Does your PC need professional help?

By Fred Litt, Family Technology Associates 

Using a PC is no longer fun and games. 

Viruses, adware/spyware, and corrupted Windows files can wreak havoc with your PC.  They can slow your PC to a crawl, interfere with your work by continually creating pop-up ads, destroy files, and/or freeze your PC. 

It’s an unfortunate reality is that every PC has become a victim of crime (virus), marketing abuse, (adware/pop-ups), incompetence (poorly written programs) and bad support (randomly changing hardware settings).  Falling PC prices has sadly translated into declining support.  The good news is that most problems can be solved by a PC professional experienced in solving these problems. 

The indicators of a problem include: 

• PC takes long and longer to start

• PC is slow

• PC automatically launches into Windows SAFE mode

• Pop ads appear even when you’re not doing anything

• Programs take long and longer to launch

• The home page of Internet Explorer is a strange search engine – and you can’t change it

• Cannot connect to the Internet

• Windows message indicates you do not have enough memory

• PC will not shut down or restart 

Bottom line: Most problems are caused by uninvited programs that have been loaded into your PC and are either consuming resources or is performing malicious activities. 

Before you call for professional help, here’s what you’ll probably do … 

If you are an adult, you will probably … 

• Look for free advice.

• Blame your kids that their music and games caused the problem

• Start deleting games and music programs, which typically makes the problem worse.

• Purchase an unknown popup stopper program ($39) that continues to pop-up on your PC, which typically makes the problem worse – and now you’re really annoyed that you just wasted $39.

• Work with an uncle, cousin or sibling who will suggest that you change undecipherable PC settings.  After these ‘helpers’ work with you for hours and the problem is not resolved – and you keep calling – they will join the witness protection program never to be found again.

• Call the help line of you PC manufacturer. You will invariably wait 30-60 minutes to speak with someone located offshore.  If they can’t solve the problem in 5 minutes, they will blame your antivirus software, your Internet Service Provider, et al.  They will only tell you to run their recovery software, which may format your hard drive – and you may lose all of your data

• Call you Internet Service Provider (e.g., AOL, Optimum Online, Verizon DSL) – they will blame it on a virus and will tell you to install antivirus software or adware removal program.

• Load as many antivirus programs, firewalls, and adware removal programs as you can find.

If you are a teenager, you will probably … 

• Not tell your parents there is a problem and try to fix the problem yourself

• Ask your classmates for advice

• Download free popup programs

• Load as many antivirus programs, firewalls, and adware removal programs as you can find.

If you are a business, you will probably … 

• Try to install your backup tape – which was never tested – and never works when you need it

Here’s what you should do ...

CALL PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE ASAP - It's time !!!

This article may be reproduced with permission of Fred Litt, Family Technology Associates. Contact Fred at 201-315-4943 fred@FamilyTechnology.com for details.