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Experienced LOCAL technology professionals providing
ON-SITE support. |
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
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This is a list of frequently asked questions. Please read through
these to see if your question may already be answered here.
You may also call us at:
(310) 373-3126 |
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SERVICE RELATED |
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COMPUTER QUESTIONS |
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WHAT ARE YOUR HOURS? |
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Regular business hours are from 8:30am to 6:00pm. We are also
available in the evenings or on Saturday by special appointment
for a slight increase in rates. |
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WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SERVICE
COMPANIES? |
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The Computer Troubleshooters approach is very different from
most other computer service providers. Computer Troubleshooters
provide a high level of friendly, personalized service. Our integrated
network means that our customers aren't dependent on just one
person. The total franchise team of technical experts with a
wide range of skills and abilities backs up each operator so
we can handle practically any situation. Computer Troubleshooters
prides itself on being one of the few international companies
(perhaps the only international company) that focuses on Computer
Service, Support and Training rather than selling hardware and/or
software. |
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WHAT IS A VIRUS? |
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A computer virus is a program a piece of executable code that
has the unique ability to replicate. Like biological viruses,
computer viruses can spread quickly and are often difficult to
eradicate. They can attach themselves to just about any type
of file and are spread as files that are copied and sent from
individual to individual.
In addition to replication, some computer viruses share another
commonality: a damage routine that delivers the virus payload.
While payloads may only display messages or images, they can
also destroy files, reformat your hard drive, or cause other
damage. If the virus does not contain a damage routine, it can
cause trouble by consuming storage space and memory, and degrading
the overall performance of your computer.
Several years ago most viruses spread primarily via floppy disk,
but the Internet has introduced new virus distribution mechanisms.
With email now used as an essential business communication tool,
viruses are spreading faster than ever. Viruses attached to email
messages can infect an entire enterprise in a matter of minutes,
costing companies millions of dollars annually in lost productivity
and clean-up expenses.
Viruses won't go away anytime soon: More than 60,000 have been
identified, and 400 new ones are created every month, according
to the International Computer Security Association (ICSA). With
numbers like this, it's safe to say that most organizations will
regularly encounter virus outbreaks. No one who uses computers
is immune to viruses. |
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WHAT IS A WORM? |
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A worm is a computer program that has the ability to copy itself
from machine to machine. Worms normally move around and infect
other machines through computer networks. Using a network, a
worm can expand from a single copy incredibly quickly. For example,
the Code Red worm replicated itself over 250,000 times in approximately
nine hours on July 19, 2001. A worm usually exploits some sort
of security hole in a piece of software or the operating system.
For example, the Slammer worm (which caused mayhem in January
2003) exploited a hole in Microsoft's SQL server.
Worms use up computer time and network bandwidth when they are
replicating, and they often have some sort of evil intent. A
worm called Code Red made huge headlines in 2001. Experts predicted
that this worm could clog the Internet so effectively that things
would completely grind to a halt.
The Code Red worm slowed down Internet traffic when it began
to replicate itself, but not nearly as badly as predicted. Each
copy of the worm scanned the Internet for Windows NT or Windows
2000 servers that do not have the Microsoft security patch installed.
Each time it found an unsecured server, the worm copied itself
to that server. The new copy then scanned for other servers to
infect. Depending on the number of unsecured servers, a worm
could conceivably create hundreds of thousands of copies. |
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WHAT IS A TROJAN? |
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A Trojan is a piece of code that performs unexpected or unauthorized,
often malicious, actions. The main difference between a Trojan
and a virus is the inability to replicate. Trojans cause damage,
unexpected system behavior, and compromise the security of systems,
but do not replicate. If it replicates, then it should be classified
as a virus.
A Trojan, coined from Greek mythology's Trojan horse, typically
comes in good packaging but has some hidden malicious intent
within its code. When a Trojan is executed users will likely
experience unwanted system problems in operation, and sometimes
loss of valuable data. |
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HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A VIRUS? |
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You must remember that there are very many things that can go
wrong with your computer and a virus is not always to blame.
The only way you can know whether or not your computer is infected
is by scanning your machine with an up to date anti-virus program. |
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WHAT IS SPYWARE? |
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Spyware apps sneak onto your machine when you download many file-sharing
services, open infected e-mails, or click on dubious Internet
pop-up ads. They can manipulate your system, record your habits,
and steal your passwords and credit card numbers. Depending on
their degree of aggressiveness, they can steal your privacy or
even your identity. And they can be terribly difficult to remove. |
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