Computer Maintenance
Protecting your Online Privacy
For a number of computer users, they simply don’t see the need for anti-virus software. They use the Internet, download programs, exchange e-mail with and without attachments without giving thought to those who create viruses that destroy data and damage computers. They enjoy ignorant bliss thinking that they’ll if they get a virus on their computers then they can buy and use an anti-virus program. When a virus has destroyed all their data it’s too late. Many of those who have bought or downloaded anti-virus software don’t download updates for the anti-virus software that they use. New viruses are being created everyday. As new viruses spread through out cyberspace anti-virus programs need to be updated to recognize and remove new viruses. New viruses are often reported about in the media. This is when updates for anti-virus software need to be downloaded but this also needs to be done on a regular basis.
Every two weeks run a scandisk this inspects the data on the hard drive and the integrity of the hard drive itself. This will insure that your data will be there when you need it. Along with a scandisk, run a defrag. As a computer gets used, files get written to the hard drive and other files get deleted, pieces of files get mixed together. As the computer has to take time to fetch pieces of files in order to load programs. Fragmentation can seriously slow a computer down. Running a defrag puts all these pieces of files back together again. All the files that belong to the Windows operating system are put all together and the files belonging to programs are put together enabling the computer to boot as fast as it can and start programs as fast as it can.
The newest thing that is slowing down computers is called spyware. Software that tracks what you do on your computer and where you go on the Internet and sends all the information collected is sent back to the companies that create spyware programs and sells all this information about what people use their computers for and what people see on the Internet and sells it to marketing companies. The good news is there are utility programs that will find and remove spyware programs. One of the most popular of these programs is called Adaware. Adaware can be downloaded from www.lavasoftusa.com Once Adaware has been downloaded and installed, Adaware scans the programs that are running, the Windows registry, and each and single file on a PC and if it finds spyware it is marked for deletion. Due to the fact that nobody but the creators of spyware programs decide what information is collected and resold, scanning and removing spyware programs is something that needs to be done often and on a regular basis.
Bugs and security holes are constantly discovered in the Windows operating system and in other Microsoft products. In Windows 98 and higher operating systems, Microsoft has a feature called ‘Windows Update’ where updates that considered to be critical can be automatically downloaded from Microsoft’s web site and installed. Doing this once a month will ensure that a hacker can’t take advantage of a loophole in the Windows operating system or a Microsoft product that accesses the Internet to gain access your computer. Using Windows Update can also download fixes for bugs that could cause your computer to crash.
Something that needs to be done to keep computers running stable, something not done to the software or the data on the hard drive. Once every six months or so the case of the computer has to be taken off and any dust and debris that may have collected on the interior components needs to be cleaned. When dust accumulates on computer components heat accumulates on the computer’s motherboard components especially the microprocessor chip. When things inside a computer get hotter than it should, computers start locking up and crashing.
Along with owning a house or a car comes work to keep these things in top condition. A computer is no different. Many people who own computers are not aware of this or simply do not care. They’ll end up having to care about paying a computer technician to fix something that could have been prevented quickly and easily weeks or months ago.