Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. My computer is running slowly. What is causing it?

A. If the problem just started, it may be a virus or malware that recently installed on your computer. If the computer has been gradually getting slower, it may just be that the age of the computer is starting to show due to new security updates, antivirus applications, or new programs installed.

Q. What is the cheapest way to make my computer faster?

A. Memory! Adding additional memory is the cheapest and easiest way to increase the speed of your computer. If Windows does not have enough memory available to run applications, it will use "virtual memory" to compensate for the lack of physical memory. Windows uses a portion of your hard disk drive and pretends that it is memory so that it can run applications that otherwise would not be able to run. Memory (RAM) is *much* faster than a hard disk drive. Therefore, if your computer needs to use "virtual memory", it will run slower because everything (essentially) has to slow down to the speed of the hard drive.

With that said, there is always the possibility that your computer is just showing its age and adding more memory may or may not help. Ask us to look at your computer and we can tell you if adding memory would help.

Q. How much memory should I have?

A. That depends on what Operating System (version of Windows) you have installed and what you are trying to do with the computer. The following are general recommendations of what you should have installed for basic use, such as email, Web browsing, and typing documents. These may change based on your needs.

  • Windows XP: 512 MB - 1 GB
  • Windows Vista: 2 GB - 4 GB
  • Windows 7: 2 GB - 4 GB
  • Windows 8: 4 GB - 8 GB

Q. What is malware, spyware, adware, grayware, and etc.?

A. All of these applications are typically categorized together as "potentially harmful" applications. In other words, these are ALL applications that you do not want on your computer. They all cause undesired effects and may even prevent you from being able to use your computer.

These applications are typically installed by the user accidentally clicking on a link to download them. Many times, the user doesn't even know that he or she has done anything, which means that the infection may not be immediately noticed. Please find below links to related articles on Wikipedia.

Q. I think that my computer may be infected with viruses, malware, adware, or etc. What can I do to fix it?

A. We can help. Bring your computer (just the tower / power cords for laptops) to our shop and we can discuss your options for removing the infection. Most computers can be cleaned without losing any installed programs, personal documents, pictures, music, or other files.

Q. I downloaded one of those applications to clean up the spyware on my computer. Why didn't it work?

A. Be careful of these! Some of them find infections and clean them, but actually install other spyware applications in the background. Please read this article from Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware#Fake_anti-spyware_programs)

Malware is usually very difficult to remove and typically cannot be removed from within Windows. Therefore, a program that runs in Windows may not be able to clean up all infections.