Newsletter for Gene's Customers

This newsletter was primarily written for my customers with information that is important, first for the proper operation of their computers, and second, what you should know. Look right here at the top to see special announcements and the date of updates. Today: 05/08/2012

Gene is Host of Computer Corner on WCHE - 1520AM

I do a radio show on WCHE-1520AM called Computer Corner on Saturday Mornings from 8-9 AM. It is a "call in" show where you can ask questions about your computer problems and I will give computer information while waiting for callers. Callers may call in with their specific problems. I start with a few minutes of computer news, a Tip of the Week, a web site pick, and then introduce a topic for the day, many times with a special guest. You can also email questions and comments to gene@5dradio.com. Check the WCHE web site for show schedule. The show was on WCOJ 1420 for 4 years before the station was sold to the Catholic Radio Network. 5DRadio was created to stream the show when we were without a radio station but then, WCHE contacted us to carry the show. We also do an extra half hour after 9AM which is only on the stream with additional information and we call this segment Technology Corner, since we also talk about all kinds of things - Technology.

Viruses, Worms, Trojans, Spyware, & other Infections

You and other Americans are being terrorized by computer. The terrorists are not dropping bombs on our buildings right now, but they are causing much more in financial damage and inconvenience. Viruses, Trojans, and Worms, as well as Spy-ware and Hi-jacking are being pumped into our computers so fast, that nothing seems to stop some of them. Your computer may become infected before the anti-virus companies can detect and write fixes for them and add them to their definition list. If an infection gets to your computer before the fix is released, your anti-virus may not even detect them.

Much of the vicious stuff is coming from the Middle and Far East, but recently, local criminal gangs have learned the ways and are also using Trojans and Spyware to obtain personal information which they easily sell to other criminals who are looking to steal your identity and break into your bank accounts. No one is safe because at any one time, there are thousands of legitimate web sites that the criminals have infected to get spyware into your computer.

Viruses, Trojans, Worms, Spy-ware, Pop-up Advertising, Browser Hijacking, Phishing, Hacking, and Cracking are all closely related, but they are very different and require different means to eliminate them. No one product is good enough to get them all. Spyware inserts a Trojan and the door is opened to everything. It is not uncommon to find 25 to 50 or more infected files and bundles of Spyware in most computers.

You can reformat your hard drive and reload all your software, but it takes less than one minute with an unprotected computer to become infected again. Unprotected means that you not only have no anti-virus, but your Windows, Java, Adobe products, and Flash are not up to date. Don't let your anti-virus expire, even for one day.

You must make sure it is updating because Spyware can turn this protection off. You must learn to do a manual and deep scan because automatic scans don't do the deep scans. We have found that Vipre anti-virus is not only the best, but it doesn't steal your computers power.

"Spy-bot Search and Destroy" is the only spy-ware program of any value that can find spyware when you are infected. Spybot S&D is free, but they solicit donations. Consider giving them one. Beware of any popup that asks to install to remove infections. That is an infection knocking at your door.

Use Firefox or Chrome instead of Internet Explorer. Use IE 8 or 9 only if you are using IE. Use Thunderbird instead of Outlook Express. Both are free downloads from Mozilla.org. Both will help eliminate most spy-ware and popup infections. Also download and use MOZBACKUP to backup your email.

Back up your pictures, music, address book, Quicken or other financial stuff, and any other documents to CDR, Zip, or some other device and do it regularly. Do it before you loose them.

Don't mix business and personal use on the same computer. Your surfing habits will do you in.

If you want clean email, try Bee Net, a local Internet Service Provider here in Chester County. They have great dialup, but their email is screened for Viruses, Worms, and Trojan infections before you get them. They also have the best filtered spam protection. You can get their email service for $50 a year, even if you have DSL or Cable. They also have Web Mail and even distant numbers when you travel. (610-280-2274)

Linux

Get hold of a "Live" Linux CD and use it for risky surfing. Linux doesn't crash and it is not subject to f the Viruses and Trojans that "take out" Windows. Linux loads on to the hard drive faster and includes most of the drivers that your computer needs. It even includes "Open Office" which will allow you to open Word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and databases.

Quiry Your system

There is a program (Belarc Advisor ) that everyone who owns a computer should have and use. It's on the Internet at www.belarc.com/free_download.html . This is something everyone should download, install, run, and print out as soon as possible. It will give you a printout of everything in your computer, along with all your important software, and their serial numbers. Print and save this file. It just may save you and your computer. Do it while your computer is working.

Email! Spam! I was getting somewhere between 150 and 200 emails a day. My email service from Bee Net screens most of it. They use Postini. I do get a chance to look in the screened files before I dump them, and every once in a while, I find something that Postini screened out that is wanted. It's possible that I may miss something legit that the screened list has because I skim over the list rapidly. With Postini, I only get about 5 - 8 emails now and that's much better. Bee Net will sell you an email account for $50 a year. Viruses just don't come through it. If everyone would agree not to respond to Internet advertising, it would eventually go away. The trouble is, the 5 % response on these spam messages is enough to make it pay.

System CD Disks

Your "Recovery" or "Windows" CD and driver disks are the key to getting your computer back up when things go really wrong, and they do go wrong. Many are lost, misplaced, or damaged beyond use (scratched by the kids, left to bake in the sun, or melted into the plastic holder). Your Compaq, Dell, or Gateway is junk without them. Know where they are and keep them safe. In the latest effort to cut costs, some manufacturers are no longer providing these CDs. You have no idea how bad this is for you. They will tell you that they have placed recovery on your hard drive for you to use and that is an easier recovery than from a CD. This is BULL. Hard drives die! Hard drives get corrupted. Virus do attack the recovery files, even on another partition. I know. I see this all the time. Never buy a computer that does not come with a Recovery CD or Windows CD. Demand them or walk away.

Your computer needs care. Here are some important tips:

Never bump or move your computer with the power turned on. It will cause premature hard drive failure as well as data loss..

Dust needs to be cleaned from the CPU and power supply fans. Dust is an insulator and traps heat causing failures.

Learn to use "MSCONFIG" to stop unnecessary programs that startup when your computer starts. Computers that have been loaded with many programs also have components that get out in the startup group and these all steal your power and resources. There is a lot of poorly written software from well known vendors that cause conflicts. MSCONFIG can prevent some of these conflicts. Be careful not to turn off virus protection, printer utilities, and modem drivers here.

Run "Disk Cleanup" under hard drive properties to cleanup unnecessary files.

Running Scandisk and DEFRAG are important utilities that you must learn to use monthly.

Use a quality surge protector on the power line, the modem telephone connection, and also the cable modem if you have that service, to protect your computer.

Did you know that your inkjet printer will die from lack of use? Actually, the ink dries up in the heads and becomes very hard to clean out. A real mess! You have to use them almost weekly. That means using all the colors too. Make a test file that prints a word in each color and use it weekly to exercise your printer if you do not do a lot of color printing.

What Makes Windows Crash?

Windows crashes from interuptions of power or bad shutdown, uninstalling software, software conflicts, driver conflicts, viruses, and human error. Fixing Windows may be as simple as replacing missing or corrupted files or reconfiguring certain files or the registry. If Windows is really destroyed, reinstalling Windows, either on top of Windows or clean, may be the only other options. If you are doing this, you need to know what you are doing. You could wipe out everything if you do not know what to do and how to do it. Be sure to read additional documents under Technical Information on this web site.