I am Just another computer guy trying to make it in the big World. I am here to offer free information and assistance to getting you on track to becoming a self sufficient computer guru, or maybe just to help you become more familiar with computers.

I am frequently asked this question, and for that past few years I have been using K9 Web Protection as my free filtering system, and it has proven to be all that you will ever need for Internet protection for your children. It provides content filtering with keywords, as well as domain names. Block your kids from ever accessing a particular site, or block by keywords to keep them from accessing sites that are fnot intended for children.

K9 Web Protection Official Website

There are two standard ways to secure your wireless network, but are not limited to the security measures to keep unwanted others off your wireless network. The first is to secure your wireless router with a WEP or WPA security key. This is an encrypted key that you configure setup to be provided when accessing your wireless network. The other standard security measure is setting your wireless router to “Do not broadcast the SSID” This is the name that your wireless network broadcasts when someone is attempting to access it. If you chose for it to not be broadcasted, then they will not be able to see it to connect to it. See my Wireless network configuration documentation under the Tech-Spot section.

Automatic updates consist of important security updates that address security vulnerabilities within your Operating System. It also provides service packs which address any known issues that were found within the operating system. And finally it provides patches for other Microsoft products that are installed on your machine. It is very important to download and install these updates, as they will help to protect your computer from attacks, as well as provide updates to resolve known issues.

Choosing a computer to fit your specific needs can be quite a challenge, and sometimes if you don’t know you make decisions based on what the salesman suggests. I am here to tell you that all salesmen are going to try to sale you the top of the line which may turn out to be more than you actually need. First determine what your needs are for a computer, and ask a salesman to help find the best fit for you based on your actual needs, to avoid being scammed into a high dollar machine. (Internet use, Office suite, School work, gaming computer, business) The best computer should come with the best service, so if you are looking for a quality computer, with great service, I suggest Dell. Though there are probably opinions that say otherwise, you can’t go wrong with a replicable name like Dell.

Viruses are quite the nuisance, and while a lot of them can be easily removed, and don’t pose much of a threat, others are not as easy to get rid of. I suggest that you first run a scan with your current Antivirus program, as well as use an alternative like MalwareBites to seek out possible viruses on your machine. If multiple viruses are found, and some cannot be removed, it would be best to consider formatting your machine and recovering to factory defaults to avoid security risks, or compromising your privacy. If a low level virus or viruses are found, and your Antivirus detects it and quarantines it, or if it is found and can be deleted, you are most likely going to be fine. I would suggest after removal that you run scans once a day for a week to make sure no other threats are detected.

In my opinion, AVG is the best Antivirus program out there, and to home users is absolutely free. There are the big boys out there that charge an arm and a leg for their service and usually are the most targeted by hackers and slackers, and will slow down your computer considerably. Stay away from the antivirus programs that will only cause you more problems. By general rule, no antivirus program will block all threats in today’s world. If you are cautious to what sites you visit, and don’t make it a habit to download things from sites you are not familiar with or that you aren’t sure are legitimate you will not have much to worry about as far as antivirus. If you are not sure, don’t do it.

Most new computers come with a service plan, but unfortunately only provide warranty service for hardware issues. Therefore if something goes wrong with your Operating System, you get a virus, or are just looking for someone to help you with some minor problems, you have no choice, and you either need to figure it out yourself and risk the chance of doing more damage, or call a professional. While my goal is to help the average user get more familiar with troubleshooting and fixing computer problems on their own, not all issues can be resolved by without consulting a professional. Even if you bought a computer at a particular large department store, unless you are having issues that are covered in your warranty, I would not suggest going to them for computer support. They will charge you triple what a small business owner would, or friend in the field. Use small businesses that specialize in computer support, or ask around, someone always has a computer guy they will recommend for services that will not rob you blind. If you are in the Oklahoma City area, then click on my banner on my homepage and send me an email request, I would be glad to assist you with any issues you may be having, at a reasonable Tech-Tim fan discount.