Everyone knows it. Computers hate us. They crash when we least expect it, and slow to a crawl when we’re in a rush. And then they feel the need to give away our personal information to hackers and the like, resulting in a major lack of funds on our part.

Computers are not human. It’s common knowledge. They only do what they are programmed to do. However, there are people out there that try to take advantage of this fact by adding little programs to your computer called spyware. It’s not uncommon, as this is the way most identity thieves make a living, so to speak.

It’s not always easy to get rid of spyware. I once had a computer-inclined friend who had two anti-virus/spyware removal programs that conflicted with each other, resulting in a crashed machine. Sometimes it takes a trained specialist in the field to immunize your computer. Even if you think you know what you’re doing, you’re not much safer.

The problems I mentioned at the beginning can have several causes. Some things, like slowdown, can be the result of accumulation of physical debris. Dust can get jammed in places you’ve never even heard of and cause it to over-heat and in some cases, slow down as a temporary protective measure. This, if gone untreated, can eventually lead to the destruction of a computer.

Other things, like spyware and adware, are downloaded inadvertently when you open certain web pages and/or email. This can be very annoying, and cause serious problems. Not only do these things slow down your computer, but they do anything from watching your actions on the computer to tracking your key-strokes to get your passwords and credit card numbers. In any way, shape, or form, these things are dangerous and should be avoided or removed.

Then there are viruses. These are portions of code that insert themselves into various programs with the purpose of replicating. They are designed to mess with your computer, rather than just watch it like spyware. They are commonly associated with destroying your computer or corrupting your files, which they tend to do, as a result of their program code. As with spyware and adware, these are best off without your computer, and vise versa.

Another thing that can cause slowdown and eventual data loss is fragmentation. This you really can’t do anything about, as it happens automatically over time. The computer breaks up the file into smaller pieces, or fragments, and tosses them in relatively random places. When you attempt to read the files, your computer has to go from one place to another trying to find and put it together for your viewing or use, which can take a while. All these things add up to incredible amounts of slowdown, risk of important files being corrupted or stolen, and all around not-nice things. Fortunately, the guys at Unified-System, Inc. know more than most people – they’re experts. If you think you may be in need of assistance, their maintenance packages include preventive maintenance, which, in turn, involves verifying that your antivirus software is up to date, as well as physical and logical cleaning and defragmentation. Keeping your computers efficient and safe is important.