By Debbie Gardner
dgardner@thereminder.com
Does your laptop seem slower than it used to? Have you been told your computer or tablet is too old and you must buy a new device? Are you tired of the constant software updates that seem to make devices more complex while decreasing their efficiency?
Marc Anthony Arena, who goes by the moniker The Computer Exorcist, knows your pain. He’s seen these once-promising machines – and the programs that run them – become unnecessarily bloated and complex since the advent of home computing in the 1980s.
Arena began his quest to help people- especially elders- avoid being scammed by the big box stores and computer repair “experts,” through work in his hometown in upstate New York, helping one client at a time. He subsequently wrote a book, “How to Protect Yourself From Your Computer,” and began speaking at libraries around the Northeast, sharing his knowledge with technology-weary computer users.
His follow up book, “Don’t Be Taken by Silicone Valley,” is due for publication soon.
Prime spoke with Arena after an appearance at the Westfield Athenaeum in Westfield, Massachusetts, about the insights in his books. Below are some of the highlights of his presentation.
You don’t need the newest thing
Arena said one of the biggest threats is the push by computer manufacturers, sales people at big box stores and even many computer repairmen to buy a new computer every few years.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Arena said. “If you like what you have, there’s a way to keep it.
“No one wants or needs the upgrades,” he continued. “Save money, save the environment, keep what you have… It’s a win-win. Most computer guys don’t know this is possible or are incentivized to partner by the companies pushing for upgrades.”
He particularly emphasized that people should not fall for the “October doomsday” prediction.
“Microsoft set up an artificial doomsday in October 2025, where it said everyone needs to throw away their computers and buy a new one because the company is ceasing support for its Windows 10 operating system.
“Keep your computer as long as you can. If it has Windows 10 you can keep it for another five years, and after that, you can either install Windows 11, no problem, by bypassing this fake requirement; find a good technician who knows about Mint,” Arena said.
The “Mint” Arena refers to is Linux Mint, a free, open-source operating system that replaces Windows or macOS operating systems on any laptop or desktop computer. (He refrains from mentioning its Linux origins lest people fear it, but it really looks just like Windows 7).This operating system is “one of the most popular desktop operating systems used by millions of people,” according to the Linux Mint website. It requires very little maintenance and has no regressions, no anti-virus, anti-spyware, etc. Learn more at https://linuxmint.com/about.php
About those update “attacks”
Updates, Arena explained, are patches software developers send out to fix potential flaws in operating systems, mistakes that exist because the initial system was often rushed to market.
Our openness to accepting these updates is “predicated on our fear of viruses,” Arena said, even though computer viruses, which used to be transferred between desktop units through shared software on things like floppy disks and jump drives, haven’t really happened since 2013.
Instead, today’s software updates promise to fix issues and “give you more features that nobody wants or needs.” Arena said. Anyone who has ever been frustrated by finding familiar tasks or features on their phone or computer has been relocated or replaced by something new by an update has experienced this.
It is possible to disable the automatic update feature on most computers and phones and then choose what and when to install any update. This can be done under the software updates tab in Settings on most devices.
On the subject of virus fears, Arena said antivirus software- the MacAfee, the Norton – can’t protect your computer from the current threats of malware and spyware- and are just a bill every month that consumers don’t need to pay.
“All of them are excellent at wasting your money and slowing down your PC, and they can’t protect you against modern threats,” Arena said.
On the use of legalized “spyware”
Arena said there are programs called a “cleaner, an optimizer, a Customer Participation Program, or a driver installer,” and all of these programs are essentially legalized spyware, designed to send your behavior to developers who in turn sell your preferences.
He noted that the “toolbars” that help you track packages and find maps “hijack everything you enter into them, record everything you visit…” and it is fully legal.
“If you see your search results come back from Yahoo or Bing, they are selling your results to Yahoo and Bing,” he said. Duck Duck Go “is fine,” Google “is fine” as a spyware-free browsers, Arena added.
Fake browsers are another form of legalized spyware, Arena said. Such browsers as Wavebrowser or Onebrowser are “perfectly legal” spyware that can sell your search results.
Customer participation programs such as the ones that come with HP printers are another perfectly legal form of spyware that’s collecting your data when you print a document.
But the one thing you don’t have to worry excessively about is those cookie preference notifications that pop up with websites.
“Cookies are totally irrelevant,” Arena said. “They are a tiny, tiny little thing that distract you from real threats.”
And ransomware attacks
Though they seem to be more business-oriented now, even individuals should learn to protect their information from potential ransomware threats, which often come through email providers – especially those that are Windows-based, and through malware embedded in websites.
Arena said the best way for anyone – a business or an individual – to avoid a ransomware attack is to create an external backup of your files and information.
This involves purchasing an external hard drive or jump drive and either backing up your files yourself, having a tech-savvy family member do that for you, or having a trusted computer shop perform the service.
After the backup is complete, the external hard drive should be disconnected from your device. Then, the information is innately safe from attack,
Ideally, backups should be done periodically – weekly for businesses, and regularly for home computer users.
For more computer tips, or to purchase Arena’s book, visit www.thecomputerexorcist.com/ or listen to The Computer Exorcist Podcast, available on most podcast platforms.