Right click here to save this document as a PDF file on your computer!

Many of our support calls to resolve issues with Shop Trac often end up to be caused by something else.  This Tech Tips bulletin will cover some of these issues and help our users to maintain a healthy computer environment.  Some of these issues will not apply to all users as some of these are caused by always on internet connections.  Our suggestions are just that ... suggestions.  Take then or leave them!

Spyware:  Spyware is software that has been installed on your computer usually without you knowing it.  Some of these programs are innocent in themselves, while others are doing malicious things such as using your computer as an email relay, or tracking your computer habits and sending this information to advertisers.  Many of the popups that are so common these days are caused by spyware. 

There are several utilities available to scan your computer and delete any spyware.  The best we have found is called Ad-Aware SE and it is available free for personal use here  Another free spyware removal program is called Spy Bot and it is available here

We recommend checking for Spyware on a regular basis, especially if you have an always on internet connection.  Spyware uses valuable resources and many spyware programs intentionally cause problems with other legitimate software on your computer.

Viruses:  One would expect that all computer users would now have the computer virus issue under control.  It still amazes us that some of our users do not have any virus protection at all!  Most viruses are transferred via the internet, and the most common method is by using an email attachment.  Do not open email attachments that are from an unknown sender even if the subject line sounds very enticing!  Out of date virus definitions can be almost as bad as no virus protection at all.  Make sure your virus software is current and kept up to date. The best way to do this is to allow it to automatically update itself when new virus definitions become available. Make sure that you are scanning incoming emails, and that your software is setup to do a complete system virus scan on a regular basis.  We do not like to recommend a specific virus scanning package, but some of the more popular include Norton Anti Virus and McAfee Virus Scan.

Defragment Hard Drive:  Over time many of the files (including Shop Trac files) are scattered in pieces all over your hard drive.  This makes access to these files slower, and also increases the chance that these files will become corrupted.  Most operating systems have some form of hard drive 'defrag' software.  This can usually be found in the System Tools folder of the Accessories program group.  If you haven't 'defraged' your hard drive in some time, you may be surprised at the performance improvement that results from a hard drive where all the files are stored in a continuous data space.  Before running defrag, make sure that there are NO other programs running, including any screensavers since any changes made to the hard drive during the defrag process by other programs will cause the defrag program to start over.  Some users may find it easier to run the 'defrag' program in safe mode to eliminate this from happening.

Windows Update:  Windows Update is a web service from Microsoft that will keep your OS updated to include current fixes and improvements.  At the very least you should insure that you have ALL critical updates installed.  Critical updates usually involve security issues.  Security problems are more of an issue with a live internet connection, but can also affect those using a dialup internet connection.  Windows update can be accessed here.
 

Web sites used in this Tech Tip Bulletin:

Ad Aware SE - http://www.lavasoftusa.com
Spy Bot - http://spybot.safer-networking.de/en/index.html
McAfee Virus - http://www.mcafee.com/us/
Norton Anti Virus - http://www.symantec.com/nav/
Windows Update - http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp