Our Blog Is On the Move!

We have moved our blog from Blogger onto our own website at:
  http://www.dpcomputing.com.au/blog
Please note that our Blogger site will no longer be updated and you will need to go to the above site for all new articles.

Does Having an Antivirus Program Make You Safe?

I have an Antivirus Program so I am safe?

Many people think that because they have antivirus protection that they are protected against all malware.  FYI malware is short for malicious software and includes viruses, spyware, trojans etc. Well unfortunately we have seen malware on or sorts of computers which have been “protected” by all the major antivirus software vendors.

Why can’t antivirus software provide me with 100% protection? Well software can find it hard to protect you from new malware they don’t know about, users can allow problems through, malware writers deliberately have work arounds for antivirus software and malware can target weak links within the operating system itself.

“So how do you protect your computers than?” is what people ask next. Well it is a combination of things:

·         Don’t throw away your antivirus program as they do stop a lot of the problems.

·         Try not to get the malware in the first place (see below for tips).

·         Use a limited user accounts.

·         You don’t physically visit the “dodgy” areas of your city in the middle of the night so don’t visit the dodgy areas on the Internet.

The best defense against spyware and other unwanted software is not to download it in the first place. Here are a few helpful tips that can protect you from downloading software you don’t want:

·         Only download programs from Web sites you trust (Malware can piggy back onto other free programs). If you’re not sure whether to trust a program you are considering downloading, ask a knowledgeable friend or enter the name of the program into your favorite search engine to see if anyone else has reported that it contains spyware.

·         Read all security warnings, license agreements, and privacy statements associated with any software you download. Don’t blindly click on things.

·         Never click “agree” or “OK” to close a window unless you definitely know what the software is and what the “Agree” or “ok” relates to. Instead, click the red “x” in the corner of the window or press the Alt + F4 buttons on your keyboard to close a window.

·         Be wary of “free” software (whether they be games, music or movie file-sharing programs) and be sure you clearly understand all of the software packaged with those programs.

·         If you get a pop up window that is asking you to pay for removal of malware and tells you that you have a virus…that program is the malware! If you get that window, I would do the Alt+F4 and restart your computer. That is the easiest way to avoid having to touch that window. For the more experienced users, go to task manager and stop all the internet explorer windows running. That will close that window too. 

·         If you have had problems since you have recently installed a specific program, it’s probably due to what was downloaded. Uninstall the program and run a malware scan to see if the issue goes away.  

·         Kids these days think everything is safe…”I learned how to do this at school Mom!”….from who? Their friends? The kids today are full of “I know more than you” stories and most of the time what they have installed is what is clogging your computer up with malware! 

·         Remember if something is too good to be true it most likely is. A lot of scams and malware trick users into believing they will get something for nothing. Once you click on “Ok” or “Yes” the malware is let onto your system.

Remember if your computer is running slow, behaving strangely or doing other odd things then call in a professional to give you a proper diagnostics.

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DISCLAIMER: We will not be held responsible for any damage or data loss to your system. If you are in doubt over something please contact a professional.

DP Computing are a computer support company providing IT consulting and support services to SOHO's and SMB's throughout Adelaide, South Australia and the surrounding areas. If you need any type of computer support or IT help please contact us. The full list of services we provide are listed on our Adelaide computer services page.

Basic Data Backup

Backing up your data -  it's easy!

It's amazing how many people out there never backup their data. Just think about all the data you have - Word files, Excel spreadsheets  finance data, photos, music, emails, contacts and the list goes on. What would happen if you lost everything????? 

Performing a simple manual backup these days is quite easy. First thing you need to do is purchase an external hard drive - these are available at most stores and depending upon the size cost from around $100 upwards. 

Second thing you do, is install the hard drive. It’s usually as easy as just plugging the cord into the computers USB port, but each hard drive has a set of instructions.

Third thing, figure out where all your stuff is on your computer. Many people just keep it all in the “my documents” folder. Others have files scattered around their hard drive, but either way…you know where your stuff is right??? If not contact us to find it for you!

Now go and find your data, right click on it and make a copy. Then go to your new external hard drive in the “my computer” window and right click “paste”.

It’s really that easy. Some external hard drives even come complete with a backup program which simplifies the process even more - please consult with the instructions that came with the external drive on how to use this. 

If you need more assistance or would like to make scheduled backups (where all you need to do is change the hard drive over), please feel free to call me. 

Don't forget to check that your backups are working correctly by plugging in the external hard drive on another computer and making sure you can open and read the backed up data. 

Remember that backing up your data is essential and you should regularly do it! 

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DISCLAIMER: We will not be held responsible for any damage or data loss to your system. If you are in doubt over something or if the steps are different than what you see on your computer please contact a professional.

DP Computing are a computer support company providing IT consulting and support services to SOHO's and SMB's throughout Adelaide, South Australia and the surrounding areas. If you need any type of computer support or IT help please contact us. The full list of services we provide are listed on our computer services page.

Blue Screen of Death!

Have you a "Blue Screen of Death?

So you get have the “blue screen” or “blue screen of death”…what do you do now?

You need to first narrow down the cause by following these steps and go from there. 

• Restart the computer and see if the problems reoccurs.
• Did you just plug in a piece of equipment? If so disconnect it and try it again.
• Turn off the computer and unplug all the cables to the computer. Leave just the monitor connected and turn on the system.
• Plug your mouse and keyboard in and see if the blue screen comes back. If it blue screens, it’s more than likely your mouse or USB port. If the end of your mouse has a circular end, it’s probably not the issue. If it has a 1/2″ thin metal end, it’s a USB mouse and could be the issue. Try another mouse if you have one.
• If your computer works fine again, then test your other USB peripherals (camera, webcam, printer, etc). If it bluescreens when you plug in a certain piece of equipment then the issue is related to that item.
• If you are still having issues then it could be software, hard drive or motherboard issue and you will need to either investigate. A full operating system format and reinstall may be needed but get some professional advice first.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact DP Computing at support@dpcomputing.com.au or via www.dpcomputing.com.au.