Here are the top eight ways to make sure your computer goes into the shop on a frequent basis:

1. Use P2Ps like Limewire. You’ll be on a network of thousands of computers and will get a lot of viruses quickly. Some of the viruses will not be discovered by your anti-virus if you have one. A couple will be downloaders or droppers and will suck in even more viruses from the evil virus-creator’s server. Soon you’ll get hundreds of viruses and your Internet won’t work. Don’t use the Limewire Pro that scans downloaded songs for viruses. You’ll have to call your computer tech quite soon.

2. Don’t get your adult movies from the movie store. Instead visit online porn sites frequently. You’ll get even more viruses than the users of p2ps. And while you’re there download the porn site’s video codec. It will be chock-full of viruses.

3. Don’t keep your laptop in a soft cushy case protected by jolts and bumps. Soon the metallic circuitry will chip and your motherboard will malfunction. Leave it on the couch or floor to suck in little bits of lint and pet hair. The fan will give out.

4. Let your house-sitter or teenager and his friends have access to your computer.

5. Let your desktop computer accumulate dust. Never open it and clean it out with canned air. Eventually the cpu fan and the power supply will clog up and you’ll be able to take your computer to the shop.

6. Keep your computer in the kitchen and let it accumulate cooking grease along with the dust. This will make it harder for the computer tech to clean.

7. Don’t use an anti-virus or anti-spyware. Your computer will be in the shop in a few days or weeks.

8. When your computer does succumb to a virus or accumulated dust and makes you lose your temper, give it a punch or a kick. This may break it immediately or make the screen have a permanent dark spot.

Seriously, if you’d like help with your computer and you live in Calgary, visit http://www.ducktoes.com or if you are a business visit http://www.ducktoes.com/calgarycomputerrepair.html.

There’s a new USB worm about. It loads on your computer when you stick an infected USB drive (Flash memory drive) into a USB port or an infected CD into the CD drive. Since it installs through the Autorun function on Windows, this type of worm is easy to prevent. Simply turn off Autorun.

To turn off Autorun do this:

1. Go to Start button then Run.
2. Type in “gpedit.msc” without the quotes.
3. The Group policy window will open.
4. Choose “System” under “Administrative Templates.”
5. Find “Turn off Autoplay” and double-click it.
6. You’ll see three choices with radio buttons (round check boxes) in front of them: Not configured, Enabled, Disabled. Pick “Enabled.”
7. Underneath the radio buttons you’ll see the words “Turn off Autoplay on.” Choose “All drives.”

Not only will this prevent the USB worm, it will also let you play some CDs without all the manufacturers’ restrictions.

At Ducktoes we try to get rid of spyware without reformatting your hard drive. But once in awhile a reformat is the only thing that will work–it’s not nearly as often as many techies will have you think–but occasionally it’s the only solution. A reformat is so much easier and cheaper if you have your installation and recovery disks. That is what they’re for. It’s much more difficult to go on-line and search for all the drivers, a process that can take hours, depending on the make and brand of your computer. So protect your investment and save your disks. Keep them in their original sleeves, since sometimes the product key is printed on the sleeve. You may end repurchasing the operating system software without the disks, or spending more than necessary on a reformat.

Also keep your disks for your printer, scanner, video card, or any new devices you buy for your computer. Keep them all in one place and remember where they are.

If you live in Calgary, use Ducktoes for all your computer repair and services. Ducktoes to the rescue!!