Tech Team: In the Trenches

Volume 1 Issue 2

Table of Contents


Hi, my name is Rachel Adams and I work for you. I'm part of the technology team that you can call on, Monday - Friday, 9-5 pm, to help with your questions about computers, networks, PDAs, peripherals, digital cameras, web sites and much, much more. Your state association of Realtors has provided this service to you FREE of charge - my team is just a phone call away!

This issue of Tech Team: In the Trenches addresses pesky viruses and other sinister means of harming your computer or slowing down the Internet and what you can do to protect yourself. Plus, you'll get an insider's glimpse of how our service operates.

Viruses, Trojans, Worms and Hoaxes
You logon to your computer and it looks unusual - the colors have changed, background and icons are different and some of your icons are missing. Or, you click on an icon such as Internet Explorer and instead of going to your home page, you are taken to a different site. Or perhaps you go to open a file on your hard drive and you get the message "Unable to open Windows." What's happened? You could be the victim of a virus. Read more....

Tips for Preventing Viruses

  • Always keep your anti-virus software up-to-date for the definition files.
  • Scan your computer frequently.
  • Do not have more than one anti-virus program installed on your computer.
  • If you do not recognize an e-mail address, delete the message.
  • If you suspect you have a virus, disconnect from the Internet. Then, if you are using a dial-up, unplug the phone jack from the computer or the wall. If you are on broadband, unplug your modem from the wall. This will prevent a virus from sending e-mails to everyone in your address book.
  • Placing all zeros in you address book for the first contact will NOT stop all viruses. It might prevent a specific worm from using your address book, but it is not going to protect you from all viruses.
  • BACKUP your data BEFORE you get a virus.
Service News
You asked … we answered. In response to requests for shorter hold times, we've doubled our staff of analysts to help you with your technology questions. As always, we look for people who not only possess a great degree of technical skill, but also provide excellent customer service. Our Tech analysts will stick with you to resolve your problem, whether it takes 10 minutes or 2 hours - we don't impose call time limits!

So give us a call - we look forward to helping you!

Sincerely,
Rachel Adams

Copyright 2003 FAR