A Lesson in Computer Viruses and how to deal with them (continued)

Guru

PART 2 OF 2      Last Blog I discussed what a virus is and how it multiplies.  I also discussed why viruses are written and how they effect our lives.  This column I will explain how to deal with viruses. How can you tell when a program is infected with a virus?      You can’t, at least not without the use of an anti-virus program, or knowledge of a specific…

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A Lesson in Computer Viruses and how to deal with them

Guru

PART 1 of 2      Computer viruses are now a part of life, thanks mostly to the technological advances in our environment.  Large scale networks, such as the Internet, allow vast amounts of data to be exchanged; the perfect environment for a computer virus to spread.  Expensive software drives consumers to resort to shareware (low priced or free software available to the general public), allowing hackers to spread their virus…

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Memory (RAM)

Guru

What is Computer memory, and how much is enough?      Computer memory, otherwise known as RAM (random access memory), is where your computer stores the information it needs to operate.  RAM is considered volatile memory, which means when you turn off your computer, everything stored in RAM is lost.  When you first turn on your computer, it transfers information from the hard disk or floppy disk to RAM.  The first…

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Cloud Backups

Guru

What are Cloud Backups?Simply put, Cloud Backups are backups that are stored in the Cloud (Internet). Typically, software is used from a Cloud Backup provider that will backup your data files on a regular basis to your storage account with that Cloud Provider.Most of the software allows you to pick what data folders to backup and how often. After that backups are done automatically.Cloud Backups have a monthly charge based…

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Backups

Guru

Why should you backup?Here’s why: By Backing up your system on a regular basis, i.e. daily or weekly, all of the above can be circumvented by simply restoring your system from a recent backup. I recommend having at least two backup mediums and rotate them regularly. Keep one backup medium attached to system to run regular backups and keep one off-site – mainly in case of Theft or Fire. Backup…

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Hard Disk Drives (HDD) vs Solid State Drives (SSD)

Guru

So which is better – HDD’s or SSD’s?If you are looking for the short answer – SSD’s are faster and more reliable than HDD’s. Why are SSD’s better?First off, SSD’s have no moving parts, unlike HDD’s. This fact alone makes them more reliable. Second, SSD’s use memory chips which are much faster than the spinning metal platters that make up HDD’s. How do HDD’s work?HDD’s consist of one or more…

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Scams

Guru

If you encounter a pop-up on your computer that tells you to call a phone number to fix, cleanup, remove a virus, etc. it is a Scam! This also includes phone calls from supposed companies like ‘Microsoft’, ‘Norton’, or ‘McAfee’, etc. These are also scams. Sorry to let you know, but the real Microsoft, Norton, McAfee, etc. will Never call you to let you know your system is infected with…

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