Brainstorm Tech Community

Viruses, spyware, and computer crashes. What are they caused by? How can we be safe from all the dangers out there? Let’s take five of the top problems seen on computers today and find out where they come from and some ways we fix and prevent these problems.
1. Viruses: A computer virus is a program that can copy itself and infect another computer. It can cause many different problems on your computer. The best way to fix virus problems is to prevent them. Avoid download sites and websites that are known to have virus problems, I can’t list those sites here but if you are downloading music and programs that you are not paying for you are going to get a virus. Also you need good anti-virus software to protect you, which leads to the question what is good anti-virus software. I recommend three free anti-virus programs that work better than most paid software here are the links. Antivir, AVG, and Avast

2. Spyware: This is software that is designed to watch how you use the internet and report that information so that you can be marked to more successfully. It can also hijack your web browser and force it to the websites that it wants you to go to. It can also slow your systems down and cause system errors. You can prevent some spyware infections, however you will need to run regular removal scans at least once a week as well. There are many spyware removal programs that work well and are free. I recommend two, Spybot Search & Destroy, and AdAware.

3. Trojan Horse Viruses: These are not the same as standard viruses and can sometimes be harder to remove. They come onto your computer disguised as to their purposes. If you have a Trojan horse virus that keeps plaguing you and defies your anti-virus software, try Malwarebytes. This program is very effective at removing difficult problems on computers.

4. Data Loss: If your computer’s hard drive failed today would you lose pictures and documents that you can’t replace? There are ways to recovery pictures and files depending on what has caused your hard drive to fail, and I am going to recommend a few but the single best thing to do is back up what you can’t afford to lose. Some forms of data loss are extremely expensive to recover from, if it is possible at all. Protect yourself and back up your data. If you accidentally delete a file or have another relatively simple data loss problem one of these programs might work for you. Undelete Plus is a free software for recovering lost files for more serious data recovery I recommend Recover My Files which costs 69.95

5. Updates: Microsoft is always creating security patches and many people wonder if that is something they should install. Will a security patch hurt your computer? No, it won’t and you should install it. These patches fix holes in your security that could let a virus in. Sometimes Service Packs do cause problems but that is a different thing from a security patch. Before installing a Service Pack back up all your data and make sure to read the instructions. But you are safe installing a simple security update and it will protect you.

So these are just a few ways to keep your computer running fast and keep you safe on the internet. There are many more. If you have software you have used or tips you would like to share please post a comment.