You've probably been sending emails for the better part of the past 15 to 20 years. They have become an essential communication tool, but did you know that there is a generally accepted etiquette when it comes to email? Most of us focus on certain rules when it comes to writing the body of the email, but few of us really look at the To; CC and BCC fields. Indeed, many people don't use these fields in the right way, which can lead to trouble in the future.

Below are some tips on how to properly use the To; CC and BCC fields in emails.

To The To field is typically used for contacts who you want to communicate directly with. If you add a few people here then you need to put their names in the salutation part of your email e.g., Hi Tom, Neena and Irina. If you are sending out a company wide announcement, or an email to your team, you can put the individual addresses in the To field and instead of addressing everyone individually use something like: Hello Team.

One of the unwritten but largely accepted email rules is that if an email address is in the To field, you're saying it's ok for other recipients to email one another regarding the email. There is a common perception that you should limit the number of people in the To field. There's no real limit on how many addresses can be included, as long as all the recipients are directly involved in the subject of the email. Even if it's 1,000 people you can still put them in.

Where this view of limiting addresses in the To box stems from is that more email addresses make the email look unwieldy and could anger people who want their email address kept private. Many users create groups and give each group a name which will show in the To field to all users. This will often eliminate the issue of people wanting their email addresses kept private while simultaneously cutting the number of email addresses people have to scroll through.

CC CC stands for Carbon Copy and is usually used for people who should know about the content of the email but aren't directly involved. As such, contacts who are CC'd are not expected to be a part of the conversation but can jump in if they want to. CC can also be used to tell the recipients that they aren't the only people who have seen this email; if you CC management, most people will see this and will likely be more inclined to follow through on the content of the email.

BCC Email addresses in the BCC, Blind Carbon Copy, will receive the email, but recipients in the To and CC fields won't see the address of those in the BCC field. BCC is most commonly used for mailing lists, or other periodicals and for when recipients request that their email address be kept private.

You should be careful with BCC though as, for example, if you are sending an email with sensitive information to one party, and you BCC another, you get in hot water if either party finds out and is not happy about what might be thought of as secret sharing.

These are just a few simple tips to ensure you follow email etiquette. If you would like to learn more about better ways to send emails, please contact us, we can help.

The hard disk drive (HDD) has been an essential part of computers more or less since their inception. While they have gotten smaller and increased in capacity, they are quickly reaching a point where they won't be able to go any faster, hold any more or last any longer. There is a replacement already making a splash with some great advantages, the solid-state drive (SSD).

You've likely heard of SSDs - drives that have no moving parts - and you may have even looked at the price of them. Yes, they are more expensive when compared with the aging HDD platform, SSDs however have a number of benefits over their cheaper cousins.

Here's five benefits of using SSDs in your company:

• They're speedy - Put an SSD into a computer or laptop and you'll notice it screams. On some laptops, like the Google Chromebook, startup time can be as quick as eight seconds. This gets you into your desktop and to your work faster. While it's only seconds at each startup, it can add up to extra hours across the whole company. Access speed is also important, as traditional HDDs can access data at a rate of about 140 MB/s, while SSDs can access data at over 600 MB/s. This means your computer runs faster.
• They're tough - There are no moving parts to most SSDs, so they are less likely to break. That's why they have been used by militaries, the aeronautical industry and the medical industry for years. Another advantage of not having moving parts is that the SSD will function in a greater temperature range, which is good news for businesses operating extreme climates, or even in the confines of hot server rooms.
• They can help increase battery life - The power draw of the SSD is considerably lower than HDDs, which means battery life is extended. Some laptops with SSD-only drives can last 8-10 hours, compare this to six hours, (if you're lucky), on laptops with HDD. When installed in computers, there is a cost savings in energy bills too and while this might not amount to huge savings these can add up over time.
• They last longer - HDD's moving parts mean that they eventually wear out, or crash. If this happens, the information stored on the drive will likely be inaccessible. SSDs are predicted to last far longer, which means your data is safer on these drives in the long-run.
• They can be safer - Some SSDs utilize a memory system similar to flash drives. With an OS that can be configured to this type of memory, users can install these onto the drive, lock it and then use the cloud for media storage. Because the SSD can be locked, each time the OS is booted, it's booted into the original installed state, so malware that attacks the OS is rendered useless as all you have to do is revert the OS to it's original installed state i.e., restart your computer.

While SSDs have been around for nearly three decades, they are just now starting to make inroads with personal computers, and even business solutions for that matter. The biggest reason for the slow adoption is the price. On average, SSDs cost USD$0.65 for 1 GB while HDDs cost USD$0.05 to USD$0.10 per GB. This may seem like a big cost difference but the price in SSDs is dropping rapidly, while the price for HDDs is largely staying the same. If you're interested in learning more about SSDs and how they can fit into your company's IT, please contact us.

Superstorm Sandy, the recent storm that pummeled the Eastern US, brought with it a lot of lessons for all affected. For those in the IT industry the most important lesson was that their disaster preparedness may not be as robust as they thought. Many businesses will react to this by wanting to be better prepared for major disasters. This is positive action but it is important to stress that there are also a million little issues that could pose a bigger threat to your organization. One of those is password management - who is in control of the important passwords.

Search for Terry Childs online and you'll find a number of articles about a former Network Administrator for the city of San Francisco who is currently in jail for supposedly doing his job. His job, as a network administrator, was to manage the city's network. When he was asked by his boss for the passwords to critical parts of the network, he refused on the grounds that the request went against the established network policy.

Issues like this: One employee or vendor in control of vital passwords, can pose a big problem to companies, especially during times of disaster. Imagine if you work with an administrator who is based in New York, and they lost power during Sandy. What could you do if your network crashed, or you needed access to your system and someone else has all the passwords?

The most crucial factor is you shouldn't trust one person or organization with passwords to vital systems. We don't mean personal passwords to systems, we mean passwords to vital systems, like servers or Internet connections. If one person has the passwords, there's just too much risk. If they are disgruntled, they have the power to do some serious damage, and if they are injured or are no longer alive, you'll face untold amounts in lost profit, and fees in recovering passwords and information.

There are a number of things you can do to mitigate problems like these.

• Keep a password list - It could be a good idea to keep a physical list of the more important passwords. This is an important document, so it's a good idea to not leave this one lying around. If you have a safety deposit box or safe in the office you can put the list here.
• Set passwords to the position, not the employee - Many companies will often give passwords to one person who will be in charge of these. When they advance, or if they switch roles, they will often take a password with them. Instead, look at organizing this a different way around: Assign a password to the position rather than an individual so that when they leave the person filling their role is given this password instead.
• Assign a person to be in charge of passwords - This is a good idea, especially if you work with Managed Service Providers. A person of authority within your organization should be the main contact person, and they should have copies of all passwords given to outside companies.
• Change passwords regularly - To avoid having employees steal things it's a good idea to change your passwords on a regular basis. If an employee leaves a position and is in charge of an important password, you should take steps to change this scenario even if you trust the person.
• Create the right policy - If you are going to share passwords, or have a limited number of people who know them, it's a good idea to create a policy that clearly defines: what position has access to what; what happens when someone leaves; how to recover passwords; how many backups will be kept; how and when the password is to be shared. Basically you want to ensure you aren't caught flat footed. With employees, confidentiality agreements that explicitly state what they can and can't share and the consequences of breaching the policy should also be clearly defined and followed.
• Pick who to trust - Important passwords shouldn't be shared with everyone, and you should take steps to vet the trustworthiness of the person or company you will be giving passwords to. If you have an established sharing process, and a vendor you're considering working with is pushing a policy that is different from yours, it may be a good idea to look for someone whose policies are closer to yours, or who can work around your policies.

If you are in the unfortunate position of not having the passwords to your system, it's a good idea to get in touch with IT professionals like us, as we are often able to recover systems and passwords, or at the very least, reset them. After you recover your systems, it's a good idea to test for vulnerabilities, especially if the last person in charge had a tendency to not share information. We can help with this and any other concerns with password management and recovery, so please contact us if you would like to learn more.

Who likes Spam? There's Spam and eggs (a classic), Spam and bacon and eggs, eggs bacon and Spam, or even Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, baked beans, Spam, Spam and Spam. Sound like a bit too much Spam? Monty Python thought so in their 1970 comedy sketch which highlighted how Spam seemed to be everywhere. Spam was so popular that the term was applied to email messages that no one wants. We all know and hate email spam, but, do you know how to spot spam?

There are about a million different kinds of spam messages, here's nine of the most popular (in no particular order) and how to identify that they are spam:

• Emergency messages - These often come from family, or people on your contact list, usually asking you for money because they are stranded. While you may have relatives traveling, it's a good idea to reach out to them using other means of communication when you get an email like this. Be wary, especially if they don't want to give a phone number or exact location.
• Requests to update your account - These usually come in after a website has had a security breach. They almost always ask you to update contact information, and usually provide a link. Clicking this link will take you to a site that looks almost exactly the same as the real one, only this one usually has viruses or other malicious intent. If you ever get an email like this: Read the email and sender's email address carefully - they usually have spelling mistakes - and don't click any links. Instead, close and log out of your email, go to the website and log in.
• Requests for your password - Sometimes spammers don't even bother to set up elaborate websites, they'll just grab the company logo, make a fancy letterhead and send you an email, or message asking you for your password. This type of spam usually comes from scammers posing as representatives of a bank or credit card company. Never, ever reply with your password. Organizations do not ask for passwords over email.
• Obvious misspellings - Unless you work with people or companies with employees who aren't native English speakers, obvious misspellings in messages e.g., 'Here iS som3 FREE Stuffz', usually indicate the message is spam. If you're not sure, and know the sender, contact them. If you don't know the sender, or the sender has an email address like: pradaoutletonlinestore4u.comGliemATgmail.com, it's spam.
• Pleas for help - This is a tough one, we all want to help people, but when we receive pleas to help the poor starving hipsters of Manhattan, you have to be skeptical. Charities don't email you unless you put your name on a mailing list, or gave them your email when you last donated.
• Contest winner - The main rule here is: If you didn't enter the contest, you're not a winner, no matter how sweet the prize. The same goes for those spam pop-ups on some of the more adult oriented websites. You're not the 1,000,000th viewer and clicking on the link, or shooting the three ducks won't get you a free iPad. You will get more spam however, or a virus if you're a really good shot.
• Chain emails - These have been circling the globe more or less since the beginning of the Internet and have now made their way onto Facebook and other social networks. The vast majority of them are harmless, but, they are annoying. Think about it, you get one telling you to forward to 10 people or a cute, fluffy kitten will be shaved. If you forward it to 10 people, you're now the spammer. If you get emails like these, they are spam, just delete them.
• Messages in attachments - Be extra cautious with this one. If you get an email from any contact that says something along the line of, "Please see my message in this attachment," or has nothing at all in the body, it's pretty much guaranteed to be spam. That attachment is likely some malicious software. No organizations or companies will send you messages in an attachment, so when you get one, just delete it.
• Awesome deals - Contacted out of the blue by someone offering you an all inclusive ski trip to Steamboat Springs Colorado for just a dollar? Or how about an LV Handbag for just USD$10? These deals seem too good to be true, and what's the rule with things that seem too good to be true? They are. Just because it's in an email, or chat message doesn't mean it's real. If you get these, don't click on any links or even reply to the sender, just delete or ignore them.

There's one thing in common with nearly all forms of spam, messages usually contain links. If you're ever unsure about the link, hover your mouse over it for a few seconds, and your browser should tell you where the link will take you i.e., Chrome will display the address at the bottom of the window. If the link looks unfamiliar, or seems wrong, don't click it.

An important thing to be aware of is that Spam is unwanted, or unasked for. If you sign up for a daily newsletter, that's not spam, you agreed to allow the company to send you messages. Luckily, most of these have links you can press at the bottom of the message to unsubscribe. To learn more about spam, and how we can help you stop it, please contact us.

Freedom is something many take for granted, especially when it comes to the Internet. We tend to think that countries that block certain sites on the Internet, like China and their 'great firewall' are infringing on basic rights. While blocking sites and access might seem pernicious, there is some benefit that comes from it, especially for companies; a decreased security risk and better control. Does your company allow employees unrestricted Internet access? If so there might be some issues that could arise from this.

Here's four potentially negative outcomes that can result from unrestricted Internet access.

Loss of productivity We live in a world where we are reliant on the Internet and the once clear line between work and life has blurred into more or less the same thing. When we're at work, it's often hard to resist the temptation of checking our email, personal Facebook accounts, or even the news. When we do this, we aren't focusing on work which could mean we are less productive as a result.

Legal liability The potential legal liabilities from improper use of the Internet while at work could lead to some serious legal implications. For example, over 27% of Fortune 500 companies have been accused of sexual harassment stemming from inappropriate emails sent by employees. To go one step further, in the US, the Supreme Court has ruled that companies can be held liable for their employees forwarding offensive or illegal material.

Reputation damage There are numerous cases where an employee has received an email and forwarded it to several other employees, who then in turn forward it on until it reaches someone who is unintentionally offended. It's made worse when this email is plastered with company branding and from a work email address. In serious cases word can leak to the media and the company’s reputation takes a serious hit.

Increased bandwidth consumption Websites like YouTube, or those with some sort of streaming media, can be bandwidth intensive. With services like these, you'll notice that anything that relies on an Internet connection runs slower. This alone will increase costs, especially if you rely on the Internet and need to purchase more than one connection to keep speeds where they should be.

With these four outcomes, it seems like the answer might be obvious: you should limit or block non-essential websites. Be warned however, younger generations entering the workforce have come to rely on and expect openness, and freedom of the Internet. Watch your typical Gen Y work, and they will use the Internet both for work and relaxation. Draconian blocking of sites could in fact bring about an even larger decrease in productivity in these Internet-hungry employees, as they either focus on finding ways to circumvent the block instead of working, or simply leave the company.

So, what is the best solution? The answer is one many companies have struggled with. The truth is, it's different for every company, but the one thing productive companies have in common is a policy on Internet use, combined with taking adequate steps in terms of security. Many tech companies allow free and open access to sites like Facebook in the belief that even if used for personal measures, the employee is spreading the word about the company. If you're not an expert in this, or would like some guidance, we are happy to help, so please get in touch.

There is an 'instant' feeling to so much of what we do and expect to be done in life that this has kind of clouded the way we interact with one another. For example, if we receive an email, the sender expects an instant reply and if we don't reply within an often very narrow time frame, the sender will often move on. ‘Instant’ is a two way street, so while we have come to expect things to happen immediately, we often hate it when people want something right this minute. There is a danger this could become a big problem in the near-future.

This insatiable need for the ‘instant’ has arguably led to a decrease in the overall attention span of many people. We no longer focus on one thing and are constantly multi-tasking. Think of the last time you went out for a team lunch, what was the conversation like? More than likely you were sat around a table, talking for about five minutes before almost everyone resorted to looking at their phones, while kind of listening. Beyond that, think of the last time you had to wait for something, anything. If you're like a lot of people, you probably mumbled some comment or question as to why it was taking so long.

This instant, multitasking, relatively impatient lifestyle has started to really affect many us in negative ways. For example, looking at a forum post with over three pages of entries, most people will read the first few visible posts and then skip to the end and read the last post. If the post contains lots of text, most people bust out the TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read) and skip most of the information, potentially missing the most important parts.

If this was on an important sales contract and you skipped over the section that detailed how your company would be compensated because you just didn't have the time or patience to read it, you could irreparably harm your business, simply because you didn't feel like reading a few extra paragraphs.

Before you go throwing the computer out the window - many businesses simply can't afford to get rid of it, or can't operate without it - you should take a step back and track how you utilize technology in your daily life. Look for gadgets, devices and even websites that distract you and take steps to decrease their use. Using a timer with a set amount of time during which you concentrate on work, and another with a smaller amount of time for breaks could be a real big help.

There are thousands of other ways you can increase your productivity, regardless of your reliance on technology. Which do you find work for you? Let us know.

One of the more important elements of a successful business is a well defined direction and set of policies that give employees a form of direction and a guide on how they should conduct themselves. Many companies without basic policies often struggle with employees who do what they think is right, or worse, nothing at all. Don't let this happen at your company, instead, create solid policies.

Below are six things to consider when developing your next policy.

1. You need a policy for policies - This sounds a little weird, but in order to draft effective policies, you should first draft a policy on drafting policies. It doesn't have to be long, but should cover when and why a new policy is needed; the format to use; and the policy for drafting and approval of new policies.
2. Does your planned policy already exist? - Before you go spending time on drafting a completely new policy, you should first check and see if any existing policies cover what you're planning to write about, or if they cover some aspects. If they do, instead of creating a new policy, it's much easier to update existing ones.
3. Consider the need - If someone does something you don't like or agree with, don't simply go and create a new policy out of spite, or as a knee-jerk reaction. If you find yourself doing this, take a step back and let the policy sit for a few days or weeks and revisit the issue to see if it is really necessary. If you deem it significant enough, get input from colleagues. They may offer valuable help, or have other ideas. The goal with policies is that there should be a crystal clear need for them, or a clear problem to solve.
4. Make the policy understandable - Have you ever read policies enacted by governments or large companies? Of course you have, but how much did you understand? If you aren't a lawyer, there is likely some parts you don't understand. You should make your policies understandable and readable by everyone in the company. Leave legal language to the lawyers, and clearly define any and all acronyms and jargon. Beyond that, the use of modal verbs and positions instead of names is highly encouraged.
5. Include exceptions - Rules set in stone will often be broken. When writing a policy, it is a good idea to include exceptions whenever possible. If you don't include these yet constantly make them in practice, you're undermining the policy. If you find these exceptions become relevant in the future, update the policy to include them.
6. Be flexible - You should write some wiggle room in the policies. If you have an ironclad policy employees will come to rely on it, and if something happens what goes against the policy, they could use the ‘it's company policy’ line as an excuse not to take the right action. The common trend is that new policies essentially provide the guidelines for empowerment.

If you take steps to ensure the policy is as comprehensive as possible, and your employees understand each and every aspect of it, they will be more than likely to follow it. Do you have any other tips on writing policies? Let us know.

Social media, and to a larger extent the Internet, has become the new domain for marketing. If you're not marketing online, or don't have an online presence, your company is really missing out. Facebook, one of the most popular mediums of social networking and marketing has some great advantages for companies. Unfortunately, some people are out to cause harm and do this usually through posting damaging comments, or rude things on your wall. There is a way to control this however.

Here's how to delete posts and comments on your Facebook Page.

Delete a post or comment To delete a post:

1. Go to your company's Facebook Page and scroll to the post you would like to delete.
2. Hover your mouse over the top right-hand corner of the box containing the post.
3. Press the Pencil and select Delete...
4. Select Delete from the pop-up window that appears. You can also select Delete and Ban user which will delete the post and ban the user from posting on your wall.

To delete a comment:

1. Go to your company's Facebook Page and scroll to the post that contains the comment you'd like to delete.
2. Hover your mouse over the right-hand side of the comment until an X appears.
3. Click on the X and the post will be removed and marked as spam.

When you click Remove, a message will be shown telling you the post has been deleted and provide you with some extra options. You can either ban the user, undo the action or delete the post, as well as ban or report the user.

When should I delete? In an ideal world, you wouldn't have to delete or remove any posts, simply because the idea of Facebook for businesses is to show the human face of companies and that they are worth interacting with. Some negative comments, when addressed correctly, can help illustrate that you care, and will go the extra mile to ensure people with issues have a way to communicate, and that your company values its relationships.

Sadly, this isn't an ideal world, there will be times when people post things that should be deleted. These include posts that:

• Are overly hurtful.
• Are hateful.
• Contain information or words deemed to be unacceptable by the local and professional community.
• Are so off topic they are useless.
• Sell other products, usually spam messages like: ‘Buy Gucci Bags only USD$11’.

It's important to remember that some posts, while they may irk you or even make you angry, are actually feedback. If you delete these comments other users could notice and this  could harm your reputation more than the initial post itself. Think of these comments as a chance to interact with your customers and as a warning that you may need to work on some aspects of your company or service.

What about mistakes and typos? Ideally, there shouldn't be any, but we're all human and we make mistakes. Facebook allows you to edit comments, which can be done by clicking on the pencil and selecting Edit. Beware that users will be able to see that edits have been made, as Edited is added below the comment. Currently, the only way to actually edit a post is to copy the content, delete the old post, repost it and then change the date back to the original post. This is hardly ideal, so it's better to be 100% sure about what you want to post and do a quick spell check before you do.

If you'd like to learn more about using Facebook to leverage your company's marketing potential, give us a shout.

Security issues seem to follow cycles. An exploit or security weakness is found in an operating system and all of a sudden, there's tons of hackers taking advantage of it. Then, the OS developers and security companies develop and implement a fix and things die down for a few weeks, only to have another exploit submerge. Microsoft knows this all too well, and has implemented some new security features into Windows 8 that will hopefully curb the cycle.

Below are three common security issues faced by all networks and how Windows 8 combats them.

Spear phishing Spear phishing is a form of social engineering conducted over email. If a hacker wants to access a system, they will often pose as a customer and either send an email with an attachment, or send this over IM. The attachment contains a virus or trojan horse which then gives the hacker access to any system that the 'attachment' is downloaded onto.

The main way Windows 8 prevents this is through Windows Defender. This is a full antivirus and malware solution that is based on the Microsoft Security Essentials platform. If you aren't currently working with a Managed Service Provider, or have decided to take on the migration in-house, Windows Defender can be a good device to protect you while you upgrade and before you implement other antivirus solutions, and is available on all versions of Windows 8.

Drive-by malware One way to infect a network is to post a link to a website or file that contains malware. When a person clicks on the link, the malware is installed, often without the user knowing. To combat this, Windows 8 has two features: SmartScreen and Secure Boot.

SmartScreen has two functions. It scans URL links typed into a browser. When a URL is entered that's known to contain malware, it blocks the user from accessing the website. While this isn't a new feature, reports have noted that this is the best URL scanner among any modern browser. The other function of SmartScreen is to scan files that have been downloaded for malicious software.

Many users know there is a similar feature on Windows 7, that notifies you that a file has been downloaded from the Internet when you open it, and gives you choices on what to do with it. SmartScreen improves on this, and takes an active role in notifying you about the security of downloaded items. SmartScreen is available on all versions of Windows 8.

Secure Boot on the other hand works on a far more basic level. Developed for use on motherboards using UEFI - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, a new form of firmware which will replace the aging BIOS. It works by validating the digital signature of all boot components - software and hardware that starts during the bootup of a computer - to look for any tampering. If a disparity is found, Windows Recovery will start and attempt to fix the problem. This will help cut down on the number of Rootkits - malware that modifies an OS before it starts up. Secure Boot is available on Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise

Out-of-date devices connecting to network One of the more common trends in the past couple of years is employees wanting to bring their own devices to work (BYOD). While there are many benefits to this, a device that an employee brings in which isn't up to date, or already infected, could pose a huge security risk. One way IT can manage this is through an approved list of programs that can be centrally managed.

Windows 8 allows this through a feature called Applocker. Applocker is an application control program that allows an administrator to create either a white (allowed) or black (not allowed) list of apps users are allowed to download on a company controlled system. If you create a BYOD policy where an employee can bring in their own device, but have to connect through a virtualized desktop, managed by the company, this is a great way to ensure malicious apps and unapproved programs aren't downloaded and that company security is maintained. Applocker is available on Windows 8 Enterprise.

These are just a few of the common security issues faced by companies, and how Windows 8 can protect a network or system from them. If you're thinking of upgrading to Windows 8, please contact us.

Computers are wonderful machines, they have made our lives infinitely easier and it seems that nearly everything has a computer of some varying degree running it. Most company bosses expect their business computers to run at a speed that meets their needs. Over time, however, the speed at which they operate will decrease, meaning computers run slower. Why does this happen?

Here’s five reasons why your computer may run slow:

It’s all in the mind Well, mostly all in the mind. Technology, especially laptops and mobile devices, is advancing at such a fast pace that new devices constantly push speed boundaries. Use a laptop from last year and it just feels slow, when in truth the difference between last year;s and this year’s model is normally not noticeable performance wise.

Another reason is because of the other devices we use. Think of any new flagship mobile device, it's really fast; most of us have and use these devices on a daily basis. While they may not look it on paper, many mobile apps are simply faster than their desktop counterparts.

Think of accessing email on your computer.You have to find the program, click on it, wait for it to load and then wait for the program to fetch new emails. Compare this to your mobile device where you tap the Email icon, and have nearly instant access. While both programs offer the same service, they do work differently with the mobile apps, constantly looking for emails while computer counterparts usually look for emails only when the program is open. This usually means the mobile app is perceived to be quicker.

It’s partly because of experiences like this, that everything is available instantly on the mobile device and less so on computers, that some users perceive their system is running slowly due to being used to using a mobile device.

It's what you've downloaded Another reason why your computer might be running slowly is because of the programs you’ve downloaded. If you torrent, visit explicit websites or simply click on and agree to everything, your computer will run slowly because many of those seemingly helpful programs are actually malware or viruses that when installed will slow your computer down, or worse steal confidential information and files.

The same goes for explicit websites and torrents. Many of the ads and pop-ups contain viruses that can install themselves, or be installed without you knowing. For torrents, files may contain viruses disguised as movies or other popular file types. If you torrent, or visit explicit websites you should have malware and virus scanners operational and up-to-date. That new movie just out in theaters and already a torrent? It’s likely a virus, steer clear of them. It's probably better if you don’t download illegal torrents at all.

It’s how you run it There’s a common belief out there that computers are meant to be left on and that turning a computer off will somehow harm the internal components. This is a myth, there are only three times a computer should be constantly on:

1. It’s acting as a server;
2. It's connected to a network where administrators install updates overnight, and;
3. You’re working with programs that take a long time to run like CAD or other 3D/video rendering.

If you computer doesn't fall into these criteria, then it’s perfectly safe to turn it off. What does this have to do with a slow computer? Computers left constantly running have proven to have increased degradation of both kinds of memory, especially RAM; and the processor. Both RAM and the processor are integral components related to running programs. A degraded stick of RAM or a stressed processor will slow computers down. Turning a computer off when not in use will extend the life of the components while also reducing electrical draw, meaning cheaper electric bills.

It’s the Wi-Fi Most offices, stores and homes now have Wi-Fi. The only issue is, current Wi-Fi routers are limited in the connection speeds they can offer. Have a 300Mb connection, and a 85 Mbps Wi-Fi router? The Wi-Fi connection speed will be a maximum of 85 Mbps, which will decrease depending on how far you are from the router and how many users or devices there are connected.

If you’ve had the router for more than a couple of years, and noticed that your computer is really slow when surfing the Internet or running Internet related programs like Office 365 or online games, it may be time to upgrade to a faster router. If your business connection is slow, then it’s best to contact a vendor to help upgrade all your systems. This could also indicate a virus or other form of malware infecting your system. Running a Virus and malware scan could help as well.

It’s old Finally, your computer may be running slow because it’s old. A PC or Mac from 5-7 years ago has close to the same processing power of the modern smartphone. Combine this with constant use - especially for laptops - a full hard drive, and any of the above reasons, and your computer will be slow compared to when it was brand new. You can try wiping the hard drive and starting again, but computers older than about seven years will likely not be able to run the most modern programs efficiently.

For example: Still on a computer running Windows XP and want to upgrade your current copy of Microsoft Office to 2013 when it’s released? Not going to work. Using a Macbook from 5 years ago, and want to upgrade to OS X 10.8 to take advantage of the supposed speed gains? Most MacBooks won’t be able to run it efficiently enough to notice a gain in speed, resulting in a slower operating experience.

There are many reasons as to why your computer is running slowly. If you’re unsure, you can always contact us, we can help.