Computers and Technology

Computer firewall is a piece of software or hardware that helps screen out hackers, viruses, and worms that try to reach your computer over the Internet. If you are a home user or small-business user, using a firewall is the most effective and important first step you can take to help protect your computer. Firewall will not make your computer completely safe. However, a firewall provides the most effective first line of defense. Windows computers can be attacked in many ways - and not just with viruses, worms, or Trojan horses. Another popular way to attack a Windows computer is to attempt to communicate to it over any of the network "ports" found on Windows computers. These ports are kind of like TV channels or radio frequencies: Computers are set up to listen for messages that may arrive from other computers - this is how they communicate with one another.

How computer firewall works

Firewalls monitor all the communication between your computer and the Internet. computer firewall knows what kind of communication are allowed to flow in and out. They know this because they have something called an "access control list" - a list of rules that specify precisely what kinds of communications are allowed and what kinds are blocked. The computer firewalls made for the consumer market are usually preconfigured to offer maximum protection right out of the box. The configuration required to facilitate communication between two computers in a home network makes them highly vulnerable to attack from any computer on the Internet. Whether the firewall is a hardware device connected to your network, or a software program in your computer, a computer firewall will automatically block all unwanted network communication from the Internet, while at the same time permitting any legitimate communication that you need to use your computer.

Type of computer firewall

There are two principal types of computer firewall: hardware and software. A hardware computer firewall is a device connected to the network in such a way that all communications between any computer and the Internet must pass through the firewall and be examined to see whether they should be discarded or allowed to pass through. A software computer firewall is a program that runs on a computer and performs the same type of examination of network communications that a hardware firewall does. But where a hardware firewall can protect all of the computers on a network, a software firewall only protects the computer it is running on.

Things you need to know

Running multiple software firewalls is unnecessary for typical home computers, home networking, and small-business networking scenarios. Using two firewalls on the same connection could cause issues with connectivity to the Internet or other unexpected behavior. One firewall, whether it is the Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall or a different software firewall, can provide substantial protection for your computer. If your computer is not protected when you connect to the Internet, hackers can gain access to personal information on your computer. They can install code on your computer that destroys files or causes malfunctions. They can also use your computer to cause problems on other home and business computers connected to the Internet. A Firewall helps to screen out many kinds of malicious Internet traffic before it reaches your computer. Some firewalls can also help to prevent other people from using your computer to attack other computers without your knowledge. Using a firewall is important no matter how you connect to the Internet - with a dial-up modem, cable modem, or digital subscriber line (DSL or ADSL). So it is wise to turn on the Windows Internet Connection Firewall for all computers in your home network. This helps prevent the spread of viruses or worms across your network if a computer is infected. A computer on the network could become infected through a separate Internet connection, such as one on a laptop that is used on your home network and on public networks. Or a virus could be introduced to a computer on your network by way of e-mail or software installed from a CD or floppy disk. If you have more than one computer in a home or small-office network, you should protect every computer in the network. Turning on Windows Firewall or another firewall on every connection will help prevent the spread of a virus from one computer to another in your network if one of your computers becomes infected. However, if you open an infected e-mail attachment, the firewall won't block it and it can infect your computer. You should install an antivirus program as well.

Online computer game providers often promise free computer games. But not many game providers offer free computer games. Game manufacturers often use the term free computer games to attract the attention of the buyers. Here we discuss some methods to download free computer games. The simplest way to get free computer games is to download the free game demos. Almost all computer game sites offer demos of their computer games. The demos are quite similar to the original computer games. The computer games now cost you more than $40 per title. So, from the buyers' perspective, it's always beneficial to download the demos first to get a feel for the games. Keeping the buyers' viewpoint in mind, the computer game manufacturers offer free game downloads. Thanks to free computer games, buyers can check out the games.

The demand for free computer games are always on the rise. That's why leading web portals such as MSN and Yahoo have started offering an extensive range of free computer games. Free computer games offer the opportunity to try the games before you ultimately decide to buy. The free computer games are mostly time-bound. The games expire on a certain date. During the trial period, the buyers can get a fair idea of the full game version. That's why people prefer to check out the free computer games before they buy.

However, while downloading free computer games, you should keep some facts in mind. You must download free computer games only from those sites that are authentic. The game development companies you are targeting must be certified. This way, you can ensure that the free game downloads are free from bugs and viruses. As a buyer, you should not compromise with the quality of free computer games.

Whenever we purchase a new product, we expect it to last for a lifetime and that is no different especially when the product you are buying is a computer. However, that ideal situation seems to never come through as you would find out in months to come. As the days past, you will realize that your computer not only does not maintain its efficiency but will decline in performance as you use it more and more.

There are several factors leading to the decline in your computer's performance and also different methods to stop them or to slow down that process.

Clean out your Registry

The registry of the computer is often overlooked by users as they have no idea that its there! Being one of the most important parts of your window's system, it records and makes entries to every installation or every thing you do in your computer. The only problem is, it only knows how to add new entries and not delete the old. As such, when you delete certain programs or applications, the entries remain and are useless and clog up the system. This slows the computer down as it has to go past all these useless junk entries in order to process the right one. With time, the files in your registry can also become missing or corrupted. This will no doubt hinder the performance of your computer as well.

Check for Viruses and Spyware

Once of the most problematic things you can ever encounter while having a computer is with spywares and viruses. Viruses are made by people who have nothing better to do than to want to hurt your computer and sometimes they even delete and corrupt precious information or data in your computer that you have been working on for months! Spywares are not uncommon nowadays and they are almost impossible to be prevented. As we surf the web, it is almost certain that websites would plant little programs, spyware, into your system without even you knowing and its sole purpose is to spy on your surfing patterns and etc. With all these little programs working behind your back in the computer, it is no doubt that your computer would be processing so slowly. Thus, search the web for a good anti-virus program or spyware remover and get rid of all these pesky programs from your computer today!

To maintain your computer can be an easy task to do, but it takes discipline and patience. Do not be hasty in wanting to get a new computer when your old one seems to be working at an unsatisfactory rate. Sometimes, you just have to search for the root of the problem and you will realize that you can save so much money just by downloading free softwares from the net to solve the problems your computer is facing. That beats burning a hole in your pocket just to buy a new computer. So choose today, whether you want to regularly check up on your computer or you would rather fork out a larger sum of money to but a new computer when it is spoilt.

Remember when you brought your computer home from the store and it was blazing fast?

But over time, it has gotten slower and slower; and you're not really sure why. If evolution moves a little faster than your computer, you need to take a few steps to turn your slow computer back into the screaming machine you originally had.

Having a slow running computer is not only inconvenient, but can just about drive you insane as well. A slow computer is not only maddening; but it can be costly if you work from home as well.

The usual culprits of a slow computer are spyware, viruses, or some other Windows house cleaning issues like a bogged down registry, bad drivers, or a full hard drive. And these issues are surprisingly easy to correct.

People believe that the only way to fix a slow running computer is to take it to a repair specialist. Actually, with the right tools and the knowledge of how to use them, troubleshooting a slow computer is a lot easier than you think.

Why Is Your Computer Running Slow?

One of the main causes of a slow running computer is registry errors. The registry in a Windows PC is where Windows keeps all the options and settings for each piece of software and hardware that has been installed on your computer.

Keeping your registry clean will help keep your computer running smoothly. The registry must be routinely scanned and all the fragmented, useless bits of temporary files must be deleted in order to keep it from breaking down. All it takes is a buildup of errors and obsolete files in the registry, and your computer will slow down to a crawl.

Computer Running Slow Because of Spyware

Another reason for a slow running computer is an infestation of spyware or adware.

Malicious spyware, viruses, and other related issues can decrease computer performance and your productivity. They can not only give you a slow computer, but some of them can actually track your every move and send information back to whoever sent you the spyware, including user names and passwords.

Once your computer becomes infected with spyware it is very difficult not only to get it removed; but to keep these malicious programs from coming back. To fix a slow computer and to keep your computer safe, you need to install an anti-spyware program to work with your antivirus program.

Anyone Can Speed Up A Slow Computer

Whether it is for work, school, or play, a slow computer is time consuming, frustrating, and something you simply do not have time for. The truth is that computers do not get slower as they age; instead, a slow computer is a sign that something is literally holding your PC back and affecting its performance.

With the right tools, as well as the ability to use those tools correctly, anyone can speed up a slow running computer. Since you now know the two most common causes of what slows down a computer, you can begin to take the steps necessary to speed it back up to it's original state.

Do you find that your new-ish laptop or desktop computer just does not seem to run like it did when you got it out of the box? Are applications taking a long time to load or failing to respond when you are simply completing daily tasks? Personally, I hate it when my computer is running slow. If I am doing some work, then I want to get it completed as quickly as possible. I don't want to be held up by anything but my own brainpower! Many of you are probably curious as to what is causing your computer to run so slowly in the first place.

Well, let me fill you in on a few of the reasons why you might be experiencing a slow computer as well as what can be done to fix your slow PC.

Your computer may be infected with Spyware or viruses (or both)

Anytime you search the internet your computer potentially becomes susceptible to Spyware or Viruses. Spyware can infect your computer and collects personal information without you knowing and certainly without asking you for permission. Spyware can slow your computer down and affect your computers performance markedly. If you are accessing the internet from your PC then it is important to protect your computer with Anti Spyware and Anti Virus products alongside a good firewall. If you computer is slow then potentially your computer may already have been targeted. A good anti-spyware and anti-virus product will scan and clean your computer, and keep it protected from threats ongoing by supplying regular product updates.

Your computer registry may have errors

Your computer registry is the 'brain' of Windows. Every process on your computer gets logged or accesses the registry. When the registry becomes very large, your computers performance can decrease and cause it to become unstable.

To prevent Windows errors it is important to complete regular maintenance of your computer registry. Part of this maintenance is ensuring that your Windows registry always remains clean - so that it is devoid of any entry that should not be in there.

There are a range of windows registry cleaners on the market today that can keep your registry clean and functioning at its optimal level.

Too many applications running, heaps of files and too much junk!

That's right, your hoarding of old files, fondness for new applications, and your tendency to want every file you ever used open on your desktop have caught up with you!

So... what can you do about it?

1. Don't try to run too many applications on your computer all at once - this will affect the speed of your computer. Adopt a less is more approach - and only open the ones you really are working on!

2. Remove some of the programs that are running in the background. It is important to make sure that there aren't too many things going on at once. Check the tray next to the clock. If there is a whole possie of icons in action down there then it is bound to be slowing down your system during routine activity . Close any of the items you don't need.

3. Free up disk space. Freeing up disk space will improve the speed of your computer no end. You can use the Disk clean up tool to assist with this process. This utility will identify files that can safely be deleted including - temporary internet files, downloaded program files, emptying the recycle bin, removing Windows Temporary files, removing installed programs that are no longer used. In addition to this you should regularly review and delete old files, folders and emails to free up space on your PC. Remember to back up important files, folders and applications before doing this!

Inadequate Memory

After a while your crumby old computer will slow down on you. Part of this decrease in speed may be due to a lack of memory. This might be the time to check the Ram on your machine and think about topping it up. 512Mb I would recommend as an absolute minimum. Without enough memory Windows will swap RAM to disk as "virtual memory" and that can really bog things down. Adding more memory to your machine can be one of the fastest ways to increase the speed - so it may be worth considering this! You can never really have too much RAM.