Remote Computer Clean-ups…what is that?

You may see different computer companies advertising remote clean ups for your computer. You may be asking, what is a remote clean up? Is it safe? Can anyone come into my computer now? Well, I hope to try to clear some of your questions up.

Everyone knows what a slow computer does to your mood. You have a great job you found on Monster but now your resume wont upload. Your web browser is not moving fast between pages. You are bidding on something you have wanted off Ebay but the page wont load. Clicking on Microsoft Word and Outlook express takes forever to open.

If you clean up your computer regularly it will help you with all these frustrations. Taking “cookies” and temporary files and getting rid of them helps. Cleaning up special folders that holds junk and defragmenting helps. Checking your updates from Microsoft and your anti-virus helps. Even cleaning up Malware helps.

But what if you are not comfortable doing this yourself? What if you don’t have a time for a technician to come in and spend and hour or so in your home? What if there was a product that you can install so that someone can go into your computer and do all these things without you being there? Sounds scary to you?

Let me help you relieveyour fears. I can only speak for Friendly Computers but believe most computer companies work in the same manner. We can have you download a small program that will allow a tech to come into your computer. While we are in there, we will clean up your system, check out the specs on the computer (such as RAM speed and Processor speed). We can even download a malware remover program to scan out any you may have picked up.

When it is over, you have the full ability to turn it off (or disable it). Once disabled, your computer will not allow anyone in back in. You would have to turn it on and then give the user on the other end permission to do so. If you feel unsafe even still, you can always remove the program right after being serviced.

If you still don’t like the idea of someone being in your computer remotely, you can always sit and watch what the technician does. One reason is that you can learn what you need to do for computer yourself and two you can actually see them go in and do what it is they are supposed to do.

Hopefully you deal with a computer company that is licesned and insured and recommended by other people in your neighborhood, family or friends. Friendly Computers Charlotte will only do what it is needed and will not take vital information from your machine. We care about your data and will do all to protect it!

Please like always, ask any questions you may have or make any comments you have to make.

What are you really downloading when you download music, games and movies

Getting “free” music and media can seem pretty cool and almost exhilarating. You just figured out how to get something for nothing. But, what are you really downloading into your system? Is it really free…or are you paying for it some how, some way?

 

First, I am going to use the word Malware to represent viruses, Trojans, spyware and other malicious software. There is always a chance that you are picking up some sort of malware when you download media

 

Again, free is not always free. Any sharing site (like limewire, youtube, Kaaza) is just what it sounds like. You are opening up your computer for sharing…music, movies, etc. While you’re downloading the newest Beyonce song…someone is downloading something from you. Right there you are inviting others into your computer. All you need is one smart person to know a little about computers and they can capture all your information. Identity theft is a big problem these days and that free movie can cost you your name and financial information.

 

Secondly, you are allowing files to be downloaded onto your hard drive. Many if not most files have malicious code embedded in the background of that free song. Minimally you are allowing someone or something to track where you go (what websites you are visiting). Worse, you also can be downloading a virus that can wipe out your hard drive. How much do those pictures, documents mean to you? How much money will it cost you to get that machine repaired?

 

Teenagers love these free sites. They can put music on their MP3 players and movies on their ipods. They can share videos with each other and keep each other updated on social sites (facebook, myspace). It keeps them busy but can be jeopardizing the family computer in the ways I have explained.

 

The first mode of protection is to just keep an eye on what they are doing. If you see a ton of music, if you cursor is now a pretty bird or there are smiley faces (emoticons) in your emails…you can be sure the computer has been downloading items for some time.

 

Secondly, Anti-virus is a must. Not a free version Time Warner or AOL gives to you for using their services. Go out and buy a highly rated anti-virus. We sell Panda Internet Security and AVG internet security. I like them both because they update daily and catch things quickly.

 

Remember when thinking about anti-virus, there is no guarantee that ANY anti-virus can catch all malware at 100%. They update there database AFTER a malicious code was made. They other thing to keep in mind is to run the program. I think if you have tweens to teenagers in the house, scan your computer often.

 

The best prevention is just not to do it at all. It will protect the computer and all the information that it holds. It will save you aggravation and money in the long run and just not worth doing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What? Your computer is slow? Why?

Why is my computer running so slowly? When I bought it, it was so fast…but now I can barely get my internet up. Does this sound familiar? Computers sure can help us simplify our lives but when they stop working the way they used to, it can be frustrating. So what are the reasons a computer slows down?

 

Here are my top 5 reasons that I see on a daily basis:

 

• 1-Clicking yes on everything – Downloading tool bars – Just because it comes to you for free and promises to help you, doesn’t mean it actually does. Many times I see internet explorer bogged down with a yahoo toolbar, a Google toolbar, and other toolbars that take away resources from the browser. These small programs start up when you start up your internet and take away space and time. They promise you help with searching and finding things quickly, but when you have too many, it has the opposite effect. Also, when cruising on the internet…don’t click on everything that they give you. Yes, it’s free but how many computer clean up tools does a person need. Not only do they conflict with one another, they generally install malware (bad things that get into your system – spyware, adware, viruses, Trojans) that hurt your computer. Just remember…nothing is really for free…you are paying for it in one way or another
• 2- Boy, is this desk a mess - Not Cleaning up your files - Computers are like file cabinets. Eventually you can fill one up, have it overflow and you can’t find anything. Computers gather data that starts off making your life organized. What happens when you start stuffing it full of information? You need to clean your computer just like you would have to clean your file cabinet. All computers have clean up tools already installed in them. We just need to use them. Cookies, temporary files and set up files collect on your hard drive and over time clutter up and are hard to sift through. One should clean up (disk clean up and defragment) at least once a month. This keeps your computer running smoothly and with little issues.
• 3-I wanna play…pick me… Too many things running in background…start up – When you computer starts up, there are many programs that start up with it. The only programs that should run when your computer starts up are your anti-virus program, and any drivers (hardware) that need to make your computer run. That is really all you need. Sometimes I get computers that have multiple programs running such as limewire, quicken, Microsoft office, adobe, etc…and they take so much time to open. Only open programs that you need to use and then when you close them, you’re done. Why have these programs take away from your computer performance. So when download or installing, make sure you do not check the open at start up option.
• 4 –I don’t feel so well- Viruses or operating system issues – Installing freeware, downloading music and clicking on unfamiliar emails can leave your system open for vulnerabilities. Malware can come in many ways and can infect your system and certainly slow it down. You should get a highly rated anti-virus program and make sure it is updated daily. I recommend scanning your system once a week to make sure nothing comes in and if something does, hopefully, it will scan out. Remember no anti-virus can give you 100% protection, but the better ones help out tremendously. Remember what I said about freeware…you get what you pay for, so buy yourself a good one. Malware can start slowly…and eventually take over a system and render it useless. Also, it can cause operating system issues by making necessary files not work. It can corrupt your registry (where your system files, settings and options) and take over your system slowly. You may notice small issues but sooner than later, your computer will start to lock up, freeze and not boot.
• Ouch something is broken! – Hardware issues – RAM can be an issue if your computer is older than 3 years old. Programs are being made daily that need more speed and more space. Adding RAM can help these older computers. RAM helps with the speed on your computer. It helps the processor and hard drive work together. Also, If your hard drive is smaller and you are storing a lot of pictures and music, you may want to consider a large external hard drive to store your information on. Freeing up space on your hard drive makes cleaning up and defragmenting your computer easier. Sometimes these parts just start to go bad, and replacing makes a world of difference.

 

Follow these guidelines for basic care and maintenance. This will keep your computer running smoothly for years to come.

 

-Tara Belzer owns Friendly Computers in Charlotte NC. She has her own blog on www.tarabelzerfriendlycomputers and talks about computer issues in an open forum. She enjoys to help people understand computers and make them feel more comfortable with them. Visit Tara’s site at www.friendlycomputers.com/charlotte .

Finally Fast.com uhhh buyer beware – Ascentive LLC

Yes, it does sound like it will save you time, renew your computer, and most importantly, save you money. This software promises you that it will clean up temp files, fix registry issues…optimize your memory and will kill spam… This software says it will  update itself and customer support is given whenever needed 24/7. Well buyer beware…. there are a ton of complaints and issues with this software.

Complaints: will not remove itself from computer; downloads malware and trojan; Customer support is hard to come by; overcharges you; make false promises – keeps wanting more money for more parts of software that were not included; slows down systems; Refunds are hard to come by…do I need to say more.

So, when it sounds to good to be true, please do your research before committing to anything computer related. Otherwise there is always me to help you out. Plus, we would have been cheaper in the long run….and your computer would still be humming away…

Links to visit for complaints:

 

http://ascentive.pissedconsumer.com/

 

http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q5=Ascentive&searchtype=0&q1=A

As always, send me your comments and questions and have a great 09!

Tara – Friendly Computers Charlotte

You Can Clean Your own PC!

Did you know that Microsoft Windows gives you the functionality to “clean” up your computer? Most clients that we see never use the free tools that come with the computer. This can save you repair costs and keep your PC in great running order for a lot longer.

Simple to follow…start with these steps….

Click on the start button (located bottom left corner of screen)>go to all programs>go to accessories>system tools>disk clean up…click on that(it may ask which drive…generally defaults to the C: which is correct)…it will take a minute or so to sort through files. A new pop up box will appear and place a check next to the items that need to be cleaned up…and click ok…and wait.

Generally speaking, anytime you clean up or update or install…you should reboot…so reboot after it is done.

Also speaking of things to do. Please make sure you are updating your windows for vital updates. This will also protect you from security issues as well as maintaining your system.

Another thing PC users need to do is scan your system for viruses…using your anti-virus software at least once a week. If you are the type to open up all your email, download music, spend a ton of time on you tube…please do this once a week. Besides viruses and trojans, spyware and adware runs amuck on the internet.

Finally defragment you computer. DEFRAGMENT???? What is that? In simple terms, it is a process in which we organize the files on your hard drive. It makes it easier to use our software by this organization. It takes out fragment files and compacts information in its proper place. This also helps in freeing up more room on your hard drive.

You need to follow the same directions stated at the beginning…Start Button>all programs>accessories>system tools> then go to Disk Defragment then hit analyze. My guess is if this is your first time doing this….you will be recommendedto defrag…so hit defrag and let it go. First timers…this could be a long process so, I recommend to do this before you go to sleep and let it run overnight. Please reboot after it is done.

Simple ideas to keep your system running better and for longer. Share thoughts and/or experiences if you like. Like I keep saying, this is not a one-way conversation!

Tara

Friendly Computers Charlotte NC

www.friendlycomputers.com/charlotte