Remove unwanted startup items:

You might notice one day unrecognized items in your task tray. If you have unwanted items starting with windows it can and will slow down the boot process and they will take up memory.
Do the following:

1. Click on " Start Menu"
2. Click on Programs
3. Click on Startup. (You will find programs in this folder, just delete the ones you do not want to start with windows).

4. Click on "Start Menu"
5. Select " Run"
6. Type in: " msconfig.exe"
7. Select [Enter]
8. Click the " Startup" tab and uncheck any items you don’t want to startup.

Recommended: If you are not sure what it is leave it and do a Google search on it.

Work locally: Do all work off the local hard drive. Your local computer could have more than one hard drive, or be separated into parts, but it is all part of the computer on your desk, as opposed to remote servers, or removable disks. Do not open files directly from floppy disks, or the network drives.

• Copy your work from disk, to a work folder on your hard drive known as the User "Temp" folder.
• Then open it.
• It will work much faster and more efficiently.
• Then copy it back to the source when you are done.

Remove unwanted applications:

Scan for adware and spyware:

In general, you do not want anything that relates to these topics on your computer.

• Adware is basically ads that can be found in programs or on web sites.
• This adware selectively installs tracking software which is called spyware. This software runs behind the scenes and sends information to home.
• It is constantly using your memory, hard drive space and even your internet connection!
• Spyware has been known to stop browsers from working and even rendering a computer useless.

Application: Spybot

Directions:

1. Update this program, immunize, and run it.
2. When it has completed, remove everything it has detected.

Application: Ad-Aware

Directions:

1. Update this program and run it.
2. When it has completed, remove everything it has detected.

Scan for viruses:

For those who do not know by now viruses can render your files useless on your computer and can corrupt your complete system. I do not think I need to go too deep about this.
Use your anti-virus to check your system regularly.
Recommended:

• That you use one of the online scanners to check your system every other month.
• No one anti-virus program will find all viruses but some do a better job then others.

Call us if you experience any of these problems and we will fix it.