Don't Let it Pop Up! Computer Repair Companies Tackle the Malware Predicament
What are pop-ups? How does one get them? And more importantly, how does one get rid of them?
Online, June 5, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Remember that time an awkward pop-up invaded your screen when you were at work/in the library/playing an online game with your nephew? Where did that come from?! And wasn't it hard trying to convince the people around you that the graphic image popping up on your screen had nothing to do with your navigation habits? So what are pop-ups? How does one get them? And more importantly, how does one get rid of them? Geeks On Site along with other computer repair companies offer a number of solutions for this very common and most times annoying phenomenon.
Wikipedia, the popular web based encyclopedia, defines pop-ups as "a form of online advertising on the World Wide Web intended to attract web traffic or capture email addresses." Indeed, in their early days pop-ups were simply used as advertisements enabled by the introduction of JavaScript language. Like the name suggests, a pop-up refers to a window that pops up on top of the site you are looking at or navigating to. There is also a variation called pop-under, which appears under your browser window and is therefore a bit less intrusive than its sibling. It is suggested that pop-under windows are more effective than pop-ups, because they remain open in your browser until you close the site you are viewing. The timing is thus better and the pop-under ad is more likely to catch your attention.
A fair share of pop-up (and pop-under) windows still function as somewhat harmless advertisements, i.e., adware, but today pop-ups are also identified as a security threat, since many of them are what we call spyware pop-ups. Spyware is a malicious program that installs itself on your computer when you unknowingly install a product from an unverified source. Therefore you should always be wary of clicking on pop-up ads, and extremely cautious with the programs you download online.
Geeks On Site computer repair sales representatives often explain to customers about "rogue" spyware, i.e., programs that disguise as antivirus programs, which causes problems similar to a virus. Spyware can infest your system with unwanted pop-ups and change your software and desktop settings without your consent. Spyware also poses a threat to your privacy, as the malicious programs can transmit your personal data to third parties. If your system is badly infected by spyware you will no longer be able to use your computer effectively and might eventually need to replace your PC.
According to the State of the Net Consumer Reports 8 million US households were affected by spyware in 2010 alone, resulting in $1.2 billion in damages. A total of 617 000 households had to replace their damaged PC's due to excessive problems caused by spyware. In light of these figures it is essential that Internet users think of PC maintenance prior to the problems occurring. The essentials of simple PC maintenance are the following:
*Block pop-ups on your browser settings and only allow pop-ups from secure sources, such as online banks.
*Update your software frequently
*Install a reputable anti-virus program and have it scan your files frequently
*Install a reputable anti-spyware program
*Only download content from a trusted source
*Clean up your browser frequently
*Always back-up your files and clean your disk at least every six months
If regardless of the above efforts your PC gets infected by malware (i.e. adware and spyware) you can try the following maintenance tip:
1. Create a restore point, 2. Turn off System Restore, 3. Run one or a couple malware removal programs in Safe Mode, 4. Turn on System Restore.
Computer repair companies offer PC maintenance services for those who are not comfortable tackling malware problems with their own hands. Anti-spyware maintenance can most times be performed via remote connection, so you do not need to drop your computer in a computer shop or call a technician to your house. Numerous well known computer repair companies also put out tons of technical guides on legitimate software programs that help get rid of pop ups, prevent pop ups and much more. The resources are out there, it is for the active web surfer to take advantage of them -and turn to professional help if the Internet waters get rough.