Don't Open Junk Mail

Junk mail, or spam, is email that tries to sell you fake products or pornography, offers you ways to make lots of money, or promises to get you out of debt. The point is to make you want to click on the links inside it, which can put viruses on your computer, sell you bad products, or take your money. Email messages that do not show your email address in the “to” or “cc” lines are often spam.

Protect yourself from spam:

Do's:

* Do delete spam without opening it.
* Do set the spam blocker in your email program to medium or high. (Be sure to check your junk mail folder in case it accidentally catches mail from someone you know.)
* Do use anti-virus software.
* Do keep security patches up-to-date.
* Do install a firewall.
* Do reject all email and instant messages from people who you don’t know.

Don’ts:

* Don't open spam.
* Don't click on links in spam. These links can lead you to a Web site that might put a virus on your computer.
* Don't reply to spam as this gives the sender your address.
* Don't open any email attachments from anyone you do not know. These emails and attachments may contain viruses or spyware

Report Spam

The danger in reporting spam is that you might open it and accidentally click on the links inside. Many services recommend you simply delete it. However, you can forward spam to your Internet Service Provider or the Federal Trade Commission. But do not open the spam and send it back to spammer, since that gives away your email address.

Another Costly Mistake: Thinking you can fix technology problems on your own.

When you work for a company, an Information Technology (IT) department helps you with computer problems. When you work for yourself, you become the IT department. Small business owners may find themselves trying to play around with a quirky program or fix a technical issue that's slowing them down. This is wasted time and money.

• It takes a non-technical person at least twice as long to diagnose and repair a computer problem. Don't spend hours on an issue only to find out you still need professional help.
• You can often compound the problem. If you make it worse, it will cost you more time and more money.
• A professional consultant can become your IT contact. If money is an issue, find a creative agreement that benefits you both.
• If you remember where your time is most well-spent in your business, you'll never waste another moment on a technical problem you can't fix.

What to Do When

It's hard to know what to do and when to do it. Here is a brief outline of suggested maintenance items for either you PC or your MAC.

COMPUTER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES FOR PC AND MACS

DAILY
System Updates
Macs are set to automatically check for updates, but PCs are not. If you have a PC, you need to set the update checker or download updates as necessary. When you set your computer up properly, the update checks twice a day.

Back-ups
You should have a back-up plan and stick to it. You can set your computer to automatically back-up files every day or you can do it manually. If you have ever said, "I'll do that tomorrow." Tomorrow may be too late!

Downloads
Be careful about the files and programs you download from the Internet and E-mail messages. Many PCs get run down and crash simply because people are downloading files that carry viruses. Be careful -- you could crash your computer or download something that causes you to lose important files.


TWICE-A-WEEK
Anti-Virus Updates
Most anti-virus software packages automatically check for and download anti-virus updates. Once you set up your computer, it will happen several times a day. Most anti-virus manufacturers update their software once a week, unless a big virus makes it necessary to update more often.


EVERY TWO WEEKS
Defragmentation
When you "defrag" your hard drive, you check to make sure everything is working properly and your machine is running at top speed. This is more important for PCs.

Disk Cleanup
On Windows systems, Disk Cleanup deletes old Internet files, temporary files, and other things that clog up your hard disk.

Spyware/Adware Removal
Many applications on Windows' computers come with extra programs that benefit advertisers. If you have three or more of these programs on your computer, it slows the machine down. Most of the time, you won't even know Spyware and Adware are running! Make sure you get a Spyware/Adware removal program.