Computer Maintenance & Safety

1. Computer Maintenance & Safety Spring 2014

2. Internet Safety Keeping your computer safe What is a computer virus? • A computer program that can copy itself to spread from one computer to another • Malware (malicious software) is made to damage/disable computers, and or gather personal information What can viruses and Malware do? • Slow down your computer • Freezes the computer • Many pop-up ads • Spies on what you do on the computer • Tries to take money from you • Uses your email to send viruses/malware to your contacts on your address book

3. Internet Safety Keeping your computer safe Where do viruses come from? • Viruses are made by people to: • Steal identities • Gain remote control of your computer • Damage computers • Gain bragging rights How can you protect your computer from viruses/malware? • Firewall • Anti-virus/ anti-malware software • File backup • Being aware of what to click on/download and what not to

4. Internet Safety Keeping your computer safe What is a firewall? • A firewall protects things coming into your computer from the internet • It checks each message coming in and out of the computer for security criteria • Most modern computers come with a firewall already built-in and turned on • Although it is still good to make sure • Don’t go clicking any and everything because you have a firewall- still be mind-full of potential viruses

5. Internet Safety Keeping your computer safe How do I avoid getting viruses? • The most common ways that a computer gets infected is when a person accepts what they see on the screen without reading the prompt or understanding what it is asking • Only download from websites that you trust • Don’t click links on suspicious websites or in email messages • Don’t trust “Clean My PC” Programs

6. Internet Safety Keeping your computer safe Using Anti-Virus Software Tips Microsoft Security Essentials • If the icon is green, your computer is in a good state. Yellow & redare not good. • Anti-virus software that keeps your computer safe from malicious files and programs • Virus definitions need to be updated because new viruses are coming out all the time • Runs all the time and will alert you if it finds a virus Check the castle icon every day This software keeps the viruses out

7. Microsoft Security Essentials

8. Internet Safety Keeping your computer safe Icon Malware Bytes • Finds malware that other anti-virus and anti-spyware programs generally miss, including rogue security software, adware, and spyware. Tip Run Malware & CCleaner every 2 weeks CCleaner Icon • Deletes temporary files, cookies, and download history in browsers • Fixes errors in the Windows registry

9. Internet Safety Keeping your computer safe Important things to know about pop-ups Do not click on ads like this What pop-ups are okay to click on? • Adobe Reader • Adobe Flash Player • Microsoft Silverlight • Internet Explorer • Mozilla Firefox • Windows Update • Java If it looks too good to be true- it most likely IS too good to be true!

10. Computer Maintenance Keeping your computer working well What are the important parts of computer maintenance? • Regularly cleaning your computer (Ccleaner) • Managing files • Fixing frozen programs • Uninstalling programs • Troubleshooting new problems

11. Computer Maintenance Keeping your computer working well Using CCleaner • What are temporary files, cookies, etc. anyway? • CCleaner gets rid of electronic cobwebs, junk that builds up in your computer from use just like dust in your house. Using it keeps your computer streamlined and more efficient. Ccleaner also has other options you can explore. How to use CCleaner Open the Program Choose which option you want on the left Click analyze Click run cleaner You’re done!

12. Computer Maintenance Keeping your computer working well File Management • File management is all about how you choose to organize your computer, where you put files, etc. but some important points hold the same: • Be efficient and save time for yourself • Be consistent • Back up your files in a safe place • Make smart use of the cloud (the internet)

13. Computer Maintenance Keeping your computer working well Fixing frozen programs Using Task Manager Your computer is like a brain-a million things going on at once, only some of which you control. Sometimes your computer will get stuck on something just like your own thoughts might, and task manager can fix that. If a program freezes… Press ctrl+alt+delete Click on task manager Highlight the program and click end task

14. Computer Maintenance Keeping your computer working well Uninstalling a Program • Why should you uninstall a program? • You don’t use it • It slows your computer down • It’s dangerous (viruses) How do you uninstall a program? Open control panel Click on uninstall a program Select the program and click uninstall

15. Computer Maintenance Keeping your computer working well Troubleshooting • So what happens if you get a different problem? This is when you have to troubleshoot and figure it out on your own. If you can articulate the problem, you can search for it on the internet and find answers. Follow the who-what-when-where-why-how model. • In what program does it happen? (Who) • What happens? • When does the problem occur? • Where (in the program) does the problem happen? • Why does the problem happen (what action causes it)? • How does it happen (details)?