RB Design Studio Blog

My Computer To Do List – Begin the New Year Right!

Learn to do Monthly Back-ups (at least)!

Backup: To copy files to a second medium (a disk or tape) as a precaution in case the first medium fails. One of the cardinal rules in using computers is: Back up your files regularly. Even the most reliable computer is apt to break down eventually. Many professionals recommend that you make two, or even three, backups of all your files. To be especially safe, you should keep one backup in a different location from the others. You can back up files using operating system commands (Windows Backup), or you can buy a special-purpose backup utility. Backup programs often compress the data so that backups require fewer disks.

At the very least, backup your “My Documents”, “My Pictures” folders and other folders that have information that you have personally saved to your computer. You could burn the information to a CD or DVD or if you have a flash disk (sometimes called a Jump Drive) you could save your important data to that. If you use a money management program, there is probably a utility in the program to save and/or restore data. Transfer this backup file to save your valuable digital financial records. If your computer crashes, you would just need to reinstall the program, then recover the data and you are back in business.

What is a Firewall and do I really Need one?

Firewall: A term for any device that would prevent undesirables on the global Internet from getting at your computer. It also often prevents or controls users from getting out to the Internet from your local computer. This is a combination hardware and software buffer that many companies or organizations have in place between their internal networks and the Internet. A firewall allows only specific kinds of messages from the Internet to flow in and out of the internal network. This protects the internal network or your hard drive from intruders or hackers who might try to use the Internet to break into those systems. It keeps sensitive information (credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc.) safe from hackers (intruders).

Which anti-virus software is best (or does it really make a difference)?

Symantec makes Norton’s Anti-Virus (www.symantec.com)
McAfee is another anti-virus checker (www.mcafee.com)
AVG by Grisoft is a third A/V checker (free version available – www.grisoft.com)
A free online anti-virus (A/V) scan program is at http://housecall.trendmicro.com

Any of the above are good A/V programs. Today’s internet activity though, REQUIRES A/V be installed on your computer. If not, you are just asking for trouble! Just as a doctor vaccinates children against diseases, your computer needs to be vaccinated against viruses and Trojans. Open one virus-laden email, and “boom” your computer is infected!

NONE of these programs will be effective though if the virus definitions are not kept up-to-date. Norton’s A/V has Live Update. Live Update connects to Symantec’s website and downloads the most up to date virus definitions. Viruses are literally coming out every day! Run Live Update at least weekly (I run it daily!).

It is MUCH easier to keep your A/V software up-to-date and scan your computer at least weekly to make sure your system is virus-free than it is to remove viruses and/or clean up after they have infected your system.

Clean up rarely used or unused programs.

Go to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs and uninstall programs you may have downloaded and no longer use or didn’t like. Uninstall anything that is just sitting there taking up space. In Windows XP, there is a date that says “last used” and if you aren’t sure, that is a pretty good estimate of how long it has been since you last used the program. NOTE: Be careful! Don’t delete programs you are unsure of. Things like Windows Hot Fix, etc., are there due to Windows updates and are there to protect your computer.

Spyware, Malware, and Viruses…. Oh MY!

How do these things get on my computer anyway? An invitation to download them can arrive via spam. Or you could get a pop-up offering them. Either way, they should be refused. Remember what Mom said about accepting candy from strangers. The same rule applies here.

Simple internet browsing sometimes causes things to happen that you did not know happened. The following is from Kim Komando’s website (www.komando.com) and she says it much better than I, plus she gets paid a Lot more!

Q. I heard you mention on your radio show not to download the password management program Gator. Are there other programs that I should avoid if I see them on the Internet?
A. First a word about Gator. Gator is a free software program that remembers Web site login names, account numbers, and passwords. It also fills out forms and keeps personal data encrypted. Sounds great, but Windows takes care of most of this, anyway. Besides, nothing is free. Gator is adware.Spyware (also known as adware) is typically a program placed on your hard drive that tracks your Web surfing habits. It reports back to a computer on the Internet. That way, you get customized advertising.The Internet has countless shareware programs, many of which are great additions to your computer. But some arrive with so much spyware and bad behavior that they are just not worthwhile.Below are some other programs to avoid. And in case you installed them on your computer, I have provided links for removal.* Bonzi Buddy: http://www.bonzi.com/support/bdyremove.htm#remove* Go Hip: http://www.gohip.com/remove_browser_enhancement.html* HotBar: http://hotbar.com/downloads/HbUninst.exeIf you don’t want this stuff on your computer, it’s up to you to block it. Here are some tips:– Read the terms when you download software. Yes, I know this is agony. But legitimate programs (most are) will tell you if they include spyware.– Install a software firewall, such as ZoneAlarm (http://www.zonelabs.com) and Outpost (http://www.agnitum.com). Most will not let a program report back to the Internet without your permission.– Use spyware scanning programs, such as Ad-aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com) and Spybot Search and Destroy (http://security.kolla.de). Check regularly for updates.Spyware probably won’t hurt anything. But I don’t like having a program on my computer controlled by someone else.Before you download a program, check it in the database at SpyChecker (http://www.spychecker.com/). This database will tell you if spyware is included in the package.

I could download these pictures from my digital camera MUCH faster from the office!

Don’t! Would that be worth doing if it cost you your job? I think not! Did you know that your employer can track your history on your computer (even such things as downloading digital pictures from your camera). I even advise against such seemingly harmless activity as simple internet surfing unless it is directly related to your job. Most employers these days have very stringent guidelines about using their computers for personal business during working hours.