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Computer Hints & Tips

Some solutions to computer related problems might seem quite obvious.  However, there are things that you should always double-check.  Quite often, it is very easy to miss the warning signs of a computer starting to act up.

My Computer won’t switch on!

Before panicking, there are a number of actions you can try that may help to remedy the problem.  Go through the following steps.

• Are other electrical appliances in the area working?  If not, there may be a problem with the electricity supply
• Is the equipment plugged in at the mains and the mains plug switched on?  Quite often the PC base unit and monitor have independent power cables, so it may be possible that the PC is actually starting up, but the monitor may be turned off.
• Check to see if your mouse and/or keyboard are fully connected and then try moving your mouse back and forth or press a key on the keyboard.  Occasionally, screensavers or power save functions lock up or take some time to respond.
• If you get no response, try unplugging the computer and plugging it back into the mains supply after waiting up to 30 seconds.  If there is no response, there may be a problem with your computer’s power supply unit.  Contact a qualified computer technician, as a blown power supply is not repairable by untrained personnel.

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My Computer's frozen

There is nothing more annoying than having your computer freeze up on you whilst you are in the middle of working on something important, and whatever you try and do, the computer refuses to respond.  However, before swearing at the computer and threaten to throw it out of the nearest window, try the following.

Caution

If at all possible, try and save any documents that you have open at the time.  The next steps you take may result in data loss if you don't.  However, if your system is entirely frozen, the only option may be to reset or power off your PC.

• Press CTRL+ALT+DEL keys at the same time.  You may be presented with a dialog box displaying some buttons.  One of these will display Task Manager.  If possible, choose this option.  If your system has allowed you to access this option, you will be presented with a window displaying all open applications.  If one of these applications is causing the problem, you will see the words Not Responding next to the application’s name.  Click on the name of the problem application and click the End Task button.  If this doesn’t fix the problem, check the Task Manager dialog box to see whether a second application is not responding.
• Hopefully, the problem application wasn’t the one containing unsaved data.  If it was an MS Office application, such as Microsoft Word, its built in Auto Recover feature should attempt to recover the active document that you were working on when the application crashed.  However, do not rely on this method of data recovery, as it seems to fail as often as it works.
• Still frozen? Does the Caps-Lock light come on when you press the key?  Rebooting may now be the only answer.  On your PC base unit, press and hold the power button for 3-4 seconds until the computer power light goes off.  It may be advisable to wait up to 30 seconds before switching it back on.  In cases like this, the system restart may take slightly longer as Windows runs through some disk checks.
• If you have repeated system lockups when using a certain application, check the website related to he application that you are using to see if there are any available updates available that may solve the problem. 
• Do you have up-to-date anti-virus software installed?  There may be a virus problem on your PC or you may have spyware or other forms of malicious software (see section on computer security).
• You may have an excessive amount of Windows temporary (temp) files on your hard disk, causing system lockups.  Many programs, as you install and use them, create temporary files on the hard disk.  Ideally, these programs should clean up after themselves and delete the temp files they created. However, this quite often doesn’t happen.  This is not good for your computer and can cause system degradation.  Please see the section on Cleaning your Hard Disk for further details.

When repeated system lockups occur and you can't trace them to a specific application, there may be an underlying hardware problem.  It may be worth callling a qualified computer technician(or the supplier if the system is still under warranty) to see whether they can offer additional guidance.

 

Cleaning your Hard Disc

A useful tool that can help you recover disk space on your hard drive is the Windows Disk Cleanup utility. It analyses your hard disc(s) and displays a list of files that can safely be deleted from your system; you then choose which ones you want removed. Doing this on a regular basis may help to keep your Windows system in good working order as, as previously mentioned, an excess or Windows Temporary files can cause performance degradation.

The amount of space that you can recover using this tool may vary from a couple of megabytes to hundreds of megabytes, depending on the way you use your machine.

Steps to guide you through using Disk Cleanup (Windows XP)

• To begin the Disk Cleanup process, click Start and then choose (All) Programs, Accessories, System Tools and click on the Disk Cleanup icon.

• Disk Cleanup will now perform some checks on your hard disk to search for files that can safely be deleted. When this has been completed, the Disk Cleanup program opens and displays files that can safely be deleted and how much disk space you would regain by making the selected deletions.

When you are ready to start deleting the files, Disk Cleanup will ask you if you are sure if you wish to delete the files. Click Yes or No as appropriate. A status bar will appear displaying the progress of the job. When all the files have been deleted, the application will automatically shut down.

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Computer Security - Viruses, Adware & Spyware

Much like humans can catch a bug from unsuspecting carriers, computers can also catch viruses. In computer terminology, a Virus is a self-replicating program that spreads from one computer to another by inserting itself into the code of programs or documents. By understanding how computer viruses are passed from one computer to another, and how to protect yourself, your PC can lead a long healthy life.

A virus can spread itself from one computer to another by infecting files sent over a network or carrying it on removable media such as USB pen-drives, floppy disks, CD-Rom’s etc. Many computers are now permanently connected to the Internet and local area networks. Some viruses take advantage of this to spread over the World Wide Web, Email and some file sharing systems.

It is thoroughly recommended that users install anti-virus software that can detect and eliminate known viruses after computer downloads or prevent you from opening a potentially infected file. These programs work by examining the contents of the computer’s memory and files stored on hard disks or other removable media, and comparing those files against an up to date database of known virus signatures. It is vital to always keep your anti-virus program up to date, as new viruses are always being released and spread very quickly and may not be in your anti-virus database, leaving your computer vulnerable to attack

There may be a good chance that your computer’s manufacturer may have pre-installed anti-virus software on your system when you bought it. If it is installed, spend some time to become familiar with the program. If required, register the software with its manufacturer to get regular updates provided. Beware though, many suppliers install “trial” copies of anti-virus software which stops working after a few months if you don’t pay for it.

If you do not have any Anti-Virus software installed on your system, you can download a copy of the University recommended Sophos Anti Virus software from the I.T Services web site at http://www.bangor.ac.uk/itservices/sophos/

The term Adware refers to any software which displays advertisements, whether or not it does so with the user’s consent. Some applications, which display advertisements as part of the software (such as advertising sponsored shareware) are not strictly “Adware” as such and are classed in a different sense. They do not operate maliciously or mislead the user.

Spyware does not directly spread from computer to computer in the same manner of a virus or worm, instead it is installed through deception of the user or exploiting operating system vulnerabilities. Spyware can also come bundled with some shareware or other downloadable software.

Affected computers can rapidly become infected with large numbers of Spyware components. Users frequently notice unwanted behaviour and degradation of system performance. A Spyware infestation can create significant unwanted CPU activity, disk usage, and network traffic, slowing down legitimate uses of these resources. Stability issues and application or system crashes are also common. Spyware that interferes with the networking software commonly causes difficulty connecting to the Internet.

There are many programs that claim to eliminate Spyware from infected computers. Some of these programs actually install more of it. Fortunately, there are a few that are genuine and reputable. Most notable are Spybot Search & Destroy and Malware Bytes. Usually, the rogue programs will scan your computer for free, but require payment to obtain a version which will remove the infections.

For a list of rogue programs, click on the following link

http://antivirus.about.com/od/roguescanners/Scanners_to_Avoid.htm

The Sophos anti-virus software previously mentioned now has this functionality, and is highly recommended for complete and full safety and security of your computer’s data.

Once installed, the program will check your system for any known Spyware and will prompt you at the end of its scan to delete any potentially malicious programs. It may inadvertently detect some legitimate software as being Spyware, therefore you can de-select this before continuing. Some Anti-Spyware software, similar to Anti-Virus software installs a resident scanner, which will detect any Spyware that is trying to be installed and block it in it tracks.

What else can I do ?

• Make sure you have a firewall installed. If your computer is running Windows Vista or Windows XP (SP2 or higher) then open the Security Centre in the Control Panel and a green light and the word 'on' should appear next to 'Firewall'.

• If you are running Microsoft Vista or XP turn on 'Automatic Updates' - this will deliver high priority updates to your computer as soon as they become available. You can decide when and how updates are installed. If you are using a different operating system we recommend that you also have this feature enabled.

• If you are running a wireless (or wi-fi) network make sure that you have encryption enabled as this prevents malicious users from accessing or eavesdropping your system.

• Change the password on your router - do not use its default password.

• To remain effective, anti-virus software needs to be updated on a regular basis. This can often be set up to happen automatically. However if your subscription lapses then your anti-virus software can become outdated and less effective.

Never open any files attached to an email from an unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source - there is a greater risk that a virus could be attached. Even files apparently received from people you know should be treated with caution unless you’re expecting them.
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Wireless Security

Many people attempting to install home wireless networks often rush through the job eager to get Internet connectivity up and running as fast as possible. That’s quite understandable, but it’s also quite risky due to the numerous security issues that need to be addressed when setting it up. Manufacturers of WiFi products do not help the situation due to the complex and time consuming procedures that need to be undertaken by the end user to configure the security features to the equipment. The following recommendations summarise the steps that you could take to improve the security of your home wireless network.

1) Change the Default Administrator usernames and passwords
Central to most wireless home networks is an access point or router. Usually, with such equipment, you will be given instructions on how to configure this via a web-based interface. When accessing these set-up pages you will be prompted for an administrator username and password, which will be the default manufacturers settings, and will be included in the equipment documentation. Unfortunately, these password settings are sometimes made generally available on the Internet and may be very well known to hackers. You should change these settings immediately.

2 ) Turn on WPA/WEP Encryption
All WiFi equipment supports some form of encryption. Encryption technology scrambles messages sent over wireless networks so that humans cannot easily read them. Several encryption technologies exist for WiFi and naturally you will wish to pick the strongest form of encryption that works with your wireless network. For this to work correctly, all WiFi devices must share identical encryption settings. In order of preference the standards are WPA2, WPA and WEP.

3) Change the default SSID
Wireless access points and routers use a network name called the SSID. Manufacturers normally supply their products with a default SSID. For example, all Linksys wireless routers all have a default SSID of “linksys”. Although knowing the SSID does not allow someone to hack into your wireless network, it may be seen as a sign of a poorly configured system, leading to an increased likelihood of someone trying to attack it.

4 ) Disable SSID Broadcast
By default, the access point or router broadcasts the network name (SSID) over the air at regular intervals. This feature was designed for businesses and mobile wireless hotspots where WiFi clients may come and go. In the home, this feature is unnecessary, and it will increase the likelihood that an unwelcome neighbour or hacker will try to log into your home network. Most WiFi access points or routers allow the SSID broadcast feature to be disabled during the configuration process.

5 ) Enable MAC address filtering
Every piece of WiFi equipment possesses a unique identifier called the “physical address” or “MAC Address.” Access points and routers keep track of the MAC address of all the devices that connect to them. Many such products offer the owner an option to specify the MAC addresses of devices that you wish to allow to access it, and doing so prevents other devices from connecting to it. This may be an advantage, but be aware, this system is not as powerful as it may seem, and some hackers use software that can fake or “spoof” IP Mac addresses quite easily. If you turn on this feature, you will need to remember to add any new equipment to the list, and to update the list if, for example, you replace the motherboard in your computer.

6 ) Assign Static IP Addresses to Devices
Most home networks generally use Dynamic IP Addresses, meaning that an IP Address is automatically or dynamically assigned to the device using a technology called DHCP (see glossary). DHCP is very quick and easy to set up. Unfortunately, this convenience works to the advantage of network attackers, who can easily obtain a valid IP Address from the network’s DHCP pool. To reduce the risk of this, disable DHCP on the router or access point, assign a fixed IP address range (10.0.0.x) and set each connected device an address within that range.

7 ) Position the router or access point safely
WiFi Signals normally reach to the exterior of a home. A small amount of “leakage” outdoors is not a problem, but the further this signal reaches the easier it is for others to detect and exploit. WiFi signals often reach across streets and into other buildings, and the position of access point or router determines its reach. Try to position such devices near the centre of the home rather than near windows to minimise this leakage.

8 ) Turn off the network during long periods of inactivity
This is the ultimate security measure. Shutting down the network will almost certainly prevent outside hackers from breaking in. While it is impractical to turn off and on the devices frequently, at least consider so doing during extended periods of non-use.

 

Glossary

WPA/WEP WiFi Protected Access (WPA). - A wireless encryption standard and alternative to “Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) SSID Service Set Identifier. A code which is attached to all data on a wireless network to identify each packet as part of the network. MAC Media Access Control address. A unique identifier code attached to most items of networking equipment. DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. DHCP automatically provides configuration parameters specific to the device requesting. Usually used to automatically provide an IP Address to devices requesting it. IP Address A unique number that devices use to identify and communicate with each other on a network using the Internet Protocol (IP) standard Router / Access point A router or access point is a network device which is used to connect two different kinds of networks with each other e.g. connect a wireless network and/or a wired network to a broadband connection.

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Safe Storage

Your data is valuable, and if you wish to protect it, it’s a good idea to make a backup copy of it. There are many methods of backup storage, including CD-Rom, Zip Drive, USB Storage Media and the now almost defunct Floppy Disk. If something were then to happen to the original copy of the file, you would be able to restore it back to your hard disk.

Choosing your Backup Media

There are three factors that you may need to take into consideration when making a decision on how to back up your files.
(1) What Devices are available to you,
(2) What kind of data do you want to back up, and
(3) Your intended use of the backup media.

Almost all PC’s except really new ones and notebooks have floppy disk drives, however, as a backup storage media, nowadays, they’re not that useful, because so many document files are larger in size than a floppy disk can handle. A more low cost alternative today is the recordable CD-Rom or CD/RW (Read Write).

Normally, a recordable CD is best used when you have a lot of files that you need to backup. A recordable CD stores approx 650mb. An alternative is the recordable DVD, which can store at least 4.7gb of data.

Media Formats

If your goal is to back up word processing documents or spreadsheets, just about any of the backup media options would suffice. However, if you need to backup graphic intensive documents or audio and video files, you will need to take into account the storage capacity of each type of media. The table below show approximately how much data you can store on each type of storage media.

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