http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware
Schedule Scan
A schedule scan can help the company, as it will automatically scan and check for viruses, this allows the company time to do other important things.
To create a schedule a full system scan the user must access the systems control panel. The system control panel can be found by clicking on start > Settings>control panel. Once this instruction has been complete, the following page should be displayed.
The User must the double “Click” on the “Scheduled Tasks” Icon. (See image 2.2)
Image 2.2
Once the user has “Clicked” “Scheduled Tasks” a new window will open. Once this window is open the user must now double “Click” the “Add Scheduled Task” icon. (See Image 2.3)
Image 2.3
Next a small window will appear and the user must “Click” next.
After the user has clicked next a now window will appear with a list of programmes. The user must use the scroll bar and search for the programme “Utility Manager”. Once this programme has been found, the user must select this programme and continue by “clicking” “Next” Button. (See image 2.4)
Image 2.4
This picture is the next box here you can chose when you want the scan to take place in this case we want weekly.
Next you need to sat a time and a day that you want the scan to take place in this case we want 10 am and we want to tick Friday.
This screen shows that the scheduled scan has been set up and is ready to go.
The reason why scheduled scan is recommended is because we don’t have time always to run the scan ourselves so we rely on the scheduled scan instead.
Install Service Pack 2 patches for windows XP
A service pack is a collection of updates, fixes enhancements to a software program delivered in the form of a single installable package. Microsoft, typically release a service packs, because the number of individual patches to a given program reaches a certain limit. Microsoft thought that installing a service pack is easier and is less likely to create errors than installing a high number of patches. Service packs update virus protection and makes the security systems better with less glitch.
A patch is a small piece of software designed to fix problems with or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance. Though meant to fix problems, poorly designed patches can sometimes introduce new problems.
Clean- up tools
The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk by searching your disk for files that you can safely delete. You can choose to delete some or all of the files. Use Disk Cleanup to perform any of the following tasks to free up space on your hard disk:
Remove temporary Internet files.
Remove downloaded program files. For example, ActiveX controls and Java applets that are downloaded from the Internet.
Empty the Recycle Bin.
Remove Windows temporary files.
Remove optional Windows components that you are not using.
Remove installed programs that you no longer use.
You can start Disk Cleanup, by doing any of the following:
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.
Another clean up tool is disk defrag
Hard disks are the slowest component in your computer. CPU and memory work much faster than hard disks because they do not have moving parts. Therefore fragmented disks often become a bottleneck of the system performance.
Besides causing slowdowns, fragmentation makes the disk drive heads move too much when reading files which leads to freeze-ups and system crashes. It is important to keep your disks defragmented and optimized as much as possible.
Drive Formatting
Drive formatting will effectively erases all data on a hard drive or storage device in order to provide more storage space. A formatted drive means more available memory is now at maximum and more data can be written on to it. If the drive has been infracted by a virus, then drive formatting is an efficient method of erasing all traces of the virus on that drive, how ever the annoyance of this is unless you have made a back up of the drive all current data will be erased after formatting.
Install and run firewall
A firewall is usual part of an anti-virus package; sadly firewall does not work in the same way. Firewall acts as a virus protection tool. The job role of the firewall is jamming any and all unauthorised access while allowing authorised communication between each other. Its task is to permit, deny, encrypt, decrypt or proxy all computer traffic in a network or while online.
If you are denied access to a certain site multiple times and you know it is secure, you can add this site to an exception list. This list allows it in future.
This is a very efficient tool and should be used in addition to anti-virus software.
(Picture Of Exception List)
Create folders
Creating folders is an easy way to organise your documents. Creating folders can save the user time, as you would know where that relevant document is. To create a folder “click” on start >Documents, right “Click” > new > Folder.
Copy and delete files
Copy and deleting files is simple as creating them all you are doing is moving and getting rid of files that are not needed. To copy a file right click on it and select “Copy” or press Ctrl + C at the same time, then at the desired location, right click again and select “Paste” or Press Ctrl + V. when deleting a file there are so many ways if like me you prefer the short way click on the folder or file that you want to delete, and then press the delete button on the key board. The other way of deleting a file or folder is by right “Clicking” on it and selecting delete. The file or folder that you have just deleted has been put in the recycle bin and will stay there for you to restore it or permanently delete it. The deleted file or folder before it is permanently deleted it will take up its normal storage on the disk.
Back up to CD using compression software
Making hard copies of work in the form of CDs is safe way to keep important files, from unforeseeable threats such as viruses and computer failure; yet, storing massive amounts of files or large files can take up room you will need to create multiple CDs to hold all the information. This takes up more room and also means if you want to access them you will have to do so individually, one disc after another. You can avoid this by compressing your files. Compression is a method of minimising file sizes; a compression tool will compress a file to a fraction of the original size. This is only used only back ups for a reason, thought smaller, a compressed file cannot be opened without extracting it to its normal state.
If you are going to back up daily why not use a rewriteable CD for each day of the week.
I recommend backing up as it will cut out all the stress and worry when something dose go wrong with your system. If anything happens you will know that you would have backed up. Also once you have backed up to any device it needs to be kept in a safe place I would recommend a fire proof safe.
