It seems odd, I know, that we would want to share some of our tools, or “secrets” if you will. However, I’m going to be honest with you. I want you to learn how to fix your own computer. I’m not trying to sound like some saint or what have you, but as computers are becoming more and more popular in both our personal and work lives every bit of knowledge you know will help. All I ask in return is that if you have a problem you can’t solve or if you hear that your company is in need of Salesforce, networking, etc help that you tell them about FourLeaf IT. Our philosophy is to help you, whether it be your personal computer or a plethora of computers at work. We value our relationship with you more than anything else.

So, without further ado, here we go…

Tips:

1. Before anything, back up your most important documents. I personally use a thumb drive and external hard drive for my backups. For most people, the 16 GB Patriot Xporter XT will hold all your documents, etc. If you’re someone that has tons of music, I would recommend purchasing the 1TB Western Digital Element External Hard Drive. Finally, if you’re a company or prefer to have your data stored securely online I highly recommend Mozy as it’s extremely easy to use and relatively inexpensive.
2. Once you have your backup solution figured out, let’s start figuring out the problem. (Note, please skip to #3 if you believe you have a virus or spyware infection)
   1. If this is the first time you’ve encountered the problem, reboot the computer. I know this sounds silly, but restarting your computer solves the majority of problems.
   2. If the problem still exists, take note of the version of Windows and, if applicable, of Office.To get the version of Windows you’re running, go to Start and then Run and then type “winver” (without quotes). If you’re using Windows XP, make sure you have Service Pack 3 installed. If you’re using Windows Vista, make sure you have Service Pack 2 installed.

      To get the version of Office you’re running, go to any Office application (like Word) and then find the “Help” menu and then navigate to “About.” If you have Office 2003, you should have Service Pack 3 installed. If you’re using Office 2008, make sure you have Service Pack 2 installed.

      If you don’t have the latest updates installed on your computer, navigate to the Microsoft Update Center.

3. If you have a virus, spyware, or malware infection you need to annihilate it as quickly as possible. Note that depending on the level of infection, simply installing and running protection software may not completely remove the infection. I will provide the software that we use, with some notes, but do not guarantee that it will help. Additionally, we take no responsibility for any loss of information, etc as we are not physically running the software.
   1. Virus Protection: Avira AntiVir
   2. Removing Fake Antivirus Protection: Fake Antivirus Remover
   3. Cleaning Up and Removing/Preventing Some Spyware: Advanced SystemCare 3
      1. Note, to use the most of SystemCare start from the top center icon and then move to the middle right icon. Be sure to click “Scan” and then “Repair” for each.
   4. Removing Spyware/Malware: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
   5. Another Spyware/Malware Remover: ComboFix (use this program at your own risk)
   6. Quick System Cleaning: CCleaner
   7. Defragmenting: Smart Defrag
   8. Prevention: Windows Defender

So, that’s the majority of the software we use. There are additional tools in our toolbox, but they should only be used by professionals. The most important thing about keeping your computer lucky is prevention which can be achieved by running the programs above on a scheduled basis (once every 1-2 weeks) and keeping them updated. I have personally seen far too many cases were people/businesses believe they are protected, but their virus protection hasn’t been updated or, much worse, has expired.

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