Spyware/Malware
One of the most annoying problems with computers these days is the unbelievable amount of spyware and viruses that we have to deal with. Spyware and Trojan horse programs can literally shut down your computer.
Spyware is usually installed on a computer without the owners' consent or knowledge. To make matters worse some spyware programs are distributed by advertising themselves as spyware "removal" programs. Once you install them on your computer, to no doubt resolve an already irritating situation, your spyware problems are amplified not fixed.
Loading Active-X spyware programs on computers is big business and it's not going away. Website owners are paid by advertisers to load these unwanted programs on your computer with or without your approval.
Infamous sources for spyware and Trojan horse type programs are "free downloads", "trial period programs", and the mother of all malware sources..."pornography websites". Avoid these types of sites at all cost or you will eventually be able to take a nap before your computer boots up.
Spyware (Malware) has several insidious purposes:
-steals your personal information and address book (identity theft and keystroke-logging).
-floods your browser with pop-up advertising.
-spams your inbox with advertising email.
-slows down your connection.
- hijacks your browser and redirects you to an advertising or a phishing-con web page.
-uses your computer as a secret server to broadcast pornography files.
And last but not least:
-slows down or "crashes" your computer.
A sluggish PC is one common indication that your computer is infected. Spyware and virus infestations range from easy to remove all the way up to "impossible" to completely remove. Once your PC reaches the point of very sluggish behavior you have a real problem.
Spyware and virus removal programs may not do the trick and sometimes backing up your information, wiping out your hard drive, and reloading your operating system and programs is the only way you are going to solve the problem.
Needless to say this is an arduous task and can be very intimidating to the casual user. When it gets to that point, that's where we can help. We have done it countless times and we can have your computer running smoothly again usually in one day.
Some good advice would be to always have reputable anti-spyware, anti-virus, and firewall software installed on your computer. Keep them updated and scan your computer at least once a week. Also use your common sense when surfing.
"Nothing is free out there and remember that anyone who would run a porno site in the first place wouldn't hesitate loading spyware and viruses on your computer for a profit."
Lockups, Freezes, Blue Screen of Death
These are issues that we have all seen. These may also be caused by spyware but just as often as not can be caused by a driver issue, or operating system errors. These problems can be software or hardware based and usually require good diagnostic capabilities and experience to locate the problem. You may want help with this one.
Spontaneous Reboots or Turning Itself Off
This is almost always hardware related. Many times it can be traced to system fans going bad and causing an overheat situation. It can be a power supply slowly going bad. It may be as simple as dirt inside the computer causing the fans to run slower and restricting important ventilation which causes the overheat problem. The computer may shut off in an attempt to cool itself. Some motherboards have an audible overheat alarm that will give off a high pitched sound when it reaches critical temperatures. You can start to diagnose this yourself by checking to see if you have an extra dirty computer. Sometimes you can tell by simply looking at the power supply exhaust vent. If that's dirty you can count on the inside of the case being a mess.
Strange Noises or Vibrations
Parts do loosen with time. Fans will vibrate loose. They can also get clogged up with dirt and make the bearings overheat or rub. All strange noises are hardware issues. The source of the noise can be very easy to spot. You can remove the cover if you dare, and check for slow running fans or loose hardware such as brackets etc... Other times the noise may be coming from a component such as a hard drive getting ready to crash or a power supply that has a struggling exhaust fan. Also video cards have fans, as do the motherboard chipsets. Still, if the cover is removed you should be able to identify the general area of the noise.
BEEP CODE ERRORS
These are the beeps that you hear when your computer refuses to boot up properly.
When you power on a computer the BIOS immediately takes control of the computer and performs the P.O.S.T (Power On Self Test). At the end of the POST the computer will play an audible 'BEEP' through either the PC's internal speaker of through speakers attached to the sound card (if you have a built-in sound chip). If the POST completed successfully without detecting any problems then the system will play a single short beep to let you know the test is complete and the computer will continue to startup and load the operating system.
If during the POST the BIOS detects a problem it will normally display a visual error message on the monitor explaining what the problem is. However, if a problem is detected before the BIOS initializes the video card, or a video card is not present or not detected then the BIOS will play several 'BEEPS' through the speaker to let you know there is a problem. Depending on the type of the BIOS you have the BIOS may play beeps in a specific pattern to indicate what the problem is, or play the same beep a number of times indicating the problem. It is very important that you pay close attention to the number and/or pattern of the beeps your computer plays on startup.
Here is a generic list of the POST beeps:
No Beeps
Short, No power, Bad CPU/MB, Loose Peripherals
One Beep
Everything is normal
Two Beeps
POST/CMOS Error
One Long Beep, One Short Beep
Motherboard Problem
One Long Beep, Two Short Beeps
Video Problem
One Long Beep, Three Short Beeps
Video Problem
Three Long Beeps
Keyboard Error
Repeated Long Beeps
Memory Error
Continuous Hi-Lo Beeps
CPU Overheating
Different BIOS versions may have different sequence beeps for their errors but the above beep codes are the most common ones in my experience.