Have you done any computer maintenance lately???? I am, what you would call, a part time computer tech, in that I help all sorts of friends and loved ones when they make mistakes and screw up their Pc's or laptops. The thing is, most people get sort of lazy and don't do any computer maintenance, such as disk cleanups, running antivirus programs such as MSE or Malwarebytes or even Superantisypware. We all make mistakes and sometimes we click on a certain web site and wham, we get a virus or trojan. This happened to me recently when I visited the weather network, which is a very popular web site here in the province of Ontario. They had a blurb about the 100th aniversary of the Titanic, I have always been fascinated about that wreck, so, I clicked on to the site and wham, I got a really bad trojan, which almost destroyed my hard disk. It took me 3 hours to combat that nasty. Thanks to computer haven and VistaHelp.ca, for their help and advice, I was able to restore things. You have to do some routine computer maintenance now and then in order to have a clean, mean machine. It only takes maybe and hour or 2 out of your day to keep your computer free and clear of any nasties. Here are some links for you to consider:

http://www.superantispyware.com/download.html
http://www.malwarebytes.org/
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows/products/security-essentials

If you run the above programs on a regular basis, your Pc or laptop will be safe.

Yours in computing: Rich

PS: If you have Norton, do yourself a favour and GET rid of it

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"Life's a long song" >>>>> Jethro Tull

I've had a regular maintenance routine since getting a computer in 1998.

Every Monday morning I run Disk Cleanup followed by a scan with MalwareBytes, I have the Pro version so it's running in real time anyway. Microsoft Security Essentials does a scheduled scan every night.

Before getting Windows 7 I'd do a defrag using the inbuilt program once a month but now let it run on schedule every Monday night. I have and keep updated SpywareBlaster and also have WOT (Web of Trust) installed in IE9

I also have Secunia installed to keep my programs and drivers up to date.

Nearly forgot, Acronis does an image backup every Friday night plus I backup my photos etc: to DVD

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Joan Archer
http://crossstitcher.webs.com

When I setup a system I add a desktop folder named "Do Weekly". In this folder are links to security scans and defrag.

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Personally, I find all this maintenance stuff a holdover from the past. Do it if you're really into the "care and feeding" of computers. You don't need to do it anymore.

Your AV will do weekly scans automatically. Your operating system (if Windows 7) will do defrag automatically. Security scans don't even need to be done weekly. You've got real-time protection. I let Security Essentials do a weekly scan because it really wants to. I only run a Malwarebytes scan if I've seen something I didn't want to see.

Disc clean up was necessary when hard disc space was at a premium. This is no longer the case. Keep your Temporary Internet Files size down to around 250 MBs, it doesn't need more. Again, clean it out if something is misbehaving. I dump my cookies (preserving favorite website data) when I begin to get annoyed at seeing the same ads over and over again.

Every six months or so, I'll dump the temporary files folder. Just to keep things tidy - but I'll admit, that's a holdover and probably isn't needed either.

Windows 7 pretty much takes care of itself. It even cleans up orphan entries in the registry.

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Patty MacDuffie
Computer Haven Administrator

Live Long and Prosper
Mr. Spock

People get into a routine when it comes to computers. Doing some of these things makes them feel better. I still do all my daily and weekly routines.

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To all current duty personnel and veterans
of the American armed forces.
Thank You

I guess some of us are creatures of habit and yet I agree with some of the things Patty said, but, I have been burned a lot in the past and I believe in doing things manually. I have a routine maintenance thing that I do every week without fail. I take comfort in that and leave nothing to chance. Just like me and Bonzo Jay, bum bum bum bum, virus busters

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"Life's a long song" >>>>> Jethro Tull

Sure, if you like to do it, nothing wrong with that!

I guess my comments were directed at those who perhaps stress out over it. You really don't need to worry about it.

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Patty MacDuffie
Computer Haven Administrator

Live Long and Prosper
Mr. Spock

I have found a huge difference in what both business and private users do, some do a full scan everyday for virus's, some do a defrag every week, i find that this seems to be a carry fwd from XP , but quite frankly cant remember whether xp did an auto defrag each week, tho believe 7 does, personally i applaud that windows and some anti virus programs do these things on a regular basis.

For most users a computer is a tool, something that simply allows them to send/rec emails, create documents etc etc, and not something that requires them to learn about anything else than how to use it to send /rec emails or create a document i guess you could liken it, in their minds like a fridge, in the old days you had to manually defrost it and clean out the excessive ice etc, but nowadays its all automatic, why would a user even think they needed to defrag, scan for virus's, delete temp files manually, why would they even be expected to even know about such things, they dont !!! the days of DOS are long gone, i agree wholeheartedly with patty when she says its "a holdover from the past" and its the responsibility of the OS maker 2 create an OS that does all those things in the background, simply put a computer to the average user is a tool just like a video recorder, u push rec and it records why would u buy something that needs u to do anything else..why would u build something that needs a degree in whatever to be able to use it long term.

hmmm
Syb

I have to manually de-frost my small freezer that isn't automatic.

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Joan Archer
http://crossstitcher.webs.com

That's exactly what is fueling the rush to iPad' and tablets of various flavors, Syb. They are easy! You only have to use them, not maintain them. I view this as a great thing.

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Patty MacDuffie
Computer Haven Administrator

Live Long and Prosper
Mr. Spock

Ya, tablets are easy and if you could connect an external drive I'd probably get one. Well, from what I've heard you can connect an external if you get a Windows tablet but I'm not about to spend $700-$1200 for one.

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