Computer Viruses? What really is it?

Most of the time, programs that arrive by modem or a trade are perfectly safe to use. Most computer users have heard about computer viruses. But each virus is different.

Where do these viruses come from? They certainly don't float around in the air like some human viruses.

Commercial and shareware programs have been created with the sole purpose of detecting and fixing suspect programs that might be viruses infected. A computer virus is the result of a destructive program that someone has written and placed inside a computer program, which unsuspecting people then place in their computer system. Instead, like any other computer program, a human must create them.

When this program enters your computer through your input device, it hides in your computer's memory and starts to duplicate itself like a disease. These detection programs should be ran when any disk is put into your disk drive or every time your computer is first started up each day to scan the computer's hard drive. Some people create these programs out of meanness to get even. Some display strange messages on your computer screen; others make small changes in your computer programs. Why do you thing people create these very destructive programs? How does your computer get a virus? Almost exactly the way humans do. When you save your data, you also save the virus..
Some viruses can erase all the information from the place where it's stored on the computer's hard disk.

Why do people create them? It's hard to say. Slowly but surely, the virus crowds out your data and causes major system problems.One might think of a computer virus as a tiny computer program designed to perform mischief. While others create them just as a challenge. In this way, it can slowly infect all your programs before you know that it exists.

If the virus is on your disk or hard drive, it will return to the computer when you use the program again. However, you do stand a chance of getting a program that has been tampered with. Here a computer program virus is hiding inside the normal program. Others get contaminated computer programs through the use of modems, which allow computers to communicate over telephone lines (ie. The computer gets exposed to one.

The virus can't affect the computer's ROM (Read Only Memory), but it can affect RAM (Random Access Memory) and your computer disks. Many computer programs that are traded were copied illegally. If you switch from one program to another without shutting down the machine, the virus will attach itself to the new program.

Many people get contaminated computer programs by trading programs with other people. Well, its not quiet that easy. Today millions of dollars are being spent to rid and protect computer systems from these virus programs. When your shut off your computer a virus that has been picked up will be lost, just like any other memory that is held in RAM

How To Speed Up Your Computer?

A slow and lethargic computer can be a source of irritation. It is truly quite annoying to wait for your computer to open a single word document. But, you do not have to deal with your computer's slow pace, when you can actually speed up your computer in few simple steps.

The first and the foremost thing that you need to do to speed up your computer is to clear unnecessary start up programs. There are several applications in your start up cycle that are just not required. If you wish to increase the speed of your computer, it is important that your remove all the unnecessary programs from the boot cycle.

Defragmenting your hard drive can also be of great help in speeding up your computer. The more fragmented your hard drive is, the longer it will take to load. Defragmenting your hard drive helps you store files in a much more organized manner. It creates a specific location for the downloaded files and helps you stay more organized. This in turn boosts the speed of your computer. In case you need several divisions in your hard drive, defragmenting it once in a while will help.

As you browse through the various drives of your computer, you will realize that there are a lot of files that you just may not need anymore. Removing this unnecessary data from your computer will help boost the speed. In case, you are not sure whether you are going to need the given data or not, you can create a backup. You can store the files in a pen drive or burn them in a CD. This serves two purposes. It helps you create a backup of your data so in case there is some problem with your computer, you have something to fall back upon. Besides, lesser data means a faster and well organized computer.

Though there are several factors that could be responsible for a slow computer speed, it is viruses that are the most common. Viruses and malware can affect your computer immensely and slow down your computer. It is for this reason that you should run an anti virus from time to time. This will help clear any kind of virus from the system and help increase speed.

Removing temporary files from your computer will also help. When you are surfing the web, there are several temporary files that get downloaded to your computer automatically. It is important that you clear these temporary files on a periodic basis. Some times these temporary files may hide them so you may consider using a freeware program.

Don't keep on juggling with a slow computer. Try these simple tips and you will be able to achieve the speed you want.

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A Look At Computer Accessories

In the present day scenario, most of us are addicted to our computers for some or the other reason. While some of us are glued to the computer for web surfing, there are others who love their comp for playing games. Whatever be the reasons, computers do make for a regular aide. If you want to further enrich the experience of using your computer, then installing a few computer accessories could be a great idea.

A web camera is one of the best accessories that you can have for your computer. Install a web cam and you could start a video chat with a friend in any corner of the world. You could even use it for work related purpose by opting for video conferencing.

Headphones are another must have computer accessory. Whether you want to listen to your favorite music or watch online videos, you will need them for sure. If you want to up the looks quotient of your computer then using fancy mouse mats can be a great idea. You can easily find mouse mats in a wide range of shapes.

Opt for these computer accessories and you are sure to enjoy spending time on your computer even more.

 

What If Your Computer Doesn't Turn On?

How many times has it happened that you have tried to turn on your computer to no avail? Perhaps quite a few times! Your computer not turning on can be quite a dreadful situation. But, there is nothing for you to panic as here is a complete troubleshooting guide in case your computer does not turn on.

When faced with a computer that doesn't switch on, most people think that their precious data is gone forever. However, this is not true. In most cases, it could be a temporary fault that can be easily resolved. And, even if the problem is more serious such as a disk crash, a backup of your data can be taken. When your computer doesn't turn on, your data is not lost. It is just that the data is inaccessible for some time.

Though there can be several reasons for your computer not turning on, it is usually the failure of some hardware that accounts for the most common reason. However, it is not necessary that the failed hardware is your hard drive. So, there is absolutely no reason for you to panic.

In some cases when the computer is not turning on, there could be chances that the machine is not showing any signs of power. Try checking the power supply in such a situation. A loose wire could also be the reason. So, try unplugging and plugging wires again as this will help eliminate a loose connection, if any.

There may be some cases where in the computer does turn on for a few minutes and then turns off automatically without completing the booting process. The fans may turn on and the computer may show power too but this does not last for more than a few minutes. In such a situation, you ought to check the power supply voltage of the computer. Resetting every thing inside the computer could also help troubleshoot the problem.

If your computer turns on, shows all sign of power but there is nothing to display, chances are that the problem could be with your monitor. Check the monitor in case you find a fault. Clearing the BIOS memory on your motherboard will also prove to be of significant aid. This helps set the memory to their default active levels.

Another situation could be when your computer does turn on but it stops booting during the POST. In such a case, you may notice a BIOS error on the monitor. If yes, then you may consider troubleshooting the cause of the same. Clearing the CMOs also helps.

Lastly, if none of the above mentioned things help, then you may have to switch to the services of a professional. But odds of the same are very low.

How To Protect Your Computer Files

Here's tutorial that explains how to make use of Truecrypt software to safeguard your computer files.

Truecrypt is freeware open source software that permits you to encrypt your files , such way that they can not be utilized by anybody else, without using your password. We’ll create virtual disk , and all files stored within the virtual disk are going to be protected with password. The exact same way you can protect the files in your USB disk .

STEP 1
Download TrueCrypt from this http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads and install it in your computer.
STEP 2

Launch TrueCrypt and click on Create Volume

STEP 3
I created encrypted file container , virtual encrypted disk , but if you like you are able to encrypt non-system drive as USB disk or encrypt entire system drive.

STEP 4

There are two option Standard and Hidden TrueCrypt volume . I chose standard.

The aim of hidden volume is that instead one password you could have two , so that when you’re ever forced to hand over password you can provide them the password that open fake files , not your real files.

STEP 5

Click Select File to choose a filename for that container and to pick the placement where you would like the container for being created. If you select an existing file, Truecrypt will not encrypt it , the file is going to be deleted and replaced with the newly created Truecrypt container.

You’ll be able to encrypt existing files afterward by moving them to the TrueCrypt container that you’re about to make now.

STEP 6

Here you can select encryption and hash algoritam you require . I leave it to default

STEP 7

 Select size of the virtual encryption disk.

STEP 8

You've choice to use key file instead password. I used password

STEP 9

Move your mouse to create random encryption key and click on on format.

STEP 10

Go to main windows with the Truecrypt and select TrueCrypt file that you created in steps above , click Mount. Type your password and virtual encryption disk is going to be created.

Apple Computer reviews

Below Apple Computer reviews are from Apple PC users all over the world. They are independent reviews and preventiveguru.com is not responsible and cannot verify or endorse them.

Do you want to share your experience with others by contributing to Apple Computer reviews? It will be very helpful if you can share your experience with others if you are using a Apple PC.

Click here to submit your review.

Lewis Weingarth from Missouri, USA

The ethernet port failed on my Mac Mini. I called for warranty service. Apple told me they don't allow desktop machines to be shipped, they will ONLY honor the warranty if I carry it to an Apple store.

The nearest Apple store would require 600 miles of driving to drop it off and pick it up later. The best Apple could do was offer to CHARGE me $150 for an extended service plan which includes home service. They very politely refused to provide decent service.

I strongly recommend that you DO NOT BUY AN APPLE unless you live in a big city with an Apple store. Otherwise, you cannot get service.

Back to Computer reviews and Laptop reviews from Apple Computer Reviews

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Computer virus protection - How to prevent PC virus attacks?

Computer virus protection becomes a very easy task if you follow few simple steps described in this page. These steps are very easy but very effective.

It's important to keep viruses in perspective. They are but one threat to your data and programs. They need not be regarded as mysterious and they are quite easy to understand. Here are guidelines to keep in mind when considering viruses:

1. You can only get a virus by executing an infected program or booting from an infected diskette. Any diskette can be infected by a boot sector virus, even non-bootable diskettes, CD's, and DVD's. So do not unknown programs.

2. You cannot get a virus simply by being on the internet or using an online service. You will only become infected if you download an infected file and execute that file. This is a very critical step for Computer virus protection. Do not download unknown programs from the Internet. Always download from trust worthy websites.

3. Make sure you have backups for all your files. Backups are essential not only to safely recover from virus infections, but also to recover from the other threats to your data (such as a hard disk failure).

4. Be sure to check all new software for viruses before installing or using them. Even shrink-wrapped software from a major publisher may contain a virus.

5. Obtain software from reputable sources. Downloading a service pack for Windows XP from Microsoft's web site is a very different proposition than downloading a freeware disk utility from a company you've never heard of. Regardless of where you get your software, ALWAYS scan it for viruses BEFORE you execute the program or installer.

6. Scan and then some more. No downloaded executable files should ever be run without a very high degree of confidence that they are virus free. Make a habit of scanning all new possible virus-containing files that are put on your PC over the network. Do not run any programs that are placed into shared areas without scanning them first.

7. Beware of Automatic Downloads. Be careful when using programs that download and run update patches and programs automatically. While in most cases these will not be a problem, having downloaded software run automatically without virus checking exposes you to potential problems in my opinion.

8. You must take the responsibility for Computer virus protection in an office environment as well. Control your network connections. Control access to your computer. Consider controlling access to those who have a need. Fully 80% of damage caused to information systems is caused by action taken (accidental/deliberate) by an employee or friend, rather than, from outside sources.

9. Incorrect use of social networking websites also can cause virus attacks, especially when you are downloading stuff. You must always use proper security and privacy settings provided by the social media websites to protect your computer and your online reputation. This reputation.com review is a good example of how people can lose their online reputation and how much will it cost to repair your reputation.

The smartest and easiest thing to do for Computer virus protection is to buy one of the major antivirus programs - Norton Anti-Virus, Trend Micro, or McAffee Anti-Virus.

The primary benefit of the commercial packages is the frequency and ease of updating the virus definition files that these programs use to detect viruses. With new viruses popping up all the time, unless your protection software is kept updated (daily and automatically), you become ever more vulnerable to infection.

Antivirus software providers like the three mentioned above respond with updates within hours of new viruses and similar threats hitting the internet. If you are using the automatic update features built into these tools, your computer will be about as safe as is possible. Combine that with some knowledge and common sense like what is in this document, and you will go a long way to having a virus free computer existence.

Computer Tips – Useful Computer Maintenance tips

This page contains different levels of Computer tips. Some are very basic and some are very advance Computer maintenance tips. However, anyone with basic computer skills will be able to follow these computer tips.

Some Computer maintenance tasks are depending on your operating system and its version (XP, 2003, Windows 7 etc). However, most of the computer maintenance tips on this page are common and valid for many operating systems.

Computer troubleshooting tips from Visitors

This page is all about Computer troubleshooting tips from visitors like you. Many of the Computer troubleshooting ideas you'll find on this site have been sent to us by people around the world. These people are an inspiration to this site, helping make this site an inspiration to others.

Have you resolved a Computer problem recently? We'd love for you to send us your PC troubleshooting tips to resolve that problem. We'll create your very own Computer troubleshooting tips page on our site! (Other visitors will be able to find useful PC troubleshooting tips from YOUR STORY and comment on YOUR ideas!)

How to Avoid Spreading Computer Viruses?

There are some simple steps you must take to avoid becoming a victim of computer viruses and also avoid spreading Computer viruses to others. Here are some things that you can and should do.

If you are login to your Computer using a user name with high privileges (such as Administrator or power user) then Computer viruses can easily install their infected programs automatically. The best you can do is to create a Windows user account with lesser rights and use this new user account for your day to day work. Here is how to do it in Windows 7.

Log-in to your Computer with an Administrator (or equal) user account.

Click START button and then Control Panel

Click the “Add or remove user accounts” link under “User Accounts and Family Safety” section.

Then click “create a new account” link.

Enter your logon ID in the “New account name” field.

Make sure to select “Standard user” radio button (option).

Click the “Create account” button.

Never open an E-mail with an attachment you were not expecting.

The latest batch of virus programs are often spread by E-mail. Even if your anti-virus program does not warn you about the attached file and even if the eMail appears to come from someone you know, do not open it if you were not expecting it, and if you were expecting it, only open it AFTER scanning it with your up-to-date virus software.

Scan ALL incoming email attachments (regardless of who sent it).

Be sure to run each attachment you plan to open through the anti-virus check (you can configure your anti-virus program to do this). You must do this even if you recognize and trust the sender; malicious code, like Trojan horses, can slip into your system by appearing to be from a friendly source.

Turn off the 'automatic preview' in your email program.

Automatically previewing an email message has the exact same effect as opening and reading an email. My of the newest internet worms, trojans, and viruses simply need to have an email message read in order for them to be activated. Turning off the preview feature allows you to scan any email BEFORE you actually read it.

Don't share removeable storage devices such as USB flash drives.

Even a well-meaning friend may unknowingly pass along a virus, Trojan horse, or worm. Label your storage device clearly so you know they're yours and don't loan them out. If a friend passes you a flash drive, suggest an alternative method of file sharing.

Scan external storage devices before using them.

This is always important, but especially if you are using the disk to carry information between one computer and another. You could easily pick up a virus from an insecure network and introduce it into your system. Running a virus scan before launching any of the programs on the disk will prevent infection.

Keep your web browser set to its highest security level.

Its a pain to get the warning messages on every other web page you visit, but its the best way to protect yourself - especially if you use Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook.

Don't download programs from the Internet

Unreliable sources such as Internet newsgroups, social networks or Web sites that you haven't heard of may be willing providers of viruses for your computer. Avoid downloading files you can't be sure are safe. This includes freeware, screensavers, games, music and any other executable program - any files with an ".exe", ".pif",".htm", ".html", ".js" or ".com" extension, such as "coolgame.exe." Check to see if the site has anti-virus software running on their side. If you do have to download from the Internet, be sure to scan each program before running it. Save all downloads to one folder, then run virus checks on everything in the folder before using it. Regardless of where you download from, ALWAYS scan downloaded software. Back to Antivirus Help from How to Avoid Spreading Computer Viruses

Learn Computer Basics. First step of computer preventive maintenance

This computer basics page is the foundation for anyone who wants to explore the Computer world. This is a vast area to explore. But I am trying my best to cover as much as possible topics on computer basics for average computer users.

Do you want to receive useful Computer maintenance tips, latest virus and spyware threats and prevention methods, useful new software tools etc. periodically?

We can deliver tonnes of useful computer tips to your inbox with our newsletter. We eat, drink and breath Computers everyday and know what’s happening. Our newsletter is the media to communicate all hot news and tips to you.

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Learning computer basics is important to fully understand any specific area such as computer maintenance.

Definition of the Computer

An electronic device that stores, retrieves, and processes data, and can be programmed with instructions. A computer is composed of hardware and software, and can exist in a variety of sizes and configurations.

Hardware

There are several components that work together to run your computer. Hardware are the devices/parts which you can touch and see such as your monitor, Keyboard, mouse etc.

Software

Software are programs which has set of instructions that get hardware working for you. Ex: Windows, MS Word, MS Excel

Below sub pages contains more coverage on computer basics.

Personal computer history

Computer input devices

Computer output devices

Computer hardware components. Identify PC Computer parts.

Basic Computer Software Terminology

How Internet and Search Engines are working.

What is Broadband - high speed Internet connections.

What are Bits and Bytes.

What is an Operating System (OS) and application software.

How to stop paying money for Computer bug fixes?

Do you know over 80% of common Computer problems can be fixed in less than 30 minutes by a person who has an average Computer repair knowledge? But still PC users are paying hundreds and sometimes thousands of Dollars to Computer technicians for fixing minor bugs.

There is a hidden cost too. You are unable to work when your Computer is not working. You may be losing hundreds of Dollars on each hour thanks to your broken Computer.

So what is the solution?

My buddy and guru Monte Russel has been a computer repair guy for 20 years. He's been a long-time friend of mine and I have learned many advance Computer repair tips from him. Monte has blended all his knowledge, experience, secret tips and written an eBook on how to repair your computer by yourself.

You can read my review of his eBook at the below page.

http://www.preventiveguru.com/diy-computer-repair-guide.html

Wait… there is a special offer for my newsletter subscribers (you). Monte has set-up a special page for my subscribers to download the eBook for a very special price. Details are on the review page.

So visit http://www.preventiveguru.com/diy-computer-repair-guide.html and read the details.

Learn computer cleanup, computer repair and how to use repair tools

In this section you are going to learn

How to do Computer cleanup

Essential routine home computer repair and maintenance tasks

Good PC tools and how to use them.

Do you want to receive useful Computer maintenance tips, latest virus and spyware threats and prevention methods, useful new software tools etc. periodically? We can deliver tonnes of useful computer tips to your inbox with our newsletter. We eat, drink and breath Computers everyday and know what?s happening. Our newsletter is the media to communicate all hot news and tips to you.

Fill the form below to subscribe. Please note that you can unsubscribe anytime.

Regular computer cleanup is vital to prevent errors and to keep your PC in top form. One of the main reasons for many computer problems is low quality software downloaded from the Internet. These programs can damage the Windows registry and cause lot of errors. Therefore ALWAYS use a reputed website to download programs.

I strongly recommend you to read this page in conjunction with Computer Troubleshooting page.

Are  you are looking for a software tool that can do all the computer maintenance and repair tasks?  Then we highly recommend this computer maintenance tool.

Computer cleanup and repair can be divided into two.

1.Standard (basic) PC maintenance, clean up and repair.
2.Advance Computer maintenance

Lets start with the basics?.

The first task is hard disk maintenance. Click here to learn more on hard disk clean up and repair.

If you have Windows 98 or better installed on your PC, you have the option of performing semi-automated operating system (OS) updates directly from the Microsoft website. Microsoft updates all operating systems regularly to fix bugs as well as to apply patches to prevent from viruses. Initially, this process may take several hours, but if you frequently use Internet Explorer to make online purchases or use Microsoft Office programs to complete work and/or download e-mail, then this process is a must. Follow the steps below to get you started:

1. First, make sure you are connected to the Internet.

2. Click START and move your mouse pointer to the top of the START MENU and click on WINDOWS UPDATE. This will take you to the Microsoft Windows Update Homepage. In the upper left corner of the screen, you should see PRODUCT UPDATES: click on it.

3. During your initial setup, you will be prompted to download a small file from the Microsoft server; this step will enable the Microsoft server to determine what, if any, updates your PC requires. Click yes to download the file. Please note: The prompt has a check box that says "Always trust products from Microsoft." Please be aware of this and make a decision as to whether or not you want this option checked. Checking this option makes it easier for Microsoft to load software on your PC without your knowledge and could compromise your privacy. By leaving this unchecked, you should be prompted for any download from Microsoft.

4. Once Microsoft has determined what updates are missing from your PC, the updates will be listed and you may select the desired files or programs for download and installation.

5. One program in particular that should be downloaded is the Windows Update Notification program. This program will check the Microsoft server on a regular basis, when you are on-line, for new updates.

6. Critical Updates usually include security patches or other OS updates to maximize your PC's performance; these updates should be done every time they appear.

7. Most update programs or files may be downloaded and installed with other files; this decreases the number of times you will have to reboot your PC to ensure that you have all of your desired updates; HOWEVER, some files can only be downloaded by themselves. For example, service pack releases or other updates for, or related to, Internet Explorer are stand-alone downloads. This process will take awhile, as with every download and automated installation will require a reboot of your PC.

There are advanced computer cleanup and maintenance tasks, which you may have to do sometimes as a routine maintenance task or to fix errors. Special computer repair tools are available for these tasks. Some of these tools are available in Windows, but you may have to use 3rd party tools in some cases.

MSCONFIG is a Windows utility, which can be used for advance computer cleanup and maintenance tasks and fix Windows startup problems. I have built a separate page for this. Click here to learn how to use MSCONFIG for computer maintenance and troubleshoot startup programs

Windows registry is a database that store details about programs installed in your PC. There is a big noise about maintaining the Windows registry to speed-up the Computer. Is it really necessary to maintain the registry? How to do it? Visit Computer Registry Maintenance page to learn the truth about Windows registry maintenance.

You may come across a situation that you cannot fix a computer problem at home and need to take your PC to the reliable local computer repair company. Below are reliable computer maintenance and repair companies in major cities (US and other countries)

How Computer Viruses Spread?

Computer viruses can spread in various ways. Every Computer user MUST understand this and take extreme precautions to protect and stop spreading them. This article will help you to understand how Computer viruses spread and how to avoid it.

Computer Viruses are little bits of software that normally have a negative impact on our computers when they are activated. Usually viruses are attached onto other software programs (games, disk utilities, office documents/Macros, screen-savers), and are activated when these normally harmless programs are started. A virus is inactive until the infected program is run or an infected boot record on a DVD, USB flash drive or CD is read. When the virus is activated it loads into your computer's memory where it can perform its nasty job or spread itself to other programs on your system or computers in your network.

USB storage device used in an infected system (or CD-Roms/DVDs burned on an infected system) can then carry the virus to another machine. Programs downloaded from Internet, or file-sharing programs can also spread a virus. Email is the number 1 way to spread viruses, Trojan horses and especially internet worms.

It should be made clear, that Internet and file-sharing programs do not create viruses or infected files in any way. It is certain anti-social people who create viruses, and then use these services to spread the infected files to other users on the system.

This is very similar to cars and highways in that Ford, Toyota or the highway makers do not cause traffic accidents, it is the people who got drunk and then drove who causes a 14 car pileup. Of course if there weren’t cars or highways there wouldn’t be an accident… then again, the person would still be getting smashed and driving his horse-carriage into the store window.

For a virus or similar program to have any great impact it needs to be able to spread from one machine to another. They are specifically designed to get access to parts of your computer system that allow for communication with other machines. Below is a discussion of some of the most common methods.

Every disk (hard disk, CD, DVD) contains a section called a boot sector whether it is a bootable disk or not. When a computer is turned on, it looks for boot information (start-up instructions). If the it finds a disk with boot information, it reads that information and uses it to properly start the computer. If for some reason that boot information is infected with a virus, the virus is activated and possibly transferred to the computer's hard drive (if the infection was on a CD for example).

Once the boot code on the hard drive is infected the virus will be loaded into your computer’s memory every time you start your computer. From memory the boot virus can travel to any and every disk that is put into your computer. This is how the infection spreads.

Most boot viruses could be on a system for a long time without causing problems, simply existing there to spread themselves. Often such viruses are designed to activate their bad behaviour on a specific date (Halloween for example). There are some nasty boot viruses that will destroy the boot information or force a complete format of the hard drive immediately after they get into a computer.

When an infected application is run on your Computer the virus activates and is loaded into memory. While the virus is in memory any new program file that you run can become infected. This means that there will be increasingly more applications on your system that are infected. Multiple infections are very common and will certainly cause system problems.

Program files may function without any problems for some time but eventually they will have problems or multiple infections brings the entire computer system down. The data the program produces may be a first sign of infection such as saving files without proper names, or with incorrect/incomplete data being saved.

Viruses of this type are often designed to seek out programs that are used to share information between users/computers such as email applications, screen savers, office document Macros, and self-extracting compressed files.

Many of the most dangerous viruses are primarily spread through e-mail attachments - files that can be sent along with an e-mail message. In such cases, the user of an infected computer unknowingly attaches an infected file to an email message, and then sends the email to a friend or colleague. When the email is received, the virus is launched when the file attachment is opened, thus infecting a new computer. Email messages with animations, automated greeting cards, jokes, photographs, spreadsheet and document files, all have been documented to contain virus files.

More and more frequently these days mass mailing email worms/viruses are being released. These attacks AUTOMATICALLY scan your computer’s files and address book for any email address it can find and then uses your email application to AUTOMATICALLY send infected messages to any email address found in any file on your computer (not just email message files).

USB flash drives are a very common way viruses being spread from machine to machine. Anyone with an infected machine, using a flash drive to copy and save files, can also copy and transfer the virus. Any use of that same removable storage device , by any user, at any time in the future, will most likely contaminate, or re-contaminate the any computer it is used with.

With CD’s, all the above holds true with the exception that an infected CD can never be cleaned. To get rid of an infected CD, you need to put it in the trash and never use it again.

Peer-to-Peer network, Local Area Networks (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), Wireless Networks, and the Internet, are all computer networks. They all have the same basic purpose; to share software, and information resources between two or more computers. As with anything else that is shared between computers, networks let users share files, and wherever files are shared, viruses can be shared and spread.

Most network virus/worm/Trojan activity is like what we described earlier, although more and more examples of automatic mass mailing attacks, system resource attacks are being found. Recently many attacks are designed to specifically target major corporate interests (Microsoft, eBay, FaceBook, Amazon, major Banks etc.) in an attempt to disrupt their online services. Very generally these are called DOS (denial of service) attacks. The way they most commonly work is by secretly infecting thousands of local user computers (like the one you are using right now), and then at a specific time, launching a combined attack from all the infected machines against the primary target.

As you can see, your computer can be hijacked without your knowledge and then used in a major attack against an unsuspecting company. However with up-to-date virus/firewall protection, your computer will be immune to such hijacking.

Other sources of viruses have been found to be the result of software downloads available over the Internet. Software patches, drivers, demonstration software, from reputable companies, generally carries little risk. However, the Internet is also filled with "unofficial" software, pirated programs, and low-budget software from questionable sources that may be intentionally or unintentionally infected with viruses. Files downloaded directly from the Internet (either through file-sharing programs or direct download from websites), are among the fastest growing sources of computer virus infections.

Email, with its nearly universal availability and ease of use; chat rooms and messenger systems, not only make communication simple and quick, also make the transmission and re-transmission of infection simple and alarmingly fast. Creators of newer viruses, and internet worms specifically target these systems because they are widely used, and are often built right into the operating system and used with default settings making them much easier to attack and exploit.

As a point of reference, Internet Explorer, and Outlook/Outlook express email clients are two of the applications most targeted by internet viruses and worms. Why? Because they are installed on more computers around the world than any other software, and they are installed 99% of the time with default settings (which means virus programmers have an easy blueprint to follow).

If you use an email system or instant message system that is installed automatically with your computer’s operating system you need to install and use current antivirus software. You also need to learn how to turn off certain default settings that can leave your system open to very easy attack. Visit How to keep your computer from spreading viruses page to learn simple steps to stop spreading Computer viruses.

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Antivirus help - Tips to prevent from computer viruses

Welcome to the antivirus help report.

We have put together this comprehensive antivirus report in order to help millions of computer users around the world get a better understanding of computer viruses and basic personal computer safety.

Viruses and similar computer threats such as Trojan horses and internet worms are constantly becoming more serious threats to the safety of our computers and computer networks.

As we all become more dependant on computers for the running of our daily lives, the threats take on a much more personal significance. As recently as only 5 years ago, a virus might only attack a local computer (like the one you are using to read this report), or perhaps a small network (such as a university or small business). Rarely did they have far reaching global economic impacts.

Today viruses, and more seriously mass mailing internet worms are having devastating impacts on businesses both large and small. Most often this is managed by creating viruses, Trojan horses, or internet worms that take over control of certain parts of unprotected private computers.

Most recently we have seen the impact of attacks such as MyDoom, Sasser, and SoBig, all of which infected unsuspecting personal computers in people's homes and small businesses, and then launched internet attacks on specific corporations such as Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, eBay and others.

The goal of this report is to provide you with very easy to understand explanations of:

1) how viruses, Trojan horses, and internet worms work2) how you can recognise when one reaches your machine3) what you can do to protect your computer or computer network from being infected, and4) what you need to do to stop your machine from being used as a host to spread viruses, Trojan horses, or internet worms to other machines.

This antivirus help report is designed for people who have only basic knowledge and understanding of viruses, Trojan Horses, and Internet Worms. It is not going to make you an expert on viruses and such, but it will give you the knowledge and skills that you need to protect your home computer, or computer network in a small business.

The antivirus help guide is designed to be read from start to finish, but there is no reason that you can't jump between chapters if there is something that you are keen on reading.

We have tried very hard to make it as non-technical as possible but still provide accurate and valuable information that you can use in your fight against computer viruses and related attacks.

How to do Computer Registry Maintenance

Is Computer registry maintenance really required? How to do it? What are the risks? Read the details below to find answers.

The registry is a database in Windows that contains important information about system hardware, installed programs and settings, and profiles of each of the user accounts on your computer. Windows continually refers to the information in the registry.

You shouldn't need to make manual changes to the registry because programs and applications typically make all the necessary changes automatically. An incorrect change to your computer's registry could render your computer inoperable. However, if a corrupt file appears in the registry, you might be required to make changes.

Registry Editor is a tool intended for advanced users. It's used to view and change settings in the system registry, which contains information about how your computer runs. Windows refers to this information and updates it when you make changes to your computer, such as installing a new program, creating a user profile, or adding new hardware. Registry Editor lets you view registry folders, files, and the settings for each registry file.

Ordinarily, you don't need to make changes to the registry. The registry contains complex system information that's vital to your computer, and an incorrect change to your computer's registry could render your computer inoperable. However, a corrupt registry file might require changes. We strongly recommended that you back up the registry before making any changes and that you only change values in the registry that you understand or have been instructed to change. For more information, see Back up the registry.

You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps. If you aren't logged in as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account.

Before you make changes to a registry key or subkey, we recommend that you export, or make a backup copy, of the key or subkey. You can save the backup copy to a location you specify, such as a folder on your hard disk or a removable storage device (highly recommend). If you make changes that you want to undo, you can import the backup copy.

To open Registry Editor Click START->Run and type regedit. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Locate and click the key or subkey that you want to back up or click the "Computer" key to backup the entire registry.

Click the File menu, and then click Export.

In the Save in box, select the location where you want to save the backup copy to, and then type a name for the backup file in the File name box.

Click Save.

For advanced information about editing the registry, go to the Microsoft website for IT professionals.

Although you can back up more than just the registry key or subkey that you are modifying, doing so adds to the size of the backup file.

Before editing the registry, it's a good idea to create a restore point using System Restore. The restore point contains information about the registry, and you can use the restore point to undo changes to your system. For more information, search Help and Support for "System Restore."

The Windows registry is a database that lists all of the configuration settings that determine how Windows looks and behaves. Sometimes, settings that are no longer needed will remain in the registry in case they're ever needed again. There's nothing unusual about this, and this data is small in size.

Some products available for free on the Internet suggest regular Computer registry maintenance or cleaning. Although a registry setting can become corrupt on occasion, in general, the registry is self-sufficient. If you decide to install a registry cleaner, be sure to research the product and only download and install programs from software publishers that you trust.

The only product we recommend is Registry Easy Computer Registry Maintenance Tool

Warnings

Some programs available for free on the Internet might contain spyware, adware, or viruses. Only download and install programs from software publishers that you trust. Even if you trust the website you download the program from, you need to also trust the publisher of the program. For more information, see When to trust a software publisher.

We strongly recommend that you only change values in the registry that you understand or have been instructed to change by a source you trust. Be sure to back up the registry before making any changes.

View the original article here

Top 3 Computer Maintenance Software

There are thousands of Computer maintenance software available in the market. However, only few can do the job very well. We have been repairing computers for over 15 years and following are our top 3 picks of PC maintenance software for average Computer users.

#1 Registry Easy

This is by far the best product available in the market today. It allows you to scan your PC FREE and identify hidden errors and fix them immediately.

The most important feature of this computer maintenance software is the list of errors it can identify and fix. Not like other PC repair tools, this can identify hard to find PC errors and repair them instantly.

Visit the Registry Easy Website for more details on this PC maintenance software.

#2 Driver Robot

The main cause for most of the Computer problems is software divers. If you wonder what are drivers, they are the programs, which are talking to individual components of your PC. Each component such as mouse, Video card, your sound devices etc has dedicated drivers.

The hardware may not function properly when the drivers are not up to date or corrupted. Driver Robot can automatically scan your PC then download and install latest drivers for your PC. This will enhance the speed of your PC and keep it error free.

Visit Driver Robot Website for more details on this PC maintenance software.

#3 Workstation Optimizer

This is very special PC repair software. Workstation Optimizer is a combination of Computer maintenance and spyware remover. It has been developed in such a way that it can take care of computer maintenance as well as computer security problems.

Visit Workstation Optimizer website for more details on this Computer maintenance tool.

How to take a backup of your Computer

All Computer users MUST learn how to take a backup of important files. Regular data backup is very important. You never know what can happen to your PC tomorrow. Computer viruses, hard disk problems and many other Computer problems can damage or completely destroy your valuable data.

Here is a very simple method to take a data backup of your PC quickly.

Step 1 ? Organize your files.

You must have all your files in a proper folder structure. Always use one root folder and keep files under sub-folders of the root folder. My suggestion is to create a folder directly under your C: drive instead of using My Documents folder. Once organized it will be easier to take backups.

Step 2 ? Select an external storage device

These days? storage devices such as USB storage sticks are very cheap. You can use USB sticks, CDs or an external hard drive to take backups. 

Step 3 ? Create a backup plan

A backup plan is very simple. It is about how you want to keep your data backups. For an example if you want to take daily backups and keep them separately then you can create 7 sub-folders in the destination backup storage device. This sub-folder can be named appropriately such as the date of your back up etc.

Perhaps you want to take weekly backup and keep 4 weeks worth of data at a given time. Then you can overwrite week 1 backup on 5th week.

All above are Computer backup plans.

Step 4 ? Create a BAT file to semi-automate the backup process.

A bat file is an executable file, which you can use to take the backup for you.

Let?s say you want to backup all files and sub-folders in your C:Docs folder to your USB stick. You need to identify the drive letter of the USB stick by visiting My Computer. Then create appropriate destination folder structure in the USB drive. Let?s say F: is your USB drive and you have created a subfolder named Backup to take today?s backup.

Now your task is to copy all files and folders in C:Docs to F:Backup

Here is how to create a bat file.

Open Notepad (Start > Run > Notepad)
Type following commands

Then click File menu and select Save As

Select ?All Files: from the Save As Type drop-down list

Type backup.bat as the file name and save the file directly under your C: drive.

The file name could be anything as long as it is ending with .bat file extension.

Here is an explanation of the commands in the bat file.

Xcopy ? this is the copy command
C:Docs ? source folder. 
F:Backup ? files will be copied to this folder.
/E ? copy directories and sub directories including empty ones.
/H ? Copy hidden and system files also
/R ? Overwrites read only files
/Y - Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file.
Pause ? this will prompt you to enter any key to close the program.

Almost done.

Step 5 ? Let's see how to take a backup

Now you are going to run the backup.bat file. Here is what to do.

Click Start and select Run
In the space type as follows and click the OK button.

This will open a small black window and at the end prompt you to press any key.

That?s it. Go to F:Backup folder and verify whether all files and folders have been copied.

computer security help, Useful information security tips to protect your PC

I have spent weeks to build this Computer security help and tutorial page and its sub pages. Computer security is a very important subject. It is also a part of general computer maintenance. Please read these pages carefully. I cannot express more how important these information are.

I will show you how to implement a good home computer security system in this Computer security help and tutorial. You will get a blueprint of a solid home computer security system at the end. If you want to go one step further then get a CISSP Certification to better understands computer security

Do you know you are exposed to the whole world as soon as you connect to the Internet? Then your PC become a paradise for hackers, people who spread Spyware and viruses, waiting for an opportunity.

Most people misunderstand that computer security is only about viruses, spyware or intrusion detection. But there are many other things falls under the computer security umbrella.

With my experience, the most common mistake most of the PC users are doing is installing lot of free utilities. If you are one of those, see how many of them are useful and you are actively using? Do you know most of the Spyware have been spreading through these free utilities? It does not mean that all of them are spyware. But try to avoid using them.

First step of computer security ? configure Windows to update automatically.

Microsoft updates all MS operating systems regularly to fix bugs as well as to apply security patches. You can configure Windows to download them automatically when you are online.

To do this, click START and move your mouse pointer to the top of the START MENU and click on WINDOWS UPDATE.

Lets see what are the major home computer security threats for today?s PC users and what can we do about that.

This is the number one threat in the modern world. Any home computer security system should first address this. There are a lot to talk about viruses and how to protect your PC from possible attacks.

If you want to read a very comprehensive guide on how to prevent from Computer viruses then visit Antivirus Help page.

Otherwise visit Computer Virus Protection Software page to read a short antivirus guide and take action. Then come back and continue reading this computer security help guide.

Computer Hackers are PC users who access other computers and take information such as credit card numbers, bank details etc. Not only that, they may crash your hard disk and destroy all your data. The worse thing is that you will never know whether somebody is hacking your computer unless you use good computer security software.

Is it secure to use my Credit card on the Internet?

We are in the 21st century and the Internet has become a part of everybody's life. Sooner or later we will have to uses our Credit or Debit cards for Internet transactions. Main credit card companies and Banks are working on more secured methods to use transactions over the Internet. You cannot avoid using Internet for financial transactions. The solution is to follow a good home computer security strategy.

So what is the solution for hackers?

The solution is to use a personal firewall. I have more information on firewalls in a separate page. Please visit Computer Firewall page, read and take action. Then come back and continue reading this computer security help and tutorial.

Spyware and Adware, also called "Malware", are files made by publishers that allow them to spy on you. I have built a separate page, which has everything you should know about Spyware. Please visit Fix Spyware page, read and take action. Then come back and continue reading this computer security help guide.

If you have a small network at home or a small to medium network at your office or business then you must know how to protect the network from security attacks. One method is to setup a virtual private network and use a VPN service from AT&T or another internet provider to ensure that no one outside of your network can access your system. Visit Computer network security software page for useful information.

This is an area that has less attention. But the results can be disastrous. How to secure your privacy while online or offline? I have built a separate page for this. Visit Internet privacy protection page to learn more.

This depends on each user. Visit Computer Security Products page to find the best solution for you.

Do not depend only on your security software. Use common sense.

Do not download ANYTHING from untrustworthy web sites.

Do not open unknown emails and attachments.

Do not install free computer utilities unless experienced people recommend them.

Avoid sharing your hard drive or folders. To check whether you are sharing, go to Windows Explorer > write-click the drive or the folder and click "sharing".

Take regular backups of important files and emails to an external media such as a USB stick.

Be careful when using CDs, diskettes and other external media. Use your virus scanner to scan them before using.

Computer security products and free antivirus software review

There are many computer security products available in the market. But how do you know which products are good and suitable to your circumstances? Welcome to the free antivirus software review

With my 12 years experience in IT, I have personally supported many PCs with different computer security products installed. Different products have different advantages and disadvantages.

The most important factor is that how up-to-date they are with the latest threats and how quickly a solution can be provided. Reputed suppliers have their own large research teams working 24/7 to identify and develop solutions for latest threats.

Check for the following

Features ? The software should have enough features to provide adequate security

Market reputation ? There is nothing like testimonials from actual customers who are using the product. Discussion forums, product reviews, blogs and are few places to find out user experience. Don?t worry I have already done this for you.

User friendliness.

Technical support

Price - It should not be overpriced.

PC resource usage ? Security software should not use lot of computer resources such as Memory, CPU and Hard disk space.

I would like to recommend below products considering all those factors and my personal experience.

Please note that these links will take you directly to the manufacturer?s web site. No resellers or intermediate parties involved.

Because everyone cannot afford to buy high end products, I have divided products into three sections including FREE computer security products. So do not worry if you have a tight budget.

These are the major products that I recommend. They may be a bit expensive, but the reliability is very high.

Norton Products

Norton is the leader in the market. I highly recommend their antivirus software products. One of the below two are more than enough to protect your Computer

Norton All-in-one

Norton Internet Security (If you cannot afford to by the all in one package)

Trend Micro

Trend Micro is one of the oldest antivirus products in the world. Previously they called PCcillin. Check the features of Trend Micro Internet Security software. The price is also reasonable.

Zone Alarm is a very high quality Antispyware product from Zone Labs Inc. Click the banner to learn more about this product.

If your budget is bit tight and cannot spend much then below products are for you.

Panda Internet security software.

Panda has gained a considerably large market share and is reputed for the best priced security products. There Internet security package includes Antivirus, personal firewall and AntiSpyware. Click the banner to find more information about this fast growing product

The other low-end antivirus software we recommend is ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite

There are free low end computer security products if you cannot spend money at all. Visit free computer security software and free antivirus software review page for more details.