Questions and Answers

So do I need a service?

A Computer repair and a computer service are quite simply two different things. The idea behind a Computer service is to prevent you needing a computer repair, especially when you need your computer the most. Quite simply your computer is like a car it needs regular maintenance, not only to keep it running smoothly and efficiently but also to keep you safe!

When should I have it serviced and how often?

Your Computer should be looked at by a professional at least once a year depending on your usage maybe twice, or whenever you feel it is starting to run slowly or do strange things! If you have never had it serviced and you have had it for more than a year then you should get it looked at as soon as possible.

What is a service?

A service is a complete over haul of your system designed to get it going as it was when you first unpacked it. Your System will be cleansed of all junk and obsolete files, broken shortcuts and unused programs, removed of all registry issues and unwanted processes, checked and cleansed of all spyware and Virus infections, left with an up to date anti-virus and malware solution. All windows updates will be installed, the registry and memory will be defragmented, hard drive space will be recuperated and system resources will be correctly allocated. Start-up and shut down optimised, system process and start-up processes optimised and finally the file structure will be defragmented. Leaving your machine running smoothly, quicker, safer and without annoying errors.

What is spyware?

Now there is a question!

Spyware is computer software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's informed consent.

While the term spyware suggests software that secretly monitors the user's behavior, the functions of spyware extend well beyond simple monitoring. Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, such as internet surfing habits, sites that have been visited. Spyware can also interfere with user control of the computer in other ways, such as installing additional software, redirecting web browser activity, accessing websites blindly that will cause more harmful viruses, or diverting advertising revenue to a third party. Spyware can even change computer settings, resulting in slow connection speeds, different home pages, and loss of Internet or other programs

A spyware program is rarely alone on a computer: an affected machine can rapidly be infected by many other components. Users frequently notice unwanted behavior and degradation of system performance. A spyware infestation can create significant unwanted CPU activity, disk usage, and network traffic, all of which slow the computer down. Stability issues, such as application, system not turning on, and system-wide crashes, are also common. Spyware, which interferes with networking software commonly, causes difficulty connecting to the Internet.

In some infections, the spyware is not even evident. Users assume in those situations that the issues relate to hardware, Windows installation problems, or a virus. Some owners of badly infected systems resort to contacting technical support experts, or even buying a new computer because the existing system "has become too slow". Badly infected systems may require a clean reinstallation of all their software in order to return to full functionality.

Only rarely does a single piece of software render a computer unusable. Rather, a computer is likely to have multiple infections. As a 2004 AOL study noted, if a computer has any spyware at all, it typically has dozens of different pieces installed. The cumulative effect, and the interactions between spyware components, causes the symptoms commonly reported by users: a computer, which slows to a crawl, overwhelmed by the many parasitic processes running on it. Moreover, some types of spyware disable software firewalls and anti-virus software, and/or reduce browser security settings, thus opening the system to further opportunistic infections, much like an immune deficiency disease

So if you have any concerns, questions or problems that you think may be spyware related then give us a call. We don’t charge for advice over a telephone call and its better to be safe than then sorry where spyware is concerned.

Steve or Leigh 01342 834 267