Checking for spyware or other malware

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Your PC is probably infected with spyware or other malware when you experience any of the following:

  • Your PC is running extremely slow
  • A lot of ads keeps on popping up while you're surfing the web
  • Your web browser homepage keeps changing
Even if you have installed an anti-virus or anti-spyware programs, your PC can still be infected by new strain of viruses, adwares or other malwares. To check if your PC is infected, you can use online virus and spyware scanners. These online facilities are being offered by security software vendors, free of charge, and can scan your computer for viruses and spyware and can detect malware threats from within your web browser.

One advantage of using an online scanner is that you can use it without having to uninstall your existing data security product or install a new one. More importantly, you can see what viruses your current antivirus software let slip through!


The following are some of the most popular online scanners available:




All of the above online facilities install a small program (ActiveX control) that allows your web browser to scan your PC’s system memory, all files in its hard disks and drive’s boot sectors. Almost all requires Internet Explorer browser for its ability to install ActiveX control, most notably, BitDefender, CA Threat Scanner, and of course, Microsoft Safety Scanner.


For the others, there are special instructions for installing the scanner software for browsers, like Mozilla Firefox, that do not allow ActiveX controls to be installed.


In terms of ease of use, I like F-Secure and ESET—both are fast to install and run. Also, I was able to use their online facilities using Mozilla Firefox, my default web browser. For F-Secure, you need to install a Firefox add-on to install the scanner. For ESET, you need to download and run the installer package that you can uninstall later. Moreover, both F-Secure and ESET allows you to clean infected files without buying their full licensed products.


BitDefender also offers cleanup of infected files. You can also select specific file folders that you want to check and specify actions that you want it to do for infected files (i.e. report only, prompt you for action, disinfect, delete). These features may be useful for more advanced users.


The CA Threat Scanner and Panda ActiveScan only offers free scanning for probable security issues. But to clean or disinfect the files, you need to buy their full products


I experienced some difficulty installing the Microsoft, Kaspersky and TrendMicro scanners so I wasn’t able to test it. I’ll try it again some other time and see if I can post a new article on my experience.


My recommendation? Use either F-Secure, ESET, or BitDefender first for quick checking of possible infections. I haven’t tested yet how effective these three online facilities are in terms of threat detections. That would be a topic for later article.

To perform a complete check of your PC, you can use the Reimage Free Scan to wipe out, destroy and eliminate all threats and corrupted files infesting your computer.

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What is a Spyware and how to avoid it

Monday, August 3, 2009

Spyware is a computer software that is installed on a personal computer without the user's informed consent and performs certain behaviors such as advertising (called adware), collecting personal information, or changing computer configuration.

A spyware can install itself into your computer when you open an email attachment, click on pop-up windows or some link to a program, or download free utilities or games.

Spywares can collect various types of personal information, such as web surfing habits, and can also interfere with user control of the computer in other ways, such as installing additional software, and redirecting web browser activity that can result to slow connection speeds, different home pages, and/or loss of Internet access or functionality of other programs

Spyware and other unwanted software can invade your privacy, bombard you with pop-up windows, slow down your computer, and even make your computer crash. Here are several ways you can help protect your computer against spyware and other unwanted software:

  • Only download software from Web sites you trust. If you are not sure whether to trust a program you are considering downloading, do some research first or ask a knowledgeable friend.

  • Never click "agree" or "OK' to close a pop-up window in your browser. Instead, click the red "x" in the corner of the window or press the Alt + F4 button on your keyboard to close it.

  • Be wary of the popular "free" software, music, and movie file-sharing programs. Be sure you clearly understand all of the software packaged with those programs

  • Make sure all your software is updated. If you are using Windows Vista or XP, make sure you have Automatic Updates turned on and visit Microsoft Update to download all the latest critical and security updates

  • Adjust your web browser settings. If you're using Internet explorer, consider switching to a more secure browser like Mozilla Firefox. Or adjust Internet Explorer's security settings for the Internet zone to Medium of higher.

  • Use a Firewall. While most spyware and other unwanted software come bundled with other programs or originate from unscrupulous Web sites, a small amount of spyware can actually be placed on your computer remotely by hackers. Installing a firewall provides a helpful defense against these hackers.

  • Install antispyware software. If you're using Windows Vista or XP, you can use Windows Defender, a free antispyware utility from Microsoft. Other free antispyware software are available such as Spybot Search and Destroy.

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Physical Cleaning of Computers

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Having computer equipment regularly cleaned and maintained brings many advantages. Cleaning equipment on a regular basis could extend its lifespan, reduce downtime, create a healthier environment, and improve corporate image.

The fan in a PC draws in dust and dirt that could prevent the machine from cooling properly and cause overheating and eventually, components may break down from excessive heat buildup. Also, dirt and dust are very abrasive on moving parts like drive heads, keyboard contacts, mouse mechanism and printer gears causing erroneous media reads, unresponsive keyboards, erratic mouse movements and blotched printouts. Getting rid of the build up of dust and dirt that is largely responsible for overheating and malfunction could extend the lifespan of equipment significantly.

Reducing equipment downtime through an effective preventive maintenance, could lead to tremendous productivity gain for the users—the fewer the downtimes, the lesser the headaches of your IT department.

Regular cleaning and maintenance leaves IT equipment looking newer for much longer and also helps to create a much better impression to the community you serve. Needless to say, it is much healthier and enjoyable to work with clean, sanitized computers.

PC Main Unit

Cleaning the exteriors of the PC main unit improves the overall appearance of the computer—to make it look brand new. Use mild cleaning agents, with anti-static and anti-bacterial ingredients, and soft lint-free cloth to clean computer surfaces. Make sure also to clean air vents to ensure a steady airflow to the computer, keeping components cool and in good working condition.

The inside of the computer is the most important part of the computer that needs to be cleaned. Removing dust and dirt from the computer fans and vents increases the internal air circulation. Removing dust and dirt accumulations in the circuit boards and CPU heat sinks that causes insulating blanket greatly reduces the chance of chip burn out. Dusting the inside of the computer also prevents it from overheating.

Video Display Unit

Clean the monitor screen to ensure the display is cleaner and crisper that greatly improves readability and thus, reduces eyestrain. For CRT monitors, use glass-cleaning liquid and soft cloth to clean the screen. For LCD/Flat Panel display units, use mild cleaning liquid applied to a soft cotton cloth in wiping the screen surface. Do not use strong cleaning agents containing methyl chloride, acetone, ethyl acid or ammonia, as LCD/Plasma monitors are especially sensitive to these chemicals.

Keyboard

Remove dirt, dust and other particles that can damage keyboard circuits by using compressed air or vacuum cleaner. Also ensure sticky-free keys by cleaning each key with soft cloth and cotton swab moistened with mild cleaning agent.

Mouse

Use a cloth moistened with antiseptic liquid to rub the surface of the mouse and each of its buttons to help keep the mouse clean and germ free. Clean the rollers of mechanical mouse and remove dirt and lint accumulations in the mouse mechanism. We also clean the mouse pad with damp cloth.

Diskette and CD/DVD Drives

Use tried-and-tested cleaning kits to clean floppy and CD/DVD drives. In extreme conditions, open the drive casing and physically swab the read/write heads with lint-free foam swab soaked with appropriate cleaning agent.

Printers and Other Peripherals

Clean the interior of printers and other peripheral equipment according to cleaning instructions of manufacturers. Check on the manufacturers’ documentation on maintenance procedures and advisories on cleaning products to be sure they are compatible with the equipment and the cleaning job that needs to be done.

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This article was extracted from http://www.newgen.net.ph/index.php/computer-maintenance/64-pc-cleaning with permission from the company. You may want to visit NewGen IT's website for more articles on PC maintenance.

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Advantages of outsourcing PC maintenance

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Implementing an effective preventive maintenance for the computers in your company leads to many business benefits. Especially if you outsource this function to a professional company who has years of experience doing PC maintenance activities. Among these benefits are:

  • Reduced cost. The service fees being charged by PC maintenance firms are usually minimal compare to the anticipated cost of repair and replacement parts resulting from improper care and maintenance of equipment.


  • Saves time. Preventive maintenance procedures are quite simple compared to troubleshooting and repair procedures. It is better to spend a few minutes now doing proactive activities like preventive maintenance than spending hours later doing expensive and time-consuming diagnostics and repairs.

  • Improves data security. In most environments, the data on the hard disk drive is more important than the hardware that houses it. It is therefore important that data backup is being done and the backup media are regularly tested

  • Improves performance. Some parts of the system will actually degrade in performance over time and preventive maintenance will help improve the speed of the system in these respects.

  • Professional services. This depends on the outsourcing firm that you hire. But generally, they have experienced technicians who are supervised by professional managers. You can take advantage of their expertise, their service system and best practices in the field.

  • Worry-free operation. You are freed from day-to-day concerns of PC maintenance and concentrate on your primary business.

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Printer Tricks

Saturday, August 23, 2008

I'll compile here list of printer tricks I'd find in the Internet. I'll update this often:

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