What Computer Is Right For Me?
Even as an average or novice user, you should pay a little extra now as your needs may change, and you may need the ability to upgrade later on as software becomes more taxing on system resources. A lot of users say they just need the basics to web surf, play music, watch videos, update a resume or even a Facebook profile. Well, the basics are not basic anymore. As the internet as grown as a multimedia hub, these sites rich with streaming content like YouTube and full of Flash animation, use a lot of resources and need the muscle of dual core processing, better multitasking and more RAM to allow you to do more at a time. Also, Operating Systems like Windows 7 have become more graphical with visual effects that need to utilize better graphic capabilities. So even if you don't need the 6 core CPU, 16GB RAM, Dual video card monsters that gamers recommend, you still need that extra muscle like a dual core CPU, at least 2GB of RAM and a large and fast hard drive to store your pictures, music and videos.
Hard Drive Optimization.
It is important that you run disk defragmenter at least every month to determine if you’re hard drive is highly fragmented. By defragging, you allow information to be grouped back together where it belongs on your hard drive. This increases disk performance and drive space utilization. It can also prolong the life of you hard drive by making it spin less, as it does not have to search for information scattered across the drive. It is especially important if you want to efficiently create your own CD's and DVD's or need to convert music and video because that relies heavily on the hard drive. Windows XP, Vista and 7 allows the drive to be analyzed first, so you know exactly if the drive has to be defragged or not. Disk clean up is another useful tool to use because a build up of temp files on your hard drive wastes space and hinders performance. These tools can be located by clicking: (Start – All Programs – Accessories – System Tools). A free program called CCleaner is another useful and highly recommended software tool. You can download this for free at the companies website or search the internet.
Diagnosing Errors and Problems.
If you get a blue error screen popping up or experience freezing up when you try to get into Windows or during recovery, you may have a hardware or device conflict. If any new hardware or devices have been installed prior to this problem, try removing them, to see if this is causing the problem. Please contact us if you are still experiencing these problems after you have removed the device or hardware, contact us; we can help you with your situation.
If errors or freezing up occurs during the Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 installation, the problem is most likely a memory issue. If you have more than one module, it is recommended that you try each memory module on its own. If you only have one module, try replacing it with a different one, to see if this fixes the issue. You should also make sure that your memory modules have the correct specs supported by your system motherboard. If you are using more than one module, make sure that they are the same. It would be ideal to use the same manufacturer and chipset, but the most important thing is to make sure the speeds, voltage and latency timings are the same. It may also be a motherboard issue, so check to see if your BIOS settings (usually pressing Del or F2 upon POST) are correct. If you are not sure, look for and select the setting that says: Load Optimized or Default Settings. If you still are experiencing issues after you have tried these options, please contact us today; we are experienced in all types of computer system problems.
If errors occur in Windows and you have no hardware conflicts, it is most likely a driver or software issue. If you recently updated a driver or installed new software, you should recover from a previous restore point. If your video driver has dropped out, you should restart the PC, press (F8) before the OS loads, and select the option Safe Mode with Networking. In Safe Mode, you should remove the video driver in device manager. You should then go to the Windows Update web site and get the latest Direct X update if it is not installed already. After that, restart, go back into safe mode with networking, and go to the video card manufacturer's website for the latest driver.
Internet Issues & Security.
Today the Internet and going online has become synonymous with the personal computer. At home or at work, we use the internet as a daily tool for everything from research to shopping. Every year internet traffic rises, but unfortunately so does security risks and other issues. People worry about security issues and identify theft and are frustrated about annoying pop-up ads and malware. There are ways you can prevent and combat these problems, so below I will explain these internet issues and let you know how you can protect your PC.
In today's world of the internet and cyberspace, we can combine the many types of malicious software into one broad category: "Malware". Malware, a.k.a. malicious software, can most easily be used to describe viruses, worms, Trojans, adware, spyware and browser hijacking. Thus, malware can be defined as any program, file, or code that performs malicious actions on the target system without the user’s express consent. Below is an explanation of each term.
Virus: To put it simply, a virus is a piece of software written to infect other files. It can make an evolved copy of itself by making other files into viruses, and now they act as the virus, further spreading the infection. Years ago viruses were only spread by opening up a program or EXE. (Executable file), but now a virus can spread by the user opening up a document like a word file. Thus, the user has to trigger the event.
Worms: They are malicious programs that copy themselves from system to system, rather than infiltrating legitimate files. A worm can be written to cause other events to happen, like software to become unstable or for mass mailings to occur. It is a program but does not infect legitimate files to spread it. Instead, exact copies of itself are spread by way of the internet, through e-mails or unsecured networks.
Trojans: This is one of the most popular forms of Malware seen today. Most often, Trojans are associated with remote access programs that perform that work in the background to steal passwords or give out personal information. They leave the door open for other attacks to occur. They do not infect other files or make copies of themselves. They are sometimes used to flood a server with so much traffic, that it will bog down or crash. Trojans most often come from browsing the internet and are hidden in false links. An unsecured system can be letting them in without the user knowing.
Adware: Generally speaking, it's a program that installs an additional component that feeds advertising to you or points your browser homepage to sites feeding advertising. The mechanism that feeds the advertising can introduce system anomalies or incompatibilities that cause problems with other programs and can even disrupt the functioning of the operating system. It can install a piece of software such as a toolbar that can be difficult to remove, and once removed, it can damage other software components. Adware is usually hidden in free downloads and pop-up ads that install software the user is unaware of. Browser hijacking is the term used when the piece of adware changes settings, like adding a toolbar or changing your homepage to its own. Sneakyware is adware that the user does give consent to but is unaware of the implications of the installation. The software does a sneaky job of allowing you to bypass the agreement that adware or spyware will also be installed. Since the user gives permission, it is not termed malware.
Spyware: This basically is adware that goes beyond the installation of ad programs or tool bars. It does just what the name states. It acts as a spy, hides itself, and gives out personal information. It contains a hidden component that can track your surfing habits and keep records of this by creating its own cookie files. In an unsecured system, it can record your MAC or physical LAN address, obtain your IP address and keep on sending you ads based on your browsing habits. They use you as an advertising portal for their profit, and all you get in return is headaches. This information is compiled and can be sold to other affiliates.
Now that we covered the various terms, it is time to learn how to protect your PC. Below is a list of steps and programs you can use to keep browsing safely.
1. Install a firewall. This is software that can prevent outside access to your computer by warning you of potential risks before they happen and block attempts to hijack information. It can prevent the release of your IP address to the outside. There are several firewalls on the market, such as Zone Alarm and Norton's Internet Security suite. If you are using Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7, a firewall is already built in. You can enable this by going to the control panel, selecting network connections, right clicking on the Local Area Connections (the one being used to connect), selecting properties, and finally selecting the advanced tab to check this option. A firewall is even more important if you are using a high speed or broadband connection because it is always on, and this makes it easier to track you. Another type of firewall that is good for a high speed connection is using a router. It is traditionally used to allow multiple PCs to share one internet connection, but most of the new routers contain a built in programmed firewall. It is usually a NAT (Network Access Translation) firewall, and it routes your IP address, so you can appear invisible and not give out your true address. It also changes the given IP on a regular basis, so tracking is difficult. It is even more important if you are using a wireless connection because data being sent through the open air can easily be stolen. A wireless router would give you greater ability to protect this data, by using 64 and 128bit file encryption.
2. You should always install antivirus software, and it must be kept up to date on a daily basis. Remember the most important thing, is keeping it up to date. If you don't, it is sometimes as useless as not having any protection since new malware is being written daily. Newer antivirus software like Norton's 2003 and up, can detect Trojans and other malware, along with viruses.
3. Do not store personal information on your computer like your social security number or credit card number. After purchases online, go to Control Panel, select Internet Options, and clear the temporary files and cookie files.
4. Use a pop-up blocking program. You can download a free utility called Pop-Up Stopper by Panicware that will work just fine.
5. Run an adware and spyware removal tool every day. You can download a free utility called Adaware by Lavasoft that will work just fine.
6. Never open any e-mail you are unsure of, and never give out personal information to anyone. No legit company will ever ask for this type of information by e-mail.
7. Windows 7 64-Bit is arguably the most ideal version of Windows to use because of the added security features, User Control Prompts, better IE 9 integration and increased stability. It uses the NTFS (NT or New Technology File System), and takes it further with added security features, like file encryption. It also makes it harder for a hacker to see your information.
Some of the above term explanations were derived from information obtained from about.com, in articles written by Mary Landesman. You can find more about her and her articles by clicking here.