| Question: What is the most frequent computer-related mistake you see people make? |
| Response: Without a doubt, the most common mistake we see is neglecting to have or update virus protection software. Our advice here is simple - get virus protection software and use it! Every day we see customers who spend $150 - $200 to have us clean up their computer because they didn’t want to spend $29-$39 for anti-virus software. |
| Question: Should I turn my computer off at night or leave it on? |
| Response: The electronics in the computer would rather be left on - they'll last longer if they stay at an even operating temperature. There are also many useful things that can be scheduled to run at night - things like disk scans and virus updates. Turn it off at least once a week to clear out the memory, and turn it off if you are going away for more than a day. |
| Question: What is a firewall? Do I really need one? |
| Response: In simple terms, a firewall protects your computer from being accessed from the Internet. A software firewall is a program that you run on your computer - Zone Alarm and Norton Internet Security are examples. A hardware firewall is a little box that you hook up between your computer and the Internet. Hardware firewalls are easy to find at stores and require much less input from the user, but they are more expensive. Software firewalls are inexpensive but can be confusing to set up and maintain. If you have Windows XP with Service Pack 2, you already have a good software firewall. Go to "Start>Control Panel>Windows Firewall" and make sure it is turned on. But yes, you DO need one - especially if you have a broadband Internet connection. |
| Question: What is "spyware" and where does it come from? |
|
Response: Spyware and Adware are terms applied to programs that are downloaded
to your computer, usually without your knowledge, and which monitor you while
you browse the Internet. They typically report back to some marketing company
where the data they collect is used to tailor pop-up ads and spam email to
your specific browsing habits. Some popular programs which contaminate your
computer with spyware are Comet Cursor, Gator, HotBar, Kazaa, and most
download accelerator programs. Microsoft has an excellent spyware tool called
Windows Defender, available from their "downloads" page at www.microsoft.com.
For more on Spyware and other threats go to our HELP page. |
| Question: What can I do to keep my system in good working order? |
| Response: Run "scandisk" and "defrag" at least once a week. You should also periodically discard temporary files using the "Disk Cleanup" utility. All of these disk maintenance utilities are found on your Start Menu under "Programs>Accessories>System Tools" and they can be scheduled to run automatically. Of course, you should keep your anti-virus software up-to-date. And lastly, use a utility like Ad-Aware to remove spyware which can really hurt system performance. |
| Question: Why does my computer keep filling up with temporary Internet files? |
| Response: Every time you visit any web page, all the little graphics and highlights and such are downloaded to your computer so that if you visit that page again, it will load much faster. Trouble is, you may visit many web pages which you will never return to, so all those little files just accumulate on your computer. It doesn’t take long for these temporary Internet files to build up to over 100mb. To get rid of them, you can simply right click on the big blue E, choose properties, and then click on the "Delete Files" button. |
| Question: What is the proper way to remove a program I no longer need? |
| Response: First, look on the Start Menu for the program entry and see if an uninstall option is listed. If an "Uninstall this program" option is listed, use it. If not, go to "Start>Settings>Control Panel" and click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. Find your program in the list, click on it, and then click the Remove button. Removing a program using one of these methods ensures that the complete program, and any related files and registry entries, is removed. |
| Question: Should I upgrade my computer or get a new one? |
| Response: If your computer is less than 4 years old, spending $100 - $200 on more memory or a CD writer is probably worth it. But with new brand-name computers available at prices as low as $599, upgrades of computers older than 4 years or upgrades that cost more than $300 are probably not worth it. |
| Question: What does it mean to "defrag" my computer? |
| Response: "Defrag" is short for "defragmentation." Files on your hard drive get fragmented because Windows uses whatever disk space happens to be under the read-write heads when it saves a file. If that space is big enough for the whole file, fine. But usually, the file gets split up, i.e. fragmented, and the various fragments get saved in different spots on the hard drive. This can cause the computer to slow down, especially when opening programs. Defragmentation rearranges all the fragments so each file is put back together in a single, contiguous piece. |
| Question: What does "broadband" internet mean? |
| Response: Broadband is a term that refers to a high-speed, always-on Internet connection, as opposed to a dial-up connection using a modem. DSL, cable modem, wireless, and satellite Internet services are all "broadband." Instead of using a modem, these services connect to your computer using a network card or USB connection. |
 If you have a specific question that was not covered here, please go to our
Questionnaire Form. |
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