How To Protect your computer in A World Of Computer Viruses

To stay healthy in a computer virus world, there are several steps to take. First, be careful with all email. If you use Outlook or Outlook Express, turn off the scripting feature. Make sure that anti virus software checks all of your incoming and outgoing email, and don't open an email with attachments unless you know for sure who sent it to you and why. It is always better to be safe than sorry, so if in doubt, don't open the attachment. Viruses and worms will attach themselves to your address book and replicate themselves by sending copies of themselves to everyone you know and commonly email, and they won't know not to open it because it will look as though it comes from you. Next, keep the anti virus software up to date. There are many good programs out there to stop viruses. McAfee 's , Norton, AVG and others work well. But, you need to keep them up to date. Most anti virus programs allow you to go to their web site and download updates on a regular basis. Some of them in fact can even be set to do the downloading and updating for you automatically on a regular basis. Viruses change all the time and the updates are set for the new viruses to keep you safe so be sure to update. Use a router for safety 's sake. A router will block your IP address and prevent many viruses from reaching you or any other computers on your network. This will work very well if you are on a cable modem or DSL, but is also useful for those who are on dial up. Routers are low in price, ranging from 25 pounds for a cable modem or DSL router to 100 pounds for a dial up router. Switch to software that is not as commonly used. Microsoft makes great products and is in common use, but Microsoft is also the biggest target out there for hackers. Also, if you switch to another browser, Netscape Navigator,Firefox or Chrome for example, you will avoid some virus problems. Switching from Outlook to something like Thunderbird or Calypso for your email or using web based email like Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail from Microsoft, which keeps the email storage away from your computer and also includes virus checking software is worth considering. There are many good email programs out there and many good browsers. Try several and see which you are most comfortable with. Next use a firewall. There are many good firewalls out there. Windows XP comes with a built in firewall. Zone Alarm has a free version. Other good firewalls are available at reasonable costs and many have thirty day free trials so you can check one out and see if it works well for you. A firewall can be your first line of defense against computer viruses. Install one, especially if you have broadband, like T1, cable or DSL access to the internet. Going on the Internet without a firewall is like walking into combat without a Kevlar helmet and a flak vest to protect your self. Next, backup everything you do. Get yourself a CD or DVD burner if you don't have one already, or a portable external hard drive. Get in the habit of backing your system up on a regular basis so that, if you are hit by a virus, your data is not permanently lost. You'll have a good backup copy of it handy and ready to reinstall. At the very least, email files that you cannot replace, to a friend to keep for you or to a free web based email account for storage. Finally, here 's the bonus tip of the day. Use common sense. Think when you surf. If you don't know someone, be leery of accepting the files they might want to transfer to you. If you want to download software from a site make sure that the site has proper security protocol. Read the instructions. Don't just automatically click from reflex. The brain you have is much smarter than your computer, but you have to use it properly. Use your brain, use your common sense and think. Having anti-virus installed though may not be enough. You may have installed some software that is causing your computer to run more slowly than before, or with time your machine is appearing to be running more slowly
than before , it may be time to give your computer a checkup and remove annoying software a good tool to fix your computer registry settings is Registryfix !
Registryfix will scan your system registry and
hard drive for invalid file and system references.
You can run a free system check by clicking here!
These invalid references may cause system instability, PC errors, constant crashes, and general system slowdowns.

New to Broadband

What is broadband? Broadband is a method of connecting to the Internet. It is called broadband as it provides a high-speed Internet connection when compared with older traditional methods of connecting which are generally termed narrow band (Dial-up). Why are the benefits of broadband ? The benefits of broadband are mainly related to the speed of the connection. If you're used to using dial-up Internet access, you will know that webpages generally take 15 seconds or more to load and downloading e-mails can take a few minutes depending on the size and if there are any attachments. With a broadband internet connection all these things happen much more quickly! You will be able to do many things at once with broadband. Allows instantaneous Internet access due to broadband's "always-on nature". There are no delays due to dialing up and logging in or from having to redial due to busy signals. So how fast is it? The speed of the connection varies based on many different things including where you live and what broadband provider you use. Generally the speed will be in the region of between 512k (512 Kbps) and 10 meg (meg is an abreviation used to mean Mbps - Megabits per second), although faster connections are possible in some areas. How do I get broadband? The first step to getting broadband is to see what is available to you. The most common technology used for a broadband connection in the UK is ADSL (a form of DSL) which is provided using the BT telephone network. This is available to 99.9% of premises in the UK, so you'll more than likely be able to get it. How to choose a Broadband Service Provider Unlike dial-up, broadband is very rarely charged based on the amount of time online. There are two main types of charging schemes used. The first are generally fixed-speed services that are based on the speed of the connection. The other is usage based charging, where you are charged by the amount of data you transfer. Be aware that different broadband providers offer a different quality of service. The adage, "you get what you pay for" is often true. How much data will I use? Downloading lots of music or viewing a lot of video content will increase your usage. The amount of data you transfer depends on what you do. Video is probably one of the main causes of high usage on the Internet. This includes watching movie trailers (or even entire movies), home movies posted on websites like YouTube, or viewing TV over the Internet. Peer-to-peer (P2P) programs such as eDonkey, Kazaa, Limewire and BitTorrent can also be high bandwidth mis-users. So what else do I need? A modem or router is required to connect to the Internet. A modem is a device that connects your computer to the Internet usually using a phone line. A router allows several computers to connect at the same time and can facilitate wireless access. If the ISP you choose offers a modem or router, it might be recommended to get one from them as they can usually assist in configuring the device to work with their service. Check with them to see what level of support they offer before signing up. If you are using broadband over a phone line (ADSL), you will also need a microfilter for each device plugged into a phone socket (This includes fax machines, sky box, everything!). This is a small device that plugs into the phone socket and filters the broadband signal from the telephone signal so that you can use both the phone and broadband at the same time. What now?

If you are new to Broadband or are thinking of getting connected, it may now be a good time to give your computer a checkup and remove annoying software a good tool to fix your computer registry settings is Registryfix !
Registryfix will scan your system registry and
hard drive for invalid file and system references.
You can run a free system check by clicking here!
These invalid references may cause system instability, PC errors, constant crashes, and general system slowdowns.
To summarise,
* You usually need a BT phone line.
* Pick an ISP and a package that suits you
* Choose what hardware to use and where to get it from
* Sign up!
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