#1 – Summer Computer Travel
Holiday travelers should be on alert when arriving home from long weekends, such as the Fourth of July, a popular time for computer viruses to spread.
Most computer users have a tendency to turn off their computers when away on trips, which means you’re not getting newly-released anti-virus patches or anti-spyware updates; the two most common areas that cause computers problems. We recommend you update anti-virus and anti-spyware scans before opening e-mail or going online after an extended absence.
We consistently see an increase in calls for virus related problems immediately following long weekends. Avoid the problems altogether by updating your security software before using your computer. For a free listing of viruses, spyware threats and trends, visit: www.VisitingGeeks.com/downloads.htm
#2 -- Should You Leave Your Computer Running?
One question we hear frequently is, "Should I leave my desktop computer on or turn it off?"
There are 2 schools of thought…
Turning it on and off numerous times during the day subjects the microcircuits to flexing and fatigue due to change in temperatures. Over time this could lead to a break in the circuitry and result in system failure.
Leaving the computer on all the time puts excess wear on the mechanical components (the hard drive spindle motor and cooling fans).
Best compromise. First user in the morning turns it on; last user turns it off.
We leave our desktops on all the time allowing for scheduled utility tasks to run during overnight hours. We also restart the systems (to flush the RAM and reset the operating system) on a regular basis and routinely remove the case covers to clean out any dust that may have accumulated, especially around the fans and screens.
#3 -- Stop Popups!
Never click inside the window of a popup. Instead, close it by clicking on the X in the upper right corner. Many people are fooled into installing spyware applications by popups that promise to clean their system. If you receive a message saying it can help, assume it’s spyware and don’t click!
Thanks so much goodprophet,as HP's unofficial poster child for lack of computer skills this is the best thread I've read yet.I'm still trying to understand terminology let alone functions.As Bluedog said"it's a huge learning curve".lol
Thank you so much for these tips! I checked out one by one and found I did them all right. hehe
Good tips to save our computer. Another thing we can do I think is always update our antivirus. All the time I love avira so much, it doesn't seized a lot of space and absolutely free.
by Nanny J.O.A.T. 14 years ago
I am in the process of cleaning up my computer after my son donwloaded - by accident - another unremovable anti spyware program. I was wondering how many others here have had this type of thing happen to their computers by children/spouses/friends etc? I'm bored waiting for all the scans to run.......
by Venkatachari M 8 years ago
Do you believe Chrome is no more a reliable browser for our computers?Since some months, after the major changes done by Google, my computer is experiencing recurring problems and glitches in loading websites and files. Pages are not loading properly and double columns or triple columns appearing...
by Nizam Khan 11 years ago
How much RAM do you have in your 64 bit system?
by Holly 13 years ago
Does anyone know how you can check to see if you have a key logger program on your computer? And if you do, how to disable and remove it?
by Money Fairy 10 years ago
I just wanted to scream and throw this computer out the window. I tried just a simple procedure that turned into a nightmare..... technology is supposed to make life asier when it works that is? Any other frustrated computer users out there?
by Jacqueline Williamson BBA MPA MS 9 years ago
My first computer was a "built to specs" SX 486x with 160 MB hard drive and 4 MB RAM. It had a pair of cute little speakers and it ran Windows 3.1. When Windows 95 came out that same year; I was elated!Now times have changed and so have computers. Those of us who have witnessed this...
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