If all this sounds familiar, chances are good that software is recording your every keystroke. Don’t list your passwords in your desktop Rolodex or on a sticky note stuck to your computer’s monitor. Slow start-up, sluggish operation, and annoying pop-ups all suggest that your computer is infested with malware, sneaky programs that do bad things to your computer, including spyware (which arrives by way of your web browser), viruses (which arrive by email), and worms (which arrive all by themselves). Then immediately click the Start button and choose All Programs→Windows Update and download all suggested updates to Windows, which takes quite a while. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission offers this advice to prevent identity theft: First, look out for phishing, or email that claims to come from a bank or another online account, such as eBay, and claims that your account has a problem that you can clean up by clicking a link in the message. % of people told us that this article helped them. The standard advice is to construct passwords from a mixture of letters, numbers, and special symbols; to have a different password for every account; to never write down passwords; and to change them every few months. If your outlet or power strip is to blame, problem solved. Some geeks carry the on lanyards around their necks, in their pocketknives, or on their keychains; they are available for under $15. You may also need to file a police report. It uses the same login as Hotmail, so if you have a Hotmail or Outlook.com address, you already have a OneDrive account. Make up one good password to use on all your low-risk accounts ― accounts in which letting someone else gain access has little consequence, such as online newspaper subscriptions. Your camera’s memory card can also hold files. Ad-Aware, from Lavasoft (free for basic version), Microsoft Windows Defender (free, already included in Windows 7, 8, and Vista). At the present time, communication devices rely on the Internet. If your bank thinks that a security problem exists, it doesn’t tell you by email. Some Internet service providers and some system administrators limit the size of files you can send or receive by using their mail servers. Because it’s so widely used, Internet Explorer is targeted by hackers all over the world, which is why we use Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari instead. They will ― that’s why we have you back them up ― but they’ll erase the worms, too. There are a whole host of problems that can interfere with your web-browsing experience. One useful trick is to ask website visitors to include a special word in the subject line of their messages. Your ISP might not be as accommodating. Manage your browser's cache. Your computer may be so thoroughly infested that you have no choice but to blow everything away and start over. However, some shopping sites store information about you (including a link to your mailing address and payment information) on your computer in a file known as a cookie. Before you reinstall Windows, you must install a firewall to protect your computer. Back up at least one copy to more reliable CD-Rs or DVD-Rs rather than to rewritable media. At the least, you should set up a separate email address for your website at a free webmail site. Okay, most people don’t keep anything all that earth-shattering on Facebook, but we keep our family calendar on Google Calendar, and many home and business users keep all kinds of important documents and spreadsheets on Google Docs. Even if you have only one computer, the $30 you spend for a router is well worth it. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Modem & Router Issues. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer brags about the addictive nature of the games his company sells and smiles as he says he wouldn’t let his kid play them. The Solution: Step 1: If your router won't connect to the internet, try putting your computer or device right next to the router. It is the most secure browser there is, well, maybe I2P, but it is harder to use and very buggy. How can I stop a family member from shutting down the internet if I stay up late? The free, open source KeePass program enables you to create an entry for every website or other password you need to remember. You should still keep your Mac’s or Android’s operating system up-to-date and rebuild your PC if you still plan to use it. If the porn is stored on your computer, just right-click the file and select "Delete." Yes, this process is a real pain. One of the first things to try when your connection doesn’t seem to be working properly is the ping command. The nice people at the computer store should be able to help you extract your files from your old, messed-up computer, perhaps for a modest extra charge, and install them on a new one. Maybe you even enjoy spending an enormous percentage of your day doing it. Suggest that, in case you have to repeat this process, their use of your computer will be terminated. Si vous rencontrez toujours des problèmes de connectivité réseau, vérifiez le contenu du fichier Hosts. Internet Explorer screen goes blank for several seconds, what's the cause for this? How to Fix Common Internet Problems. Use some of your Internet time to make a list of outside activities you enjoy and stick it next to your computer screen. For all three programs, download, install, and run them, and be sure to download updates regularly. If your computer has a CD or DVD writer, you can also burn your files on a CD or DVD to give to your friend. Most distributed versions of Windows are so insecure that you simply cannot install the program and all its security updates before you’re reinfected with viruses and worms. On Macs, drag the Disk icon to the trash. After about two weeks, it deletes the file from its server. After you copy whatever files you want, you need to tell your operating system that you’re done with the drive before you unplug it. It will clearly hiccup on the particular router hop that is causing the problem. Don’t reinstall all your data files at first; just the ones you need to use. USB keys are surprisingly vulnerable to viruses. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c8\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c8\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid4003-v4-728px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6d\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-2-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-2-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6d\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-2-Version-3.jpg\/aid4003-v4-728px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-2-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/76\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-3-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-3-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/76\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-3-Version-3.jpg\/aid4003-v4-728px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-3-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-4-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-4-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-4-Version-3.jpg\/aid4003-v4-728px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-4-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/03\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-5-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-5-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/03\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-5-Version-3.jpg\/aid4003-v4-728px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-5-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"

License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/ce\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-6-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-6-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/ce\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-6-Version-3.jpg\/aid4003-v4-728px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-6-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":346,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"547","licensing":"

License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e6\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-7-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-7-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e6\/Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-7-Version-3.jpg\/aid4003-v4-728px-Fix-Common-Internet-Problems-Step-7-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"