Details

Published: 14 July 2009

I have been asked many times if I would write a new malware removal guide for today's most common spyware and malware.

Common symptoms of malware include popup ads on your desktop, programs you did not install just showing up on your program list, redirection to particular pages when you open your browser, changes in system or browser settings such as your browser home page or general slow performance.

Spyware alone, however, is not the only cause for a slow computer. I suggest you contact us to do a remote consulting session and have us determine if there is a way to optimize your system for better performance while checking for malware.

Other Ways of Recovery

The only way to ensure all virus and spyware are completely removed from your computer is to reinstall Windows, but you will need a Windows CD. In addition, all your data, programs and settings will be gone so you would need to have a backup of your files.

You can also revert back to previous images from image-backup software (if you have such software installed). However, there is a chance malware had already infected your computer when you made the backup and so this is not totally safe.

 

Backup

You should back up your personal files to removable storage before you attempt to remove malware from your computer, but also scan the disk for spyware and other malware after you fix your computer. Remember to backup to an EXTERNAL safe location such as a tape drive or a USB drive otherwise it is pointless sometimes to be backing up to drives within your PC.

Tools

Download all the security programs listed here, preferably on another computer and copy them on to removable media. Boot into Safe Mode by pressing F8 when your computer starts. Update all the programs, run a full scan and then remove any malware that is found.

Read more: Spyware Removal Guide

Details

Published: 28 May 2009

The Desert Area MLS comes with an array of options for exporting your listings. Select the listings you wish to export by checkmarking them. When ready hit the Exports button on the Toolbar.

There are several options to choose from the Listing Export Options. Click the Submit button towards to the top left of the Toolbar to generate your export. Select the Custom Export option to generate a custom export. You can revise the custom export options by clicking on the Admin menu and selecting the Custom Export Setup.

Details

Published: 28 May 2009

The Desert Area MLS offers an interactive search via the Map Search. Click Searches and then select Maps. To select a desired area, zoom in on the location and use the Radius, Area or Polygon tool to click and drag the desired area. Use the criteria below the map to specify what type of listings to return.

Details

Published: 28 May 2009

You may be surprised to know that the Desert Area MLS even has some options for contact management by using the Prospects tool. This way, you can easily keep track of your hot prospects and what type of listings they are interested in.

In the Contacts menu, you can select Contacts/Prospects to access your Contacts/Prospects area. Add a new prospect or contact by clicking on the Create New Contact link towards the top left, then fill out the necessary information. When you start building a large database of prospects start adding them in Groups for better organization.

Once you've entered their information you can start using the Prospecting options available by the MLS. Click on the prospect and scroll to the bottom of their profile to view your prospecting options.

Enable Auto-Prospecting to have the MLS automatically search for newly added or modified listings that match the prospect’s search criteria. Matched listings are put into the Newly Matched area of the Prospect Cart.

Enable Send E-mail to Agent if you want an e-mail sent to you, the agent, when a match is found. Enable Send E-mail to Prospect to send an e-mail to the prospect when a match is found. Send E-mail to CC will send a match to the prospect’s CC address.

Client Portal is used to send the prospect their own portal to the MLS to view listings you’ve assigned to them.

Enable Reverse Prospecting to have the MLS search for agent’s listings that match the prospect’s search criteria. Enter a Prospect Code for easy identification when another agent is notified about a matching listing.