How to Remove a Virus

How to Remove a Virus: The Best Anti-Virus Software

Do you remember back when your computer was shiny and new, it likely came with pre-installed Norton or McAfee antivirus software. It would periodically pop up little notices that it had downloaded the latest updates, and you felt snug and secure when you surfed online.

Then that trial membership expired. You may not have even noticed the lapse in coverage, assuming that the icon in your toolbar was a sign that all was well -- or, like many, you may have been wary to spend your hard-earned cash to subscribe. This story is so common that it's one reason why Panda Security reported in January that approximately 50 percent of the world's computers are compromised by some form of malware.

While I fondly remember the days when viruses were primarily built to annoy their victims, today's viruses are far more dangerous. Infected computers attack other computers. Hackers use these vast networks of infected computers or "botnets" to send spam, break websites and infiltrate corporate networks to steal credit-card data and customer information. Before you decide to unplug your computer, rest assured that there are some easy ways to protect yourself.

The 4 Best Anti Virus Programs for removing a virus

#1 McAfee Anti-Virus:

If you're already running an anti-virus program and making sure that it is up to date, kudos! If you elected to shell out the dough to keep your Norton or McAfee running after the trial ended, keep in mind that these two programs dominate the consumer security space. This makes them the biggest targets for hackers and virus writers who study their code to find vulnerabilities. While I am not suggesting that you look for an unknown, untested antivirus for your computer's safety, there may be good reason to consider switching to one of the great free anti-virus options available.

McAfee Anti-Virus For Mac:

McAfee also has an antivirus solution for Mac Computers. I know people say that you can't get a virus on Macs and to a degree that is true. So far, Mac computers are not vulnerable to traditional viruses, however they can be targets of  malware, phishing scams, identity thieves and hackers. Anti virus software for Macs will help secure your data and keep malware off your computer. Another solution worth mentioning is Avira.  Avira anti-virus has a Mac virus protection program called MacKeeper.

#2 Microsoft Security Essentials:

One of my favorite anti-virus programs for the basic user is Microsoft Security Essentials. It's free, easy to use, updated frequently and provides great protection from most Internet-born parasites. The fact that it's made by Microsoft, the company that makes Windows, is a great benefit. Who is better equipped to know which Windows vulnerabilities hackers are targeting? Programers can then integrate the fix seamlessly into Windows.

#3 Avast!:

If you just can't get past the idea of trusting Microsoft to protect your Windows PC, or if you are running an alternate operating system, consider Avast! free antivirus. Avast is one of the highest-rated antivirus programs, according to AV Comparatives, an independent antivirus program reviewer. Avast offers both a free and a paid version, and boasts one of the fastest virus scans on the market. It also uses fewer system resources when scanning, so you can continue to use your computer normally while the scan runs in the background. Anyone who has been held hostage by a seemingly endless scan that makes everything else on your system slow to a useless crawl can appreciate this benefit. Fun side note: You can select different voices to proclaim, "Ding! Avast's virus definitions have been updated." I am quite partial to Pirate.

#4 Sandboxie:

Finally, if compromised or lost data would devastate your productivity, check out Sandboxie. Sandboxie is an applications that allows you to run certain programs "virtually," like putting them in quarantine. Essentially, you open your web browser or email in a "sandbox," so an infected website or virus-laced email attachment won't compromise the rest of your system. When you close the program, you destroy the sandbox's contents, including any infections. However, cookies and temp files go, too, so if you like to auto-login to websites you frequent, this solution will likely annoy you.

Don't surf naked -- get some protection. If you're already suffering from and nned help to remove a virus or for more ways to be safe on the scary wide web, visit www.callnerds.com/andrea. 

[transcript]
Hi, everybody. I'm Ryan from Nerds on Call. Today we're going to be talking about how to remove a virus from your PC. Back in the day, when you first got your computer, it probably came pre-installed with something like Norton or McAfee. Those are great protection, but usually they expire after about a year. Then what do you do?

One of my favorite anti-virus is Microsoft Security Incentive. Just go to Microsoft.com and search for Microsoft Security Essentials, it's free, it's easy to use, it's frequently updated, and it's really fast. If you don't want to use the Microsoft product, you can always use a program called Avast, it's also a free anti-virus software. And one of the coolest parts of it is, when it's all done scanning your system, it will say "Hey, ding, we're all done looking for viruses." And you can change that voice to anything you want. So my favorite is "Pirate" It will go "Argh, no viruses found." Thanks for watching. I'm Ryan, from Nerds on Call.
[/transcript]

New MacBooks a $2,200 disposable computer?

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New MacBooks can't be upgraded

When it comes to portable electronics, bigger is not better. From the new line of UltraBooks announced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show to the highly anticipated MacBook Pro with Retina Display released by Apple this month, laptops are getting ever smaller and lighter to compete with the growing popularity of tablet PCs.

Yet with a smaller footprint comes limitations. When they’re impossible to upgrade and more costly to repair, is smaller truly superior?

If you are going to carry a device in your bag most everywhere you go, lightweight and durable is of paramount importance. To accommodate the increased demand for smaller, thinner, and lighter portable electronics, manufacturers are changing the way they construct laptops.

The MacBook Pro with Retina Display released to market this month by Apple has taken the trend to an extreme. To make it super thin and lightweight, most all of the components are built in to the machine making them either impossible or very expensive to replace. The RAM is soldered to the logic board. The battery is glued to the case. The display is fused to the glass.


Yet it’s important for consumers to understand the limitations these design changes impose on the ability to repair or upgrade their device. RAM is the hardware item most often upgraded after purchase to extend the usability of a computer. Attaching the RAM to the logic board makes it impossible to upgrade after purchase. If a RAM module fails (this is common), you’ll likely be shipping your laptop back to Apple for it to be rebuilt with a new chip. You’ll have to max out the RAM upon purchase (and therefore pay top dollar to Apple for the upgrade on the front end), since there’ll be no increasing your system memory in two years when it starts to feel sluggish.

Batteries in rechargeable electronics inevitably fail; luckily, most laptop batteries are easily replaced. Most major-manufacturer laptops have inexpensive, 3rd party batteries available that the average consumer can replace with a couple of turns of a screwdriver. When the battery is instead glued to the case, the average consumer will not be able to easily replace it. The new MacBook Pro’s battery is reported to last through 1,000 cycles of fully discharging and recharging. What happens when it inevitably dies? Replace your system, or mail it back to Apple for a new battery (estimated $200).

Cracked screens are another common laptop problem. By fusing the display to the glass, Apple is requiring that the entire (expensive) display assembly be replaced, instead of simply the LCD.

Before you shake your fist at Apple for selling a system that requires either regular replacement (a $2,200 “disposable” laptop?) or costly manufacturer repairs when components fail (as they inevitably do), it’s important to note that Apple is not alone in moving in this direction. Therefore it’s up to you, the consumer, to decide if it’s worth the trade off. Does size and weight reduction warrant cost-prohibitive repairs and upgrades?

The MacBook Pro with Retina Display starts at $2,199 so I am loath to treat it as expendable. If you’re in the market for this unquestionably beautiful, super lightweight machine, factor the true cost. Consider maxing out RAM and storage upon purchase and adding on extended Apple care to warranty against cost-prohibitive repairs.

Tips & Tricks: Simple tricks to edit a PDF

Edit a PDF like a Boss!

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a great tool when you want to send a document electronically that you don't want the recipient to edit. But what about when you're on the receiving end of a PDF that you need to change, such as an online form or application? Those blank gray fields stare back at you, mocking your attempts to click on them. Before you resort to printing the document and filling it in by hand, check out these great tools to outsmart the restrictions and edit a PDF and master those gray boxes once and for all.

Escape the frustration

For easy and quick edits, try PDFEscape.com. This handy online PDF editor lets you insert text notes, fill in forms and even create new forms boxes. Just click on "Click Here to Use PDFescape Now Free" and follow the steps to upload your PDF — you don't have to download any software onto your computer.

Choose the "Start using unregistered" option if you just have one document to edit, or register to save files and access them multiple times. Once you've uploaded the PDF from your computer, select the edit options on the top left side of your screen. Here you can add text, use correction fluid, add images or links, create a form field or add lines. When you're done, download and save or print your edited document.


After you download and install the program, you can elect to make it your default PDF viewer. If you do, simply click on any PDF file to open the program. If you decline to set it as your default PDF viewer, open the program and drag and drop a file into it, or right click a PDF, choose "Open With," and select PDF-Xchange Viewer.

Under "Tools" you'll see "Comment and Markup Tools." If you want to fill out a form, choose the typewriter tool and click anywhere on the PDF that you'd like to add text. From this menu you can highlight, add text boxes and annotate the document.

Gotta Pay? Go Nitro

With these programs you're still a bit limited. You're basically just writing on the document, but what if you want to edit the actual text in the PDF? I couldn't find a free product that allows this, but Nitro Pro is a full-featured program that lets you do just about anything to a PDF, including editing text or converting scanned documents into editable PDFs.

Start by downloading the trial version from nitropdf.com, and then open a PDF file. Click the giant edit button and double click the text you want to change. You can annotate, add images, add pages and manipulate the PDF in just about any way imaginable. You can even export the document to Microsoft Word or Excel for major revisions.

One of the coolest options in Nitro Pro is to scan a document (which creates a PDF file) and then use the program to convert it into an editable document. This Optical Character Recognition technology has a bevy of great uses. For example, if you need to make changes to a lengthy contract, you can now edit the text without requiring handwritten strikethrough. If you have a brochure with outdated information, you can change the portion you need without having to pay the creator to make you a new one.

All this functionality comes at a price: The full version of Nitro Pro is $120. However, Adobe charges over $400 for a comparable product.

Looking for that visual how to? Check out these simple steps with Andrea at the helm eHow: How to Edit a PDF file

[transcript]Hi. I'm Ryan from Nerds on Call, and today we're going to talk about how to edit a PDF.

Now, somebody sends me a PDF that needs to be filled out with my name and address,phone number, and all the other stuff. It's kind of a pain to have to print it out and write it out. It just doesn't look very professional.

So, what I like to use is a program called PDFescape.com. This handy online PDF editor lets you insert text notes, fill in forms, even create new form boxes. Just click on Click Here to Use PDFEscape Now Free and follow the steps to upload your PDF. You don't have to download any software to your computer.

The main drawback to PDFescape is you're basically uploading your PDF to somebody else's server, or if you want a little more privacy, I like to use PDF Exchange Viewer. You can download it from TrackerSoftware.com.

Both of these programs are great, but essentially you're just writing on top of a PDF. If you really want to get into the PDF and edit it, change text and even reformat it, I like to use Nitro PDF. The main drawback to Nitro PDF, unfortunately it's not free like the other two programs. It will run you about $120 but it's still cheaper than Adobe's option, which is over $400.[/transcript]

Can An iPad Replace A Laptop

iPad vs. Laptop: Can an iPad replace a laptop?

As the new school year approaches, the question I get asked most often is, "Should I buy a laptop or a tablet?" Apple's Steve Jobs has asserted that we are living in a "post-PC world". can an iPad replace a laptop?

To test the theory, I traveled to Florida with my 2-year old, bearing my iPad 2 but no laptop. When an article needed editing, I realized that while it would be possible for the iPad to do everything I needed, it wasn't going to work for me straight out of the box. It needed modification.

If you are considering ditching your laptop, whether it's for a trip or for good, here's my guide to making it possible.

Touch screen vs keyboard

Microsoft Word vs iWork
With or without a keyboard, creating or editing a document or spreadsheet on your iPad isn't going to be easy unless you make an aftermarket modification. Microsoft Office isn't available on the iPad, but Apple's iWork suite will give you most of its functionality at a fraction of the cost. Pages, Numbers and Keynote handily replace Word, Excel and PowerPoint , and cost $5 each through the Apple app store. All the content you create in these programs is cross compatible, so if you edit a Word document on your iPad using Pages, you can open and edit it later in Word with no difficulty.

As much as we'd all love to be paper-free, there are inevitably times when you need to print something. You can search the iPad for a USB port, but to no avail. Printing something off your iPad will require accessing a printer wirelessly. To make the process as painless as possible, look for a printer that is compatible with Airplay, Apple's proprietary wireless application.

Universal Acsess
Finally, sometimes I need a particular program that isn't compatible with the iPad, or I need to transfer content to another device. The lack of a USB port or disk drive can make this challenging. But with Logmein Ignition ($30 in the app store), you can remotely access your home or office computer via the Internet. Install the companion app on your laptop or desktop and leave it running while you are away. Now you can access everything on your home or office system from your iPad, from World of Warcraft to your accounting software.

What do you think? Can an iPad replace a laptop? If you're still nervous about unplugging from your laptop or desktop, share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.


[transcript]
Hi, I'm Ryan from Nerds On Call and today we're going to talk about whether you can replace your laptop with your iPad. There's nothing cooler than an iPad, but when you start using it, after a while you start to think do I really need both a laptop and an iPad? Well, one of the first things you're going to notice is when you start using an iPad there's no keyboard, you tap on the screen. Well, that can be fantastic for short emails or Tweets or Facebook updates, but let's say you have to do a long email or a very long document. You'll find that tapping on the screen can get kind of tiresome and correcting is really difficult, but if you buy a keyboard like the one from Zagg.com, you could connect it to your iPad with Bluetooth and it turns it into a laptop.

With or without a keyboard, editing a document on an iPad is kind of difficult. While you get the touch screen so you can move around your cursor and decide exactly what you want to edit. It's not as intuitive or easy to use if you're used to a mouse and a keyboard. Another thing to keep in mind about the iPad is if you're used to using Microsoft Office for Word and Excel, you don't get those on an iPad, but what you do get is Apple's version called Pages or Numbers. So you'll have to learn a new kind of software just to get some of the basic stuff done that you're already used to.

As much as I'd like to live in a paper-free world and have everything go digital, I still have to print things every now and then. Well, with a laptop it's relatively easy, I don't even have to think about it anymore. But with an iPad only AirPlay enabled printers will work. One of the saving graces for the iPad though is a little piece of software called LogMeIn. For $50 in the app store you can use your iPad to access your computer or your Mac and do everything that they can do. So can you replace your laptop with your iPad? Yeah, it can be done, but you're going to have a lot of compromise and if you're willing to take that step, it could be kind of cool.
[/transcript]

Computer Upgrades: Hard Drives, Part 2

Hybrid or Solid State Drives can be an easy computer upgrade.

The most vulnerable part of a hard drive is its moving parts. The disk spins, the spindle arm moves to read data, all the while creating heat, friction, and an opportunity to break when the moving stops. The next generation of hard drives - solid state drives and hybrid drives -attempt to rectify this by eliminating the spinning and swinging. However there are some tradeoffs: less storage and higher price. Is it worth upgrading?

Solid state drives (SSDs) are a flash storage device, meaning they work like a USB flash drive, just without the USB part. While from the outside, they look very similar to traditional hard drives, there is no spinning disk and herein lies a huge advantage.

A traditional drive is like a CD or record player. Data is written to a specific part of the drive, so opening an application or file requires that the disk spin to the right storage location and the read/write spindle access the data off the disk. Typically, opening a program requires your hard disk to be read in multiple places. SSDs access data faster, leading to faster system boot up and quicker load times for applications and games. This performance improvement is what leads many “power-users” to upgrade. However, the rest of us can benefit as well.

No moving parts make SSDs more durable and shock resistant. This can be a huge benefit in a laptop which gets jostled and banged around in transit. Since they don’t have to power a spinning disk, or a moving spindle, SSDs require less power consumption to access data. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you’re reliant on your laptop battery to make it through a flight, every little bit helps.


If you’re thinking, “sold!” its time I mention the drawbacks. SSDs are significantly more expensive and have lower storage capacities than traditional hard drives. While you can get a 1TB traditional hard drive for around $125 these days, the same amount of cash will buy only about 128GBs of solid state storage.

It’s really important to stick with reliable manufacturers – Crucial, OCZ and Intel produce strong contenders. Since the technology is still new, there are higher failure rates than would be expected, particularly with drives from less reputable companies. Also, performance and speed can degrade over time dependant on how data is stored. Look for manufacturers that integrate tools that evenly distribute how the drive writes data across the flash memory cells. Unfortunately, cheaper often equates to slower.

Some users have found that installing the operating system and applications on a SSD while storing data to a secondary, traditional hard drive gives them the best of both worlds: the responsiveness of an SSD with the capacity of a hard disk. However, running two drives can be complicated for basic users.

In an attempt to increase capacity and reduce price, some manufacturers have introduced “hybrid” drives. “Hybrids” fuse flash memory cells (to cache boot files and frequently accessed data) onto a traditional spinning drive. The hard disk offers the capacity for storing photos, videos and large packets of data while the flash cells improve speed and boot times. These can be a good alternative for laptop users where space is at a premium.

If you’re ready to upgrade to the speed and reliability of a SSD, contact me for my picks to get the most drive for your dollar.

Cyber Bullying: Protecting Your Kids Online

How to protect against cyber bullying

Nerd Chicks love a happy ending. Cliff hangers at the end of our favorite TV shows drive us nuts. After last weeks discussion of types of cyber bullying and the ways our kids are at risk, you may have been left thinking, 'Ok, now that we're sufficiently concerned, what's a parent to do?' Never fear, this week we're exploring ways to reduce the risk that your child will become a victim of cyber bullying.

Disclaimer time: you know your kids and your family best. Some parents may be comfortable with a more hands off approach involving open communication with a trusted child, while others may need a little more control. We're here to present some options to help you decide the path that's right for your family. The main components to protecting any child are communication and education. Teach your kids to be vigilant about protecting their private information. Check out Stop Cyber Bullying together to read about the ways cyberbullies target victims and how to get help if you think you've been a victim. There's even a quiz to help kids determine if they're unwittingly engaging in activities that may be victimizing others. If you don't find all you need there, Wired Safety and Netsmartz and are great sources of Internet safety information.

E-Mail and Social Networking Sites: Anyone can create an email address and the person's identification is rarely verified. Make sure your kids know not to open emails from unknown senders, even if the name looks familiar, and to be especially wary of attachments. Make sure they never share their passwords with anyone but you. Set your child's Facebook or Twitter account privacy settings at the highest possible security level to prevent private information from being shared unintentionally and publicly.

Cell Phones: Talk to your kids about "sexting" and the inherent dangers in participating. It can be illegal, images can be used against them by a bully, and it may affect their scholastic future. Encourage them to talk to you if they ever receive a text or picture message that makes them uncomfortable. Research shows that when parents are involved in their kids' activities they're less likely to engage in these behaviors. Whether that means limiting their per-month texting allowances or monitoring the texts and pictures they receive, let your kids know that limits you set are to help protect them.


Instant Messaging (IM): IM accounts can be acquired anonymously. Review your child's buddy list for unknown contacts and talk to him or her about the identities of the people on their list. Learn as many of the chat acronyms as you can, such as POS (parent over shoulder) and A/S/L (age/sex/location) so you'll be aware of anyone saying anything inappropriate to your child.

How do you know if your child is being bullied? They may avoid the computer, cell phone, and other technological devices or appear stressed when receiving an e-mail, IM or text. They may withdraw from friends or family, or be reluctant to attend school or social events. If you suspect your child is being bullied, trust your instincts.

Finally, you have technology on your side. We've detailed parental control and monitoring software in the past, but Spector Pro 6.0 is the best solution for parent that suspect their child may try to circumvent parental controls or monitoring if they are aware of them. It runs silently in the background so that no one but you will know it's installed. It documents every keystroke, website visited, e-mail sent and received, chats and IMs. Everything they do on Facebook, including if they're maintaining multiple accounts, will be captured. It may even provide you with the proof you need to report a bully to their ISP, their school, or higher authorities.

For more tips on how to protect your family from cyber bullying, drop us a note on Facebook (facebook.com/nerdsoncall) or email us at nerdchick@callnerds.com.

Online Computer Repair: Is It Safe?

Online Computer Repair: Is It The Force or Magic?

These days, we want everything fast, from food to computer repairs. If you've seen the TV ads for iYogi.net, you may have wondered, "How can a tech in India fix a computer in Nantucket?" I'm here to unravel some of the mystery of Internet-based tech support or online computer repair.

Whether you take a faulty computer to a repair shop or have a tech come to you, it can take days or even weeks to get your system back on its feet. The major benefit of online computer repair is that in many cases it's immediate. Answer a few questions, click a few buttons on your computer, and you can often have a tech working on your system while you make dinner or catch up on your scrap-booking. It can actually be quite fun watching a remote desktop session in progress.

Many companies, (including ours) offer extended hours for their online computer repair, allowing you to fit computer repair around your schedule. Besides, if you have to have your computer fixed, it's a slightly less distressing experience if you don't have to get out of your pajamas and bunny slippers.

But there are some drawbacks to having your computer fixed remotely. A tech working from afar can only fix software-related issues, involving viruses, spyware, program corruption and operating-system glitches. While these account for the majority of repair issues, lots of problems will require you to be a more active participant in the repair. If you suddenly can't print, for example, the tech probably will need you to check wires and do a manual restart before he or she can install drivers, etc. If you're unable to get online, expect to spend some time on the phone while the tech walks you through basic troubleshooting.

If your computer needs hardware replaced or upgraded, techs likely will be able to diagnose the issue. But to get it resolved, you'll need to have a tech put hands on your machine.


Choose wisely when contracting a company for online computer repair. Many companies require that you provide a credit card number up front, and they'll have virtually unfettered access to anything stored on your computer. To research companies, get recommendations from friends or family, use online review sites, and Google the company's name. For more computer-security tips, see the Federal Trade Commission's OnguardOnline website at OnGuardOnline.

The reality is that dropping off your computer at a repair shop isn't any safer than online computer repair. When you're in front of the machine, you can see exactly what the technician on the other end of the line is doing. This actually may give a little more comfort to those of us who like to retain a measure of control over the process. A remote desktop repair might be perfect solution to your next computer tune up.

Do you have any computer problems, you'd like to fix right now? We would love to look at your computer for free. Click here to get started with online computer repair today.


[transcript]Hi, I'm Ryan from nerds on call, and today we're going to be talking about online computer repair. These days we want everything fast. Fast food, fast computers, fast everything. So it's kind of a pain when you have to take your computer into a shop to get it repaired.

Well, that's the beauty of online computer repair. Now you can connect to somebody on the internet and have them fix it for you, while you make dinner, or finish your scrap-booking, or whatever you like to do. Just watch Star Wars again.

Despite the on-demand service that online support provides, the only problem is, they can't fix anything hardware related. So hard-drives, cracked screens, printers, all of that stuff can't be fixed online. But one of the cool parts is, if you got a virus, or spyware, or something like that, you can sit back and watch them as they control your computer while it's being fixed.

A lot of people are concerned that online computer repair isn't as safe as taking it to your local computer repair shop. Keep in mind, that a lot of major retailers are already using online repair to do the work for their people in the stores. So you don't have as much risk, because you can sit there and stare at the screen, as somebody is fixing your computer for you. Unlike when you take it into a repair shop and they take it into the back room.

I'm Ryan from nerds on call. Thanks for watching.[/transcript]