Alrighty, kids, we’re about 80% into our better computing lifestyle and so far we’ve focused pretty much on the computer, now it’s time to grab the mirror and take a good hard look in it. All of what I previously posted is completely useless unless the talking monkey sitting at it (that would be you… ooop oooop) doesn’t know some basic rules when it comes to actually using the dang thing.. Viruses spread because people don’t take a few moments to check attachments before running them, people download dubious software from unheard of sites and then wonder why they have 5,000 pop-ups. Here are a few ways to help realize the risks out there and take a little extra time to keep your computer safe and functional.
Part III – The user
Get your fingers off the ‘download attachment’ button
Let’s get one thing straight first: Your mom is your computer’s mortal enemy. If your mom sends you a cute little attachment and you just have to see this because she immediately thought of you, download it and scan it before you even think of clicking any other buttons. About 80% of the viral infections I’ve been able to trace tend to go back to a particular email that came from someone the owner is related too, or very close with. Trust no one! ….Except for me, of course.
Scan Scan Scan: All of this great scanning software we discussed in part two is completely freakin’ useless unless you actually use the stuff. Save attachments and scan them with your anti virus and spy ware software. Usually it’s a right click on the saved file followed by a “Scan using blah blah” or “Scan file name.” If it’s infected, delete it, don’t save it or quarantine it! Just kill the thing, kill it dead, with fire and squirrels, and squirrels on fire! If it’s an important file that someone from work sent you, tell them to scan on their end and make sure it’s clean before resending it. It takes half a second and it could save you hundreds of dollars. Especially if the closest computer ‘expert‘ you have to go to is the Geek Squad.
Too Good to be true usually is
Don’t download software from places promising you normally paid software for free. Pirated software, especially the cracks, are notoriously infected. If you handle pirated or illegal software be very careful and don’t be surprised if you get infected. If you see a piece of software you really want, buy it and be safer. Also, beware of software like eAnthology and similar suites. These are spy ware dressed up to look like anti viruses and the like. Bonzai Buddy and similar on screen diversions like cute little screen savers also apply here. Just don’t download this crap, do a little research and you can avoid heaps of trouble.
Screen savers are so 1994
There hasn’t been an actual need for a screen saver since about the mid 90s. Newer monitors just don’t burn in like the old monster CRTs did. If you walk away, just turn the computer off or the monitor if you are REALLY worried. Screen savers are nothing but a waste of RAM and system resources. Yes I know they are shiny… I know watching the fish is fun. Get a real aquarium instead.
Speaking of 1994: Don’t forward chain letters! OK, This actually won’t speed your computer up, these just annoy me. But seriously people, they won’t work. There are plenty of sites you can look up to verify that none of these stupid “Forward to 10 people and you’ll be entered for a prize” things work. What they can do is help spread crap attachments that spread real viruses. Delete them and hate people that send them to you.
Your Brain. You has one.
JFGI: Just Freakin’ Google It… and other unsavory versions. Before you delete something you don’t think you need or install something you think you do, do some damn research. If I can’t easily identify all the parts of a car, I don’t go around ripping off random parts I don’t know the use of and try to shove them into my engine, you shouldn’t do the same to your computer.
Use the cheapest computer on the planet: your brain. You can’t just install every single tool bar every program asks you to, every IM client, every game and anything else under the sun all at once and twice on Sundays. Use logic. You only need one good anti-virus, two is simply redundant but you’d be surprised how many computers I’ve worked on have two and even three anti-viruses, all of them out of date.. When you stop using something or no longer find it useful, uninstall it. Software running in your task bar slows down everything. And just don’t delete the directories, uninstall!
Some of these tips, and the ones in the previous two parts, can easily be followed. Some of them you might need a little time, practice and research to get. Following any or all of these should guarantee a faster, smoother experience with your computer and a much longer life between reloads which even a well kept computer will likely eventually need. These tips also have the valuable benefit of helping you get the highest performance bang out of your hardware buck, which ensures you have lots of computer goodness while still getting to enjoy things like a roof and food.
Over to the readers: What’s your favorite tip, programs, and any other handy advice for cleaning your computer running speedy without hiccups?
Liked this article? Missed the first two? Read them here: Time and Money Saved. Shawn’s Easy Computer Tips Part 1 & Part II
October 28th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
>>;
I don’t delete junk my antivirus ot sure it actually deletes it? finds because I’m nIt’s all about *healing* it or throwing it in the Virus Vault for quarantine. Oops.
October 29th, 2008 at 9:15 am
L,
My experience has been that one a file is infected it’s damaged for good. In this case, something like Quarantine is basically a waste of space to keep a damaged file.
Also, If you keep up on the system as we’ve described, you’re usually going to find the infected file just after downloading, which means the file you’re scanning is, in fact, the virus. You can’t remove the virus from itself. better to destroy it.
October 29th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
This is probably a really dumb question, but if the virus scan doesn’t have a *delete virus now!* function per se (At least for things that aren’t virii, like spyware, etc.), is it safe to go and manually delete?
I’m starting to suspect that my scanner is just finding the same files over and over and not doing anything about them… :x
October 29th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
That depends on the individual file. If the file is unimportant and not used by anything else, sure. But if the file is an infected system file, I would not recommend random deletion. Also, you might consider a good Anti-spyware program like Spybot or AdAware if your antivirus is picking up malware or spyware.