By Jim Shutes
LapeerTechGroup.com
Spyware has become an epidemic on the Internet. A lot of computer users have Spyware and don’t even know they have it, much less how to get rid of it. If your computer has been taking you to websites that you don’t want to go to, or if you get pop-ups when you aren’t even on the Internet, or if your computer has been running extremely slowly lately, for no reason, you probably have Spyware.
So what, exactly, is Spyware? Spyware is a …

A recent research revealed that 80% of the computers today is infected with these dangerous spyware and most of the users are not aware of it. (Your computer could be infected by now too.) The most dangerous fact is, even though the anti-virus software is running, these software can even pass it and take over your PC.
Have you experienced any of the following?
* Awesome popups come out of nowhere, when browsing the web
* Home page reset to some other site
How can this happen?
- The components installed when viewing certain sites, …

If you’re a computer expert, you’ll probably already know about these tips (hopefully this will provide you with a little reminder). If you’re not an expert, don’t worry – these tips are simple, and don’t require a lot of computer experience.
While an old computer will never operate at the same speed as a newer (and bigger & faster) computer, you can help your computer stay as “young & healthy” as possible.
1) Disk Cleanup
Performing a disk cleanup regularly is a good idea. Whenever you “surf the internet”, open attachments, delete files, …

Spyware, viruses and worms… oh my!
If you are connected to the internet, you need to make sure you get your computer set up properly if you want to avoid problems down the road.
With all the viruses, spyware and other threats on the internet today, no computer should be set up without the proper protection.
And that protection needs to be in place as soon after you hook up your new machine as possible.
The following five steps will make your computer a much harder target for threats. You still won’t be completely …

How do you know if you’re in the bad part of town known as the internet? You know, the place that kind of scares you, takes you somewhere you didn’t expect?
Well for starters, if you’re not seeing the content you are expecting, that’s a start. If you see plenty of obtrusive, and obscene ads, that’s another big hint. It you see a lot flashing, nudity, weird questions, and annoying popups, you’re probably not where you want to be.
How did you …

Spyware is known to be software, or sometimes hardware, that is installed in a computer outside of the user’s knowledge so the spyware can gather information about the users and send it back to the spyware controller. Spyware is generally broken into two categories–surveillance spyware and advertising spyware.
The surveillance form of spyware includes keyloggers, screen capture devices and Trojans all used by companies, private detectives, law enforcement, intelligence agencies and suspicious spouses, among others. Advertising spyware are programs installed along with other software downloads due to activex controls. Many users …

Your computer is as slow as molasses. Your mouse freezes every 15 minutes, and that Microsoft Word program just won’t seem to open.
You might have a virus.
Just what exactly is a virus? What kind is in your computer? How did it get there? How is it spreading and wreaking such havoc? And why is it bothering with your computer anyway?
Viruses are pieces of programming code that make copies of themselves, or replicate, inside your computer without asking your explicit written permission to do so. Forget getting your permission down on …

#1 – Summer Computer Travel
Holiday travelers should be on alert when arriving home from long weekends, such as the Fourth of July, a popular time for computer viruses to spread.
Most computer users have a tendency to turn off their computers when away on trips, which means you’re not getting newly-released anti-virus patches or anti-spyware updates; the two most common areas that cause computers problems. We recommend you update anti-virus and anti-spyware scans before opening e-mail or going online after an extended absence.
We consistently see an increase in calls for virus …