Computer Survival-

Links, tips, and help for computer users whether you are an expert or just beginning!

Virus Protection

If you have internet access on your computer, you need to have anti-virus protection that is updated daily!   Many new computers come with a trial version that you must eventually subscribe (pay) to.  I use a free program for home users from www.Avast.com  (30 million users) that is available HERE.  It is just over 10 megabytes.  You will have to uninstall any previous anti-virus programs first (expired or active) from the Windows Add/Remove Software tool before installing.  Once I clicked the download button next to the English version, I clicked Open on the window that came up.  I just followed the instructions after that.  Users are able to use this Demo version for a couple of months before having to fill out a simple registration form HERE to receive a free serial number that is good for 14 months.  After 14 months, users need to re-register for another 14 months.  

Additional Virus Tips: 

Internet users are now at a place that anti-virus software is required to keep your computer running.  Make sure your program is updated daily if you have DSL or Cable internet.  Dial-up users should take the time to open the anti-virus program and update the pattern manually when they are on the internet for any length of time.

Many of the viruses that are out there are spread by e-mail.  Never open an e-mail attachment unless you know what the attachment is!  Even if it is from your mother!  If a virus creator is smart enough to write a virus, he is smart enough to trick you into opening it!  This includes popup windows that say "Your computer is infected, click here!" Duh!  Always use the Alt  F4 to close those windows.  Cancel buttons can be programmed to install instead of cancel.  Better yet, learn how to use the Ctrl-Alt-Del to End Task the application.  

You may want to click Start, All Programs, Windows Update rather than clicking any balloon that pops up to tell you that "Updates Are Now Ready To Be Installed. Click Here."  Watch out for hoax viruses that have you search for a file and if you find it, do this....  They may be telling you to delete a necessary file that, of course,  your computer has!  You can usually check out hoax viruses at www.truthorfiction.com using the search page and searching for the file you are told to delete.  Finally, remember that many viruses harvest your e-mail addresses from your address book to spread OR your e-mail address is harvested from your friend's address book to send it to you!    You or your friends should not use address books unless they have sufficient anti-virus protection! 

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Popups, Adware, Spyware

Never click on an advertisement popup! (Use Alt + f4 to close it.) See below about how to prevent popups.  If you have internet access on your computer, you also need to have spyware or adware protection that is updated regularly!

For Spyware and Adware:  I use a free program called Spybot Search and Destroy that is available HERE from www.download.com.  It is just about 10 megabytes and will take a little time to download if you have dial-up internet.  I had to uninstall a previous adware program first from the Windows Add/Remove Software tool before installing so it wouldn't cause conflicts (except Ad-Aware).  When I clicked the Download Now button, I then clicked Open and followed the directions using the Next buttons.  I made sure to click the Tea Timer option.  It then asked me to Backup the Registry, Check For Updates, Download the Updates, Immunize, and then run the program.   I clicked OK when reminded that some programs require the ability to interact with my computer.  Once the program was open, I clicked the Check For Problems which takes a while.  After it was done checking, I clicked the Fix Problems and then exited.  I usually check for updates once per week, then download the updates, then check for problems, then fix problems, and then click the Immunize button if there were new updates.  The other benefit to this program is that whenever a change is being attempted to your computer, a window will popup asking you to Allow or Deny (similar to Windows Vista).  If you are not installing a new program, then you should Deny.  It might seem kind of a bother when that window pops up all the time, but think of what is happening to your computer if it wasn't.   Many people will also install the Ad-Aware program as well for even better protection.  You may get a warning that says Spybot and Ad-Aware may conflict, but I personally have never had a problem with running both.  (Remember to click allow in the Spybot window when intentionally installing a new program.)

For Popups: Vista usually defaults to block popups.  

If you have Windows XP service pack 2, you can enable the popup blocker that comes with Internet Explorer.  Open your browser, click Tools, click Internet Options, click the Security tab, click the Custom Level button,  scroll down towards the bottom the setting choices to find the "Use Popup Blocker" and enable it, then click OK, OK.  Then anytime there is a popup, you will be warned with a "did you notice the information bar" window and a sound.  If you want to see the popup, just click the yellow bar at the top and click temporarily allow popups.  This feature is good for sites that hammer you with multiple popups.  

If you have an older Windows operating system, you might try the Google Tool Bar (Google popup Help) or PanicWare which are both free.   Many websites including banks have websites designed to use popups that popup blockers do block.  Usually, popup blockers allow pressing a key on your keyboard (i.e. Ctrl) to allow a necessary popup to appear. 

Virus Initiated Popups: Sometimes I have fixed a popup problem only to find that it returns.  That is probably because there is a virus popup installation file that is run every time I turn the computer on.  So what I do, is go to Start, Run, and type msconfig in the box and click OK.  This brings up a System Configuration Utility window that I maximize (enlarge).  Be very careful not to change anything without knowing what you are doing!  I click on the Startup tab and then write down all of the file names on the left side of the window.  Most of the files, if not all, are required by your computer.  I then search Sysinfo.org using each filename I wrote down.  Usually, it doesn't take long to discover if the file is friendly/required for my computer or if it is a nasty popup or virus file.   If a file is suspicious, I uncheck the the box next to the file name and click OK.  Normally, it will suggest a computer restart.   Usually, I say No to the restart, and then run Spybot first.  Then I open my internet browser and click Tools (or View on older Internet Explorer versions), Internet Options, and make sure my home page is what I want and Delete Cookies.  Then I restart.   If I accidentally uncheck a required file, such as for my internet or printer or program I use, I return to msconfig and re-check the box next to the file needed.  Normal required files are ScanRegistry, TaskMonitor, SystemTray, TkBellExe, and printer, camera, and program files that you have. 

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Firewall Protection

There are two types of firewalls: hardware and software.   Most routers and access points have a built in hardware firewall. Often they do not work until you take the time to go to your administrator program for the router (i.e. 192.168.1.1 in your browser) and look for where to activate it.  Most hardware firewalls can block unfriendly connections to your computer BEFORE they happen.   Software firewalls may allow some communication with your computer before notifying you.  

A software firewall program can block most hackers from breaking into your computer.  Many anti-virus programs that you pay for have a firewall program but you must take the time to set the feature up.  XP has a built in firewall program but currently does not block bad programs on your computer from sending out information.  Zone Alarm has a free home use firewall for XP available HERE which works with the free Avast anti-virus program mentioned above.  After clicking Download, I clicked Open.  It is just over 5 megabytes and will take a little time to download if you have dial-up internet.   It won't let you install it if you have another firewall program on your computer.  After that, I clicked next and removed the checkmark to receive free offers and then registered with them.  I checked the family PC and network Home when asked.  After starting the Firewall the first time, I selected the Zone Alarm (not Zone Alarm Pro) and clicked Next and Finish.  Then I clicked Next to setup my websurfing programs like IE and Outlook and clicked Done and Restarted my computer.  Each time someone is looking at your computer on the internet, you will get and Allow or Deny option.   Normally, you will click Deny and can even click Remember This Decision.  Then click OK.  Network users: You may have to tell Zone Alarm to trust the ip range of your network (i.e. 192.168.1.1 through 192.168.1.50)

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Slow Computer

Computers are like brakes on a car.  The regular user doesn't notice a problem because it is gradual.  Many people feel they need more ram memory to speed up their computer, but find it didn't help.  (Or buy a new computer and hassle with transferring docs.) The following are major reasons that a computer will get slow:

A file needs fixed.  Sometimes just restarting your computer will fix things!  (Win2000 and XP users can use the next paragraph to fix files.)  Use Scandisk if you have Windows 95, 98, or ME.  Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and Scandisk.  Make sure drive C: is selected, Fix Automatically is checked and Standard is checked before clicking Start.  If it seems it doesn't ever finish checking, you may have to Cancel and Restart your computer in MS-Dos mode and type scandisk c: and press Enter.  

Your computer may have fragmented files.  Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and Disk Defragmenter.  It takes a while.  Make sure you have drive C selected and click OK or Defragment.  Normally, before doing the above disk defragmenter, I will turn off my screensaver or turn up the time to 60 minutes before the screensaver comes on.  To turn off your screensaver, right click your desktop (wallpaper/background picture), click Properties, click the Screensaver tab.  Change it to None or turn up the minutes.  Click Apply.  While in Display Properties, you may want to click the Background tab and change the wallpaper picture to None to see if it helps.  Sometimes that nice picture you have is a huge file that slows your computer down.

You may have a virus!  Do the online scan above!

Your hard drive is too full!  You can go to My Computer, right click your drive c: and click Properties.  You can see how full it is.  Do not ever delete programs!  Use the Add/Remove Software tool in Windows Control Panel to remove programs you do not use.  You CAN delete picture files and document files if you don't need them anymore or have them on cd or floppy.  You may even want to use Disk Cleanup by going to Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and Disk Cleanup to remove the contents of the recycle bin and temporary internet files, but this is only a short lived help.  

You may have installed and uninstalled so many programs on your older computer that the whole foundation of registry and system files are a mess!  Using a program like Registry Fix or FreeRegistryFix will usually be able to find and repair most of these problems.  Even a computer that seems to be running well, will usually have hundreds of registry problems!  Most online registry repair tools will find your problems, BUT need to charge you to fix them so they can maintain their great service.  Another way to deal with this problem is to do a total reload of windows and format of hard drive OR use your restore CD  which you WILL lose documents, favorites, address books, pictures, other software, and other valuable things.  You may want to consider buying a new $300 computer from somebody like Dell, Gateway, or HP and copy your files from old computer to CD or USB pen drive (many new computers do not have a floppy drive!) rather than paying a computer guy like me $90 per hour to fix your old computer.

You have too many programs running in the background of your computer.  Programs like instant messenger programs, weather programs, etc. may be too much along with things that you have to have like printer, virus protection, spyware protection, and firewall.  Look at your Startup folder to see what programs are loading automatically every time you turn your computer on.  Click Start, point to Programs or All Programs, point to Startup, and look to see what is there.  Right click and delete things you know you do not need.  You may also want to go the Add Remove Software in Control Panel and remove programs that run automatically when you turn your computer on like instant messenger, weather, etc.  If you have some computer savvy, you may want to press Ctrl-Alt-Del to see what tasks are running.  Unfortunately, it is hard to recognize which programs are represented by the filenames unless you know what you are doing.

You may be using too large of pictures in your publication if it takes forever to print sometimes.  If your printer seems to work okay with text documents but is slower than a snail with pictures, you may be using clipart or photos that are, in fact, monstrous files!  Right click your graphic and click Properties to see the size.  Or look in My Documents, click View, and click Details to see your document size.  Anything over 100kb may be just too big to be fast.  

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Breakdowns

How many times have we cried "Oh No!" that there is always somebody nearby that says "You should have saved it first or backed it up!"  I feel that I am the most preventative person when it comes to computers, but I still have experienced lock-ups, unexpected reboots, and disappearing programs!  The point here is that you should always believe your computer is out to get you and prepare as if it were.  Your computer lets you feel comfortable just long enough to get you to trust it, then whammo!  Save, save, save as you work on stuff.   Use the File, Save As option to make additional copies with a different name (i.e. myresume.doc and myresume2.doc) so that you have at least two copies of the important files.  You may get mixed up occasionally on which file is which, but at least you don't have to start all over!  Also, make sure you know how to use your CD Rewritable drive to make copies of your My Document Folder and Shared Document folder on a regular basis.  You can also use an USB pen drive to easily copy your files without having to be a CD burner genius! (Just plug in the pen drive into a USB port and use My Computer or Windows Explorer to rightclick, copy your My Documents folder and go to pen drive letter and rightclick, paste.)  I always store computer driver files that I have had to download for my computer (like printer driver) and put them in My Documents so I don't have to hunt on what to backup.  You can even tell Outlook to keep your Personal Profile in My Documents.  You may even want to move your Favorites folder to My Documents using the Tweakui.inf program (file  instructions) so that all you do is make a copy of My Documents whenever you want to backup your computer.

I maintain over 120 computers and 5 networks.  I know it is not coincidence that I have found that computers seem to always have more problems that use games, instant messenger programs, and randomly surf the web.   Although the company owners of messenger programs, games, and cool websites disagree with me, there is sometimes a connection.

If it appears your computer isn't working right, but it at least can start, you may be able to restore your computer  to an earlier date when it did work if you have Windows Millennium or XP.  General questions about System Restore are answered HERE.   If you can get your computer started, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore, and Restore to an earlier date.  You may have to reinstall recently added software but your recent documents should still be there. In rare instances, system restore can resurrect a previous problem, so you may want to do a virus and spyware scan after restoring.  Some computer manufacturers such as Hewlett Packard have a System Restore available when you first turn on the computer by pressing a key like f10 which can bail you out if Windows doesn't start at all.  Check the internet with your manufacturer and model info to see if it is available.  (i.e. search, enter your computer model HP 304 in the phrase box and restore in the additional words box using Google's advanced search.)  Otherwise you may be forced to reload your Windows operating system which still, if done right, can save your documents.  

If your computer just won't power up at all, you may have one of these problems:  

1. Your power supply box has gone out.  Look to see if the fan is moving on the back of your computer when the power button is pushed.  If the fan is not working, make sure you have power by plugging something else in the same plug in that your computer was plugged into.  Maybe the power strip is bad? Make sure the cable is securely pushed into the back of your computer.  If it has a switch next to the fan, make sure it didn't get bumped off.  Do not mistake the little switch that says 110v/220v being a power switch!  Always leave that switch set at 110v unless you use 220v!  The fan can still work and your power supply is still out.  

2. Your little battery on the motherboard has finally died.  Usually, your computer will start, but not find an operating system.   Batteries usually last 3-6 years.

3. Think!  What was the last thing done to your computer before it quit?  Did you recently add something new to your computer? (i.e. something that plugs into the computer)

4. You may have bent a pin on your monitor cable if you recently unhooked your monitor.  Take it off and inspect.  Make sure keyboard and mouse cables are securely pushed in.

5. You may have a loose cable to your motherboard or hard drive if you recently moved your computer.  Usually, you will get an Operating System Not Found message.  The cover will have to be removed and each ribbon (data) cable should be checked to see if it is tight.  Do not switch anything around or you will have worse problems!   

6. Try moving your computer to another outlet that is not on the same breaker.  You may not have enough electricity due to an electrical problem.

7. It is possible that your hard drive, display adapter, motherboard, or other part may have gone out.  A computer technician can sometimes salvage your documents, even if your hard drive goes out, by plugging your hard drive into a working computer as a second slave drive, long enough to transfer your My Documents to their main hard drive, and then burn a cd for you to copy to your new hard drive.

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Printer Jams and Breakdowns

Printer jams can be caused by a number of problems. The most common jam is more than one sheet being pulled through the printer.  The best prevention is to use fresh paper in your printer, especially during humid or moist times of the year.  Exposed paper will collect moisture in the paper causing sheets to stick together.  You may not even notice any difference in the look or feel of the paper.  Reams should always be stored in a dry place and left sealed (and reams left in the closed ream box if you buy by the case).   Open reams should be put in a plastic bag unless you go through a high volume.  On older printers, you may notice your printer jams when you have too much or too little paper in the tray.  Adjust according to the uniqueness of your printer.  Of course, using heavier paper can cause a jam on any printer.  If you must use a heavy stock paper, use Print Properties to tell your printer that you are using a heavy stock.  You usually have to put only one sheet in your tray and print one at a time.  Always be careful to pull out jams from the back of the printer if possible to prevent damaging your printer.  Rarely, the wrong printer software version can still print but have irregular loading problems.

Printer breakdowns also can be caused by a number of problems.  Wrong software, software with file damage, loose cable, firewall blocking the port, low on ink, or the printer is actually broken.  The most common problem for most people is that a print job is unsuccessful and then all future prints are blocked by the incomplete print job.   (i.e. chose wrong printer to print to (most common), out of paper, bad file, bad communication, etc.)  You can usually double-click the small printer icon in the system tray (near the time) to view print jobs, then cancel all print jobs to clear the problem.  Your top document may take a minute to delete.  You may want to make sure your document is saved and reboot your computer.  Shut off your printer during the reboot, wait a few seconds, restart your printer.  If notified that you have print jobs pending, cancel them.  Normal order of diagnosis to fix a printer problem:

1. Check cables, printer is on, and make sure you see your printer model in Printer Name when printing

2. Clear print jobs (maybe reboot and make sure your printer model is displayed when printing)

3. Shut off and unplug printer from computer and unplug the power cord and wait at least 1 minute

4. Reinstall printer software

5. Remove all USB controller devices from System, Hardware Manager, then reboot for reinstall (advanced users only!)

6. Noisy printer can sometimes be corrected by lifting the printer lid and manually moving cartridges to far left side and close lid to let the cartridges park.  (advanced users only!)

7. Clean front/back clear-looking data ribbon that cartridges follow by using a soft dry paper towel.  Pinch paper around both sides and wipe, being careful NOT to pull ribbon off. (advanced users only!)

8. Always try to accumulate the same printer models so you can swap printers quickly to rule out  software/computer problem.

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Money-Saving Tips

For computer parts and accessories, you may want to visit Computer Parts & Accessories- Internet's BEST DEALS!

Printing-$100-500 per year savings!  Change your default printing preferences to draft or fast draft which prints faster.  You can always change your preferences for individual prints  from File and Print and Preferences when you want a better print quality.  You can change your default settings for all jobs in Control Panel (not from printer preferences in your browser or publishing program).  This will save you a ton of ink!   If you are an organization, try making more documents available from your website and let users consume their own ink.   Or most e-mail programs now let you create newsletter-looking messages that you send out via e-mail.   Buy compatible or refurbished black ink cartridges instead of OEM at websites like Here where you can purchase HP45's for $11.95 or less.  Black refurbished and compatible cartridges are usually okay, but do not buy refurbished color cartridges.  I personally have only had nightmares trying to refill my own cartridges, but some people like it.  Some businesses, such as Office Depot in some areas, will trade your empty ink cartridges for a ream of paper.  If you are in the market for a printer, most people are now purchasing the multi-function type printer and getting rid of their scanners.  It is also nice to have a copier right on your desk for single copies as long as a person doesn't get lazy about using the company copier for larger jobs because the multifunctions can be from 5-20 cents per copy.  

Computers-     The CEO of Intel was quoted in an Oregon newspaper a few years back saying "my job description is mainly trying to figure ways to convince the consumers that their computer is obsolete."  If you need to buy a new computer, remember salespeople naturally will try to talk you up.   Unless you are doing something unusual like playing war games, you can get a nice, new computer in the upper $200 range ($325 with CRT monitor or $375 with LCD monitor) for office, home, and internet use.   My recommendation is to have at least a 2500+ mghtz (2.5 ghz) AMD or Celeron processor, 512 mb of ram, 80 gb hard drive, Windows Vista included, NIC (network card), a modem if you use dialup, and a DVD/RW (burner) drive.  Most computer geeks are now gasping!  By the time you need something more, the price of a bigger, better computer will be less than this one.   Computers are not real estate!  They will never increase in value.  Do not plan for future needs, only what you need now.   Optional: You may want a dual monitor video adapter for projector use.  You may want an extra CD-Rom drive if you are making illegal cd copies.  You may want 1 gig of ram and a processor that has a "D" after it like Celeron D or Pentium D for around $450 if you do a lot of graphics or occasional video work.  You may want to consider a monitor upgrade in your package if you really need one  (good way to get a less expensive flat screen than buying separately).    Personally, I like Dell, HP, Gateway, and Emachines because I have had several donated to our ministry and like how they worked.  HP usually has a good Restore feature for fixing problems.  

Monitors-    Remember larger, standard monitors take more electricity.  A 19" will use more electricity than a 14".  Some older CRT monitors should be powered off (not sleep mode) whenever not in use due to electricity consumption.  LCD monitors usually are energy efficient. The newer wide screen flat panel monitors will eventually be the norm. If you are in the market for a monitor, shipping can prohibit the competitiveness of internet shopping.   You still may want to shop online at a place like HERE for some fantastic deals on new and refurbished monitors.  The nice thing about shopping locally, is that you save shipping and if the monitor conks out, you can walk in and trade it without the hassle of shipping it back.

Digital Cameras-   You can find good information HERE before you buy a digital camera! You shouldn't spend over $100 right now because the prices are coming down!

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Internet Connection Choices

Essentially there are four choices besides a wireless connection:  Dial-up, DSL, Cable, and Satellite.  (I expect to see the power companies jumping into the telecommunications business in the near future.)

Dial-up is the least expensive but many websites are not designed to be viewed with this speed.  Although there are some as low as $5.95 per month, national companies like PeoplePC are around $11 once their trial periods are over.  The advantages are that it is easier to block out internet use for children because of the necessary password for each connection and the cost.  The negatives of dialup are that your phone line is busy while on the internet, it takes longer to connect or get on, you can get kicked off sometimes if someone calls or a family member picks up another phone to call out, and many web features and pages are now designed for broadband (dsl or cable), and not dialup.  If you don't use the internet that much, it might be worth considering.  A typical dialup account will usually give you 45kbps downloads.

DSL costs between $12-$60 per month.  Many companies offer an introductory plan and then the price goes up.   Static IP costs more than dynamic IP,  but static IP is usually necessary if you plan on having a web server.   Dynamic works fine for networks.  You can use your phone line and internet at the same time if you use an included filter for each phone in your building.  Many businesses use DSL on their fax line because DSL does not usually work on standard business phone systems.   I have seen one DSL account supply internet for a network of over 100 computers.  The advantages are only needing one phone line at home, much faster than dialup, and your computer is always connec