Q1.
I installed the anti-virus software
on my PC quite some time ago, and yet I still
get hit with viruses. Why?
A.
Just installing the anti-virus software is not
sufficient. Everyday new viruses are created.
You need to get the latest anti-virus updates,
at least on a weekly basis. A daily update would
be even better. Most anti-virus software comes
with the ability to automatically update, but
you need to turn that feature on. For some software
vendors, there is a charge for the updates, after
a period of time. For others, it is free. It depends
upon which anti-virus software you have. Regardless,
get the updates!
Q2.
We bought our PCs about 3 years ago. They were
very fast in performing their tasks. Now they
run a lot slower. Why?
A.
Over time a number of factors can affect a PC’s
performance. One of the major ones is a crowded
hard drive. If you are running either Windows
2000 or Windows XP, here are two steps that can
help.
Click
on Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.
You will see a list of the software currently
installed. If you recognize a program that you
no longer use, delete it. Warning: if you don’t
know what a program is, don’t touch it.
You might delete a critical item.
Second,
click on Start, Help. In the Search box type ‘defrag’
and click on the search arrow. Instructions will
appear showing you how to defragment your hard
drive. It is not a difficult procedure; you’ll
be surprised how easy it is. Fragmented files
take longer to load, and could be a cause of your
perceived slowness. Defragging should occur on
a regular basis.
Q3. My employees spend
a lot of wasted time “surfing the ‘Net”.
What can I do to curtail this?
A.
Web surfing is the addiction of the Internet-connected.
Almost everyone does it, and it can become a major
problem. There are several options. The first,
of course, is to make them aware that they are
wasting your company’s time, and you would
appreciate their not doing so. If that fails,
you can install web blockers, either on the server,
the router or the firewall that gets you to the
Internet. |
