September 1, 2009

I seem to be getting a lot of complaints of computers running slow, or having a lot of pop up windows lately.  I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again, you must be very careful of clicking on email attachments and Internet links.  No software can protect you 100% from viruses, spyware, adware, etc.  You have to be diligent in evaluating what links to stay away from.  Not following these rules will result in costly, time consuming repairs, lots of frustration, and possible data loss.

Rule number 1 - Never click on an email attachment that you don't know what it is or who it is from.

Rule number 2 - Never click on any link on web sites you visit unless you are 100% sure in your mind that the link is to some information you are looking for.

Rule number 3 - Any pop-ups which show up on your screen, particularly when browsing on the Internet, are either attempting to sell you something, or, worst of all, are telling you have a virus, worm, or something is wrong with your computer, and you need to click on the link to evaluate or repair the problem.  I can almost guarantee you will have a problem after doing this because it will install software which will cause all types of problems, and probably won't be able to be removed, which means you will probably need to reinstall everything on your computer from the operating system to all of your installed programs.

If you get any messages, immediately shut down your Internet browser, close all your programs, then restart your computer.  If you get any messages form your own antivirus, spyware protection program, etc. after restarting, then do whatever your software recommends.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!