Dec
29
How to Conduct a Computer Speed Test
Filed Under Computers | Comments Off
K Purdenn asked:
A brand new computer will not need a computer speed test because you are sure that it will run smoothly. As you use your computer you will come to notice that its performance gradually slows down. To make sure that your computer is performing as it was indicated in the package you need to perform a computer speed test.
There are different ways on how you can conduct computer speed test:
1. Look for a software that allows you to measure the speed of the computer’s CPU. This will give you an idea on how well your computer is doing. The CPU speed test application will let you compare your computer’s CPU score with other ratings internationally. If your computer’s measurement is in Mhz then you need to upgrade your system. Your CPU should be running not less than 1 Ghz especially when you are going to install large programs such as games or web development or programming tools.
There are also other computer speed test applications that will indicate if your computer is doing well by the color. Like for instance if the color is green the computer is functioning as stated by the manufacturer. If the color is red it means that the computer is running faster more than what was indicated in the package. For the color yellow, it means that the computer is running a bit faster.
There are also other computer speed tools that can indicate errors on the computer. Then it will provide solutions that will address the problem reported. And you have the option to push through with the repair or not.
These tools are for free so you can download several of these and compare the results you obtained from each of the application. Make sure that you uninstall the programs after use unless you decide to keep it.
2. The second method to perform computer speed test is very simple and you do not need any tool. First restart your computer and time its start up. Then take note of it. Browse through the programs that you have installed in the computer. If you have programs that you are not using then remove it.
Then remove temporary files, cookies, check the registry for corrupt or damaged files and clear the Internet cache. This can be done by using the cleanup utilities in the Microsoft Windows. This will free up space on the hard disk and memory of the computer. Then scan the computer for virus infections. Make sure that the virus/es found are deleted immediately by configuring the settings of the antivirus program,
After doing so, restart the computer and time it again. Compare the number to the first one that you took. You will notice that the computer starts faster and programs are loading smoothly.
But if the computer is still taking time to start up then your best bet will be to reformat the computer. It is safer to let a computer technician do this job. Just make sure that you have installers for the programs that you are going to need.
Computer speed tests will also evaluate the computer’s registry. Detecting registry errors will help the computer run faster because it will get rid of the complications occurring in the computer. The registry is where almost all important files are stored so it is important to maintain it in a good condition.
GALEN
A brand new computer will not need a computer speed test because you are sure that it will run smoothly. As you use your computer you will come to notice that its performance gradually slows down. To make sure that your computer is performing as it was indicated in the package you need to perform a computer speed test.
There are different ways on how you can conduct computer speed test:
1. Look for a software that allows you to measure the speed of the computer’s CPU. This will give you an idea on how well your computer is doing. The CPU speed test application will let you compare your computer’s CPU score with other ratings internationally. If your computer’s measurement is in Mhz then you need to upgrade your system. Your CPU should be running not less than 1 Ghz especially when you are going to install large programs such as games or web development or programming tools.
There are also other computer speed test applications that will indicate if your computer is doing well by the color. Like for instance if the color is green the computer is functioning as stated by the manufacturer. If the color is red it means that the computer is running faster more than what was indicated in the package. For the color yellow, it means that the computer is running a bit faster.
There are also other computer speed tools that can indicate errors on the computer. Then it will provide solutions that will address the problem reported. And you have the option to push through with the repair or not.
These tools are for free so you can download several of these and compare the results you obtained from each of the application. Make sure that you uninstall the programs after use unless you decide to keep it.
2. The second method to perform computer speed test is very simple and you do not need any tool. First restart your computer and time its start up. Then take note of it. Browse through the programs that you have installed in the computer. If you have programs that you are not using then remove it.
Then remove temporary files, cookies, check the registry for corrupt or damaged files and clear the Internet cache. This can be done by using the cleanup utilities in the Microsoft Windows. This will free up space on the hard disk and memory of the computer. Then scan the computer for virus infections. Make sure that the virus/es found are deleted immediately by configuring the settings of the antivirus program,
After doing so, restart the computer and time it again. Compare the number to the first one that you took. You will notice that the computer starts faster and programs are loading smoothly.
But if the computer is still taking time to start up then your best bet will be to reformat the computer. It is safer to let a computer technician do this job. Just make sure that you have installers for the programs that you are going to need.
Computer speed tests will also evaluate the computer’s registry. Detecting registry errors will help the computer run faster because it will get rid of the complications occurring in the computer. The registry is where almost all important files are stored so it is important to maintain it in a good condition.
GALEN
Dec
28
How do you hook up 3 computers to the same internet connection?
Filed Under Computer Networking | 6 Comments
Melissa asked:
I have been trying to look for some information about it on google but offered no help. So I thought I would ask here. But I have 3 computers that i want to hook up to the same internet connection via DSL the confusing part is 2 of them are regular desktops and one is a laptop that can have wireless. Two of the computers are upstairs so i don’t see how it is possible without wires going everywhere. PLEASE HELP! Any Information is well Appreciated.
RILEY
I have been trying to look for some information about it on google but offered no help. So I thought I would ask here. But I have 3 computers that i want to hook up to the same internet connection via DSL the confusing part is 2 of them are regular desktops and one is a laptop that can have wireless. Two of the computers are upstairs so i don’t see how it is possible without wires going everywhere. PLEASE HELP! Any Information is well Appreciated.
RILEY
Dec
26
Computer Security Ethics and Privacy
Filed Under Security | Comments Off
Nicholas Tan asked:
Today, many people rely on computers to do homework, work, and create or store useful information. Therefore, it is important for the information on the computer to be stored and kept properly. It is also extremely important for people on computers to protect their computer from data loss, misuse, and abuse. For example, it is crucial for businesses to keep information they have secure so that hackers can’t access the information. Home users also need to take means to make sure that their credit card numbers are secure when they are participating in online transactions. A computer security risk is any action that could cause lost of information, software, data, processing incompatibilities, or cause damage to computer hardware, a lot of these are planned to do damage. An intentional breach in computer security is known as a computer crime which is slightly different from a cypercrime. A cybercrime is known as illegal acts based on the internet and is one of the FBI’s top priorities. There are several distinct categories for people that cause cybercrimes, and they are refereed as hacker, cracker, cyberterrorist, cyberextortionist, unethical employee, script kiddie and corporate spy. The term hacker was actually known as a good word but now it has a very negative view. A hacker is defined as someone who accesses a computer or computer network unlawfully. They often claim that they do this to find leaks in the security of a network. The term cracker has never been associated with something positive this refers to someone how intentionally access a computer or computer network for evil reasons. It’s basically an evil hacker. They access it with the intent of destroying, or stealing information. Both crackers and hackers are very advanced with network skills. A cyberterrorist is someone who uses a computer network or the internet to destroy computers for political reasons. It’s just like a regular terrorist attack because it requires highly skilled individuals, millions of dollars to implement, and years of planning. The term cyperextortionist is someone who uses emails as an offensive force. They would usually send a company a very threatening email stating that they will release some confidential information, exploit a security leak, or launch an attack that will harm a company’s network. They will request a paid amount to not proceed sort of like black mailing in a since. An unethical employee is an employee that illegally accesses their company’s network for numerous reasons. One could be the money they can get from selling top secret information, or some may be bitter and want revenge. A script kiddie is someone who is like a cracker because they may have the intentions of doing harm, but they usually lack the technical skills. They are usually silly teenagers that use prewritten hacking and cracking programs. A corporate spy has extremely high computer and network skills and is hired to break into a specific computer or computer network to steal or delete data and information. Shady companies hire these type people in a practice known as corporate espionage. They do this to gain an advantage over their competition an illegal practice. Business and home users must do their best to protect or safeguard their computers from security risks. The next part of this article will give some pointers to help protect your computer. However, one must remember that there is no one hundred percent guarantee way to protect your computer so becoming more knowledgeable about them is a must during these days. When you transfer information over a network it has a high security risk compared to information transmitted in a business network because the administrators usually take some extreme measures to help protect against security risks. Over the internet there is no powerful administrator which makes the risk a lot higher. If your not sure if your computer is vulnerable to a computer risk than you can always use some-type of online security service which is a website that checks your computer for email and Internet vulnerabilities. The company will then give some pointers on how to correct these vulnerabilities. The Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center is a place that can do this. The typical network attacks that puts computers at risk includes viruses, worms, spoofing, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks. Every unprotected computer is vulnerable to a computer virus which is a potentially harming computer program that infects a computer negatively and altering the way the computer operates without the user’s consent. Once the virus is in the computer it can spread throughout infecting other files and potentially damaging the operating system itself. It’s similar to a bacteria virus that infects humans because it gets into the body through small openings and can spread to other parts of the body and can cause some damage. The similarity is, the best way to avoid is preparation. A computer worm is a program that repeatedly copies itself and is very similar to a computer virus. However the difference is that a virus needs o attach itself to an executable file and become a part of it. A computer worm doesn’t need to do that I seems copies to itself and to other networks and eats up a lot of bandwidth. A Trojan Horse named after the famous Greek myth and is used to describe a program that secretly hides and actually looks like a legitimate program but is a fake. A certain action usually triggers the Trojan horse, and unlike viruses and worms they don’t replicate itself. Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are all classifies as malicious-logic programs which are just programs that deliberately harms a computer. Although these are the common three there are many more variations and it would be almost impossible to list them. You know when a computer is infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse if one or more of these acts happen:
Screen shots of weird messages or pictures appear.
You have less available memory then you expected
Music or sounds plays randomly.
Files get corrupted
Programs are files don’t work properly
Unknown files or programs randomly appear
System properties fluctuate
Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses deliver their payload or instructions through four common ways. One, when an individual runs an infected program so if you download a lot of things you should always scan the files before executing, especially executable files. Second, is when an individual runs an infected program. Third, is when an individual bots a computer with an infected drive, so that’s why it’s important to not leave media files in your computer when you shut it down. Fourth is when it connects an unprotected computer to a network. Today, a very common way that people get a computer virus, worm, or Trojan horse is when they open up an infected file through an email attachment. There are literally thousands of computer malicious logic programs and new one comes out by the numbers so that’s why it’s important to keep up to date with new ones that come out each day. Many websites keep track of this. There is no known method for completely protecting a computer or computer network from computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, but people can take several precautions to significantly reduce their chances of being infected by one of those malicious programs. Whenever you start a computer you should have no removable media in he drives. This goes for CD, DVD, and floppy disks. When the computer starts up it tries to execute a bot sector on the drives and even if it’s unsuccessful any given various on the bot sector can infect the computer’s hard disk. If you must start the computer for a particular reason, such as the hard disk fails and you are trying to reformat the drive make sure that the disk is not infected.
RILEY
Today, many people rely on computers to do homework, work, and create or store useful information. Therefore, it is important for the information on the computer to be stored and kept properly. It is also extremely important for people on computers to protect their computer from data loss, misuse, and abuse. For example, it is crucial for businesses to keep information they have secure so that hackers can’t access the information. Home users also need to take means to make sure that their credit card numbers are secure when they are participating in online transactions. A computer security risk is any action that could cause lost of information, software, data, processing incompatibilities, or cause damage to computer hardware, a lot of these are planned to do damage. An intentional breach in computer security is known as a computer crime which is slightly different from a cypercrime. A cybercrime is known as illegal acts based on the internet and is one of the FBI’s top priorities. There are several distinct categories for people that cause cybercrimes, and they are refereed as hacker, cracker, cyberterrorist, cyberextortionist, unethical employee, script kiddie and corporate spy. The term hacker was actually known as a good word but now it has a very negative view. A hacker is defined as someone who accesses a computer or computer network unlawfully. They often claim that they do this to find leaks in the security of a network. The term cracker has never been associated with something positive this refers to someone how intentionally access a computer or computer network for evil reasons. It’s basically an evil hacker. They access it with the intent of destroying, or stealing information. Both crackers and hackers are very advanced with network skills. A cyberterrorist is someone who uses a computer network or the internet to destroy computers for political reasons. It’s just like a regular terrorist attack because it requires highly skilled individuals, millions of dollars to implement, and years of planning. The term cyperextortionist is someone who uses emails as an offensive force. They would usually send a company a very threatening email stating that they will release some confidential information, exploit a security leak, or launch an attack that will harm a company’s network. They will request a paid amount to not proceed sort of like black mailing in a since. An unethical employee is an employee that illegally accesses their company’s network for numerous reasons. One could be the money they can get from selling top secret information, or some may be bitter and want revenge. A script kiddie is someone who is like a cracker because they may have the intentions of doing harm, but they usually lack the technical skills. They are usually silly teenagers that use prewritten hacking and cracking programs. A corporate spy has extremely high computer and network skills and is hired to break into a specific computer or computer network to steal or delete data and information. Shady companies hire these type people in a practice known as corporate espionage. They do this to gain an advantage over their competition an illegal practice. Business and home users must do their best to protect or safeguard their computers from security risks. The next part of this article will give some pointers to help protect your computer. However, one must remember that there is no one hundred percent guarantee way to protect your computer so becoming more knowledgeable about them is a must during these days. When you transfer information over a network it has a high security risk compared to information transmitted in a business network because the administrators usually take some extreme measures to help protect against security risks. Over the internet there is no powerful administrator which makes the risk a lot higher. If your not sure if your computer is vulnerable to a computer risk than you can always use some-type of online security service which is a website that checks your computer for email and Internet vulnerabilities. The company will then give some pointers on how to correct these vulnerabilities. The Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center is a place that can do this. The typical network attacks that puts computers at risk includes viruses, worms, spoofing, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks. Every unprotected computer is vulnerable to a computer virus which is a potentially harming computer program that infects a computer negatively and altering the way the computer operates without the user’s consent. Once the virus is in the computer it can spread throughout infecting other files and potentially damaging the operating system itself. It’s similar to a bacteria virus that infects humans because it gets into the body through small openings and can spread to other parts of the body and can cause some damage. The similarity is, the best way to avoid is preparation. A computer worm is a program that repeatedly copies itself and is very similar to a computer virus. However the difference is that a virus needs o attach itself to an executable file and become a part of it. A computer worm doesn’t need to do that I seems copies to itself and to other networks and eats up a lot of bandwidth. A Trojan Horse named after the famous Greek myth and is used to describe a program that secretly hides and actually looks like a legitimate program but is a fake. A certain action usually triggers the Trojan horse, and unlike viruses and worms they don’t replicate itself. Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are all classifies as malicious-logic programs which are just programs that deliberately harms a computer. Although these are the common three there are many more variations and it would be almost impossible to list them. You know when a computer is infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse if one or more of these acts happen:
Screen shots of weird messages or pictures appear.
You have less available memory then you expected
Music or sounds plays randomly.
Files get corrupted
Programs are files don’t work properly
Unknown files or programs randomly appear
System properties fluctuate
Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses deliver their payload or instructions through four common ways. One, when an individual runs an infected program so if you download a lot of things you should always scan the files before executing, especially executable files. Second, is when an individual runs an infected program. Third, is when an individual bots a computer with an infected drive, so that’s why it’s important to not leave media files in your computer when you shut it down. Fourth is when it connects an unprotected computer to a network. Today, a very common way that people get a computer virus, worm, or Trojan horse is when they open up an infected file through an email attachment. There are literally thousands of computer malicious logic programs and new one comes out by the numbers so that’s why it’s important to keep up to date with new ones that come out each day. Many websites keep track of this. There is no known method for completely protecting a computer or computer network from computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, but people can take several precautions to significantly reduce their chances of being infected by one of those malicious programs. Whenever you start a computer you should have no removable media in he drives. This goes for CD, DVD, and floppy disks. When the computer starts up it tries to execute a bot sector on the drives and even if it’s unsuccessful any given various on the bot sector can infect the computer’s hard disk. If you must start the computer for a particular reason, such as the hard disk fails and you are trying to reformat the drive make sure that the disk is not infected.
RILEY
Dec
17
Hack Back Your Computer - Revive Your Lagging Pc
Filed Under Information Technology | Comments Off
Geoffrey Vaughan asked:
Over time and use with a windows machine you may notice that it does not run as fast as when you first got it.
This is usually because of a number of different problems that can occur with regular use of a computer. The smart computer user knows about these things and how to repair them on their own rather then having to hire a technician to solve the problem, (costing you time with out your computer and usually around 50 dollars an hour).
Possible problems usually include one or many of the following things:
Viruses
They happen, even if you spend all the money you can on antivirus software, you likely don’t even know you have one.
Spam
Loosely falls under the same definition as a virus but with some negligible variations, can also include programs that hit you computer with nasty pop ups and redirect you to web pages you don’t want to visit.
Registry
This is a comprehensive list of all programs that have ever been installed on your computer, sometimes when you uninstall a program some information can still be left on this list, the longer you have your computer the larger this list is likely to be.
To much junk
Unused programs and applications (different browser menus, and other programs)
Start up programs
On the bottom right of your computer beside the clock is usually a bunch of icons. These represent programs that are running on your computer at a given time, the problem is that not all programs that are running display an icon in the taskbar. There is usually much more programs running at a time that you are unaware of.
So lets get started then. Bellow are some tips almost any computer user can performe, to help speed up your computer
1. Restore Point
Before we get started we are going to record a windows restore point. If at any point you feel you’ve made a big mistake you can always go back into the windows restore program and reverte to where you’re computer was at before you tried to fix it. This should give you the confidence to play and adjust settings on your computer without the worry of messing it up. To do this you go to the start menu -> Program files - > Accessories -> System tools -> System restore.
A new program will open from there all you have to do is ask your computer to set a restore point, later if needed you can revert to it. A restore point is a virtual snap shot of your computers settings. It may take a few moments to process.
2. Safe Mode
Because you probably have viruses and unwanted programs slowing down your computer, in order to make the clean up process easier and more efficient we will put your computer into safe mode to run quicker. Safe mode is a basic start up of windows without all the extra bells and whistles that slow down your computer. Also if there is any viruses or programs running on your computer they will very likely not be running in safe mode.
To get into safe mode simply restart your computer then right as it is starting up press F8 on your keyboard, A menu will come up listing some options for you, you need to select Safe mode with networking so that you can still have access to the internet.
It is important to press F8 at a precise time as windows is starting up, some computers will prompt you on the bottom of the screen as its loading but its ok if you just keep pressing it until the menu loads, you can definitely press it more than once.
3a. Windows Updates
Windows frequently releases security updates for problems they find with their operating system. It is usually set up to do it automatically but most people ignore it for whatever reason. Even if this is not the case go to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com and run through their automatic updates program. Its really easy just basically keep clicking yes and next until it is complete. Once the updates are finished it will prompt you to restart your computer, do so before you continue onto the next step.
3b. Restart Again
The computer will likely restart you into normal windows mode, we will continue to work on your computer through safe mode as it will run the next steps quicker, and we can pretty much guarantee that the viruses won’t be running aswell. So restart your computer again and enter into safe mode again.
4. Anti-virus
Ok the easy step to do now is to run a virus scan. Even if you don’t have an anti-virus program on your computer you can still scan your computer for free. The site I recommend is antivirus.com put on by a company called trendmicro, this company mainly profits from its corporate clients but offers a free online scan to public users. Simply go to antivurs.com and look for their free online services for home and office use. Then follow the instructions to run the housecall program on all your local hard drives. This program will provide a current scan of your computer removing all known viruses. Its updates everyday with new definitions so you always know you have an up to date program.
There are a couple other virus programs I should mention. Some of the commercial versions of virus software (Norton and Mcafee) are usually expensive, and require a subscription. In addition to the cost they all use alot of your computers resources to run. So if you are trying to remove virus to speed up a computer by installing Norton you likely won’t notice a difference in speed as it is probably making just as slow.
The solution is to get AVG free edition, Which is a free virus program for all to use, They do also have a subscription version that has a few more features but even the full version of AVG uses way less resources on your computer then norton or Mcafee.So after you’ve finished fixing your computer if you do want to install an antivirus program you may choose to.
4b. Restart in normal mode
At this point you will need to restart you computer and let it boot normally to get out of safe mode
5. MSCONFIG
This program isn’t very well known to most computer users but it is crucial to keeping your computer clean and organized. MSCONFIG is a windows program on all windows machines that controls all start up settings. To access it go to your start menu and click on the run command then type MSCONFIG and press enter.
This program will open in a new window and there will usually be 4 tabs at the top of the window. The main one that you can edit with little difficulty or computer knowledge is the start up tab, click on it and you will see a list of all programs that start when your computer starts up. In reality there is really only 2 or 3 programs that are absolutely necessary These are your systray and anything to do with windows explorer. At this point what you can do is go through the list and uncheck any programs that look suspicious or that you know are malicious or unwanted. When you apply the settings it will ask you to reboot. Once the reboot is complete if all is well you can uncheck more of the programs from the list and see if you computer will still run as you need it. Usually I uncheck almost all of them then add the ones I absolutely need back in after. You can also work in reverse and gradually remove a few at a time and make sure your computer is still ok after each reset. You will need to performe this step a number of times until you have the computer running as quickly as possible with the programs you need.
Usually some of the types of programs that are ok to have on your start up include your software for your burner, msn, your antivirus software, printer software,windows themes.
Tip: If your not sure what a particular program does then you can google all the information list in the startup list on that program and you can usually get an answer.
6. Registry
Similarly to MSCONFIG and the start up list. Your computer registry stores a list of all programs that have ever been installed on your machine. So if you’ve had your computer a while and added and removed alot of programs there can be alot of entries in your registry. A handy program also available on the antivirus.com site is the Hijack This program. This program allows you to clean up and edit your registry.
Caution!!!!!
Be very careful with this step, only remove entries you are sure that are old and unused. This can mess up your computer if done incorrectly, that is why the hijack this program is a good tool to use. Risk of failure can be reduced by setting another restore point before you performe this task.
The windows program that is used to allow you to perform the same task is called REGEDIT. I would only suggest this program for advanced users, and I only use it when I know specifically what program I want to remove from the registry as I can search for it with the find and replace tool.
Hope these tips provide you with a little more confidence and can save you a few service call to the tech support companies.
GLENN
Over time and use with a windows machine you may notice that it does not run as fast as when you first got it.
This is usually because of a number of different problems that can occur with regular use of a computer. The smart computer user knows about these things and how to repair them on their own rather then having to hire a technician to solve the problem, (costing you time with out your computer and usually around 50 dollars an hour).
Possible problems usually include one or many of the following things:
Viruses
They happen, even if you spend all the money you can on antivirus software, you likely don’t even know you have one.
Spam
Loosely falls under the same definition as a virus but with some negligible variations, can also include programs that hit you computer with nasty pop ups and redirect you to web pages you don’t want to visit.
Registry
This is a comprehensive list of all programs that have ever been installed on your computer, sometimes when you uninstall a program some information can still be left on this list, the longer you have your computer the larger this list is likely to be.
To much junk
Unused programs and applications (different browser menus, and other programs)
Start up programs
On the bottom right of your computer beside the clock is usually a bunch of icons. These represent programs that are running on your computer at a given time, the problem is that not all programs that are running display an icon in the taskbar. There is usually much more programs running at a time that you are unaware of.
So lets get started then. Bellow are some tips almost any computer user can performe, to help speed up your computer
1. Restore Point
Before we get started we are going to record a windows restore point. If at any point you feel you’ve made a big mistake you can always go back into the windows restore program and reverte to where you’re computer was at before you tried to fix it. This should give you the confidence to play and adjust settings on your computer without the worry of messing it up. To do this you go to the start menu -> Program files - > Accessories -> System tools -> System restore.
A new program will open from there all you have to do is ask your computer to set a restore point, later if needed you can revert to it. A restore point is a virtual snap shot of your computers settings. It may take a few moments to process.
2. Safe Mode
Because you probably have viruses and unwanted programs slowing down your computer, in order to make the clean up process easier and more efficient we will put your computer into safe mode to run quicker. Safe mode is a basic start up of windows without all the extra bells and whistles that slow down your computer. Also if there is any viruses or programs running on your computer they will very likely not be running in safe mode.
To get into safe mode simply restart your computer then right as it is starting up press F8 on your keyboard, A menu will come up listing some options for you, you need to select Safe mode with networking so that you can still have access to the internet.
It is important to press F8 at a precise time as windows is starting up, some computers will prompt you on the bottom of the screen as its loading but its ok if you just keep pressing it until the menu loads, you can definitely press it more than once.
3a. Windows Updates
Windows frequently releases security updates for problems they find with their operating system. It is usually set up to do it automatically but most people ignore it for whatever reason. Even if this is not the case go to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com and run through their automatic updates program. Its really easy just basically keep clicking yes and next until it is complete. Once the updates are finished it will prompt you to restart your computer, do so before you continue onto the next step.
3b. Restart Again
The computer will likely restart you into normal windows mode, we will continue to work on your computer through safe mode as it will run the next steps quicker, and we can pretty much guarantee that the viruses won’t be running aswell. So restart your computer again and enter into safe mode again.
4. Anti-virus
Ok the easy step to do now is to run a virus scan. Even if you don’t have an anti-virus program on your computer you can still scan your computer for free. The site I recommend is antivirus.com put on by a company called trendmicro, this company mainly profits from its corporate clients but offers a free online scan to public users. Simply go to antivurs.com and look for their free online services for home and office use. Then follow the instructions to run the housecall program on all your local hard drives. This program will provide a current scan of your computer removing all known viruses. Its updates everyday with new definitions so you always know you have an up to date program.
There are a couple other virus programs I should mention. Some of the commercial versions of virus software (Norton and Mcafee) are usually expensive, and require a subscription. In addition to the cost they all use alot of your computers resources to run. So if you are trying to remove virus to speed up a computer by installing Norton you likely won’t notice a difference in speed as it is probably making just as slow.
The solution is to get AVG free edition, Which is a free virus program for all to use, They do also have a subscription version that has a few more features but even the full version of AVG uses way less resources on your computer then norton or Mcafee.So after you’ve finished fixing your computer if you do want to install an antivirus program you may choose to.
4b. Restart in normal mode
At this point you will need to restart you computer and let it boot normally to get out of safe mode
5. MSCONFIG
This program isn’t very well known to most computer users but it is crucial to keeping your computer clean and organized. MSCONFIG is a windows program on all windows machines that controls all start up settings. To access it go to your start menu and click on the run command then type MSCONFIG and press enter.
This program will open in a new window and there will usually be 4 tabs at the top of the window. The main one that you can edit with little difficulty or computer knowledge is the start up tab, click on it and you will see a list of all programs that start when your computer starts up. In reality there is really only 2 or 3 programs that are absolutely necessary These are your systray and anything to do with windows explorer. At this point what you can do is go through the list and uncheck any programs that look suspicious or that you know are malicious or unwanted. When you apply the settings it will ask you to reboot. Once the reboot is complete if all is well you can uncheck more of the programs from the list and see if you computer will still run as you need it. Usually I uncheck almost all of them then add the ones I absolutely need back in after. You can also work in reverse and gradually remove a few at a time and make sure your computer is still ok after each reset. You will need to performe this step a number of times until you have the computer running as quickly as possible with the programs you need.
Usually some of the types of programs that are ok to have on your start up include your software for your burner, msn, your antivirus software, printer software,windows themes.
Tip: If your not sure what a particular program does then you can google all the information list in the startup list on that program and you can usually get an answer.
6. Registry
Similarly to MSCONFIG and the start up list. Your computer registry stores a list of all programs that have ever been installed on your machine. So if you’ve had your computer a while and added and removed alot of programs there can be alot of entries in your registry. A handy program also available on the antivirus.com site is the Hijack This program. This program allows you to clean up and edit your registry.
Caution!!!!!
Be very careful with this step, only remove entries you are sure that are old and unused. This can mess up your computer if done incorrectly, that is why the hijack this program is a good tool to use. Risk of failure can be reduced by setting another restore point before you performe this task.
The windows program that is used to allow you to perform the same task is called REGEDIT. I would only suggest this program for advanced users, and I only use it when I know specifically what program I want to remove from the registry as I can search for it with the find and replace tool.
Hope these tips provide you with a little more confidence and can save you a few service call to the tech support companies.
GLENN
Dec
14
Extend Your Computer Life
Filed Under Computers | Comments Off
Paul Java asked:
A computer is a complex machine and the amount of usage can be a guide to determine need for maintenance and protection. To extend life of computer, it must be regularly serviced as we do for various machines and tools that we use such as automobile or any machinery in factory. Like your scheduled oil change or tune-up, your computer needs regular maintenance. The following steps about maintenance of personal computer can help extend life of your personal computer.
1. Check physical environment: You need to check whether your computer is placed in an environment with correct room temperature and sufficient ventilation. There must not be much humidity as that may spoil delicate parts. Good ventilation allows machine to cool faster, though your computer has an internal fan. Appropriate environment can go a long way in extending life of your computer. For the hot summer climates, your pc needs adequate air conditioning. Anything over 75 degrees can damage the overall effectiveness of your machine and possibly cause hardware malfunction. Sufficient fans
Help cool the system, the motherboard, and the CPU.
2. Check electric setup: Electricity is an essential factor that determines the longevity of your personal computer. Surges, spikes and sags in electric supply can damage computer thus shortening its lifespan. To extend life of computer, make sure good electrical condition prevail for your computer. It is advisable to have uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with surge protector to meet any contingencies like power outage or poor quality of electricity. This can be a lifesaver if the power cuts off for any reason.
3. Check electronic setup: For extended life span of computer, it is pertinent to automate preventive computer maintenance. You should have important software updates, virus protection, and computer firewall protection automated so as to protect your computer from virus and spyware and this in turn will help in longevity of your computer.
4. Regular cleaning and maintenance: Proper and safe cleaning will go a long way in extending life of your computer. You must clean and maintain your computer’s innards on a regular basis. Lot of dust and debris gets accumulated after use of computer for a period of time. Removing this dust and debris that has been build up from fan and other components will clean up your computer and extend its life along with increasing its speed and performance.
5. Preventative maintenance: There are some tasks that have to be performed on monthly or yearly basis to prevent your computer from performing at its best. Cleaning of temporary files and emptying recycling bin are the tasks that have to be performed on a monthly basis. This will clear the clutter and increase the space of hard disc thus extending life of compute along with increasing its speed. You need to scan hard drive for virus and malware and defragment your hard disc so as to prevent virus attack and to patch up fragmented files. This will extend life of your computer along with increasing its speed.
BUFORD
A computer is a complex machine and the amount of usage can be a guide to determine need for maintenance and protection. To extend life of computer, it must be regularly serviced as we do for various machines and tools that we use such as automobile or any machinery in factory. Like your scheduled oil change or tune-up, your computer needs regular maintenance. The following steps about maintenance of personal computer can help extend life of your personal computer.
1. Check physical environment: You need to check whether your computer is placed in an environment with correct room temperature and sufficient ventilation. There must not be much humidity as that may spoil delicate parts. Good ventilation allows machine to cool faster, though your computer has an internal fan. Appropriate environment can go a long way in extending life of your computer. For the hot summer climates, your pc needs adequate air conditioning. Anything over 75 degrees can damage the overall effectiveness of your machine and possibly cause hardware malfunction. Sufficient fans
Help cool the system, the motherboard, and the CPU.
2. Check electric setup: Electricity is an essential factor that determines the longevity of your personal computer. Surges, spikes and sags in electric supply can damage computer thus shortening its lifespan. To extend life of computer, make sure good electrical condition prevail for your computer. It is advisable to have uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with surge protector to meet any contingencies like power outage or poor quality of electricity. This can be a lifesaver if the power cuts off for any reason.
3. Check electronic setup: For extended life span of computer, it is pertinent to automate preventive computer maintenance. You should have important software updates, virus protection, and computer firewall protection automated so as to protect your computer from virus and spyware and this in turn will help in longevity of your computer.
4. Regular cleaning and maintenance: Proper and safe cleaning will go a long way in extending life of your computer. You must clean and maintain your computer’s innards on a regular basis. Lot of dust and debris gets accumulated after use of computer for a period of time. Removing this dust and debris that has been build up from fan and other components will clean up your computer and extend its life along with increasing its speed and performance.
5. Preventative maintenance: There are some tasks that have to be performed on monthly or yearly basis to prevent your computer from performing at its best. Cleaning of temporary files and emptying recycling bin are the tasks that have to be performed on a monthly basis. This will clear the clutter and increase the space of hard disc thus extending life of compute along with increasing its speed. You need to scan hard drive for virus and malware and defragment your hard disc so as to prevent virus attack and to patch up fragmented files. This will extend life of your computer along with increasing its speed.
BUFORD
Dec
13
where can i get free new computers for a nonprofit organization?
Filed Under Community Service | 4 Comments
Aisha P asked:
I work for a nonprofit youth center and we deperately need computers. My boss would love them to be new computers with flat panel monitors but I’m not sure how lucky we’ll be to get that. We just don’t need anymore half working donations.
RAYMOND
I work for a nonprofit youth center and we deperately need computers. My boss would love them to be new computers with flat panel monitors but I’m not sure how lucky we’ll be to get that. We just don’t need anymore half working donations.
RAYMOND
Dec
12
New Cure for Hassle-full Computing
Filed Under Computers | Comments Off
Warren Franklin asked:
Let’s face it for many being on the computer is hassle-full. Being on the computer isn’t fun and productive any more.
Whether your home or business computers are online or offline over time they seem to slow down and many times crash. Being on the computer isn’t fun and productive any more. What is it that
causes these problems?
It’s my experience that the average individual knows a lot about his/her chosen field and very little about computer repair services and protecting information stored on a home or business computer.
Most of us are looking for a simple easy way to work or play on our computer. Unfortunately, computers have become complicated, necessary tools. Yet, it seems, several months after purchasing a computer it begins to bog down and run slower. You might experience mysterious freeze ups and crashes. Once this problem turns into a nuisance, generally, the computer is taken into a computer repair service shop where it will be out of commission for a week or so and a few hundred dollars spent to clean it up.
Most people don’t understand the relationship between a slow running computer and cyber-crime. Yet, the relationship is huge. There is a huge need to develop safe computer practices and rely on
an emerging computer industry called “Personal Computer Services.”
One of the ways I like to describe computer safe practices is by comparing it to safe dental practices. We are encouraged to develop an everyday practice of flossing and cleaning teeth, right? We do this to keep the teeth clean and avoid dental problems like infection and tooth decay in the future. In other words we do this to avoid dental hassles. We want a hassle-free dental experience.
Now, when you compare best dental practices to keeping your computer running like new, you need to implement similar measures. Only this time instead of brushing and flossing you have to develop safe computer practices including purchasing the computer repair service money can buy. On top of that, you’ll also need to set up a safe practices guideline for everyone in your family.
A slow running computer or a computer that crashes frequently may be a sign of Malware (Trojans, viruses, worms, and other malicious code) on your computer. These hacker tools not only can be used to steal sensitive information from your computer they slow your computer down or even cause computer crashes. Unfortunately, traditional over-the-counter computer protection products don’t keep up with this growing problem. If they did would we continue to have these problems?
Over the last three years there’s been a huge shift from curious hackers to professional hackers creating devious methods to steal proprietary information from computers like yours. This evolving threat is costing individuals and businesses tens of billions of dollars every year. V. McNiven, an advisor to the U.S Department of treasury has stated, “The proceeds from cyber-crime are now greater than the sale of illegal drugs.
These evil hackers continue to find more devious ways of stealing financial and proprietary information. It is important that every individual, family and business have a computer repair service plan in place to protect themselves from these cyber terrorists.
You might be surprised to learn that computers that don’t go online are vulnerable through file sharing from infected flash drives, cds and floppies. These devices, when infected, can install scrambling software or logic bomb software that opens up the possibility of extortion to get your proprietary information back.
A 2007 PC Magazine survey of 42,000 PCs worldwide released last September showed the top speed killers. The problems included:
· Over 52 percent of the PCs surveyed were clogged up with spyware
· Over 60 percent of the PCs surveyed had un-optimized Internet settings slowing the Internet down and even signaling that spyware and other malware have secretly stolen portions of your bandwidth to run on your PC.
· Surveyed computers also contained an average of twelve serious registry problems per unit that may have been caused by spyware and other malware.
Incredible, many of these computers are supposedly protected by the over-the-counter products that aren’t doing what they promise to do. So how can individuals and small businesses protect against identity theft, fraud and extortion? How can they get their computers back to running like new again?
Here are six crucial steps to protecting your computer and making it fun and productive again:
1. Keep your computers patched. Microsoft has automatic patch updates. Make sure are signed up to receive them.
2. Use professional enterprise grade anti-virus and anti-spyware at the email and web gateways. Install a professional grade by-directional firewall to guard against backdoor threats.
3. Use sender-authentication technologies, such as Sender Policy Framework (SPF) to make phishing far more difficult since – In theory – phishers will only be able to send their spam from “unapproved” domains.
4. Develop and enforce a password policy. This will make passwords difficult to be guessed. Use a different password for each situation. Make sure these passwords are changed frequently. If you use one password for every web site, for example, and a phisher manages to steal it, all of your online activity is at risk. Sophos, an enterprise grade Internet Security Company, recently conducted a business poll and discovered 41 percent of the respondents were using the same password for all web sites.
5. Keep an eye on the advice from organizations promoting safe computing. Many of their web sites will list the latest threats, and give advice on how to protect your home and business against them.
6. Always report suspicious activity.
Just as important, find a computer repair service that offers “Personal Computer Services.” Your personal computer service should include online repair at no additional cost. The end result: hassle-free computing making being on the computer fun and productive again. With the right computer repair service, using computers at home and at work should be hassle-free allowing you to focus more on your home and business activities.
AHMAD
Let’s face it for many being on the computer is hassle-full. Being on the computer isn’t fun and productive any more.
Whether your home or business computers are online or offline over time they seem to slow down and many times crash. Being on the computer isn’t fun and productive any more. What is it that
causes these problems?
It’s my experience that the average individual knows a lot about his/her chosen field and very little about computer repair services and protecting information stored on a home or business computer.
Most of us are looking for a simple easy way to work or play on our computer. Unfortunately, computers have become complicated, necessary tools. Yet, it seems, several months after purchasing a computer it begins to bog down and run slower. You might experience mysterious freeze ups and crashes. Once this problem turns into a nuisance, generally, the computer is taken into a computer repair service shop where it will be out of commission for a week or so and a few hundred dollars spent to clean it up.
Most people don’t understand the relationship between a slow running computer and cyber-crime. Yet, the relationship is huge. There is a huge need to develop safe computer practices and rely on
an emerging computer industry called “Personal Computer Services.”
One of the ways I like to describe computer safe practices is by comparing it to safe dental practices. We are encouraged to develop an everyday practice of flossing and cleaning teeth, right? We do this to keep the teeth clean and avoid dental problems like infection and tooth decay in the future. In other words we do this to avoid dental hassles. We want a hassle-free dental experience.
Now, when you compare best dental practices to keeping your computer running like new, you need to implement similar measures. Only this time instead of brushing and flossing you have to develop safe computer practices including purchasing the computer repair service money can buy. On top of that, you’ll also need to set up a safe practices guideline for everyone in your family.
A slow running computer or a computer that crashes frequently may be a sign of Malware (Trojans, viruses, worms, and other malicious code) on your computer. These hacker tools not only can be used to steal sensitive information from your computer they slow your computer down or even cause computer crashes. Unfortunately, traditional over-the-counter computer protection products don’t keep up with this growing problem. If they did would we continue to have these problems?
Over the last three years there’s been a huge shift from curious hackers to professional hackers creating devious methods to steal proprietary information from computers like yours. This evolving threat is costing individuals and businesses tens of billions of dollars every year. V. McNiven, an advisor to the U.S Department of treasury has stated, “The proceeds from cyber-crime are now greater than the sale of illegal drugs.
These evil hackers continue to find more devious ways of stealing financial and proprietary information. It is important that every individual, family and business have a computer repair service plan in place to protect themselves from these cyber terrorists.
You might be surprised to learn that computers that don’t go online are vulnerable through file sharing from infected flash drives, cds and floppies. These devices, when infected, can install scrambling software or logic bomb software that opens up the possibility of extortion to get your proprietary information back.
A 2007 PC Magazine survey of 42,000 PCs worldwide released last September showed the top speed killers. The problems included:
· Over 52 percent of the PCs surveyed were clogged up with spyware
· Over 60 percent of the PCs surveyed had un-optimized Internet settings slowing the Internet down and even signaling that spyware and other malware have secretly stolen portions of your bandwidth to run on your PC.
· Surveyed computers also contained an average of twelve serious registry problems per unit that may have been caused by spyware and other malware.
Incredible, many of these computers are supposedly protected by the over-the-counter products that aren’t doing what they promise to do. So how can individuals and small businesses protect against identity theft, fraud and extortion? How can they get their computers back to running like new again?
Here are six crucial steps to protecting your computer and making it fun and productive again:
1. Keep your computers patched. Microsoft has automatic patch updates. Make sure are signed up to receive them.
2. Use professional enterprise grade anti-virus and anti-spyware at the email and web gateways. Install a professional grade by-directional firewall to guard against backdoor threats.
3. Use sender-authentication technologies, such as Sender Policy Framework (SPF) to make phishing far more difficult since – In theory – phishers will only be able to send their spam from “unapproved” domains.
4. Develop and enforce a password policy. This will make passwords difficult to be guessed. Use a different password for each situation. Make sure these passwords are changed frequently. If you use one password for every web site, for example, and a phisher manages to steal it, all of your online activity is at risk. Sophos, an enterprise grade Internet Security Company, recently conducted a business poll and discovered 41 percent of the respondents were using the same password for all web sites.
5. Keep an eye on the advice from organizations promoting safe computing. Many of their web sites will list the latest threats, and give advice on how to protect your home and business against them.
6. Always report suspicious activity.
Just as important, find a computer repair service that offers “Personal Computer Services.” Your personal computer service should include online repair at no additional cost. The end result: hassle-free computing making being on the computer fun and productive again. With the right computer repair service, using computers at home and at work should be hassle-free allowing you to focus more on your home and business activities.
AHMAD
Dec
9
How can I connect to Xbox Live and computers at the same time?
Filed Under Computer Networking | 1 Comment
Concerned08 asked:
There needs to be internet for computer use as well.
I have two internet modem boxes and have to unplug and replug internet cords to use Live. I also have a wireless router (one computer doesn’t have wireless and it is plugged directly into the router).
Is there a cheap way to have use of the computers and the Xbox at the same time while having decent internet strength?
ISSAC
There needs to be internet for computer use as well.
I have two internet modem boxes and have to unplug and replug internet cords to use Live. I also have a wireless router (one computer doesn’t have wireless and it is plugged directly into the router).
Is there a cheap way to have use of the computers and the Xbox at the same time while having decent internet strength?
ISSAC