Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Antivirus Software: that we should know so as to be protected


Antivirus Software: that we should know so as to be protected
The aim of this article is to inform you about the primary software programs, which protect your by identifying and eliminating computer viruses or any malicious software. There are many facts that you should take under consideration before choosing which program will you use to protect your computer. The primary difference between all these software programs is the type of protection that is offered.
Some programs can be installed to protect the resources of a private network from users from other networks and avoid a virus approaching your computer (such as firewall), whereas other programs search your hard drive for any known or potential viruses (such as antivirus software). There are also programs that offer parental control, so as to check the pages you visit.

Why do I need an anti-virus software?
The antivirus software is a program that searches your hard disk and detects malicious software such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses. In their current form, antivirus software have an automatic mechanism, so as to receive updated software be able to detect new potential viruses. So, in case of infections, your computer has the ability to recognize immediately any virus “entry” and deal with it in no time.

Attention to the firewall
Firewall is nowadays a really common computer term. Firewall is also a program that determines which network traffic will be allowed to pass and which will be blocked.
So this program checks and prevents your computer from being infected by hackers’ attacks or other types of cyber attacks. These are the reasons which make firewall a necessary tool for your computer and your files.
Parental consent
One of the most important issues about protection on the Internet is associated with the children and how safe is to allow them browsing the Internet without limits. Through the special software parental guidance you can take precautions to prevent your child loading pages with inappropriate contents. According to the latest research, over 25% of the victims being attacked on the internet are children! However, there are plenty software parental guidance which can to protect your kids, when you install them in your computer.

Beware of spies

Additionally, antispyware is also another category of programs that provides you sufficient protection. They protect and consign your computer from another form of malicious software attack. These software were made either to steal data from the user’s computer, or to annoy through abrasive adverts (for example, “today it’s your lucky day” or “you won 10000 $).
As a conclusion, you should not be confused by all these comport terms or frightened of any possible malicious software attack. You can be fully protected if you install the appropriate programs and exploit any advice give.
So stay tuned to our website! There are ample useful computer articles!

Basic Maintenance For Personal Computers

Computers have become a staple of our world, continuously undergoing development, changes and updates. There are pretty a lot of things that we can do with them. A huge part of computer usage comes from personal computer usage. People type, chat, surf the net, watch shows, download files, play games and do a lot of other things in the computer.

People utilize the computer to surf the internet which successively endangers it to a number of unwanted and harmful programs, and viruses. System maintenance is essential to make certain that it is working properly.
The computer system is not so much different from our automobiles regarding maintenance. Just like our engines, we perform typical structure check-ups or bring them to special service outlets to get fixed. Aware of the computer’s significant part in our office and daily life, we should constantly make sure that there are no unwanted matters that could alter or cause it to break down.
Two Kinds Of Maintenance Computers Go Through:
Preventive Maintenance.
Preventive maintenance includes common computer security and cleanups that prevent potential PC errors. Simple actions like scanning, virus removal, disk defragmentation, disk error correction and file organization are applied. Preventive maintenance also includes motherboard and other components clean up to prevent related problems.
Corrective Maintenance.
While preventive maintenance’ devotion to keeping the system safe from potential technical problems, corrective maintenance’ devotion is diagnosing and fixing existing problems. Corrective maintenance may require repairing parts or even replacing them with new ones. Computer technicians are specifically trained to carry on repairs and configuration assistances, but it is likewise advisable to visit computer maintenance or repair centers that are knowledgeable with the type of operating system or computer.
Scheduled computer maintenance is important to guarantee that it is secure and is functioning properly, especially for businesses and organizations that bank expectantly on computer networks. Finding an adept computer and IT professional is priceless in ensuring that the actions and important data stored in the communication systems will not stolen nor leaked. Computer maintenance and assistance providers help your organization increase its productivity.
All computers will eventually need services and repairs. There are some user services that can be performed by those with average computer knowledge; however, repairs are best left to professional technicians. Indeed, most people do not know that the computer must be opened and physically cleaned at least once per year. Dust collection traps heat inside the computer’s case. Excess heat affects the stable operation of electronic components, and can lead to their ultimate demise.

Some of the more common computer repair service prices are based on hourly technician costs. Typical hourly rates range from fifty dollars to seventy-five dollars per hour. However, after the initial hour, some companies will begin billing at rates based on the closest five or ten minute increment. These rates are further affected by the size of the company hired to perform computer repairs or services. Additionally, some companies offer flat rate charges for various services.
Common Services
Common services include software installation, operating system upgrades, setting up a new PC, network setup, file and data backup/recovery, memory upgrading, upgrading/adding a hard drive or optical drive to the system, installation of computer case fans and processor coolers, video card installation, and physically cleaning the inside of the computer. These services are performed on working computer systems, and will usually take two to three hours. Services such as these will cost around $160.00, depending upon the technician’s hourly rate. Moreover, some service and repair companies will offer a coupon discount for first-time customers, and may even offer promotional discounts at various times.
Common Repairs
The most common repair problems are due to viruses, spyware and electronic maintenance issues like hard drive defragmentation and Windows registry problems. Blue screen errors, printer problems, error messages, internet connectivity issues and computer freeze-ups are also typical repair problems. Electronic maintenance typically takes two to four hours to complete, and can cost from $120.00 to $250.00. Virus and spyware removal costs are dependent upon the seriousness of the infection and the magnitude of the damage they caused to system files and data. Costs can run from $75.00 to more than $300.00 for severe cases. Connectivity issues and error messages can take several hours to fix. Costs for these repairs usually run from $80.00 to $175.00.

Computer Maintenance


Computer Maintenance 2012
Computers need regular maintenance after the sale, much like an automobile or household appliances. However, the cost of paying a professional technician to clean and update the software and hardware on a PC is too much for many consumers and business customers to justify. For years, many companies have contracted with local and virtual technical support services that provided computer maintenance as a value-added service for the business. In 2012, many computer owners are looking for ways to do regular system maintenance on their own, to not only reduce costs, but also maybe learn something in the process.
Operating system developers and PC manufacturers are responding to consumer and business customer demand to have more self-sufficiency in terms of computer maintenance. For example, Microsoft’s operating systems are on many desktop and laptop computers, worldwide. The company’s latest OS release, Windows 7, includes a feature called Action Center, which gives PC owners greater control over system maintenance. This feature works real-time, monitoring for system and security problems known to create headaches for users, if no one takes action to reverse or rectify the problem, such as regularly defragmenting the hard drive to maintain system performance.
The overall trend for computer maintenance in 2012, and beyond, is to help users help themselves, instead of having to rely on third-party support services. Many operating system developers are beginning to take greater responsibility for the products they offer, making sure consumers and business customers get proper service and support, even after the sale.

10 Tips to avoid a pc repair

Ten Tips to Keep your Computer Intact
1)When you switch off your computer, you should firstly wait to complete the Windows shutdown procedure and then press the power button. Only if your hard disc is not running or your computer is not functioning properly, you can turn it off with the power switch, avoiding damages to the hard disc.
2)It would be helpful to protect your computer by using an UPS (uninterruptible power supply) , so as your computer will not be damaged by an unexpected brownout.
3)It is strongly recommended to backup your archives which are important for you and you would like to protect them. There are many types of storage devices such as external hard drives, USB sticks, CD’s etc.
4)Occasionally, you may run the scandisk and the defragment function, in order to avoid potentially serious damages to your hard drive. You can either buy a service pack, provided by stores which have your computer’s brand name.
5)You should not remove peripheral devices from your computer while it is activated, because this could have a negative influence on either to the connector socket or the motherboard. This action is strictly allowed only if you are equipped with a peripheral device guaranteed to be “hot pluggable”.
6)Make sure to maintain at least 300 MB of free space at your hard drive so as to be used by the Windows Operating System. For Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 the preferable amount of free space should be about 500 MB on your C: Drive. The absence of empty space in your hard drive will definitely end up causing serious malfunction to your computer, including data loss and deformation. It is also very usual to confront extremely low speed when you are trying to execute a task. Be sure to make the most of the ADD/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to get rid of useless programs which are installed at your hard drive. There are also several programs designed especially for “cleaning” and speeding up your computer.
7)When you switch on your computer, you should not permit ample programs loading up as long as they consume inestimable amount of your computer’s memory and Windows Resources. In case you don’t use all programs in your Windows System Tray, it is recommended to lock them and let them load up after computer’s booting.
8)It is important to install an antivirus program to your computer, which is loading up the time you turn on your computer. You will be perfectly protected in case you choose a continuous observing antivirus program, that is automatically updated.
9)Since you have a high speed Internet connection, it is certain that you must have installed a firewall program. A firewall program is used to maintain your computer safe from malicious attacks against your system. It would be best to avoid allowing someone other than you having access to your data and files. Nowadays all new computers are equipped with a built-in firewall program. You can easily change the firewall’s settings by accessing the control panel but you should remember to keep the firewall activated. In case you need some additional protection for your computer it would be best to take into consideration some security software available in stores such as Panda AntiVirus Pro, BitDefender Total Security and Kaspersky Internet Security. All these programs are enriched with firewall, antivirus and plenty other security features.
10)You should also check computer and peripheral devices’ software discs and keep them in a safe enviroment, as they enclose useful programs and files for your Windows Version.

Wise Use of Computer Repair and Maintenance Saves Money and Time


Computer repair and maintenance resolve many of the problems that occur in computers and laptops. It doesn’t matter if those problems are hardware or software related, they are often repairable and don’t take much effort to get the system back into shape.
Some of the more complicated problems may require the assistance of computer technicians, but it doesn't change the possibility that problems can be completely solved.
Computer repair and maintenance, however can get very repetitive if the same problem occurs over and over. If the user relies on computer repair services, the professional fees can quickly add up and become unaffordable.
Even if you can solve the problem yourself, the time it takes to repair the problem could have been used for something far more productive.
Wise use of computer maintenance can help prevent these problems from ever occurring in the first place.

Several Situations Exist Which Cause the Need for Computer Repair

computer repair and maintenance often involves simple fixes and tweaks to the system to restore the computer's performance and stability.
Minor hardware problems involving critical components such as the RAM and hard drives, which are loosely connected, can cause the computer to not boot or freeze while being used. Those problems can be fixed by simply tightening or cleaning the components.
Software problems involve malware infections, software conflicts, and other operating system related problems that usually occur when advanced settings are tampered with.

Computer Maintenance and the Importance of Its Role

Computer maintenance comes into play right after a successful computer repair is performed. It involves the process of scanning all parts of the system making sure that no further repairs are necessary.
Repairs that fixed hardware problems should be followed with simple tasks like checking the "Device Manager" in Windows or trying out any of the hardware diagnostic utilities to ensure that every system component is running properly.
Software maintenance can be performed by doing full virus scans to ensure that there are no traces of any other viruses in the system or complete registry scans that can dramatically increase the performance even after the first registry repair.
Another good maintenance procedure is to back up the files that were affected by the problem.
This makes computer repairs so much easier because the next time the file gets corrupted or infected, it can easily be restored by simply using the backup files you have stored in other devices such as flash drives.
The main role of maintenance procedures is to minimize the need for frequent computer repairs which can be tedious and time consuming.

The Importance of Regularly Scheduled Maintenance Routines

After a successful maintenance routine, you should keep in mind that your computer should be running fine as long as you don’t make any major changes. We all know there will be times where you upgrade existing software or add new programs to your operating system.
If you have other users on the same computer system, those people could be changing critical settings that may cause the need for additional repairs. Therefore, performing daily, weekly or monthly maintenance routines are necessary to keep the system at peak performance and thus having fewer problems arise.
There can still be a need for computer repairs, even after scheduled maintenance, but often times the repair process will be much easier and the impact of those problems will not be as great. 

Straight Through and Cross Over Cable


COLOR-CODE STANDARDS
Again, please bear with me…  Let’s start with simple pin-out diagrams of the two types of UTP Ethernet cables and watch how committees can make a can of worms out of them.  Here are the diagrams:



Note that the TX (transmitter) pins are connected to corresponding RX (receiver) pins, plus to plus and minus to minus.  And that  you must use a crossover cable to connect units with identical interfaces.  If you use a straight-through cable, one of the two units must, in effect, perform the cross-over function.
Two wire color-code standards apply: EIA/TIA 568A and EIA/TIA 568B. The codes are commonly depicted with RJ-45 jacks as follows (the view is from the front of the jacks):

Note that pins 4, 5, 7, and 8 and the blue and brown pairs are not used in either standard.  Quite contrary to what you may read elsewhere, these pins and wires are not used or required to implement 100BASE-TX duplexing–they are just plain wasted.
However, the actual cables are not physically that simple.  In the diagrams, the orange pair of wires are not adjacent.  The blue pair is upside-down.  The right ends match RJ-45 jacks and the left ends do not.  If, for example, we invert the left side of the 568A “straight”-thru cable to match a 568A jack–put one 180° twist in the entire cable from end-to-end–and twist together and rearrange the appropriate pairs, we get the following can-of-worms:
This further emphasizes, I hope,  the importance of the word “twist” in making network cables which will work.  You cannot use an flat-untwisted telephone cable for a network cable.  Furthermore, you must use a pair of twisted wires to connect a set of transmitter pins to their corresponding receiver pins.  You cannot use a wire from one pair and another wire from a different pair.

Keeping the above principles in mind, we can simplify the diagram for a 568A straight-thru cable by untwisting  the wires, except the 180° twist in the entire cable, and bending the ends upward.  Likewise, if we exchange the green and orange pairs in the 568A diagram we will get a simplified diagram for a 568B straight-thru cable.  If we cross the green and orange pairs in the 568A diagram we will arrive at a simplified diagram for a crossover cable.