By: Tim Lee
The registry is where the computer stores information about the
configuration of the system and the programs installed so that
the operating system can use them.
Regularly maintaining the registry is a basic requirement.
Fixing problems after they occur is harder than preventing them
in the first place. Windows registry problems can cause crashes,
slow performance and error messages.
If you: - Install or uninstall software on a regular basis -
have not removed software correctly - have embedded Spyware or
any third party programs that start up again with each boot
[whether you installed them or not] - have installed or
uninstalled hardware - you have drivers on your system that are
no longer needed.
Then you absolutely need to be cleaning your windows registry
regularly! All the above leave trace elements of themselves
behind that build up over time and choke the registry. Think of
it as like dusting. Don't dust and you end up with dust bunnies,
allergies and sneezing; you don't feel well and you slow down...
Get the picture?
Back up your registry. Basic rule of thumb in the computing
world - Back Up, Back Up, Back Up. System meltdowns and viruses
can require the complete reinstalling of windows on your
computer, which means you run the risk of losing all your files.
Keep them safe. Back them up.
1. Don't try and edit anything in the registry yourself unless
you are completely familiar with it and with the system
2. Programs are available that can be installed and set to fix
and reguarly maintain your registry. Search online or drop in to
your local computer store.
3. Call in a professional. Ask your friends for a reliable
technician or look one up in the Yellow Pages
About the author:
To learn more about programs that clean your windows registry,
please visit http://www.1buyit.com/
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Friday, July 22, 2005
The Importance of Protecting Your PC from Viruses and Spam
By: Ken Katz
Today the internet is a mine field of malicious code looking to
harm your computer. Hackers want to have access to your PC for
both fun and profit. You must be diligent in your ability to
detect and then protect your important computer data.
Understanding what hackers are looking for, what doors they use
to gain entry into your computer and which programs are
available to help you protect your PC against any illegal entry
will give you greater peace of mind and protect your valuable
data.
There are three types of threats to your computer that you need
to be concerned about. The first are viruses. The definition of
a computer virus is a piece of code or a program that is that is
loaded onto and run on your computer without your knowledge.
They can attach themselves to other programs on your computer.
Some Virus' can reproduce at a great rate and in turn use up a
lot of your computer memory. This eventually can cause your
computer to crash. You get Viruses most commonly via email or
downloading programs and files. One way is in form of .exe
files. If you receive an .exe file you should never open it
unless it has been checked and approved as safe by your virus
protection program.
Viruses can come into your computer in many other forms. You
have to be careful with flash files, movies, mp3 and even .jpeg
files. This is a good reason to have virus protection software
installed on your computer. Companies like Norton, McAfee
(McAfee.com), Trend Micro who makes PC-cilliin (trendmicro.com)
and Grisoft (grisoft.com) among others make excellent virus
protection products. Grisoft makes AVG Pro which is competent
virus protection software. They have a personal edition which is
free to use and is very good.
The next piece of software that is needed to protect your PC
computer is a firewall. A firewall is used to block illegal
access to your computer or network. It will block suspicious
data from flowing into your PC and block unapproved programs
outside your computer from taking data from your PC.
Think of a firewall as a doorman whose job it is to open a large
locked door. When the doorman knows who is knocking at the door
either by an announcement or because he recognizes the person he
will let them in. With your firewall the firewall is unlocked
only on your authorization allowing data to be passed on or
received. It learns after awhile who is trusted and who is not.
A firewall comes standard with Microsoft Windows XP
(Microsoft.com). But in order for it to protect, you must turn
it on. Other solutions are Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall
which you can buy by itself or bundled in the Norton Security
Suite (symantec.com). McAfee (McAfee.com) also has a good
firewall as well as the free version of Zone Labs firewall
called Zone Alarm (zonelabs.com).
And, finally you should have good spyware software to protect
against hackers or companies from snooping to find information
about you through your internet connection. It is commonly used
by companies for marketing purposes. Free spyware software that
is widely used is Spybot's Search & Destroy
(safer-networking.org) or Lavasoft's (lavasoft.com) free version
of their Ad-aware spyware application. Spy Sweeper from Webroot
(webroot.com) is an excellent choice and does not cost very
much. Spy Sweeper has received many top reviews from the
computer magazines.
If you install a virus protection software, Firewall and spyware
software your computer will be well protected and you will have
peace of mind. And, you needn't spend a lot. In each category
you can find a free version that is very good and will help keep
your computer problem free.
About the author:
Ken Katz runs the Free Article Site: www.power-in-knowledge.com .
Today the internet is a mine field of malicious code looking to
harm your computer. Hackers want to have access to your PC for
both fun and profit. You must be diligent in your ability to
detect and then protect your important computer data.
Understanding what hackers are looking for, what doors they use
to gain entry into your computer and which programs are
available to help you protect your PC against any illegal entry
will give you greater peace of mind and protect your valuable
data.
There are three types of threats to your computer that you need
to be concerned about. The first are viruses. The definition of
a computer virus is a piece of code or a program that is that is
loaded onto and run on your computer without your knowledge.
They can attach themselves to other programs on your computer.
Some Virus' can reproduce at a great rate and in turn use up a
lot of your computer memory. This eventually can cause your
computer to crash. You get Viruses most commonly via email or
downloading programs and files. One way is in form of .exe
files. If you receive an .exe file you should never open it
unless it has been checked and approved as safe by your virus
protection program.
Viruses can come into your computer in many other forms. You
have to be careful with flash files, movies, mp3 and even .jpeg
files. This is a good reason to have virus protection software
installed on your computer. Companies like Norton, McAfee
(McAfee.com), Trend Micro who makes PC-cilliin (trendmicro.com)
and Grisoft (grisoft.com) among others make excellent virus
protection products. Grisoft makes AVG Pro which is competent
virus protection software. They have a personal edition which is
free to use and is very good.
The next piece of software that is needed to protect your PC
computer is a firewall. A firewall is used to block illegal
access to your computer or network. It will block suspicious
data from flowing into your PC and block unapproved programs
outside your computer from taking data from your PC.
Think of a firewall as a doorman whose job it is to open a large
locked door. When the doorman knows who is knocking at the door
either by an announcement or because he recognizes the person he
will let them in. With your firewall the firewall is unlocked
only on your authorization allowing data to be passed on or
received. It learns after awhile who is trusted and who is not.
A firewall comes standard with Microsoft Windows XP
(Microsoft.com). But in order for it to protect, you must turn
it on. Other solutions are Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall
which you can buy by itself or bundled in the Norton Security
Suite (symantec.com). McAfee (McAfee.com) also has a good
firewall as well as the free version of Zone Labs firewall
called Zone Alarm (zonelabs.com).
And, finally you should have good spyware software to protect
against hackers or companies from snooping to find information
about you through your internet connection. It is commonly used
by companies for marketing purposes. Free spyware software that
is widely used is Spybot's Search & Destroy
(safer-networking.org) or Lavasoft's (lavasoft.com) free version
of their Ad-aware spyware application. Spy Sweeper from Webroot
(webroot.com) is an excellent choice and does not cost very
much. Spy Sweeper has received many top reviews from the
computer magazines.
If you install a virus protection software, Firewall and spyware
software your computer will be well protected and you will have
peace of mind. And, you needn't spend a lot. In each category
you can find a free version that is very good and will help keep
your computer problem free.
About the author:
Ken Katz runs the Free Article Site: www.power-in-knowledge.com .
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Simple Tasks to Boost PC Performance
By: Willie Long
Many people wonder why their computer seems to get slower and
slower as time passes. Just like a car, a computer needs routine
maintenance to continue running properly. Here are several steps
to get your system back in order.
Check Your Hard Drive for free space
If you are
running out of storage space, your computer will definitely slow
down. You can simply double click My Computer, right click your
hard drive, and select properties to view your used space and
free space. If you are running low on space, now is the time to
delete any old programs you no longer need.
Uninstall Old Programs
Click your start button, then
head to Control Panel- Add/Remove Programs. Here you will see a
list of programs that are installed on your machine. Read
through the list and uninstall any programs you no longer need.
If you aren't sure what something is, it is best to leave it for
now. You can use an internet search engine to find out about it
later.
Clean Out your Web Browser's Cache
Many people fail
to realize their browser usually keeps a record of the sites
that they visit daily. You may want to get rid of this for
several reasons. For the purpose of this article, we want to get
rid of all the temporary files, history and cookies. You need to
know beforehand that a full clean-up may get rid of some of your
saved usernames for specific sites. Internet Explorer users
should click, Tools, Internet Options, and the General
Tab(Default). Here you can delete your cookies, delete your
temporary files, and clear your history.
Scan your computer for Spyware and Adware
This is by
far the most common problem I encounter. If you constantly get
pop-up windows from sites you have never visited, you may be
infected. Spyware and Adware are programs installed on your
computer that track the sites you visit and send you unsolicited
ads related to your frequently visited sites. You should
download two programs to remove these programs; Spybot Search
and Destroy and Ad-Aware. You can find both of these programs by
visiting www.download.com and searching for their names. After
downloading and installing the programs, make sure you run them.
You may be surprised by what is installed on your computer
without your consent.
Update and Run Your Virus Scan Software
Make sure you
have virus scan software on your computer. If you don't, McAfee
offers a free program you can use over the net. Visit
http://www.mcafee.com and click "Home and Home Office". If you
already have virus scanning software, update it, and run a full
check periodically.
Run Scandisk
Double-click your My Computer icon on
the desktop. From their, right click your hard drive(c: is the
default), select Properties, then select the Tool tab. Now you
need to select Check Now in the error checking section. Once you
click "Check Now" a small window will pop-up. Check the
"Automatically fix the system errors" box and hit the Start
button. Follow the instructions your system gives you from this
point.
Run Disk Defragmenter
This is by far the longest step
in this article. I suggest you perform this procedure last. It
may be best for you to let this program run overnight or while
you are at work. Over time, the information on your hard drive
may become fragmented. Imagine being assigned a file clerk
position at your job. Would it be faster and easier if the files
you need to sort/retrieve are all in one location and
alphabetized? Or, would it be easier for you to randomly look
for the files all over the office?
Sometimes your computer needs to "look for files all over the
office". Defragmenting your hard drive will correct this
problem. To run this program, double click My Computer, and
right click your hard drive (c: is the default) and select
Properties. From the Properties window, select the Tools tab and
click Defragment Now. You can also click the Start Button-
Programs- Accessories- System Tools. Make sure you run ScanDisk
before you run Disk Defragmenter.
There may be errors on your hard drive that need to be fixed
before you defragment. I would hate for you to run this program,
head to work, and find out the program stopped on its own once
you get home.
These are just a few things that you can do to boost your PC
performance. If you would like further tips and tricks, visit www.24-7computers.com.
About the author:
Willie Long is the webmaster at www.24-7computers.com. He has 8+
years experience working in the Information Technology field.
Many people wonder why their computer seems to get slower and
slower as time passes. Just like a car, a computer needs routine
maintenance to continue running properly. Here are several steps
to get your system back in order.
Check Your Hard Drive for free space
If you are
running out of storage space, your computer will definitely slow
down. You can simply double click My Computer, right click your
hard drive, and select properties to view your used space and
free space. If you are running low on space, now is the time to
delete any old programs you no longer need.
Uninstall Old Programs
Click your start button, then
head to Control Panel- Add/Remove Programs. Here you will see a
list of programs that are installed on your machine. Read
through the list and uninstall any programs you no longer need.
If you aren't sure what something is, it is best to leave it for
now. You can use an internet search engine to find out about it
later.
Clean Out your Web Browser's Cache
Many people fail
to realize their browser usually keeps a record of the sites
that they visit daily. You may want to get rid of this for
several reasons. For the purpose of this article, we want to get
rid of all the temporary files, history and cookies. You need to
know beforehand that a full clean-up may get rid of some of your
saved usernames for specific sites. Internet Explorer users
should click, Tools, Internet Options, and the General
Tab(Default). Here you can delete your cookies, delete your
temporary files, and clear your history.
Scan your computer for Spyware and Adware
This is by
far the most common problem I encounter. If you constantly get
pop-up windows from sites you have never visited, you may be
infected. Spyware and Adware are programs installed on your
computer that track the sites you visit and send you unsolicited
ads related to your frequently visited sites. You should
download two programs to remove these programs; Spybot Search
and Destroy and Ad-Aware. You can find both of these programs by
visiting www.download.com and searching for their names. After
downloading and installing the programs, make sure you run them.
You may be surprised by what is installed on your computer
without your consent.
Update and Run Your Virus Scan Software
Make sure you
have virus scan software on your computer. If you don't, McAfee
offers a free program you can use over the net. Visit
http://www.mcafee.com and click "Home and Home Office". If you
already have virus scanning software, update it, and run a full
check periodically.
Run Scandisk
Double-click your My Computer icon on
the desktop. From their, right click your hard drive(c: is the
default), select Properties, then select the Tool tab. Now you
need to select Check Now in the error checking section. Once you
click "Check Now" a small window will pop-up. Check the
"Automatically fix the system errors" box and hit the Start
button. Follow the instructions your system gives you from this
point.
Run Disk Defragmenter
This is by far the longest step
in this article. I suggest you perform this procedure last. It
may be best for you to let this program run overnight or while
you are at work. Over time, the information on your hard drive
may become fragmented. Imagine being assigned a file clerk
position at your job. Would it be faster and easier if the files
you need to sort/retrieve are all in one location and
alphabetized? Or, would it be easier for you to randomly look
for the files all over the office?
Sometimes your computer needs to "look for files all over the
office". Defragmenting your hard drive will correct this
problem. To run this program, double click My Computer, and
right click your hard drive (c: is the default) and select
Properties. From the Properties window, select the Tools tab and
click Defragment Now. You can also click the Start Button-
Programs- Accessories- System Tools. Make sure you run ScanDisk
before you run Disk Defragmenter.
There may be errors on your hard drive that need to be fixed
before you defragment. I would hate for you to run this program,
head to work, and find out the program stopped on its own once
you get home.
These are just a few things that you can do to boost your PC
performance. If you would like further tips and tricks, visit www.24-7computers.com.
About the author:
Willie Long is the webmaster at www.24-7computers.com. He has 8+
years experience working in the Information Technology field.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Learn How To Hide Files and Folders On Your Computer
By: Michael D. Fischer
Do you have files and documents that are very sensitive on your
computer that you wish you could hide from others? Chances are
you do. You may have important work documents that you need to
keep away from your kids or a secret letter you need hidden from
your spouse. In any case, there are several ways to hide these
documents of interest.
SEOWave Internet Solutions has developed software to help
consumers hide their private documents and files. "We determined
through research that users wanted an easier way to secure
private documents using an easy, step-by-step secure software
system" said Michael D. Fischer, SEOWave.com. "There were
several ways to hide files. We wanted to create a simple, yet
effective way to hide files for consumers."
The Windows based program is called FileHidingSoftware.com
(http://www.filehidingsoftware.com).
There are other ways to hide software on your computer. For
instance you could:
1. Save your documents to a floppy disk or CD.
2. If you have a website, you could upload the information to a
directory. There are several programs that will allow you to
upload your files. IPSwitch (http://www.ipswitch.com) and Simple
FTP Client (http://www.simple-ftp-client.com) (Don't forget to
password protect your website's directory!)
3. You could create a virtual folder (a fake folder). One
example is the Control Panel. The control panel is not really
folder. Not convinced? Try searching for it on your local hard
drive. I bet you can't find it. :)
With this in mind, Fischer wanted to create something simple for
users.
After determining that most people wanted something easier to
use, Fischer went to work overseeing the development of software
that could securely hide files and folders with a "click of a
button".
"It's much easier than the other options I mentioned", Fischer
added.
To download a fully functional demo, visit
http://www.filehidingsoftware.com
About FileHidingSoftware.com:
FileHidingSoftware.com is a simple file and folder security
application that provides an easy to use interface that allows
you to choose the files by selecting the directories in which
you choose to block users from viewing. With a password
protection feature, you can easily lock and unlock the folders
of your choice without worrying about anyone seeing your files.
About the author:
Michael D. Fischer is the owner/operator of
FileHidingSoftware.com.
Do you have files and documents that are very sensitive on your
computer that you wish you could hide from others? Chances are
you do. You may have important work documents that you need to
keep away from your kids or a secret letter you need hidden from
your spouse. In any case, there are several ways to hide these
documents of interest.
SEOWave Internet Solutions has developed software to help
consumers hide their private documents and files. "We determined
through research that users wanted an easier way to secure
private documents using an easy, step-by-step secure software
system" said Michael D. Fischer, SEOWave.com. "There were
several ways to hide files. We wanted to create a simple, yet
effective way to hide files for consumers."
The Windows based program is called FileHidingSoftware.com
(http://www.filehidingsoftware.com).
There are other ways to hide software on your computer. For
instance you could:
1. Save your documents to a floppy disk or CD.
2. If you have a website, you could upload the information to a
directory. There are several programs that will allow you to
upload your files. IPSwitch (http://www.ipswitch.com) and Simple
FTP Client (http://www.simple-ftp-client.com) (Don't forget to
password protect your website's directory!)
3. You could create a virtual folder (a fake folder). One
example is the Control Panel. The control panel is not really
folder. Not convinced? Try searching for it on your local hard
drive. I bet you can't find it. :)
With this in mind, Fischer wanted to create something simple for
users.
After determining that most people wanted something easier to
use, Fischer went to work overseeing the development of software
that could securely hide files and folders with a "click of a
button".
"It's much easier than the other options I mentioned", Fischer
added.
To download a fully functional demo, visit
http://www.filehidingsoftware.com
About FileHidingSoftware.com:
FileHidingSoftware.com is a simple file and folder security
application that provides an easy to use interface that allows
you to choose the files by selecting the directories in which
you choose to block users from viewing. With a password
protection feature, you can easily lock and unlock the folders
of your choice without worrying about anyone seeing your files.
About the author:
Michael D. Fischer is the owner/operator of
FileHidingSoftware.com.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Data Recovery
Here's a good article on data recovery. Everyone should be aware that they are always vulnerable to data loss unless proper steps to avoid it are practiced.
What is Data Recovery? - A brief Introduction
By: Simon Steggles - www.disklabs.com
What is Data Recovery?
Data Recovery is the process of retrieval of inaccessible or
corrupt data from digital media that has become damaged in some
way. Data Recovery can be used to recover data from devices as
varied as Hard Disk Drives, Memory Cards, Tapes, Mobile Phones,
Personal Digital Assistants, Floppy Disk's, CD's, DVD's, Data
Cartridges, Xbox's and many more items.
Data Recovery may be needed for reasons as diverse as hardware
failure, (the tape has been 'chewed' up, the hard disk drive has
failed, the user has maliciously damaged the computer or digital
device, or it could have suffered fire or flood damage). All of
these instances will require the services of a professional data
recovery company if the data was of such value (be it
sentimental or financial) that the cost of the services are less
than the perceived value of the data which is no longer
accessible.
It is not just businesses who are at risk from Data loss.
Clients requiring data recovery come from all walks of life,
including large corporates, smaller businesses, and the self
employed to "joe public" who, with the introduction and
subsequent boom in the use of digital cameras etc to record
holidays and special occasions may have lost anything from
sentimental data to critical e-mails, and personal account
details. Students are often grouped under this heading too.
There are numerous ways that Data can be recovered from digital
media which can vary greatly, the simplest method can often
involve the running of basic software on the storage medium in
question. This is always a dangerous idea, because the recovery
data could overwrite the very data that is being recovered. More
complex commercial software tools are available which will do
this job more professionally. No software fix should be
attempted prior to the original media being imaged, enabling the
recovering company to work on a 'back-up' of the original
software. The most professional companies will also take a
second image should there be a problem with the first image that
is being worked on for recovery.
The next problem is what happens when the hard disk or storage
device doesn't work. For the smaller 'Data Recovery Companies',
this is a problem, and it is when the more serious Data Recovery
Companies get involved, (such as Disklabs,
http://www.disklabs.com ), who specialise in higher end Data
Retrievals. It is always recommended that the most critical work
should be sent to a true data recovery specialist, (check out
the accreditations - ensure the specialist has ISO9001-2000
Quality Assurance status, and is certified to ISO BE EN 14644 to
ensure that their clean facility is at the correct level for
intrusive data recovery work, find out how long that company has
been trading, and check their testimonials). Once you have found
the company that you are happy with, if the data storage device
doesn't work, there is a high likelihood that the digital media
will require spare parts, this is where organisations such as
1st Computer Traders Ltd, ( http://www.1ct.com ) are of service.
Organisations such as 1CT sell spare parts for hard disk drives
to organisations such as Disklabs, ( http://www.disklabs.com )
enabling them to get the original data accessible for long
enough to image the data onto a stable storage device, enabling
that data to be duplicated again which in turn allows a safe
recovery attempt to be achieved.
The data recovery job is generally finished when a list of all
the recovered files is sent to the client. Once the client
approves this file listing, they are then shipped the data of an
appropriate media. This can be a hard disk drive, floppy disk,
CD or DVD. Alternatively, if a file is considered critical, it
can be encrypted and then emailed to the client.
It should be noted that in extreme cases it may be impossible to
recover any data, however the bottom line is, as soon as you
have lost data you should power off your device and send it to a
professional Data Recovery Company to optimise your chances of a
successful recovery.
Simon Steggles Disklabs Data Recovery and Computer Forensics
Services
www.disklabs.com www.mobilephoneforensics.com www.1ct.com
About the author:
Simon Steggles is a Director of Disklabs and also a director of
1st Computer Traders Ltd, (www.1ct.com). Disklabs are data
recovery and computer forensics specialists, 1CT.com specialise
in hard disk drive repair.
What is Data Recovery? - A brief Introduction
By: Simon Steggles - www.disklabs.com
What is Data Recovery?
Data Recovery is the process of retrieval of inaccessible or
corrupt data from digital media that has become damaged in some
way. Data Recovery can be used to recover data from devices as
varied as Hard Disk Drives, Memory Cards, Tapes, Mobile Phones,
Personal Digital Assistants, Floppy Disk's, CD's, DVD's, Data
Cartridges, Xbox's and many more items.
Data Recovery may be needed for reasons as diverse as hardware
failure, (the tape has been 'chewed' up, the hard disk drive has
failed, the user has maliciously damaged the computer or digital
device, or it could have suffered fire or flood damage). All of
these instances will require the services of a professional data
recovery company if the data was of such value (be it
sentimental or financial) that the cost of the services are less
than the perceived value of the data which is no longer
accessible.
It is not just businesses who are at risk from Data loss.
Clients requiring data recovery come from all walks of life,
including large corporates, smaller businesses, and the self
employed to "joe public" who, with the introduction and
subsequent boom in the use of digital cameras etc to record
holidays and special occasions may have lost anything from
sentimental data to critical e-mails, and personal account
details. Students are often grouped under this heading too.
There are numerous ways that Data can be recovered from digital
media which can vary greatly, the simplest method can often
involve the running of basic software on the storage medium in
question. This is always a dangerous idea, because the recovery
data could overwrite the very data that is being recovered. More
complex commercial software tools are available which will do
this job more professionally. No software fix should be
attempted prior to the original media being imaged, enabling the
recovering company to work on a 'back-up' of the original
software. The most professional companies will also take a
second image should there be a problem with the first image that
is being worked on for recovery.
The next problem is what happens when the hard disk or storage
device doesn't work. For the smaller 'Data Recovery Companies',
this is a problem, and it is when the more serious Data Recovery
Companies get involved, (such as Disklabs,
http://www.disklabs.com ), who specialise in higher end Data
Retrievals. It is always recommended that the most critical work
should be sent to a true data recovery specialist, (check out
the accreditations - ensure the specialist has ISO9001-2000
Quality Assurance status, and is certified to ISO BE EN 14644 to
ensure that their clean facility is at the correct level for
intrusive data recovery work, find out how long that company has
been trading, and check their testimonials). Once you have found
the company that you are happy with, if the data storage device
doesn't work, there is a high likelihood that the digital media
will require spare parts, this is where organisations such as
1st Computer Traders Ltd, ( http://www.1ct.com ) are of service.
Organisations such as 1CT sell spare parts for hard disk drives
to organisations such as Disklabs, ( http://www.disklabs.com )
enabling them to get the original data accessible for long
enough to image the data onto a stable storage device, enabling
that data to be duplicated again which in turn allows a safe
recovery attempt to be achieved.
The data recovery job is generally finished when a list of all
the recovered files is sent to the client. Once the client
approves this file listing, they are then shipped the data of an
appropriate media. This can be a hard disk drive, floppy disk,
CD or DVD. Alternatively, if a file is considered critical, it
can be encrypted and then emailed to the client.
It should be noted that in extreme cases it may be impossible to
recover any data, however the bottom line is, as soon as you
have lost data you should power off your device and send it to a
professional Data Recovery Company to optimise your chances of a
successful recovery.
Simon Steggles Disklabs Data Recovery and Computer Forensics
Services
www.disklabs.com www.mobilephoneforensics.com www.1ct.com
About the author:
Simon Steggles is a Director of Disklabs and also a director of
1st Computer Traders Ltd, (www.1ct.com). Disklabs are data
recovery and computer forensics specialists, 1CT.com specialise
in hard disk drive repair.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Spyware Symptoms
By: Gary Gresham
Spyware symptoms happen when your computer gets bogged down with
spyware programs running in the background without your
knowledge. Spyware, adware, malware and even spamware can cause
your computer to behave very strange.
If you are experiencing any of these spyware symptoms listed
below, chances are you have spyware or other unwanted software
installed on your computer.
. Slower Computer Performance
One of the easiest spyware symptoms to detect is if your system
suddenly starts operating slower than usual. Spyware and Adware
programs use a lot of your computer resources to track your
activities and deliver pop up ads that slow down your computer
and can even make it crash. If you are getting a lot of program
crashes, your computer is much slower than normal or your hard
drive whirls away when you're not doing anything, these are
common spyware symptoms.
. E-Mail Symptoms
If you get a lot of bounced back email and see evidence of email
being sent without your knowledge, then it's possible that you
have spamware in your computer files.
Spamware can send spam messages from your computer and create a
lot of headaches for you. Trojan spamware is very dangerous
because it can steal a copy of your email address book and send
it back to an email spammer.
. New Desktop Shortcuts or Homepage
Some spyware programs add new shortcuts on your desktop. Browser
hijackers actually change your default homepage you selected to
a different homepage. Sometimes the program won't even allow you
to change back to your original homepage.
. Bombarded With Pop-Up Ads
Adware is another common spyware symptom that bombards you with
pop-up ads often for adult or other objectionable web sites.
Computer hijackers like this have huge system effects and can
make your computer completely useless.
. Unwanted Search Results
Computer hijackers can even change the results of your web
search and suggest websites the hijacker wants you to see
instead of what you actually searched for. . New Toolbars
Computer browser hijackers can also add new toolbars to Internet
Explorer that you did not knowingly install. Sometimes it's next
to impossible to remove them.
Spyware dangers have now moved ahead of viruses as the number
one danger facing computer users today. Quality spyware
protection software is designed to find all of these hidden
programs and disable them before they have a chance to work.
If you experience even one of these spyware symptoms, your
personal information and computer are completely at risk.
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
Spyware symptoms happen when your computer gets bogged down with
spyware programs running in the background without your
knowledge. Spyware, adware, malware and even spamware can cause
your computer to behave very strange.
If you are experiencing any of these spyware symptoms listed
below, chances are you have spyware or other unwanted software
installed on your computer.
. Slower Computer Performance
One of the easiest spyware symptoms to detect is if your system
suddenly starts operating slower than usual. Spyware and Adware
programs use a lot of your computer resources to track your
activities and deliver pop up ads that slow down your computer
and can even make it crash. If you are getting a lot of program
crashes, your computer is much slower than normal or your hard
drive whirls away when you're not doing anything, these are
common spyware symptoms.
. E-Mail Symptoms
If you get a lot of bounced back email and see evidence of email
being sent without your knowledge, then it's possible that you
have spamware in your computer files.
Spamware can send spam messages from your computer and create a
lot of headaches for you. Trojan spamware is very dangerous
because it can steal a copy of your email address book and send
it back to an email spammer.
. New Desktop Shortcuts or Homepage
Some spyware programs add new shortcuts on your desktop. Browser
hijackers actually change your default homepage you selected to
a different homepage. Sometimes the program won't even allow you
to change back to your original homepage.
. Bombarded With Pop-Up Ads
Adware is another common spyware symptom that bombards you with
pop-up ads often for adult or other objectionable web sites.
Computer hijackers like this have huge system effects and can
make your computer completely useless.
. Unwanted Search Results
Computer hijackers can even change the results of your web
search and suggest websites the hijacker wants you to see
instead of what you actually searched for. . New Toolbars
Computer browser hijackers can also add new toolbars to Internet
Explorer that you did not knowingly install. Sometimes it's next
to impossible to remove them.
Spyware dangers have now moved ahead of viruses as the number
one danger facing computer users today. Quality spyware
protection software is designed to find all of these hidden
programs and disable them before they have a chance to work.
If you experience even one of these spyware symptoms, your
personal information and computer are completely at risk.
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
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Eliminate Adware and Spyware
By: Gary Gresham
Everyone should eliminate spyware and adware from your hard
drive for your computer privacy protection. Spyware and adware
programs also slow down the speed of your computer by cluttering
your hard drive with annoying programs. Once you eliminate
adware and spyware, your computer speed will improve
immediately. Spyware compromises the security of your personal
information because the creators of these hidden programs can
get access to your desktop even while you are offline. Adware
creates annoying pop ups while you use the Internet. It can
change your home page and even hijack certain pages to display
their own messages, which are sometimes obscene. One of the most
effective ways to stop spyware and adware is the use of computer
firewall protection. These programs eliminate incoming spyware
and adware that is attached to the legitimate data that you
download when surfing the web. Some computer firewall protection
programs display the number of attempted 'hacks', which includes
any illegitimate programs or data: spyware, adware, or other
potentially harmful files such as viruses. It is not unusual for
computer firewall protection software to block hundreds of
'hacks' per day. Some users are more exposed than others to the
negative effects of spyware, adware, and viruses. One important
factor is the type of connection that your computer has to the
Internet. For example, DSL 'cable' connections are replacing the
old 'dial-up' connections that run over a household's normal
phone lines. With a DSL connection, your computer can be
connected to the Internet all day, every day. This increases the
likelihood of your computer becoming infected with spyware and
adware. With today's Internet, there's no such thing as too much
computer privacy protection. It's important to find and
eliminate spyware and adware from your hard drive because
computer security is as important as the lock on your front
door.
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
Everyone should eliminate spyware and adware from your hard
drive for your computer privacy protection. Spyware and adware
programs also slow down the speed of your computer by cluttering
your hard drive with annoying programs. Once you eliminate
adware and spyware, your computer speed will improve
immediately. Spyware compromises the security of your personal
information because the creators of these hidden programs can
get access to your desktop even while you are offline. Adware
creates annoying pop ups while you use the Internet. It can
change your home page and even hijack certain pages to display
their own messages, which are sometimes obscene. One of the most
effective ways to stop spyware and adware is the use of computer
firewall protection. These programs eliminate incoming spyware
and adware that is attached to the legitimate data that you
download when surfing the web. Some computer firewall protection
programs display the number of attempted 'hacks', which includes
any illegitimate programs or data: spyware, adware, or other
potentially harmful files such as viruses. It is not unusual for
computer firewall protection software to block hundreds of
'hacks' per day. Some users are more exposed than others to the
negative effects of spyware, adware, and viruses. One important
factor is the type of connection that your computer has to the
Internet. For example, DSL 'cable' connections are replacing the
old 'dial-up' connections that run over a household's normal
phone lines. With a DSL connection, your computer can be
connected to the Internet all day, every day. This increases the
likelihood of your computer becoming infected with spyware and
adware. With today's Internet, there's no such thing as too much
computer privacy protection. It's important to find and
eliminate spyware and adware from your hard drive because
computer security is as important as the lock on your front
door.
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, July 09, 2005
The Devastation Of Data Loss - And What You Can Do About It
By: Nick Carter
Almost everyone who uses a PC stores valuable data on the hard
drive or other data storage device. Whether you use your PC for
keeping personal accounts, contact details or important
information or whether you are a business user and keep vital
business information, contact details and company data on your
PC the risk of data loss is a big risk and could prove very
costly in the long run.
With true data loss, your only hope of recovery is a data
backup, and without one there is no way back. If you have
company data on your home PC, data that is vital to the
operation of a company or the effective servicing of a customer
data loss will inevitably lose you or your company money. It
looks unprofessional, if you don't have a backup and inevitably
leads to the loss of not only money but clients as well. It can
even land you in court facing a lawsuit.
What is data loss?
Data loss is the loss of data stored on your hard drive or other
data storage device. It can occur because one or more of many
different reasons and can be recoverable or, in the worst-case
scenario, completely unrecoverable. It is a very real problem
that we must try to combat in order to successfully run our
business or maintain our home computers.
The most usual reasons for data loss are down to poor use and
manufacturing defaults. While the latter may not be your own
fault, there is little solace to be found in that when you lose
the last 12 months of work from your hard drive.
Poor use or misuse of the hard drive.
Many modern hard drives are not only versatile but durable as
well, however, this doesn't completely alleviate the danger of
data loss. Spilt liquids, vibration or collision can result in
damage of the hard drive itself or even in one of the components
of the hard drive. This will inevitably lead to some loss of data
Manufacturing defects of your hard drive.
Even the most careful of user may find they have problems with
their hard drive, or any part of their PC for that matter.
Sometimes we simply can't avoid it. Statistically, 1 or 2 bad
hard drives are found in hundreds of rigorously tested devices
shipped by manufacturers. Defects in any part of your PC can
manifest themselves immediately or they may only come to the
fore after months and months of heavy usage. Either way, it is
quite often possible to recover part or even all of the lost
data.
What can be done?
In the first place, the above examples should emphasise the
obvious fact that loss of data is a problem that can happen to
anyone, no matter how knowledgeable or how careful you are. It
is important that you do what you can to prevent fatal loss.
Keeping backups of any important, irreplaceable data is
something we should all do, but are quite often found not doing.
Not having a backup copy of your data could be the biggest
mistake you make.
However, even if you don't have a backup and something happens
to your storage device it may not be a complete loss. There are
specialists who deal solely with the recovery of lost data and
they can sometimes truly work miracles.
Use anti-virus software regularly and keep it updated as often
as possible. Many viruses attack the hard drive and can be
spread very quickly. Without a decent firewall and anti virus
system in place this will invariably lead to a loss of data
integrity.
Keep your storage devices as clean as possible. Also, be sure to
avoid contact with the electric components with your bare hands.
Keeping your storage devices cool will reduce the risk of
magnetic burnout and may save you from a total loss of data.
Virtually all of us store important data on our hard drives,
with the possible exception of people who use their PC only for
playing games; even gamers would consider losing weeks of saved
games as being something of a disaster. Even the most
knowledgeable and careful of us will probably face data loss of
some sort in our lives, and while it may not be our fault that a
device becomes corrupt of was faulty when leaving the
manufacturers, it is our fault if we haven't stored the data
elsewhere as a backup copy. Remember, accidents do happen, so we
should always prepare for the worst.
© 2005 Nick Carter
About the author:
Nick Carter is webmaster for http://www.data-recov
ery-resources.biz , an online portal for data recovery
resources.
Almost everyone who uses a PC stores valuable data on the hard
drive or other data storage device. Whether you use your PC for
keeping personal accounts, contact details or important
information or whether you are a business user and keep vital
business information, contact details and company data on your
PC the risk of data loss is a big risk and could prove very
costly in the long run.
With true data loss, your only hope of recovery is a data
backup, and without one there is no way back. If you have
company data on your home PC, data that is vital to the
operation of a company or the effective servicing of a customer
data loss will inevitably lose you or your company money. It
looks unprofessional, if you don't have a backup and inevitably
leads to the loss of not only money but clients as well. It can
even land you in court facing a lawsuit.
What is data loss?
Data loss is the loss of data stored on your hard drive or other
data storage device. It can occur because one or more of many
different reasons and can be recoverable or, in the worst-case
scenario, completely unrecoverable. It is a very real problem
that we must try to combat in order to successfully run our
business or maintain our home computers.
The most usual reasons for data loss are down to poor use and
manufacturing defaults. While the latter may not be your own
fault, there is little solace to be found in that when you lose
the last 12 months of work from your hard drive.
Poor use or misuse of the hard drive.
Many modern hard drives are not only versatile but durable as
well, however, this doesn't completely alleviate the danger of
data loss. Spilt liquids, vibration or collision can result in
damage of the hard drive itself or even in one of the components
of the hard drive. This will inevitably lead to some loss of data
Manufacturing defects of your hard drive.
Even the most careful of user may find they have problems with
their hard drive, or any part of their PC for that matter.
Sometimes we simply can't avoid it. Statistically, 1 or 2 bad
hard drives are found in hundreds of rigorously tested devices
shipped by manufacturers. Defects in any part of your PC can
manifest themselves immediately or they may only come to the
fore after months and months of heavy usage. Either way, it is
quite often possible to recover part or even all of the lost
data.
What can be done?
In the first place, the above examples should emphasise the
obvious fact that loss of data is a problem that can happen to
anyone, no matter how knowledgeable or how careful you are. It
is important that you do what you can to prevent fatal loss.
Keeping backups of any important, irreplaceable data is
something we should all do, but are quite often found not doing.
Not having a backup copy of your data could be the biggest
mistake you make.
However, even if you don't have a backup and something happens
to your storage device it may not be a complete loss. There are
specialists who deal solely with the recovery of lost data and
they can sometimes truly work miracles.
Use anti-virus software regularly and keep it updated as often
as possible. Many viruses attack the hard drive and can be
spread very quickly. Without a decent firewall and anti virus
system in place this will invariably lead to a loss of data
integrity.
Keep your storage devices as clean as possible. Also, be sure to
avoid contact with the electric components with your bare hands.
Keeping your storage devices cool will reduce the risk of
magnetic burnout and may save you from a total loss of data.
Virtually all of us store important data on our hard drives,
with the possible exception of people who use their PC only for
playing games; even gamers would consider losing weeks of saved
games as being something of a disaster. Even the most
knowledgeable and careful of us will probably face data loss of
some sort in our lives, and while it may not be our fault that a
device becomes corrupt of was faulty when leaving the
manufacturers, it is our fault if we haven't stored the data
elsewhere as a backup copy. Remember, accidents do happen, so we
should always prepare for the worst.
© 2005 Nick Carter
About the author:
Nick Carter is webmaster for http://www.data-recov
ery-resources.biz , an online portal for data recovery
resources.
5 Steps to Removing PC Clutter
By: Demetria Zinga
It's hard enough as it is these days to get organized and then
remain that way for weeks and months down the road. We are all
very busy people, some of us with 9-5 jobs and one hour
commutes, and others of us busy making our lives at home work
for us, with children at tow and a variety of chores to do as
well as errands to run. However, no matter how vastly different
our lives may be, we all run into the same problems when dealing
with organization, and that's: KEEPING organized. need to
develop a system that helps your PC remain free of clutter and
organized. Granted, this task doesn't come easy at first, but
all it takes is a few extra steps each day, done consistently,
that will maximize your results in the long run.
So, let's say you have disorganized files all over your hard
drive that you have difficulty finding when you need them. Your
PC keeps catching viruses out of the blue. You don't know what
to do with all your spam mail. You have extra programs and
freeware on your PC that you don't know anything about, and even
if you did, wouldn't know what to do with them. Here are a few
steps to help you get started in the right direction:
1.)Get rid of any unnecessary files or programs that are on your
hard drive. This requires a little homework on your part. You'll
need to set aside the time to sit down and actually take a look
at all of the files on your PC and delete what you don't need. A
few things to do periodically for optimal performance is to run
a disk cleanup, use your system file checker, and defragment
your hard drive. 2.)Organize all of your files and folders. Once
you've deleted everything you don't need, take a look at what's
left. Is there some way you could organize these in nice
categorical folders, so that it's easier to retrieve them later
on? For example, you could create a few folders underneath your
My Documents folder, and give then names such as: My Journal, My
TV Shows, My Videos, My Business, My Songs, My JobFind, etc. You
could then place all respective files underneath these neatly
organized folders. You can also take advantage of many of the
folders already supplied to you by Microsoft Windows, such as My
Pictures and My Music. 3.)Install adware and spyware programs. I
don't think I need to stress how important it is to run
antivirus and spyware software. I personally like McAffee
because of its wide range of protection services, but Norton
AntiVirus works great as well. 4.)Delete unnecessary shareware
and freeware files. It's very important to keep your hard drive
as clean and organized as possible. Remember that shareware and
freeware can potentially be harmful to your computer (viruses!),
depending upon which source you received your shareware from.
5.)Delete unnecessary emails and take control of spam. By now,
you know to have antivirus software installed on your PC. That's
a must, and will protect you if you should happen to open emails
that have viruses attached to them. Before you open any of your
emails, check to be sure you know the sender, and that there are
no .zip or .exe attachments. Be very careful about opening files
with attachments, especially from senders you don't know.
Hope many of these tips will you help you move toward the right
direction in de-cluttering your PC, now and for good.
-- Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of
www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which
specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print
designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the
founder of www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog,
and podcast for Christian women.
It's hard enough as it is these days to get organized and then
remain that way for weeks and months down the road. We are all
very busy people, some of us with 9-5 jobs and one hour
commutes, and others of us busy making our lives at home work
for us, with children at tow and a variety of chores to do as
well as errands to run. However, no matter how vastly different
our lives may be, we all run into the same problems when dealing
with organization, and that's: KEEPING organized. need to
develop a system that helps your PC remain free of clutter and
organized. Granted, this task doesn't come easy at first, but
all it takes is a few extra steps each day, done consistently,
that will maximize your results in the long run.
So, let's say you have disorganized files all over your hard
drive that you have difficulty finding when you need them. Your
PC keeps catching viruses out of the blue. You don't know what
to do with all your spam mail. You have extra programs and
freeware on your PC that you don't know anything about, and even
if you did, wouldn't know what to do with them. Here are a few
steps to help you get started in the right direction:
1.)Get rid of any unnecessary files or programs that are on your
hard drive. This requires a little homework on your part. You'll
need to set aside the time to sit down and actually take a look
at all of the files on your PC and delete what you don't need. A
few things to do periodically for optimal performance is to run
a disk cleanup, use your system file checker, and defragment
your hard drive. 2.)Organize all of your files and folders. Once
you've deleted everything you don't need, take a look at what's
left. Is there some way you could organize these in nice
categorical folders, so that it's easier to retrieve them later
on? For example, you could create a few folders underneath your
My Documents folder, and give then names such as: My Journal, My
TV Shows, My Videos, My Business, My Songs, My JobFind, etc. You
could then place all respective files underneath these neatly
organized folders. You can also take advantage of many of the
folders already supplied to you by Microsoft Windows, such as My
Pictures and My Music. 3.)Install adware and spyware programs. I
don't think I need to stress how important it is to run
antivirus and spyware software. I personally like McAffee
because of its wide range of protection services, but Norton
AntiVirus works great as well. 4.)Delete unnecessary shareware
and freeware files. It's very important to keep your hard drive
as clean and organized as possible. Remember that shareware and
freeware can potentially be harmful to your computer (viruses!),
depending upon which source you received your shareware from.
5.)Delete unnecessary emails and take control of spam. By now,
you know to have antivirus software installed on your PC. That's
a must, and will protect you if you should happen to open emails
that have viruses attached to them. Before you open any of your
emails, check to be sure you know the sender, and that there are
no .zip or .exe attachments. Be very careful about opening files
with attachments, especially from senders you don't know.
Hope many of these tips will you help you move toward the right
direction in de-cluttering your PC, now and for good.
-- Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of
www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which
specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print
designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the
founder of www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog,
and podcast for Christian women.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Getting Patched with Windows Service Pack
By: Demetria Zinga
Are you one of those people that keeps track of recalls, just
in case one of your most recent purchases gets recalled? Well,
some of us do, but many of us don't.
For those of us who don't keep up with recalls in general, it's
just as easy to be unaware of the fact that Microsoft Windows
offers us this wonderful service called a Service Pack, which is
essentially a recall service for Microsoft Windows. Most people
are not aware of service packs, what they're for, and how to use
them. Let's talk for a minute about how service packs can help
save or even lengthen the life of your PC.
First, you'll need to set up your PC to receive those service
packs on a regular basis. This keeps your computer safe from
hackers. Oftentimes, Microsoft discovers faulty code or
loopholes in the operating system which also, unfortunately,
gets detected by hackers. If your computer is not serviced and
updated, you open the door for hackers to step in and take over.
They way to set up your service pack for automatic updates is to
open your Control Panel, and then open System. You will then
select the Automatic Updates tab. You can also choose to have
your updates downloaded but not installed automatically. Be sure
to check this often to make sure you still have your automatic
updates for service pack selected.
Service Pack by Microsoft will speed up and automate your
critical tasks, fix bugs, install updates to Microsoft
applications, repair compatibility problems with third-party
software and hardware, add pop-up protection and firewalls, add
protection for communication tools such as Outlook and
Messenger, and improve user interface features. You literally
have nothing to lose by making sure you keep your PC patched,
and it only takes a moment to be sure that your automatic
updates for service packs is selected. This is a great way to
protect the life of your PC and relieve your mind of hackers,
which, of course, preserves your own sanity! So patch away!
-- Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of
www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which
specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print
designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the
founder of www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog,
and podcast for Christian women.
Are you one of those people that keeps track of recalls, just
in case one of your most recent purchases gets recalled? Well,
some of us do, but many of us don't.
For those of us who don't keep up with recalls in general, it's
just as easy to be unaware of the fact that Microsoft Windows
offers us this wonderful service called a Service Pack, which is
essentially a recall service for Microsoft Windows. Most people
are not aware of service packs, what they're for, and how to use
them. Let's talk for a minute about how service packs can help
save or even lengthen the life of your PC.
First, you'll need to set up your PC to receive those service
packs on a regular basis. This keeps your computer safe from
hackers. Oftentimes, Microsoft discovers faulty code or
loopholes in the operating system which also, unfortunately,
gets detected by hackers. If your computer is not serviced and
updated, you open the door for hackers to step in and take over.
They way to set up your service pack for automatic updates is to
open your Control Panel, and then open System. You will then
select the Automatic Updates tab. You can also choose to have
your updates downloaded but not installed automatically. Be sure
to check this often to make sure you still have your automatic
updates for service pack selected.
Service Pack by Microsoft will speed up and automate your
critical tasks, fix bugs, install updates to Microsoft
applications, repair compatibility problems with third-party
software and hardware, add pop-up protection and firewalls, add
protection for communication tools such as Outlook and
Messenger, and improve user interface features. You literally
have nothing to lose by making sure you keep your PC patched,
and it only takes a moment to be sure that your automatic
updates for service packs is selected. This is a great way to
protect the life of your PC and relieve your mind of hackers,
which, of course, preserves your own sanity! So patch away!
-- Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of
www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which
specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print
designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the
founder of www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog,
and podcast for Christian women.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
3 Things You Must Know About Spyware
By: Richard Martin
1) Spyware is on your system. Like it or not, statistically speaking, you probably have spyware on your machine right now. There are so many malicious programs floating around out there that one or two have bound to have gotten past all of your security settings. McAfee and Norton Anti Virus are both excellent programs, but even they can be beaten by the determined spyware makers and distributors. One recent computer repair man said, close to 80% of the machines that he services have spyware on them. I believe it. Spyware can be sneaky and it can install quietly without your knowledge. Your system probably has spyware on it; make sure it doesn't corrupt your data files or worse. 2) Spyware attacks through certain programs. One program that seems to have been a magnet for spyware on my machine has been my browser (one that is distributed by a major computer comapany). Maybe I didn't update my security settings or maybe they were not strong enough but somehow, somewhere, my previous browser seems to have been vulnerable to spyware attacks. Switching to an open source browser (FireFox) was like night and day. Firefox hasn't seemed to let any spyware install itself so far. I switched about 6 months ago. If you haven't tried Firefox, you might consider downloading a trial copy. 3) You need to get some form of protection against spyware. There are all sorts of companies out there claiming to have the magic cure for spyware. Some work fantastically, some don't work as well. Finding the spyware removal “silver bullet” isn't as hard as it seems, but it does take some work and a little bit of research. I use several programs on my new machine that I am typing this on. The hardest part is getting spyware off of your machine once it is installed, so you don't want it to get on your machine to begin with. Using the right type of browser (as mentioned above) is one of the best ways to insure you don't have to spend a lot of time cleaning your machine.
About the author:To watch a free video about spyware, visit http://www.spyware-tutorial.comand learn how to protect your computer today.
1) Spyware is on your system. Like it or not, statistically speaking, you probably have spyware on your machine right now. There are so many malicious programs floating around out there that one or two have bound to have gotten past all of your security settings. McAfee and Norton Anti Virus are both excellent programs, but even they can be beaten by the determined spyware makers and distributors. One recent computer repair man said, close to 80% of the machines that he services have spyware on them. I believe it. Spyware can be sneaky and it can install quietly without your knowledge. Your system probably has spyware on it; make sure it doesn't corrupt your data files or worse. 2) Spyware attacks through certain programs. One program that seems to have been a magnet for spyware on my machine has been my browser (one that is distributed by a major computer comapany). Maybe I didn't update my security settings or maybe they were not strong enough but somehow, somewhere, my previous browser seems to have been vulnerable to spyware attacks. Switching to an open source browser (FireFox) was like night and day. Firefox hasn't seemed to let any spyware install itself so far. I switched about 6 months ago. If you haven't tried Firefox, you might consider downloading a trial copy. 3) You need to get some form of protection against spyware. There are all sorts of companies out there claiming to have the magic cure for spyware. Some work fantastically, some don't work as well. Finding the spyware removal “silver bullet” isn't as hard as it seems, but it does take some work and a little bit of research. I use several programs on my new machine that I am typing this on. The hardest part is getting spyware off of your machine once it is installed, so you don't want it to get on your machine to begin with. Using the right type of browser (as mentioned above) is one of the best ways to insure you don't have to spend a lot of time cleaning your machine.
About the author:To watch a free video about spyware, visit http://www.spyware-tutorial.comand learn how to protect your computer today.
Yahoo Expands Mobile Phone Search Functions
Yahoo expands its mobile phone search functions
New service lets people get search results via short message service and use browsers on small-screen mobile phones
Researcher: Tenfold growth in podcast consumption
U.S. podcast audience will number 56 million by 2010, according to a new forecast
IT worker confidence rebounds
An information-technology worker index shows substantial improvement from May to June, according to a new study
Banks to share ID theft data with FTC
Identity Theft Assistance Center says pooled information on ID theft cases should help law enforcement catch ID thieves
New service lets people get search results via short message service and use browsers on small-screen mobile phones
Researcher: Tenfold growth in podcast consumption
U.S. podcast audience will number 56 million by 2010, according to a new forecast
IT worker confidence rebounds
An information-technology worker index shows substantial improvement from May to June, according to a new study
Banks to share ID theft data with FTC
Identity Theft Assistance Center says pooled information on ID theft cases should help law enforcement catch ID thieves
Beginners guide to PC video editing
By: Scott Brown
If you're new to PC video editing then knowing where to start
can be a bit daunting, so hopefully this guide will point you in
the right direction.
To start with you will need a few items of equipment
Camcorders/Video Decks
Depending on your requirements or aims there are number of
different solutions to discuss, so i will split these up into
separate sections.
1.If you are starting from new then i recommend buying a new
digital camcorder, this will give you superior video and sound
quality as well as making getting started in video editing very
simple, so ideal for the beginner. There are thousands to choose
from catering for various types of budgets.
2. You may already have an old video deck or camcorder which
uses the old analogue outputs such as composite or s-video (be
sure to check first what outputs you have). For this kind of
setup you would need a capture card/analogue to digital
converter, this is discussed in more detail further on in the
article.
A PC for Video Editing
It is now possible to easily capture footage from your Digital
Camcorder directly to your PC and edit it. If you looking at
buying a new PC or building a new one then the currents spec's
are more then powerful enough ,a typical spec PC these days is a
P4, 512Mb Ram, 80Gb HDD, Windows XP or something along those
lines. You could always use your existing PC if you have one,
but i wouldn't recommend using anything below a PIII 600.
Additional Hardware
When transferring video from your camcorder to your PC there are
a number of additional things to consider depending on the type
of camcorder your using. If you're using a digital camcorder
then all your need is a firewire card (also known as an IEE1394
card), a lot of current PC's have these as standard now,
otherwise you will need to purchase the card separately. Some of
these will come bundled with editing software such as Adobe
Premiere but this really depends on which card you buy and how
much you spend, once your camcorder is connected to your
firewire port windows will automatically recognise your Digital
Camcorder. If your using the old analogue camcorder then you
will also need an analogue to digital converter, see the section
on video editing cards below.
Speed?
Its worth considering your Pc's Processor speed, the speed will
effect the rate your video will encode, encoding is where your
DV video clips are converted into a more compressed format, for
example DVD's are encoded to MPEG2. So the faster the better
really. Also consider the amount of RAM in your PC, 256Mb would
be the minimum.
Extra Hard Drive Storage
Its worth considering having an extra dedicated drive for your
video footage, remember that five minutes of DV footage uses 1GB
of hard drive space so consider a large capacity hard drive such
as an 80Gb or 120Gb, also consider the disk drive RPM, at least
7200RPM would be recommended. If your PC supports it (most new
ones do now), then a Serial ATA (SATA) drive will offer
increased date transfer rates of up to 150MB/sec compared to 100
or 133 offered by the IDE drives, you may also consider a SCSI
drive if you're PC has an SCSI adapter as standard.
DVD/CD Burners
If your planning on putting your film onto CD-ROM (VCD), or DVD
then a CDRW or DVDRW is an essential piece of kit, most new pc's
may have a CDRW or DVDRW as standard, to burn your DVD, you'll
need DVD authoring software. Video Editing Cards If you have and
older analogue video camera/deck then an analogue USB or PCI
capture cards will suffice. These dedicated analogue to digital
converters take process of conversion away from the CPU and
therefore speeds up transfer. If worth getting a quality capture
card as the cheaper cards can produce mixed results,
The Video Editing Software
This is where all your creative work starts and the creative
work starts, you can capture video from your camera, edit the
captured clips, arrange them into a sequence, add transitions,
credits and a soundtrack, titles and when your ready export your
movie back to the camera or a suitable encoded file format (DVD,
VCD etc).
About the author:
Founder of http://wwww.avmechanic.co.uk a Free Video Editing and
Computer help community covering a wide range of topics.
If you're new to PC video editing then knowing where to start
can be a bit daunting, so hopefully this guide will point you in
the right direction.
To start with you will need a few items of equipment
Camcorders/Video Decks
Depending on your requirements or aims there are number of
different solutions to discuss, so i will split these up into
separate sections.
1.If you are starting from new then i recommend buying a new
digital camcorder, this will give you superior video and sound
quality as well as making getting started in video editing very
simple, so ideal for the beginner. There are thousands to choose
from catering for various types of budgets.
2. You may already have an old video deck or camcorder which
uses the old analogue outputs such as composite or s-video (be
sure to check first what outputs you have). For this kind of
setup you would need a capture card/analogue to digital
converter, this is discussed in more detail further on in the
article.
A PC for Video Editing
It is now possible to easily capture footage from your Digital
Camcorder directly to your PC and edit it. If you looking at
buying a new PC or building a new one then the currents spec's
are more then powerful enough ,a typical spec PC these days is a
P4, 512Mb Ram, 80Gb HDD, Windows XP or something along those
lines. You could always use your existing PC if you have one,
but i wouldn't recommend using anything below a PIII 600.
Additional Hardware
When transferring video from your camcorder to your PC there are
a number of additional things to consider depending on the type
of camcorder your using. If you're using a digital camcorder
then all your need is a firewire card (also known as an IEE1394
card), a lot of current PC's have these as standard now,
otherwise you will need to purchase the card separately. Some of
these will come bundled with editing software such as Adobe
Premiere but this really depends on which card you buy and how
much you spend, once your camcorder is connected to your
firewire port windows will automatically recognise your Digital
Camcorder. If your using the old analogue camcorder then you
will also need an analogue to digital converter, see the section
on video editing cards below.
Speed?
Its worth considering your Pc's Processor speed, the speed will
effect the rate your video will encode, encoding is where your
DV video clips are converted into a more compressed format, for
example DVD's are encoded to MPEG2. So the faster the better
really. Also consider the amount of RAM in your PC, 256Mb would
be the minimum.
Extra Hard Drive Storage
Its worth considering having an extra dedicated drive for your
video footage, remember that five minutes of DV footage uses 1GB
of hard drive space so consider a large capacity hard drive such
as an 80Gb or 120Gb, also consider the disk drive RPM, at least
7200RPM would be recommended. If your PC supports it (most new
ones do now), then a Serial ATA (SATA) drive will offer
increased date transfer rates of up to 150MB/sec compared to 100
or 133 offered by the IDE drives, you may also consider a SCSI
drive if you're PC has an SCSI adapter as standard.
DVD/CD Burners
If your planning on putting your film onto CD-ROM (VCD), or DVD
then a CDRW or DVDRW is an essential piece of kit, most new pc's
may have a CDRW or DVDRW as standard, to burn your DVD, you'll
need DVD authoring software. Video Editing Cards If you have and
older analogue video camera/deck then an analogue USB or PCI
capture cards will suffice. These dedicated analogue to digital
converters take process of conversion away from the CPU and
therefore speeds up transfer. If worth getting a quality capture
card as the cheaper cards can produce mixed results,
The Video Editing Software
This is where all your creative work starts and the creative
work starts, you can capture video from your camera, edit the
captured clips, arrange them into a sequence, add transitions,
credits and a soundtrack, titles and when your ready export your
movie back to the camera or a suitable encoded file format (DVD,
VCD etc).
About the author:
Founder of http://wwww.avmechanic.co.uk a Free Video Editing and
Computer help community covering a wide range of topics.
9 Basic Features You Should Consider Before Buying Your Next
By: Ed Cordova
Laptops are the natural evolution in the ever changing world of
the computer. The improvement of technology has allowed the
computer to shrink from being as big as a house, to the size of
book.
Their compactness, and portability makes the laptop particularly
useful to the professional, the person on the go, and the
student. However, laptops can get rather expensive so you should
take care to choose a laptop with the right amount of features,
but not so many that they needlessly inflate the price.
Here are 9 basic features that you should consider before you
purchase your next laptop:
1. Weight and Size: When it comes to weight and size, you should
consider that the bigger a laptop is, the heavier it is. A small
enough size should be chosen, but not so small that it's
uncomfortable. The smaller the laptop, the more awkward it will
be to type on that tiny keyboard.
2. Display: The display, or screen is directly tied in to the
size of the laptop. You should choose the biggest display
possible. Also, a decision has to be made between Active, and
Passive Matrix.
Active Matrix is more expensive, but is recommended since
pictures come out sharper and moving images play out smoother.
Passive Matrix is cheaper, but the picture quality is not as
good.
3. Batteries: There are 3 main types of Batteries. They are Li,
NiMH, NiCad. What those letters stand for is not important. All
you need to know is to always choose Li since they are higher
quality, and provide a longer life. However, they are slightly
more expensive. If one is strapped for money, then NiMH is
acceptable. They're slightly cheaper, but must be recharged
every hour or so. Under no circumstances should NiCad be chosen.
They're extremely low quality, and have no staying power.
4. Hard-Drive: Most laptops start with at least 4.3 gigabytes,
or GB, of hard drive space. However, you can get more hard-drive
space if you think you'll need it.
5. CD-DVD Drive: To be honest, a laptop doesn't really need
either one. But at least one should be added since most software
comes in CD form nowadays. If you choose a DVD-ROM drive, then a
CD-ROM drive won't be needed since a DVD-ROM drive can read
CD-ROMs.
6. RAM, or Random Access Memory: This is the Short Term Memory
of you computer. How much does a laptop need? The simple answer
is about 32 megabytes, or MB, of RAM, but 64 is highly
recommended. This is due to the fact that laptops are difficult
to upgrade. Because of this, you might as well get more then
you'll currently need, and look ahead.
7. The "brain" otherwise known as the CPU: The Central
Processing Unit contains all the programs run on a computer. At
least 233 MHz in processing speed for a laptop is suggested.
There are many types of CPU's but just make sure the laptop you
choose has one.
8. Modems: The modem allows you to access the Internet. This is
important if the laptop will be used to surf the Web, and send
email. There are two primary types of modems used with laptops.
There's the Internal modem, and the PC card-based modem.
Internal modems are easier to hook up, and they're becoming more
and more common. PC card-based modems stick out of a computer.
Their advantage is that they can be replaced if upgrades to a
faster one are needed.
9. Ports: Ports are where the peripherals are applied, such as
microphones, cameras, and extra memory. What type of ports do
most laptops have? Currently, all laptops feature a serial, a
parallel, an infrared, and a universal serial bus (USB) port.
The reason why there're so many different types of ports is
because the peripheral equipment corresponds with different
types of ports.
That's it. Those are the 9 basics that you should consider when
purchasing your next laptop. Utilizing the above information,
you'll be able to make the most informed decisions when
acquiring a laptop with suitable features that meet all your
needs.
About the author:
Ed Cordova is a computer enthusiast whose passion for computers,
be they desktops,
or laptops, has lead
him to create About
Computers.
Laptops are the natural evolution in the ever changing world of
the computer. The improvement of technology has allowed the
computer to shrink from being as big as a house, to the size of
book.
Their compactness, and portability makes the laptop particularly
useful to the professional, the person on the go, and the
student. However, laptops can get rather expensive so you should
take care to choose a laptop with the right amount of features,
but not so many that they needlessly inflate the price.
Here are 9 basic features that you should consider before you
purchase your next laptop:
1. Weight and Size: When it comes to weight and size, you should
consider that the bigger a laptop is, the heavier it is. A small
enough size should be chosen, but not so small that it's
uncomfortable. The smaller the laptop, the more awkward it will
be to type on that tiny keyboard.
2. Display: The display, or screen is directly tied in to the
size of the laptop. You should choose the biggest display
possible. Also, a decision has to be made between Active, and
Passive Matrix.
Active Matrix is more expensive, but is recommended since
pictures come out sharper and moving images play out smoother.
Passive Matrix is cheaper, but the picture quality is not as
good.
3. Batteries: There are 3 main types of Batteries. They are Li,
NiMH, NiCad. What those letters stand for is not important. All
you need to know is to always choose Li since they are higher
quality, and provide a longer life. However, they are slightly
more expensive. If one is strapped for money, then NiMH is
acceptable. They're slightly cheaper, but must be recharged
every hour or so. Under no circumstances should NiCad be chosen.
They're extremely low quality, and have no staying power.
4. Hard-Drive: Most laptops start with at least 4.3 gigabytes,
or GB, of hard drive space. However, you can get more hard-drive
space if you think you'll need it.
5. CD-DVD Drive: To be honest, a laptop doesn't really need
either one. But at least one should be added since most software
comes in CD form nowadays. If you choose a DVD-ROM drive, then a
CD-ROM drive won't be needed since a DVD-ROM drive can read
CD-ROMs.
6. RAM, or Random Access Memory: This is the Short Term Memory
of you computer. How much does a laptop need? The simple answer
is about 32 megabytes, or MB, of RAM, but 64 is highly
recommended. This is due to the fact that laptops are difficult
to upgrade. Because of this, you might as well get more then
you'll currently need, and look ahead.
7. The "brain" otherwise known as the CPU: The Central
Processing Unit contains all the programs run on a computer. At
least 233 MHz in processing speed for a laptop is suggested.
There are many types of CPU's but just make sure the laptop you
choose has one.
8. Modems: The modem allows you to access the Internet. This is
important if the laptop will be used to surf the Web, and send
email. There are two primary types of modems used with laptops.
There's the Internal modem, and the PC card-based modem.
Internal modems are easier to hook up, and they're becoming more
and more common. PC card-based modems stick out of a computer.
Their advantage is that they can be replaced if upgrades to a
faster one are needed.
9. Ports: Ports are where the peripherals are applied, such as
microphones, cameras, and extra memory. What type of ports do
most laptops have? Currently, all laptops feature a serial, a
parallel, an infrared, and a universal serial bus (USB) port.
The reason why there're so many different types of ports is
because the peripheral equipment corresponds with different
types of ports.
That's it. Those are the 9 basics that you should consider when
purchasing your next laptop. Utilizing the above information,
you'll be able to make the most informed decisions when
acquiring a laptop with suitable features that meet all your
needs.
About the author:
Ed Cordova is a computer enthusiast whose passion for computers,
be they desktops,
or laptops, has lead
him to create About
Computers.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Spyware Programs Are Out To Get You
by: Lawrence Andrews
The average computer is packed with hidden software that can secretly spy on online habits.
The US net provider EarthLink said it uncovered an average of 28 spyware programs on each PC scanned during the first three months of the year.
There are currently over 38,000 spyware and adware programs that are infecting innocent Internet users such as yourself through downloadable games, music, screensavers, pictures, pop-ups, emails, and the list goes on and on. Spyware and Adware can cause your PC to run extremely slow and even crash, and allow hackers and advertising companies to invade your privacy whenever they wish.
What Is Spyware?
Spyware is a broad term for programs that collects information from your computer without your knowledge or consent. Spyware is a software program that transmits a unique code to identify you (for tracking purposes) without your knowledge or consent. The programs collects or transmits information about your computer use, or other habits without your knowledge or consent.
This internet pest which is better known as spyware installs itself on your computer without your knowledge or consent. It performs other unwholesome duties, and continue to reinstalling itself no matter how many times you remove it.
Spyware!
It has become so pervasive that lawmakers in the US are looking into ways to prevent or regulate it. The Spy Audit by EarthLink reflects the results of scans involving over one million computers between January and March. It uncovered more than 29.5 million examples of spyware.
Why should I be concerned about spyware or adware?
Passwords, credit card details and other personal information could end up in the wrong hands.
Your computer could get unwanted viruses, worms or even Trojan.
You would receive unwanted emails.
Your computer could be used by malicious operators to do damage not only your own computer, but to other computer users too.
How did I get spyware on my computer and how do I eliminate it?
It usually happens when you visit a web site, and are prompted to download something that is said to be "necessary" to view or use features of that web site. Also, you might want or download a program that has some nice features, but also installs program code that can send information out without your knowledge.
"By tracking and publicizing the growth of spyware, we can better educate consumers of its risks and encourage them to take steps to protect themselves and their families while online," said Christine Stevenson of Webroot, which conducted the scans.
People concerned about what might be lurking on their machine can download software such as the popular ZoneAlarm Pro, Pest Patrol, and Spybot to disinfect their computer.
About The Author
Lawrence Andrews is a software developer, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information at http://www.traffic-o-matic.com.
The average computer is packed with hidden software that can secretly spy on online habits.
The US net provider EarthLink said it uncovered an average of 28 spyware programs on each PC scanned during the first three months of the year.
There are currently over 38,000 spyware and adware programs that are infecting innocent Internet users such as yourself through downloadable games, music, screensavers, pictures, pop-ups, emails, and the list goes on and on. Spyware and Adware can cause your PC to run extremely slow and even crash, and allow hackers and advertising companies to invade your privacy whenever they wish.
What Is Spyware?
Spyware is a broad term for programs that collects information from your computer without your knowledge or consent. Spyware is a software program that transmits a unique code to identify you (for tracking purposes) without your knowledge or consent. The programs collects or transmits information about your computer use, or other habits without your knowledge or consent.
This internet pest which is better known as spyware installs itself on your computer without your knowledge or consent. It performs other unwholesome duties, and continue to reinstalling itself no matter how many times you remove it.
Spyware!
It has become so pervasive that lawmakers in the US are looking into ways to prevent or regulate it. The Spy Audit by EarthLink reflects the results of scans involving over one million computers between January and March. It uncovered more than 29.5 million examples of spyware.
Why should I be concerned about spyware or adware?
Passwords, credit card details and other personal information could end up in the wrong hands.
Your computer could get unwanted viruses, worms or even Trojan.
You would receive unwanted emails.
Your computer could be used by malicious operators to do damage not only your own computer, but to other computer users too.
How did I get spyware on my computer and how do I eliminate it?
It usually happens when you visit a web site, and are prompted to download something that is said to be "necessary" to view or use features of that web site. Also, you might want or download a program that has some nice features, but also installs program code that can send information out without your knowledge.
"By tracking and publicizing the growth of spyware, we can better educate consumers of its risks and encourage them to take steps to protect themselves and their families while online," said Christine Stevenson of Webroot, which conducted the scans.
People concerned about what might be lurking on their machine can download software such as the popular ZoneAlarm Pro, Pest Patrol, and Spybot to disinfect their computer.
About The Author
Lawrence Andrews is a software developer, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information at http://www.traffic-o-matic.com.
Desktop PCs Not Dead Yet
Beware of Fake Microsoft Security Alerts
Spam disguised as security alert gives full control of your PC to attackers.
Desktop PCs Not Dead Yet
Laptops expected to top shipments, but major manufacturers still announce a slew of new desktops.
FBI Cracks Down on Movie, Music, Software Piracy Sites
Raid makes dent in what Feds call an organized online piracy underground.
Spam disguised as security alert gives full control of your PC to attackers.
Desktop PCs Not Dead Yet
Laptops expected to top shipments, but major manufacturers still announce a slew of new desktops.
FBI Cracks Down on Movie, Music, Software Piracy Sites
Raid makes dent in what Feds call an organized online piracy underground.
Antivirus Software
By: Mike Ber
Nowadays more and more people are using a computer. A lot of
them use it at their work place, but an increasing number of
computer users have also discovered the need to have a computer
at home. At the same time the number of Internet surfers
increased. This is a good thing because people are realizing the
advantages offered by the world of technology. As soon as they
discover this, they start using computers and the Internet more
and more, but at the same time not considering the threats that
are coming in from all sides. They should know that if you don't
protect yourself, nobody will. These threats are now coming from
everywhere and they are growing in number and complexity. First
threats of this kind were the viruses. At first, viruses were
not that harmful. They were designed to perform a simple task,
like flashing a single message onto the user's computer screen.
Also the spread rate was slow, because not many people were
connected to the Internet. But now the majority of viruses are
programs intentionally written to obstruct with, or harm other
programs or computer systems. And they are spreading very fast.
Many companies and people have had a lot of troubles because of
these viruses. And so the need for antivirus software was born.
At first one very simple antivirus appeared and this was enough.
Now, as the threat is growing antivirus software are becoming a
lot more complex. Some of them have also included a firewall so
to better protect the users. In order to increase the
competition, other antivirus software producers have also come
up with a wonderful idea: to offer free scan online. This was a
big help for people that are frequently using a computer mostly
for their personal use, meaning it is not attached to a network
and uses the Internet only from time to time. Now, they don't
have to spend a lot of money to buy antivirus software that will
be used very rarely.
Most of these antivirus programs have to be bought in order for
you to use them at their full capacity. Also you have the option
to test a so called "free trial version". These trial versions
include all or most of the software's features, and are
available to be checked out by the user for a short period of
time, usually 30 days. After these 30 days, the program can no
longer be used. Other antivirus software producers use another
method; they offer a free trial version that you can keep
forever. But it is not fully operational, meaning some of the
options of the program cannot be used as they are not activated.
After you have tried a program and you consider it is fit for
your need, then you'll have to buy it to protect your computer
at its full capacity.
Lately, viruses are mostly spread through e-mails because this
is the most common use of the Internet. Also, e-mail viruses are
easier to develop. E-mail viruses make use of the ability of
having macros or scripts implanted in word documents,
spreadsheets, HTML pages, and are programmed to run when the
document is opened. But how does an e-mail virus works? When an
e-mail with an infected document or program is received, the
user unknowingly opens a document/program, which in turn
executes a code to open the e-mail directory and to send a copy
of itself as an e-mail attachment to a certain number of
addresses. Some of the recipients of the e-mail open its
attachment and the process repeats itself.
This is where the antivirus program comes in. This program is
set to check all incoming and outgoing messages and their
attachments. If an e-mail is detected to have a document or
program infected with a virus the program offers several
possibilities to deal with the threat: delete the e-mail, put it
in quarantine or try to disinfect it. Most of the times, these
choices are left to the user's decision. It is up to the user to
set the program in such manner to best fit his needs. But not
all viruses are coming by e-mail. A few of them use security
errors in the operating system or your Internet browser to be
launched automatically. But if you keep your antivirus and all
the other programs updated, there will be a small chance of
being infected via this route.
Nowadays, most viruses are spread in the form of e-mail
attachments. This is because some of the worst recent viruses
relay on recipients that throw away common sense and launch a
deadly e-mail attachment. Commonly the attachments are with
extensions that include .bat, .com, .exe, .pif, .scr, and .vbs.
Sometimes to avoid the filters of antivirus software, virus
creators enclose their malicious code in a .zip or .rar archive
file. The file might even have a password to full antivirus
programs that scan inside archives. And obviously, the password
is included in the message as an image for the convenience of
the naive user. As a simple but reliable rule, you should never
open an attachment that you didn't expect to receive, even if it
came from someone you know. Also, make sure your e-mail software
is configured so it will not automatically open attachments.
Another common way of spreading viruses is file sharing. Many
viruses spread themselves throughout open network shares. You
can protect your computer not sharing files or directories over
the network. But if you don't have a choice and you have to
share your files, you are still able to reduce the risk of being
infected by installing antivirus software and keeping it
updated. Other ways to become infected with viruses are
downloading files or software from the Internet, instant
messaging or even web pages.
If the file you are downloading or the computer you are
downloading it from is infected with a virus, there is a big
chance that your computer will also become infected with the
virus. As for the instant messaging, the major risk comes from
accepting files from other users on the network. This risk can
be minimized by configuring your antivirus software to scan all
incoming files and also configure your other programs not to
automatically accept files, and not to automatically execute the
files you accept. Certain viruses are known to infect web
servers. If you visit a website from an infected server, your
computer could be infected with the same virus, but this is a
very rare method of infection.
There are many different threats that are targeting the
computers. Although they are very different, all of them are
popularly called viruses. A virus by definition is a
self-replicating file, not considering whether it is malicious
or not. Another type of the so called viruses are worms; they
circulate mainly through e-mail but also spread through a
network. A worm is aware he is located in a network and uses it
for replicating itself. Trojan horses (or trojans) are mostly
used to insert some remote tools into a system in order to give
the attacker free access to that system, without the user's
knowledge. Most Trojan horses cannot replicate automatically.
With the increased number of Internet users, the existing
threats are also raising as now there are many more computers to
attack and more people that don't know to stay away from these
threats. But the antivirus software producers are making it
easier for us. There is a lot of antivirus software which cover
a lot of threats. All we have to do is install one.
About the author:
Mike Ber is the owner of the Canadian Domain Name Portal called
www.Every.ca He is also a contributing author to
www.ComputerMagazine.ca, www.Developer.ca, and www.XP.ca
Nowadays more and more people are using a computer. A lot of
them use it at their work place, but an increasing number of
computer users have also discovered the need to have a computer
at home. At the same time the number of Internet surfers
increased. This is a good thing because people are realizing the
advantages offered by the world of technology. As soon as they
discover this, they start using computers and the Internet more
and more, but at the same time not considering the threats that
are coming in from all sides. They should know that if you don't
protect yourself, nobody will. These threats are now coming from
everywhere and they are growing in number and complexity. First
threats of this kind were the viruses. At first, viruses were
not that harmful. They were designed to perform a simple task,
like flashing a single message onto the user's computer screen.
Also the spread rate was slow, because not many people were
connected to the Internet. But now the majority of viruses are
programs intentionally written to obstruct with, or harm other
programs or computer systems. And they are spreading very fast.
Many companies and people have had a lot of troubles because of
these viruses. And so the need for antivirus software was born.
At first one very simple antivirus appeared and this was enough.
Now, as the threat is growing antivirus software are becoming a
lot more complex. Some of them have also included a firewall so
to better protect the users. In order to increase the
competition, other antivirus software producers have also come
up with a wonderful idea: to offer free scan online. This was a
big help for people that are frequently using a computer mostly
for their personal use, meaning it is not attached to a network
and uses the Internet only from time to time. Now, they don't
have to spend a lot of money to buy antivirus software that will
be used very rarely.
Most of these antivirus programs have to be bought in order for
you to use them at their full capacity. Also you have the option
to test a so called "free trial version". These trial versions
include all or most of the software's features, and are
available to be checked out by the user for a short period of
time, usually 30 days. After these 30 days, the program can no
longer be used. Other antivirus software producers use another
method; they offer a free trial version that you can keep
forever. But it is not fully operational, meaning some of the
options of the program cannot be used as they are not activated.
After you have tried a program and you consider it is fit for
your need, then you'll have to buy it to protect your computer
at its full capacity.
Lately, viruses are mostly spread through e-mails because this
is the most common use of the Internet. Also, e-mail viruses are
easier to develop. E-mail viruses make use of the ability of
having macros or scripts implanted in word documents,
spreadsheets, HTML pages, and are programmed to run when the
document is opened. But how does an e-mail virus works? When an
e-mail with an infected document or program is received, the
user unknowingly opens a document/program, which in turn
executes a code to open the e-mail directory and to send a copy
of itself as an e-mail attachment to a certain number of
addresses. Some of the recipients of the e-mail open its
attachment and the process repeats itself.
This is where the antivirus program comes in. This program is
set to check all incoming and outgoing messages and their
attachments. If an e-mail is detected to have a document or
program infected with a virus the program offers several
possibilities to deal with the threat: delete the e-mail, put it
in quarantine or try to disinfect it. Most of the times, these
choices are left to the user's decision. It is up to the user to
set the program in such manner to best fit his needs. But not
all viruses are coming by e-mail. A few of them use security
errors in the operating system or your Internet browser to be
launched automatically. But if you keep your antivirus and all
the other programs updated, there will be a small chance of
being infected via this route.
Nowadays, most viruses are spread in the form of e-mail
attachments. This is because some of the worst recent viruses
relay on recipients that throw away common sense and launch a
deadly e-mail attachment. Commonly the attachments are with
extensions that include .bat, .com, .exe, .pif, .scr, and .vbs.
Sometimes to avoid the filters of antivirus software, virus
creators enclose their malicious code in a .zip or .rar archive
file. The file might even have a password to full antivirus
programs that scan inside archives. And obviously, the password
is included in the message as an image for the convenience of
the naive user. As a simple but reliable rule, you should never
open an attachment that you didn't expect to receive, even if it
came from someone you know. Also, make sure your e-mail software
is configured so it will not automatically open attachments.
Another common way of spreading viruses is file sharing. Many
viruses spread themselves throughout open network shares. You
can protect your computer not sharing files or directories over
the network. But if you don't have a choice and you have to
share your files, you are still able to reduce the risk of being
infected by installing antivirus software and keeping it
updated. Other ways to become infected with viruses are
downloading files or software from the Internet, instant
messaging or even web pages.
If the file you are downloading or the computer you are
downloading it from is infected with a virus, there is a big
chance that your computer will also become infected with the
virus. As for the instant messaging, the major risk comes from
accepting files from other users on the network. This risk can
be minimized by configuring your antivirus software to scan all
incoming files and also configure your other programs not to
automatically accept files, and not to automatically execute the
files you accept. Certain viruses are known to infect web
servers. If you visit a website from an infected server, your
computer could be infected with the same virus, but this is a
very rare method of infection.
There are many different threats that are targeting the
computers. Although they are very different, all of them are
popularly called viruses. A virus by definition is a
self-replicating file, not considering whether it is malicious
or not. Another type of the so called viruses are worms; they
circulate mainly through e-mail but also spread through a
network. A worm is aware he is located in a network and uses it
for replicating itself. Trojan horses (or trojans) are mostly
used to insert some remote tools into a system in order to give
the attacker free access to that system, without the user's
knowledge. Most Trojan horses cannot replicate automatically.
With the increased number of Internet users, the existing
threats are also raising as now there are many more computers to
attack and more people that don't know to stay away from these
threats. But the antivirus software producers are making it
easier for us. There is a lot of antivirus software which cover
a lot of threats. All we have to do is install one.
About the author:
Mike Ber is the owner of the Canadian Domain Name Portal called
www.Every.ca He is also a contributing author to
www.ComputerMagazine.ca, www.Developer.ca, and www.XP.ca
Monday, July 04, 2005
Finding the right Mac for you.
By:Stephen Howson
So the lure of buying a Mac has finally overcome you and you're
going to take the plunge. The only problem is that when you
start to look at machines there are to many to choose from. Do
you pick new or used / refurbished, Power Mac, iMac, eMac, Mini,
G3, G4, G5... argghhh.. Hopefully this article will help you
through that decision.
As with all machines, Mac or Intel based. whoops.. non-Mac Intel
based, you should get what you need, not what's "cool" at the
time. Think about what you want to do with the machine, weather
you're going to want to upgrade in the future and how much you
want to spend. Just because it might be tempting to get dual
processor 2.7Ghz PowerMac G5, doesn't mean you need it.
Here's the deal, there are basically three processors you're
going to be dealing with; G3, G4 and G5. All of them will run
versions of OSX up to 10.4.1, which is the most current at the
time of this article.
A bit about the processors:
In the interest of compatibility I would recommend going with a
G4 or G5 as the G3 is getting aged. However, if you're just
using the machine for email and browsing the web, a G3 iMac is a
good machine.
The G4 is a 32 bit processor and will allow you speeds up to
1.42Ghz - These machines are more than sufficient for the
average user. The G5 is a 64 bit processor and will allow you
speeds up to 2.7Ghz - These are more for gamers, advanced to
power users and developers. This may be overkill if you just
want an internet machine, email, word processing, etc.
A little about the machines:
Mini - Most inexpensive Entry level G4 based machine. Very small
and compact and does not come with a keyboard or mouse.
eMac - Most inexpensive All-in-one entry level. This resembles
the G3 style iMacs. They resemble a CRT monitor, but contain the
display and machine 'All-in-One'.
iMacs - These machine are available in G4 or G5 (or G3 listed
above). These are mid-priced all-in-one, mid-level machines. The
G4 have half circle base and an 'arm' with a flat screen monitor
attached. The G5 iMac basically looks like a flat screen, but is
the entire machine. These machines are excellent machines for
the average user that is not going to want to add internal
drives, upgrade the video card, etc. External drives can be
added via the USB2 or Firewire ports.
PowerMac - As with the iMac, these are available in G3, G4 or
G5. These machines are higher priced and are for the pro user,
developers and gamers. These are in a tower case that allows you
to add extra PCI-X cards as well as extra drives and memory. If
you're looking long term and don't want to have to buy another
computer for many years, this may be the way to go.
Processor upgrade path:
History has shown that PowerMacs definitely have the most
processor upgrades available for them. Of course you can't
upgrade the bus speed, this is basically how fast the data moves
around the machine, but you can increase the processor speed
with some of these upgrades. Some of the G3 PowerMacs can be
upgraded to G4. Some of the G4 PowerMacs can be upgraded to
faster G4 PowerMacs.
Recommendations in a nutshell:
Mac Mini - Average user that has a USB keyboard and mouse and an
existing monitor and does not mind limited upgrade options
eMac - Average user that wants an all-in-one machine for
day-to-day computing and does not mind limited upgrade path
iMac - Above average user that wants a little more computing
power in a sleek, compact design. Still limited upgrade, but
with the G4 model you probably won't have to worry about
upgrades for a while and with the G5 model you'll be able to
hang on to that machine for a few years.
PowerMac - Power user, developers and gamers. This is the
kingpin as far as expandability, upgradeability and longevity.
Conclusion:
Get what you need. Don't get sucked into buying the latest and
greatest, you may be wasting your money. Really take the time to
think about what you want to do with the machine and make your
decision based on that. No matter which machine you decide on
they're all excellent and you won't be disappointed with any of
them.
Alternatives to new machines:
Used machines - These machines are available throughout the net
at forum sites and auction sites like Bid4Mac.com.
Refurbished - These machines are available through Apple and
carry the same warranty as the new machines. This is a great way
to save some money while still having the warranty of a new
machine. I've ordered several refurbished items from Apple and
have never had a problem with them.
About the author:
Administrator at Bid4Mac.com mac auction where you can sell and
buy Apple computer gear of all types. www.bid4mac.com
So the lure of buying a Mac has finally overcome you and you're
going to take the plunge. The only problem is that when you
start to look at machines there are to many to choose from. Do
you pick new or used / refurbished, Power Mac, iMac, eMac, Mini,
G3, G4, G5... argghhh.. Hopefully this article will help you
through that decision.
As with all machines, Mac or Intel based. whoops.. non-Mac Intel
based, you should get what you need, not what's "cool" at the
time. Think about what you want to do with the machine, weather
you're going to want to upgrade in the future and how much you
want to spend. Just because it might be tempting to get dual
processor 2.7Ghz PowerMac G5, doesn't mean you need it.
Here's the deal, there are basically three processors you're
going to be dealing with; G3, G4 and G5. All of them will run
versions of OSX up to 10.4.1, which is the most current at the
time of this article.
A bit about the processors:
In the interest of compatibility I would recommend going with a
G4 or G5 as the G3 is getting aged. However, if you're just
using the machine for email and browsing the web, a G3 iMac is a
good machine.
The G4 is a 32 bit processor and will allow you speeds up to
1.42Ghz - These machines are more than sufficient for the
average user. The G5 is a 64 bit processor and will allow you
speeds up to 2.7Ghz - These are more for gamers, advanced to
power users and developers. This may be overkill if you just
want an internet machine, email, word processing, etc.
A little about the machines:
Mini - Most inexpensive Entry level G4 based machine. Very small
and compact and does not come with a keyboard or mouse.
eMac - Most inexpensive All-in-one entry level. This resembles
the G3 style iMacs. They resemble a CRT monitor, but contain the
display and machine 'All-in-One'.
iMacs - These machine are available in G4 or G5 (or G3 listed
above). These are mid-priced all-in-one, mid-level machines. The
G4 have half circle base and an 'arm' with a flat screen monitor
attached. The G5 iMac basically looks like a flat screen, but is
the entire machine. These machines are excellent machines for
the average user that is not going to want to add internal
drives, upgrade the video card, etc. External drives can be
added via the USB2 or Firewire ports.
PowerMac - As with the iMac, these are available in G3, G4 or
G5. These machines are higher priced and are for the pro user,
developers and gamers. These are in a tower case that allows you
to add extra PCI-X cards as well as extra drives and memory. If
you're looking long term and don't want to have to buy another
computer for many years, this may be the way to go.
Processor upgrade path:
History has shown that PowerMacs definitely have the most
processor upgrades available for them. Of course you can't
upgrade the bus speed, this is basically how fast the data moves
around the machine, but you can increase the processor speed
with some of these upgrades. Some of the G3 PowerMacs can be
upgraded to G4. Some of the G4 PowerMacs can be upgraded to
faster G4 PowerMacs.
Recommendations in a nutshell:
Mac Mini - Average user that has a USB keyboard and mouse and an
existing monitor and does not mind limited upgrade options
eMac - Average user that wants an all-in-one machine for
day-to-day computing and does not mind limited upgrade path
iMac - Above average user that wants a little more computing
power in a sleek, compact design. Still limited upgrade, but
with the G4 model you probably won't have to worry about
upgrades for a while and with the G5 model you'll be able to
hang on to that machine for a few years.
PowerMac - Power user, developers and gamers. This is the
kingpin as far as expandability, upgradeability and longevity.
Conclusion:
Get what you need. Don't get sucked into buying the latest and
greatest, you may be wasting your money. Really take the time to
think about what you want to do with the machine and make your
decision based on that. No matter which machine you decide on
they're all excellent and you won't be disappointed with any of
them.
Alternatives to new machines:
Used machines - These machines are available throughout the net
at forum sites and auction sites like Bid4Mac.com.
Refurbished - These machines are available through Apple and
carry the same warranty as the new machines. This is a great way
to save some money while still having the warranty of a new
machine. I've ordered several refurbished items from Apple and
have never had a problem with them.
About the author:
Administrator at Bid4Mac.com mac auction where you can sell and
buy Apple computer gear of all types. www.bid4mac.com
Friday, July 01, 2005
How To Stop Unwanted Email Spam
By: Gary Gresham
You can stop unwanted email spam, you can choose to reduce spam
email or you can do nothing and continue to be annoyed. Those
are your only choices because spam email is not likely to go
away. Every single one of us would love to stop unwanted emails
but only a very small percentage of people do anything except
complain about spam. You might remember a couple of years ago
they passed a new federal spam law that was supposed to
eliminate spam email. So why is spam still around and why is it
so difficult to get rid of it? Email spammers buy lists of email
addresses from list brokers, who compile their lists by
harvesting email addresses from the Internet. Then they send
millions of unwanted email messages to these email addresses
with one click of a mouse. Email spammers make huge amounts of
money from these lists and that's why they do it. These email
spammers are breaking the federal spam law, The CAN-SPAM Act of
2003, in every way possible. This federal spam law, which became
effective January 1, 2004, is next to impossible to enforce.
Email spammers make so much money they can afford to outsmart
The Federal Trade Commission with sophisticated technology. Now
that you know the origin of spam email and why email spammers
are sending this junk you realize that spam is not likely to
ever go away. But that doesn't mean you can't do anything about
it. Here are a couple of ways to significantly reduce spam that
won't cost you a cent. Don't display your email address in
newsgroup postings, chat rooms or in an online service's
membership directory. Sometimes email spammers use these sources
to harvest email addresses. Another thing you can do is create
two email addresses with one for personal messages and the other
for public use, such as in newsgroups or chat rooms. You can
also create an account at a disposable or free email address
service. You can then have those emails forwarded to your
permanent email address. If the disposable address starts to
receive spam, you can turn if off without affecting the
permanent address. You should also create a unique email address
because email spammers often use dictionary attacks to sort
through possible name combinations at some Internet Service
Providers. A common name, like johndoe or thesmiths may get more
spam than a unique name like fx721OMe9. Check your email account
to see if it provides a tool to filter out potential spam or a
way to channel spam into a bulk email folder. When you're
choosing an Internet Service Provider consider what email
options they offer. If you want to end your headaches, you can
stop unwanted email spam altogether. All it takes is installing
an Internet spam filter. Most are reasonably priced between $25
and $40 depending on where you get it. Once you install an
Internet spam filter you'll wonder why it took you so long
because it takes all of the frustration away from your email. A
good Internet spam filter will completely eliminate spam email
and that lets you take back control of your Internet message
Inbox. You'll have to find something else to get annoyed about
because a good Internet spam filter will block 100% of unwanted
spam. Internet spam filters stop unwanted email forever, and
after all, isn't that the idea? Copyright © 2005 Spyware
Information.com All Rights Reserved.
About the author:
This article is provided by http://www.spyware-information.com
We offer you the safest, most effective and easy-to-use Internet
spam filter available, blocking 100% of unwanted spam at
http://www.spyware-information.com/anti-spam-filter.html
You can stop unwanted email spam, you can choose to reduce spam
email or you can do nothing and continue to be annoyed. Those
are your only choices because spam email is not likely to go
away. Every single one of us would love to stop unwanted emails
but only a very small percentage of people do anything except
complain about spam. You might remember a couple of years ago
they passed a new federal spam law that was supposed to
eliminate spam email. So why is spam still around and why is it
so difficult to get rid of it? Email spammers buy lists of email
addresses from list brokers, who compile their lists by
harvesting email addresses from the Internet. Then they send
millions of unwanted email messages to these email addresses
with one click of a mouse. Email spammers make huge amounts of
money from these lists and that's why they do it. These email
spammers are breaking the federal spam law, The CAN-SPAM Act of
2003, in every way possible. This federal spam law, which became
effective January 1, 2004, is next to impossible to enforce.
Email spammers make so much money they can afford to outsmart
The Federal Trade Commission with sophisticated technology. Now
that you know the origin of spam email and why email spammers
are sending this junk you realize that spam is not likely to
ever go away. But that doesn't mean you can't do anything about
it. Here are a couple of ways to significantly reduce spam that
won't cost you a cent. Don't display your email address in
newsgroup postings, chat rooms or in an online service's
membership directory. Sometimes email spammers use these sources
to harvest email addresses. Another thing you can do is create
two email addresses with one for personal messages and the other
for public use, such as in newsgroups or chat rooms. You can
also create an account at a disposable or free email address
service. You can then have those emails forwarded to your
permanent email address. If the disposable address starts to
receive spam, you can turn if off without affecting the
permanent address. You should also create a unique email address
because email spammers often use dictionary attacks to sort
through possible name combinations at some Internet Service
Providers. A common name, like johndoe or thesmiths may get more
spam than a unique name like fx721OMe9. Check your email account
to see if it provides a tool to filter out potential spam or a
way to channel spam into a bulk email folder. When you're
choosing an Internet Service Provider consider what email
options they offer. If you want to end your headaches, you can
stop unwanted email spam altogether. All it takes is installing
an Internet spam filter. Most are reasonably priced between $25
and $40 depending on where you get it. Once you install an
Internet spam filter you'll wonder why it took you so long
because it takes all of the frustration away from your email. A
good Internet spam filter will completely eliminate spam email
and that lets you take back control of your Internet message
Inbox. You'll have to find something else to get annoyed about
because a good Internet spam filter will block 100% of unwanted
spam. Internet spam filters stop unwanted email forever, and
after all, isn't that the idea? Copyright © 2005 Spyware
Information.com All Rights Reserved.
About the author:
This article is provided by http://www.spyware-information.com
We offer you the safest, most effective and easy-to-use Internet
spam filter available, blocking 100% of unwanted spam at
http://www.spyware-information.com/anti-spam-filter.html
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