You Probably Need to Change Your Password

By Davey W Miller

In an article that has Change Your Password as part of the title, it's fairly clear what I'll be discussing: that's right, Change Your Password! It's a pain, we dislike it, and with all the various forms that you fill out online, sometimes you just can't remember new passwords every single time! But those are all very very good reasons that each person reading these words should have at least some kind of "tickler" that reminds you to change your password a few times every year.

1. It's a pain to change your password. If you don't change your password frequently, the "bad guys" will find it. And can I tell you something straight up, when they get some very personal information from you, they won't think it's a pain. At all. So change your password before the bad guys get a chance to hack into your system. (And don't think they are not trying even as you read this. They are).

2. We dislike changing our passwords Of course we do. That goes right along with it being a pain.We dislike having someone we don't know remind us that it's time to "change your password." Yeah, yeah, yeah, you say. Sometimes for your own security you need to-repeat after me-change your password.

3. Different forms, different passwords. You can argue all day about the need to keep different passwords to access different online accounts. These accounts range from library to banking accounts to amazon to paypal to ebay. Informational to Financial to pretty much everything in between, people want some information from you. Some may require a short password plus your email account. Others, such as a bank, should require more stronger account and password information. Fortunately, not all passwords or accounts are created equally.

However, there are some really good inexpensive (and free) programs on the market that will help you organize your growing list of passwords so that black hat types can't find you before it's time yet again to change your password.

In my next post, I will discuss tools you can use to help you organize your passwords so that when you do change your password, it will all be recorded.

Davey Miller is a technical writer who loves to tell people to Change Your Password. Yeah, he doesn't get out all that much...

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Easily Stay on Top of Microsoft Driver Updates

By James Cannon

Trying to find all the latest Microsoft driver updates can be a very frustrating and tedious chore if you go about it the usual way, but it really doesn't have to be. Today we have an alternative means for staying up to date with all the latest updates, as well as making sure we're using the best ones for our system.

Drivers are an extremely important part of your PC's performance, simply because they are what make your devices work. With so many different models of all types of components, computers actually only communicate with them on a very basic level. They send generic signals out to a device whose corresponding driver then translates into commands and functions the device understands. Without the correct driver, not only are you missing out on some of the best features a device has to offer, but you are highly vulnerable to errors and system instability.

Unfortunately, drivers are the type of thing where you only know if they're not working properly once a device stops responding or errors start appearing. Add in the fact that tracking down the right drivers that you need has you spending lots of time and energy using a search engine and wading through page after page of useless information, the whole idea of keeping up to date and well optimized seems nearly impossible. But it isn't.

Microsoft driver updates can be tracked easily using automatic driver software. These programs not only make sure your system is the most up to date it could possibly be, they also do standard driver health checks which ensure that you're using the best, official, and most importantly, working, driver for your devices.

Scanning your system and identifying all its devices, these software titles will then make a report based on their findings. From there, you are given the option to download and install the most up to date, official and correct drivers for your system.

So if you've been frustrated trying to find all the latest Microsoft driver updates, give one of these software titles a try. You may be shocked to learn just how out of date your system really is.

For my personal recommendation on which of these titles you should be using, visit today for a free scan and learn just how easy standard computer maintenance can be with the right tools!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Cannon
http://EzineArticles.com/?Easily-Stay-on-Top-of-Microsoft-Driver-Updates&id=2227455

The Blue Screen of Death - Not Good News

By John Mowatt

Some kinds of computer errors will completely shut down your computer. An error of this kind is called a Stop Error for obvious reasons. There are a number of different kinds of Stop error and one quite well known and feared example is the blue screen of death or BSOD for short.

In the case of a BSOD error you will be shown an error code and a message on the blue screen. The error code and the message will help you find a starting point for correction of the problem. A BSOD problem can be the result of either a hardware or software malfunction. A hardware problem is however the most likely cause.

Examination of the BSOD will show the error description such as KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED along with a decimal number error code. The BSOD screen will tell you how to undertake some troubleshooting of the problem under the error details.

This troubleshooting process will tell you to

1. Make certain that any new hardware or software which you have recently installed has been properly installed.
2. Remove or disable the newly added software or hardware item to see if this resolves the problem.

This error description will show the eight digit decimal numbered error code. Four more numbers in parentheses will usually be present and give more information about the error.

Here are some ways you may go about repairing the BSOD errors:

A. The first thing you should do is to use your antivirus program to scan and remove any viruses which could be causing your computer problem.

B. Use a good antispyware application to scan the hard drive for malware. There are good free applications such as SPYBOT or ADAWARE which you can download on the internet to scan for and remove malware.

C. Check the memory sticks in your computer to ensure that your RAM is working properly. If you find any evidence of damage it will be necessary to remove and replace the damaged memory stick.

D. If the BSOD happens soon after you have installed new software try uninstalling the software to see if this resolves the error.

E. If you have just installed or updated a driver use the Device Manager which is installed in your computer to uninstall or reinstall the driver and the update.

Finally if none of the above have corrected the problem there is a good probability that the crash has been caused by a corrupt registry.

The registry is a huge databank which contains all the files used by the operating system to run the computer. Over some time as the computer is used many fragments of data can accumulate in your registry causing it to bcome corrupted. The operating system then has difficulty in accessing the data it requires to run the machine.

As a result the computer runs slow and you should use one of the top registry cleaners to fix registry problems. There are a number of Windows XP registry cleaners available for download from the internet.

A good windows reg cleaner will first offer you a free scan to determine whether or not you actually need to fix registry problems.You can check the results of this absolutely free scan and decide whether or not you want to do registry repair. Actually it is highly advisable to use the Windows registry repair software to do the job for you. If you attempt it manually and remove just one essential entry by mistake you may disable your computer.

A good PC registry repair application will do the job quickly and easily. This is good PC registry repair. We tested several of the popular Windows XP registry cleaners and found that whilst they will all do the job some are much better than others. We found one in particular which provided superior results.

Would you like to have an absolutely free scan of your computer to fix registry errors? Would you like to know which of the Windows XP registry cleaners we found to be by far the best? Check out our website for lots of free information and resources: Computer runs slow

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Mowatt
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Blue-Screen-of-Death---Not-Good-News&id=2213769

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Have Your Computer Been Hijacked?

Google Hijack Virus - How to Remove the Google Hijack Virus
By Jim Marshall

Have you been infected with the Google hijack virus? You are probably aware of the symptoms. You type a specific term into the search engine. When you click on the link you are suddenly redirected to an advertisement site.

At first I thought it was a new tactic from Google to make some extra advertising revenue. But then I quickly learned that it is actually a virus planted on your computer from a malicious party to hijack your system.

Unfortunately it can get worse than simply redirecting your searches. Some strains of the Google hijack virus have been shown to have spyware. What spyware does is use sketchy practices to record sensitive information on your computer. This can include passwords, credit card, bank account, and other private data.

Typically the Google virus will get onto your system through a browser hijacker. Certain sites can secretly take over your browser and infect it without you even knowing about it. This is why it is best to have some kind of real time protection running when browsing the web.

Google Hijack Virus Removal

In order to remove the Google hijack virus, you need to get into the registry. Just a little warning first. Do not attempt to remove or alter registry entries unless you are a COMPUTER EXPERT. If you begin messing with the wrong files you can cause severe damage to your system.

Go into the registry editor by clicking "run" and typing "regedit". Look into the following folders and eliminate any suspicious looking files.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\

HKEY_USERS\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\

Unfortunately the files can take on random names so we cannot predict which they are. But for those of you who have an intimate knowledge of the registry they should stick out.

Remove Google Hijack Virus Automatically

For those who aren't computer experts, there is an easier way. Simply scan your computer with a specialized Google virus removal tool. Follow the instructions and you should be free of the virus in minutes. The software also offers real time protection to prevent future attacks.

Tired of viruses infecting your computer? Want to surf the web with the peace of mind that your computer is safe and secure? Get your free scan from the top virus protection and remove Google hijack virus.

Jim Marshall is an expert computer technician with fifteen years of experience in the industry. Since his own computer was destroyed by malicious software, he has been studying antispyware, adware, and malware systems for years. His website details the comprehensive results of this research, ranking the best antispyware and antivirus programs available.

http://www.spyware-fix.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Marshall

http://EzineArticles.com/?Google-Hijack-Virus---How-to-Remove-the-Google-Hijack-Virus&id=2195938

Online Data Storage Backup - Benefits of Backing Data Storage Online

By Ricky Lim

A lot of people and companies are using online data storage backup these days to make sure that their data and files aren't lost in the event of a disaster. There are plenty of compelling reasons why this option should be taken into consideration, especially if you have a corporation or a small company, or if you need to keep some personal files safe.

The first thing about online data storage backup is that it's a remote solution. That means that the data you backup is kept in a location far away from your own. If there is an accident that damages your files, hard drive or any other equipment in your office, having files secured in another place can be a major bonus.

Burglars, fires, floods and other natural disasters, all have the potential of destroying your local hard drives or backups.

How easy it is to store them is another big advantage. You don't need a place to store all the disks, or invest time in labelling them. You don't have to worry that there will be a power outage or that the server will fail. Instead, all you need to do is to make an account with a company that offers a storage service, getting your security credentials and safely upload the files you want saved.

You can access the site at any time, see the last time you backed up your data, and do another backup if needed. It's quite an easy process, though lengthy if you upload files via a dialup connection.

Then, there is also the easiness of accessing files when you're not at your computer. You can access your files in a secure manner, from any computer in the world, without the need to carry your files around with you. Wherever you are, as long as you have a computer and an Internet connection, those files can be read by you.

For a lot of people, this is a great method to make sure that their important files are kept accessible and safe at all times. If you're an individual, you also have the option of free online storage services, though the space is limited.

Discover the best online data storage backup solutions available. Learn more about remote online backup services.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricky_Lim
http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Data-Storage-Backup---Benefits-of-Backing-Data-Storage-Online&id=2170347

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April Fools Day Makes Fools of Us All

Whether it sneaks up on us unaware or we face it head on with fear and trepidation, the first of April comes and goes every year just like clock work. This year like the last, rumors of catastrophic viral attacks ran rampant for weeks before it arrived. Like many others, I hesitated to log in this morning. Heck, I was nervous about logging in yesterday, after all it was April 1 somewhere on this globe long before my computer clock picked up on the change of date.

Yesterday, I dutifully backed up my critical files to a flash drive, create a restore point in Windows, verified that my operating system and virus scan app were up to date, crossed my fingers and went to bed.

This morning I blissfully logged on and checked my mail before my brain had even registered the date.

Thank God. I'm still here. My computer hasn't blown up in my face and the screen has not turned blue or black.

Another April 1 survived...........so far.