Spyware is tricky since it may hide in lots of different places in your computer.  Besides running anti-spyware and anti-virus software, there are 3 simple steps to take to ensure your pesky friend has left the building.

Here are the 3 simple steps not to forget when removing spyware:

1. Remove temp folder files.  Go to Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Internet Options and then delete your temp and temporary files.  Lots of viruses harbor in this neck of the woods
2. De-activate System Restore.  Right-click My Computer -> Properties -> System Restore and turn off system restore.  Even when you remove viruses, the System Restore will still save a copy of the viruses in this folder.  So, it is important to turn off this service.
3. Stop malicious startup programs.  Go to Start-> Run and type: msconfig -> Startup tab and uncheck to remove any blank lines or virus-looking executables.  This will ensure the virus doesn’t launch at startup.

These 3 steps will help tame your spyware and viruses.

Data recovery is probably one of the most mysterious industries out there.  How are files recovered from a dead drive?  Why is it so expensive?

Data recovery may range from $85 all the way to $2,500 depending on who you’re asking.  There are really two stages of data recovery.  The first stage, which is the less severe, deals with software corruption.  Appropriately, the cost is on the lower end of the range and typically takes 1-2 days time.  Utilities or software is the way to extract files from this type of scenario.  

The second stage, and the more expensive and mysterious stage, deals with physical crashes or failure(s) of the hard drive or other media.  This requires opening up the hard drive in a Clean Room, or dust-free lab environment, in order to replace bad parts.  Then, if all goes well, the files may be recovered after good parts are installed to get the drive operational long enough.  A data recovery expert should be the one performing this physical or lab recovery stage. 

The biggest myth that computer users can do with hard drives that fail is to stick your hard drive in the freezer, and once your drive becomes a popsicle, voila!, your drive wil magically work again.  The rationale behind this is that any bad sectors on your hard drive may be frozen, or solidified, in order to read the files again. 

The big challenge here is that there might be a possibility that you can read your files again from this technique; however, you’ll most likely have minutes if not seconds to recover your files.  After the freezing thaws out, your drive will be effected the same way a spill will - it will be completely dead.  So, in effect, this freezing technique is not close to 100% effective and can possibly render the drive completely useless in terms of ever being able to recover files.  The take-home message here is to have a data recovery specialist diagnose your dead hard drive first before you plan for its funeral.

All sizes of companies have relied on their servers for various tasks.  But, it a server right for your company? 

A server may take on many different functions, such as: sharing files and contacts; creating users and group privledges; print sharing; application sharing, and more. 

If you find yourself responding “yes” to the following questions, then a server might be right for your company:

1. Is your company bigger than 5 people?
2. Do you want to share e-mails, contacts, and appointments?
3. Would you like to restrict access to folders and files to some employees?
4. Do you need an automatic backup system for the company’s shared files?
5. Do several people need to remote into your company’s network from home?
6. Would you like automated error alerts with any network issues?
7. Do you feel more secure and safe with your server in-house versus outsourced?
8. Would you like to be more hands-on with your network?

If you answered “yes” to 4 or more of these questions, than setting up a server in your network is probably the right thing to do.  You may have a network specialist first assess your network to see if a server / network installation might be the route to go.  Keep in mind that sometimes all you need is a NAS device, or network attached storage, to share files among your company.  But, if you want to do more than just file sharing, the server could be a good solution.

Want to do more with your Blackberry?  Now, you can with Google Mobile Apps.  You can do the following with this cool suite of software:

• GPS Maps - see where you are on a map and directions for where you need to go
• Gmail - check your gmail fast
• Google Search - go right to the best search engine out there
• Sync - sync your contacts, calendar, and email with your computer
• Gtalk - chat with your buddies

This Google Mobile Apps is a must-have for blackberry users.  And it doesn’t require a tech support expert to download and install the software.

If you’re a merchant who is always on the go, charging credit cards on a mobile device is necessary.  Some merchants are street vendors, IT consultants, architects, designers, or within other industries that necessitate charging credit cards.  There are mobile devices that charge credit cards, but they are costly.  Now, you can charge cards with the iPhone.

That’s right - the iPhone will callow you charge credit cards with Processaway, a mobile processing solution.  You can get immediate authorization for credit cards.  This instant charge is great for swap meets, tour guides, deposit approvals and other onsite services.

The tech support processing is easy and is a great way to process payments on the fly.

Searching for stuff on the Internet could be tedious and slow-moving.  It is not easy to filter out searches to find the right results.  You can add Inquisitor as a plug-in for your browser to speed up your results.

Inquisitor may be installed as a plug-in for Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari and may be set up on a Mac or PC.  It brings back search results faster and may be used with Yahoo or Google.  It brings back results on the fly as your typing your search like Google.  And best of all it is a free software that doesn’t bring about viruses or spyware.

This little speedster is a good one to keep in your tech support toolchest.

Microsoft’s upcoming Office 2010 will integrate the Internet more than ever.  Nowadays, it’s common to have the need to network and share files.  The challenge comes if someone is at another location, such as home or on the road, and you need to share files from your office computer.

Microsoft Office 2010 will now allow running its Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote over Internet Explorer to provide ease of accessibility.  Wherever you are, you’ll be able to access and work on your files.  And you can have others collaborate easily.  This is very similar to Google Apps and this is no coincidence.  Microsoft is looking to compete with Google’s online sharing industry.

This new online version is a good way for Microsoft to compete with other online apps as well as free Office programs.  This online version will allow computer users to leverage the Internet to the fullest.

Google, Yahoo, AOL, and other search engines store a wealth of information.  And it’s easy to find what you’re looking for.  But, what if you want to learn info by watching others.  Better yet, how about watching videos to find your answer?

Howcast, a high-quality video website shows all different types of instructional videos.  It shows how-to videos of removing viruses, making healthy fruit shakes, constructing cabinets, typing faster on iPhones, and the list goes on and on.  The difference between Howcast and YouTube is that Howcast produces high resolution videos from a team of programmers whereas YouTube contains a full range of videos, mostly grainy, from regular computer users.

Howcast has recently signed on the government as a vendor in providing how-to videos for filling out forms.  This is a great way to help users fill out forms and at the same time save on phone operators guiding folks through the steps.  You may view videos on your iPhone and videos will soon be able to be seen on Blackberries and other handheld phones.  The videos are crisp and to the point and are helpful in many genres, making this site a top one to put on your go-to list.

You might have heard of Google Chrome as an alternate web browser.  It will soon be an operating system to compete against Microsoft and Apple.  The heart of Chrome’s vision is to run programs separate and apart from the operating system.

In essence, Google’s operating system will not need its operating system to run programs, such as Microsoft Word, Quickbooks, and other software.  All you’ll need is an Internet browser and then you’ll be able to run programs through it.  Obviously, you’ll need to make sure your Internet connection is fast.  By doing so, you’ll experience fast processing speeds and quick start and shutdown times.  This Linux-based operating system is touted as being slimmer and faster than Windows’ new Windows 7 operating system.  We feel that some special or exclusive programs will need to be thrown into Google Chrome to allow it to thrive.

The market for this operating system will most likely be successful on netbooks, computers that don’t have a lot of power to run full-blown Windows or Mac systems.  This new Google system is due out during the end of 2010.

Fake security pop-up messages are more common on computers nowadays.  It might be in the form of attempting to have you install anti-virus software or go to a site to run a free spyware scan.  Whatever the message, do not fall for these fake messages otherwise known as spyware hoaxes.

Instead of providing you legitimate security against threats, it will instead install a virus or infultrate your system with spyware.  If you see such a pop-up appear, just click on the top-right “X” of the box to close it.  You should not start tweaking with pop-up settings in Internet Explorer since you may mistakenly over-protect your computer to prevent many sites from opening.  You should contact a computer repair specialist to remove any of your computer infections.