Kronircle

For the general household if you know a storm is imminent, shutdown and turn off all equipment.  At the very least shutown and unplug your PCs and printers plus Networking equipment such as Modem, Router and Switches.

If you didn't get a chance to power off the PCs and Modems/Routers before the storm hit, to save time diagnosing strange problems or paying for a technician to come out; Turn off all your equipment (Modem/Router, PCs and Printers)
Wait a good 30 seconds
Then power up in this sequence: Modem, Router, (Wait 15 seconds), PCs and Printers.

Of course having the Modems and PCs plugged into a high rated power board with an overload switch is always a good idea but still no guarantee.

It is very common after a storm for the Internet not to be available or at least appear that way. Before calling your Internet provider, power off the Modem, wait 15 seconds and try again.

It is essential to ensure your PC or Notebook has decent airflow around the case. For a Desktop PC, the side and back air vents should be checked periodically for dust build up and vacuumed (carefully) when necessary. Notebook air vents can also be gently vacuumed out.

Some geographical locations are prone to dust build up and internally your PC or Notebook may become clogged up with dust as per the attached picture. This is when overheating can cause serious damage to internal components and result in a number of symptoms from poor performance and software failures to not starting at all.

The above quote by Einstein helps with Computer repairs as well as saving the World!

If you have a Computer problem don't start implementing a solution until you're sure you know the problem. We often see Computers in a worst state after various attempts to implement a solution that was not related to the problem.

We recommend, taking a deep breath, think about the actual problem and isolate the source of the problem. Next, do the research and find a match for your Computer problem. That way you know you have the right solution.

We hope this Tech Tip helps but if not, we're always happy to find the solution for you at our Service Centre, on-site at your location or via Remote Access.
focus4IT Service

The 26 Page report (see the link below) is a call to action for Software Developers and End Users to embrace the latest technology to take advantage of the improvements in security.

If still using Internet Explorer Version 6 (IE6), upgrade to the later versions as they provide much more protection against hackers.

Also, it may be time to leave Windows XP behind and upgrade your Operating System to gain the extra security benefits of Windows 7.

Mitigating Software Vulnerabilities
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=26788