the.computer.bugg

Temporary Email address

2008-06-07T07:22:00.002-06:00

Ever wonder how spammers got your email address? In many cases, YOU gave it to them. You go to a web site that asks you to register before you can enter or use their advanced data. Part of the registration is your email address. The owner of the web site has just harvested your address and can sell it to spammers.

Not every web site does this, but enough of them do.

Now you can protect yourself by using temporaryinbox.com

Just make up an address on the fly- xyz@temporaryinbox.com and use that to register. then go to www.temporaryinbox.com . Once there, you can retrieve your registration email, and away you go. Whatever address you use is then deleted from their server, and any spam is just lost.

The site works on Donations, so I you like it, send them a few bucks

New version of AVG Anti-virus

2008-05-26T10:02:00.004-06:00

Users of AVG 7.5 Free have been getting warnings that AVG 7.5 will be discontinued. This is true. It also appears from the warning, that you have to pay for the new version 8. This is NOT TRUE

You can download a Free version of AVG 8.0 by going to http://free.grisoft.com .

The new version has more features than the old, and is easier to use. Most notably, the new version contains an Anti-Spyware component. This is good because, in the last few years, spyware has become more of a problem than viruses.

For questions, email me at info@thecomputerbugg.com.

Free Security Scan

2007-08-21T08:03:00.000-06:00

Is your computer as protected as it can be? Do you even know? One of the most important things to do to keep your computer save is to have the latest versions of software on your computer. Specially software that interacts with the web.
There are notices all over the place for "Free" scans of your computer. Beware! Many of these companies show many false positives and make your computer look worse than it is and then ask for money to fix it.
I have found a company that will to an honest scan for Free. Their name is Secunia and the link to their free scan is http://secunia.com/software_inspector/ . When you get there, click the Start Now button.
You will end up with a list of recommendations of software on you system that are vulnerable and instruction on what to do about it. I suggest you run this test every couple months. And it's FREE.
Contact me if you have any questions.
ken

Recovery Disks for your Computer

2007-08-21T07:30:00.000-06:00

Ok, you have just unpacked that shiny new computer you bought from the local big box computer store or that online company. You plug it in, turn it on and everything is great. Away you go enjoying your new toy.
Fast forward a couple years and you start having problems. Maybe a virus has slipped through your anti-virus protection or a nasty piece of adware that has taken over your computer and turned into a porn machine or has filled your screen with offers to remove the ads, for a fee.
Sometimes the best solution, at this point, is to just start over. Restore your computer to the state it was when you bought it. This is the job of Restore Disks.
In the past, when you bought a "Brand Name" computer you received a box of backup CDs with copies of all the software that was installed on your computer. Not any more. In the effort to make computers more affordable, companies have been cutting costs and cutting costs and cutting costs. One of the things they have eliminated are Restore CDs. They have put the restore files on a separate partition on your hard drive. The problem with that is, when you finally decide you need to use it it's often too late to run a restore from your hard drive. And in order to do a restore, you have to buy a restore disk from the manufacturer, and hopefully , they still support your system and allow you to buy one.
In most cases you can head off that problem before it occurs. Most companies allow you to make your own restore disk from the files on the restore partition. Look through the programs in your start menu and look for something that talks about making system restore disks. You will need several CDs, maybe 10 or 1 to 3 DVDs to complete the process. Follow their instructions to make you own restore disk set.
The important thing is to do it now while your system is running smoothly. Don't wait until you start to have problems.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
ken

Fight Spam - Use a disposable email address

2007-03-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Some web sites collect and then sell email addresses to spammers. Be suspicious of sites offering anything FREE or requiring you to register and supply an email address to gain access. Also be wary of sites offering to send a joke or picture to "10 of your friends". My favorite way around this is to use a "disposable" email address.

Get a free email address from places such as: Hotmail, Yahoo, Netscape or others. Use this address when filling out online forms that request an email address. When that address starts filling up with spam, simply abandon it and create another one to use.

FREE anti-virus software

2007-03-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

I have been using and recommending AVG anti-virus software for over 3 years now. I use it on all my personal computer and install it on all computers I build. You can download it for free at: http://free.grisoft.com