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I have been involved in the IT field for 25 years, and have been in the computerrepair business the last 5 years. I own a business called DaveÂ's Computer Services,where I go into peopleÂ's homes and offices to help them with their hardware,software and networking issues and problems.
Spyware is the number one problem that I am seeing right now, but what is alarming,is how long people wait before calling in a professional to rid their computers ofspyware and viruses. The sooner that you call in a professional, the easier therepair will be, and the customer will save money because the technician will be ableto fix their computers a lot quicker.
If you wait too long to call for help, spyware and viruses can take over yourcomputer. Sometimes the best way to repair your computer is to back your data up,wipe your hard drive clean and reinstall your operating system. This can be verycostly, and you will lose any programs that you do not have CDÂ's for. Unfortunately,reinstalling your operating system can be more cost effective that trying to spendhours removing spyware. Sometimes spyware gets deeply imbedded in your operatingsystem, and reinstallation is the only cure.
Prevention of course is the key, making sure you have a recent anti-virus softwareand keeping the software updated. Having anti-spyware software is a key as well, andthe nice thing about anti-spyware software, is that you can usually have more thanone running at the same time without creating havoc like you would find having morethan one Anti-virus software running. It is also important in todayÂ's wirelessnetwork world, to have a firewall running. If you are running Windows XP, you shouldat least use their firewall, but I would recommend either purchasing a securitysuite, a stand alone software, or if you are strapped for cash, you can go to PCWorld or straight to the companyÂ's website and download a free firewall called ZoneAlarm. If you are using a Windows operating system, make sure that you are alwayscurrent on Windows updates as well as updating Microsoft Office. Microsoft isconstantly coming out with security patches to their software.
The anti-virus software that I recommend is Norton anti-virus, and the reason I useNorton is because of the ease of updates, the software automatically updates whileyou are online, no user intervention is required. If you are looking for decent freeanti-virus software or you donÂ't like the strain on your memory that software likeNortonÂ's provides, then you can go to Download.com and download either AVG orAntiVir. They are both decent at catching viruses and are much better options thannot having anti-virus protection.
For more information about any computer related subject, check out my websitewww.davescomputerserv. com. There are pages on a lot of subjects relating to computerissues, and I also add news and information daily as to the latest issues affectingthe technology world.
Utility software and prevention can help keep bad things away from your computer,but sometimes, you need a professional who can go deep into your operating system toremove unwanted programs on your PC. There are 2 good spyware removal programs thatyou can download, Spybot and Ad-Aware, but if you still are having issues, likepopups, your home page being hijacked, or your computer running slow, then call aprofessional as soon as possible.
If the check engine light comes on your car, do you try to fix it yourself, or waita couple of months to see if it goes away? Some of us do wait, but we all know thatthe light is not going to go away, and the longer we wait, the more it is going tocost us to get the car fixed. Computers are similar in this way, while much easierto fix that a car of course, when there is a problem that a normal user cannot andshould not try to repair, the longer you wait, the more it will cost you.
There are a lot of good computer technicians out there, my suggestion is to findsomeone nearby who is reliable and has references. I personally hate the bigcorporate companies; you know the ones with the silly looking cars. The problem withthese kind of places is that you never know who will be coming to your door, andthey try to sell you products and services that you donÂ't need. These types ofcompanies also have a lot of turnover.
I prefer the friendly neighborhood computer guy, someone you can trust. You wouldnÂ'ttake your children to a doctorÂ's office not knowing who the doctor will be each timeyou visit, would you? You would want a doctor that you can build a relationship andthat you trust. While computers are not children, it is still important to findsomeone that you trust. Do you want just anyone coming into your home, or do youwant a familiar face that cares about you and your computer? I have greatrelationships with my customers; we talk about family and other things going on inour lives. I know it is comforting to them to see a friendly face at their door. Doyourself a favor and call your local PC guy.
If you are looking for a friendly neighborhood computer guy in the North andNorthwest suburbs of Chicago, give me a call. If you want to learn more about me andmy business, take a look at my DaveÂ's Computer Services website. There areinteresting facts and some computer humor as well. I believe that making peoplelaugh is important, so I try to incorporate humor in life as well as my site.
