CompuClever Blog

Signs of a PC Attack

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“Errare Humanum Est” – To err is human.

We take no pleasure in pointing out that there have been PC security breaches that have had considerable impact on people’s lives.  Sensitive data can fall into the wrong hands and we fully appreciate that this happens.  We point it out here to emphasize that one, it does happen; and two, it can happen to the best of us.  Well… to those of us that have placed considerable effort, time, and resources on having high levels of security in place.

Despite best efforts and intentions – it can happen.  So let’s first review some recent hacks and then move on to detecting the signs that your PC may have been compromised.

Ashley Madison


Let’s start off with the details of the Ashley Madison attack which are now more available to the public – along with all the compromised data. The aftermath of this unprecendented privacy attack had even reached our own team at CompuClever.

What Was Taken? Employee emails – 300 GB of emails – as well as tens of thousands of user pictures and messages.  The data stolen includes: names, addresses, email accounts, and details about sexual preferences.  The sexual preference data was made public in the files that were released.

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Windows 10 and Antivirus

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During the launch event of our newly released security product –  CompuClever Antivirus PLUS 2016 back in August, many keen users have contacted us about Windows 10 support. I am very excited to announce, as of today, CompuClever Antivirus PLUS 2016 officially supports Windows 10.

>> Learn more about CompuClever Antivirus PLUS

Now, with Windows 10, Microsoft imposes stringent requirements for antivirus software to ensure they are fully compliant to the enhanced security Application Programming Interface (API) specification for Windows 10, AND that the antivirus program also contributes positively to the user experience especially in terms of impact to PC performance. CompuClever Antivirus PLUS 2016 fully meets these new and heightened standards. The antivirus software has been officially approved by Microsoft as being compatible with Windows 10.

>> CompuClever Antivirus PLUS 2016 Now Supports Windows 10

If you are upgrading to Windows 10, please be aware that Microsoft said: “If your anti-malware subscription is not current (expired), Windows will uninstall your application and enable Windows Defender”. We have expressed our concerns about Windows Defender stating that it is not the best antivirus protection you can get, free or paid, even according to PC Magazine.  We recommend anyone upgrading to Windows 10 should check what antivirus protection is running after making the switch. Continue reading...

Spring PC Cleaning

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It’s spring time. What a wonderful time of the year. We tend to feel energized from a restful winter season and it’s time to take on chores that were neglected or “to do” items that set the stage for our busy endeavors ahead. One of these tasks is cleaning your PC so that it runs efficiently. Believe it or not this process does not have to be equivalent to tearing one’s hair out and it can be very fast using the right tools. In the end you may have two important chores accomplished – a better organization of personal files and dead weight that we can refer to as “clutter” is removed.

We’re going to start off with some information on clutter and how to assess how much free space you may have on your PC. Keep in mind that you may have plenty of free space and still have plenty of clutter on your PC. Assessing the situation can help in determining how your PC is performing and how well it responds to some clean up!

Clutter – Time to Clean

By “cleaning” we are not talking about throwing away things that may have some importance. We are referring to removing what can be considered clutter and organizing files we want to keep. Continue reading...

Hard Disk Drive Basics

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An effective disk defragmenter is a vital utility for all PC users who take an active role in improving system performance. We have created two informational articles to cover this important topic thoroughly but in terminology that all computer users can understand. This article examines Hard Disk Drives and how they become fragmented. The follow up article will detail how fragmentation can impact system performance and how defragmentation and best practices can restore PC performance.

The Hard Disk Drive (HDD) is the main storage device for your PC; it is the mechanism that writes and reads data on the hard disk.  The HDD components consist of one or more drive platters sealed within a casing.  These drives connect to the motherboard of the computer through the use of internal data transfer and power cables.

The components within the drive include:

  • Head Actuator: controls the actuator arm.
  • Read/Write Actuator Arm: is similar to the arm of a record player; as the platter is spinning the arm locates and accesses the data needed so it can be read, written (edited), and deleted.
  • Read/Write Head: this is the device at the end of the actuator arm and is used to write or read the data on the platter.
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How Defrag Hard Drives to Speed Up Your PC

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One of the most effective ways of speeding up your PC is to defrag your hard drive. This article contains a full layout of how to dramatically improve the health and performance of your PC by using the PC TuneUp Maestro Defrag Disk utility. We will cover, in brief, preparing your PC by removing unwanted files. Next we will lay out step-by-step instructions for using the Disk Defrag tool. To wrap up, we will cover some additional tips and features such as frequency of defragmentation and automation of the Defrag tool. So, let’s begin.

Download free defrag tool

You can get lots of information on the subject of defragmentation in the following articles:

Best Practices

There are a few best practice recommendations to outline from the start.

Clean Up: Before you can organize, it is always best to do a quick clean up.  This is also true with your Hard Disk Drive (HDD).  If you stop to think about it, the defragment process works to organize scattered data caused from installing, modifying, and deleting files and software.  Before doing a defrag is the best time to do a quick removal of junk items including files in the recycle bin, temp files (unwanted items that are created as temporary storage), outdated cache items, log files, and more.  Continue reading...