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THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF MUSEUMS

GETTING THE BEST FROM YOUR COMPUTER

INTRODUCTION

Surfing the internet can be great fun and quite rewarding, it offers help and information across a wide range of topics and subjects. However, many first timers and computer novices often fall foul of all manner of strange and sometimes very damaging bits of software and code which they allow onto their computer either by accident or because they are unaware of how to protect themselves.

Always ensure that whatever kind of computer you are using you have up to date anti-virus protection and a firewall installed and running (Windows XP has its own firewall - but there is no harm in running another one too, like Norton) - some people simply assume because the software is on their computer it runs automatically - please make sure that is the case, don't leave it to chance or you may regret it.

This page offers a few websites you can visit not only for information, but for tools which can help you keep a check on your computer and help guard you against some of the worst types of malicious software.

However, a word of caution, be wary about downloading and running anything you do not understand - if in doubt ask someone to assist you. And always, always read instructions carefully and follow them closely.

Always make sure you download and install updates - especially security updates for Windows, and updates to your Anti-Virus and other protection programmes. There is little point arming yourself with these tools if you do not keep them up to date. The new Internet Explorer 7 from Microsoft is an improvement on the previous version and has some additional helpful tools - although like any other software, knowing how and when to use them is the key. You can set your computer either to notify you of when new updates are available, or to download and install them for you automatically.

Once you have a problem it can often be difficult, time consuming and costly to sort it out. When you've been through it, you become a little paranoid and end up arming yourself to the teeth with as much protection as you can manage!

I have developed a personal checklist which I rigidly run through every day. The first thing I do once my computer has been switched on is to ensure that all my firewalls and anti-virus software are running. Believe it or not, there are times when a programme can fail to 'initialise' (start) and this can leave you vulnerable. Then before starting work on anything at all, or opening any connections or files, email etc., I manually check for updates to all my security and virus software, including Windows updates. Most times there are no updates, but at least I know I am up to date before beginning work.

As I am on broadband I have set my temporary internet cache/memory to clear itself as soon as I close my browser. This helps get most things out of memory which might prove harmful. I also run a quick spyware scan. And at least once a day run a quick system anti-virus scan. At night, before closing down, I back up all of the day's work to a second drive and then run full scans for spyware and viruses. Yes, it sounds paranoid - but when you have lost data or had a virus, no matter how easy it is to remove, you really do want to stay on top of things!

MICROSOFT LIVE ONE CARE - Free Safety Scanner

This is by far one of the best free tools Microsoft have made available to Windows users. The scanner allows you to scan your computer for viruses and for spyware, as well as checking and sorting out any registry problems it finds, and then creating a restore point in case of any problems. Opt for the Full Scan, although if you have a large hard drive full of stuff it may take a while and as it scans over the internet connection you can't surf at the same time, so set aside some free time to allow it to do its work. It guides you through the scans and gives a detailed report on what it finds. At the end it will ask if you want to install the scanner or just run it the one time - I suggest opting for the one time, and then going back once a month to re-scan again. A really useful free tool well worth using.

LAVASOFT - AD-AWARE - Free Spyware Scanner

There are many websites and tools for dealing with Spyware (bits of software that get put onto your computer, often without your knowledge to gather information about you, sometimes benign, sometimes more serious). Lavasoft's product is called Ad-Aware and they have a FREE version of it for download from their website.

NORTON SECURITY CENTRE - Free Virus and Security Scan

Everyone it seems has their own personal favourite amongst the many anti-virus and security programmes available today, be they free or purchased. Because of this it would be wrong to recommend one over another. However, Norton does have a security area from which you can run a free anti-virus and security check of your PC on-line. Again, this is a useful tool and it is free of charge.

THINK BROADBAND - Speed Test

This is a great independent site for UK users new to the internet and broadband who want to know some of the basics. They have a good news section and explanatory guides, as well as a number of forums and ISP (internet service provider) comparisons. They also have a great FREE tool to check the actual speed of your internet connection (click on the Speed Test link and follow the instructions). Always handy to use if you feel your connection is not behaving as it should and you want to check its download and upload speeds. It also gives you the option to rate your ISP, so you can say whether they, and the service they provide you, are good or bad.

BROADBAND CHOICES - Usage Monitor

Ever wanted to know just how much material you are downloading from the web? Worried about overstepping the limits imposed by your Internet Service provider? Well this site has a FREE tool which monitors how much you use so you can keep track of your usage and avoid having your connection restricted or worse yet, having to pay for any usage over and above your ISP's limits. The monitor is easy to use and just sits in the icon tray (next to your clock) and simply adds up all the usage - nothing else, so there is no need to worry about it tracking your movements or reporting information on you. The programme is very small and takes next to no memory to run, it just sits in the background doing its adding up. And you can even set it for a weekly, monthly or yearly amount of usage with warning bubbles and sounds - so you need never worry again about going over the limit.

Disclaimer

This page is for general information only. Views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and not BAFM. No liability or responsibility is accepted by either the author or BAFM for any views, opinions or advice given here.

There is a lot of help out there on the internet and lots of sites dedicated to keeping your computer up and running. The best advice is to exercise caution and to ensure you understand what the programmes on your computer are for, what they do, and how to keep them up to date and running smoothly

If you are in any doubt or unsure about any aspect of your computer or the software on it you should consult a qualified technician, company or expert before embarking on any changes to the operating system or software.

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