Another Day With My PC

Do you know what endorphins are?

Endorphins are euphoria-inducing neurotransmitters that act as natural anesthetics. They’re also considered as happy hormones or chemicals produced by the brain that make us feel good. So whenever we smile and feel good about something, chances are is that endorphins are being mixed in our system.

So what do endorphins have to do with computers?

Feeling Good

We all want to feel good and safe whenever we turn our PCs power button on. We definitely want to double that sense of security whenever we hit the power button of our modem. There are hundreds of ways by which our PC could get mangled when it’s running, so it could be surmised that our endorphin levels are dipping dangerously to the bottom whenever we’re using it, especially when we’re connected on the Internet.

Whether you’re PCs holding sensitive information or just plain old games that you could easily install if it gets corrupted, you would definitely want your system to be able to fend off attacks from malware. I know, we’ve all heard of back ups, but reinstalling data back into a freshly reformatted hard drive consumes time. And even if data back up is already as common or popular as sliced bread, not everybody eats bread.

Additional Troops

An average PC user usually just depends on an antivirus and his operating system’s firewall for security. Ordinarily, this may already be enough. However, we’re all aware of the growing threat both on software and hardware. Viruses and spyware are being manufactured everyday from different points of the globe. Hence, one might say that it’s only a matter of time before an infiltration becomes successful.

I’m fully aware of the possibility that my system would eventually succumb to an attack. However, I also know that I could beat or go against the odds or predictions by encircling my PC with barbed wire. There’s this unexplainable feeling of joy, pride, and relief whenever I could tell myself that my PC is somewhat impregnable. I usually boast to my officemates that my laptop can withstand malware attacks, even some harsh ones, considering the sentinels that I’ve installed in my system. Aside from my antivirus and the built-in firewall in my OS, I also have RegCure since many malware targets system registries.

e-endorphins

The one thing that many of us value is peace of mind. I hate worries. I always want to do things with the assurance that when something goes wrong, I could still recover what have been lost. Or better yet, I want to do things with the thought that I won’t be disrupted therefrom. This goes double whenever I’m using my PC. I relish at the assurance that I’ll be able to recover what I would lose in case my system crashes. But the very thing that makes me feel secured is the thought that my computer would be able to withstand any attack against it.

Life is stressful enough to make room for a couple of more worries. Insurance companies often make this point in order to sell their products. And believe me, they do have a point. In the same manner, makers of security software and system tools assure people a considerable degree of confidence and assurance whenever they put their life in the hands of their PCs.

Inject a good amount of endorphins in your system by injecting a registry cleaner and an antivirus in your PC. These applications are not just mere placebos. They are up to the task of ensuring that the smile plastered on your face whenever you venture into cyberspace is justified.

Do you still have time for shopping?

With the advent of mobile computers, working hours have virtually doubled. While your boss may seem to be too nice in accommodating your request for shorter working hours, chances are is that he’ll be asking you to just take home some of the tasks that you should be doing at the office. The proposition may seem tempting. However, you’ll soon realize that taking home an hour’s worth of office chore would have an exponential effect as far as the time that it would need to accomplish the same is concerned.

Biggest Department Store

It’s not surprising then why the crowd at the mall is getting thinner. Many people just want to stay at home during their free time. However, shopping cannot altogether be ignored and set aside. One still needs to eat and dress up, you know?

eBay and Amazon recognized this need and soon created a virtual mall for everyone to shop in. A considerable number of people welcomed the thought of being able to buy things without having to endure long lines at the counter or flirting with a crippled wrist or fingers from juggling 10 shopping bags with just one hand. Online stores would seem to be heaven-sent. But are they?

Unhealthy

Many would contend that going out to shop exposes a person to all sorts of danger. For one thing, purse shoppers might decide to take your bag for free. Pollution might also rob you a few days or years of your life. You could also be a traffic accident statistic.

However, shopping at home might be a health hazard to. We all know that obesity is a bulging problem in the United States. More and more people are taking in huge quantities of food without burning it. The most common way of burning fat or getting rid of excess calories is by walking. Unfortunately, many are too lazy to get their feet reacquainted with the sidewalks. An improved health is just not a compelling incentive for them to go out and walk. However, shopping is. But with the way people are becoming enamored with e-commerce, the prospect of a fatter America is something that would seem already inevitable.

Virtual Snatchers

You may think that you’ve outwitted snatchers by just shopping at home. However, the virtual world is just as full of predators as the real world. Countless hackers are always lurking in cyberspace to steal sensitive financial information, such as credit card numbers, online store passwords, and other details which could facilitate a commercial transaction on the Net.

Be very careful then when shopping online. It’s just as dangerous as when shopping at an actual department store. Make sure that your PC is not vulnerable to malware attacks by activating your firewall. If malicious programs have already broke through your defenses, then you will definitely need an antivirus to rid your hard drive of any unwanted application, and a registry cleaner to wipe out instructions in the Windows registry that could make your PC execute unauthorized or damaging tasks or functions.

Many hesitate to invest in antivirus and system tool programs because they cost money. They contend and complain that they have already spent a fortune on important and indispensable applications, such as the operating system, spreadsheet, and word-processing software. However, the misconception as to the dispensability of security suites and other applications that keep your PC in tip top shape has rudely awakened many who fell victim to malware.

Sure, some may contend that they could easily reformat their hard drive and just reinstall all their applications. This would save you from spending a few bucks on security apps, but it will definitely not save you from headaches and from wasting precious time in bringing back everything you’ve previously got in your PC. You might be able to install the programs back, but what about the more important ones – the paper that that you’ve worked on for weeks, or those pictures of your family that you cherish.

Sooner or later, you’ll forget to back up your important files. And when lady luck turns on you, you might end up facing a malware attack without any kind of protection during that time when you forgot to make a copy of all the valuables that you have inside your hard drive. Don’t wait for this to happen. What’s a few bucks for an antivirus or for a registry cleaner. Those few dollars could go a very long way in securing your priceless possessions that are stored inside your computer.

I guess nobody would be surprised if I’ll say that Microsoft has again concealed a gaping hole in its new OS and hasn’t divulged the same to users until it was ready to release the patch for the problem.

The omission was similar to that of the animated-cursor dilemma that plagued the software since December. The present hole which involves the way Vista processes error prompts is not as serious as the pointer problem. However, hackers who would be able to exploit the flaw will have the capability of executing any command or program on the PC that they’ve drilled into.

Vista seems to never run out of problems. But then again, so does majority of all programs, especially operating systems. Although Microsoft’s lack of candor on the vulnerabilities of its new OS has left many users feeling duped, it should also be credited for continuously stitching every tear on its product.

Just recently, Microsoft has released a patch to squash a bug on its OS which can corrupt an iPod when one uses the “Safely Remove Hardware” function. The flaw can also be triggered by disconnecting the Apple gadget through Windows Explorer. If you’re an iPod user, you’d better get the update or face a data wipe-out.

You can’t expect Microsoft to fight against internal errors and external threats alone. At the pace that it’s going, your computer would probably have already crashed several times before it has released the critical updates. You could help in this endeavor by installing antivirus and anti-spyware programs.

A registry cleaner is also important since many worms and other malware attack or modify the Windows registry in order to take hold of their hosts. Sometimes, doing your part is already enough. But of course, don’t fail to acquire the updates as soon as they’re released. Better yet, just turn on the auto update feature of your OS.

Could you survive a day in cyberspace without an anti-virus?

For those of you who haven’t experienced a nasty malware attack yet, you might probably tinker with the thought of answering in the affirmative. I mean, how harmful can surfing at Yahoo! or Google be?

I supported such a theory a few years ago when my Norton Anti-virus licenses expired. I was kind of short back then since I poured a bulk of my savings on a gorgeous NEC LCD. Installing a pirated copy of NAV or McAfee’s Virus Scan was definitely a no no, so I tried running a newly installed XP without the protection.

I haven’t even stretched my fingers yet to type in some of the URLs which I deemed to be virus-free when a message prompted me that my computer is infected with spyware. I was quite shocked at reading the message considering that I’ve been only online for about 10 minutes.

I was so disgusted at the incident that I almost pounded my desktop’s casing. Imagine, just 10 minutes online and my computer is already infected. That meant reformatting my harddrive again and reinstalling XP. Although I could install an anti-virus to get rid of the adware, the obsessive-compulsive side of me forced me to just wipe everything off my hard drive to ensure that the malware has been eradicated. I guess that’s the best thing that anybody could do in such a situation. I’m sure the malicious application has already modified my system’s registry and other critical files.

If you don’t have an anti-virus or a registry cleaner installed on your PC, do not go online. Save yourself from having to reformat and reinstall your OS. Trust me, the headache’s definitely not worth it.

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