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Virus Hoaxes – content coming soon

A computer needs constant maintenance. An anti-virus program should be installed in order to keep out spyware and other unwanted entries into your system, which will slow your computer. One of the things that should be done periodically, every week at least, is a disk defragmentation which can be done on a PC.

In the control panel under the label of performance and maintenance, a disk defragmentation can be run. The computer will first analyze and then defragment the hard drive. This would be the C drive and that is all that needs a defragmentation.

When you conduct a defragmenttation of a computer, you will see 4 color bars. These colors are not visible with Windows 7, but are with Windows XP. Windows 7 will run a defragmentation of a disk, but will not be as graphic in showing you the results.

Green is the color for unmovable files that cannot be rearranged. White is for free space, blue for contiguous files or files adjacent to each other and red for fragmented files. The defragmentaion procedure will decrease the fragmented files, giving you more space and making your computer run faster.

When files are fragmented, a computer will run slowly. Defragmentation occurs when you download files, programs and when files are deleted or extracted. It also occurs when anything is updated. Everything can be taken care of with a disk defragmentation performed before the disk is overly fragmented.

When a hard disk is almost full, the user will find that defragmentation cannot be done completely. Only a partial defragmentation can be done with an almost totally filled hard drive. Think of a defragmentation procedure as putting a messy desk in order. When things are where they should be more work is possible and less time devoted to searching for things.

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the most important component of a computer. There are derivatives of RAM such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) which work more efficiently, but the main thing to keep in mind is to have enough of any type of RAM for your computer. Without a sufficient amount (at least 2GB) at present for normal activities, it will be uncomfortable using your computer. You will be waiting a lot of time for every activity or program to reload.

RAM is the memory that allows the user to keep many programs open at once. The more the RAM amount the more programs can be open without locking up and/or slowing down. The RAM is where the programs are kept so you can move between programs. If there is insufficient memory there will be a lag because the information needed at the time cannot be handled by the RAM. To counteract this some programs will need to be closed.

The processor speed is important, but without the programs opened being easily accessed, enabling the user to move between them, progress will be slow. If more RAM is needed, it can be easily put in. Make sure the computer you purchase has the ability to take more RAM.

When heading out to the stores or purchasing online, buy a computer with sufficient RAM or with the ability to upgrade. You can pay less for now for a computer with less RAM and pay later for an upgrade. The netbooks available now have only 1GB of RAM. For email and simple word processing on the run, this can be a bargain. It is not a replacement if you work with multiple programs.

The most important element in choosing a computer is RAM. Processor speed is not the determining factor. Every program or website is now loaded with graphics. This alone demands that a computer have sufficient RAM to handle it. The advertisements that are loaded at each website alone can slow down a computer with insufficient RAM.

Computer viruses are simply programs designed with a malicious intent to infect and harm your computer. Contracting a virus could be harmful because they can steal personal data and disrupt operational functions of your system. There are many precautions that need to be considered to avoid viruses. This article will aim to inform you on the actions that should be taken to prevent a virus attack on your computer.

First and foremost, you should always protect yourself with Virus Protection software before connecting to the internet. A lot of viruses spread to the computer this way; without a Virus Protection software, your PC becomes extremely vulnerable to infection. There are many capable anti virus software that are free of charge for users who don’t already have one installed. According to www.cnet.com, “Avira Antivir Personal Edition” has many positive reviews from customers for effectively catching viruses. Another crucial factor in protecting your computer is that you must allow your virus protection software to update on a consistent basis. Doing so allows your virus program to utilize the latest technology to fend off malicious attacks.

Secondly, viruses can be contracted through downloading content from unverified websites. Lots of people want to play free games nowadays so when they see advertisements on the internet, they attempt to download it not realizing that they are going down the path of contracting a virus. In order to prevent your computer from getting a virus, you should only download content from trusted sources. Websites such as www.amazon.com and www.bestbuy.com are trusted sites and users are better downloading through them. Another helpful tip is that when you browse the web for trusted sites, look for a security lock on the bottom of your browser. This security lock is known as “Verisign,” which is a trusted internet banner issued to websites for being secure and safe.

Lastly, viruses have the ability to spread though email. Always double check the email and make sure it’s from a person you know before you open it up. Viruses hide inside random emails sent from unknown senders and opening them up can causes drastic consequences. The rule of thumb is that if you do not know who the sender is, delete the email. Some email accounts allow you to filter out suspicious emails as spam, and even automatically delete them for you. Computer viruses are everywhere in this modern era. By taking the necessary actions, you can avoid getting a virus on your computer.

When you browse sites on your computer, the sites as well as any images on the pages are cashed by your browser (stored). This storing is needed in order to be able to go back and forth among pages in a timely manner. While this is great for this purpose, the storing uses memory. In addition to storing the images and files on the pages, your computer also stores other private data as well. In order to keep your computer running quickly, you should occasionally clear the cache and private data in order to free up some memory.

Clearing your cache as well as your private data is very simple and can be done in a few quick and easy steps. Each browser has a slight variation of steps but in general, the process is all the same. For most browsers, the first step is to find the TOOL menu located in the upper right corner of the screen. Next, you need to locate the tab from the menu that says either DELETE BROWSING HISTORY or CLEAR RECENT HISTORY. If your tab says delete browsing history, next you need to click delete files located next to Temporary Internet files. If you want to delete your cookies as well, simply click delete cookies next to where it says cookies. If your tab says clear recent history, your next step is to select the time frame in which you wish to clear. There are several options on this drop down menu ranging from the last 30 minutes to the last 3 days. If you wish to clear your entire cache, select EVERTHING from the drop down menu. Next, click the down arrow next to DETAILS to choose which things you wish to delete. You can select many different options at once such as cookies, browsning history, and more. Once you have selected what you wish to delete, click CLEAR NOW and you are finished.

If neither of these options are available to you on your browser, select the HELP menu on your browser. Once you pull up the menu, search the term “CLEAR CACHE” and the steps for your specific browser should appear.

What is a cookie article coming soon.

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