Like most techs, the number one thing I run into doing Portland computer repair is virus and spyware infection. My friend and fellow computer geek Tad and I were having a conversation the other day, and he mentioned that in all the years he'd done clean ups for other people he'd never personally had a system infected with anything since like 2001, and I was in almost the same boat. Honestly, to avoid virus infection it doesn't take a great virus scanner (although that sure helps), it just takes a few simple precautions:

1. Always keep Windows totally up to date.
2. Rarely (if ever) follow links sent to you in email
3. Use an email service with a good spam filter like Gmail or Yahoo
4. Use Firefox as a web browser and be incredibly picky about which "addons" you install, especially if you're on a strange site
5. Realize that almost nothing is actually free on the web. For "free" screen savers and "free" fonts you usually end up paying a lot in the long run, usually to techs like me to clean up your system.
6. Make sure your neighbors are computer gurus.*

I've talked about (or plan on talking about) the others on the list, so let's start with #1. If you're using Windows, click on the start button,  click on "all programs", the click on "Windows Update" at the top. Install everything it tells you to. Do this about once a week if you know what's good for you.

If you're using Windows XP, click with the right mouse button on "My Computer" (either on your desktop or on the start menu) and select "properties". That will bring you to a screen like this:

Under the "system" heading you see something like "Service Pack 3". If it doesn't say "Service Pack 3" or it doesn't say "Service Pack" at all you're in trouble. There are viruses out there that can infect you directly without you having to click on ANYTHING using Windows exploits that were open prior to Service Pack 3. Go to the Windows Update site and install it now.

If you're using Windows Vista, it should say "Service Pack 1". If not, do the same. 

* - interesting fun fact, if you're on DSL or FIOS for a highspeed network connection chances are you're sharing a single external IP address with your neighbors. Internet providers sometimes put everyone on a local network to save their increasingly valuable network addressable IP addresses. This means that any viruses your neighbors may get have the potential for attempting to attack your system directly and with a lot more success than if you had your own IP. Soooo, basically, if your neighbors have bad internet habits and filthy systems then you're at risk. Just like that one guy coughing his head off on your flight to Tucson gives everyone else the flu. Jerk.

See ya next week!