What to do with an old computer system

What to do with an old computer system

What to do with an old computer system Anyone who has bought a computer system knows how quickly it loses value and becomes obsolete. This rapid depreciation often leads to a dilemma: what should you do with an old system when you stop using it? Selling it is often a waste of time and effort.

A computer bought for $3,000 on January first, , and then put up for sale on December thirty-first, , rarely brings offers above $100 – $150, and even these offers don’t come often. Older systems are relatively less valuable.

One quick and easy solution is to donate the computer system to a charity and write off what is appropriate. However, charities are becoming more cautious about accepting old computer systems and are less likely to hand over receipts (for tax purposes) for much money.

Sometimes it’s wise to simply “cannibalize” the older system for components that will work in other systems. Some components can be swapped between older and newer computer systems.

This can include power supplies, hard drives, RAM, graphics cards, speakers, keyboards, CD/DVD readers/writers, etc.

If you use/need the old DVD writer in your newer system, it’s always best to go the “cannibal” route. But there are some other options, some of which might be very appealing.

Sometimes, an out-of-work computer system can be set up to take care of some necessary and/or useful tasks.

Along with breaking down the parts, components can be stripped and sold individually. This can be especially beneficial if you recently installed a hardware upgrade to the now-defunct system like a good DVD or CD writer, or a new hard drive.

Not only are components easier to sell, but they will bring in more money, ship much easier, and cheaper.

Dedicated Fax System

You can turn almost any old system into a dedicated fax receiver for your home or office. Having a fax at home can be incredibly convenient! Anyone who has recently bought a home or car can attest to how great it is to send a fax from home.

Remember, it’s not necessary to set the system to receive faxes all the time.

You can turn it on or off as needed based on your use and requirements. All your system needs for this application is a phone line, a modem, and Windows®.

The fax service in Windows® needs to be turned on and configured for this to work properly. This can easily be done through the Windows control panel.

Home Entertainment System

Recently, manufacturers of computer systems and components have entered the home entertainment field – with a vengeance. Computers are no longer just for games and music; now you can connect them to control TV, cable signals, speaker systems, VCRs, DVD players, etc. You can even record and play them.

The system will need some hardware and software, but not much, and all the necessities can be obtained at reasonable prices (and they’re dropping fast). You can learn more about the rapidly growing home entertainment computer systems industry on several websites. The best place to start is www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx.

As you can see, you don’t have to throw up your hands and scream when offered 5% of what you paid for your computer system a year ago. There are other options, some of which can be very satisfying and useful.

Computer Security is Vital

Many of us like to think we’ll never have to worry about computer security. We cling to the belief that hackers only target big companies and people with serious money. But computer security isn’t just about keeping hackers out. There are several threats to your computer system and the information on it.

Identity theft has become a prevalent problem in recent years. Credit card companies and banks have faced issues tying up their computerized data. Hackers broke into their systems,

putting millions of their customers at risk. If hackers can penetrate well-secured systems like these, they can likely hack into your personal computer much more easily. Hackers profit financially by stealing your personal information from your computer and using it in various ways. Sadly, this happens to innocent people every day.

Don’t care about identity theft? Why not? Think about the amount of time and money you’ve invested in your computer. If your computer gets a virus,

it can destroy your memory and hard drive, causing you to lose all your information. Your computer will be an easy target if you don’t have a security system. An unprotected computer will eventually fall victim to a computer virus. A computer virus can be catastrophic.

To avoid the disastrous effects of a computer virus, you must set up a security system on your computer. Make sure you have a firewall installed.

A firewall can analyze and check information from the internet to ensure it’s not harmful to your computer. If the firewall determines the information is harmful, it will block it. A firewall should be the first component of your computer security plan.

The next thing to do is set up antivirus software on your computer. Antivirus software provides tools to thwart anything that accidentally passes through your firewall.

Hackers are known to break into computers and use them as clone computers. Don’t let this happen to you or your friends. Think of a clone computer. It’s a hacker’s tool.

The hacker will make the clone computer do anything they want, from stealing email to breaking into other computer systems. You can provide a shield against this by analyzing all your emails with antivirus software. Only open attachments if you are expecting them. Hackers thrive on putting catastrophic viruses in attachments.

Stop them quickly and effectively by not opening attachments and deleting the email immediately.

Spyware has gained a lot of press recently and is what people use to steal identities and learn everything they can about their victims. Spyware sneaks around your hard drive and gathers information about the person who sent it to your system.

These malicious programs can slow your system down and completely delete all your personal information.

Spyware protection is offered by browsers and software providers for free in most cases, and it’s advised to install it on your system as an additional precaution.

Computer security has become vital to protect yourself and your computer in this day and age.

The internet is full of predators, and you must protect your information and computer from them. Whatever you do, make sure to make computer security a priority before it’s too late!

Types of Computer Hardware

Computer hardware is a physical part of a computer that is implemented inside devices. It is unlike computer software or data that can be frequently changed, modified, or erased on a computer.

Computer hardware is not changed frequently and thus is stored in devices like Read-Only Memory (ROM) where it is not easily altered.

Most computer hardware is embedded and thus not visible to the average user. Here are different types of hardware found in a computer.

• Motherboard: It is the central or primary circuit board that forms a complex electronic system like a computer. The motherboard is also known as the mainboard, logic board, or system board.
• CPU: The Central Processing Unit is the main component of a digital computer that interprets instructions and processes data in computer programs.
• RAM: Random Access Memory allows stored data to be accessed in any order. RAM is considered the computer’s main memory where the work area is used for displaying and manipulating data.
• BIOS: The Basic Input/Output System prepares programs to load, run, and control the computer.
• Power Supply: The power supply provides electrical power to an output load or group of loads.
• Video Display Controller: It converts the logical representation of visual information into a signal that can be used as input to a display medium.
• Computer Bus: It is used to transfer data or power between computer components inside a computer or between computers.
• CD Drive: It contains data that the computer can access.
• Floppy Disk: It is a data storage device.
• Zip Drive: It is a medium-capacity removable disk storage system.
• Hard Disk: It is a non-volatile data storage system that stores data on a multi-layered magnetic surface on hard disks.

Spyware is the Enemy for You and Your Computer

There’s a good chance that if you are actively connected to the internet using your computer system, spyware will somehow be installed. All it takes is clicking on the wrong website or signing up for some web programs.

Every day, a new type of spyware is created by someone or a company seeking information. Also, with the ease of availability of high-speed internet services, the spread of spyware has become faster and easier.

Spyware was originally designed to monitor information and send it back to “home” or its creator without the user’s knowledge.

This data would be used to send popup advertisements typically to your computer. Over time spyware has changed, grown, and now holds the largest four types of “malware” and threatens computers worldwide alongside viruses, Trojans, and worms.

So what are the main risks of spyware running in the background on your computer system? To start, spyware can cripple your computer and slow your computer to a crawl, due to how it installs and configures itself to start whenever you turn on your computer and run all the time.

Spyware steals both computer resources and internet bandwidth on your computer. If a network has multiple computers like a small business or home office, a spyware-infected system can slow down the overall network.

Another issue with spyware is the risk of privacy violation. Remember, these programs can collect all kinds of data from your computer system and then send it back to its creator. Spyware typically collects information that can be used for advertising and marketing to see which websites you frequently visit.

However, there is always the potential that the spyware user could collect personal information like financial data, credit cards, and personal IDs for the purpose of identity theft or accessing these accounts along with email accounts and address books for spam purposes.

The latest way to worsen your computer system is by flooding it with botnets. This is where a computer or group of computers has a bot or “robot” program working together to launch attacks on other computers to infect them with spyware. These botnets currently focus on installing spyware on the target victims’ computers.

Some of the most common forms of spyware are Bargain Buddy, Gain, b3b projector, Gator, n-Case, SaveNow, Search Toolbar, Webhancer, and Search Assistant. These are just some of the current spyware that can be difficult to uninstall with toolbars for hijackers taking over the home page and popup generators.

Spyware or adware promoters claim they do nothing wrong because, in some cases, you agree to their terms of service or end-user license agreement that states you will provide this information to these companies.

Spyware usually stores files on your computer from a few cookies to

.dll files and registry entries installed on your computer. Spyware is like another type of software on your computer, and when it runs, it uses your computer’s memory and processor to keep it running, tying up valuable system resources on your computer.

While some people may not mind generating data for these companies, even the friendliest forms of spyware can cause issues and compromise computer security.

From my experience as an IT professional, the only way to get some spyware-infected systems to run normally was to reinstall the entire operating system because if the system was infected,

it takes hours and hours to remove spyware and even then, some of the worst types may still be present on the computer.

Spyware alongside other malware can cause serious issues and problems with how your computer operates,

and while there are some spyware removal programs you can run that will help protect and remove these types of programs. Two programs I recommend are Ad-Aware from Lava Soft and Spyware Doctor 3.2 from PC Tools.

But even with these programs, I always recommend a full backup of your computer system because other malware and hardware issues like hard drive failures can still occur.

By running regular backups on your computer system, you ensure that your data is protected.

In conclusion, spyware on your computer can be a major issue for your personal computer or if you run a small business or home office.

The best idea is to keep your computer system free of spyware and run protective programs just in case your computer becomes infected.

I hope this article has been helpful and useful to you. If you are looking for more information and business computing solutions, be sure to check out our website listed below.

Protect Your Computer

These days, it’s essential to have a good and reliable antivirus protection program. There are many good free antivirus software packages available on the internet today.

The only way to protect our computer today is to use software that acts like an antidote to the disease. Using this software, you can take preventive measures to stop the disease before it infects the system.

Removable media such as CDs, floppy disks, and infected USB keys used in another system can transfer the virus and infect the other device.

If your computer is infected with a virus, you need to remove the virus as soon as possible or it can infect the system entirely and spread to others. If one of the computers is infected with a computer virus, the computer needs to be scanned by antivirus software.

When browsing the internet, you are more likely to be infected with a Trojan, virus, or some spyware. According to many virus detection agencies, an unprotected computer is infected on average within twenty minutes of normal internet use.

Many systems get infected every day, and you must take safety measures or your system may become infected, and the virus can damage your data on your system. A computer worm is a self-replicating program, and the first worm to gain widespread attention was the Morris worm, which infected many computers and earned its author 400 hours of community service and over $10,000 in fines.

When a virus infects your computer, it can replicate itself, use system resources, allow remote user access, log keystrokes on the infected computer, and has the potential to destroy personal data.

You should take precautions because when downloading, it may contain spyware, adware, or viruses, and spyware and adware can collect personal data and log your browsing habits and much more about you.

Adware and spyware are programs that are automatically installed on your computer.

When your computer is infected with a virus, it is designed to alter the normal functions of the computer, and spyware infections are used to spy on you,

one way to do this is by logging your personal information. Often, adware, viruses, and spyware find a so-called “backdoor” to install themselves and replicate on your computer.

Sometimes the download can cause a system error or the entire computer system may crash. Many spyware or viruses are downloaded when downloading software and music.

Many viruses can remain dormant without you knowing it, as you don’t know it’s there and can attack at any moment when you least expect it.

It may attack when you are typing a report and downloading it.

Whether you have learned the lesson from a previous experience or not, try not to download junk files or open emails sent to you by people you do not know.

Many people do all of this without any real understanding of how vulnerable they are every time they are on the internet.

Try to take precautions and find reputable programs and install them to protect your system.

There are free programs on the web that will protect your system.

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