HMTech.ca

This post is a supplement to the main article, Speed Up Your Computer.

Over time your computer has probably become loaded with programs that you don’t use, some of which launch unnecessarily every time you boot your computer. It takes time for the computer to load these programs into memory (RAM), plus they clutter your system tray and desktop. Many of these programs can be harmlessly disabled, making the boot process more efficient and saving system resources. In this post you will learn how to identify nonessential programs and disable them.

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In this post you will learn some basic and advanced methods of removing malware from a Windows based PC. Sometimes malware can be removed easily by simply scanning your computer with a malware detection program and removing any infected items it finds. However, sometimes malware cannot be fully removed by simply scanning with your average anti-spyware or anti-virus program. Sometimes it buries itself deep within the operating system and uses advanced methods to hide from anti-virus programs. If that’s the case, then you need to use special tools to analyze your computer and remove these hidden bugs. This article will first show you how to remove “easy” malware and then point you in the direction for getting rid of “difficult” or persistent malware.

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Most people are aware that opening an email attachment from someone they don’t know can cause their computer to be infected by a virus. However, many people are unaware of the new methods malware writers are using to infect unsuspecting computer users with malicious software. Although virus writers still use email spam to infect PCs, there’s a much more devious and subtle method hackers are using to penetrate computer systems. And that is to infect your computer by simply having you click on a link from a search results page.

You may have firewall and anti-virus software installed already. You may even be careful about the files you download from the web. However, you are still vulnerable to attack just by innocently surfing the web. A web site can be dangerous for a number of reasons. It could:

• Host downloadable files that are infected with spyware, adware, or trojans
• Contain links to other dangerous web sites
• Host web code (html, javascript) that could maliciously try to alter settings on your computer
• Attempt to automatically infect your computer with malware, just by visiting their page (IE: Drive-by download)

While most websites are harmless, Google has reported that nearly 5-10% of websites on the Internet will attempt to automatically infect your computer with malware. The worst offenders being sites that host free software (games, screensavers), pirated software, and pornography. However, it is possible that a legitimate website could be hacked and programmed to send its visitors malicious code.

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