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• What is spyware
  This is a VERY good question and it isn't as simple as one simple answer.  Just about every program has a back door built in by it's creator, why you ask?  So he can get into a system fast and easy to see what is going on or how a system is doing with his program on it.  Just about EVERY manufacturer has some kind of spyware programs built into their systems, HP is famous for this.  They do it for an easy way into your system so that if you ever call them they can either take it over see what the issue is or to fix what your calling about.  HP calls theirs BackWeb, but every manufacturer also adds programs like Wild Tangent (Games) so they can add tons of games that most people don't play to say "Hey, look at all the programs we give you!" and Wild Tangent pays them to do it.  Wild Tangent will show up on every GOOD spyware scanner when the system is scanned.  Smiley Central is another one that adds spyware into their programs, tools have them too.  All to help pay the programmers for your free program.  What do these do?  Again, they want to control how you do certain things.  They can tailor the ads on web pages to your likes and interests.  They keep track of where you go, for instance if you're a Sear or JC Penny's fan and they get wind of it, you'll get lots of those ads.  Most of these are not really bad, but all in all, I don't want stuff on my system that I didn't put there directly, Do You?
   
• How do I protect myself from identity thief on the internet?
  First thing you must never do is click on a link in your email! There are very simple ways of spoofing an address "under" a link.  Meaning you see one place and the link will take you somewhere else.  If your bank (or anywhere that has financial information) is sending you an email stating you must do something on your account then go there, but don't use the link.  Log onto your account and change it from within your browser, NOT from the provided link in the email. NEVER USE a provided link in an email if it takes you to ANY page that has sensitive account information.  (See Phishing Below)
   
• What is a virus?
  Without going into the history of viruses, this is a really complicated question also, but we'll give a very simple answer.  In today's world, they are used for only a couple reason anymore.  Like the type that are in our own bodies, in the computer field, a virus is a file or program that uses another file or program as a host to stay alive and hide, it is a program/file that plants other programs or changes setting/configuration files on your system to do what the virus writer wanted done.  To create a email spam bot, to make a keylogger on a system (used to steal user names / passwords, etc..), or as in the old ways, just to cause havoc on your system.  Most spyware is gotten through FREE programs and toolbars to help pay the bills it incurs.
   
• What is Phishing?
  Phishing (pronounced "fishing") is a term used to describe a method of fishing for info that certain people want that you don't want to give out, i.e. your PayPal account, or your bank account/credit account.  It is done in various ways a couple of the more common ways is to send you an email stating that your account is on the verge of being closed or changed and in order to stop it, you MUST sign in and confirm or change something on your account page.  One of the easiest ways to make sure your NOT going to fall to this scam is NEVER click on a link in your email.  Always copy and paste that address in the email to your address bar in your browser window.  Next time you get one of these emails hover your mouse over the address and it will either show a balloon tip window with the REAL address or show it on the status bar at the bottom of your email (if you don't have click on the VIEW at the top of the current window and click on Status Bar) to show the address.  What they do is type a FAKE address and then change it through the hyper-link to the one they want you to go to.  These web pages they are sending you to look VERY REAL to the casual user and some even to an advanced user.  They use all the logos, colors and layouts of the REAL web page you think you're going to but only there to STEAL your information for personal use. 
   
• Why do you recommend a reload when you get viruses?
  Well, viruses are a strange thing, first you have to ask what are they and why are they out on the internet.  Long story short and simple version, they are a way of doing something on another computer that the virus write wants to be done. Stories are coming out that some people really want your information, and they plant these to gain access to your settings or other configuration files on your system, bank info, PayPal info and other items pertaining to your finances.  Most virus writers are very smart programmers that use their skills to do something that isn't easy to do, for example if I want to know what web pages you go to, I can plant a tracker on your system.  That is what most of the ones out there now do, these are planted in toolbars, free programs, etc. mainly planted by people who either going sell to the marketing companies or the companies themselves (Google, Yahoo, DoubleClick, Wild Tangent, Lycos, GeoCities, etc.. and places like MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube) are doing it.  There are also ways to make your system a spammer's spam bot (a system that sends out thousands and thousands of email off your email server so he doesn't get caught doing it, you do); that sucks your internet bandwidth down to nothing and you can't do anything.  BUT..  and this is a very big but, more and more of them are designed to get valuable information like your credit card numbers, or your PayPal accounts info, or even your bank log in, these are the ones we are REALLY worried about.  These are getting more and more complicated as time goes on and finding better and the BAD GUYS are finding better ways to hide them (hence the root-kit)  Now on to why we recommend a complete wipe out of your drive.  We have on several occasions thought we found all the payload (the real reasons for the virus) only have the customer go home and have the same problem come back a week later.  Or we've taken off what we though was the virus and found that ports were opened on the system for back doors to allow others to come on your system and replant the virus (usually by a worm) so your right back to where you were before you got your system fixed.  If we reload, there is NO WAY that that virus can stay on your system.  We save your data files, and then we won't put it on until you have a REAL anti-virus to catch if your files have anything hidden in them. 
   
• What should I do when I get a POP-UP window that says I have a virus or spy-ware on my system?
  If that window doesn't have your anti-virus' or spyware programs name on the top right hand side it is ONLY an AD, it's a marketing tool to scare/fool you (basically like the 'You're the One Millionth Person to Visit this site...click here to claim') into clicking on it.  Then we are so worried about these things that we get scared and click on it to fix it.  What really just happened?  You just installed a Trojan Program (a program that makes you think you're getting one thing and your actually getting more, a lot more!), these are usually planted by free programs (Remember, nothing is FREE) to pay for the thing you just installed for "free".  That ad will install a "spyware killer" or a "virus killer" that tells you that your systems is infected by spyware (technically a cookie is one) and now it will kill them if you buy the program.  But we've found they are more trouble then they're worth.  There are so many "free programs" out there that plant Trojan programs it is scary, why would someone give you something for free when that person had to go to school for years to learn to program and then give his stuff away for free?  It maybe as simple as something hijacking your search settings, "why are they doing this?, you ask.  So they can control how you search or where you go on the web, we've seen these programs COMPLETELY take away the internet on some systems.  So, what do you do?  You use the RED X on the top right-hand side of that window and close it and IMMEDIATELY run your virus program AND a spyware program like Spy-Bot or Ad-Aware. If you don't know which program to use CALL US, we recommend ONLY industry standard programs
   
• What is the difference between the Intel Processor & the AMD Processor?
  To most users, you'll not see a big difference; but they are made with two completely different instruction sets (the little programs that tell how the processor processes data).  In simpler terms Intel essentially is crunches numbers best and the AMD does graphics better.  Hence why the gamers use AMD to do their games, and most servers/offices use Intel and on the cost side, Intel is a bit more expensive then AMD.  Now remember, this is a very simple explanation, both processors can do both types of processing without a hitch for most people, 99% of all people won't notice any difference.
   
• Why is the Internet getting so bad in the way of spyware and viruses? 
  Hmm, where to start.  When was the last time you gave money to a website?  Everyone needs money to operate, if you keep going to a site and give no money, expect it to be a place where bad thing CAN happen, not necessarily do, but can!!  These people go to school for years and you wouldn't go to school for years and have school loans that need to be paid back, why would someone let you use something they worked hard to get and let you use free.  We have to get away of thinking ANYTHING is free, nothing is free!!  Be prepared to be infected when you go to a free site over and over. See up on pop-up window FAQ.
   
• Do I need to clean my cookies?
  Look, cookies are a way of keeping track of you on websites.  Your bank, your school, or any other website gives you a cookie for lots of reasons. One is that it knows who you are!  If you had a way that told you who was in your house at any one time, would you use it?  I think so, it is a handshake between you and that other system.  It makes it easier for you to log in your sites that you always go to.  Granted if you go to "questionable" sites, then yes I would clean them.  But most reputable sites won't use cookies to harm you in any way.  But a cookie is a tool, and any tool can be used to harm you or to help you.  Cookies can now be used to track you EVEN to other sites.  We're back to the "If you use Free Sites, you will pay one way or another!!!  But to most people, you really do not have to worry about cookies.  It is a way to help the site you are on make it a better site in most cases.