Don't Let the Bad Guys Win

Yah .. I know .. this week was supposed to be about internet stuff and related hardware ...

But. I'm shifting gears to what I feel is a WAY more *URGENT* topic.

Protecting your computer from security breach, instrusion and take-over.

And I'm writing primarily to PC folks this time. No offense. Macs are just LOTS more secure.

It has been my experience, that PC's running the Windows operating system, are getting security updates at a frequency anywhere from once per week to once per month. Microsoft is very good about plugging the security holes. And folks would do well to follow their lead and *accept* those regular updates by using the control panel for security updates. And setting it to automatically download and install the updates.

What's the *worst* that can happen if you don't..? Virtually complete take-over by computer viruses, trojan horse infections, rootkits, worms, etc. This worst-case scenario has been referred to as turning your PC into a "Zombie Computer" .. Which means, it is now virtually in the hands of a vast collective of PC's that are being controlled by one or more Zombie servers. And using it to further infect other PC's.

And that is why, a side effect of these severe infections is *EXTREME SLOWDOWN* of your PC; worst-case and the ultimate destination .. you can no longer *access* your PC. Because the Zombie horde has made its operations *priority* .. and left you at the end of the line .. or locked you out completely!

I felt prompted to interject this particular blog entry because as recent as a week ago .. I was asked to "take a look" at a PC that was having severe perfomance problems. And unwanted ads for "Computer Protection" were taking over screen space, and could not be clicked away.

This PC had not had its Windows OS (operating system) updated. The intruder swooped in underneath the broken radar, literally dropped little software bomblets, and started setting up home sweet broken home computer.

The intruder had already *disabled* the Windows OS update function *and* both of the installed antivirus programs. So, without any further prevention, detection and removal systems in place, the viral invader now had free reign to wander all over the PC to perform the take-over, and the eventual take-down.

It had gotten in so deep .. I use the analogy of a tick .. you can remove the body, but the head is still imbedded in your skin. In this extreme case, the only solution is to save/backup whatever you *know* has not been compromised, reformat your hard drive ((not with the quick format; the other one)), then reinstall Windows, Windows updates, virus protection, your programs, drivers, and documents.

So .. Guideline #1 .. *please* set your Windows updates to automatic.

And Guideline #2 .. install at least 2 antivirus/antispam/email scanning programs.

And you don't have to spend a dime for really good protection!

If you use this link > http://www.download.com/ .. when you arrive at that website, scroll down a wee bit, and you will see listed there .. the top 20 most downloaded programs for PC.

The first 3 programs listed are my favorites. Because, after installation, these will update their virus database and scan once a day. And I would recommend installation exactly in the order they are listed. The 1st two would seem to be sufficient for anyone. But the 3rd program does something the other 2 do not. It will schedule a boot-time scan that digs deeper into the software *before* the Windows OS comes up. It will ask you if you want to do this upon installation. I would strongly advise you to say yes to its request. You should only have to do this once. And anything that it suggests to fix (i.e. delete, repair, remove, move to vault), please do so to help you sleep better at night .. knowing your computer is well-protected.

If you want to be a computer geek like me and have quadruple redundancy, you might want to download #4 in the list as well. However, you should know, unless you pay for the *premium* version of that one, you will have to *manually* update the virus database, and *manually* scan every day. Because that one doesn't function automatically as do the above antivirus programs.

Another thing you can do to help keep your computer stuff safe .. make a backup, at least of your documents and email to CD or DVD. And make sure the master CDs for the programs that you use other than Windows-supplied are all kept in a safe/easily located place as well. So that, *if* your computer's hard drive fails .. you'll be able to replace it with the peace of mind that you have not lost all your documents and other much-needed software.

Some programs that I would *strongly discourage* using in order to avoid viral contamination:

Limewire, Frostwire, and Bit Torrent.

Many discussions online about these 3 are of the consensus, that as a function of themselves, they are not viral in nature. BUT .. they require you to open background software portals to allow other people to share files on your computer. And it is these other people and the files they send through these portals that may be loaded with not so nifty infections .. intended and not.

Another precaution .. When using the online environments Facebook and MySpace and similar social networking sites .. make sure you set your "preferences" to allow *only* "Friends" to access and share your pages. Because, if the preferences are set to allow "Anyone" into your space .. there are some accounts that are using that opening to dump viruses onto your PC.

Here again .. it's not Facebook or MySpace that are by themselves dangerous .. *you* just have to be saavy and careful as to whom you open the door .. just like in the real world ...

And you Mac folks .. make sure you've got your "Apple Software Updates" set to check daily and download and install them. And if you want to be even *more* secure on Mac, I would recommend one of the commercial security applications for Mac .. the ones that have been around the longest for sure.

So .. like Forrest Gump said, "That's all I have to say about that."

Next Week .. *really* this time .. The Internet Highway .. and ..

*The Need for SPEED!*

(phone modems, dsl, and cable .. oh my!)

****And protecting your computer from *LIGHTNING*!!****

' til next time .. same bat blog .. same bat channel ...

Your ol' computer pal,

Ol' Doc CPU

''o))

Space .. The Final Storage Frontier ...

As most folks that know me know .. I am *fully qualified* to be a 'space cadet'. It's kinda one of my jobs. In fact, I've been working on it most of my life! ' got it down to quite a fine science by now. Way back in grammar school, there was this kind of I.Q. battery of testing. Fourth grade I think it was .. the results were graphed on a single punch card. A single red line careened across the card.

And as it crossed the centerline of each subject .. math .. spelling .. grammar .. and other stuff .. it peaked at average or slightly above the center line for average on all subjects but one. This one was called 'abstract reasoning' .. the line went off the top end of the card, and did not return downward to the centerline until the next subject. Stands to reason. I love relating everything to absolutely everything! ' added a nearly continually developing large sense of humor, a good bunch of wits, and a huge dash of nerd .. And there you have it! A genuine bonafide Space Cadet!

So .. today I'm here to tell yah .. the stuff I know about space ...

To refresh a tiny bit .. remember, in the previous post, RAM is your computer's memory, not the same as your computer's storage space.

Some folks may still have computers that have an internal floppy drive. An old method of storage by today's standards. And not good for storing anything much larger than document or simple drawing or picture files, due to the very limited storage capacity of same. As well, the floppy disks were prone to loss of data due to being magnetic media of the weakest kind. When placed close to a monitor, or a phone, or a calculator, there was a very good chance that at least some of the files on that floppy would be at least partially damaged due to the larger magnetic field interfering with and distorting the smaller field.

So .. at some point, computers began shipping without floppy drives. They have been replaced by CD and/or DVD drives. As well, you still have your internal hard drive(s). Additionally, there are external hard drives in their own enclosures. And most recently, the newest handy widget for portable data storage .. most commonly referred to by 3 names .. jump drive, thumb drive, or the more technically accurate term .. flash drive.

Lotsa space, huh..? See .. I told you ...

But .. let's start with the storage space that's on the inside of your computer, and work our way out to the other types of data keepers.

1st .. you have the good ol' long-time workhorse .. your internal hard drive. (there's usually room for more than 1 internal hard drive inside your computer these days .. but for the purpose of this blog .. we'll just stick to the basics)

Your computer's internal hard drive is where your operating system (i.e. Windows, OSX, Linux, etc.), programs/applications, and files of all types are stored .. even when you turn your computer off and come back later, they'll still be there waiting for you to access them .. yank them out of their little folders and move them into RAM so you can do stuff with them. And then later save them back to the internal hard drive and turn things off and go to bed.

When considering buying a new computer, as well as considering the amount of RAM, you should also put some thought into what storage size or capacity you would like your internal hard drive to be. It's simple .. What do you want to do with your computer? Do you want to just check email and browse the internet? Or do you want to store large libraries of photos? Or do you want to kick it up another notch and work with digital video and store home movies? And, last but not least, will there be multiple users of this computer?

If you're just 1, or a party of 2, and your only interest is email, browsing, some music, and keeping just a moderately sized photo library .. then an internal hard drive of small to moderate size would be good. Say perhaps, something in the 160 to 240 Gigabyte range.

If you'll be wanting to build a large photo library, lots of music, and perhaps work with some digital video, then a drive more in the size range of 300 to 500 Gigabytes would seem to suffice.

And, if you're a regular die-hard digital video fanatic .. well then .. go for the gusto! You can now buy a computer that has 1 Terabyte of storage or more!

Uhh .. what's that..? Oh .. no .. Terabyte is not a Klingon, Vulcan, or Rigellian word. A Terabyte is equal to 1,000 Gigabytes. If Gigabytes are *billions* of bytes, then Terabytes are *trillions* of bytes. Now *that's* a LOT of bytes!

>>>>> PROGRAMMING NERD TRIVIA ALERT <<<<<

What is *half* a byte called..?

5 seconds . . . . .

<<<<>>>>

The answer is .. a 'nibble' (it's a joke .. oy!)

>>>>>> ATTENTION ... ALL CLEAR ... THE ALERT IS OVER <<<<<

Just a short break .. to help you stay awake!

Okay .. now, we proceed to the other 2 types of internal storage space .. CDs .. and DVDs.

Where the internal *hard drive* was still storing data in a magnetic form, The CDs and DVDs use a method of digital storage by using a laser to actually *burn* data to the two types of discs.

The CDs have a maximum storage size of 800 Megabytes. The DVDs come in either 4 or 8 Gigabyte storage capacity. And data, documents, photos, or home movies are saved to them using much the same data storage methods as in saving to the internal hard drive. Some computers come with a *specialized* application/program that is pre-installed. So you can save to CDs/DVDs by an easier, more human-oriented method.

CDs/DVDs are also ideal for what is known as 'archiving'. If you have a lot of documents, drawings, photos, movies, etc. that you are no longer using on a regular basis .. you should copy them from your internal hard drive to either CDs or DVDs .. and store them in a safe physical location that would be called your archives. After copying the data to CDs/DVDs, you can then delete the original files from your computer's internal hard drive to get back much-needed free space on the internal hard drive.

Because the more free space you have, the less cramped your computer will be to find room to store files. And more importantly, this will *extend* the life of the internal hard drive as a function of its not having to work so hard to find contiguous space. The easier and quicker your drive is able to work, the less it will heat up, and its useable life will be extended.

NIFTY NOTE >>> There is a new type of internal hard drive that is making its way into the computer market. It's a drive with no moving parts; a 'solid state' drive. Most recently, it has become available in the 32 and 64 Gigabyte sizes. The *BIG* advantage to this, is it reacts with much the same speed as your computer's RAM. Much faster than the older electro-mechanical internal hard drives. But the 2 main *disadvantages* currently of this new technology .. high price, and limited storage space. But if you can afford the price tag, and don't mind the low storage ceiling, I say go for it! ' wouldn't mind havin' one myself.

Next to last .. the *flash* drive. Also known as 'jump drive' and 'thumb drive'. These little gadgets are my absolute favorite method of portable storage. You just plug them into a USB port on your computer. They show up in your directory. And you copy stuff to or from them just like you would to your internal hard drive, or CD, or DVD. After you're done using them, you just pop them in your pocket or purse, and you're good to go! Simple, quick, and compact .. what's not to like..? And FYI .. the flash drive sizes I have seen are 250 Meg, 500 Meg, 1 Gig, 2 Gig, 4 Gig, 8 Gig, 16 Gig, 32 Gig, and I'm pretty sure I've seen 64 Gig recently.

And finally, external hard drives. Various storage sizes. Simple 'plug and play' interface; meaning .. hook up the accompanying USB or Firewire data cable .. hook up the power, turn it on, and in a few short moments, it should be available for access in your directory.

So .. that's plenty about space in this space!

Next week >>> The Internet Highway .. and .. *The Need for SPEED!*

(phone modems, dsl, and cable .. oh my!)

' til next time li'l Buckaroos!

ol' Doc CPU

''o))

I Once Saw a T-Shirt that said ..

"You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much RAM."

Ah well .. if you're too thin, you'll have some Mother, Aunt or Grandmother telling you, "Eat! Eat! Look atchyoo! You're like a refugee .. you're so thin." And if you're too rich .. well it kinda isolates you as I have observed in a lot of cases; you become a recluse .. guarding your money .. guarding your health so you can guard your money. Feh! A shunda! You should go out! Have fun! Go on .. go to your fancy party! I'll just sit here and eat wet cigarettes ...

Okay .. so much for the Yiddish portion of my post.

(And by the way .. before we proceed .. the acronym RAM stands for Random Access Memory.)

But .. I *am* a big fan of the part about the RAM!

Because .. in my humble opinion .. the *1st* thing you need to know about RAM is that more is better. Lots more is *much* better. Due, simply, to the fact that adding or 'upgrading' your RAM is one of the least expensive things you can do to *noticeably* increase the overall performance/speed of *all* your computing! Whether it's opening applications/programs, checking email, browsing the internet, or whatever. *Everything* you do on your computer gets a much-needed *speed bump* if you install, or if you have someone else install more RAM.

But .. you say .. I still have *lots* of free hard drive/storage/space/memory. *EHH* .. thanks for playing. That would be an incorrect response. Because, physically, your RAM (memory) and your Hard Drive (storage space) are 2 different li'l beasties.

Okay .. small side-salad-lesson here .. a good example of the difference between RAM and Hard Drive was given to me a lawwnnng time ago. But it's a very good one. Think of your computer's RAM as your physical desktop in your office or your home office. 'kay .. so, you remove files from your filing cabinet .. which is the equivalent of your Hard Drive, and you place them on the desktop so you can edit those documents, draw pictures in them, work with photos, work with numbers on tax forms or spreadsheets, or whatever. Then, when you've finished your work, you take your documents, and return them to their respective folders in your filing cabinet.

Because .. RAM is only short-term, or *temporary* storage .. like your desktop. And your Hard Drive ("C" drive normally in PC-land; "Macintosh HD" or some such in Apple-land) is your long-term or *permanent* storage .. like your filing cabinet. And even that should get a good backing up to even longer term storage like a CD/DVD or a larger external drive .. but we can save that stuff for another post.

So, if you're coming up short in the Hard Drive storage department, you need to either clear space on your internal hard drive, move some stuff over to an external drive or CD/DVD, or get a larger internal Hard Drive. (more on hard drives in another post) But .. if you are running short of computer 'memory' (another word for RAM), then you need to add more RAM. If you're in the market for a new computer, and you buy it with *gobs* of RAM and Hard Drive storage space already in it .. well then .. you're way ahead of the game .. except for protecting yourself from meshugginah virii and fahkaktah hacker schlameels .. vel den you're good for life!

Here are 2 real-world examples of situations wherein you should consider adding more RAM.

1> Say you've bought a PC with the XP operating system on it (i realize that there is now a very *rare* chance of this happening since virtually all new PC's being sold today come with the Windows Vista system. And even as I post this, that is changing; Microsoft Windows 7 is here; the next generation of Microsoft's Windows operating system. But .. you may still acquire a used PC that has or needs XP installed.

So .. 1 system at a time. The default/standard install of Windows XP, after startup, consumes about 3/5ths of a typical computer's installation of 512 Megabytes of RAM. After which, you will likely want to open up some programs/applications. And you'll probably be adding some antivirus programs that will load software on startup in the background. And whatever else you've got going on will add to the total RAM consumed.

Which is to say, you will soon run slap into your machine's physical RAM ceiling. Which further means, your computer's performance will immediately and noticeably .. slow .. way .. down. Because after your machine exceeds its RAM ceiling, it then has to go out to the Hard Drive to make use of 'cache' space; a relatively poor RAM substitute. Because, electronically, the old Hard Drive is about 1,000 times slower than RAM. That's why it is *noticeable* by humans. Add more RAM .. problem solved.

2> Vista .. *lots* more bells and whistles in this Windows incarnation. And .. guess what..? If you guessed that the addition of more *blue smoke & mirrors* will take up even *more* RAM .. YOU ARE TODAY'S WINNER!! What did you win? Genuine *free* new smarts!!! In fact, a typical (default/standard) Vista installation takes up about 850 Megabytes of RAM .. or 3/4ths of 1 *Gigabyte* of RAM.

Hmm .. I just heard a faint echo somewhere back in the deep computer history archives of my brain .. I'm pretty sure it was Bill Gates himself saying .. "No one should ever need more than 64K (Kilobytes) of RAM." Or words to that effect. And a K, or Kilobyte of RAM ladies and gentlemen .. is a mere tiny *fraction* of a Megabyte; one one-thousandth to be exact. Because it takes 1,000 Kilobytes to make 1 Megabyte. And to extend the line of thought, it takes 1,000 Megabytes to make 1 Gigabyte. But I digress. ' just thought you should understand that FYI.

When Vista first appeared preinstalled on PC's, I actually saw some new machines that were being sold with only 512 Megabytes in them. So, folks were *already* behind the RAM eight ball so to speak. And if you are in this situation, or know someone who is .. you guessed it, they need more RAM.

In *both* examples above, if you want to open *multiple* programs/applications, and have *lots* of stuff going on in the background due to being pre-loaded on startup .. you will very likely need to add more RAM above the standard installation that came with the machine.

However, recently, some of the newest PC's and Macs are being sold with multiple Gigabytes of RAM .. 2, 4, 6, or 8 Gigabytes. You can never have too much .. like the T-Shirt said ...

Because these days, computers are doing so much more for you than just email and internet. Folks are using large music and movie libraries, making their own movies, editing photos *and* movies, driving huge sound systems or home networks, etc.

But, since this blog is mainly for the entry level user, we'll maintain cruising altitude below the cloud ceiling for a long time to come.

One last note. Short of bringing your computer down to a local shop, where can you go to find out what amount and type of RAM is *already* installed in your computer. And how much room/how many RAM slots do you have? What's the maximum RAM you can install in your computer? What *type* of RAM do you need? Very simple. My favorite one-stop shop for all this information is online at http://www.crucial.com/ They are primarily a 1-trick-pony; focusing mainly on RAM. But they do that one trick very well! These guys actually *test* the RAM in real-world situations *before* they sell it. Lots of RAM sellers don't. So you pay a bit more for that added testing. But I've learned from my ancestors .. you get what you pay for. True in horses, houses, and shoes .. and it's also true of RAM.

And PLEASE NOTE >>> I do *not* get 1 cent of commission for sending you to the above website location for RAM. In *all* cases like this, I'm just doin' what I believe all humans should do .. share good stuff .. for free! It's simply where I go and get/buy RAM stuff.

So .. 'nuf said this week I think. That's a lot to absorb in one sitting for some folks. I know .. because the memory I carry around in my head is pretty much filled up too!

And *stay tuned* boys and girls .. for the *next* *EXCITING* episode of ol' Doc CPU .. when he *rockets* into ..

"Space .. The Final Storage Frontier..."

ol' Doc CPU

''o))