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Tip #1. With Internet Explorer
(IE), go to Microsoft's Windows
Update page and make sure your computer
is up to date. Windows Update has all the latest
patches for the Windows Operating System (Windows
7, Vista, XP), Internet Explorer, Office, Outlook,
etc. There are "Critical" and "Recommended"
updates. The "Critical" updates are
very important to download. They patch security
holes and known bugs that could leave your computer
vulnerable. The "Recommended" updates
are patches and programs that make Microsoft products
run better or add functionality. Some of these
can be ignored. The "Driver" updates
are software for hardware installed, like your
video card, audio card, printer, etc. I recommend
that you check with the manufacturer of these
components for their drivers before downloading
Microsoft's drivers. Drivers are what your hardware
uses to communicate with Windows. Installing the
wrong driver can cause hardware to stop working.
Be sure you get the correct driver for your hardware.
Typically hardware will come with a driver disk,
which will work, but from time to time the manufacturer
will update the driver and it should be downloaded
from their website.
Having Windows check for updates automatically
can be turned on in the "Security Center"
section of the "Control Panel." Getting
there and turning it on is different in Windows
7, Vista and XP. If you need specific instructions
for your version, let me know, but keep reading,
you might have more than one question.
Tip #2. Get your computer secured.
Below are several programs that I feel are "must
have" on everyone's computer. Getting
"infected" with adware/spyware/malware
programs is a big problem that is affecting computer
users today. Spyware is a growing problem
and I believe is now a bigger problem than viruses.
Tip #3. So, you've been getting a lot of
junk e-mail a.k.a. "Spam" in your inbox!?!
One way to avoid this is to set up a web
based e-mail account like GMail,
YahooMail or Hotmail.
They all offer free e-mail accounts that you can
use whenever you need to give out an e-mail address
to anyone other than family, friends, etc. Use
your primary e-mail for friends, family, work
and use the web based one for everything else.
This will significantly reduce the spam
you get. As you may know I use the
web based e-mail as my primary e-mail address.
They have built in spam filters that keep
most of the junk out of your inbox. Also, if you
change Internet Providers, you won't have to change
you email address. "Gmail" is provided
by Google, everyone's favorite search engine,
and offers a lot of storage space, so you will
never have to delete emails for fear of filling
up your inbox. This works well as a back up solution.
Just email yourself that important document or
photos and they can be saved virtually forever
in your email. I still use my Yahoo email as my
primary "personal" (friends & family)
email address but have Gmail for both a storage
solution and as the email I can give out for when
shopping online or when I don't want to give out
my personal email address.
Tip #4. Consider switching your "Browser."
If you're using Internet Explorer to surf the
web, consider switching to FireFox
FireFox is an excellent alternative to IE because
it is not vulnerable to the malicious programs
and web sites that exploit known issues specific
to IE. If you're thinking "Another program
that I have to learn how to use?" Don't worry.
FireFox is very similar to IE in the way it looks
and the way it works. It's (in my opinion) better
and I recommend without hesitation.
Check it out, it's worth trying, and the best
part is that it's free.
Tip #5. Disable Javascript. There
are plugins for your browser that can do this
for you and allow you control so you can turn
it on for trusted / known web sites that you need
to have Javascript turned on to run. (which is
most web sites these days)
The issue with Javascript is that there are known
vulnerablities that could allow the bad guys out
there take over your computer. I explain more
about the bad guys later when I talk about viruses
and spyware.
Tip
#6.
Back
up your data. Hard drives fail. It's not a matter
of "if" but "when." I have
external hard drives also called NAS's (Network
Attached Storage) but they are not enough. You
also need "offsite" back up. What I
used to do was keep a couple of nas's and take
one to/from work, but sometimes I would forget
it and if your back up is sitting next to your
computer in a fire, you're screwed. For offsite
back up I am now using and recommending Carbonite.
What I like about Carbonite is that they have
unlimited storage for only $55.00/year. If you
don't want to purchase Carbonite, I understand.
Then, at least email yourself those photos/files/etc.
That is a easy & free way to back up offsite.
Some friends and family have asked what software I
use. Here are links to some that I recommend:
Firewall software: If you're using Windows
XP, Vista or Windows 7 then the firewall that is built
in is adequate. To check and see if it's turned on
and running, go to the "Start" button, the
"Control Panel" and then "Security
Center" The firewall should be "On"
Anti-Virus software:. I'm now recommending
Microsoft's free "Microsoft
Security Essentials." More info
and download here.
I also recommed Avast.
It's free and is available here.
They require you to register, which provides a license
for free personal use for 14 months. They just require
you to re-register then to keep using it. It comes
highly recommended by Steve Gibson, a tech security
expert and founder of grc.com. See more about grc.com
below. I did try it for a little while but find Microsoft's
easier to use. The jury is still out on which is better.
I
have recommended AVG
in the past, but have not used it since version 8.0. I used it for years and recommended
it exclusively, but when they went to version 8.0,
it got bloated and was a system resource hog so I
switched to Avast and then switched again to Microsoft
Security Essentials.
Go
ahead and try them and see which you prefer. Just
don't try to run more than one antivirus on your system
at a time, they can conflict with each other.
"Adware," "Spyware or "Malware:"
For Windows users, Microsoft now has their own free,
anti-malware program, Window
Defender. There
are a couple of others: Spyware
Blaster and SpyBot
Search & Destroy
"Adware," "Spyware" or "Malware"
(often used interchangeably) are programs that can
track what you do
and where you go on the net. They can give others
access to your computer and your personal information.
At the very least they can slow down your computer
and cause it to be unstable.
You can
run more than one "malware" program at a
time, unlike antivirus programs, mentioned earlier.
So...download, install, update, and run all these
programs. I know that it may take a while, but
I feel it's important enough to do it.
I have these on disk, and would be glad to make you
a copy or if you're local, I'd be happy to install
them for you. Just ask!! I feel that strongly
about these programs.
To keep your computer secure it is recommended that
you check for updates and run these programs at least
weekly, the jerks out there come out with new
threats daily.
Remember, the programs I'm recommending are free but
do have "Pro" versions that cost money,
so if you're asked for payment info or are taken to
shopping cart you may be installing the "paid"
version. If you have question about what you're installing,
stop, cancel and let me know so I can help you get
the right one installed. Of course, if you want the
paid version, for added features or support, I understand.
But, while I have upgraded to some paid versions,
some I have not and may not be familiar with that
version and may not be able to help if you have any
issues. Also, some of the download pages are cluttered
with ads and I do want to make sure you're installing
the right program.
Another thing to consider when installing free programs
is that sometimes they have made deals with other
parties like Yahoo or Google and one of the options
when installing is to install one of their "toolbars"
or other applications. Be sure to read each step when
installing and if you are unsure, stop and cancel
and let me know. I'd be happy to walk you through
any of the installs of these programs.
Lock it down: Are you wondering..."Is
my computer secure?" "Is my computer
at risk?" "How would I know?"
Well there is a way to find out. There
is a web site that will test your computer to see
if it is secure. This is a free service
and does not require you to give out any personal
information, not even your email address. The
web site is grc.com
and the test is called "Shields Up."
Click here
to go there now. Scroll down to "Shields Up"
link. Click on the link there and you will be taken
to the Shields Up page, click on the "Proceed"
button, you will see a pop up warning about encryption,
it's ok, click "Continue" then click on
the "All Service Ports" button. Your IP
address will be displayed and the test will begin
and "Test your shields and probe your ports."
It seems like a lot of steps and the test does take
a minute but it really is quick & easy and nothing
to download. C'mon, go ahead, you know you're
wondering if you're secure. It is important.
If you don't "Pass" let me know and we'll
fix it.
Pop-Up
Blocker: Hey, didn't you just say not to download
"toolbars?" Well, not exactly...Toolbars
are useful but I think you only need one. What can
happen is that after installing a few different programs
and if you missed the "toolbar" part on
the instructions, the next thing you know is that
you have more than one toolbar installed. And really,
how many do you need. By all means, try them and if
you like one over the other, then keep it. I have
Google's built into FireFox, and therefore having
the Toolbar is redundant, wastes space, uses computer
resources and screen real-estate. But, if you don't
have it and want Google's toolbar then here's the
link: Google
Toolbar.
Income tax software: I use TaxAct
It is easy to use and it's inexpensive too. You can
get the federal and state ultimate bundle for $19.95.
This includes a free "e-file" option. This
program will help take the pain out of doing your
taxes. I've been using this program for years
and love it. If you have any questions, just
call or email
me.
Office Suite: Your computer probably
came with Microsoft Works or some other office suite.
You may have paid $150-200 to upgrade to Microsoft
Office. I hope you're reading this before you have
done that, because I have found a free
office suite that is completely compatible with Microsoft's
Office, including Word and Excel. It looks almost
identical and is so similar that you will hardly notice
the difference. It is called OpenOffice.
You can download it for free from here.
Check it out. It wouldn't be on this page if I didn't
think it was worthwhile. When you click on the link,
you will be taken to their "please contribute"
page. You can if you wish, but there is no obligation
at all. All you have to do is click on their "continue
to download" button, save the install file to
your computer and then run it, following their instructions
like any other installation of software. As always,
if you have any questions call or email
me.
Below is a link to a web site called giveawayoftheday.com
Everyday they offer for free software
that otherwise is available for a price. I don't necessarily
recommend any of these particular programs or claim
to even have tried them myself, but I like this idea
and believe that the software offered is safe. That
said, try it if you like, but it is completely at
you're own risk. They make them available for 24 hours,
so if you see something that looks interesting, check
it out and install it before the offer expires.
Chicken
Little said, "The sky is falling"
and instilled fear in those around him. The above
comments may seem to be similar in nature, but they
are not. What I described above are real issues that
we have to deal with regardless of how you feel about
these issues and how you may or may not think they
affect you. I don't mean to try and scare anyone,
I just want to inform and help. If you have any questions
let me know and I'd be happy to discuss with you further
and/or help with any issues you may have with your
computer, software and the Internet in general.
There are a ton of excellent (and free) programs and
web sites that I didn't mention so if you're looking
for a particular type of program or need a solution
to a problem that is not covered here, let me know
and I'd be happy to make a recommendation.
Questions?
Need clarification? Step by step instructions?
Call or email
me. I really would be happy to help.
If you "Digg"
the information / links I've
provided above, feel free to Digg
it, or share it on Twitter
or FaceBook
If
you find any of this info useful, help me keep
this web site and info / links online by using
this
Ebay link when you shop on Ebay,
thanks!
home//pictures//tips,tricks,picks//email
me
All content copyrighted 2006-2009
by Jim Siefert. Used by permission only.
Links above may take you away from this web site and
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They may or may not have any direct affiliation with
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Their names and logos are their property and not of
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