Things Everyone Should Know About Computers!

Virus and Anti-Virus Information

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Viruses and malicious attempts to get your information are constant threats to all computer users. Strange popups, warnings, and emails try desperately to trick you into giving up your address, your credit card number, bank accounts, or social-security numbers.

There are many things everyone can do to help minimize the chances of falling for these traps:

Know your Anti-Virus: Over the last couple years, there have been a multitude of fake anti-virus programs that install themselves from nowhere and start giving you pop-ups telling you that you are infected and need to buy this software to fix the problem (examples: MS Antivirus 2009, WinAnti-Virus 2010, etc). Don't fall for this tactic, know what you have installed and how long it's subscription is good for! Make sure it's a trusted software. If you aren't sure what you have, let's make an appointment to take a look!
Keep it current: Make sure your trusted anti-virus software is up-to-date. Make sure the subscription is current and isn't about to expire. If your software won't update or is expired, don't delay any longer and call me today to get it fixed!
Windows and Mac Updates: These are imperative! More often than not their purpose is to patch flaws which could be exploited or to generally improve security. Make sure you are using the official Windows or Apple update programs that you are likely already familiar with. If you see something out of the ordinary, it may be malicious and you should exercise caution. Also, if it has been some time since you've allowed Windows to update, please call today for a tune-up.
Other Software Updates: Updates to other popular software can add functionality but can also, as with Windows and Mac updates, be to patch security flaws. The three most popular programs, installed on almost every computer in the world, are Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader and Java. Because of the sheer volume of these softwares, they are highly prone to attacks. Keeping them up-to-date will help minimize the chances of that happening.
Regular Scanning: Make sure your anti-virus software is actively scanning your computer regularly (at least weekly).

Following these steps and regular tune-ups will keep your computer running better, faster and less prone to infection.

Data and Protection

Is your data important to you? Are all your family photos, your music collection, your financial data all stored on your computer? If you can answer yes to any of these, then you need a backup system. Hard drives are mechanical devices with discs within them that spin at several thousand RPM's whenever your computer is on. With this in mind, it makes sense that eventually they wear out, and when they do, if you aren't backed up, it can be an extremely difficult and costly (anywhere from $300 to $2500) process to recover the files.

Here are the most common options for backing up your data and their cost is usually dependent on the amount of data to be backed up:

USB Flash Drive: These range in size from 4GB to 64GB and cost anywhere from $12 to $120. Their small size and ease of use make them popular for those who only have financial data or documents to backup. The size also means they can easily be hidden to deter theft or placed in a safe in case of fire.
USB Hard Drive: Sizes range from 320GB to 3TB and will cost $80 to $200. Still uses a simple usb connection for ease of use, but are larger in physical size and larger ones will require a wall outlet. However, they offer much larger storage capacities for much lower cost than Flash Drives.
Internal Hard Drive: This is only an option for most desktop computers. A second hard drive will be installed inside the case, making dropping it or misplacing it unlikely. Internal drives range the same as USB ones, but generally cost about $10 less depending on type (which depends on your computer).
Network Hard Drive: If you have multiple computers all with different data that needs to be backed up, a networked hard drive plugs into your router and doesn't need to move. All of your comptuers can access and backup to the drive over the network. Currently available in 3TB size for $250. If multiple securities or a centeralization of your data are more desirable, contact me about setting up a data/media server.
Online Backup: This option costs about $1 per gigabyte per month, but, your data is stored elsewhere, securely and safely. This gives you the ability to recover easily in case of disasters or theft. Also this can allow access to your data from other computers, as long as they're connected to the internet.

I will be happy to meet with you, inspect your system and help you determine which backup solution is best for you.