Troubleshooting

ave many possible causes. Troubleshooting is used in many fields such asengineering, system administration, electronics, automotive repair, anddiagnostic medicine.Troubleshooting requiresidentification of themalfunction(s) or symptoms within a system. Then, experience is commonly used to generate possible causes of the symptoms. Determining which cause is most likely is often a process of elimination - eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requiresconfirmation that the solution restores the product orprocess to its working state.
In general, troubleshooting is the identification of, ordiagnosis of "trouble" in a [system] caused by a failureof some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining the causes of these symptoms.

A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom.Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example).

The methods of forensic engineering are especially useful in tracing problems in products or processes, and a wide range of analytical techniques are available to determine the cause or causes of specific failures. Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind. Preventative action is possible using FMEAand FTA before full scale production, and these methods can also be used for failure analysis.

Responding to and Recovering from a Virus

Does your computer system seem to run slower than it should? Does it crash often and display error messagesyou don't recognize? Playmusical tunes you've never heard before? If your computer acts like it's inhabited by ghosts, you may have a computer virus or some kind of spyware.

On the other hand, anunhealthy or overloaded system could cause some of these same problems — particularly sluggish performance. Your hard drive could just be running out of space, or you could haveinsufficient memory resources for the applications you're running.

So how do you tell the difference between a virus and a system problem? Generally speaking, if you notice sudden, unexpected behavior, like strange sounds coming from your computer or file names you don't recognize, you probably have a virus.

If you think you've contracted a computer virus, you have several options:

• Run antivirus software
• Replace files
• Run a disk-repair utility
• Reformat your drive

5 ways to speed up your PC

By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly. 1. Free up disk space By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files. 2. Speed up access to data Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk when the file is opened to piece it back together. The response time can be significantly longer. 3. Detect and repair disk errors In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility. 4. Protect your computer against spyware Spyware collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission. From the Web sites you visit to usernames and passwords, spyware can put you and your confidential information at risk. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper your computer's performance. 5. Learn all about ReadyBoost If you're using Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory—like a USB flash drive or a memory card—to improve performance without having to add additional memory.

Why Do I Need to Backup My Files?

Don't fall into the old paradigm of "it will never happen to me." While there is certainly a chance that you will never have a need for the backups you make of yourfiles, if something does happen to your computer you will certainly be glad that you have them. And you do not have to backup your entire computer, although this is certainly something that many people do, but only the files that are of the mostimportance to you.

Some things are easily replaced, and there is no need to backup these sorts of things, but those irreplaceable documents or files that are yours and yours alone should be saved in a place where they cannot be damaged. That way, no matter what happens to your computer, you can have security in the fact that all of your files are available inbackup.

How do I protect my computer?

There are several things that you should do toprotect your computer from virusinfections:

• Use a high-quality anti-virus program,and be sure to update it regularly. Use it to scan any files, programs, software, or diskettes (even new software from a commercial company) before you use them on your computer.
• Make back-up copies of important documents or files and store them on separate diskettes. Making backups will also protect your information against accidental file deletion, diskette failure, and other damage.
• Whenever you use a computer in a campus lab, be sure to reboot or run "cleanup" before you start your session and log out when you end your session.
• Do not share commerical software with anyone. It is a violation of the author's copyright to distribute such material, and it is a way to spread viruses.
• When you get public domain (PD) software for which the author has granted permission to make copies, get it from a reliable source. (For example, and individual you do not know is not a reliable source.) Before you run PD material, use an anit-virus program to inspect for known viruses.
• Always scan your disks and files after using them on another computer.
• Always scan all files you download from the Internet.
• Always scan Word or Excel file email attachments before you read them.

The World's Worst Viruses

Some viruses and worms won'tdestroy your data, while others dotremendous damage. For example, the LoveLetter virus overwrote files and inserted viral code on hard drives around the globe two years ago. "As far as what [virus writers] can do, the sky is the limit," says April Goostree, virus manager forMcAfee.com. "In the antivirus industry, we never say 'never' anymore. Because as soon as you do, you are going to be proven wrong. It's anybody's guess about what the next virus will do." Here's a look at ten of the most malignant viruses and worms of all time. 10. Surreptitious Sircam 9. Red Raider 8. Bad Benjamin 7. Numbing Nimda 6. Tennis Anyone? 5. (Expletive Deleted) Explorer 4. Maniacal Magistr 3. Malevolent Melissa 2. Klez the Conquerer 1. Love Hurts

History of Computer Viruses

The first computer virus to openly make it to the public was a program called "Elk Cloner". It was created by Rich Skrenta, a computer programmer who was in high school when this virs was created in 1982. Elk Cloner attached itself to the Apple DOS 3.3 operating system and was later spreaded by a floppy disk.When the virus was created, it was intentionally made as a joke by the high school student, who inputted the virus into a game in which the virus was set off after the 50th time of using the game. When the virus was set off, ablank screen appeared and displayed a poem about the virus. The computer then becameinfected. The first PC virus was a boot sector virus named (c)Brain.Two brothers, Basit and Amjad Farooq Alvi, whose only intentions were to protect their work from piracy and to target copyright infringers, programmed it. However, according to analysts, the Ashar virus, which was a variant of Brain, possibly was created before the (c)Brain. Before network computer expansion, most viruses were spreaded through removable media, such as floppy disks. These viruses infected programs stored in the disks, while others were inputted into the disk boot sectors, and activated when the user booted the computer from the disk. The traditional and typical virus characteristics common to us now emerged in the 1980s, where there was an increase of BBS (Bulletin Board System, where a computer system runs software that allows users to dial into the system over a phone line), modem use, and software sharing. BBScontributed greatly to the rapid spread of Trojan horses, and viruses were orginally written to target popular software traders. Traders who were in a hurry to retrieve the lastest software were usually the easiest prey to infect viruses with. In the mid 1990s, macro viruses came into the scene and became common quickly. Ironically, some versions of Microsoft Word allowed the macro virus to multiply and gain additional blank lines. This can cause a misleading detection, as others would see the new strands of the macro virus as a new virus. Viruses then began spreading via instant messaging. Typically, it sends a web address to everybody in the contact list, and anyone who so much as click on the link would be prone of an immediate infection. However, there are thousands and thousands of viruses operating online and new viruses are discovered every single day.

What is an Email Virus?

An e-mail virus is computer code sent to you as an e-mail note attachment which, if activated, will cause some unexpected and usually harmful effect, such asdestroying certain files on your hard disk and causing the attachment to be remailed to everyone in your address book. Although not the only kind of computer virus, e-mail viruses are the best known and undoubtedly cause the greatest loss of time and money overall. The best two defenses against e-mail viruses for the individual user are: (1) a policy of never opening (for example, double-clicking on) an e-mail attachment unless you know who sent it and what the attachment contains, and (2) installing and using anti-virus software to scan any attachment before you open it. Business firewall servers also attempt, but not always successfully, to filter out e-mail that may carry a virus attachment. The Melissa virus, macro virus and the ILOVEYOU virus are among the most famous e-mail viruses. Each of these also spawned copycat variations with different words in the subject line.

Computer Cookies

What is a Computer Cookie?
A computer cookie is a tiny text file that is saved to your hard drive by a website programme. This file contains information about your searches and behaviour on the website. It is saved without your consent or knowledge meaning you really have no computer privacy. Whenever you next visit the site, it identifies you by looking-up your cookie. This is how many sites are able to 'greet' you when you return, to remember your password, or to recommend products just for you.

Computer cookies are programmed to collect certain information about you. For Google, your cookie file could contain search terms, a unique identification number, and your IP address. It's designed to monitor your movements and report back to the host website.

What Are Computer Cookies Used For?
As they gather and record your information, computer cookies are creating a valuable record of your behaviour and your statistics. Online companies use them to carry out behavioural targeting.

Behavioural targeting is a method which enables companies to identify trends and predict your actions. When you, like thousands of others, were searching for driving directions using Google, the search engine giant identified a common need and quickly established 'Google Maps'. If enough of us were to boycott 'Google Maps', clicking on another direction provider, Google would probably recognise this trend and relegate Google Maps to a minor page.

What Should I Do About Computer Cookies?
When cookies were first introduced, nobody knew they were there, and nobody was able to stop them - no one realised they threatened computer privacy. But this soon changed when people in-the-know started to kick up a fuss, and eventually cookie controls were added to most browser programmes. Because cookies gather so much personal information, and particularly because you don't always know what that includes, we recommend taking action to protect yourself against cookies for your computer privacy. There are a few ways to fool the system - the first action is essential for anyone using the web

What is a Computer Worm?

A computer worm differs from a computer virus in that a computer worm can run itself. A virus needs ahost program to run, and the virus code runs as part of the host program. A computer worm can spread without a host program, although some modern computer worms also use files to hide inside. The original computer worm was (perhaps accidentally) unleashed on the Internet by Robert Tappan Morris in1988. The Internet Worm used sendmail, fingerd, and rsh/rexec to spread itself across the Internet. The SQL Slammer Worm of 2003 used a vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server 2000 to spread itself across the Internet. The Blaster Worm, also of 2003, used a vulnerability in Microsoft DCOM RPC to spread itself. The Melissa worm of 1999, the Sobig worms of 2003 and the Mydoom worm of2004 all spread through e-mail. These worms shared some features of a trojan horse,in that they spread by enticing a user to open an infected e-mail attachment.

Common Computer Viruses

Below is a list of the most common types of viruses, Polymorphic Viruses A polymorphic virus is an encrypted virus that hides itself from anti-virus through encrypted (scrambled) data and then decrypts itself to beable to spread through the computer. The thing that makes it hard for anti-virus software to detect polymorphic viruses is that the virus generates an entirely new decryption routine each time it infects a new executable file, making the virus signature different in each signature. Stealth Viruses A Stealth virus hides the modifications made to files and boot records by modifying and forging the results of calls to functions, therefore programs believe they are reading the original file and not the modified file. A good anti-virus software will probably detect a stealth virus due to the fact that a stealth virus attempts to hide itself in memory when a anti-virus software is launched. Slow Viruses A Slow virus is a difficult virus to detect due to the fact it only modifies and infects files when they have been modified or copied. Therefore the original file will not be infected by the actual copied file. A good way to protect yourself against slow viruses is by using an integrity checker or shell. Retro Viruses A Retro virus attacks the anti-virus software designed to delete it. The retro virus usually attempts to attack the anti-virus data files such as the virus signature store which disables the ability of the anti-virus software to detect and delete viruses. Otherwise the retro virus attempts to alter the operation of the anti-virus software. Multipartite Viruses A Multipartite virus attempts to attack and infect both the boot sector and execuatble files at the same time. Armored Viruses A Armored virus attempts to protect itself from anti-virus soaftware by trying to make anti-virus software believe it is located somewhere else. Therefore the Armored virus has made itself more difficult to trace, disassemble and understand. Companion Viruses A Companion virus creates a companion file for each execuable file the virus infects. Therefore a companion virus may save itself as scandisk.com and everytime a user executes scandisk.exe, the computer will load scandisk.com and therefore infect the system. Phage Viruses A Phage virus is a very destructive virus that re-writes a executable program with it's own code, rather than just attaching itself to a file. Therefore a Phage virus will usually attempt to delete or destroy every program it infects. Revisiting Viruses A Revisiting virus is a worm virus and attempts to copy itself within the computers memory and then copy itself to another linked computer using TCP/IP protocols. The Morris Worm virus in the late 1980's was the first major virus threat to hit the Internet.

Spybot

Along with spyware and adware detection anddisinfection capabilities, Spybot-S&D can repair the Registry, Winsock LSPs, ActiveX objects, browser hijackers and BHOs, PUPS, computer cookies, trackerware, heavy duty, homepage hijackers, keyloggers, LSP, tracks,trojans, spybots, revision, and other kinds of malware. It can also to some extent protect a user's privacy by deleting usage tracks like tracking cookies. Spybot-S&D also includes an"Immunize" feature to block the installationof spyware before it occurs e.g. by modifying the hosts file. Another tool included in Spybot-S&D is a file shredder, for the secure deletionof files. Spybot-S&D is not intended to replace anti-virus programs, but it does detect somecommon trojans.

Spybot-S&D also recently added an anti-rootkit function.

The TeaTimer module can be optionally enabled, providing a level of active, real-time protection from undesirable registry changes and the like. This comes in the form of pop-ups which alert the user to registry changes, and ask for approval before allowing the change. Registry changes only tend to be made when programs are installed/uninstalled/updated, so random changes can indicate the presence of malicious software.

Some programs ship with attached spyware or adware and refuse to run when the undesired co-programs are removed; newer versions of Spybot replace the spyware binaries with inert dummies (designed to fool programs which require the spyware's presence).

In order to efficiently detect recently created programs, detection updates are released weekly along with other improvements such as added languages and better heuristicsalgorithms. These updates are downloaded from within the software from a variety of mirrors and are then automatically installed.

Spybot-S&D is available for all versions of Windows from Windows 95 and up, and offers more than two dozen different languages and several skins to users. Instructions are available on the website to enable users to design their own skins.

What is a Trojan Horse Virus?

A Trojan Horse Virus is a common yet difficult to remove computer threat. This is a type of virus that attempts to make the user think that it is a beneficial application.

A Trojan Horse virus works byhiding within a set of seemingly useful softwareprograms. Once executed orinstalled in the system, this type of virus will startinfecting other files in the computer.

A Trojan Horse Virus is also usually capable of stealing important information from the user's computer. It will then send this information to Internet servers designated by the developer of the virus. The developer will then be able to gain a level of control over the computer through thisTrojan virus. While these things take place, the user will notice that the infected computer has become very slow or unexpected windows pop up without any activity from the user. Later on, this will result to a computer crash.

A Trojan Horse virus can spread in a number of ways. The most common means of infection is through email attachments. The developer of the virus usually uses various spamming techniques in order to distribute the virus to unsuspecting users.

These emails contain attachments. Once the user opens the attachment, the Trojan Horse Virus immediately infects the system and performs the tasks mentioned above.

Spam

Spam is a type of unsolicited electronic 'junk mail' that is often sent out to many people at the same time. Theseunwanted messages may be sent by email, but may also be sent as text messages tomobile devices, includingsmartphones. Spam messages mayadvertise or offer youunsolicited goods, services, land, or business and investment opportunities."Scam" spam messages may be used to try to trick ordisadvantage you, for example, by offering you get-rich-quick schemes. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! However, not all messages are'spam.' Businesses are allowed to send you 'commercial electronic messages'provided they meet three tests set out in the Spam Act. These tests are that the message must: Be sent with your consent Identify the sender Include a functional unsubscribe mechanism (in other words, you can ask not to receive any more messages). Messages that don't meet these tests are generally 'spam' and are unlawful under theSpam Act.

Getting Rid of Spam

There are several ways to block spamfrom your e-mail inbox. They sayprevention is the best medicine, so avoid giving out your e-mail address tounfamiliar or unknown recipients.This has become very difficult to do, however. Spammers can use software programs that troll the Internet looking for e-mail addresses, much like throwing a net in the ocean and seeing what gets caught in it. Nowadays it's almost impossible to shop online without providing a valid e-mail address. Offline stores are even asking for e-mail addresses in exchange for discountsor free merchandise. Realize that what they are doing is potentially opening the door for a flood ofunsolicited e-mails. Theseorganizations will most likely turn around and sell their list to someone else looking for valid e-mails. In these cases, it might be wise to have more than one e-mail address, one for friends, family and colleagues and another for unfamiliar sources. There are many free e-mail services in cyberspace to choose from.

However, also know that even trustworthy sources may be unwittingly shelling out your e-mail address. Ever receive an e-mail greeting card? The sender has given your e-mail to an organization that may very well be compiling e-mail lists to sell tospammers.

A second way to stop spam is to use your e-mail application's filtering features. Most e-mail applications allow you to block specific messages. When an offending e-mail comes in, set the filter to block further incoming mails from that sender.

A more aggressive approach to ridding unwanted e-mail is to report the e-mailer to the spammer's ISP. This is not always an easy task. First you must determine the spam's origins. Many of the bigger and more commercial ISPs forbid spammers from using their services and, once discovered, will actively ban the offending parties from using their services.

What is Spyware?

Spyware refers to computer software,programs, that are installed, usually without the computer users knowledge and gather information about how the computer is being used and the websitesthe user visits.

The simplest and most insidious form of spyware are so-called “cookies” although not all cookies are bad. These tiny pieces of computer code are loaded into your browser when you visit a site. They are usually required to let you login to anecommerce site, such as Amazon, or asocial networking site like Facebook.They are a necessary evil in such cases, without them login would not necessarily work, but they also allow the owners of various sites to track your browsing on that site.

At worst, however, a cookie might beplanted by a less than ethical site that traces your activity across different sites. Modern browsers have built in controls that allow you to control which sites can install cookies. They also let you automatically delete cookies when you close your browser and retain the ones you need on an ad hoc basis.

Spyware, however, is more than crumbling cookies. When the term was first coined in the 1990s it usually referred to a small program that was installed on your computer when you installed another program, such as a freeware or shareware drawing package, text editor, or other application.

Examples of programs that contain spyware include: Bonzi Buddy, Dope Wars, EDonkey2000, Grokster, Kazaa, Morpheus, RadLight, Sony’s Extended Copy Protection, WeatherBug, WildTangent, and SpyEagle. This is not a current or comprehensive list and many of these programs are no longer widely used.

These hidden programs can run in the background when you start your computer and send all kinds of information about your computer activity to a central server owned by the spyware creator.

Initially, such spyware may have been undesirable but it was not necessarily malicious, usually being used simply to gather information about consumer behavior and so produce more targeted advertising campaigns. However, the line between spyware and malicious software (malware) has become very blurred and malware is now commonly used by criminals to steal private information, such as bank details and logins, rather than simply spying on the websites you visit.

Top 5 Common Computer Problems and Solutions

You may ask why your computer has problems. To tell you frankly, most of the time the biggest problem that your computer has is YOU - the owner or the user. There are many people that neglect the first signs of computer problems. You shouldn'tneglect those simple maintenance tasks that can enhance or prolong the life of your computer. 1. Computer speed or performance has slowed. One of the things that computer owners usually notice is this. There are several reasons why this happens to your computer. Lack of maintenance, fragmented data, corrupted registry, spyware, and unnecessary loading of computer programs and services can surely affect your PC speed and performance. Managing your programs and cleaning your registry can easily boost your computer's performance speed up to 30%. 2. Computer system freezes and blue screens of death. You need to do some serious diagnostic procedures to effectively know the problem with your computer. Computer virus or spyware are maybe some of the reasons why this is happening to your computer. Update your anti-spyware immediately to avoid this kind of problem and thoroughly scan your computer to see if it has any viruses or spywares. If you find that your computer is free from spyware then updating your hardware drive is the next step. Hardware drives makes it easier for your computer to effectively communicate with other hardware components. Without an updated driver the CPU locks up and may cause problems when you are using your computer. If that doesn't work try to increase your Computer RAM to help avoid computer freezes. By increasing the RAM you get more use out your computer's computing power. 3. The computer keeps on rebooting again and again. This kind of problem is usually associated with hardware issue. Faulty power supply is usually the cause of this problem. Dirty or defective cooling fan is another reason why your computer is rebooting spontaneously. When your computer is trying to cool itself when the fan is defective it automatically switches off. Dust that accumulated in your computer can trap the heat inside which makes it hotter. What you should do is to clean the fan and make sure that it is running properly. Do not forget to check your power supply. 4. Noises and vibrations. This one is almost certainly that your have hardware issue. High pitched noises can be caused by electronic components. Whatever the reason, you conduct a small investigation. Unplug your computer and remove the case and run the computer to discover the origin of noise. If a loose wire or faulty fan is not the one that is making the noise then it may be time to call a computer tech to help you with your problem. 5. Your browser home page changed itself. It is known as "high-jacking" which is also caused by a Spyware installed on your system. The spyware in your computer installed a java script into your web browser that tells your browser to change settings hence changing the default home page of your browser. What you can do is to run an anti-virus or spyware program to remove the spyware from your computer. All of the problems stated in this article can be avoided easily by simply maintainingyour computer. Do not panic when you are experiencing a computer problem with your PC because the key to fixing that problem is to properly diagnose to identify what's happening to your computer. Take a few minutes to run some diagnostic test or seek help in computer forums before you rush out to computer technical center.

Most Destructive Computer Virus of All Time

ILOVEYOU a.k.a. Lovebug/Loveletter Virus

The ILOVEYOU virus was a computer virus that many consider to be the most damaging virusever written. It spread itself by email in 2000through an attachment in the message. Once opened, it loaded itself to the memory, infecting executable files. When a user received and opened the email containing the attachment“LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.txt.vbs”, the computer became automatically infected. It then spread itself by infecting executable files, image files, as well as audio files like MP3s. After that, the virus sent itself to others by looking up the addresses contained in the MS Outlook contact list. The virus was written by aFilipino programmer who was still a college student at that time. He said the release of the virus was only “accidental.” This virus spread throughout the world in just a day, infecting computers of large corporations and governments, including the Pentagon in the United States. It caused billions of dollars in damages. The actual “damage” occurred during the removal of the infection from computers, as email servers and computer networks had to be shut down before the virus could be removed.

How the Internet Came About ?

The Internet and World-Wide Web are the greatest telecommunicationalbreakthrough since the telephone. The enormous growth that the web has enjoyed in the last decade has come very quickly to a system still in its relative infancy.
The foundations of the Internet were formed when packet-switching networks came into operation in the 1960s. Transmitted data is broken up into small packets of data, sent to its destination, and reassembled at the other side. This means that a single signal can be routed to multiple users, and an interrupted packet may be re-sent without loss oftransmission. Packets can be compressed for speed and encrypted for security.

Computers at the time were massive, primitive structures. The only type of network in operation before was made up of terminals that logged into mainframes. This is similar to the present-day client/server relationship we have with the modern Internet, except the computers are usually comparable in terms of power, and so the Internet is known as apeer-to-peer system.

What is Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office is an office suite of interrelated desktopapplications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS Xoperating systems. Microsoft Office was introduced by Microsoft in 1989 for Mac OS, with a version for Windows in1990. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of Office contained MicrosoftWord, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. Additionally, a "Pro" (Professional) version of Office included Microsoft Access andSchedule Plus. Over the years, Office applications have grown substantially closer with shared features such as a common spell checker, OLE data integration and Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications scripting language. Microsoft also positions Office as a development platform for line-of-business software under the Office Business Applications (OBA) brand. The current versions are Office 2007 for Windows which was released on January 30,2007, and Office 2008 for Mac OS X, released January 15, 2008. Office 2007/Office 2008 introduced a new user interface and new Office Open XML document formats (docx, xlsx, pptx). Consequently, Microsoft has made available, free of charge, an add-on known as the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack to allow Office 2000-2003 for Windows and Office 2004 for Mac editions to open, edit, and save documents created under the new formats for Office 2007. According to Forrester Research, as of June 2009, some version of Microsoft Office is used in 80% of enterprises and the latest Office versions hold roughly 80% of thoseinstallations.

How do computers get viruses?

Some Ways Viruses can be Transmitted and Spread: E-Mail Attachments: Email attachments are the most common way that ill intentioned people transmit viruses in order to infect computer users. Therefore, you should always apply caution when opening any E-Mail attachments received, especially from people who you do not know. These types of viruses are usually triggered when the attached file is opened or executed. Some viruses can even trigger themselves just by simply viewing the infected E-Mail although this is not that common. Therefore, ensure that the Anti-Virus Software you are using is set to monitor your E-Mail Program that you send and receive E-Mail with. Today’s modern software programs are usually set by default to do this. Network Shared Resources: Many viruses and worms will try to duplicate themselves by finding security loop holes in a network in order to attach themselves to a shared network resource. The most vulnerable network resource are file folders, which are shared amongst users as file access permissions are being granted. When a Virus identifies a shared folder it will attempt to copy itself into it in order to infect that Computer itself and then all computers that access the shared folder. A Worm will basically just try to replicate itself. However, it is possible to limit this risk by setting access permissions for the shared folder. If your network is set up with any shared folders, then you should have your network administrator take the appropriate action to secure them. Removable Media: Removable Media such as Floppy Disks, Re-Writable Compact and DVD Disks, Zip Disks, USB Memory and Flash Drive are often exchanged and used from one machine to another, especially in an office. Therefore, be sure to frequently scan these removable devices to prevent infection. Today’s modern Anti-Virus software will contain a built in feature where you can simply right-click on the Removal Device itself within My Computer or Windows Explorer and then choose a menu option to scan that device. In other words, if you want to scan a floppy disk, then right-click on the A: Drive within Windows Explorer and then choose a selection on the order of Scan for Viruses. Internet Downloads: Any material downloaded from the Internet, whether they are programs, documents, music files, video files and compressed files etc., could potentially contain a virus. Therefore, be sure to scan these files first with your Anti-Virus software before you launch them. Today’s modern Anti-Virus software will usually be set to scan these downloaded files for you or at least prompt you with a reminder to do so. If not then do it manually. Document Files: Many documents and spreadsheets can contain useful macros that perform certain tasks automatically for you. However, macro viruses also exist and they use the functionality of macros to spread themselves to other files and can make alterations to the files infected.

5 Tips For Buying The Right Laptop

It's easy to beintimidated by all the laptopmodels on the market today. There are literally dozens and dozens in everyprice range.

The key to finding the right one for you is to step back andconsider exactly how you plan to use your laptop.When you define what you need before you go shopping, buying the right machine becomes much easier.
Here are 5 basic factors to consider:

1. SIZE
In the world of mobile computing, size definitely matters. The size of a laptop affects two key areas: portability and display size.

If you're always on the go and will be using your computer only in short bursts, a so-called ultralight will save you some shoulder strain.

On the other hand, if you're going to spend hours in front of your laptop, a larger display may be in order.

Today, some laptop displays exceed 17 inches, rivaling the display size of many desktop systems. The down side is that these monsters can easily weigh three times as much as an ultralight.

2. HARD DRIVE
Speaking of size, what about the size of the hard drive? One way to approach this issue is to ask yourself the following question:

Will this be my primary computer, or will it supplement my desktop system?

If the former, you should look for a bigger hard drive - 60 GB or more.

If the latter, you may be able to make it with a 20-30 GB hard drive.

But even this isn't absolute.

If, for example, you plan to copy a huge MP3 library from your desktop system to your laptop to make your music library portable, you'd be well advised to err on the side of too big.

3. MEMORY
In determining the right amount of system memory, or RAM, take a look at the ways in which you intend to use your laptop:

If your needs are somewhat mundane - email, spreadsheets, word processing, etc. - 256 MB of RAM should be plenty. This is a common configuration for many laptops, so it means you probably won't need to spend extra for more RAM.

On the flip side, if you're an aspiring mobile digital photographer or videographer, you should stuff your laptop with as much RAM as it can hold.

In fact, exactly how much RAM your laptop can hold may in part drive your purchase decision. Applications for editing and manipulating multimedia content are notorious resource hogs.

4. NETWORK CONNECTIONS
Thanks in no small part to the Internet, computing in the 21st century relies heavily on being connected:

Connected to the Internet, connected to a corporate network, connected to a wireless network, connected to a home network, connected to an online service.

Your life will be easier if you buy a laptop that includes built-in means to connect to them all.

5. PRICE
If you're considering a laptop, you're probably wondering how much money you'll need to spend.

A few years ago, you'd be hard-pressed to find one for under $2,000. Today, there are plenty of laptops to be had for under $1,000.

What's more, most of the major manufacturers offer a variety of financing options.

Laptop prices have come down, to be sure. However, a laptop still represents a fairly major purchase for most people.

If you take the time to search for a laptop that meets your specific needs, you should get many years of use and enjoyment from this important investment.