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Experts this year report malicious software, or malware, can be found lurking on 90 percent of PCs used to surf the internet! That’s epidemic proportions. So, odds are right now, you’re sitting at a PC that is host to a malware infection that is stealthily working in the background, robbing your system’s resources and performance for purposes other than your own… This article covers some do-it-yourself ‘best practices’ PCs users should follow to prevent malicious software infections.

PC disruptions from malware can run the gamut from unnoticeable to slower-than-normal performance, uncontrollable pop-ups or odd PC behavior, up to more severe problems such as disabling security measures, (leaving your PC vulnerable to more malware), unwarranted monitoring of your activity, even theft of personal information. Malware spreads most commonly through opening unsolicited email attachments and by downloads of all types of software programs, documents and multi-media files. Malware ‘packaging’ is more sophisticated than ever when propagated as ‘rogue security software’-anti-virus or anti-malware software that appears to be legitimate but is in fact malware itself. Clicking ‘I accept’ on rogue security software offers is what 100 million PC users have done this year alone, according to computer security experts. Worse, one in ten of us gave personal information to pay for the malicious software download…

Bottom line: Malware is everywhere and You are your PC’s best protection, at a time when ways of spreading malware, grow in sophistication and number. The best protection money can buy can be negated with one ‘bad click’ to download something on blind trust. Before you download, take a step back for a moment and check out the source of the software download. Don’t be sucked into ANY unsolicited pop-up offer, regardless of how good it sounds, before qualifying its safety first. Especially check out any ‘free’ product offerings, particularly those that that sound ‘too-good-to-be true’, by doing a few Google searches on the title to qualify a source and the product. Some experts advise review of online forums to see if people are warning of product scams or questionable companies. Get the scoop on a software title before you download it.

So, how else to reign in ‘enemy number one?’ Although few do it, make a plan now for how you will get good, reliable information, when you need it. Because where malware is concerned, its not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ we’ll get an infection, for most of us. Its all-to-easy to miscalculate and open an e-mailed attachment from a ‘trusted source’-a friend, for example–only to learn later their system had been compromised by a malware infection. As my father always said, “You’ll be fine in life–regardless of how much you know–if you know how to find the answers.” Knowing where to go for PC help you can trust will keep you from spending too much to fix a problem or make matters worse during a panic. Help yourself further, by having all the information regarding your system, applications you run, and support phone numbers and email addresses in one place. Taking the time to do this will save you big time when throttled by events to get hasty help.

Sounds like a tall order? Why not let an expert advise you. Experts gather useful information and share it as a way of promoting their services. Most repairs can be made yourself, when you have good information on how to make them. It is easier than you think. Just register to receive a computer expert’s newsletter and monitor it for the news you can use to protect your PC investment. Listen to an expert you are comfortable with and enact their advice. Online computer experts often promote themselves by giving away great information on best practices they recommend. For example, there are thousands of ‘free’ software tools available online, but not all are compatible or work well. Experts can direct you to those they trust, that are proven to work. Qualify an expert and learn from them-it can be money in the bank in time and repair savings, when trouble arises.

The following action items are important things every PC owner should be doing to reduce their exposure to malicious software:

1. Get a recommendation on proven ‘free’ or for-purchase anti-virus software ‘suites’ (that include a firewall) and run regular scans. Choose a software company that regularly updates their software and install the updates when released for ‘near-real time’ protection.

2. Get a recommendation on a separate, ‘free’ or for-purchase anti-malware software tool and run regular scans. Install updates when released.

3. Keep ‘Windows’ or other operating system software up to date with the latest security updates.

4. Don’t tolerate slower PC performance or odd PC behavior. Malware infections are often the culprit and will cause greater damage over time if left unchecked. If it has been a couple weeks since your last malware scan, update the software by first and then reboot your PC in ‘Safe Mode’ to thoroughly scan for infections.

5. Don’t open unsolicited emails or email attachments without qualifying to your satisfaction, the safety of the source.

6. Don’t download software until you are certain the source is reputable and safe. Take down the URL of the manufacturer and check their website. Do Google searches on the software title. Review online forums talking about experiences with the product. A little legwork upfront to confirm the product’s integrity and the safety of the download source, will save you big, in frustration, time and money down-the-line.

7. To be sure you are doing a thorough scan for malware infections, reboot your PC in ‘Safe Mode’ (on power up, repeatedly hit the F8 function key) so the OS prevents other applications from running at start up. This will allow the anti-malware software tool to more thoroughly analyze the PC’s registry files and find deeply embedded malware rootkits that function to conceal the malicious software.

I’m not an expert–what I’ve shared here, I learned from Kim Burney’s “DIY Computer Maintenance Guide”, a super easy-to-follow reference and how-to guide to free software tools that keep your PC running smooth and fast. Click the link below to access a free excerpt covering her top recommendation for a proven and free anti-malware software tool you can use to clean off malware from your PC.

Your PC Screen Hangs and you now want to hang your pc right? It’s not a fun experience! The many operating systems that you may be experiencing pc screen hangs are with:

Windows Operating System 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
Windows XP Operating System
Vista Operating System

Of course, there are others that may be causing you freezing problems. Each and every day Americans are faced with problems with their pc such as:

My Computer Is Slow, Internet Explorer Is Freezing Up, PC Screen Hangs, Windows Shutdown Errors, Computer Startup problems, Outlook Express Errors, Windows Media Player Errors, Blue Screen Of Death, Can’t Delete Files, Program Not Responding, RunnDll Errors, Slow Windows Shutdown, Windows Stop Errors, Runtime Error 226, Runtime Error 424, Runtime Error 53, Runtime Error 76 or Bad Registry Sectors.

The two main reasons you are experiencing these computer problems or other related problems are you have spyware on your computer and your windows registry needs cleaning. Is your computer protected and secure 24/7? Have cleaned your windows registry lately or ever?

Your pc is just like any other type of vehicle, it needs to be maintained regularly so that it will perform smoothly and at a fast speed.

For Step 1, we would recommend you delete all spyware from your computer that may be hiding on your computer without you knowing about it. A new threat comes out every day. When your pc becomes infected with any type of spyware, it can gain access to your private information which includes your banking information, passwords and credit card information. Spyware is the main reason why identify theft is at a high percentage lately. It is recommended that you remove any type of spyware immediately and insure it never comes back again using the #1 Spyware Remover online.

You may have learned from CNN News that 90% of Americans who are on the internet daily are infected if they are not protected by the #1 anti-spyware program. After you download the best spyware program, there could still be references of the spyware files on the registry. These references could eventually clog up your pc’s registry causing major damage to your computer’s registry down the road.

So Step 2 for maintenance of your pc is cleaning the registry. The registry is the most important part of your system since it controls everything on your computer. When you add new programs, pictures, documents, files, etc. to your pc, your registry will become cluttered and clogged up from items you do not need on your computer any longer. In order for your pc to run as it should, your registry does need to be cleaned out periodically.

There are many registry cleaner tools and anti-spyware tools online but which ones are the best? Luckily there are 2 magical softwares that will repair these pc hang ups and make sure your computer will increase in speed. These 2 magical softwares are the same name brand softwares that computer technicians run on your computer to fix them and charge hundreds of dollars. So, it’s recommended that you own these softwares so you will never have to call a computer technician again.

Save hundreds if not thousands by performing these two easy steps within minutes.

TV channels on PC or laptops are here to stay. The questions to ask yourself are what are the benefits and do I want to watch it. In other words is it for me. You can have access to over 4000 and some suppliers advertise 6000 TV channels on PCs. When most people read this they think “what a load of rubbish, who can ever want that many channels” . However if you go through a process of elimination and ask yourself how many of those channels am I going to watch, you will find that even if you do not want to watch foreign language movies , children’s programs, arts, animal programs, if you watch TV at all you will still have access to more of that particular genre than what you have now.

Sport is always a good example, if you are interested in a sport that is mainly played overseas it is hard to get coverage, the rugby league world cup is going to be played shortly and many of the cable TV channels will not be showing it live, if at all, however with TV channels on PC you will be able to access it by watching overseas television programs. Some providers are now offering television from over 75 countries. This gives you the advantage of getting a different perspective on world news, world sport and if you are living abroad this is an opportunity to see some of your own movies, sport and news.

This works for minority sports and the main sports. The main golf tournaments are televised but do you get live coverage where you live, not always. Watching TV channels on PC or your Laptop offers flexibility that cannot be matched with a TV, if you want to quickly catch up with the news or the financial markets or see an update on your team you can look on your computer and be located anywhere. Certainly for people who are on business trips, holidays and out of town the chance of catching up on their TV shows is a great idea.

Once you decide there is an advantage in watching TV channels on PC you will want to know the cost. At the moment Satellite TV channels on PC are much cheaper than cable or sky TV and I believe it is only going to get cheaper. Not having to buy any extra hardware makes it very easy to access, there is no downside whilst waiting for the company to put up a dish and make any physical connections.

With the speed of the changes in technology your services will only improve and with competition prices will be kept down. A one off payment is the only cost you should incur. If you are asked to pay monthly charges you are being ripped off. This will entitle you to download the software immediately and again make sure you are being offered all future updates at NO cost. Already during this year alone we are seeing improvements to the quality of the picture and the extra options of radio channels and downloading your own media. TV channels on PC and Laptops is just the beginning, it is convenient, fun and allows you to choose your own form of entertainment.

Overclocking gives your computer an added edge. By overclocking, you push your hardware to be at its ultimate performance. CPUs can often perform more than their official specifications. A 3 ghz can actually run at a peak of 3.3 gigahertz performace. One can safely and successfully push their hardware performance to its fullest. That’s where overclocking comes in.It speeds up your system and provides strong signals.

Although not an absolute, the general rule is, the higher the model, the greater chances of a successful and problem free overclocking. Newer models have more developed parts that are able to run higher than rated speeds and can adjust well to overclocking. A better way to determine if your pc is capable of being overclocked is to find, dowload (for trial and subsequent purchase, but some may be free), and use a software that works at identifying your computer processor.

Getting full specs or information on your hardware can give you clues as to how able your computer peripherals are in adjusting to speed modification and if they are able to endure standing heat. By knowing your pc’s limit you may be able to determine how far you can overclock your computer.

Besides software downloads, much information can be gotten thru internet research. There are numerous overclocking databases online. Most PC websites tackle issues on overclocking. You may also join forums specifically tackling overclocking issues.Most forums nowadays are free for joining. There you are able to glean wisdom from computer enthusiasts who have expert knowledge on overclocking.

Not all hardware can be successfully overclocked. This is most especially true with older computers as their hardware peripherals are not as fully developed and flexible as that of more recent models. Proceed to overclock with great care. Check your computer specs well before overclocking it. Older computers are less able to adjust to speed modification and may experience great problems after being overclocked. When you overclock an unable pc, chances are, you will experiece system data loss, frequent booting problems, frequent system shut downs, frying, crashing, and complete system breakdown. So, know full your computer make up before attempting to overclock it.

Every CPU has a set internal number, it’s called a clock multiplier. Multiply that number with that of the ‘front- side bus’ (the reference clock) and you get the processor’s clock speed. By increasing multiplier settings or only the ‘front-side bus’ or by doing both, one can overclock the CPU. However, CPU manufacturer products often have multiplier locking. This is a measure they take to ensure that the intended speed is run by the processer. When the multiplier is locked, it can’t be changed or modified in the BIOS. They do this foremost to prevent CPU ‘re-markers’ from peddling inferior products expensively. Consequently, overclocking is prevented.

The good news is, not all of them are locked. Manufacturers are now offering product lines which do not have the multiplier locking feature. With these new product series, one only needs to adjust the multiplier from ten to eleven without needing to overclock via front-side bus.

Overclock your computer slowly, a level at a time. Abrupt speed setting changes may cause instant system instability or breakdown. Slow overclocks allow you to have a thorough observation on how your computer is reacting to the modification. Work on each level for a long time to see possible system problems before moving on to the next level. Overclock only when hopes are high for your hardware. If not, just budget for a new one. Else, you may find yourself spending much on repairs.

In a recent article on a major news network website it was reported that child kidnapping has replaced burglaries, robberies, car theft and other crimes in Baghdad, Iraq to become the biggest criminal activity in that city.

Being able to watch satellite TV on PC is going to be the next big craze and this will steadily increase for several reasons. The first reason being that the software you need in order to watch satellite TV on your PC can be easily downloaded from the internet. Also at present only about a billion people are using the internet which equates to about 17% of the worlds population and this means that only 1 out of 6 people in the world are actually surfing the net. But in the future this figure is expected to rise and so given plenty of time the PC satellite TV business should actually grow as well. Below we provide you with just a number of benefits as to why watching satellite TV on PC is a good idea.

1. Software Installation

As previously mentioned the software that you need in order to watch any satellite TV on your PC is easily downloadable from the internet and you therefore no longer need to mess with having to arrange for a satellite dish to be installed.

2. Thousands of Stations

Not only is the software easy to install but also you will find that you get a long list of both national and international TV stations which are offering a host of different programs from sports to news, to entertainment to movies as well as all your favorite TV shows. If you have kids they will also benefit from this as they will find that there are many cartoons they can watch as well as games that can be played online. In order to watch the program of your choice all you need to do is select the TV channel and then your screen will automatically refresh itself and then display the program to it full effect.

3. Can Manage the Channels Easier

As with your TV you can now store the channels by adding them to the bookmarks on your internet browser. The software that you have downloaded also allows you to manage all the channels that you are using. It is very surprising just how easy it is to manage and organize all your TV channels on your PC. Also the software allows you to see each station’s name as well as a description of what it has to offer and any recent updates that have occurred.

4. The Cost

The cost for being able to watch satellite TV on PC is only what you pay for the software. With this method you do not pay any installation fees, monthly subscriptions or pay per view fees. Plus should any additional TV programs being added to the satellite network you will not be charged for these either. So as you can see from above and because it is so affordable the software used for watching satellite TV on the PC has now won many people over.

Anyone who is keen on watching satellite TV on your PC should drop everything and check out the popular TV blog listed in the resource box below.