Great, I am committed to stamping out hacker virus attacks in my lifetime.  Several of my articles and alert e-mails cover the details in depth.  However, there really are two simple steps involved.

Do these two things.

1. Make sure that you have an anti-virus program.
2. Use a firewall or Internet security program.

First, stop and think.  A Web Store should offer you a sense of real security in that there really is a real business there.  

If you haven't actually seen or been to the real world store, you can check links to find out if the store offers customer services like e-mail addresses that work, telephone ordering, product descriptions, and the like. 

However, to be safe, don't buy from merchants that you don't know without doing some of the same work that you'd do in a real store.  How otherwise can you trust a merchant?

Next, there are two good rules.

1. First, always check on the website you're purchasing from. There will usually be a notice letting you know that your credit card information is secure. A common term in this notice will be "SSL" protection.
    
2. The second thing you can look for is the browser notice that you have entered a secure area. This is usually only on the page where your actual address or credit card information is entered. Depending on your browser, this can take a few forms. Some browsers will display a pop-up window with a notice to inform you that you are on a secure page. In almost all browsers though, the sure indication is to look at the bottom right of your browser window. You should see a tiny icon of a closed lock.

No.

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) pages are simply text documents that you can create in text editors such as Notepad, Wordpad, or other text editors and word processors.  As long as you can code HTML, you can use any text editor to create and edit web pages.

I am working on an extensive series of tutorials that will teach the fundamentals of HTML and also provide instructions for building a complete and functional Web Site. 

This should work fine and dandy! In fact, most people need to remember the opposite, to turn it off when they don't want to be interrupted. 

The line itself might not be handling call waiting correctly.  You can test it yourself.  Have two people call you so that you're sure you hear the beep, and see if you can successfully switch between the calls.  If call waiting fails call your telephone company to report the problem.

There can be intermittent problems because of slow connections, or poor quality connections.  When the line quality is poor, the modem will use error correction to deal with breaks in signal.  The error correction can occasionally mistake the call-waiting break as just another error, and filter it out.

Your connections should be 41k (41000 bps) or higher, but look for above 51000 bps (51k).  If your connections are slower, the solution will involve your phone company and your ISP -- call both, and ask them to test the quality of your connections and your line.  Be sure to explain that your request is based on poor performance.  Mention that the call waiting is not disconnecting your Internet connection.

For Windows you can run the SFC (System File Checker). This will check your system files for missing or corrupt files, then, prompt you to install or replace files using your installation disk.

Windows 9x users can click on start, then run, type in SFC (System File Checker).

Windows NT / 2000 / XP, run SFC from a DOS prompt.

Follow the instructions specific to your Operating System.

AND...
If there are any corrupted files, you can use the install disks to fix the problems.

When prompted by SFC, load the install disk and use the browse button to find the correct disk and folder. 

In my case to restore a Windows system file, I load my Windows disk into my CD slot and I browse for the "win98" folder.  I then respond to the prompts to restore the problem files.  I had to replace three or four files recently folowing a nasty Windows system crash.

I prefer to make a backup copy of a corrupted file each time, before I allow SFC to install a replacement file. Some folks like to set the default to always or never make a backup first.  My way is the default option for Windows 98.
 

There are three things that you can do to keep your hard disk in order.

Be aware that Windows starts to slow way down if you have less than 100 megabytes (MB) free on your hard drive. Actually, if you want smooth operation, a minimum of about 15 percent free space on your hard disk is needed for your system.

Empty the Trash
Periodically, empty the Recycle Bin.

Temporary Files
When programs run on your computer, they often create temporary "placeholder" files on your hard drive. Most temp files are deleted when application programs close. However, application program hangs and computer crashes will leave temporary files un-deleted. These files are small and harmless, but after a time they start to add up to lot of space. Collectively, the files are called temp files. If you look you will find them in two folders.

C:/TEMP
C:/WINDOWS/TEMP

If your computer is sluggish, deleting the accumulated temp files may help to speed it up. Some shutdown problems may also be cured by deletion of temp files.

Do not delete the folders. Its the files that you want to delete. You can do it manually or use a disk drive task--a system tool. If you see any files that end in .tmp, you can safely delete them. You will not be able to delete a temp file that is currently in use.

Two important disk drive tasks (tools) that need to be run regularly are disk cleanup and disk defragmentation.

2. Disk Cleanup

Windows 98, ME, 2000, and XP use a Disk Cleanup Wizard. The wizard streamlines the process of clearing out unwanted temp files.

Disk cleanup rids your computer of the accumulation of temporary files of all sorts and of old setup files. Most users should run a disk cleanup every week. First close all running programs. Look in the System Tools folder (Start menu / Accessories) to locate the program for running disk cleanup or...

1. Click Run from the Start Menu
2. In the Open box, type cleanmgr
3. Select the drive you want to clean up
4. Click OK

Do not use your computer for anything else while the utility is running.

When the Cleanup calculation is done, you can choose what files to delete or to keep. Disk Cleanup opens with a list of the possible files to be deleted.

Select a file type to display a description. Check the boxes for the files you want removed, and click OK.

You can schedule Disk Cleanup to run when you want it to.

1. Open Control Panel (Start Menu)
2. Click System and Maintenance, and choose Scheduled Tasks
3. Choose Add Scheduled Task to start the Scheduled Task Wizard

In the list of applications you want Windows to run, click Disk Cleanup, and then click Next. Select a frequency for the task--weekly--and click Next.

Select a day of the week, and select a time for the task to run.

If you use a password for Windows, supply one for Windows to run this task.

3. Disk Defragmentation

Disk defragmentation eliminates unused drive space and it organizes your programs and data too. Most users should run disk fragmentation quarterly. I have nearly a million files, and I run it monthly. You can look in the System Tools folder to locate the program for running the disk defragmenter or...

1. Click Run from the Start Menu
2. In the Open box, type dfrg

If you have more than one drive, select the drive that you want to defragment. Run the analysis first. Your system will report how much fragmentation is on your disk along with a recommendation to continue with defragmentation only if the drive needs this procedure. If your system is not fragmented enough to cause delays in processing, you can wait until next month.

Do not use your computer for anything else while the utility is running.

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