it is safer not to even to respond or forward them. Just tap the delete button. Be very wise and careful about these things from an email where the sender in not known to you.

4. Install an effective, trustworthy computer security software program on your computer and make sure that you keep it current by downloading any updates for the data security files. Always look to find out that the software application has this updating feature. Besides the security software, also make sure that your computer firewall, that is part of the operating system on your computer, is turned on. I also have a post in about firewall for ad deeper understanding. This stops unauthorized access to your computer from outsiders.

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5. Another programs that can be used to deliver harmful package is the Instant Messenger. It is a cool way of getting instant chat, but files received via Instant Messenger may by-pass your computer security scanning feature, so it’s best never to open any files received this way. Some of my friends who use IM for chatting has been a victim of virus attack delivered thru the instant messenger system. By clicking on a file to open it, activates the virus that can infect you computer.

6. Watch out for pop-ups. Many online companies use what are called “pop-ups” which are small windows containing advertisements that come into view when you are visiting a webpage. Frequently hackers will position links on these pop-ups that if clicked will begin the process of infecting your computer with a malicious program of some sort, be it spyware, adware, or some type of virus. To be safe, never click on any links that occur in these advertising windows. Nearly all computer operating systems now contain settings to block these types of annoying advertisements.

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7. Downloading “Free” Stuff. The FREE STUFF is one of the most enticing things on the internet. This should be a “no brainer” however lots of people still do this- downloading files, programs, applications and online tools from unknown web sites. There’s an incredible collection of great FREE products available online as shareware and test offers, nevertheless it is up to you to ensure the place you are getting the products from is a reputable source. When in doubt, often a quick search making use of a search engine such as Google, it can reveal if the website is being reported as being a rip-off site or not based on the experiences of others. If you are still apprehensive, then it’s best not to download from the internet site in question and search for another source.

8. Carry out a regular house-cleaning of your computer. Remove any programs, tools or applications that you simply no longer make use of as these not only will decelerate your computer, but in some cases may provide a gateway for malware to enter your computer system from an outside source. Also perform a regular virus scan to make sure that nothing is left out.

Having a poorly protected computer is just a catastrophe waiting to happen. Not only do you run the risk of having private and confidential information stolen and used to steal your money or even your identity, but it as well supplies a weapon for the hacker to make use of to gain access to other people’s computers also if they gain control of your e-mail address book.

By following the common sense tips above will definitely enhance your ability to protect your computer, yourself, and your loved ones from being victims of cyber-crimes. Still at the end of the day, you’ll need to think about the acquisition of an effective computer security software program as mentioned, if you do not have this already, to get the amount of protection necessary to prevent the more serious internet risks.

10 Ways a Computer Virus is Like the Flu

This Article is a guest post from Ms. Coleen of  Phonetvinternet.com and here is the link from the original article located at 10 Ways a Computer Virus is Like the Flu

I was noticing, a while back, that my computer and I have some things in common. In particular, we are seriously similar in how we act when we get sick. Here are 10 ways that a computer virus is like the flu, or, if you like, 10 ways my computer with a virus is like me with the flu.

         Almost Functional. When I’m sick, I always feel as though I should still be able to function. I get up   to do something. I try hard to remember what I was going to do after I get up, I say to heck with it, and lie down again. My computer does the same thing. It boots up. It tries hard to remember what it was going to do, and then it displays an error message and gives up.

        Whiney Messages. My computer acquired a virus and began sending out urgent messages to everyone in my address book. That’s just like me, too. I get the flu, and immediately start calling and text messaging everyone in my mobile phone contacts to whine about how rotten I feel.

        Feverish. When my computer has a virus, it tends to run a bit hotter than is normal, very much like me when I get feverish from the flu. Neither of us functions well at all, with a fever.

        Delirium. When I become feverish, I begin to have strange walking-around dreams while half-asleep, talking to people that aren’t there and ignoring people that are. My computer appears to have some of the same issues, as it ignores me and responds to the voices in its mother board.

        Wheezy Respiration. Because it runs hot when it has a virus, the computer hard drive and fan sound as if they are laboring to breathe. A rasping and cyclical series of wheezes and sighs issues forth with every click of the mouse. I’ve been told that I make similar noises when ill with the flu.

        Stubborn. My computer becomes very stubborn when it has a virus. It tries to work when it shouldn’t, if refuses to do what it should do, and is generally very uncooperative. Now, you may be as skeptical about this as I am, but my wife insists that this is another characteristic that the computer and I share, when ill with a virus. I include this on the list only in order to allow her to feel as if she’s helped with this article.

        Crashes. Yes, both of us do this, after an exhausting bout of trying to accomplish something while ill. I tend to crash and spill while preparing chicken soup. The computer tends to crash and delete while preparing important documents.

        Annoying Doctors. Both the computer and I, when sick enough, go to doctors that that have tendencies toward nagging. My doctor goes on about healthy living and flu shots. The computer’s doctor goes on about healthy web-surfing and anti-virus programs.

        Overnight Hospital Stays. There have been times when the flu has caused an overnight hospital stay, hooked up to monitors and saline drips. It’s the same for my computer. The last time it had a virus I had to leave it in a cold and uninviting room overnight, hooked up to a machine. The only thing missing at the computer hospital was a nurse to wake it up and poke at it every few hours.

        Infectious. Yep, the last time I was sick with the flu, I began showing symptoms after I was already at work, and managed to pass it along to several coworkers. The same thing happened with my computer, and I know of several friends’ computers that had to spend overnight time at a computer hospital, afterward. One even had to go in for an emergency hard drive transplant.

So, there you have it; 10 ways that a virus makes my computer act the same as I do when I have the flu, though I’m still not certain that number 6 really belongs on the list. 

This Article is a guest post from Ms. Coleen of  Phonetvinternet.com and here is the link from the original article located at 10 Ways a Computer Virus is Like the Flu

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