Another Day With My PC

Do you ever wonder why your computer seems to be doing something even if you’ve already finished using it?

While you may think that something’s fishy is going on when your hard drive or DSL light blinks on you even when you haven’t touched the keyboard for quite some time already, your PC may actually be doing something that’s completely legit albeit without your permission.

Legit?

Take for example auto updates. Many programs update themselves automatically whenever you’re connected to the Internet. Windows XP and Vista are well known for this. There are many other programs that update themselves without prompting the user for each download session. Hence, do not be surprised why the hard drive and DSL lamps on your PC keep on flashing.

This doesn’t mean that you should smile whenever your PC seems to be working overtime. We all know that malware works undercover. Hackers take time and effort to make sure that their creations are as invisible as the latest bomber of the US Air Force.

As the saying goes, though, no bad deed goes undetected and unpunished. There are many ways by which you could check if malware is slowly taking over your system. If you’re observant enough, you could detect the presence of unwanted programs even without an antivirus’ sirens.

Circumstantial Evidence

While flashing DSL and hard drive lamps on an idle PC is not a concrete sign of spyware or virus infection, you could reasonably presume that something quite smelly is going on inside your unit. Many types of malware need Internet access so that the hacker or other malicious programs could access the host unit. Every upload and download, then, would naturally trigger the DSL light. Data are also being transported in that process. Hence, your hard drive lamp would most likely be flickering signs of impending doom.

Blinking lights are not sure gauges malware activity. However, they could help you in detecting them. Hence, antivirus and registry cleaner programs are still indispensable. Even if you develop a very good nose for sniffing viruses out, you would definitely need help in eradicating them.

The Internet has definitely revolutionized the way files are being shared or transferred. Gone are the days when you have to rely on FedEx or DHL to send important files or programs to another person who’s residing on a different continent.

While the process has indeed become much simpler and easier, it has also become less secured. File repositories don’t usually check the data that are being sent to them for storage. The task of ensuring that they are clean, then, falls upon those who will be downloading them.

Don’t just download anything on the Web even if the link or file comes from a trusted friend. Who knows, that friend of yours might have gotten the file from somebody who has 10 for an IQ on PC security, or worse, has an IQ 150 for malware dissemination. Always scan the files or programs that you hoard from the Net. If the program that you’ve downloaded doesn’t do anything when you click on its icon but your hard drive lamp is flickering like crazy, then that’s a sign that something fishy is going on. Conduct a full system scan right away.

Are you unhappy with your current operating system?

Changing the program that calls the shots in your computer is not as simple as installing and uninstalling regular applications in your PC. Aside from the fact that an OS is probably the largest tenant in your hard drive, every program’s existence also depends on it. Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not discouraging you from changing OS. All I’m saying is that there are many things to consider before you decide to make an upgrade or make a switch.

Is Your Hardware Tough Enough?

The first thing that you have to consider is your hardware. If the unit you’re currently using is being powered by a Pentium II processor and is still running on Windows 95, then you should shelve your plans of installing Vista in it. Units that are more than two years old probably do not have the strength and stamina to carry Vista on their shoulders. Adding a few memory modules and overclocking your processor might do the trick, though. However, you may just be speeding up its demise by doing so as overclocking could fry or wear out the chip and the motherboard.

Will Your Old Apps Work?

The second thing that you have to consider is your existing applications. There are some programs that might not work with the new (or old) operating system. If you’re bent on keeping your old applications, make sure that there are drivers available for download that would make them compatible with the OS that you intend to install. You could check the Web site of your software’s manufacturer for drivers or patches. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of rummaging through links or pages for the driver that you need, then you may want to install or subscribe to a Web service that does this dirty job for you.

Oil and Water

Another thing to consider is compatibility. I guess by now you already know that Macs and PCs are like oil and water – they simply don’t mix. This is very important especially if you’re constantly trading files or collaborating with somebody on a particular application. It would be pointless to have an OS which would not allow you to do tasks with others. You’ll be a virtual untouchable in school or in the office if you use an OS that is incompatible with the one that the majority uses.

While an operating system is classified a program, it’s in a class that is separate and distinct from all the other applications. Your computer’s performance depends on the OS that it is running on. So choose wisely.

Talk about timing or coincidence. While I was giving a short discourse as to what ActiveX is and the possible dangers that it may bring, Symantec and Microsoft were already giving advisories on the recent spates of malware infection caused by the ActiveX control for the Snapshot Viewer made for Microsoft Access.

Symantec reported that the attacks are being perpetrated through a toolkit that could be used even by novices. The fact that this program is being disseminated on the Internet aggravates the problem.

Microsoft’s security advisory on the matter revealed that the ActiveX trap are set by creating bogus Web sites that seem harmless or legitimate. Upon accessing the infected page, the user would be prompted that an ActiveX control needs to be loaded in order for the site to be displayed properly. Once the malicious ActiveX control is allowed to run, the hacker would then be able to use or access the unsuspecting user’s PC to execute damaging codes or instructions.

Microsoft has yet to release the patch that would cover the problem. Until then, be wary of the Web sites that you visit. If you can’t stop yourself from checking the page, then at least refrain from acting on the ActiveX prompts that you get.

There used to be a time when Web sites were as exciting as your newspaper’s business section. There were hardly any picture on the Web pages back then and interaction was limited to the e-mail address of the webmaster. Surfing the Web 10-15 years ago was like browsing through huge post its!

Web page design has come a long way since then. Text-only Web pages are already relics of the past. Nowadays, you could hardly find any site that has no pictures, videos, or graphical options or controls which allow you to interact with the page. All these would not have been possible if Microsoft had not created ActiveX.

What is ActiveX?

ActiveX is an innovation by Redmond which allows programs to be executed and/or loaded on the Web Site. The codes that ActiveX execute enable the surfer to interact with the page as it gives him a variety of options as to how he could wander about in the site. Take for example your favorite NBA team’s Web site. Whenever you visit their page, you’ll almost always be prompted if you would want ActiveX controls to be executed. Click “yes” and you’ll be presented with a wide array of features, such as being able to vote for your favorite player or view the highlights of last night’s game. Click “no” and you’ll be stuck with a page that doesn’t have much flare to keep you from leaving after 10 seconds.

Is it Dangerous?

While ActiveX controls make the waves we’re surfing on more interesting, it could also make them very perilous. Take note that ActiveX works by executing codes embedded on Web pages. If the codes contain malicious instructions, then you’ll probably be spending your next weekend reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling all your programs and files, that is if you were able to back up all of your precious data.

You should therefore be very cautious in clicking the links that you see. If the URL seems dubious, don’t click on it. If you have the curiosity of a cat, then at least don’t immediately run the ActiveX controls of the page when you’re prompted for it. Examine the index page first before you respond to prompts or queries.

Install Safeguards

While Internet Explorer prompts you if a Web page wants to execute or run an ActiveX control, thereby keeping you safe from malware infection, such feature doesn’t provide you with an adequate security or safeguard. Malicious codes usually target the Windows registry first. Hence, investing in a registry cleaner is imperative. Hackers have more than one ingenious method by which you could be tricked into running a malicious ActiveX control. If you do fall for those, your registry cleaner and antivirus would be there to catch you.

Do you involuntarily utter expletives whenever you encounter an error message by XP and Vista?

People’s reactions toward OS warnings vary, ranging from subliminal mental shocks to near out-of-the-body experiences reported by first time Windows users. While the reactions may seem a little bit exaggerated, you would definitely experience one or both when your computer holds precious files or data that could spell the difference between reading the morning paper for the headline and reading the dailies for job vacancies.

Do not mistake the panic button for the “ok” button plastered on the error message. Windows isn’t trying to scare the wits out of you whenever it coughs up messages that tell you that it isn’t feeling well. It’s not a notice or forecast that’s in the same category as that of Nostradamus’.

The proper attitude in dealing with Windows error messages is to calmly read (yes, error messages are meant to be read) the contents of the pop up. Note them down, especially the error message number, and go through your operating system’s manual for an explanation as to what it is and how it could be remedied.

No matter how many antivirus and anti-spyware programs you install in your system, there will definitely come a time when your OS would greet you with a not so pleasant message. Whether or not your system would recover from the problem that Windows just informed or warned you about would depend on how you initially react to it. A system crash might be inevitable if you panic. There’s no reason to call 911 in many of these cases. Answers and solutions abound. Browse your manuals for answers or type the error message and/or number in Google.

Hmmm I wonder what that does

While I’m definitely curious about that key, I don’t have the habit of pressing any or all the links that are pasted on the Web sites that I visit. We all know that bogus sites are rampant these days, and obliging to any of the come-ons on the pages that we view could be disastrous.

You may contend that your antivirus and other security tools allow you to press on any link with impunity. However, security programs are not absolutely impregnable. There are times when the user has to participate in manning the tower once in a while, especially when checking on links or opening programs that have dubious origins.

It’s true that everything has almost been taken from the hands of the user as far as PC maintenance is concerned. Almost. That tiny percent that has been left for us to do is by no means inconsequential. Sometimes, that ordinary prudence of checking or scrutinizing the page or file could very well be the thread that separates you from malware infection.

Many users and experts bill Windows XP and Vista as complete packages. It seems that Microsoft has already integrated countless tools and programs in its operating systems that would ensure its viability and survival for years to come. Among the various types of applications that Redmond bestowed upon its two most popular programs are sets of security and optimization tools.

As far as malware protection is concerned, users wonder if there’s even a need to buy third-party software for security. Service Pack 2 barbed-wire XP with a good and decent firewall, while the downloadable Windows Defender and Malicious Software Removal Tool proved to be good antivirus and anti-spyware tag team partners.

Optimization under XP and even its current successor, Vista, has also already been taken cared of. Defragging hard drives costs nothing as such tool comes for free on Microsoft’s operating systems. You don’t have to buy a disk fixer, too, as ScanDisk is already integrated in the programs.

The Missing Link

Despite the integration of such applications, Vista and XP are still vulnerable to malware as both lack one very important security and optimization tool – a registry cleaner.

One should not belittle the role that registry cleaners play in keeping PCs in tip top shape. In case you don’t know, many system slowdowns are caused by clogged registries rather than by cluttered or scattered files on hard drives. The fact that your operating system always refers to the registry whenever it runs programs impels users to install a good registry cleaner in order to ensure that access to it is unhampered.

Don’t just rely on the freebies that Microsoft throws at its operating systems. Be prudent enough to fortify those free apps or fill in the holes or gaps with third-party security suites. The first thing that you should install is a registry cleaner as Vista and XP do not have one. RegCure is highly recommended by many specialists and users. Try it.

As computer literacy continues to rise among kids ages 7 and below, I can’t help but wonder if we’ll still see kids playing out on the lawn this summer. Many children are now into online games, preferring to play with other kids on the Internet rather than on the streets.

I’m not sure if this trend could be immediately curbed. The fact that everything can be or is already being done on the Internet makes parents quite adamant in slowing down their children’s curiosity towards the PC. I agree.

While it is indeed wise to allow our kids to explore the Internet, we must ensure that their online time or experience is not hampered by bothersome pop ups or computer hiccups. Kids do have very short patience and a little glitch could make them shun the PC and hit the TV instead. Install PC safeguards, such as an antivirus program and a registry cleaner. This would definitely make their surfing time safe and seamless.

If you’ve been an avid reader of this blog, then you definitely know by now that defragging is a must. Arranging files in their proper order could definitely optimize your PC’s performance as this would decrease the amount of time that your hard drive’s read-write heads have to look for the files that your programs need.

While defragging is desirable, running your defrag on a daily basis might be a little bit too much already. While hard drives these days are built to outlive your dog or cat, constant defragging could stress it out. Although I’m quite certain that it could bear the stress, I don’t think that you could bear the wait. Depending on the number of files or programs that you have in your primary storage device, the process could take anywhere from a few minutes to around an hour.

So, how often should you defrag? Well, it depends. If you have tons of files or programs in your hard drive and you constantly add or erase many of them, then regular defragging is a must. Once or twice a week would already do. However, if you rarely add or remove any file in your hard disk, then a daily session of this optimization method would already be overkill.

• Jul 21 : Does Blinking DSL and Hard Drive Lights on an Idle PC Mean Malware Infection?
• Jul 18 : Be Wary When Downloading Files on the Internet
• Jul 16 : Things to Consider Before Changing OS
• Jul 14 : Alert Up for Microsoft Access ActiveX Strikes
• Jul 9 : What is ActiveX? Is it Dangerous?