Castellini on Computers - Computer help for beginners » virus

5 Simple Rules to avoid SCD (Slow Computer Disease)

Rick — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:48:43 +0000

I've written about this before, but it bears repeating on occasion with new visitors to our site and long time visitors who haven't learned yet. The advice is simple: DO NOT DOWNLOAD FREE SCREENSAVERS, EMAIL PROGRAMS (Incredimail, etc), GAMES from the Internet. Unless you are WELL versed in the origin of these items, they can easily destroy your computer's ability to compute. The most common computer ailment (for Windows users) searched on the Internet is "slow computers". Sadly, "slow computer disease", SCD*, does not have to be the pandemic it is because it is 100% preventable. Here are my 5 simple rules to prevent SCD: 1. Install and keep Internet security software current. Recommendations: AVG Anti-virus, a software or hardware firewall and a good anti-spwyare program or two. Check our Links & Resources section for recommendations. 2. DO NOT DOWNLOAD FREE CRAP FROM THE INTERNET UNLESS YOU KNOW ITS ORIGIN AND SAFETY. 3. Use Mozilla Firefox or Opera as your primary Internet browser instead of Internet Explorer, MSN, or AOL. This tip alone can save your computer. 4. If you have teenagers or young adults who use your computer, forbid the downloading of free music through services like Limewire or any other shady site (refer to #2) 5. If you do suspect SCD, get it looked at immediately. Waiting for it to cure itself will only make SCD worse. BONUS TIP: If your computer suffers from SCD, Defrag will NOT help it. No matter how many times you Defrag your computer, it will NOT help SCD. © *SCD is a copyrighted term of Castellini on Computers, HelpMeRick.com and Rick Castellini. Use of the term SCD is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Rick Castellini or administrators of HelpMeRick.com

Should I backup?

Rick — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:14:03 +0000

Should you carry health insurance? Should you carry car insurance? Should you save for retirement? Should you eat every day? Does a bear.... Well, hopefully you get the picture. The answer is a resounding YES!!

You should backup, and depending on your computer needs and usage your backups should occur frequently (sometimes daily). Many computer users equate backing up their computers with their mother's giving them castor oil. It's no fun, but a necessary evil. What is castor oil any way?

Things you should backup on your computer include:

Learn to stay safe with your email

Rick — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:47:16 +0000

Adam brought to my attention this email that came to his inbox with a virus attached. It looks official at first glance, but read my comments on how to dissect an email for authenticity.

Like any medium, we all need to keep a discerning eye on the information we read on the Internet and in email. You don't believe everything you read in the newspaper or see on TV do you? The Internet is no different and tends to breed more fiction because its tools are so readily available.

First and foremost, keep an anti-virus software running on your computer at all times and make sure it is updated at least weekly. Remember, keeping a virus program updated is completely different than the program doing a weekly scan of your computer files. I favor AVG Antivirus on mine and my client's computers, but whatever you use, keep it updated.

Cleaning and removing Antivirus 2009, PAV and others from your computer,

Rick — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:37:50 +0000

Preventing your computer from becoming infected is infinitely easier and less stressful than cleaning up after an infection. Search my site for tons of information on setting up your computer for security and techniques to avoid scams. However, if you are already bit by one of the most recent nasty forms of software, Antivirus 2008 or Antivirus 2009 (software I call extortionware that installs itself on your computer and then poses as legitimate software you have to pay for to get rid of the problems. Problems they caused), follow the steps at this site to get back up and running and then come back here and learn how to prevent it from happening again.

Two other links that will be helpful in cleaning this and related malware off of your computer are ComboFix and Malwarebytes.org. Some of the first actions these rougue software products accomplish when on your computer is disabling your antivirus, windows updates, and system restore. They also prevent you from visiting legitimate web sites like I have linked in this article to make it harder for you to remove the pests. You are probably best served visiting my site on a non-infected computer, download the two products, change the original file names (this is important because the rouge software will also disable known products from running at all), copy the two tools to a flash drive and then take them to the sick computer and run them. I suggest running the CombFix first and then run full scans with your antivirus software and malwarebytes.org's product as well.

I'm linking to BleepingComputer.com's article because they do a good job of giving you a safe download site and thorough instructions on how to delete Antivirus 2009 or 2008. Even if you aren't infected, it's worth visiting the site to see what kind of work is required if you do get infected. It might motivate you to read my site more often and follow the advice I give to keep you safe and productive with your computer.

Photo by Jim Grandy

The Castellini Approach to Internet Security

Rick — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:18:44 +0000

The Castellini Approach to Internet Security

This past week I saw way too many people who aren't taking advantage of the free information we give out on the show and the web site. Their computers were suffocating from a preventable disease...viruses and spyware. Yes, preventable, almost 100%. And fighting the war on our home computer security front does not have to be costly or time consuming.

We talk about this subject quite a bit on the program and the web site because of its rapid growth worldwide. In today's tip, I am providing you with links to information that we have on this site that has been up for months to years that contain the essential information about protecting your computer.

2 laptop suggestions for college students

Rick — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:46:12 +0000

Millions of new college students will be leaving for their respective campuses (campii?) soon. These students will more than likely go to college with a computer...probably a laptop. I would like to suggest two possible laptops ideas for these students.

Both of my ideas involve good systems that will allow college kids to word process, chat, email, listen to music, watch DVD's, browse the web wirelessly(for school research of course), create presentations, spreadsheets, download and edit photos and much more. Neither involve Windows and thus don't require a degree in computer security and maintenance. One of the computers costs between $1200-1800 and the other costs less than $700.

Conficker Worm April 1 Virus – Do NOT Panic

Rick — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:52:13 +0000

I wish I had about 1/100th the pull of a sensationalized TV news spot. News must be slow this past couple of weeks (or the news folks don’t want to report on real news) therefore many news stories, including 60 Minutes, have reported on the Conficker Worm slated to become active on April 1. The real [...]

Reunion spam makes a comeback

Rick — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:40:06 +0000

Social engineering strikes again. Last spring, a spam posing as a reunion invitation made its rounds around the Internet. The spam/virus gets spread by an unsuspecting and less than alert computer user opens an email supposedly from a class mate inviting them to a reunion. Once the email is opened, a root-kit (hard to detect spyware/virus hybrid) gets deployed on the person's computer and begins to spread itself from there. This scenario repeats itself hundreds of thousands times over a couple of days and eventually infects millions of computers around the world. A variant of the very same ploy started to make its rounds again this year coming to a crescendo over the past couple of weeks with millions more people duped.

Will you be too scared to use the Internet?

Rick — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:16:22 +0000

Spyware infections, on Windows based computers, continues to sky rocket. The average computer user suffers from this plague far more than a more technically savvy user. As more and more people get connected to the Internet, the ratio of technically savvy users drops and thus the increase in spyware infections.

Many people equate younger computer users with techno knowledge, but the opposite seems to hold true. Young computer users know how to use the technology, but don't understand how it works or how to stay safe with it any better than an older computer user.

Rick’s Answers his email Videocast – 029

Rick — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:17:55 +0000

This week's email video brought to you by questions from Papa, Amy, Diana, Dan, Firat, Paul, John, Tina, Ernie, Sheila, Dave, Lisa, Bob, Shirley, and Iris. Their questions ranged from wanting to start a fan club to moving to Ubuntu and from nasty virus infections to how to install a DVD and much more!