Free Computer Clean Up - Maintain Your Computer

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Keep Your Computer Running Smooth
Free Computer Clean Up - Anti Virus Info - Best Free Downloads

Now that you have followed our steps on Cleaning Up Your Computer, there are a few more things you need to do to keep your computer trouble-free and running smooth.

1. Run Regular Updates
If you followed our Computer Clean Up Steps, your computer is now clean, and up to date. But, you will have to keep it up to date. To do so means updating a number of files via downloads on the internet:

Update your Windows Operating System - download the appropriate files, patches, and service packs from microsoft. Downloading and installing such files will ensure that your computer is up to date. Often these files will fix a problem, security flaw, or other weakness in your operating system. You can set up Automatic Windows Updates by going to your Control Panel and clicking on "Automatic Updates". You can also manually connect for an update by clicking on "Start", "All Programs", then click on "Windows Update".

2. Total Anti-Virus Protection
To ensure that you keep your computer virus-free, you will need to scan for viruses on a regular basis - at least once a week. Using a program such as Norton Anti-Virus, you can easily schedule for weekly (or other interval) scans. Simply scanning is not enough.

You should also enable your anti-virus software to actively scan all incoming emails - most software can even connect directly to your email program and scan incoming emails as you receive them (MS Outlook, etc.) Also, set up your anti-virus software to scan incoming downloaded files too - so that files that your download off the internet or via a P2P server are scanned before they can do harm to your computer system.

Lastly, you will need to consistently update your virus definitions - if you do not, your virus scans are virtually worthless. Most commercial anti-virus software programs will give you free virus definition updates for one year, however, after that you will need to pay additional fees. If you do not, you will not be able to download any additional virus definitions and your program will be out of date. Keep up with your virus definitions - most anti-virus applications readily show on the screen the last time the virus definitions were downloaded - so you can see how current they are.

Read more about Anti-Virus Software and how to protect your computer.

3. Read Your Emails with Caution
You will need to change your browsing and email habits to keep from damaging your computer. Even with all the before mentioned steps, you will still need to browse and email with caution. Keep your guard up, because you can still override all of your defenses (without knowing it) and infect your computer if you are careless.

As you browse the internet, if a pop-up window asks to install software or an application asks to be installed, DO NOT DO IT - unless you are certain you want to do so and need to do so. Most of such instances are malicious attempts to infect your computer. Keep a careful eye on what internet sites you are browsing.

Keep en eye on your incoming emails. Watch out for spam - not only is it an annoyance, but much spam contains malicious code or viruses that can ruin your computer. Do not open email from senders that you are unsure of. Be specifically cautious about email attachments - absolutely do not open any attachments from senders you do not know.

4. Browse the Internet Safely
Downloading files from the Internet can feel like playing a game of chance. You never know when you're going to encounter a file that damages your system. While the possibility of that happening is relatively slim, getting to know some of the security features in Internet Explorer 6 and keeping your PC protected will help you make informed decisions and avoid putting your computer at risk.

A file you download from the Web—for example, a game, a picture, or even a program—can be just what you bargained for, or it can be a vehicle for more malevolent intent. For this reason, Internet Explorer has stepped up its scrutiny of any file you begin to download, open, or save from the Web. Internet Explorer checks to see whether the file is the type of file it says it is and provides strong warnings if there are irregularities in how the file describes itself or if there seems to be a potential for harm based on the particular type of file (as shown in the following image). Internet Explorer also offers more concise information to help you understand the implications of opening or saving a file.

Make sure your security settings on Internet Explorer (the browser of choice for most users) are set adequately. Browser-based attacks occur when a user goes to a Web page that contains hidden code intended to sabotage a computer or compromise privacy.

A common method of attack involves phishing with e-mails that link to a malicious Web server. Many firewalls don't help because the attacks happen after the user clicks on the link. Traditional firewalls examine traffic coming into the network, but guarding against browser attacks requires that traffic leaving the network also be inspected.

To access security settings you click on Tools on the menu bar, then Internet Options on the pull-down menu. Then click on Security. Internet Explorer categorizes sites as Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Site, or Restricted Site zones. You can adjust settings for each or use the Default Level button for pre-defined security settings from Microsoft.

Avoid illegal sites, because that's where most malware is present.
Don't click on links inside popups.
Don't click on links in spam messages claiming to offer anti-spyware software; because most of these so called removers ARE spyware.
Download free software only from sites you know and trust. Because a lot of free software can bundle other software, including spyware.

5. Back-Up Your Important Files
There are many ways you can unintentionally lose information on a computer. A child playing the keyboard like a piano, a power surge, lightning, floods. And sometimes equipment just fails. Even hard drives will eventually fail.

If you regularly make backup copies of your files and keep them in a separate place, you can get some, if not all, of your information back in the event something happens to the originals on your computer. There are many efficient back up solutions to help you protect your files. External hard drives, burning CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMS, Zip Drives, Network Drives, are a few examples of back-up devices.

Deciding what to back up is highly personal. Anything you cannot replace easily should be at the top of your list. Before you get started, make a checklist of files to back up. This will help you determine what to back up, and also give you a reference list in the event you need to retrieve a backed-up file. Here are some file suggestions to get you started:

• Bank records and other financial information

• Digital photographs

• Software you purchased and downloaded from the Internet

• Music you purchased and downloaded from the Internet

• Personal projects

• Your e-mail address book

How many days worth of information could you afford to lose if your computer crashed? What about if your office or home burned down? What about if most of your city was wiped out by a tornado or a flood?

The answers to these questions will tell you how often you should do a backup, and roughly where you should store them.

The computer crash one is for your most frequent backup - usually a daily backup, stored in your office or home.

The office-burned-down is for your next most frequent backup, usually a weekly backup stored in a secure place in another building - possibly a friend's place, or a friendly business whose backups you store. (Exchange backups each week.)

The final is often a monthly or six-monthly backup, and is stored somewhere distant - and in some cases, isn't done at all. It's a matter of choice, and what risks you want to take.

Any backup plan is simply a way of controlling risk. You risk losing a day's, a week's, a month's or a year's data - instead of risking losing it all. When devising your backup plan, think about how much risk you are willing to take.

Check out the latest back-up solutions.

By following our steps above and the How To Clean Up Your Computer instructions, you should be able to keep your computer running for a long time.

Anti-Virus Info - How To Maintain Your Computer - Best Free Downloads
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