Many issues with computer speed do not need professional repairs; a simple change of machine settings and some easy clean-up activities can increase the rate of computer functions.  Before seeking additional help, try taking the following actions that are basic ways to speed up your computer:

1) Reduce the number of start-up programs.  Unessential programs may be launching every time the computer is started.  Only allowing necessary ones to open will increase PC start-up speed.  You can manage this directly from your machine or download available programs to aid you in the process.

2) Regulate the number of desktop icons.  Littering the screen with too many of these icons consumes space, decreasing speed of performance.
Stop using screen savers.  These files take up a large portion of space, impeding more important tasks.

3) Eliminate theme sounds on your desktop.  Like screen savers, audio files occupy a significant amount of space that slow down your other projects.

4) Decrease the bytes of color and number of pixels on your display.  The lower settings of these are hardly detectable to the eye but will slightly increase the operating speed of your machine.  If you wish to open or run something where better color or more pixels would be beneficial, then temporarily increase the quality.

5) Defragment files on your hard drive (files are originally stored on your hard drive in various places by clusters). Regrouping the files will allow the computer to read files faster. A fragmented file must be reassembled every time it is accessed, decreasing its opening speed.   Defragmentation takes a bit of time, but it will run on its own once started.

6) Delete unnecessary programs and files.  An application that is never used employs valuable space on your computer and slows down computer activity.  Temporary files are also undesirable and can be cleared from your machine.  On a PC, Windows Disk Cleanup can perform this for you.

These regulatory activities and simple changes to settings can advance the speed of your machine without professional consultation.  However, some issues are more complex and require additional expertise. In this case, go to TalkLocal to find high quality computer repair businesses near you. In a matter of minutes, TalkLocal can connect you directly to a repairman that can fix your problem.

Most people keep lots of personal information in their inbox, so a hacked email account can cause a real headache.  Sometimes hackers will sell your information or use it to steal money from you directly.  Even if they can’t find valuable information in the emails, hackers will often send an email to your entire contact list asking for money.  In a common scam they impersonate you and claim you’ve been robbed while traveling, and thus are desperate for money to get home.  Often gullible friends and family will fall for the scam.  Hackers can also lock you out of your account, keeping you from accessing your contacts or emails.

How to Protect Your Email Account:

1.  Have a strong password. Use a combination of letters and numbers.  Don’t use the name or birthday of a loved one because it is easy to guess.

2.  Have a difficult security question.  Most people want to make sure they won’t forget the answer to their security question, so they select one with an obvious answer. The downside is that other people will also know or be able to guess the answer.  Make the question about something personal and private.

3.  Keep your password to yourself.  Don’t tell your password to anyone, and don’t write it down anywhere easily accessible to other people.

4.  Avoid “phishing emails.”  Some hackers send emails to try and trick you into giving them your password.  Sometimes they’ll impersonate the administrator of your mailing account and prompt you for your password.  Other times they’ll send you emails promising you that you’ll be able to hack someone else’s account after you sign into to their mail server using your email ID and password.  There is no such mail server, and your email administrator will never ask for your password over email.

5.  Avoid spyware.  Spyware can secretly run on your computer and record all your keystrokes and screenshots.  So if you type in your password, a hacker would be able to access it.  Try to always use your email account on your private computer, and make sure that you have a good anti-malware program.  If you have any questions about which malware program is best for you—or want to get rid of a virus—use TalkLocal to find a computer repairman near you.  If you are using a public computer—like in an internet café—you can use clicks on the mouse to confuse hackers.  For example, if your password is t4et155ress (an example of a secure password) you can first type “115”. Then click your mouse to the start of the text and type “t4et”; then click to the end of the text and type “ress.”  Even if the computer has spyware on it, the hacker will not know your correct password because spyware usually records keystrokes, not movements of the mouse.  This trick can be a bit of a nuisance, but it is a great precaution to preve your email doesn’t get hacked

If you do all these things your email information should be safe.  But if you ever find that your email has been hacked, you should immediately report it to the administrators of your email account and alert all your contacts so they do not fall prey to a scam.  If you have lost any emails or data, TalkLocal can help you retrieve those as well.

How to Protect Your Computer from Viruses

Is your computer safe?  Could you be doing more to protect your computer?  Is your system vulnerable to viruses?

Viruses are a total nuisance. Viruses may just slow down your computer, but they can also tamper with your data, and even shut down your computer entirely.  Here are 5 ways you can protect yourself from computer viruses.

1.  Make sure you install a good anti-virus program and update it often.  Hackers develop new ways to infect computers on a daily basis, so if your anti-virus program isn’t current, it won’t protect you from new threats.  If you have any question about which anti-virus software is best for you, just use TalkLocal, the best way to get computer help locally.

2.  Don’t open attachments on emails from people you don’t know—these attachments can give a virus access to your system.

3.  Be cautious about opening all attachments, even from people you know.  Don’t open an attachment if the subject or content of the email seems fishy.  If the person’s email account has been hacked, it’s likely that the hacker that infected them is trying to infect you too.

4.  Only download software from reputable, trust-worthy websites.  Online downloads can be Trojan horses for viruses.

5.  Make sure to back up your data often on an external drive of some sort.  This way, your files are safe even if your computer does get infected.

These tips are good general rules to live by, but they by no means constitute a foolproof way to keep your computer virus free.  Hackers are smart, and even if you follow all of these tips you may still have a virus.  If that happens just use TalkLocal—the easiest way to find local computer repair.