Is your PC running slow or doing strange things, then you may well have been infected by a virus or malware infestation.
First of all you need to install an antivirus and malware program that works. There are lots of free ones out there. However the free versions only have limited functionality. For effective support it is best to purchase a known working software that will do the job.
One popular antivirus program that I like is Micro Anti Virus. It is not free but I suggest if you want to have full protection that works in the long run it is worth buying a product that will work. You also need to install anti malware software that will detect malware infestations on your computer that can cause just as many problems as a virus.
When you have installed your software you must ensure that the definitions are up to date. New viruses and malware are born daily so you need to update daily as well or simply enable the auto update feature. Schedule a daily scan of the pc for full protection. Also you need to keep windows up to date. Ensure that windows auto update is enabled and check to see that it is actually up to date. Check to see if you have the latest windows patches.
If your software detects a virus or malware your software usually can remove it for you into quarantine. Sometimes however the infection cannot be removed by the program. Firstly I would suggest doing a Google search by using the virus name to search for a removal tool or solution.
Another way to remove a virus or malware is to boot your pc into safe mode. This means that only basic programs and drivers will be loaded when windows boots which means the actual virus will not be active or hide when you are running a scan.
To run your PC in safe mode in windows XP and Vista simply tap the F8 key as you turn the machine on. You will see a menu of boot options from which you choose safe mode. Now run both your antivirus scan and anti malware scans if you know that they are up to date and this will allow the programs to do their thing
Paul Jensen
Thursday, July 16, 2009
When It's NOT Necessary to Upgrade Your Computer
Many computer dealers and electronics stores that sell upgrades don't necessarily wanting consumers to know this, but a simple, clean wipe of the computer's operating system will generally restore a PC back to the initial speed it had when the customer first bought it.
You see, as time goes on, a computer becomes like a cluttered desk. You add papers, and move things around, and stack junk on top of junk, and eventually it becomes almost impossible to find anything on your desktop. Your computer works the same way. Every now and then (maybe once a year or so), it's a good idea to just WIPE the desk clean and start from scratch.
Most computers sold in the last several years even come with a "System Restore Disc" that you can insert into the CD/DVD drive and with just a couple of clicks, restore the computer to it's factory settings. This will wipe and reinstall Windows, removing any junk (applications, viruses, spyware, etc.) and most likely will restore your computer to the original speed it had when you first bought it.
Of course, people should back up any important data to CD/DVD before wiping their hard drives, but this is an economical way to get a couple more years out of your computer. In fact, for the vast majority of people who are just browsing the Web and maybe working with Word and Excel, a 5 to 10-year old computer should be just fine for most purposes. (I am currently writing this on a 10-year old Pentium 2 PC running Windows 2000, and it's just fine.)
Now, the guys who sell hardware upgrades don't often want to recommend this to their customers, but I've been recommending it to my clients since the mid-1990s, and it works great. Obviously, if you purchase a new piece of software that has very high hardware requirements (like a new game) or you're physically running out of hard drive storage space, then a hardware upgrade might be in order. However, just to restore lost speed with the same old applications, a clean wipe is the best solution.
Richard Rost is President of 599CD Computer Training and Microsoft Access Tutorial
You see, as time goes on, a computer becomes like a cluttered desk. You add papers, and move things around, and stack junk on top of junk, and eventually it becomes almost impossible to find anything on your desktop. Your computer works the same way. Every now and then (maybe once a year or so), it's a good idea to just WIPE the desk clean and start from scratch.
Most computers sold in the last several years even come with a "System Restore Disc" that you can insert into the CD/DVD drive and with just a couple of clicks, restore the computer to it's factory settings. This will wipe and reinstall Windows, removing any junk (applications, viruses, spyware, etc.) and most likely will restore your computer to the original speed it had when you first bought it.
Of course, people should back up any important data to CD/DVD before wiping their hard drives, but this is an economical way to get a couple more years out of your computer. In fact, for the vast majority of people who are just browsing the Web and maybe working with Word and Excel, a 5 to 10-year old computer should be just fine for most purposes. (I am currently writing this on a 10-year old Pentium 2 PC running Windows 2000, and it's just fine.)
Now, the guys who sell hardware upgrades don't often want to recommend this to their customers, but I've been recommending it to my clients since the mid-1990s, and it works great. Obviously, if you purchase a new piece of software that has very high hardware requirements (like a new game) or you're physically running out of hard drive storage space, then a hardware upgrade might be in order. However, just to restore lost speed with the same old applications, a clean wipe is the best solution.
Richard Rost is President of 599CD Computer Training and Microsoft Access Tutorial
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