Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Flash Drive be infected by Virus?

Flash Drive can be infected with a virus if you save a virus-infected file to the unit. A virus-infected drive can then infect any other computer you might use with the drive.

If you use your flash drive on other PCs, you increase the chance that you could get some virus or other malware. Avoid issues by using anti-virus software on your computer and update it regularly with the most recent virus definitions.           

 

How can I know that my system is infected with Virus?

You will know you have an infected Computer if you suddenly can’t perform certain procedures like:

• Can’t connect to the Internet .
• Can’t run your anti-virus software
• Can’t run your e-mail program

There are also a number of symptoms which indicate that your computer has been infected. If you notice "strange things" happening to your computer, namely:

• unexpected messages or images are suddenly displayed
• unusual sounds or music played at random
• your CD-ROM drive mysteriously opens and closes
• programs suddenly start on your computer
• you receive notification from your firewall that some applications have attempted to connect to the Internet, although you did not initiate this, then it is very likely that your computer has been infected by a virus
• your computer freezes frequently or encounters errors
• your computer slows down when programs are started
• the operating system is unable to load
• files and folders have been deleted or their content has changed
• your hard drive is accessed too often (the light on your main unit flashes rapidly)
• Microsoft Internet Explorer freezes or functions erratically e.g. you cannot close the application window

Also, they can use up (all available) memory causing your system to be slow, to hang or even bring the system to a halt. They can also destroy files within your system.

Although some of the symptoms listed above can indicate a hardware or software problem, you should still use your updated antivirus software to scan your computer fully, no one can tell..

 

How can I configure my Antivirus/OS to update automatically?

For XP users, do the following:

1. Right click on my Computer Icon on the Desktop
2. Click on Properties
3. Click on Automatic updates
4. Check Automatic (recommended)
5. Choose which day and time of the week you want the update downloaded and installed.

OR

1. Click on Start
2. Click on Control Panel
3. Switch to Classic View
4. Double click on Automatic Update
5. Check Automatic (recommended)
6. Choose which day and time of the week you want the update downloaded and installed.

 

Why is my system very slow?

There are many ways to it.

1. The capacity of your RAM may be small. For XP, the recommended RAM is 128MB and above. It will work with 64MB, but it will be very slow. For Windows 98, 64MB is the best option.

2. Virus infection can also cause your system to be slow. Some Viruses use up all available memory. If this is the case or you don't even know, try to scan your system with your updated Antivirus software.

Another thing you can do is to free your system from unwanted files by doing disk cleanup. To do this:

1. Click on start
2. Go to Accessories ---> System Tools ----> Disk Cleanup
3. Select the drive you want to clean up
4. Select Recycle Bin and all temporary files
5. Click OK
6. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

You can also try to defragment your harddisk. To do this:

1. Click on Start
2. Go to Accessories ---> System Tools ----> Disk Defragmenter.
3. Select the drive to defragment
4. Click on defragment to start the process. This might take time, so do it when you are less busy.