Computer Protection 101

for small or home business

WAVZ Research West Inc.

A Phoenix, Arizona technology company with 20 years of experience in business technology. Run by a

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

Critical Information

If you are going to own and use a computer as an information vehicle for your business, it requires the same care and respect your automobile receives. Basic understanding and taking these precautions can save you thousands of dollars and MANY, MANY hours of distress.

If your current computer is having many problems and is much slower than it was when new, the best and quickest way to get it in shape is to back up all of your important data then wipe the hard drive by "Restoring" it to factory new condition with the "Restore" disks that came from the manufacturer. Most major manufacturers will walk you through this process over the phone for free. If your PC is crashed but you need data from it, you can install a new hard drive, then restore to it and later re-attach your old drive as a second hard drive to get your data. Then use the information below to protect your newly installed operating system/software. Try some of the fixes first but don't spend days fixing software. You can restore in a few hours and you will quickly make up these hours with a faster running computer and much less stress. If your computer is older than 5 years, it's probably time for a new one.

Get some one to help if you don't understand these concepts, programs and precautions. You will be glad you did...I promise. Using your PC without these is like driving a car without seat belts, air bags, bumpers or insurance. This is all strictly in my professional "opinion". It's your choice when to act, but now that you know about these important details...the "spanking" will hurt a lot more when you crash or loose information and could have prevented it.

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Must Have on Your PC

AntiVirus

Among the most useful of the free antivirus tools is the online scanner offered by Trend Micro. Assuming the infected PC can get online, Trend Micro's HouseCall scanner will check it for viruses, and disinfect whatever nastiness it finds. Some companies offer free downloadable antivirus scanners (like AVG), typically for home use only. Check out the slew of offerings for Windows and Linux PCs from BitDefender. The two most popular purchased programs are Symantec/Norton Antivirus and McAfee.

All that matters is that you have working antivirus software installed with regular and automatic virus definition updates.

You can use last years version purchased on eBay for next to nothing. It will check for the exact same viruses the new version checks for yet the price will be 1/2 to 1/4 of retail. You will get a 1 yr subscription for new virus updates with both versions. Cost is... Free to $15

Click here for a Google search on "Antivirus"

Spyware and Registry Protection

Spyware or Malware is as big a problem as the virus issue. It can render your PC unusable in a matter of seconds. "Spybot" is a wonderful program and truly free. No games or free 30 day trial. Highly recommended. Another program called "Ad-Aware" has a free version and a retail version. Many people use both free programs together. One huge benefit to Spybot is a feature called the "English Tea Timer". This program asks your permission any time anything (like a bad website or a virus) try's to change your computer. It's a LIFESAVER. The antispyware tutorial link also has links to online spyware scanners if you want to check your PC. Even Microsoft has created an anti-spyware program you should run for good measure and free.

Get Spybot for FREE here

Get Ad-Aware for FREE here

Get Microsoft Antispyware program here

Click here for an Anti Spyware tutorial with links

Click here for a review of various spyware programs available

Backup

This is HUGE...REALLY! There will be a day when you need to use your backup data. No one on the planet is exempt from this fact. NASA, CIA, computer geniuses, Apple, IBM, Unix, MIT and anyone else who has ever touched a keyboard has used a backup whether they realized it or not. Don't kid yourself and put this off until later. It will cost you dearly. Ask any one who has lost data. "Just Do It!"

How?

There are many ways. The basic idea is to never only have one copy of anything important. The easiest backups cost a little money but are worth it if you have basic computing skills. The more skilled you are, the cheaper it gets to backup because you can do more yourself. The quick and easy way to backup is an external USB hard drive. Some come with free backup software and can schedule backups. They range in price from $100 to $350...but it's a quick and simple solution.

If you can install an internal hard drive, then add a second drive to your PC and backup your data to it. There is a wonderful program called "Second Copy" for $29 that is worth 10 times the price. If you have a second hard drive or a network you can copy your data to several places and schedule how often you want it backed up. I backup nightly because my "Time is MORE VALUABLE than MONEY".

If you don't have a CD or CD/DVD burner...GET ONE. You can get internal ones for $20 and external USB drives for around $100 or less. Burn CDs of your important data once a month or quarterly at the minimum.

A wonderful and free 2gb web backup solution is at www.diino.com That is plenty to back up your most critical data.

It is encrypted and stored underground in a mountain in Sweden.

Below are a few examples of an external hard drive and copy software...

Maxtor External USB "One Touch" backup drive Click here for Google search results

"Second Copy" backup program Click here for the website

Firewall

This can get a little complicated but the basic deal is either use the one built into Windows XP service pack 2, purchase one, or you can use a free version of Zone Alarm. There is a "Pro" version they will want to sell you and it's fine but not free. Many other good software firewalls exist as well. There are also many very cheap "Ethernet Routers" that provide hardware firewall protection (technicaly NAT). Having a hardware firewall/router is much better than software only (I use both Windows firewall and hardware/wireless router). Routers will also let you share your internet connection with several computers in your home at the same time. Most are coming with wireless as well. These can be easy to set up and cost as little as $29 or less. Ask for some help setting this stuff up. If you get a wireless version, be sure to put some kind of password on your wireless connection. A computer without a firewall of some kind is like your house with no front door. Bugs, rats and thieves can just waltz right in and even feel "invited".

Get the FREE version of Zone Alarm here

Should Have on Your PC

Get a Startup manager.

This is VERY helpful. The one below will show you and allow you to control what is running on your PC in all those invisible startup locations. Turn off everything you can. Your PC will run faster.

http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

Get an email account that IS NOT from your ISP.

Internet Service Providers come and go but you always want to get your email. I have had the same email address for 9 years yet gone through 20 ISPs. There are many to choose from. I HIGHLY recommend paying for a "real" account so you don't have to deal with ads and get much more storage. Yahoo has a $19 account with several gb of storage and you can use Outlook Express, full Outlook or any other email program with it. I use www.netaddress.com. I'm not AOL's biggest fan but they do let you get your email from anywhere. Gmail is the best free account I have found.

Get a USB2 Memory Key

These are cheap and very useful. 1gb mb minimum.

Get the latest security updates from Microsoft

Turn on automatic updates. Older systems can click on "Windows Update" in the "Start" menu

An Alternative to MS Internet Explorer

Download and use Firefox at least once so you can import all of your favorites. This will give you an alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer in case it ever stops working out on you. Firefox has lots of very cool add on programs that let you do many things IE does not. There is an amazing selection to choose from.

Check it out.

Get Firefox browser here

Get and Use PopUp blocker.

There are many out there and the one below is free and easy. You might already have Google or Yahoo Toolbar installed. Make sure to tell your popup blocker not to block sites that use pop ups for your benefit (like your bank or online training sites).

http://www.endpopups.com/

These guys are the best web hosting I have found for all around service and value.
Just click on the banner if you would like to get an account.

Sure there are a million things you CAN get and do with your computer but these are the SUPER BASIC things you must know to avoid SERIOUS issues. Hire a consultant to get you set up. It will go a long way if you are struggling now. Most high school kids can do the stuff on this list for you for FREE.

Happy and prosperous computing!

Clay ;-)

P.S. If you are at all unhappy about any aspect of the "computer fixing thing" click here. It helps.

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