Geeks One, Inc.
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FAQ  
Q. Why is my computer running so much slower than it did when I first bought it?
A. There are a variety of factors that can cause your computer to slow down, but most often the probliem lies with memory-resident programs. Such programs run whenever your computer turns on, and stay running until you turn your computer off. Each one only uses a little bit of memory, but those little bits of memory add up.

Memory-resident programs can be installed by viruses, but they are also a part of many very portable and reputable software packages, including Microsoft Office, Intuit Quicken, AOL Instant Messager, and Apple Quicktime.
Q. How did viruses get on my computer?
A. Computer viruses can get onto your computer in several ways:
  • Email attachments: you should never open up an email attachment that you don't recognize, especially attachments with filenames ending in .exe, .src, .com, and .bat.
  • Media Files: Playing Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Windows Media Video (WMV) files on your computer with Windows Media Player can automatically install viruses on your computer without you having to do anything else. These files are most oftend distributed illegally on peer-to-peer networks (such as KaZaA and Gnutella).
  • Browsing Web Sites: just by using Internet Explorer to surf the Internet you can be infected with viruses, without having to download a thing. Using an alternative web browser such as the (free) Mozilla Firefox can prevent this.
  • Doing Nothing: Some viruses can get onto your computer without you even being at it. Vulnerabilities in the Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems (discovered in May of 2003) can allow hackers to install programs on Windows machines without knowing anything else about them. The best way to prevent this is to install Windows updates regularly
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