Oh my God! My computer system crashed again,” screamed little Bilal. “Why does this happen to my computer only? I got it repaired only last month but it crashed again. I am fed up of doing it again and again. Now what should I do, I have to prepare the presentation and submit it tomorrow.”
Does this sound familiar? You must have heard such complaints from your siblings, friends and colleagues. Most of the time, it happens because you are not operating the computer properly, or it may have a virus in it. I am sure you are well aware how hazardous viruses are for a computer system but they just seem to get into it somehow. But to stop a virus corrupting computer and you losing all your data, there are a few simple measures you can take.
Use an anti-virus program
A virus can attach itself with other programs and destructively interfere with the normal activities of the computer — the core objective being to disturb or confuse the user. Usually, they halt the microprocessor and occupy all the memory by copying unnecessary data. Also they are well-known to erase, corrupt or to relocate program files from the disk.
An anti-virus program plays a vital role in protecting computer system from destructive programs. Therefore, it is necessary to run an updated anti-virus program on periodic basis. However, no anti-virus program guarantees protection against all viruses. A good anti-virus program checks infected files automatically every time when you insert any kind of disk.
Famous anti-virus software programs include Norton, Kaspersky, Mcafee Virusscan, Avast, Nod32, Pccillin, Virex and Symantec.
Scan the external disks
Gone are the days when floppy disks were used for data storage. With the passage of time, the increasing size of software demanded multiple diskettes which caused system crashing. Now flash disks (USBs) and memory cards are used to store data.
Extra care has to be taken while using any of the above data storage media because the use of external disks sometimes cause severe system crashing. Always scan the external disks by an updated anti-virus program before you explore it. Most of the times, external disks contain viruses, worm and trojans that reside in the system memory and can also cause your system to run abnormally slow.
Turn on Firewall
If you are using Windows XP, always keep in mind that your ‘Firewall’ should be turned ‘ON’. The Firewall is a dedicated appliance which inspects the network traffic passing through it. Its core objective is to monitor the network operations.
Away from bogus downloading
Other common reason for systems to crash is the poor downloading of files from the internet. Downloading from the internet may sometimes seriously harms your computer or the applications running on it. Always monitor your browsing habits and make sure you know the downloading source. Keep yourself away from heavy downloading of games, music and software from bogus websites. Also avoid surfing websites related to pornography because they are well-known for causing problems in a system.
Periodic updates
Periodic updates help computer owners to protect systems from crashing. Whenever you install computer programs, don’t forget to select the check box for indication of the latest updates. Many computer users consider this option useless but actually it helps computer owners to secure the system.
Turn on pop-up blocker
Again, if you are an XP user, always turn ‘ON’ pop-up blocker. The pop-up blocker helps you to block pop-ups while browsing. This feature is only available in Windows XP and you can access it through ‘Internet Explorer > Tools > Pop up blockers’. Also various pop-up blockers are available to provide protection to your computer system.
E-mail scanning
Always be careful while checking your mailbox. Many small viruses attach themselves with emails and when you open the email, the virus gets stored in the hard disk and causes serious problems. Avoiding suspicious or anonymous emails reduces this threat.
Don’t share files through IM
It is a common practice to share files through messenger services. Although it is recommended to use email service instead of direct transfer through IM because most of the email services now have virus check, which alerts you if the file is infected or contains virus.
Disk cleanup
Last, but not the least, lack of disk space or a fragmented disk greatly contributes to system crashing. Thus, it is very important to run ‘Disk Defragmenter’ / ‘Disk Cleanup’ on regular basis. To avoid system crashing, it’s better to delete unnecessary files from a disk and keep the disk clean. The ‘Disk Defragmenter’ can be found under ‘System Tools’ in ‘Accessories Tab’.
Source: DAWN.COM Young World
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