I hate it when I'm sick! I hate it even more when my computer is sick. Besides preventative actions you can take, there are some things that you need to do to get your computer back to health after it gets a virus.

How do I know if the virus alert is true? If you read about the virus from a news source or publication, it is probably not a hoax. However, if you receive an email from someone you know, regarding a virus alert that asks you to pass it on, stop! That is a common trick used by the creators to spread infection. The person sending it may or may not know that a virus is even attached. Don't forward the virus alert to anyone! Just go to McAfee.com or Norton.com on the Internet and search for the virus to get more information.

How do I know if I have it? How do I get rid of it? You won't know you have a virus unless you are running a anti-virus software with updated virus definitions. In many cases, you will find that the virus slows your computer down and triggers some unusual behavior. To get rid of a virus, use a anti-virus software to clean or delete the file.

What can I do to protect my computer? The first thing to do to protect yourself is to install an anti-virus software and keep it current. Next, you should use Windows Update to keep your operating system current. Also, always be cautious when visiting unknown or untrusted Web sites and don't open email attachments from anyone you don't know.

Q: I am purchasing a new machine and would like to know if you have any suggestions on what I can do with the old one?

If your machine is two years old, you can probably purchase a computer that's twice as powerful for less than half the cost of your "old" machine. The money you save in taxes with a charitable tax-deductible receipt may pay for your new PC. There are three types of programs that will take your computer:

Nonprofit charitable programs: The Computer Recycling Center is one example. Its goal is to keep as much junk out of the landfills as possible. It also reuses parts, and its computers and education program donates systems to schools and community programs. There are locations throughout North America.

For-profit companies and individuals: These will take your computer and sell it for as much as possible. There is no tax-deductible receipt.

Local schools, churches, and community programs: These can usually give you a tax-deductible thank you letter. Sometimes they have levels of machines they will accept and nothing less than those. They may not be capable of taking what they can't use.

Have a question for the Technician? E-mail us at newsletter@mypcguy.com.

Have a problem and can't wait for the next newsletter, call us at 410-975-9060.

And just when you thought you knew everything... I'll bet you didn't know all these things!

- Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.

- No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.

- Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

- You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

- The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.

- American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating 1 olive from each salad served in first-class.

- Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

- Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

- The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer.

- Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

- Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.

- Marilyn Monroe had six toes.

- All US Presidents have worn glasses. Some just didn't like being seen wearing them in public.

- Walt Disney was afraid of mice.

- The three most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

- A duck's quack doesn't echo and no one knows why.

- Richard Millhouse Nixon was the first US president whose name contains all the letters from the word "criminal." The second? William Jefferson Clinton.