Here are the top three recommendations for PC users, according to Jim Fu, head of several Chicago-area Geeks On Call (www.geeksoncall.com) franchises:
– Keep your Microsoft Windows operating system up to date.
This is done automatically by configuring Internet Explorer to automatically check for and download service pack releases. Go to Internet Explorer’s Tools menu and select Windows Update to automate this process.
– Make sure your computer has enough random-access memory, or RAM.
Insufficient RAM is the leading cause of slow-running PCs. An additional 256 megabytes can be purchased for about $50 at electronics stores.
– Install virus protection and spyware protection software.
Fu said Norton AntiVirus (www.norton.com) and McAfee VirusScan (www.mcafee.com) are the top two virus protection tools on the market, both of which can be downloaded for about $50.
But while viruses have long been on PC users’ radar screen, spyware may have quietly sneaked in and made itself at home on your computer.
“We see some PCs with 10 spyware programs running with a couple thousand trace points operating,” Fu said.
And what is a trace point?
“It’s a tool on people’s computers that reports where on the Internet they are browsing or what they’re typing,” he said. “Marketers use them to identify any type of habits that may exist to build profiles on people for their targeted marketing.”
And where does this information go?
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Almost always to a company that operates, or does business with, some Web site you once visited.
“They’re very crafty about it,” said Fu, who has a master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University. “Spyware is all over the place [on your computer]. To a large measure, they end up using the same tactics.”
But don’t despair. There are remedies:
– Visit www.lavasoftusa.com, where you can download a free version of a program called Ad-aware. It will scan your PC for spyware and clean it off.
Fu also recommends Spy Sweeper (www.webroot.com) which is available as a free, limited-time trial version and costs $30 to purchase.
“The Internet is kind of the Wild West right now,” Fu said.
But if your computer is still having problems after you’ve upgraded your RAM and installed antivirus and spyware-protection software, there’s always Geeks On Call.
It’s an on-site technical support service. You call the toll-free number and a technician comes to your home or office to fix your computer problems.
“We have three technicians in the area and they can handle three or four calls per day,” Fu said.
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