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When it comes to keeping ourselves alive and well, most would do things like avoid wandering dark alleys, seek medical attention when we’re sick and not trust seedy strangers, but when it comes to the computer, we often throw caution to the wind and end up getting ourselves in trouble.

The computer doctor is now in, though, in the form of Eric Escobar at Quick and Dirty Tips with five things you can avoid to keep your computer alive and kicking.

Mistake #1: Clicking on Advertisements

A free iPod! A $500 gift card! A new computer! How could Jenkins resist not clicking on any of these ads? Well truth be told, advertisements that seem too good to be true generally are too good to be true. These ads will often link to websites that can install software on your computer without your knowledge. After a while, this software will start slowing down your computer and it sometimes may even contain viruses or malware!…

Mistake #2: Visiting Dark Corners of the Internet

The next bad thing Jenkins did was visit websites located in the darker corners of the Internet. That may sound kind of odd, but there are places on the Internet where websites will run programs without your knowing, and they will ask you to download all sorts of malevolent software. The best advice I have for this problem is to use websites you know can be trusted; and if you must venture out into the wild west of the Internet, I suggest using Google to see whether you can find any reviews for a specific website. Just try typing the website in question into the Google search box, followed by some of the following words: “security,” “reviews,” and “problems.” If there is a problem with the website, you will see some startling results appear very quickly!

Full story at Quick and Dirty Tips via Scientific American.

Keeping your technology happy.

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