DP Computing's Youtube Channel

Check out our great new Youtube Channel at www.youtube.com/dpcomputing. It has some great computer tutorials and some other marketing videos.

While you are there check out the great Windows 8 Tutorial.The tutorial will take you through the basics of Windows 8 and show you some of the "hidden" features of the new operating system.

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.

Defragmentation

Defragging - does it speed up my computer?

Many of our clients ring and say “I defragged my computer but it isn’t faster”…

Defragmenting a computer or “defragging” may not significantly speed up your computer. In days past it certainly did make a difference but there are many other things that also contribute to slow speeds.

What does “defrag” mean? Simply put…

It means to clean up the fragmented parts of the hard drive (fragment means scattered bits that need to be put back into place that have been moved). A more detailed explanation is given here on our website under the articles section: 

  What is defragmention?

If you defrag, your computer it will run more efficiently, but not necessarily faster.

For a faster machine you will need to examine and fix other issues. DP Computing can help you with a computer clean and will look at the following areas:

• startup programs.
• amount of system memory and free hard drive space.
• unneeded programs running in the background.
• bloated security software.
• slow server and Internet speeds at your location.
• old system drivers and software.

amongst other things.

To book your computer in for a computer cleanup contact DP Computing at support@dpcomputing.com.au or visit out website at the following link - Adelaide Computer Repair.

Basic Computer Maintenance

Basic Computer Maintenance

Introduction

To keep your system in top running order there are a number of basic steps you should take. The following document describes the steps that can be taken to keep your computer system running at its best and is aimed at MS Windows XP, other versions of windows are similar but if you are unsure of any steps in this document please stop and contact a computer professional before proceeding.

Clean and Cool

Heat and dust are a computers worst enemy. Your computer system should be located in a clean well ventilated area with nothing blocking front and rear air vents. A few times every year arrange for a computer technician to open up the case, clean out any excess dust and check to make sure all fans are working correctly.

Backup Your Data

To save yourself heartache you should regularly backup the data on the computer. A full system backup is recommended but with large hard drives that are available today this is not always practical. For large hard drives it is recommended that you at the least backup the files that you create (ie letters, documents, spreadsheets, accounting package data files, email etc). For steps on how to backup your computer please see our article on “Computer System Backups”.

Defragment your Hard Drive

As you start to create and delete files and applications on your computer the hard drive will become fragmented. This means that the data is split into chunks and stored in different areas of the hard disk. The more fragmented your drive is, the less efficient your computer operates. Defragmentation consolidates the separate chunks, frees up disk space and speeds up your computer.

To perform this task, first open up My Computer, select the drive you wish to defragment and press the right mouse button. Select Properties and then the Tools tab, press the button to start the Defragmenter program. For further information and detailed steps on how to defragment your computer please see our article on “Defragmentation”.

Hard Disk Error Checking

As all your data is kept on the computers hard drive, it is essential that you regular check the drive for errors. To perform this task, first open up My Computer, select the drive you wish to check and press the right mouse button. Select Properties and then the Tools tab, press the button to start the Error Checking program.

Virus Checker

With the amount of computer viruses around these days it is absolutely essential that you have a virus
checker installed on your machine. Having a virus checker installed on your system is not enough though as it needs to be kept up to date and your computer regularly scanned for viruses. As the various virus checking programs work in a variety of different ways consult the software manual or get a expert to assist you with updating the program and performing regular disk scans.

Uninstall Software

As you start to use the computer more and more you will begin to install new programs and applications. A lot of times you will use the program a few times and then either forget about it or realise it doesn’t do what you wanted. The application will then just stay on your machine taking up space and using up resources. It is recommended to regularly check the software installed on your machine and uninstall and programs you no longer use.

To uninstall a program in Windows 9x, 2000 & XP first open up your My Computer icon and then open up the Control Panel icon. An Add or Remove program icon will then be visible, start this program and you will be presented with a list of programs installed on your machine. Scroll through this list and remove any programs you no longer use. If you are unsure of a program leave it and ask a computer professional for advice.

Clean Out Your Recycle Bin

When you delete a file or email it doesn’t necessarily delete the file from your hard drive, instead it places it in the “ Recycle Bin” or “Deleted Items” folder for email in Outlook or Outlook Express. This is done so that you can easily recover files or emails you may have accidentally deleted. Over time though the Recycle Bin and Deleted Items folder can become large and the contents need to be purged.

Emptying the Recycle Bin
First check the recycle bin and to see if it doesn’t contain any required files. To see what is in the recycle bin, double click on it to open it up and scroll through the list of files to see what it contains. If you are certain that you do not need any of the files select File and then Empty Recycle Bin. If you are unsure of the files that are in the recycle bin seek assistance before emptying the bin.

Emptying Your Deleted Email

First check the “Deleted Items” folder to see if it doesn’t contain any required emails. To see what the folder contains start Outlook or Outlook Express and click on the “Deleted Items” folder and scroll through the list of emails to see what it contains. If you are certain that you do not need any of the emails, right click over the top of the “Deleted Items” folder and select Empty Deleted Items. If you are unsure of the emails that are in the “Deleted Items Folder” seek assistance before emptying the folder.

Operating System Reinstall

Over time you will install and uninstall various software, apply software and hardware patches, add and remove various bits and pieces of hardware and update system drivers. This will cause your computer system to gather old software programs, drivers and other system files that all contribute to your system running slow, behaving erratically and / or crashing. To remedy this situation contact a professional who can reload your operating system, applications and reset your computer software back to how it was when you first bought your machine.

Further Help and Assistance

If you need further help or assistance on this or any other computer problem please contact DP Computing at the address below.

This article is part of a series of articles by David Perkovic of DP Computing aimed at helping users gain effective use from their computers. Other articles in the series can be found at:
http://www.dpcomputing.com.au/articles

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 contact a professional.

©DP Computing 2002, 2012. This article may be freely copied in a not for profit manner but must be  reproduced in its entirety and this copyright statement must be included.

DP Computing
Phone: 08 8326 4364
Facsimile: 08 8382 3785
Email: support@dpcomputing.com.au
Website: http://www.dpcomputing.com.au