I often get asked if there is something that can be done to the computer since it appears more and more junk mail is showing up in your inbox. Typically, you should be running the Spyware programs that I make available on the SOFTWARE/SUPPORT page. Typical I mean, by running Ad-aware and Spybot Search and destroy DAILY! Yes, I mean DAILY, EVERY DAY, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Why did I mention all the days in the week? Because you should be running these programs on each one of them!
I am quite tired of hearing "oh, it has been a while since I ran those", when I am sitting at the computer starting my diagnosis of the problems. I just returned from one client's home where I clicked on the Ad-aware program to be greeted with the prompt "it has been 256 days since your last update".. Hello! Does this mean it hasn't been run since then? Yes, it does.... Looking at my calendar I realize that this was run only once since I had last updated this specific computer! I am quite tired of this, simply because of the attitude that I get when I say how important it is, usually a snicker as to "oh, I have been quite bad about that haven't I?" Yes, you have!
Education, I have found is a truly worthy component in the battle of Spyware. This is quite honestly why I have placed these components such as Ad-aware and Spybot on my website, along with many TIPS and other software programs to help in the fight against these villains. But if you are going to forget doing them, then you shouldn't feel bad when someone like myself comes to your home and whisks your computer away to the bench for "deep cleaning and updating". The fact that almost 8 months had gone by and this computer has now managed to get to the point where the user has also had enough dealing with the pop ups and not able to operate other parts of the computer properly due to "too many error messages". I am actually quite surprised it lasted this long, but then again, I guess I am not that surprised since the new generation of Spyware and Ad-aware works in such a fashion that it usually does not block your access to the Internet, however you will notice a drastic reduction in your computers' performance. I am also quite surprised when I visit a home that has an outdated Spyware program running. The owner usually feels quite proud in stating that "they use it every day", only to find out that they are currently using version 1.04 and now currently it is at version 1.06. This means they have completely missed out on one update and are now two updates out. This may not seem like much but when you are dealing with Spyware which in my opinion is just like a virus, you can't afford to be using an outdated program. In the case of Spybot Search & Destroy however, if you are an existing client of mine for example, you may not know what version you are using because I have configured the program so that all you have to do is click on the icon and it will automatically update and download the latest definitions and start the scan and then remove whatever it finds, leaving you with the log of what it found. So you will not really know what version, that is, unless you check. At the end, when the log comes up, you can click on HELP and then ABOUT and it will reveal the version number.
If you are reading this, then you will also be told when a new version is released because I will blog about it.
The best thing you can do if you are unsure of something is ASK... A simple email stating your problem/question goes a long way when you send it to me because I will usually take the time to include links to the appropriate place where you can get the updates or quick fix solution. Not to mention the ongoing ability to connect to your computer and repair things remotely. Note that if you haven't had me connect to your computer lately, then there is a very good chance that you have a number of problems that could be repaired remotely, without the expense of having your computer visit my hospital for a few days! Ultimately it is up to you, how you use/abuse your computer, but without the knowledge of what to look for, you probably aren't doing it right. Therefore a lesson on this may not be such a bad idea, especially if you can then pass on your recent knowledge that you may have gained by the lesson to others in your family or friends that have been "emailing you junk jokes" all the time.
