Your Computer May Be Infected. Here's how to check..

A recent research revealed that 80% of the computers today is infected with these dangerous spyware and most of the users are not aware of it. (Your computer could be infected by now too.) The most dangerous fact is, even though the anti-virus software is running, these software can even pass it and take over your PC.

Have you experienced any of the following?
* Awesome popups come out of nowhere, when browsing the web
* Home page reset to some other site

How can this happen?

- The components installed when viewing certain sites, starts up and running as soon as it's finished installing (or after the page is completely loaded) and with every windows startup since then. Their job is to collect information and report (or transfer) it to an external computer.

What is deceptive software? (Reference: www.microsoft.com)
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Spyware and unauthorized adware are two examples of "deceptive" software. Deceptive software includes programs which take over your home page or search page without first getting your permission. There are a number of ways deceptive software can get on your system. A common trick is to covertly install the software during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file sharing program.

Whenever you are installing something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of adware in a given software installation is documented, but it may appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.

Sometimes deceptive software gets silently installed on your system without any warning at all. If you use Internet Explorer as your Web browser, this can happen if your Internet Explorer security setting is set to its lowest value. Make sure to keep this setting at the medium level or higher. Doing so will help you control what is being installed on your computer.

Have you ever had an experience where you were repeatedly asked to accept a download even after you said "no"? Creators of deceptive software often use such tricks to get you to load their software. If this happens to you, do not click "yes". Instead, try to close the Web page that first asked you to accept the download by hitting the "X" in the corner of the window. Alternatively, quit Internet Explorer and restart it to begin browsing the Internet again. If you visit a Web page that continually displays these tricky pop-up windows, that Web site may not be worthy of your trust.

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Your computer may be infected by now, but you may not know. Just have a checkup with a software specifically designed for it, to know the current status of your computer. You must clean infections once you find it but you can't top it at that. The spyware might reinfect your PC. So it's highly recommended that you run a firewall on your system after the clean up. This will allow you to monitor every single communication that occurs between your computer and the external world and block the ones that are harmful. The firewall acts as a barrier between your PC and the external world (Internet / Network).

A good spyware detector recommended by most people is, NoAdware at http://noadware.cjb.net and it shows you all the infections and potential dangers in great detail. It's free to scan but not to clean. It's a good idea to have a scan even if you have no idea of cleaning, since you will know the status of your PC in great detail - at least you will know whether you have any spyware on your PC at all! (Most of the time it's there, but you don't know! So, don't be surprised to get a list of over 30 suspicious components detected!) Scanning will also give the advantage of giving a try to clean it out, provided that the infections are minor and you (or a friend) have a fair knowledge on windows file system. (Registry settings, Cookies etc. and how to modify them.)

You must run a firewall. In many new operating systems(eg. Windows XP), there is a built-in firewall. Google search on how to activate it. Others may try one at http://www.download.com

You may have a question by now. What is the purpose of these spyware? Even though we cannot give an explicit and clear cut answer, we can safely state that everything boils down to the urge of more profits. How? The spyware collects all your personal information and transfers it to an external computer. The information is reviewed by a software in the receiving computer and then delivered targeted popup ads to the infected PC. There are many things that spyware does in addition to this.

If you have some technical knowledge about your PC, here's a technical explanation on what trouble does the spyware cause.

1. An extra process is running to monitor and log your activities.
2. Constant transfer is taking place between your PC and the spyware server. (This is a two-way transfer)

Firstly, the extra process in itself is an undesired process and it contributes to slow down your PC. Second point is the most harmful. It transfers logged info on the infected PC to the external PC (Spyware server) and then the external PC transfers targeted popups to the infected PC. (Targeted popups are popup ads that are delivered based on user interests. User interests are analyzed by special software running on the spyware server, using information transferred by your PC as input.)
Since many extra processes are running (eg: monitoring processes, transferring processes etc.), your RAM (memory) will be shared and as a result, your PC will run slower. This also slows down your Internet connection speed because a lot of transfer is taking place and your total available bandwidth is shared.

In short, PC with spyware is like a dumping ground for snakes. Once its there up and running, it can do almost anything with your PC.

* NOTE: A useful tip - When you clean up your PC and close the door for those harmful programs with a firewall, you can block many popups. But still, there can be some popups. There are popups integrated to websites you visit, and we must to do something about them. There are many popup blockers available on the net, but I highly recommend installing the Google toolbar, which has a quality pop-up blocker integrated to it. It also has some other useful features and is highly customizable. Download it free at http://toolbar.google.com.

The most risk is for people who use Internet Explorer, as it is the most popular web browser and that very fact has drawn more attention of many malicious software developers. All of us want to make our PCs good and clean, right? So advise your friends about this, or if you had this article by email, just forward it.

Happy surfing...

About the Author
By: Fazly Mohamed - fazlymohamed@yahoo.com
(Undergraduate at Staff. University UK, Computing & IT)

Written by: Fazly Mohamed

More about → Your Computer May Be Infected. Here's how to check..

Buying a computer? Ask these 3 questions!

1. Why do you need a computer? 

Whether you are a new user or advanced one, whether this is your first computer or second (or even third), be clear as to why you want a computer before you even think of buying one.

How will you use your computer? Are you only interested in browsing the Internet and checking e-mail? Do you plan to use your PC as a programming machine? Do desktop publishing or video editing feature on your agenda? Or is it a gaming rig? What is a computer? http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com/

Consider these factors before stepping into a hardware shop.

The basic components of a computer system are the motherboard (containing the processor and memory), keyboard, mouse, monitor, diskette drive, CD-ROM drive and hard drive.

In addition, there are several other types of devices you may or may not need. A trackball, joy stick, modem, tape drive, zip drive, printer, plotter, scanner, sound card and speakers, television card and video capture card, to name a few.

Whether you buy these will depend on what you need the computer for and which software applications you intend to use.

Remember the golden rule: the fastest or most expensive computer is not necessarily the one you need.

Finally, the length of time that you plan to own the computer before replacing it will also help determine which computer to buy.

2. What is your budget?

This is the next thing you need to be certain of. How much are you willing to spend on a PC?

After you arrive at a figure, keep a margin of a few thousands. It will give you some room for flexibility. If you are short on money when you buy your computer and cannot add all the peripherals you want, be smart. Hardware: http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com/archive/index.php/f-21.html

Buy as much as you can afford. Don't cut corners on the main system unit (monitor, processor, memory, disk space).

Remember, you want the computer to last at least four years. You don't want to run out of disk space or memory in the very first year, all because you trimmed down on the memory or got a smaller hard drive.

Hard disk capacity matters a great deal as it takes no time for data to fill the available space. A 40 GB hard disk is sufficient disk space, but 80 GB is the standard recommendation.

Random Access Memory is the amount of memory available for use by programmes on a computer. One of the important factors to ensure the smooth running of your system is the memory available.

The more the memory, the better it is. Make sure you can upgrade your computer's memory as and when required.

The RAM chip comes in capacities of 128, 256, 512 MB, even 1 GB. Most computers function efficiently with 256 MB RAM, though a 512 MB RAM does offer you an edge.

Hold off on the printer or a software application and other accessories that you really don't need right away. You shouldn't have any problem installing these after the original purchase has been made. Just ensure you buy components that are compatible with your system.

3. Should you go for a branded PC or an assembled one?

Assembled machines are popular because they are more economically priced.

Branded PCs cost around 35 to 40% more than their assembled counterparts.

Besides, you can choose your own specifications with assembled PCs. You are not forced to accept a rigid component configuration. You cannot customise a branded PC to suit your exact requirements. Games: http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com/archive/index.php/f-6.html

With the same price that you would pay for a branded piece, you will be able to own a superior assembled PC.

Make sure the components purchased for the assembled PC are original. Take along an informed, reliable assembler to purchase the components so that you are not fooled by counterfeit parts.

The advantage of a branded PC is the reliability of the brand, the after sales service and the technical support. On the flip side, the after sales services and repairs offered by the brands are a tad expensive and not prompt most times.

Don't forget to look at the warranty. Generally, a warranty period of a year is normal for all major parts of the PC. But there are good brands that offer either more years or the option of an additional payment to top up the warranty period.

Talk to your friends and colleagues who have assembled PCs. Ask them about their experience and recommendations on whom to approach. Question them as to what happened when they had a problem. Was the individual easy to access? Did he offer prompt service? Does their computer give a lot of trouble?

If possible, meet two or three individuals before you finally zero in on one.

Spend some time on these three issues and you will be all set to buy your very own PC!

About the Author
Adam Fletcher is the webmaster of Hardware Software Articles http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com .

Written by: Adam Fletcher

More about → Buying a computer? Ask these 3 questions!

A Hacker Inside Your Computer?

Imagine this nightmare scenario...

You check your e-mail program and it reports your username
and password as no longer valid. You call your Internet
service provider (ISP) to discuss the problem and they tell
you they turned off your account due to "abuse". "Abuse!"
you cry to the customer service operator, "What are you
talking about?"

"Someone used your computer this past Saturday night in an
attempt to hack into a government computer system. They
made the attempt at 1:20 a.m. from your account," replies
the rep. "Look in your windows registry for a file called
QAZWSX.hsq."

You punch a few keys and sure enough the file stares right
back at you. "What is it?" you ask, scared to know the
answer.

"Someone used a Trojan Horse virus to remotely control your
computer and cloak the identity of the hacker. Here's how
to get rid of it, just..."

What you just read happened very recently to someone I know
quite well. A computer hacker found an open port on his
computer when he switched over from a dial-up Internet
connection to an "always-on" high-speed connection.

The hacker used a robot scanning the Internet for available
"ports", openings in a computer that allow data to pass
back and forth from a network connection like the Internet.
Once the hacker found an unprotected port on my friend's
computer he simply inserted a Trojan Horse virus that rides
along with Windows Notepad, a handy utility used by just
about everyone who makes web pages.

When my friend activated the notepad program he also
activated the virus. The virus in turn transmitted all of
my friend's security information to the hacker and allowed
him to gain access and control his victim's computer in the
middle of the night.

Count me as the last person to sound paranoid, but, as
always-on connections through DSL, cable, and T-1 lines
proliferate, this story will repeat itself over and over
until people learn to protect themselves.

Most people underestimate or are completely ignorant about
the importance of information they send over the Internet
when surfing websites and checking email. Even if you only
use a simple dial-up account, you can unknowingly transmit
a significant amount of sensitive information.

You can analyze the security of your web connection for
free by going to http://www.symantec.com/SecurityCheck/ .
You can also verify the presence of any known viruses or
Trojan horses on your computer. The information I saw when
analyzing my personal computer frankly shocked me. I saw
data I didn't even know existed staring me right in the
face after I performed this analysis.

To protect your computer hardware and sensitive data you
should obtain a software package called a "firewall". A
firewall, when combined with a good anti-virus program,
helps stop unauthorized access on your computer, prevents
virus infection, and "cloaks" your data ports against a
hacker scanning for openings.

Symantec.com and McAfee.com both offer excellent personal
firewall and anti-virus software from their websites or you
can buy them off the shelf at your local office supply
store. A wise investment for anyone on the net... before
it's too late!

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teach you how no matter what product or service you sell...
http://www.the-easy-way.com/33days.html

About the Author
Jim Edwards writes a syndicated newspaper column in plain
language for non-technical people about current Internet
issues, challenges, news, HOT new tools... and much more!
"The Net Reporter" ==>
http://www.the-easy-way.com/33days.html


Written by: Jim Edwards

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5 Simple Ways To Increase Your Computer Speed

If you're a computer expert, you'll probably already know about these tips (hopefully this will provide you with a little reminder). If you're not an expert, don't worry - these tips are simple, and don't require a lot of computer experience.

While an old computer will never operate at the same speed as a newer (and bigger & faster) computer, you can help your computer stay as "young & healthy" as possible.

1) Disk Cleanup

Performing a disk cleanup regularly is a good idea. Whenever you "surf the internet", open attachments, delete files, your computer saves a record of your activity. Many of these files are harmless, and individually are very small. But if you spend a lot of time on your computer, before long you'll take up enough space to slow your computer down a bit.

Disk Cleanup is a Windows utility that helps keep unused and unwanted files from taking up extra storage space on your computer. You can think of it as "spring cleaning” for your computer.

Basically, it removes files that may have once been useful or used but now are just taking up extra room that could be used for more useful programs and files.

To perform a disc cleanup, click on the Start button on the bottom left of your computer screen, then Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disc Cleanup. A small box will pop up, allowing you to select the files to delete (most files are OK to delete, but if you are unsure, it is best to not select the file). Then click OK, and the unused files will be removed.

If you've never done a disk cleanup on your computer, now is a good time to get started. Then, depending on how much you use your computer, you can perform a disk cleanup every few weeks to keep your computer running smoothly!

2) Defragmenting Your Computer

Another way to improve the performance of your computer is to defragment your hard drive. What is defragmenting, and why do you need to do it? Here's a simple explanation:

Basically, defragmenting is putting files back where they belong. With the files in the proper order, your computer will run more efficiently.

You don't need to hire a computer expert to defragment your computer. It's simple to do. You just need to plan ahead, because if you have a lot of "stuff" on your computer, it could take a while.

And it's best not to use your computer while defragmenting.

Not sure how to defragment your computer? You can either click on your computer's help file (Click the "Start" button on the bottom left of your computer screen, then Help), or click on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Defragment - for most computers) .

Keep in mind that the actual wording is slightly different depending on the operating system you use (Windows 95, 98, XP, etc) so you might need to refer to your computer's help file.

Periodically defragmenting your computer will keep it running smoothly!

3) Removing Spyware & Adware

If you've ever had spyware or adware on your computer, you know how frustrating it can be - strange things happening, your homepage changing, inappropriate popups, unfamiliar icons...
What exactly is spyware or adware?

Simply, files that are often downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge (or at least without you knowing what they really are).

Unfortunately, many of these programs "sneak" their way onto your computer, so avoiding them entirely is difficult, especially if you spend a lot of time on your computer, surfing the Internet and downloading new programs and files.

Fortunately, there are ways to remove these unwanted files from your computer.

Here are 2 adware/spyware removal programs that are simple to use (and both are free):
Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/>http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/
Spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html>http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Why does adware/spyware continue to be such a problem? Because most of these programs make money for the people creating and spreading them, unfortunately. So, all we can do is try to avoid them as much as possible, and to remove them when they do find their way onto our computers.

If you do find spyware on your computer, don't panic. In many cases, you just have some extra "junk" on your computer. But keeping spywaer and adware off of your computer will help it run more quickly and efficiently.

4) Uninstalling Old & Unused Programs

While uninstalling old, unused programs will help speed up your computer, removing the wrong files can cause you some big problems. So, please proceed carefully. And if you are not comfortable, please ask for help from someone you know who is more knowledgeable.

Most programs that you download simply have an "uninstall" feature that comes with them. If you're like me and you download a lot of free programs or free trials, after a while your computer begins to slow down. That means it's time for me to remove some of the old programs I don't use any more (and most I only used once just to see how they work).

To uninstall unused programs from your computer, first click on the Start button on the bottom left, then Programs, then click on the name of the program and Uninstall. If there is no uninstall option, then click on the Start button on the bottom left, then Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.

Again, if you are unsure whether or not to remove a program, it is best to leave it.

If you follow these instructions, you should find your computer working faster right away.

5) Get A High Speed Internet Connection

If you spend a lot of time on the internet, a high speed internet connection is a must. It is more expensive, but for most people the savings in time and effort is worth the added expense.

There are several advantages of having a high speed internet connection - faster surfing, web pages open more quickly, files download faster, and if you send or receive large files, like pictures or video, trying to open these files with a slower dialup connection is extremely frustrating!

If you're already spending $20 a month or more for your dialup connection (through your phone line) then you'll find DSL to be comparable in price, and a lot faster.

A cable internet connection might cost a little more, but it is usually the fastest type of internet connection you can get from home.

High speed wireless connections are available for those who travel a lot. And high speed satellite internet is available in areas where other options are not (check your options first, as this is the most expensive high speed connection).

That's all the tips for increasing your computer speed and helping your computer run more efficiently. We hope you found these tips helpful!

© 2005 Hi-Speed-Internet.com.

About the Author
Kris Bickell is the owner of Hi-Speed-Internet.com, a helpful site for consumers comparing high speed internet services. For information on high speed DSL, Cable, and Wireless Internet, visit: http://www.Hi-Speed-Internet.com>http://www.Hi-Speed-Internet.com, and sign up for the free email course “5 Simple Ways To Increase Your Computer Speed”.

Written by: Kris Bickell

More about → 5 Simple Ways To Increase Your Computer Speed

5 Critical Steps to Protecting Your Computer on the Internet

Spyware, viruses and worms... oh my!

If you are connected to the internet, you need to make sure you get your computer set up properly if you want to avoid problems down the road.

With all the viruses, spyware and other threats on the internet today, no computer should be set up without the proper protection.

And that protection needs to be in place as soon after you hook up your new machine as possible.

The following five steps will make your computer a much harder target for threats. You still won't be completely immune to problems, but 99% of the time the threat will pass you by, looking for the easy mark.

1. Running a Personal Firewall

A personal firewall is software that basically makes your computer invisible to hackers, worms and other threats that can infect your computer over the internet.

Setting up a firewall is the absolute first thing you should do if you're going to connect to the internet. Without a firewall, your computer could get infected in as little as one minute after connecting.

If you have a brand new computer running Windows XP Service Pack 2, there is a firewall built into Windows. It will already have been turned on when you first set up your computer.

If you're running an older version of Windows, even an earlier version of Windows XP, there is no firewall automatically set up for you. In this case there are two possibilities:

- Your computer came pre-loaded with a firewall such as Norton Internet Security or McAfee Internet Security
- You have no firewall installed and should download one ASAP.

If you don't have any personal firewall software installed, you should do so right away. Zone Alarm is a very good firewall program that has a version that you can download and install for free.

You can download the free version of Zone Alarm from http://www.computer-help-squad.com/zonealarm

2. Turn on Windows Updates

Again, if you're running Windows XP Service Pack 2 this is already set up, but otherwise you should turn on Windows Updates. Microsoft releases updates for security problems and other bugs in Windows on a regular basis.

These updates will keep your computer running better, and they often fix security issues that could compromise your information or privacy.

If you are running Windows XP Service Pack 2, you can double-check that automatic updates are turned on by clicking Start, then click Control Panel, then double-click Security Center. The window that opens will tell you if automatic updates are turned on, and lets you turn them on if they're not.

To turn on automatic updates in earlier versions of Windows XP, click on the Start menu, click Control Panel and then double-click on System. On the "Automatic Updates" tab, click the option to "Automatically download the updates and install them on the schedule I specify."

To turn them on in Windows 2000, click on Start, click Control Panel and then double-click on Automatic Updates. Again, click the option to "automatically download the updates and install them on the schedule I specify."

Now when Microsoft releases updates, they will be downloaded for you automatically and Windows will tell you when they are ready to be installed.

3. Install & Update Antivirus Software

Most new computers come with antivirus software these days. You might have Norton, McAfee, PC-Cillin or another brand. No matter what program you have, you will need to update it when you get connected to the internet.

It doesn't matter how new your computer is - there will be new viruses, and new updates for the antivirus software, since it was loaded.

The exact process is different for each brand of antivirus program, but most of them will have an icon in the bottom right corner of your desktop, beside the time. The icon might be a picture of a shield (McAfee), a stethoscope (Norton) or something else.

In most cases, if you point to the icon for your antivirus and click the right mouse button, a menu will pop up with an update option. It could be simply called update or could be something like Live Update or Download Latest Updates. If you click on the update option (with the left button this time) it will install the newest updates for you.

If you're not sure which icon is for your antivirus software, just point to each one for a few seconds and a little title should pop up telling you what it is.

4. Install Anti-Spyware Software

Spyware - and other things known as adware and malware - is becoming as big a problem as viruses. Spyware programs can cause a lot of problems with your computer, not to mention they can track your personal information and you never know where it's being sent.

Some new computers might includes antispyware software, but most of them don't yet. There are quite a few anti-spyware programs available, some free and some not. The one I recommend is from Microsoft and is one of the free ones.

One of the reasons I like it is because it always runs in the background and will automatically catch a lot of spyware before it gets on your computer.

Many of the other programs don't catch it until you run a scan. Not only does this allow things to get on your computer, it also means you have to actually remember to run a scan.

You can download the free Microsoft Antispyware from http://www.computer-help-squad.com/antispyware

5. Set up a Free Email Account

This last item is not as critical as the first four, but I would highly recommend you set up an email account with one of the free services like Hotmail or Gmail.

Once you're on the internet, you'll find a lot of useful information that you want that requires you to provide an email address. In some cases, these people will end up sending you a bunch of spam.

If you use a free email account to sign up for anything that you don't know for sure you can trust, it's not going to fill your main email with a bunch of junk.

This goes for anything really, not just online information. If you're entering a contest or signing up for anything offline and you don't know where your information could end up being used, I would suggest using your free email address.

If worse comes to worse, and your free email address gets inundated with spam, you can always just set up a new one and let the old one expire.

Some of the better free email services are www.hotmail.com, www.gmail.com and www.yahoomail.com.

If you've had your computer for a while and never done any of these things, you should still take these steps to get it set up properly. It will definitely save you a lot of time - and possibly money - as you use your system.

More about → 5 Critical Steps to Protecting Your Computer on the Internet