Norfolk Computer Repair and Pc RepairWelcome to Norfolk Computer Repair and Pc Repair, part of the Computer Repair UK network. Norfolk computer repair and Pc repair covers the entire Norfolk area so to find your local repairer simply enter your city, town or village in the search box on the left to go straight to your area page. First Things First Has your computer stopped
working or is it just running poorly? If it is just running
slowly then you may only need to install more memory or have
your local repairer do this for you. You can check to see if
you have sufficient memory in your computer by running a
free memory
scan which
you can do here. The Crucial Memory
Advisor Tool takes the guesswork out of
upgrading. If it has stopped working then before you call out a computer repairer check to make sure that all the power leads are connected correctly and that none of the fuses have blown. If it is still not working then you will need a computer repair call out. Computer or Laptop Just Running Slow? If your computer is just running slowly we advise that you downloaded and run our recommended system repair software if you have not done so already. Invariably we find that many problems are only software related and this will help you avoid paying for uneccessary call out charges. If your computer is only running poorly then there is a fair chance that your problem is software or virus related. Each year people waste hundreds of pounds on computer repair call outs that are really not neccessary and ones that they could easily remedy themselves with the appropriate software. With call out charges ranging between £25-£45, a 2-3 hour repair can easily cost well in excess of £100 which is sometimes more than the computer is actually worth. If it is out of hours, or your computer is just running slow, then we recommend you run your own diagnostics before calling out a professional - you could possibly be saving yourself hundreds of pounds in potential call out charges. System repair tools are inexpensive in this day and age and are designed to be easy to use by both the novice and professional alike, and at less than the cost of a typical initial call out charge this software will not only help get your system back up and running quickly, but will also help keep your computer in tip top condition as long as you have the software installed. We would recommend the award winning XP Repair Pro. XP Repair Pro 2007 By ddXSoftware
Norfolk Computer Repairers
Computer Repair Tips From Computers Repairs UK PC Security - Rootkits Sadly, malicious programmers and the people who pay them are endlessly inventive. One of the newer forms of their evil creativity is something called a 'rootkit'. One of the traditional vulnerabilities of viruses, making them easier to deal with, has been their visibility. Executables containing viruses had names that were different from the standard programs found on systems. When they maliciously renamed a standard file and replaced it, the new one frequently had a different date or size. They might even show up in the Task Manager list of programs on Windows. All that made them detectable by anyone diligent enough to check, or by automated software designed to seek them out. But rootkits are more dangerous than other types of virus infection methods precisely because they can easily hide malicious files. The files don't show up on Windows Explorer, even when Show Hidden Files is enabled. The running process list displayed by Task Manager doesn't list them. And many current antivirus packages don't seek out and destroy viruses hidden by rootkits. In November of 2005, Sony began using rootkits on some music CDs in order to hide copy protection files. Hackers quickly turned Sony's well-meaning, but misguided plans to evil advantage. Sony's software unintentionally hid their efforts. Any file that began with '$sys$' became invisible, so hackers named their malware to take advantage of the effect. Virus creators quickly turned to making their own rootkits. Distributing them, along with a dangerous payload, is as easy as passing along any other virus. Email attachments, spyware downloads initiated by clicking on ads, downloading free software... the list is long. Some even found their way into the boot sector of hard drives. That means the technique of clearing one out of memory by re-booting is ineffective. They simply get re-started every time the operating system comes up again. To make matters worse, many automated virus scanning programs aren't set to scan the boot sector, only regular programs. Unfortunately, the story gets worse. Once hidden in boot sectors, it's possible to effectively become the kernel of the operating system. The kernel is the low-level program that controls the most basic functions, controlling crucial aspects of the hardware itself. That makes it possible to substitute malware for the authorized low-level routines of the legitimate operating system. Once that level of function is achieved, there's nothing the virus can't do - including mask its efforts from the higher level functions of the operating system and any application including virus checking applications. Users may or may not notice the slowing effect of the technique, and could easily ascribe it to anyone of the dozens of mysterious behaviors Windows exhibits from time to time. Very few are going to be savvy enough to even suspect a rootkit at work. Software is being developed and deployed to combat this latest threat to PC security. Rootkit scanners are coming onto the market and users interested in protecting their PCs should seek one out. SysInternals' RootKitRevealer is one well-known example and is available free. |
