5 Common Computer Myths Debunked
Common urban myths would have us believe alligators live in sewers or people put razor blades in kidsโ candy. Common misconceptions about computers are just as persistent. Here are several IT myths debunked for your benefit.
#1 A slow-running computer has a virus
A virus can be to blame. Spyware or other malware can also cause a computer to slow down. However, there are also many other reasons your computer might run slower:
- You may have a lot of programs that start up when you boot up the computer. You could remove or disable programs that start every time.
- The computer has gone into power save mode every night, but you havenโt rebooted the computer in a long time.
- There are many programs running in the background. On a Windows PC, you can go into task manager and see what is running and the computer resources in use.
- A security utility is running. If itโs an antivirus scanner, let the scan finish first, then see if your computer speed improves.
- Temporary files or other junk are taking up too much hard drive space. Your computer needs at least 200-500 MB of free space on the hard drive to be able to move and manage files.
- Your computer doesnโt have enough RAM to run programs within memory. If your computer has to swap information on the hard drive to get enough memory to run programs, itโs going to work slower.
- The computer is old. You may need to upgrade to a computer that can handle current software needs without slowing to a snailโs pace.
#2 Macs donโt get viruses
Many Apple owners believe their Macintosh computers are immune to viruses. If only. Macs do get viruses; they are simply targeted less than PCs. Why? There are many more computers running Windows, which means a bigger, easier target for cybercriminals.
As Appleโs market share rises, the threat to Macs is growing. Apple works to protect its users from malware, but you still need to use caution with downloads and when clicking on links from unknown sources.
#3 My Windows registry needs cleaning up
Registry cleaning companies will say that scanning your Windows registry can speed up the computer and avoid error messages. The cleaner finds unused registry keys and any malware remnants for removal.
But letโs consider the fact that Microsoft has not released its own registry cleaner. Why not? Because itโs really not necessary. Worse still, going in to clean your registry (when you donโt know what youโre doing) can actually do serious damage.
#4 My laptop battery needs to be dead before I recharge if I want it to last longer
This was once true. Nickel-cadmium batteries suffered from what was called a โmemory effect.โ If discharged and recharged to the same point several times, they would remember that point in the future and not go further.
Now, however, laptops typically come with lithium-ion (or Li-ion) batteries. They donโt suffer from this memory effect. In fact, they function better with partial discharge instead of letting the battery run down to zero.
#5 I donโt have anything hackers would want
Cybersecurity should be a priority for everyone, not only sprawling enterprises. Letโs put it this way:
- Do you have any money?
- Do you have an identity cybercriminals could use to access money or sell for money?
- Do you work anywhere?
Hackers have all kinds of ways to profit from your data or from hijacking your computerโs processing power. They can turn your computer into part of a bot network or use your information as a bridge into a business network.
Keep all your office computers performing at top speed (and with the best security measures in place) with the help of our experts. Contact us today at (615) 522-0080!
Safe Network Solutions is a technology consulting firm located in Nashville, TN. We are focused on reducing our Clientsโ stress and the time they spend handling IT related issues. As technology has become more integrated with daily business tasks, downtime is not an option. Whether your systems reside on-premise, in the cloud, or in a hybrid setup, you need a partner with expertise in a wide array of technologies, with a security focus.
