My Computer Problem

10 Simple Reasons To Remove Spyware From Your Computer

2011-01-30T05:57:00.000-08:00

Is your computer been running slower than normal? Are you worried someone may be able to access your computer and steal your private information and use it against you? If so, these are feelings I have shared with you in the past.

Some time back, my 3-year old computer was running so slow that I had to buy a new computer. Or at least I thought I needed a new computer. Then within a matter of weeks of surfing on the Internet, my new computer was also running so slowly. In addition, some programs did not run well on my computer, and I did not recognize some of the programs that were running on my computer. That scared me most. Were these programs that were tracking my keystrokes on my computer or programs I just not remember installing? I knew I had to find a answer and solution fast.

The truth is, we can all put up with a slow computer, but very few of us would want others to have access to the information on our computers, but that is exactly what can happen when spyware or malware is loaded on our computers without our knowledge.

According to Spyware Nuker’s web site, “Spyware applications are programs and files that hide on your PC's hard drive without your direct knowledge. These programs allow hackers and advertising companies to track your every move, both online and even when you work offline. They can track the websites you visit, the items that you buy online, the emails you send and receive, your Instant Message dialog, and worst of all they can even record your credit card number, personal identification numbers, and all of your passwords. If you use dial-up to connect to the Internet then spyware can be used to bill 900 numbers to your phone bill. This is just a short list of the harm that spyware can cause.”

The web site also provides statistics that show spyware is a huge problem effecting many people. "27.3 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last five years, including 9.91 million people or 4.6% of the population in the last year alone."

In addition, it is very easy for your computer to become infected with spyware as "The majority of all downloadable games, music, screensavers, etc., can infect your computer with SpyWare or AdWare. Most people do not know that after simply clicking on a random "pop up" ad, their computers may have been infected with SpyWare or AdWare."

No matter how we get spyware, here are 10 very real reasons you don’t want spyware on your computer.

1. Your computer may start running slower
2. Some programs on your computer will not run correctly
3. You may not recognize programs that are now on your computer because they may have been installed there by a spyware related web site or program you loaded on your computer.

In addition, you might be worried that:

4. Someone might be able to read your e-mails
5. Someone might be able to access your e-mail list
6. Someone might be able to see you track the keystrokes you type
7. Someone might be able to access your credit card information on your pc
8. Someone might be able to access your passwords list on your computer
9. Someone might be able to steal your social security number
10. Someone might be able to track all the web sites you visit

As I mentioned, most of these programs get on your computer with out you even knowing, but another frustrating part is I recognized a few of these programs because I remember installing AND uninstalling them! So now I know that when we install some of these handy little utilities to track passwords online or programs to help with e-mail or keep track of the weather, even if we uninstall them, they may not be gone from our computers. They are still in our computers, waiting to spy on us, at the least.

A great way to find and remove spyware is to run a spyware detector and remover. Most spyware detection and removal software today offers a free scan to verify that you do or do not have spyware on your computer.

Advanced SystemCare Free

2010-12-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

Computer Crashes without Reason - Have you ever encountered your PC crashes and you even did not know why. After months or years of using your PC, there might be plenty of changes, which added burdens to your PC but never get cleaned. What Advanced SystemCare Free does is to clean the stuffs that are left over and clean craps to make your PC neat and clean.

Advanced SystemCare Free is a comprehensive PC care utility that takes an one-click approach to help protect, repair and optimize your computer. Scanning and finding what other utilities miss, it can keep your PC error-free and smooth than ever. This fantastic program is available free of charge.

Advanced SystemCare Free, a free PC tune-up utility that focuses on the performance of your PC.If it does not working well, then your computer will be in big trouble.

Download here.

Apple iMac (Intel Core i5 2.8GHz, 27 inch)

2010-12-01T00:35:00.001-08:00

Spec:

Price : $1,999

Display size/resolution: 27-inch, 2,560x1,440 pixels

CPU : 2.8GHz Intel Core i5 760

Memory : 4GB 1,333MHz DDR2

Graphics : 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5750

Hard drives : 1TB, 7,200rpm

Optical drive : dual-layer DVD burner

Networking : Gigabit Ethernet; 802.11n wireless networking

Operating system : Apple OS X 10.6.4

Cnet Editors' Review :

The good: Largest display among all-in-one desktops; best-in-class productivity and gaming performance; DisplayPort provides home entertainment flexibility; SDXC card slot supports cards up to 2TB in size.

The bad: Connecting external video devices requires an extra, expensive adapter because it lacks an HDMI port; no Blu-ray drive; runs hot.

The bottom line: Apple's new $1,999 iMac comes with a faster CPU and a new graphics card, helping this 27-inch all-in-one desktop stay as competitive in performance as it already was in screen size. Despite the still-frustrating absence of an HDMI port, we have no qualms recommending this system for work or play.

User Review :

"Everything is here, no less".

Pros: Gargantuan Screen

Pretty thin for such a big computer

Glossy-ness (depends on your preference)

FAST

Minimalistic Design (i like)

Cons: Crap mouse

Summary:

Overall, my iMac has a fast processor (got the i7), 8 gigs of ram, an ssd/hardrive combo, and a minimalistic design. No less, no more than needed. What more can a guy who just wants a simple computer ask for? On my first day, it was kinda slow on the internet, but thats just cache building up. After that, everything ran just the way I wanted. Went on the internet, did some iwork, some aperture, and final cut without a problem. Everything just ran for me. For the display, its an "oh my god," why is it so f-ing huge! But that becomes sorta part of the experience. Minimalistic, yet a full experience. I never ran out of desktop space because of it. The keyboard way okay, i got the wired one instead (can't live without a numerical keyboard. And for the mouse--crap. Its an ergonomically challenged, shiny plastic, piece of no-how mouse.

In all, if you want a computer that just works, works both ways (bootcamp), has nothing short of perfect, and is minimalistic, this is definitely for you. Other than the mouse problem, everything else just works.

Vote : 5 stars

Registry Mechanic 10.0.132

2010-12-01T00:24:00.000-08:00

Registry Mechanic checks your Registry for errors that can slow down and crash your computer, and provides you with a full toolbox for finding and repairing your Registry. The utility can find a wide range of defects, including references to uninstalled programs, missing help files and virtual devices, broken shortcuts, and removed fonts and configuration files. It also can automatically repair invalid entries at Windows start-up.

Under Optimize, the Quick Scan has been abandoned in this version in favor of an exceedingly fast and comprehensive Deep Scan. The program also makes backups, so it's easy to restore a fix gone wrong. There's a Registry defragger, and a Tuneup Services option that optimizes Windows boot services. Click on either Recommended or Minimal to see which services will be toggled, and to customize them. The Monitor tab tracks your system's Registry, services, and performance behaviors, while the Windows Tools section contains a series of links to Windows' default tools. This could be better explained, but choose an option and you'll find out soon enough that these tools are the default ones that come with Windows, but collected in one place. The interface isn't bad, but it feels a bit jumbled, and presents a lot of open white space without clear directions for what the user should do.

The stringent restrictions on the trial version make it difficult to analyze the effectiveness of the program. The trialware allows for only five sections of the registry to be repaired, and the compacter, defrag, and system optimization buttons were also hamstrung. During the trial, we recommend deselecting all of the errors discovered, and then carefully choosing which errors you think you can verify as being repaired to see if you want to purchase it. Registry Mechanic is a good program, but you won't get something for nothing here.

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt. This article and video from cnet.com

My Computer Problem - The Disk Cleanup

2008-10-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

To keep a PC running smoothly, regular maintenance is critical. Many users shy away from maintenance tasks, thinking it is a long, drawn out manual affair, but the Disk Cleanup Utility can easily determine which files on a hard drive may no longer be needed and delete those files. In addition to freeing up potentially significant amounts of hard drive space, using Disk Cleanup on a regular basis can significantly improve system performance.

How to download and install CCLEANER. How to Run CCLEANER to clean up the clutter on your computers. There are more videos on Jeff Durbin blog at talktechwithcti.com

My Computer Problem - Software to clean my PC

2008-09-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

Keep your PC clean.

Peter Butler, CNET Download.com told me via e mail , the week of September 22 through 27 is Computer Cleaning Week.

"It's not only the outside of your PC that needs occasional cleaning, however. Extraneous files and other junk can clog up your machine, making performance less than optimal, especially if you are a heavy downloader. It doesn't have to be springtime to give your old trusty machine a thorough cleaning. This week's collection provides five top options for digital dusting. Best bonus: they're all free".

Five FREE PC cleaning software that you can use are :

WinDirtStat - This free diagnostic software will analyze any computer, drive, or external device, and provide an informative visual display of the hard-drive memory usage. Find out what's taking up the most space and then eviscerate.

CCleaner - Beneath this software's meager, yet logically designed, interface lies a bevy of tools for keeping your machine tidy. Aside from uninstalling any applications on your computer, CCleaner can also quickly analyze and backup your Registry, then delete unnecessary files.

Auslogics Disk Defrag - Once you've trimmed the fat from your PC to the point where you've got 15 percent of your hard drive free, it never hurts to defrag your disk. Auslogics' free app couldn't be any simpler, and the tool runs very quickly--even on older XP systems.

Process Explorer - Though not for beginners, this Windows Task Manager replacement is the ultimate tool for learning about your system's running processes and resource usage. If something doesn't feel right with your machine, look here first. Right-clicking any process entry unleashes a wealth of info and management features.

ImgBurn - If you're running out of room on your hard drive and your external hard drive , and your various Flash drives...burn your data to DVD. It's one of the cheapest and easiest backup options, and the free burner ImgBurn makes it even easier.

Try it at your own risk. Actually no risk. Happy cleaning.

My Computer Problem - my computer is speed down to a crawl

2008-09-13T11:45:00.001-07:00

I told my friend about my computer is speed down to a crawl. How to speed up ?
He said, "The easiest method to 'speed up' a computer is to reformat and reload."
"What really happened to my computer" , I asked him back .

There are many factors that slow down a computer.
i. Maybe your hard drive is just full and has run out of places to put things. How to check hard drive space ?
Look up My Computer icon , double click at it > Right click on Drive C > Select Properties. How much free space you have on Drive C. If less then 20% free space left , you need to do something. Uninstall or remove unnecessary programs that you don't use or deleting files you no longer need. Another option is buy a new and large hard drive.

ii. Too much temporary file and cookies.
Disk clean up process will deleting Downloaded Program File, Temporary Internet File, Recycle Bin, Office Setup Files, Temporary Files, Publisher Temporary Files and Compress Old Files. How to run disk clean up ?
Click on the 'start' > Click 'All Programs' > Click 'Accessories' > 'System Tools' and select 'Disk Clean Up'. Select 'C drive' and click on OK. Check all the boxes and click on OK. It take a few minutes for the computer to search with a list of items to cleanup. The computer will ask you if you are sure you want to perform these steps and you want to go ahead and click on YES. The box will disappear when it finish.

iii. Run Disk Defragmenter.
You need to click on the 'start' menu >All Programs > Accessories > Click on System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. Click on your C Drive > Click the DEFRAGMENT Tab at the bottom left of the box.
I hate this process because it take more than half an hour.

iv. Virus infection.
You will need to open up Antivirus Software that you have installed on your computer. You need to check that your subscription has not expired and that the virus definitions are up to date. After you have determined that your Virus Scanner is up-to-date run a full virus scan.

v. Spyware activities.
Download and install SpyBot Search and Destroy . To run spyware scan must click on "Immunize" to immunize your computer > cllick on "Check for Problems". Let it run for an hour. When finished it will show you a list of infected items in red with check marks. Click on "Fix Selected items" > OK when done.

vi. Maybe Hard Drive Errors.
Double click MY COMPUTER > Right click C drive > select PROPERTIES > Click the TOOLS tab > Select CHECK NOW under the Error-Checking Section > Check both boxes > click OK.
It will show an error message that tells you it can not be run at this time. Click on YES. Shut down and restart your computer. Your hard drive will be scanned for errors when your computer start.

For me let the "expert" take a look at my computer problem. Do it at your own risk !

My Computer Problem - my computer take so long to shut down.

2008-09-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

My computer problem :

To shutting down the computer , i used to click the 'turn off 'button and the message "Windows is shutting down" will display. It would take around 10 seconds to shut down. Now it can takes a long, long time for Windows to shut down. Why it happening? I'm using Window XP.

My "pang-yau" told me :

There could be several answer to this.

i. In shutting down, you computer must first close all running programs. If any applications running in the background at the same time and is using memory space - why of the slowdown. Applications are like little switches for they need to be turned off in order before total shutdown of that certain program. So, turn off all applications before shut down.

ii. Check the amount of memory (hard drive free space) you have left. Is it 70% full ? You need to upgrading to a larger hard drive to cease the problem.

iii. You must go through all your files. Is it loaded with hundreds of junk files. What is considered junk? Junk files are temporary files, internet files, cookies, etc. The more junk you have on it, the longer it takes to shut down. You need to do "disk cleanup". To do this you need to click "start" > programs > accessories > system tools > Disk Cleanup.
Do this everytime before shutting down and your computer will shutdown in less then ten seconds.

iv. The other thing that could cause this problem is your computer registery files all screwed up. To keep your Registery clean and optimized perfectly you need to use is "Advanced WindwsCare2 Personal". It easy to use and free.

v. You may have a virus or malware. You need to search, quarantine and remove them.

Hope this helps. If don't , give it to the expert .