Helpdesk
Q: The other day I received a call and I was told that there had been illegal activity on my computer. Now that had my attention and the caller directed me to access the Windows Event Viewer. I really was interesting to see the rows and rows of info and the occasional error. Now they wanted me to go to the Internet and activate a site that would give him access to my computer. This triggered a warning bell. So I refused. I was told since I did not consent, my computer would be blacklisted and my activation cancelled. — Agnes Waterman
A: Computer crooks are getting bolder and more sophisticated. In this case, the scammer used a legitimate Windows feature – Event Viewer – to impress the intended victim. Then he tried to talk her into going to a site that would give him remote access to her computer. Agnes was sophisticated enough to refuse to follow his advice. If you are ever in this position, and based on email from readers this is a common scam, just hang up. Don’t try to argue with the person or prolong the discussion.
Q: All my friends say that I should leave Microsoft and Windows behind and move to an Apple computer. What do you think? —Bill Reagan
A: Apple’s machines are great and are unlikely to have problems with viruses. The downside is that you will pay more. I’ve used both systems for years and like both. But neither is perfect. Windows machines work fine, especially for people who faithfully use virus protection. If you’re unhappy with the way things are now, move to an Apple machine. If you aren’t, then stay where you are.
I once had an editor who got so excited about computers – in a negative way – that, when he explained his anger about them to me, his face would contort so that one eyeball seemed to be looking in one direction and the other in the other.
“When I buy a refrigerator it just works, I don’t need to go to a website to figure anything out,” he would say. “When I get a microwave I plug it in and make bad food. Why are computers any different?”
I knew what he meant. After all, computers are as much a part of life these days as refrigerators and microwaves. And yet, they usually require constant tinkering and, even then, end up being every bit as dependable as a housecat.
There is no magic wand for me to wave and change all that. Get used to it. But there are ways to tame that computer down a bit so that you can expect to go days, nay weeks, without much of a problem. Many of the things I’m about to tell you will sound familiar – things you already know. But, based on the emails I get, many of you don’t do these things and end up living in a world of hurt.
Locking the front door
Many of your problems come marching right in because you fail to use basic security tools. You must install and use software that watches out for viruses and other malware. If you want to use commercial software for this, I recommend Norton 360. It is like a Swiss Army knife because it combines several tools to offer fairly complete protection. There are also some fine options if you want to go the free route. Here are the web addresses for a few I trust: www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php (that will take you to a program called Ad-Aware), and AVG’s product here: free.avg.com/us-en/homepage. Both guard against viruses and spyware.
Avoid click fever
If you spend much time on the Web you’ll come across all sorts of wonderful programs that are free for the asking. And you’ll also be invited to see amazing things – just click on the link. In many cases, clicking to download a free program or to be taken to that amazing event will invite in pests that mess up your computer. I realize there are plenty of legitimate free programs and some mighty amazing things to do online that are perfectly safe. But I’m telling you to be downright paranoid about clicking on anything at all. While you may miss out on some great programs, you also will miss out on some ugly bugs. It’s a fair trade.
A get out of jail free card
OK. I told you at the first of this column – even if you do everything right – that housecat of a computer of yours will occasionally sink its claws into your heart. And it’s true. There are still going to be times when your computer gets cantankerous.
Luckily there are two excellent ways to fix things without knowing beans about a computer.
Backup – If you regularly backup your data, no matter what happens to your computer, you’ll have all the documents, all the photos, all the precious data from your computer’s hard disk. So, even if your computer turns into burnt toast, you’ll still have the most important part of it – the data. My suggestion is that you use one of these two excellent online backup services: Carbonite (www.carbonite.com) or Mozy (www.mozy.com). Here’s why I prefer them to using an external hard disk. If a voltage surge – or heavens forbid – a house fire destroys your computer it’ll probably destroy your external hard disk as well. If you still think using an external hard disk is the way to go – go for it. It’s still much better than doing nothing at all.
Restore – Windows comes with a magic program called System Restore. It’s sort of like a time machine. It returns your computer to an earlier date when all worked just fine. When you use it, it’ll remove any changes you’ve made to programs, and remove any new programs you’ve installed. It won’t delete any data you’ve created. However, to be safe, I recommend that you back-up your data before using Restore. After all, you don’t want to be the first person to prove Microsoft wrong when it says it won’t gobble up your data. To use System Restore simply type those two words into the Windows help menu. You’ll be taken to a clickable link that starts the program up.
Look, I wish your computer was as easy to use as a refrigerator or a microwave. But that isn’t the case and isn’t likely to become the case. So use my tips to make using the machine as trouble free as possible.
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