Is it a Virus ... ?

There are several types of MALWARE that most users will think are viruses.  The most obvious difference between adware, spyware and viruses are what their intended purpose is.

ADWARE - This malware has many forms:  pop ups and redirects are two common types.  A fake alert telling you your machine is infected is another very deceptive form of adware.  The intent is to scam you into buying something.

SPYWARE - Spyware is usually a program installed on your computer without your knowledge.  Its intention is to steal information such as usernames, passwords, addresses or credit card numbers.

VIRUSES - This for of malware has declined in popularity although is still posses a real threat to your computer.  Viruses can be used to plant adware (Trojans) or just create havoc with your computer or e-mail.

You should ALWAYS have an up to date active subscription to an anti-virus and anti-malware program such as PC Tool Internet Security.

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What is a video card?

And what does it do for me?

A Video Card, also known as a graphics accelerator card, display adapter, or graphics card, is a PC hardware component whose function is to generate and output images to a display. It operates on similar principles as a sound card or other peripheral devices. The term is usually used to refer to a separate, dedicated expansion card that is plugged into a slot on the computer's motherboard, as opposed to a graphics controller integrated into the motherboard chipset.
The amount of RAM, internal frequency and programming all affect the quality of the output from a video card or graphics controller.

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Should I turn it off?

When ever you are transporting a laptop it should be shutdown.  This will stop the hard drive and keep it from being damaged by impact and prevent possible data corruption or loss.

Most desktops can be left on.  They will put themselves into a low power state such as standby and consume minimal power.  Also leaving them on overnight will allow the machine to run maintenance tasks such as updates and malware scans while the computer is idle.

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Are online games safe?

The answer is....it depends.

Games from reputable sites such as Yahoo and Google normally pose little or no threat to your computer's well being.

Things to stay away from are gambling sites, anyone promising you money to play their game online.  A lot of these sites include adware or spyware in their gaming software.

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Why does my computer need to be cleaned?

Dust, lint, and pet hair will plug the heat sinks and vents causing the computer to run at a higher temperature.  This can significantly reduce the lifespan of you machine.

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Why should I backup?

The hard drive in most computers is a mechanical device.  The platters spin at a high RPM and the heads move across them to read/write the data.  If any of these components fail your data can be damaged or lost.  We recommend at a minimum a weekly backup using Acronis or a similar program.

More Info from Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.M.A.R.T.

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