Skip to content

virus

Bad tech support: When in doubt, blame a virus

We talk a lot about viruses on the show and here on the site, but in reality, viruses make up a very small portion of day-to-day computer problems. In fact, many (if not most) problems that people blame on viruses are not actually viruses at all.

Many of today's computers contain at least 100,000 smaller files. These thousands of little files work together by linking and sharing jobs with each other. Viruses work by getting into that mix and confusing the files.

However, even without viruses at play, these files can get confused all on their own. In many ways a computer is like a living organism. Just as DNA, cells, the processes of life can get mixed up an mutated, the files and programs that make a computer work can also get corrupted.

Norton 360 verdict not in yet – don’t be a guinea pig

Norton has recently released a new version called Norton 360. Symantec claims that they have scrapped 80+ percent of their old code and the 360 version is a totally new program.

I have only seen it installed on one computer so far and I couldn't really see if it was any faster or slower than previous versions. Since the system I saw it on was also running Windows Vista, I couldn't tell if the sluggishness of the computer was caused by Norton or Vista.

I can say that I have Vista running on a very similar machine as the one I saw running 360 and it didn't seem any slower.

More lost pictures…

I write often about backup because I'm passionate about the topic. Too often, I see customers who have never backed up there important data and recovering it is either impossible or financially unfeasible.

I visited a young mother today with a laptop that was afflicted with a virus that destroyed all her data. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to recover the data. She could probably send the hard drive into a service like DriveSavers , but the cost would be in the thousands. She elected to just have the drive reformatted and said she would start over when I bring the computer back. 

How to send zipped files to Gmail accounts

Google filters viruses sent or received through Gmail by using a heavy handed approach to filtering. Rather than scanning each email for viruses, they simply prevent people from sending or receiving files with .exe extensions, even if they are in a zipped folder.

Getting around this is very simple, but you must let the recipient know what's going on.

Anytime you want to send a .zip file rename the extension. I like to just take the "p" off of the end. For example, I will name the file – file.zi. In the body of  the message I tell the recipient to add the "p" back on before trying to open the file. 

Viruses: BAD, Viral Videos: GOOD!

One of today's greatest tactics for marketers to get buzz going about a product or brand is viral video. A viral video is in no way related to a computer virus although the nomenclature is similar.

A viral video is a video that is funny or amazing that can be seen in the Internet. The clever or otherwise fascinating video is placed on the web and then word of mouth sends people to the hosting site. Soon the video and brand it represents are all over the web.

The Diet Coke and Mentos video is one of the greatest viral videos ever produced. While Diet Coke and Mentos probably had nothing to do with the video, you can be assured that they had no problem with the video's success.

Faster Internet does not equal faster computer

A common misconception I run across often is that getting a faster Internet
connection will make the computer faster. The Internet is just one of many
functions a computer performs. Whether you connect via a phone line, DSL,
or cable has absolutely NO bearing on how quickly the computer boots up or
opens a particular program.

A faster Internet connection will allow you to receive large email
attachments faster, surf the web faster, and download updates faster, but
it does nothing else for speeding up other computer functions. If your
computer feels slow, that can be due to one or more factors including; not

Turn off file sharing when connecting to wireless while travelling

Disable unprotected File Sharing on Windows XP Home

If you use Windows XP Home Edition, then you should avoid sharing files over the campus network and make sure that file sharing is disabled on your computer. NOTE: File sharing is enabled by default when Windows XP Home is installed onto your computer. Since Windows XP Home does not support password-protected file sharing, any person or virus will be able to access your computer without your knowledge if file sharing is enabled. Follow the instructions below to disable unprotected file sharing.

UPDATE: AVG and Windows Vista

Grisoft released an update to AVG Antivirus today that will make it work properly with Windows Vista. Grisoft does a good job of continually offering updates to fight the latest threats and correct any problems with compatibility that it finds. Current AVG users will get the updates automatically, but if you are new to AVG and Vista, then click on our link in the "Links and Resources" section at the top of any of our site pages.

A visitor asked about ZoneAlarm and Vista compatibility and after some research I found that many of the ZoneAlarm products are not fully ready for Vista yet. If you are a ZoneAlarm user, click on this link to reach ZoneAlarm's site and fill out their form that will give you notifications of updates as they become available.

It’s 11:13pm, do you know if your computer is protected properly?

In the last two weeks, I have seen way too many computers with viruses and spyware. The computer industry just isn't doing their job as a whole stressing how important computer security is. So, I pose the question again: Do you know if your computer's security is adequate and up to date?

If you are a regular Castellini on Computers/HelpMeRick.com listener/visitor, I hope you  know the answer. But it is a valid question to ask your friends and family.