Welcome to the Computer Pros list of handy computer tips! If you have any trouble or questions about the information below, feel free to contact us or bring your computer to us for diagnostics.
Avoiding Viruses
We at Computer Pros are often asked, “How did I get viruses?” Viruses have become a huge threat to personal computers in recent years. Most viruses and spyware are passed from one computer to another through the internet, via e-mail and free music and downloading programs.
The following tips can help prevent viruses from infecting your computer. Beware, however, that once your machine is infected, other methods are often necessary to clean it than the ones listed below. If you are having trouble with viruses or having other computer issues, contact us to schedule a service call or bring your computer to us for diagnostics.
• If you open an e-mail attachment, make sure you know who sent it. Look for obvious typos, which can be a dead giveaway that the sender has viruses.
• Avoid any free downloading programs such as Limewire, Frostwire, Bearshare, etc. Many of the files downloaded with these programs are not songs or videos at all; they are viruses waiting to be installed on your computer.
• Do not install toolbars. At best, they add very little, and slow down your web browser. At worst, they cause popups, change search settings, and cause system instability.
• Keep Windows up to date. The easiest way to do this is to make sure Automatic Updates is turned on, and to install updates when Windows asks you. In Windows XP, you can update Windows at any time by going to www.windowsupdate.com with Internet Explorer. For Vista and Windows 7 users, you can find the Windows Update program either in the Control Panel, or via the Start Menu -> All Programs -> Windows Update (in the list).
• Make sure you have a trusted antivirus AND an antispyware program (like Malwarebytes) installed and up to date. Scan with BOTH of these weekly.
• Make sure everyone who uses your computer follows these same guidelines. Even if someone is using another account on your computer, if they download a virus, they can cripple the machine for everyone. Educate your friends, relatives, and children about internet safety. Or simply don’t let them use your computer!
Other Tips
• Keeping your hard drive clean can help to avoid malware and alert you to and failing drive. Install a temp file cleaner (like CCleaner), and scan monthly for temp files to clean. Also, defragment and scandisk your hard drives monthly.
• In both desktops and laptops, dust build-up can overheat components in your computer and cause permanent damage. We recommend cleaning the dust from a machine every few months of use. If you aren’t comfortable with doing this yourself, especially with laptops, feel free to bring the machine to us!