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Why You Should Clean Up Your Computer Registry

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Most of your computer problems or software errors always originate from the computer registry of your system but it’s fair to say that if you are reading this article then you already know that.

Your PC’s performance is affected by two major causes of errors and before cleaning up your system you need to be aware of these.

Why You Need To Clean Your Registry

computer registryAn unclean registry can happen if you delete any software programs manually without going through the process of uninstalling which is why you will often find unused files or corrupt data saturating your computer registry.

You can see how your computer is affected if it is something you perform regularly.

A registry crash could be a much greater problem and one of the possible causes is incompatible hardware driver. Sometimes, forcing a software to install even though an error message occurs during the installation, could be the problem as well.

The problem known as blue screen of death may appear which is more serious.

Even if you always carry out the process of keeping your registry clean and safe, it is important to note that your computer will still slow down gradually. Using your PC or laptop for months without ever carrying out routine maintenance makes this particularly likely to happen.

All versions of Windows have their own maintenance programs such as disk defragmenter or disk clean up, which can certainly help you keep your computer registry organized.

Your computer will be more organized and it should perform better if you perform maintenance regularly but that isn’t to say it is clean. When you carry out this routine maintenance regularly with windows tools, all of those unused files are kept together in a particular space of your disk.

Your Registry File System Needs To Be Cleaned Frequently

If regular maintenance of the computer system is never performed, these files will be spread all over your system and the result over time means more and more files will become corrupt and even unusable.

You may have noticed there are many registry cleaning software packages available on the market, which are created to help you clean this essential part of your computer system.

To make sure your computer never runs slow and to ensure you do not become frustrated with the constant errors you may be experiencing, you can download trial versions of these software programs to perform a computer scan. You will find that these registry software programs have many different features and some can now detect Adware and Spyware infections which are another cause for computer registry errors once those infections have been removed.

 

Features such as a built-in scheduler, junk file cleaner and more are all incorporated in order to make it more convenient for its users. It can cause even more errors if you make a buying decision too early as you might end up buying computer registry software that is not the best quality.

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Why You Should Install A Computer Firewall

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As the prevalence of computer hackers, scammers and viruses increase around the Internet, you should know how and why to install a computer firewall.

What Can A Computer Firewall Do?

Computer FirewallDefense from malicious data that can potentially harm your computer is provided by a computer firewall. Dangerous attacks to your computer can negatively impact upon you but these can be avoided with a few simple steps.

Since there are a wide variety of computer firewalls available, including those from major corporations such as Microsoft, you first need to determine what kind of computer firewall your PC requires.

Chances are that your firewall is already set up and ready to be used if you have a computer that came installed with the Microsoft XP or Vista operating system.

Check that it is turned on and working properly. If you have one of the earlier operating systems, you will need to purchase your own software. You may want to purchase separate software to complement Microsoft XP as its version of firewall doesn’t get great reviews.

Where To Get A Suitable Computer Firewall

You can either visit a store that sells computer software or download a firewall product through the Internet – the most popular products available are Norton, AVG and McAfee.

Prices vary depending on sophistication of the software, but there are also plenty of low cost versions available, even from the big name companies. A few things must be taken into consideration prior to the installation of your firewall.

The functions that you need, such as file and printing sharing, must not be blocked by the program. Settings can be configured during installation or at a later date using the documentation provided.

Firewalls tend to stop you from going to certain parts of the Internet as well. You should be aware how you connect as this may happen if you use a local area network or a router. When you have installed a firewall in place, secured networks in particular are difficult to access.

Before installing a firewall to a pc linked to a company network, you should liaise with the company’s IT department since they may give you a specific settings configuration so you are still able to connect to them.

One of the best software applications with a built in computer firewall is AVG Internet Security

Windows 7 Users Also Have A Free Computer Firewall

If you are using windows 7 you also have the option of enabling a firewall that is built into your operating system.

windows7 firewall

Even though there has been many advancements in Windows 7 we still recommend using a specialized computer firewall for the best protection online.

Child Safety Online What You Need To Know

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Child Safety Online is about questioning information and supervision, we all know that the Internet is loaded with data, nearly all of it is good and accurate, but as with everything some of it is utter garbage.

Since the world wide web is also progressively getting loaded with untrustworthy information, it is time you get involved with your children’s safety on the internet.

Child Safety Online

Child Safety OnlineThese resources are crucial for young people researching information for their homework, but the internet can be a risky place for youngsters especially with many predators online and using adware and spyware to track your child’s online activities.

You know what I am talking about you have heard and read it in the news many times so its time for you as a parent to act.

What Is The Biggest Danger To Child Safety Online

The biggest danger for youngsters surfing the Internet is that they may by chance, come across material unsuitable for them.

Even when the child mistakenly types an improper word into the search engine, he can land in a page which contains sexually explicit or adult material and if your child interacts with that website there could also start receiving email spam of an undesirable nature.

People are always talking about child internet safety issues and you could start immediately to offer security to your child as he scans the net.

Child Safety Online Starts With The Parents

Parents are the first people who must offer the necessary protection when it comes to child safety online and for this you should always keep a vigil on the children as they spend time on the computer especially if they are doing this unsupervised.

Firstly ensure that you sanction their usage of the web, which is doing research for homework or keeping in touch with friends not surfing youtube or chatting on chat programs.

In case you find that your children is talking to someone on-line, ask him to reveal his identity, and if he or she is a stranger, then you need to limit their Internet usage.

Child Safety Online Is About Being Informed

Many Internet web browsers come with a system of paternal blocks for several websites so in case you want to prevent your youngsters from visiting any site, clamp a paternal block on such websites so that they can never view these Internet sites just go to the menu bar in your browser click on tools and then options to see what options you have available.

If your child is persisting with using the computer without your consent you can then password protect the whole system so that they can not log on to the internet at all. There are several types of on-line tools which can help you keep your children from visiting adult and unsuitable websites.

There are even programs available which would enable you to supervise all the online activities which your kid is doing. This way, you will be sure that they are doing precisely what they say they are doing while using the world wide web.

There are also children world wide web safety laws which have been published with the safety of the children in mind. In case some one tries to steal information from your child which is his own personal information, this offender (Predator) can get in to legal entanglements with the government.

Ask your children to be cautious about revealing any personal information or details to anyone online, even when the individual is known to the child, simply because accounts can be hacked so you really don’t know who you are talking with.

Understanding Whats Available To You For Child Safety Online

One of the best options when we talk about child safety online is to get familiar with the accompanying computer tools which are sold with your PC and this way you should be able to block a lot of unsavory information and images from your children as they use the computer.

As an example you can go to the Google homepage and in the preferences tab beside the search box you can select to stop adult content.

Google Safe Search

You will also want to learn about software programs specifically designed to block offensive Internet sites such as AVG internet Security. There are some programs and websites which the child can get access to and will frequently use and you need to have a full understanding about them, like social networking web sites, email and chat via the internet.

There are several precautionary steps in the house which could also be taken by you so that your child remains safe online, such as where you place the computer, a good place is always in a common area so you can see the screen, advising the kids against joining any chat rooms and constantly advising your youngsters about web safety online.

If you keep the dialog open, you will find that your children will be more likely to listen to you and take your advice when it comes to their safety on the internet.

If you are not computer savvy then you could break the ice with your child by getting them to teach you how to use the computer and in doing so you will get to see a lot of the sites and information your child is viewing online.

When you think about it the best way to ensure child safety online is for your to participate in your child’s internet activities.

Four Effective Tips For Fighting Online Spam

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Online Spam has grown to such an extent that internet users have started to suffer from a lack of confidence in emails as a mode of communication and even the spread of the many computer viruses is another area of disturbance.

President Bush signed the ‘Can Spam’ bill, in December of 2003 which was the first national standard associated with bulk unsolicited commercial e-mail.

The First Steps In Fighting Online Spam

fighting online spamThis spam bill stops senders of bulk commercial and unsolicited emails using misleading return email addresses which hide their true identities and using dictionaries to produce such emails – incidentally this bill was voted by the Senate at 97 to 0.

This is a serious subject and any email that is sent and that is legitimate must have an opt out provision which is a very important rule for the sender to follow.

The law bans senders from procuring email addresses from different sites and violation of the Can Spam act can result in up to one years jail for any that are caught.

Even with saying that there are email bots searching the internet constantly for unprotected email addresses so they can use them to send bulk email spam.

What is an unprotected email? If you visit a website and can plainly see a hyper-linked email address on the contact us page or in the footer of the site then that is considered to be unprotected.

Many countries one being Russia still has many Bulk Email Spammers sending out unsolicited emails many times  a day which is actually reducing the efficiency of the internet and is becoming a very big problem for everyone online.

Many Other Countries Now Have Problems With Online Spam

We need to remember that large numbers of spam are now arriving from other countries. Since many of these emails originate from other countries not just Russia, it is nearly impossible to control them.

Because of the global barrier and lesser environment and restrictions in which the internet works, these laws may sound fine but are incapable of handling the large scale problem.

So what do you do about this?

Here Are The Top 4 Tips To Protect You And Your Inbox From Online Spam

  • The net is the last place for your email address to be advertised. There are products called “spam spiders” or “Email Bots” which are used for scanning the internet for the only purpose of collecting email addresses to build a large mailing list. If the word ‘spam spider’ triggers your interest do a search for this word on the net, the results might just shock you. To understand this menace more here is what Wikipedia has to say about Email Address Harvesting.

  • Consider purchasing software that can block email spam.  For example, Paretologic Spam Control , PC Tools internet Security or what I have been using for more than two years Avg Internet Security. Remember however, no software is foolproof, but having some form of application installed really can help although you will usually have to carry out some manual set up to block certain types of email.

  • If you can, it is advisable to use different email addresses. There are a number of free email services such as Gmail or even Hotmail you could choose from through which you could receive newsletters and have another address as a back up. Think of it as giving your private mobile number to your friends and your business number to all others.

  • A common problem with spam is that they have attachments and attachments can have viruses. Most companies are equipped with spam filters which protect you. But your personal email account if unprotected is a free for all and the spammers know it. General rule of thumb: if you do not know who is sending you something, DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT. Secondly, look for services that offer filtering such as Gmail and Hotmail.

If you are running an online business then your hosting provider should have spam assassin installed to prevent malicious spam from ever reaching you. If what you are currently using does not support this, then you really need to think about moving to a new hosting provider. If moving is not an option for you then consider one of the applications listed above.

The concept of online spam is simple. It starts with someone who you do not know sending you emails. What they want you to do is click on the link usually found in the online spam email so that you will go to a website, once there you will either be asked to enter details or the site maybe installing some type of adware or spyware onto your computer.

This is why it is very important to not only stay away from online spam email but to also have some form of software or email client you can use for blocking spam as this gives you a few extra layers protection against online spam which could make a all difference between having your identity stolen or your bank account emptied.

There are stories all over the internet about the tricks online spam uses to get information from you, don’t be a victim be proactive and stay safe online.

Tips To Protect Yourself From A Computer Virus

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We’re all being warned about widespread Worms, Adware, Spyware and the dreaded Computer Virus that can threaten our network security even steal our identity.

However, would you know how to spot these electronic threats?

Most of us know little beyond installing an antivirus program, and the people who design these viruses are always building a better way to catch you out.

Consequently, new internet security software can quickly become obsolete, especially for those who neglect to update the software. In this article, we’ve got some useful tips on how to protect your computer from catching a computer virus and any other damaging programs.

What Is A Computer Virus

Computer VirusA computer virus is a program that re-creates itself. It can attach to other programs and/or create copies of itself. Once a virus evades your internet security software and finds its way into your computer it can damage or corrupt data, change data, or degrade the performance of your system by utilizing resources such as memory or disk space.

A computer virus can be a Boot sector computer virus, Master Boot Record (MBR) computer virus, File infecting computer virus, or a Macro computer virus. A computer virus which displays characteristics of more than one of these categories is known as a multipartite computer virus.

How Are You Infected By A Computer Virus

Internet surfing and emails are the most common means of contracting a virus. You can be surfing and catch a virus without even knowing it. To surf safely, get a router even if you aren’t running a network. The router will act as a hardware firewall if a hacker is trying to scan your computer.

You should also get a good antivirus program or internet security suite which can protect you from all online threats as well as having a firewall. PC Tools is one such provider that has all the tools you need to stay protected online, but there are a number of free programs as well. However, some of them will only protect you from a limited number of viruses, which is really a waste of your time and effort to even install them..

In the past it was the Floppy disk which were the most common ways viruses are transmitted, now it is the thumb drives every one is using and interchanging into each others computers. You should always scan thumb drives with your antivirus program before using them, especially if you’re moving from one computer to another. You could easily pick up a virus from an insecure network and introduce it into your system.

Emails Are A Big Cause Of Computer Viruses

Email is another common culprit. It may be tempting to quickly whip through your email, but you should carefully examine attachments and scan them for viruses before you open them. Even if you do recognize the sender, the attachment could still be infected.

In fact, some viruses are designed to copy information from your contact list and spread the virus to everyone on it. Your email program should have safety options, a spam filter or a preferences menu for instructions.

For us any emails we receive an unknown sender that comes with an attachment is deleted without opening it no matter how tempting it may be to look at. Those attachments can contain the virus that will corrupt your computer.

Understanding How Easy It Is To Become Infected

As an example of how easy it is to become infected I was updating my anti-virus application which also had email scanning capabilities and during the process I was asked to allow the program to close so the update could complete its process. What I did not realize was that my mail client was still open and checking emails every five minutes and downloading any received into my inbox on my hard drive.

Once the updates had finished I was then prompted to restart my machine which I did. Once rebooted my Anti-Virus program was reporting errors and I started to receive pop up messages on my screen. I tried numerous times to get my anti-virus program restarted but each time I tried my computer would reboot itself, it actually started to behave like it had a mind of its own.

What had happen during the updating process and because I had left my email client open and continued to download emails which were not be scanned it left my computer unprotected with the end result being a very severe Malware infection which caused me four days of downtime and countless hours of trying to fix the problem.

What Steps Should You Take To Stop A Computer Virus

The most important thing that you can do for your computer is to install good internet security software and be conscious of Internet security. Webroot is one of the world’s leading internet security companies and has applications that can also protect your Smart Phones and Mobile devices. It runs continuously in the background of your computer, providing constant protection from viruses, Trojan horses, worms and other malicious code.
Webroot Secure Anywhere
Webroot AV-Test

Webroot will automatically update its software with new definitions with the latest protection whenever you’re online to stop any new computer virus from infiltrating your computer.

Choosing The Best Adware Blockers

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There are many of us online today who use our personal or business computers in our everyday lives, but most us are not aware that we need an adware blockers.

These computers are here to help us in our workday or personal tasks. Many of us use computers to help with homework, play music and video games, watch movies and surf the internet as well as doing business.

Choosing The Best Adware BlockersWhile we love surfing the internet there are dangers lurking to the unknown user which can infect your computer and make them ineffective, even to the point of not being able to start-up your computer.

Adware Blockers Are Not…

Adware blockers are not software applications that can replace your anti-virus program nor can they protect you like a  computer firewall will from other online threats.

These dangers masquerade as spyware and adware and in more serious cases Malware. To prevent these online menaces you can now find adware blockers online to help prevent any infections.

Before you start looking for any adware blockers to protect you computer it might be of help to know what adware actually is.

The explanation is not that long but it is important as adware can be nuisance in the extreme and also extremely damaging if left unchecked.

So What Is Adware

Adware is basically a form of free advertising which is conducted over the internet and has reached plague proportions in the last few years.

This advertising can be seen on various internet pages which you may have visited or are about to visit. Some forms where this can be found are adult sites or where you download free music or shareware files.

These ads come up without you ever clicking on any dialog box to activate them. You will sometimes see these adware ads as popup boxes which can be in some cases very hard to remove from your computer system.

It has been said that many of the companies involved in producing adware have made a lot of money do so, it is not illegal to do simply because you the end user gives permission for the adware to be installed when downloading free files, these free files have the adware embedded in the software and that is how they make their money.

Finding The Right Adware Blocker For Your Situation

While there are some people who like seeing these ads and are aware of there purpose the majority of people online prefer to have the option of choosing which ads they want look at.

This is where adware blockers come into play. These adware blockers are programs which have been created to stop adware advertisements from being displayed on your computer screens even when we are not connected to the internet. With these programs you will be able to set your computers system settings to intercept these programs before they have a chance to get activated.

You will find many popular software companies that specifically create adware blockers such as PC Tools, Webroot, Paretologic.

Some Of The Most Popular Adware Blockers Are…

Adware Blocker Spyware Doctor

Spyware Doctor has been downloaded over 50 Million times and this is growing rapidly with a million or more downloads every week.

People worldwide use Spyware Doctor to protect their identities and their PC from the growing threat that adware poses to all internet users.

Xoftspyse Adware Blocker And Removal ToolXoftSpySE from Paretologic would have to be one of the easiest to setup and install, we have tested and used XoftSpySE on our own PC’s without any problems.

Once setup there is very little you have to do to get XoftspySE to start protecting your computer from the many Spyware, Adware and Malware threats.

 

For Those Looking For All In One Solution To Adware….

Webroot internet security has released a suite of tools that not only protect your computer but your mobile devices such as Smart Phones, Tablets and Androids.

Webroot Secure Anywhere

Webroot AV-Test

When you look at either downloading a trial version or buying these adware blockers you should always make sure that you know exactly what the program will do.

By installing one of these adware blockers you can help to make your computer and in the case of Webroot your Smart Phone, Android and Tablets safe from unwanted ads, worms, viruses and spyware programs.

Webroot Window Washer

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Why Webroot Window Washer, firstly I am amazed at the amount of people who do not know or realize that everything you do on your computer can be traced — documents you’ve used, pictures you’ve viewed, web sites you have visited, and more. Read more