Scanning for virus after the fact does work sometimes

The battle of Spy vs. Spy, wherein the anti-virus manufactures add the signature of the latest virus to their list of no no's and the virus manufacturers who are, after all, only interested in getting you to part with your credit card info, re-write the virus signature, is still never ending.  There is some good news though, Windows 7 and Vista, with their heightened security mode added to a better response time from the A/V manufactures make scanning after the fact an effective method of not having to call a professional.

The process should be to try to manually update you're A/V application. You can do this by clicking on the link, in either the system tray or in the programs group, and looking for the update tab. Then run a virus scan against the entire system, usually the default option. If you can't get a browser open or can't get an update, the infection might be beyond repair but try running the scan anyway. Tech savvy users might succeed by going to another computer and manually downloading the update, transferring it (flash drive maybe) to and subsequently applying it on the infected machine. A/V software programs have either a manual update tab or an "update from file" option.

If that doesn't work AND you have more than one user account on the computer AND that user's data is backed up AND the other accounts can get on the internet when yours can't, delete the account and create a new one for yourself. The virus, restricted yo your old profile will be deleted when you delete that profile.

Leaving a PC on all the time

Today's personal computers are smart enough, out of the box, to turn themselves down after a period of inactivity. LCDs also time out after even faster. Printers, scanners, copiers? Same, same, same. So what are the real costs of a 24/7 on device? Not a heck of lot. Here's a table for showing the annual consumption rate of computer related devices on standby based upon an 11.8 cent KWH (national average):

                        ·         Desktop computer: $6.20

                        ·         Laptop (fully charged): $2.06

                        ·         LCD computer monitor: $1.03

                        ·         Wireless router: $4.13

                        ·         DSL modem: $5.16

                        ·         External USB hard drive: $2.06

                        ·         Computer speaker system: $5.16

                        ·         Inkjet printer: $4.28

                        ·         DVD player: $3.60

                        ·         Powered subwoofer : $15.50

                        ·         Microwave oven: $2.48

On that note.... If you want to measure electricity consumption at your place for any appliance try this device from Belkin and get an accurate reading for your home and device. I bought mine at Amazon for about $30.

Windows 7 Randomly Freezing? 

Microsoft is aware that this is happening in rare instances and has issued a fix that is difficult to get hold of but easy to apply. (This fixes the same issue on a  Windows Server 2008r2, not that you care).

Fill out the paperwork and an email will be sent to you directing you to the download. Microsoft as usual makes hot fixes (that's what they are called) hard to obtain, here's the link. Microsoft . Click on the "View and Request Hotfix Downloads" and you will be directed.

If you need to continuously set the date and time, in all likelihood the CMOS battery need replacing. The battery is, normally a CR2032, buried in visible sight, on the mother board, inside the computer and easy to change out.  Radio Shack and others sell the battery for a few dollars. If the time just loses or gains a few hours even after several resets,then make sure that time zone and synchronize clock are right. Double click on the time display in the system tray and confirm that the time zone is indeed "Eastern" and that the time is being synchronized with an internet web site. I like time.nist.gov but any site in the drop down window is fine.

 I just ordered a sweat shirt from Abercrombie and Fitch for my son. While completing the order, I noticed a box to insert a Promo code. I immediately opened another browser tab and went directly to Fatwallet where I keyed in my search term for the promo code and got a code worth 30% off my order that worked just fine. Try it.

BE AWARE! These discounted purchases are being tracked by organizations such as Revtrax .  Revtrax is marrying your buying habits, your Facebook data and anything else it can find in your cookie cache and selling your buying preferences to the highest bidder. Read on at this Link.

Toshiba Notebook Recall

Toshiba is recalling some 41,000 notebooks. They are Satellite models T135, T135D and Satellite Pro T130. Follow this link for more info Toshiba Website .