Nathan, it supervisor, walks you through the process (and it does not involve a stick of dynamite!!!)

May 8, 4pm Online 6:30 pm Live Preventative Maintenance

 Although it may not seem like it sometimes modern personal computers really are relatively low maintenance and trouble free in their day to day operation.  Some sporadic maintenance really is required to keep them cool, extend their life span and make them work better.  Defragmenting (defrag), this is an important tool which can speed up your computer and extend hard drive (long term memory storage) life.

1. Protect your computer A computer should always have the most recent updates installed for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware and a secure firewall.

http://cdn.greenprophet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/frying-pan-kolbotek-neoflam- 560 475 j •Avoid Scams •Secure Your Computer •Be Smart Online •Be smart on your blogs, Video, & Media

Check out Computer Evils  Identity Theft – take your financial data  Virus, worms & Trojans – damage your computer  Spyware – watch your every click  Hackers – access your data  Phishing & Online fraud – fool you into giving way your valuable information  Spam – Massive amounts of useless/harmful emails  Inappropriate Websites – con you into going where you know you don’t need to go.

Understanding Malware

Malware can be Viruses or Spyware that you have given your antivirus permission to install. Fake Security warnings, free games, screen savers are all root causes of Spyware How do I know if you’ve been infected?  Your Friends tell you that you’ve passed something on to them.  You can no longer log into your online accounts  Computer is running slower than normal  Pop-ups (on or off the internet)  New toolbars  Home page changes  Search results look different  Error messages when accessing the web Some of the key features of

No Clicking Next, Next, Next. Ninite fully automates installers off screen.

No Toolbars. Ninite automatically says "No" to toolbars and other junk.

Always Up-to-date. A Ninite installer always gets an app's latest version no matter when you made it.

It Updates Too. Just run your Ninite installer again and it will update the apps to their latest versions.

No Signup. Ninite just works. No account, signup, or client needed. 32 and 64-bit. Ninite installs the best version of an app for your PC.

This slide information is courtesy of the Salina Public Library Some of our favorites taken from the NiNite menu.

This slide information is courtesy of the Salina Public Library This slide information is courtesy of the Salina Public Library This slide information is courtesy of the Salina Public Library This slide information is courtesy of the Salina Public Library Some Favored Websites

CNet http://download.cnet.com/windows/ / Freeware

SourceForge http://sourceforge.net/ Open source (may need compiling).

NoNags http://www.nonags.com/ Freeware with no nagging.

NiNite http://ninite.com/ and File Hippo http://www.filehippo.com/ freeware automated installers / updaters.

Identity theft takes many forms.

Some of the most common include:  http://lifehacker.com/five-steps-to-take-immediately-if-youre-the-victim-of-1507265334

•Credit card fraud •False applications for new credit •Fraudulent withdrawals from a bank account •Fraudulent use of telephone calling cards •Fraudulent use of an IP address in order to engage in illegal acts online •Fraudulent use of medical care •Social security fraud (for tax and employment fraud)

If you know or suspect that you are the victim of identity theft, there are steps you should take immediately to stop the

theft and minimize the damage.  http://lifehacker.com/five-steps-to-take-immediately-if-youre-the-victim-of-1507265334

1. Put a Fraud Alert on Your Credit Report 2. Contact Any Institution Directly Affected 3. Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 4. File a Police Report 5. Protect Your Social Security Number

Basic Rules

 Keep everything patched and updated  Never trust anything  Use good passwords  Be Prudent not Paranoid  Did you initiate the action?  Ask, why is this free?  Is the source trustworthy?  When in doubt Google it

Basic Rules: Part 2  Be conscious of what you are clicking on/downloading.  Download only from reputable sites like download.com or Filehippo.com  Some pop-ups have what appears to be a close button, but will actually try to install spyware when you click on it. Always look for the topmost right red X.  Remember that things on the internet are rarely free. “Free” Screensavers etc. generally contain ads or worse that pay the for their time.  Check with siteadvisor.com

Safety with your Email:  Never open email attachments unless you know for sure what that file contains.  Never click a link unless you know for sure where it leads is safe. (google it first)  Check your mail filters and forwards for things you didn’t add.  Use good passwords (8 digit, letters, numbers & case sensitive)  Sign out when you're done  Use two factor authentication when possible (e.g. Google Authenticator for Gmail)  Be sure to use https when on public Wi-Fi  Consider using 2 separate email accounts to keep important things separate from everyday stuff.  Watch out for short links, it's hard to know where they'll lead you.  Use an encryption program (PGP or RobotCA) for more secure email transmissions

How to Tell If an Email Is a Phishing Scam With all of these convincing elements designed to spoof legitimate emails and confuse recipients, how can email users be sure messages like this one are fake? Here are five tips. 1. Hover. Whatever you do, don't click on any of the links in the email, says Peck. You can and should, however, point your mouse at them and hover over them. Ex: When we hover over the "Secure Online Chat" and "www.americanexpress.com/case" links, we see that those links don't direct to the americanexpress.com domain. One directs to a website in Italy, as marked by the .it domain. The other points to a .us domain. Links that don't go to the legitimate domain of the business are telltale signs of phishing emails.

How to Tell If an Email Is a Phishing Scam With all of these convincing elements designed to spoof legitimate emails and confuse recipients, how can email users be sure messages like this one are fake? Here are five tips.

2. Copy and paste. If you can't see the URL where the links direct when you hover over them, copying and pasting the link into a Microsoft Word document. Right click on the pasted link and select "Edit Hyperlink" from the menu that appears. Selecting "Edit Hyperlink" will open a pop-up window in Word that shows in the "Address" field the web address to which the link directs. How to Tell If an Email Is a Phishing Scam With all of these convincing elements designed to spoof legitimate emails and confuse recipients, how can email users be sure messages like this one are fake? Here are five tips. 3. Investigate the email's properties. Outlook users who have opened the suspicious email can go to the "File" tab and select "Properties." In the "Properties" pop-up window that appears, look at the box at the bottom of the window labeled "Internet headers." This box shows the path the email took to reach the end-user, he says. Look at the originating systems. If they're not from American Express, Constant Contact or other trusted email blast systems, those are tipoffs that it's a phishing email. How to Tell If an Email Is a Phishing Scam With all of these convincing elements designed to spoof legitimate emails and confuse recipients, how can email users be sure messages like this one are fake? Here are five tips. 4. Act on information that you know for sure is trustworthy. If your bank or credit card company is sending you an email regarding a fraud alert, you ought to see that same fraud alert on your bank or credit card company's legitimate website. If you're even a little uncertain, call the telephone number on the back of the credit card. How to Tell If an Email Is a Phishing Scam With all of these convincing elements designed to spoof legitimate emails and confuse recipients, how can email users be sure messages like this one are fake? Here are five tips. 5. When in doubt, throw it out. The best defense against phishing scams, is to assume the email is untrustworthy and to pursue direct channels to businesses that you trust, such as your bank's 1-800 number.

For more tips on how to avoid phishing scams, check out the Anti-Phishing Working Group's website.

Defragmenting

 Defragmenting is the process of compacting files and bringing them closer together on a drive.  You will find the defragmenting tools under  Start -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter.  Defragmenting is a slow and resource intensive process so plan on doing something else while it runs. Defrag Screen Shot. To Defragment or not to Defragment  The analysis tool will provide an illustration of how much compacting/ordering can be done.  If you haven’t defragmented lately and the tool says there is no need to, go head and defragment .  Defragment at least twice a year, more if you find yourself moving/deleting/adding massive amounts of data on a regular basis.  Some people in special circumstances defragment once a week and replace their physical hard drives yearly due to wear and tear. Disk Cleanup  Go to:  Start -> Programs -> Accessories-> Disk Cleanup.  The “Disk Cleanup” tool further compresses and removes unnecessary files.  Be careful when removing program installation files from and others.  You may need to put in the program installation CD to use/install new features later if you run “Disk Cleanup” Windows “System Restore”

 “System Restore” is a standard windows feature. (XP, Vista, 7,8)  System Restore helps users restore their computer to an earlier time (when it was working better)  System Restore can really save your bacon in any number of situations.

Running “System Restore”  To open “System Restore” Go To:  Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Restore  When Windows will NOT LOAD tap the F8 or F10 key (depending on manufacturer) to get into the “System Restore” console More on the System Restore Console

 Windows automatically creates restore points.  However, it is a good idea to make a restore point on occasions such as before installing or uninstalling software programs.  To create a restore point  open the console ○ Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Restore or restart the computer and tap the F8 or F10 key  Click “create”  To restore to a previous point in time  Click “restore my computer to an earlier time” and choose a date on the calendar

System Restore Console Screen Shot More about the “System Restore” Console

 Windows automatically creates it’s own restore points periodically.  It is still a good idea to make your own on special occasions.  Click on: “Create” to make a restore point  Create restore points before installing new software or shopping online or performing maintenance.  Click on: “Restore my Computer to an earlier time” and choose an earlier date from the calendar. Why the Slooooow start up?

 Windows can be slow starting up because of  Viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.  However, programs which automatically start when windows loads are generally the primary cause of slow startup performance.

See What is Running in the Background

 Start the Task Manager  Hold down “CNTRL” and “ALT” the tap the “DELETE” key. ○ Select “Task Manager”  Task Manager can provide a glimpse into system performance and may help identify rogue processes and programs which are sucking up processing resources.  Rogue processes can be hard to identify, if you see a program that you do not recognize research it before you purposefully stop it. Clean up your Startup (MSCONFIG) MSCONFIG is a diagnostic utility built into windows. It is helpful for singling out programs that are causing start-up (booting) problems.

WARNING! This utility should be used sparingly and an understanding of what items you are turning off is imperative. Disabling items is not uninstalling them, simply not allowing them to turn on automatically when windows boots. How to open MSCONFIG  In Windows XP Go To: Start -> Run -> ○ Type: msconfig  Hit the enter key and the msconfig options should open In /7 Go to: start (gumball looking thing) Type: msconfig (in the “Search Programs and Files” box

The Startup Tab  The items running at startup are listed here. This can be a major drag on your startup and a drain on your computers running memory capacity.

•Uncheck the items you want to stop from starting up automatically. More information about the process is shown here. ! ! ! DO NOT UNCHECK THINGS YOU CAN NOT IDENTIFY ! ! ! Good Candidates to disabling: QuickTime, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Printer Update/Re-Order Software, Itunes, Microsoft Office, etc.

Click the “Apply” button to save your changes, THEN click “OK”. You will need to reboot the computer to make the changes work. Understanding Error Messages

 If you get an error message you don’t understand google it,  but first try http://www.processlibrary.com/ they have a repository of error messages that is verified. When (Browser) locks up continually 1. Make certain your internet service connection is stable. 2. Reset Internet Explorer 1. Go to Tools -> Internet Options -> “Advanced” Tab -> Reset 1. Resetting Internet Explorer will take the settings back to the original load settings and it should behave better.

Removing Temporary Internet Files  Removing Temporary internet files or browsing history is an important tool to optimize browser performance, protect privacy, and remove possible security threats.  In “Internet Explorer” Go To: Internet Options -> “General” tab -> Delete  Note: this will remove any passwords, previously viewed sites, etc. Alternatives to Internet Explorer Browser  Being the most used browser in the market makes internet explorer the most targeted for viruses so other browsers tend to be more secure.  I would recommend keeping Internet Explorer but primarily using one of the following browsers for speed and security (all free to download). http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/combined-2014-02.png

http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/combined-2014-02.png http://brandthunder.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/IE-vs-Chrome-vs--vs-Safari.png Shop on Safely: trustworthy websites

Shoppers should start with BBB to check on the seller’s reputation and record for customer satisfaction. Always look for the BBB seal and other widely-recognized “trustmarks” on retailer websites and click on the seals to confirm that they are valid.

Download Safety

 Update Windows/Flash/Java/Browser Daily  Outdated software is the same as having NO PROTECTION at all.  It is important to scan your computer for Viruses/Malware/Spyware at least twice a month.  Learn how to use your security software BEFORE you have a problem.

Free Security Software  I would advise to avoid the “Big Names” because they get attacked more often and have to constantly update and bloat (grow bigger/slower) because they hold the most market share.  Use only one brand of each category (antivirus or anti-malware or anti spyware) at a time.

Recommended Antivirus Recommended Anti Malware 1. 1. 2. Microsoft Security Essentials Recommended Anti Spyware 3. 1. Spybot Search & Destroy 4. AVG 2. Super Anti-Spyware 5. ClamWin 3. Spyware Blaster 6. Panda 4. Spyware Terminator

I would also recommend installing •CCLEANER for removing temporary files • for uninstalling programs and processes which refuse to be removed by other methods (control panel -> add/remove programs). •PGP for encrypting emails for secure communications

All the above are downloadable for free from download.com or filehippo.com When in doubt “Reboot” If you are having troubles with a program or on the internet or anything at all, save your work and turn the computer off and back on again. It works far more often than it really should. Should I turn off my machine when I am done or leave it on?  The swift metal Heating & Cooling by shutting off the computer when you are done with it WILL shorten it’s life span.  But only from 20 years to about 10.  Most computers get replaced within 5 years anyway.  Turning off your computer when you are not using it will save energy and keep cooling costs down

Shut down Windows PROPERLY

 To shut down windows properly.  Click on the start button then select shut down or reboot

Create a Shutdown Icon for speed & ease of use http://www.funnyjunk.com/channel/ponytime/A+Marvelous+Tea+Party/NdomGAq/2#2 Right Click the desktop select “New” then “Shortcut” from the list. Type: shutdown –s –t 00 then click “next” http://www.winbeta.org/sites/default/files/AndroidWindowsPhoneiOS.jpg http://tux.crystalxp.net/png/dobaz604-super-sayajin-tux-1979.png http://marketingland.com/wp-content/ml-loads/2014/01/Screen-Shot-2014-01-20-at-8.16.58-AM-600x427.png Who are you really chatting with ? Her? Or Him? It happens more often than you’d like to think. What will the Future hold for

http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/windows8-clockwork1.jpg

http://www.applegazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/after-os-x-future.jpg

http://www.scifisaturdaynight.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/AppleWarBonds.png our current OS systems? Only Time will tell Thank you for your Participation