malware Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

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Posted on November 19, 2025

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These days most people are aware that viruses, spyware, adware and other types of malware are lurking in the shadows of the Internet, just waiting for an opportunity to sneak onto their computers’ hard drives and perform all kinds of mischief.

What many folks don’t know however is just how easy it is for a computer or mobile device (and the sensitive data stored on it) to become compromised simply by using an out-of-date web browser that doesn’t have the latest security updates installed.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Can you ‘Undo’ a System Restore on a Windows PC?

Posted on October 9, 2025

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Question from Edward: Hello, Rick. Love your site! I hope you can answer a question for me.

I downloaded a game onto my Dell laptop a few days ago and I immediately started getting lots of pop-up ads on my screen.

I uninstalled the game but I’m still getting the pop-ups. I read in a Windows forum that a System Restore should fix the problem but that there are no guarantees.

My question is can a System Restore be reversed if it doesn’t fix the problem (0r if causes more problems)? [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I find out how much data each app on my PC is using?

Posted on September 28, 2025

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Gary: My ISP has notified me that I have exceeded the monthly data allotment for my Internet plan and that I might have to pay extra this month.

I don’t understand this because I only use the Internet for about 1 to 2 hours per day and I don’t do much streaming at all other than watching an occasional YouTube video.

I only have one computer using my WiFi connection. No phones or tablets use WiFi, just this one computer. There is nothing connected via a wired connection either.

I’m hoping you can help me find out what’s using all that data? [Read more…]

How to fix common malware errors without losing your files

Posted on September 16, 2025

Malware errors literally freeze any computer session out of the blue. One should definitely notice warnings about possible infections or blocked programs, causing immediate worry not just about device security but also the safety of personal files. Photos, documents, and work data; that’s what’s at stake in case malware goes unresolved.

The problem for most users is that solving these problems sometimes feels like having to let the threat win or protect their files. Deleting the wrong item or using the wrong method can mean losing your data permanently, which is why malware errors have to also be attacked with strategies that eliminate threats while keeping the files intact. [Read more…]

Tips for speeding up a sluggish Windows PC

Posted on September 13, 2025

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Modern personal computers are amazing machines. They allow us to do things in minutes that once took hours or days as well as many other things that couldn’t be done at all in times past.

But even with all their awesome power and capabilities, computers are no fun to use when they’re running slowly and freezing up at random times.

Today I’m going to discuss a few things you can do to help speed up a sluggish PC and hopefully avoid having to deal with erratic system performance.

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