By: Amanda Huber
Recently, while checking our company web site statistics, we
noticed a number of referrals from gambling and pornography
sites. Since we are certain these types of sites would not house
links to us, we investigated further and determined that some of
our faithful visitors may be the victims of adware or spyware.
What is adware?
Adware, in it's most sinister incarnation, is a program that
runs on your computer (like a virus) and occassionally pops up
ads or redirects your browser to websites you had not chosen to
visit.
What is spyware?
Spyware is software that collects personal information from you
without your knowledge or permission. The information spyware
collects can range from all the web sites you visit to sensitive
information including user names and passwords.
How can I make sure I don't get these on my computer?
* Never download programs or files from a website you don't know
and trust. * Never open email attachments unless you know what
they are. If you receive an email from a friend, but the text is
strange and you don't know what the attachment is do not open
it. Write to your friend and make sure they sent the email. *
Keep an antivirus program running on your computer at all times.
You may also want to download Microsoft's Spyware program which
can be found free here: http://www.microsoft.com/ More
comprehensive articles on adware and spyware may be found here:
http://cexx.org/problem.htm
http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/malware.ars?72460
http://www.adware.info/
About the author:
An authority on integrated web databases, Amanda Huber is
co-owner of Vulcan Creative Labs, LLC (www.vulcancreative.com)
and DeadFred.com, an online genealogy photo archive. She
occasionally contributes articles for Dead Fred's e-newsletter
Relatively Speaking which help genealogy researchers with more
technical aspects of their online tasks.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
40 Million People Hacked - YOU as Identity Theft Victim
By: Mike Banks Valentine
June 18, MasterCard blamed a vendor of ALL credit card providers
called CardSystems Solutions, Inc., a third-party processor of
payment card data, as the source of loss of 40 million consumers
credit card information.
As is pointed out by several newspaper and web articles over the
last few weeks, each recapping long lists of financial
information data breaches, something's gotta give before we
entirely lose trust in financial institutions, data brokers and
credit bureaus. How much privacy loss can we take without acting?
These types of data loss were very likely common and have very
probably been going on for a very long time. The difference is
that now, THEY ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO DISCLOSE THOSE LOSSES -
not just in California, but in many states. National disclosure
laws on data security breaches are being considered in Congress.
I suggest that these breaches of data security all came to light
due to the California law requiring disclosure from companies
suffering hacking loss or leaks or social engineering or crooked
employees or organized crime rings posing as "legitimate"
customers. All of the above have been given as reasons for
security lapses or poor security policies.
About three years ago, a friend told me his paycheck deposit to
Bank of America went missing from account records after he took
his check to the bank on Friday. By Monday, Bank of America was
in the news claiming a computer glitch had disappeared the
entire day's deposits. I mumbled to myself, "I'll bet that was a
hack and that hacker just made a huge offshore banking deposit
with B of A depositors' money."
But we didn't find out why it happened in that particular case
because there was no disclosure law in place at the time. Now we
have disclosure laws that mandate notice of security breaches.
Now suddenly - huge financial services hacks and devious
criminal social engineering outfits posing as legitimate
customers and apparently "innocent" losses by transport
companies of backup tapes begin to come to light.
This spate of data loss incidents is proof of the need for
corporate "sunshine laws" that make public notice mandatory of
those data losses that threaten customer information.
Who is going to lose here - the public, the corporations, the
criminals, or the government? I'd prefer that the bad guys get
the shaft and take down crooked company insiders that either
facilitate data loss by underfunding security and encryption or
participate in data theft or loss in any form - even if that
participation is security negligence.
Financial companies and data brokers have been covering up the
losses and keeping quiet about hacks so as not to worry or
frighten their customers. But that practice is essentially ended
now that they must notify the public and disclose those losses
instead of hushing them up.
Keeping the breaches hidden from public view is bad practice as
it maintains the status quo. Disclosure will facilitate internal
corporate lockdowns on the data and all access to it. Disclosure
will educate the public to the lack of security and danger to
the sensitive information we all provide rather casually and
routinely to businesses.
As the following link to a silicon.com story suggests, we cannot
take much more of this lack of regard to privacy and must lock
down financially sensitive data securely and must begin to hold
data brokers, bureaus and handlers VERY accountable.
Insist to your elected representatives that your financial data
be locked down, encrypted and guarded by those entrusted with
storing, transporting and using it. Since our financial, medical
and legal lives are increasingly being housed in digital form
and transmitted between data centers of multiple handlers - we
need to know it is secure. We also need to know when that
security has been breached and our data compromised or lost.
Thieves are becoming more aware of the ease with which they can
find and access financial data. Hacking is not the source of the
greatest losses.
Organized crime has easily found their way into our financial
records by simply paying for it by posing as "legitimate"
business customers of information brokers such as ChoicePoint
and Lexis/Nexis. Any business can buy financial and credit
information from those information bureaus and credit reporting
agencies by meeting rather lax requirements for "need to know"
that data.
As long as it is possible to purchase our sensitive data from
brokers and bureaus, organized crime will "legitimately" buy it
from those sources, then ruin our credit by selling that
information at a higher price in identity theft schemes.
Since disclosure laws have come into effect, those breaches have
been made public, credit cards cancelled before losses can occur
and credit reports monitored to watch for suspicious activity.
The bad guys activities are squelched because we are made aware
of the possibility our information has been compromised.
Not all blame can go to financial institutions and data brokers.
Protect your own private data by protecting your computer
records at home, in the office, on your laptop and in your PDA
by using basic keyword security and locking down files. Use
built in encryption on your operating system and your home
network to keep data secure. Then be certain to clear that
sensitive data off the computer when you sell it or throw it
away.
Data security is something we all need to take seriously and the
corporate breaches are dramatic illustrations of how important
it has become to build digital fortresses around our critical
financial, legal and medical information.
About the author:
Mike Banks Valentine is a privacy advocate and blogs about
privacy issues at http://privacynotes.com/privacy_blog/ You can
read more about identity theft issues at:
http://shorl.com/hudryrygepregru
Contact MikeValentine for Search Engine Optimization
http://www.seoptimism.com/SEO_Contact.htm
June 18, MasterCard blamed a vendor of ALL credit card providers
called CardSystems Solutions, Inc., a third-party processor of
payment card data, as the source of loss of 40 million consumers
credit card information.
As is pointed out by several newspaper and web articles over the
last few weeks, each recapping long lists of financial
information data breaches, something's gotta give before we
entirely lose trust in financial institutions, data brokers and
credit bureaus. How much privacy loss can we take without acting?
These types of data loss were very likely common and have very
probably been going on for a very long time. The difference is
that now, THEY ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO DISCLOSE THOSE LOSSES -
not just in California, but in many states. National disclosure
laws on data security breaches are being considered in Congress.
I suggest that these breaches of data security all came to light
due to the California law requiring disclosure from companies
suffering hacking loss or leaks or social engineering or crooked
employees or organized crime rings posing as "legitimate"
customers. All of the above have been given as reasons for
security lapses or poor security policies.
About three years ago, a friend told me his paycheck deposit to
Bank of America went missing from account records after he took
his check to the bank on Friday. By Monday, Bank of America was
in the news claiming a computer glitch had disappeared the
entire day's deposits. I mumbled to myself, "I'll bet that was a
hack and that hacker just made a huge offshore banking deposit
with B of A depositors' money."
But we didn't find out why it happened in that particular case
because there was no disclosure law in place at the time. Now we
have disclosure laws that mandate notice of security breaches.
Now suddenly - huge financial services hacks and devious
criminal social engineering outfits posing as legitimate
customers and apparently "innocent" losses by transport
companies of backup tapes begin to come to light.
This spate of data loss incidents is proof of the need for
corporate "sunshine laws" that make public notice mandatory of
those data losses that threaten customer information.
Who is going to lose here - the public, the corporations, the
criminals, or the government? I'd prefer that the bad guys get
the shaft and take down crooked company insiders that either
facilitate data loss by underfunding security and encryption or
participate in data theft or loss in any form - even if that
participation is security negligence.
Financial companies and data brokers have been covering up the
losses and keeping quiet about hacks so as not to worry or
frighten their customers. But that practice is essentially ended
now that they must notify the public and disclose those losses
instead of hushing them up.
Keeping the breaches hidden from public view is bad practice as
it maintains the status quo. Disclosure will facilitate internal
corporate lockdowns on the data and all access to it. Disclosure
will educate the public to the lack of security and danger to
the sensitive information we all provide rather casually and
routinely to businesses.
As the following link to a silicon.com story suggests, we cannot
take much more of this lack of regard to privacy and must lock
down financially sensitive data securely and must begin to hold
data brokers, bureaus and handlers VERY accountable.
Insist to your elected representatives that your financial data
be locked down, encrypted and guarded by those entrusted with
storing, transporting and using it. Since our financial, medical
and legal lives are increasingly being housed in digital form
and transmitted between data centers of multiple handlers - we
need to know it is secure. We also need to know when that
security has been breached and our data compromised or lost.
Thieves are becoming more aware of the ease with which they can
find and access financial data. Hacking is not the source of the
greatest losses.
Organized crime has easily found their way into our financial
records by simply paying for it by posing as "legitimate"
business customers of information brokers such as ChoicePoint
and Lexis/Nexis. Any business can buy financial and credit
information from those information bureaus and credit reporting
agencies by meeting rather lax requirements for "need to know"
that data.
As long as it is possible to purchase our sensitive data from
brokers and bureaus, organized crime will "legitimately" buy it
from those sources, then ruin our credit by selling that
information at a higher price in identity theft schemes.
Since disclosure laws have come into effect, those breaches have
been made public, credit cards cancelled before losses can occur
and credit reports monitored to watch for suspicious activity.
The bad guys activities are squelched because we are made aware
of the possibility our information has been compromised.
Not all blame can go to financial institutions and data brokers.
Protect your own private data by protecting your computer
records at home, in the office, on your laptop and in your PDA
by using basic keyword security and locking down files. Use
built in encryption on your operating system and your home
network to keep data secure. Then be certain to clear that
sensitive data off the computer when you sell it or throw it
away.
Data security is something we all need to take seriously and the
corporate breaches are dramatic illustrations of how important
it has become to build digital fortresses around our critical
financial, legal and medical information.
About the author:
Mike Banks Valentine is a privacy advocate and blogs about
privacy issues at http://privacynotes.com/privacy_blog/ You can
read more about identity theft issues at:
http://shorl.com/hudryrygepregru
Contact MikeValentine for Search Engine Optimization
http://www.seoptimism.com/SEO_Contact.htm
File sharing - What you need to know!
By: N Hynes
File sharing on p2p is soaring despite the music and movie
industry efforts to curb the practice. Regardless of which side
of the arguement you are on it is likely that sharing of
copyright material will continue in one form or another for the
foreseeable future.
With the advent of p2p file sharing it is possible to download
music, movies, movie trailers, MP3's, TV shows, software, games
and ringtones all for free. All that is required is a fast
internet connection and some P2P software. A peer to peer
computer network is a network used for sharing content like
audio, video, data or anything in digital format. The best known
example of p2p file sharing application was Napster. Napster was
shutdown following a lawsuit with the music industry.
Today, Napster has been replaced by a new type of application
which required no central server and allows the anonymous
sharing of files. The most common peer to peer networks today
are Kazaa, Grokster, eMule and Morpheus.
Be warned however that much of the content on p2p networks is
copyright material and therefore downloading or sharing this
material can violate copyright laws especially in light of the
recent US Supreme Court rules against file-sharing services.
There is also the risk of downloading viruses and spyware as
these file-sharing networks are not secure. Spyware and adware
programs are frequently bundled into P2P file sharing software.
Downloaded material could also contain pornography. More file sharing
info
About the author:
(c) Noel Hynes, 2005. Reprint rights granted to copy and publish
this article so long as the article and by-line are reprinted
intact. File
sharing Information
File sharing on p2p is soaring despite the music and movie
industry efforts to curb the practice. Regardless of which side
of the arguement you are on it is likely that sharing of
copyright material will continue in one form or another for the
foreseeable future.
With the advent of p2p file sharing it is possible to download
music, movies, movie trailers, MP3's, TV shows, software, games
and ringtones all for free. All that is required is a fast
internet connection and some P2P software. A peer to peer
computer network is a network used for sharing content like
audio, video, data or anything in digital format. The best known
example of p2p file sharing application was Napster. Napster was
shutdown following a lawsuit with the music industry.
Today, Napster has been replaced by a new type of application
which required no central server and allows the anonymous
sharing of files. The most common peer to peer networks today
are Kazaa, Grokster, eMule and Morpheus.
Be warned however that much of the content on p2p networks is
copyright material and therefore downloading or sharing this
material can violate copyright laws especially in light of the
recent US Supreme Court rules against file-sharing services.
There is also the risk of downloading viruses and spyware as
these file-sharing networks are not secure. Spyware and adware
programs are frequently bundled into P2P file sharing software.
Downloaded material could also contain pornography. More file sharing
info
About the author:
(c) Noel Hynes, 2005. Reprint rights granted to copy and publish
this article so long as the article and by-line are reprinted
intact. File
sharing Information
Sunday, June 26, 2005
6 Ways To Prevent Identity Theft
By: Gary Gresham
These six ways to prevent identity theft offer you valuable tips
against the fastest growing crime in America today. In 2004,
more than 9.9 million Americans fell victim to many types of
identity theft scams, costing them nearly $5 billion. Their
finances were severely hurt because they never thought it would
happen to them. Hopefully, this article will help many of you so
you won't become a new victim of this terrible crime. Here are
six ways to prevent identity theft. 1. Shred any documents you
receive that contain any personal information. This includes
credit card receipts and pre-approved credit applications. This
important tip alone can offer you more protection against
identity theft than any other suggestion here. 2. Never give
personal information to people over the phone, on the Internet
or through the mail. Identity thieves will claim to be from the
government, your bank or even law enforcement. Keeping your
personal information private is one of the best ways to prevent
identity theft. 3. Check your credit reports from all three
major credit bureaus at least once a year and look to see that
everything is accurate. If you find an error, dispute it
immediately for protection against identity theft. 4. Be aware
when your bills usually arrive every month and check them over
carefully. Thieves can steal your credit card statements and
this popular type of identity theft has been around for decades.
5. Don't use common numbers like your birthdate or the last four
digits of your Social Security number for your ATM password. If
you have done this change it immediately. This is a common
mistake people make and one of the quickest ways to prevent
Identity theft. 6. Never give out your Social Security number
unless it is absolutely necessary. Your employer, financial
institution and doctor need it for identification and tax
reporting. But if someone else asks for your Social Security
number, always question why they need it and be cautious when
giving it to anyone. For maximum protection against identity
theft keep any personal information about you as private as
possible. Use these 6 ways to prevent identity theft and you
will have a much better chance of avoiding this nightmare.
Copyright © 2005 Spyware Information.com All Rights Reserved.
About the author:
This article is provided by http://www.spyware-information.com
where you will find free spyware cleaners, downloads, removal
software, valuable tips and updated articles about adware and
spyware that show you how protect yourself from identity theft.
For other informative spyware and identity protection articles
go to http://spyware-information.com/articles_1.html
These six ways to prevent identity theft offer you valuable tips
against the fastest growing crime in America today. In 2004,
more than 9.9 million Americans fell victim to many types of
identity theft scams, costing them nearly $5 billion. Their
finances were severely hurt because they never thought it would
happen to them. Hopefully, this article will help many of you so
you won't become a new victim of this terrible crime. Here are
six ways to prevent identity theft. 1. Shred any documents you
receive that contain any personal information. This includes
credit card receipts and pre-approved credit applications. This
important tip alone can offer you more protection against
identity theft than any other suggestion here. 2. Never give
personal information to people over the phone, on the Internet
or through the mail. Identity thieves will claim to be from the
government, your bank or even law enforcement. Keeping your
personal information private is one of the best ways to prevent
identity theft. 3. Check your credit reports from all three
major credit bureaus at least once a year and look to see that
everything is accurate. If you find an error, dispute it
immediately for protection against identity theft. 4. Be aware
when your bills usually arrive every month and check them over
carefully. Thieves can steal your credit card statements and
this popular type of identity theft has been around for decades.
5. Don't use common numbers like your birthdate or the last four
digits of your Social Security number for your ATM password. If
you have done this change it immediately. This is a common
mistake people make and one of the quickest ways to prevent
Identity theft. 6. Never give out your Social Security number
unless it is absolutely necessary. Your employer, financial
institution and doctor need it for identification and tax
reporting. But if someone else asks for your Social Security
number, always question why they need it and be cautious when
giving it to anyone. For maximum protection against identity
theft keep any personal information about you as private as
possible. Use these 6 ways to prevent identity theft and you
will have a much better chance of avoiding this nightmare.
Copyright © 2005 Spyware Information.com All Rights Reserved.
About the author:
This article is provided by http://www.spyware-information.com
where you will find free spyware cleaners, downloads, removal
software, valuable tips and updated articles about adware and
spyware that show you how protect yourself from identity theft.
For other informative spyware and identity protection articles
go to http://spyware-information.com/articles_1.html
Saturday, June 25, 2005
10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer - Without Upgrading
By: Jim Shutes
It seems that the longer you own your computer, the slower it
gets! A lot of people will keep their computer until it gets so
slow that they feel they need a newer, faster model. Some feel
like the reason it is getting slower is because it is getting
older, when that is just not the case. Your computer should run
just as fast as the day you brought it home - if you follow
these 10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer.
1. Empty the Temp directory regularly. After a short while, the
temp directory fills up with hundreds of temp files that always
get scanned over when Windows starts up and when programs
launch. This slows everything down immensely.
Rule of thumb for Temp Files: If you don't have any programs
open (and nothing minimized in the bar below), then you
shouldn't have ANY temp files in your temp directory. If you do,
delete them.
To delete Temp files, make sure NO programs are open, and.
a. In Windows 95, 98 or Me, go to C:WindowsTemp and delete
everything inside the Temp folder.
b. In Windows 2000 or XP, it is a little trickier. First, make
sure that you can see hidden folders. Double-click My Computer.
Click on the Tools pull-down menu, and then on Folder Options.
Click on the View tab. Scroll down and click on Show Hidden
Files and Folders. Click Ok. Now you can go to the C:Documents
and SettingsAdministratorLocal SettingsTemp folder. Delete
everything here.
2. Empty the Temporary Internet Files regularly. To empty
Temporary Internet Files, go to your Control Panel and
double-click the Internet Options icon. Choose to Delete
Cookies, and to Delete Files. This will clear all of your
Temporary Internet Files.
3. Check your hard disks for problems.
a. For Windows 95, 98, or Me, double-click My Computer.
Right-click the C-drive and click on Properties. Click on the
Tools tab and choose to check the computer for problems. If you
choose to do a Thorough Scan, this will do the hardware check
for physical disk damage or sector damage. Choose to fix any
errors it finds.
b. For Windows 2000 and XP, double-click My Computer.
Right-click the C-drive and click Properties. Click on the Tools
tab and choose to check the computer for problems. Click on
Check Now. You will then have two check boxes. The top option is
for the file check, and the second option is for the hardware
(physical disk) check. Check either one, or both. At least check
the top one. Hit ok, and reboot. This may take some time, but
let it run.
4. An even more thorough disk check, would be to use a 3rd party
utility. One of my favorites is TuneUp Utilities 2004. It does
cost $39.99, but they do offer a FREE download trial of 15 days.
This program does a really good job of fixing software and
physical hard drive problems. It also tunes up your system for
increased speed, and streamlines your operating system for peak
performance. Download it HERE...
http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp
5. Or, you can do a few of the performance tweaks yourself, if
you have Windows XP. By default, EVERYTHING is turned on in
Windows XP. It isn't very streamlined for performance, but
rather for appearance. You can turn off a few of the unnecessary
features, and Windows will still work just fine, and maybe a
little faster.
To do this, right-click on My Computer and click on Properties.
Click on the Advanced tab. Under the Performance section, click
on the Settings button. On the Visual Effects tab, you will see
a list of check boxes. By default, these are all on. You really
don't need any of them for Windows to run. Go through the check
boxes one by one, and determine which ones you can and can't
live without.
6. Turn off Active Desktop. Active Desktop turns your desktop
into a web page, and allows you to have things like a real-time
calendar, and up-to-the-minute weather or stocks. These are
nice, but really slow down your computer. And even if you don't
use Active Desktop for anything, just having it active can cause
a performance decrease. Turn it off.
a. In Windows 95, 98 and Me, right-click on the desktop and in
the pop-up menu, choose Active Desktop. Inside that option,
uncheck Active Desktop. If there is no check next to it, then it
isn't on. Don't choose it. Instead, just click the desktop again
to get out of the menu.
b. In Windows 2000, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up
menu, choose Active Desktop. Inside that option, uncheck Show
Web Content. Again, if there is no check next to it, then it is
not on. Do not check it.
c. In Windows XP, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up
menu, choose Properties. On the Desktop tab, choose Customize
Desktop. Now, on the Web tab, make sure that there are no
websites chosen here. If there aren't any, then Active Desktop
is not on. Cancel and go back to the desktop.
7. Install and run a good AntiVirus program to keep out viruses
that can take over your system. One of my favorites is AVG. It
is not only a really good AntiVirus program, but it is also
FREE! If you don't have any AntiVirus software on your computer,
get AVG AntiVirus NOW by downloading HERE...
http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp
8. Get rid of Spyware. A lot of computer users have Spyware and
don't even know they have it, much less how to get rid of it. If
your computer has been taking you to websites that you don't
want to go to, or if you get pop-ups when you aren't even on the
Internet, or if your computer has been running extremely slowly
lately, for no reason, you probably have Spyware.
On all of the computers that I setup, I install two different
AntiSpyware programs: AdAware SE and SpyBot. These two programs
are highly recommended by TechTV (G4) and other computer
authorities (including my own research on Spyware) and work very
well together. They compliment each other and catch Spyware that
the other misses, but together, do a very good job.
Get SpyBot HERE... http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp.
Download all updates and run the Immunize option a couple of
times.
AdAware SE does a good job when you keep up on the updates and
manually scan your system with AdAware. Get it HERE...
http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp
In some cases, when the Spyware has become too entwined into
your system, even a computer repair technician can't get rid of
the Spyware. At this point, it is better to just backup only
what you need and have the operating system reinstalled. Believe
me, when your computer gets to this point, you don't want to
just put a "band-aid" on it. Just start from scratch with a
clean system. It's the best way to go.
9. Streamline MSCONFIG. One thing that really causes a HUGE
performance decrease is to have unnecessary programs running in
the background. Some of these programs can be seen in your
System Tray (located next to the clock). These are tiny programs
that are robbing you of memory and processing power. Some of
them you need, while most you don't. Some of the programs you
DON'T need are printer icons, CD burning icons, shortcuts to
programs (such as video settings), AOL, any Instant Messaging
Programs, etc. Just because these programs aren't always
running, doesn't mean that you still can't print, burn CDs or
Instant Message. They can all be run from a shortcut.
You can use a utility, called MSCONFIG, to turn OFF unnecessary
Start Up items.
a. In Windows 98, Me, and XP, click on StartRun and type
msconfig. Click on the Startup tab. This is a list of everything
that is running in the background, some of which show up in the
System Tray. Now, be careful, some of these you do need. Some
items to keep are Ctfmon.exe (XP), Scan Registry (Win98, Me),
Task Monitor (Win98, Me), System Tray (Win98, Me),
LoadPowerProfile (Win98, Me), Rundll.32, any AntiVirus programs
(such as McAfee, Norton, or AVG). Others, you can uncheck, such
as NeroCheck, ypager, qttask, AOL, and any other Instant
Messaging programs, or printing programs. Remember, if something
doesn't work, because you turned it off, it can always be turned
back on. You just have to reboot every time you make a change
here. But, as you uncheck the unnecessary programs that run in
the background, you will see that Windows loads much faster,
that there are less icons in the System Tray, and that your
system is much more "snappy" and quick to respond.
b. In Windows 2000, MSCONFIG wasn't supplied. You actually have
to download and run an MSCONFIG utility. Download the MSCONFIG
utility HERE...
http://www.perfectdrivers.com/howto/msconfig.html.
After you reboot, you will have a window that says that the
configuration utility was edited. Just check not to show that in
the future, a check box at the bottom. This just means that
there was a change made to the MSCONFIG.
10. Defragment your hard drives. NOTE: to efficiently defragment
a hard drive, it likes to have 25% free space. It can still do
the defragmentation with only 15% free space, but it takes quite
a bit longer. If you can, delete any unnecessary files before
deframenting your drives.
a. To defragment your hard drives (in any Windows operating
system), double-click on My Computer. Right-click on the c-drive
and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose the
bottom button, to Defragment Now.
Good luck. I hope this article has helped you. If you live in
the Lapeer County, MI area, and would like a Professional
professionally TuneUp your computer(s) in your home or business,
please contact Lapeer Tech Group at (810) 793-1093, or visit our
website at www.LapeerTechGroup.com
About the author:
I have worked in the IT field since 1989 and hold several
Microsoft certifications. I am a network administrator and owner
and operator of Lapeer Tech Group, located in Columbiaville,
Michigan (just outside of Lapeer). During these years, I have
supported both Macs and PCs, am an accomplished graphic and web
designer, and have had the opportunity to support 2nd and 3rd
level enterprise networks for GM, EDS, Delphi and Delco.
It seems that the longer you own your computer, the slower it
gets! A lot of people will keep their computer until it gets so
slow that they feel they need a newer, faster model. Some feel
like the reason it is getting slower is because it is getting
older, when that is just not the case. Your computer should run
just as fast as the day you brought it home - if you follow
these 10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer.
1. Empty the Temp directory regularly. After a short while, the
temp directory fills up with hundreds of temp files that always
get scanned over when Windows starts up and when programs
launch. This slows everything down immensely.
Rule of thumb for Temp Files: If you don't have any programs
open (and nothing minimized in the bar below), then you
shouldn't have ANY temp files in your temp directory. If you do,
delete them.
To delete Temp files, make sure NO programs are open, and.
a. In Windows 95, 98 or Me, go to C:WindowsTemp and delete
everything inside the Temp folder.
b. In Windows 2000 or XP, it is a little trickier. First, make
sure that you can see hidden folders. Double-click My Computer.
Click on the Tools pull-down menu, and then on Folder Options.
Click on the View tab. Scroll down and click on Show Hidden
Files and Folders. Click Ok. Now you can go to the C:Documents
and SettingsAdministratorLocal SettingsTemp folder. Delete
everything here.
2. Empty the Temporary Internet Files regularly. To empty
Temporary Internet Files, go to your Control Panel and
double-click the Internet Options icon. Choose to Delete
Cookies, and to Delete Files. This will clear all of your
Temporary Internet Files.
3. Check your hard disks for problems.
a. For Windows 95, 98, or Me, double-click My Computer.
Right-click the C-drive and click on Properties. Click on the
Tools tab and choose to check the computer for problems. If you
choose to do a Thorough Scan, this will do the hardware check
for physical disk damage or sector damage. Choose to fix any
errors it finds.
b. For Windows 2000 and XP, double-click My Computer.
Right-click the C-drive and click Properties. Click on the Tools
tab and choose to check the computer for problems. Click on
Check Now. You will then have two check boxes. The top option is
for the file check, and the second option is for the hardware
(physical disk) check. Check either one, or both. At least check
the top one. Hit ok, and reboot. This may take some time, but
let it run.
4. An even more thorough disk check, would be to use a 3rd party
utility. One of my favorites is TuneUp Utilities 2004. It does
cost $39.99, but they do offer a FREE download trial of 15 days.
This program does a really good job of fixing software and
physical hard drive problems. It also tunes up your system for
increased speed, and streamlines your operating system for peak
performance. Download it HERE...
http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp
5. Or, you can do a few of the performance tweaks yourself, if
you have Windows XP. By default, EVERYTHING is turned on in
Windows XP. It isn't very streamlined for performance, but
rather for appearance. You can turn off a few of the unnecessary
features, and Windows will still work just fine, and maybe a
little faster.
To do this, right-click on My Computer and click on Properties.
Click on the Advanced tab. Under the Performance section, click
on the Settings button. On the Visual Effects tab, you will see
a list of check boxes. By default, these are all on. You really
don't need any of them for Windows to run. Go through the check
boxes one by one, and determine which ones you can and can't
live without.
6. Turn off Active Desktop. Active Desktop turns your desktop
into a web page, and allows you to have things like a real-time
calendar, and up-to-the-minute weather or stocks. These are
nice, but really slow down your computer. And even if you don't
use Active Desktop for anything, just having it active can cause
a performance decrease. Turn it off.
a. In Windows 95, 98 and Me, right-click on the desktop and in
the pop-up menu, choose Active Desktop. Inside that option,
uncheck Active Desktop. If there is no check next to it, then it
isn't on. Don't choose it. Instead, just click the desktop again
to get out of the menu.
b. In Windows 2000, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up
menu, choose Active Desktop. Inside that option, uncheck Show
Web Content. Again, if there is no check next to it, then it is
not on. Do not check it.
c. In Windows XP, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up
menu, choose Properties. On the Desktop tab, choose Customize
Desktop. Now, on the Web tab, make sure that there are no
websites chosen here. If there aren't any, then Active Desktop
is not on. Cancel and go back to the desktop.
7. Install and run a good AntiVirus program to keep out viruses
that can take over your system. One of my favorites is AVG. It
is not only a really good AntiVirus program, but it is also
FREE! If you don't have any AntiVirus software on your computer,
get AVG AntiVirus NOW by downloading HERE...
http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp
8. Get rid of Spyware. A lot of computer users have Spyware and
don't even know they have it, much less how to get rid of it. If
your computer has been taking you to websites that you don't
want to go to, or if you get pop-ups when you aren't even on the
Internet, or if your computer has been running extremely slowly
lately, for no reason, you probably have Spyware.
On all of the computers that I setup, I install two different
AntiSpyware programs: AdAware SE and SpyBot. These two programs
are highly recommended by TechTV (G4) and other computer
authorities (including my own research on Spyware) and work very
well together. They compliment each other and catch Spyware that
the other misses, but together, do a very good job.
Get SpyBot HERE... http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp.
Download all updates and run the Immunize option a couple of
times.
AdAware SE does a good job when you keep up on the updates and
manually scan your system with AdAware. Get it HERE...
http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp
In some cases, when the Spyware has become too entwined into
your system, even a computer repair technician can't get rid of
the Spyware. At this point, it is better to just backup only
what you need and have the operating system reinstalled. Believe
me, when your computer gets to this point, you don't want to
just put a "band-aid" on it. Just start from scratch with a
clean system. It's the best way to go.
9. Streamline MSCONFIG. One thing that really causes a HUGE
performance decrease is to have unnecessary programs running in
the background. Some of these programs can be seen in your
System Tray (located next to the clock). These are tiny programs
that are robbing you of memory and processing power. Some of
them you need, while most you don't. Some of the programs you
DON'T need are printer icons, CD burning icons, shortcuts to
programs (such as video settings), AOL, any Instant Messaging
Programs, etc. Just because these programs aren't always
running, doesn't mean that you still can't print, burn CDs or
Instant Message. They can all be run from a shortcut.
You can use a utility, called MSCONFIG, to turn OFF unnecessary
Start Up items.
a. In Windows 98, Me, and XP, click on StartRun and type
msconfig. Click on the Startup tab. This is a list of everything
that is running in the background, some of which show up in the
System Tray. Now, be careful, some of these you do need. Some
items to keep are Ctfmon.exe (XP), Scan Registry (Win98, Me),
Task Monitor (Win98, Me), System Tray (Win98, Me),
LoadPowerProfile (Win98, Me), Rundll.32, any AntiVirus programs
(such as McAfee, Norton, or AVG). Others, you can uncheck, such
as NeroCheck, ypager, qttask, AOL, and any other Instant
Messaging programs, or printing programs. Remember, if something
doesn't work, because you turned it off, it can always be turned
back on. You just have to reboot every time you make a change
here. But, as you uncheck the unnecessary programs that run in
the background, you will see that Windows loads much faster,
that there are less icons in the System Tray, and that your
system is much more "snappy" and quick to respond.
b. In Windows 2000, MSCONFIG wasn't supplied. You actually have
to download and run an MSCONFIG utility. Download the MSCONFIG
utility HERE...
http://www.perfectdrivers.com/howto/msconfig.html.
After you reboot, you will have a window that says that the
configuration utility was edited. Just check not to show that in
the future, a check box at the bottom. This just means that
there was a change made to the MSCONFIG.
10. Defragment your hard drives. NOTE: to efficiently defragment
a hard drive, it likes to have 25% free space. It can still do
the defragmentation with only 15% free space, but it takes quite
a bit longer. If you can, delete any unnecessary files before
deframenting your drives.
a. To defragment your hard drives (in any Windows operating
system), double-click on My Computer. Right-click on the c-drive
and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose the
bottom button, to Defragment Now.
Good luck. I hope this article has helped you. If you live in
the Lapeer County, MI area, and would like a Professional
professionally TuneUp your computer(s) in your home or business,
please contact Lapeer Tech Group at (810) 793-1093, or visit our
website at www.LapeerTechGroup.com
About the author:
I have worked in the IT field since 1989 and hold several
Microsoft certifications. I am a network administrator and owner
and operator of Lapeer Tech Group, located in Columbiaville,
Michigan (just outside of Lapeer). During these years, I have
supported both Macs and PCs, am an accomplished graphic and web
designer, and have had the opportunity to support 2nd and 3rd
level enterprise networks for GM, EDS, Delphi and Delco.
Finally... An Understandable Introduction To Computers
By: Roger A. Pendey
When you mention the word "technology," most people think about
computers. Virtually every facet of our lives has some
computerized component. The appliances in our homes have
microprocessors built into them, as do our televisions. Even our
cars have a computer. However, the computer that everyone thinks
of first is typically the personal computer, or PC.
It is a general-purpose tool, built around a microprocessor. A
PC has many different parts such as memories, a hard disk, a
modem, etc that work together. A PC is said to be "general
purpose" because you can do many different things with it like:
you can use it to type documents, send e-mail, browse the Web
and play games.
Let us look at the main components of a typical desktop computer.
Central processing unit (CPU): The microprocessor "brain" of the
computer system is referred to as the central processing unit.
The CPU oversees everything that a computer does.
Memory: This fast storage area is for storing data and is
connected directly to the microprocessor. That's why it is fast.
There are various types of memory in a computer system:
Random-access memory (RAM): Used to temporarily store
information that the computer is currently working with.
Read-only memory (ROM): It refers to computer memory chips,
containing permanent or semi-permanent data that does not change.
Basic Input/Output: Required to establish the basic
communication when the system is turned on. It is directly
connected to the motherboard.
Caching: The storing of frequently used data in extremely fast
RAM that connects directly to the CPU.
Virtual memory: Used to temporarily store data and swap it in
and out of the RAM.
Motherboard: This is the main board in the computer that has the
processor, the RAM, the BIOS ROM, the timing and control, the
interrupt and direct memory access hardware and the keyboard
interface on it which are connected to it through the secondary
connection.
Soundcard: this device attaches to the motherboard with a socket
called PCI, which allows the computer to play CD's or music
files, or MP3 CD's. All soundcards have speakers and connectors.
The quality of sound depends upon the quality of the card.
Hard drive: This is the main storage device of a computer. It
stores information including the OS that allows you to access it
all. Most common OS for PCs is Microsoft Windows. And Apple
computers use the Macintosh operating system.
Other drives: Most computers are also complete with floppy disk
and CD drives. These vary from system to system, however all
work in same way. They read information stored on disks. These
are necessary for maintaining and updating the computer's
software and operating system.
That's the components that create the average computer. Although
there are many different systems, and configura- tions, it is
difficult to imagine our lives without them.
About the author:
Roger A. Pendey is founder of All About Computers an
excellent resource site dedicated to information about computers.
When you mention the word "technology," most people think about
computers. Virtually every facet of our lives has some
computerized component. The appliances in our homes have
microprocessors built into them, as do our televisions. Even our
cars have a computer. However, the computer that everyone thinks
of first is typically the personal computer, or PC.
It is a general-purpose tool, built around a microprocessor. A
PC has many different parts such as memories, a hard disk, a
modem, etc that work together. A PC is said to be "general
purpose" because you can do many different things with it like:
you can use it to type documents, send e-mail, browse the Web
and play games.
Let us look at the main components of a typical desktop computer.
Central processing unit (CPU): The microprocessor "brain" of the
computer system is referred to as the central processing unit.
The CPU oversees everything that a computer does.
Memory: This fast storage area is for storing data and is
connected directly to the microprocessor. That's why it is fast.
There are various types of memory in a computer system:
Random-access memory (RAM): Used to temporarily store
information that the computer is currently working with.
Read-only memory (ROM): It refers to computer memory chips,
containing permanent or semi-permanent data that does not change.
Basic Input/Output: Required to establish the basic
communication when the system is turned on. It is directly
connected to the motherboard.
Caching: The storing of frequently used data in extremely fast
RAM that connects directly to the CPU.
Virtual memory: Used to temporarily store data and swap it in
and out of the RAM.
Motherboard: This is the main board in the computer that has the
processor, the RAM, the BIOS ROM, the timing and control, the
interrupt and direct memory access hardware and the keyboard
interface on it which are connected to it through the secondary
connection.
Soundcard: this device attaches to the motherboard with a socket
called PCI, which allows the computer to play CD's or music
files, or MP3 CD's. All soundcards have speakers and connectors.
The quality of sound depends upon the quality of the card.
Hard drive: This is the main storage device of a computer. It
stores information including the OS that allows you to access it
all. Most common OS for PCs is Microsoft Windows. And Apple
computers use the Macintosh operating system.
Other drives: Most computers are also complete with floppy disk
and CD drives. These vary from system to system, however all
work in same way. They read information stored on disks. These
are necessary for maintaining and updating the computer's
software and operating system.
That's the components that create the average computer. Although
there are many different systems, and configura- tions, it is
difficult to imagine our lives without them.
About the author:
Roger A. Pendey is founder of All About Computers an
excellent resource site dedicated to information about computers.
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