I hope you've gotten your flu vaccinations, but if not, remember that hand washing in any event is a great way to reduce the likelihood of passing along (and receiving) viruses.
I say that to say this: Computers, as we all too-well know, are prone to virus infestations without a degree of maintenance and updating.
This week I went into a mobile lab. Just two of the 25 laptops I examined were HEAVILY infected. Preventative, periodic maintenance takes only minutes, versus hours spent trying to sanitize infected systems!
My multi-pronged approach to system integrity and the prevention of the nasties includes:
1. Norton AntiVirus (NOT Norton Securities)
2. Hard Drive Powerwash
3. SUPERAntispyware
4. Malwarebyte's "Antimalware"
The last two require periodic (weekly for me) updating. Items 2 - 4 are free. Norton Antivirus isn't free. Download these free programs. Install, and update items #3 and #4.
Learn how to disable "System Restore" before conducting full-system scans and deleting suspicious files. Once scanned and deleted, "System Restore" can be re-enabled.Don't forget to defragment the hard drive after all has been cleaned.
To defragment the hard drive, I use one or both of the following free programs, because they are faster and more efficient than that which is included with windows:
1. UltraDefrag
2. Smart Defrag
I run checkdisk (Windows XP) to find and correct hard drive errors. Click here to learn how. Basically you click "Run", type chkdsk /f, then press enter. Enter Y at the prompt, then restart the computer.
Because of regular maintenance, my home computer (now 10 years old) runs faster than many I see that are 3 or 4 years old.
Stay safe and healthy!!!
