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Have you ever felt that your “desktop” space on your computer was too small? Have you ever wanted a larger monitor but did not want to pay the high costs for one large LCD monitor and the hassle of getting rid of your old monitor? A dual monitor setup may be the solution to your problem. Imagine doubling your computer workspace and having the freedom to keep multiple windows maximized and in view. These are just a few benefits of a dual monitor setup.

Many software developers and others in the Technology industry have known the positive effects that a dual monitor setup provides. Now, the lower price points of LCD monitors and better operating system support has allowed consumers to easily add an extra monitor (or two!) to their existing computer setup.

Whether you are a student, home user, or a business owner, a dual monitor setup benefits every type of computer user. For students, they will be able to have their word processor maximized and open on one monitor to write a paper while having a web browser open with research topics open on the other. This allows the student to save time and become more efficient by eliminating the need to switch between windows and possibly lose track of where they were in either document. This scenario holds true for other users as well, keeping email clients, web browsers, and other frequently used applications open AND visible at the same time, allowing you to quickly switch between them.

A dual monitor setup is available if you work on a laptop or desktop. An additional monitor can be added to anyone’s current setup. A 19- or 20-inch flat-screen LCD monitor is available for less than $200 at your local electronics store.

Call E-Geniuses today to setup an appointment to maximize your computer efficiency and install a dual monitor setup. For more information regarding this or any other computer related issue, feel free to contact an E-Geniuses Technician at (877) My-Genius or email info@e-geniuses.com.

New Malware Notice

Lately we’ve been seeing a lot of people being infected by rogue (fake) antivirus and anti-spyware programs. The virus is stored on a website, perhaps even a trusted website, that’s been hacked. A window that looks like an authentic Windows warning message appears saying that the computer is infected. The purpose of the fake warning message is to scare the user into clicking “Yes” to every window that pops up claiming to fix the “virus problem.” Clicking “Yes” actually downloads the virus. Do not download the file. If you already have, delete it immediately.

Above: Picture of a Rogue Virus acting as an Antivirus Warning Message.

If you see a similar warning message to the one above, close the browser completely. If you have a Monthly Maintenance Plan with E-Geniuses, you should call to have a technician scan your computer for infections. We will then examine the suspect website and have it reported if necessary.

The are many variants of the same malware. Some common names are Power Antivirus 2009, Antivir64, Internet Antivirus, PowerAntiSpy, AntivirusDoc, XP or Vista Antivirus 2008, and Antispyware XP 2008.

If you’ve been infected, we have found a few programs that work well. One of the programs is called Malwarebytes. It’s free to download. For more security, we recommend that you purchase the full version for around $25. The full version of Malwarebytes can monitor and prevent rogue programs from being installed. Installation and configuration is available at no cost to Monthly Maintenance and Personal Technician clients.

We will keep you posted in our newsletter, The E-Geniuses Insider, and our blog so you’ll know which programs work best for the most current infections. As you know, the people programming these viruses change them to circumvent preventive measures. Just make sure that you have an E-Genius on your side to stay a step ahead of them. If you have anymore questions about Virus and Spyware Removal, visit www.E-Geniuses.com.

Keep yourself safe from spyware, adware, spam, viruses, browser exploits, unreliable online shops, phishing, and other Internet scams. With the free WOT browser add-on, you can easily see the reliability of companies and websites. WOT will warn you and save your computer before you interact with a harmful site.

WOT, Web of Trust, is an online community for reputation rating that lets Internet users share their knowledge of websites, helping you stay in control when surfing the Web. Besides its users, WOT uses hundreds of trusted sources such as phishing site listings to keep you protected against rapidly spreading online threats.

As you search with Google, you will see a tiny icon next to the Web link: green to go, yellow to slow down, red to stop. You can easily customize the protection level to your way of surfing the Web. WOT has information on 19 million websites. WOT ratings are shown also on Yahoo!, Gmail, Wikipedia, and other sites. No registration is required.