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A Few Tips:
Computer problems, to the uninitiated, can seem
overwhelming at best- When your computer starts to run more slowly than
it ever has, or maybe you're seeing more popup windows than you should
(provided they haven't gotten out of control, that is...) it may seem
easier to teach the computer how to fly and start from scratch than to
fix it, but with a few simple steps, you can keep your computer clean
and your sanity intact. In this case, and ounce of prevention is
definately worth a pound (or two) of cure!
Often times, we get questions about email which has suddenly stopped working. Most times, this is caused by a temporary server issue which will clear itself up-- For the times that this is not the case, it can be caused by a changed password that hasn't been updated, a security hold on your email account, or even an attachment which is too big! Call us- we're always glad to help you sort it out!
From time to time, I recommend a program or utility here based on it's merits, value, and ease of use. Some of these programs are free, some are commercial software, others are free versions with optional paid features. There are differences between the choices; the key word here is choice! Because a new computer comes with a trial version of a popular paid antivirus solution, it doesn't meant that it's the only choice you have- Among my new favorites in the "free with a paid version" category is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which you can download hereIt's really a great piece of software, especially since it includes components that previously were separate programs, but are now all built into the same package! Give it a try, and if you have any questions about how to use it, please email or call us!
I've touched on this before, but it can't be stressed enough- if you're on the web, and a popup window tells you your computer is infected, X out of that window IMMEDIATELY! The only virus scanners that can be trusted are the ones that you've installed yourself, deliberately, either by downloading them from a reputable website or by installing from a disc you purchased at a computer software store. This may be opinion- albeit a widely held opinion- but also, when considering an antivirus solution, avoid any product from Norton or Symantec (which is the company that produces Norton products.) While they are legitimate programs, they are bloated and resource hungry, and have been known to randomly block such good processes as file and printer sharing and even your internet connection. They're also quite costly; a 1 year subscription to Norton Internet Security can cost upwards of $90 per year, when in fact there are some very good antivirus programs available for free from Avast and here.
Don't put all your trust in one program to catch
everything that my try to sneak into your computer. It's a good
practice to install a good antispyware/antiadware to work with it, and
as before, KEEP IT UPDATED! One of my new favorites is Malwarebytes Anti Malware, which can
be found here.
This is the fine print, however- If you have an
antivirus program that has been working well for you, and you'd rather
not change that, check for compatibility before installing any
additional anti-malware programs, because some programs will not work
well together! In these cases, if they are both installed, they may
conflict, causing both programs to be inefficient, making your system
run slow and even allowing the programs into your computer that you're
trying to keep out!
If a popup window opens and informs you that your
computer may be infected, and offers you a free scan if you'll just
'click here', DON'T CLICK ON IT! The program that will be installed
will run a fake 'virus scan', tell you that you have infections, and
give you another link to a website to purchase the full version of the
software to clean the infections. The full version of the software is
adware or worse (and fairly difficult to completely remove,) and the
publishers of the program will also have your debit card information.
If you use a file sharing program like Limewire or
Napster to download files, be careful of what you download. One tip
here is to look at the file size- if you're downloading .mp3's for
instance (of course assuming the file doesn't break any copyright
laws), an average song file should be about 4MB, give or take a little
bit. A feature-length movie file, between 500 and 750MB.
More tips to come, so check back often!
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