Keeping Bad Stuff Away
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* How to keep your computer running at top speed.
* Best practices for avoiding spyware and viruses.
* Defending and recovering from virus attacks.

1. How to keep your computer running at top speed.

Clear out your Windows Temp folder from time to time. An shortcut icon to the Windows Temp folder is in the AntiVirus folder .. or you can navigate to c:\windows\temp and delete anything in there. Note: files that are in use will not be deleted, but anything in this folder is ok to delete.

Run ScanDisk monthly. You may need to boot up in safe mode to get the scan to complete successfully (press F8 at boot up to get to menu to start up in safe mode). Open My Computer and right-click on C: Hard Disk icon. Select Properties, Tools, then Check Now to start.

Uninstall programs you no longer use. Avoid installing too many games and 'free' utilities. They may affect your system adversely. Caution is advised, especially on your business/work computer.

2. Best practices for avoiding spyware and viruses.
  
Email is the most common culprit today but you are at risk if your virus programs and system is not up to date. Make sure you have installed the latest Windows updates .. An update reminder icon will appear next to your time at lower right of screen when updates are ready to install. You have AVGFree version 7 which should update itself daily as well as run automatic scans. The 4 color AVG icon should always appear in the system tray near the time box as well.

Don't view or run attachments that you do not completely trust. Just say no to 'free' utility programs and games. 

3. Defending and recovering from virus attacks.

AVG should keep viruses at bay, but Ad-Aware and Spybot are also recommended to check for ad-based spyware programs. 

Goodluck

RDD rdavies@ssdirect.com