Who is this guide for?

This guide is for anyone who is completely new to the internet, although some areas may even be useful to experienced web surfers. The internet can seem a very confusing place at first, so this guide aims to show you what the internet is all about, and how to get started.

What Browser should I use?

The majority of people now use Microsoft Internet Explorer, which is supplied with most versions of Windows. If you do not have Internet Explorer, it can be downloaded from Microsoft's site at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp

Some people prefer to use Netscape Navigator. There are 2 main versions of Netscape that people use. 4.5, which is the most popular netscape, and version 6, which is an all new upgrade to netscape, using an addapted version of the Mozilla browser.

Netscape can be downloaded from http://wp.netscape.com/download/ and Mozilla, which is basically Netscape 6 without all the extras, can be downloaded from http://www.mozilla.org/

It would be almost impossible to name one of these browsers to be the best for you, the only way to decide which you find best is to try them, however most people use Microsoft Internet Explorer, as most sites are designed primarily to be viewed using internet explorer.

How do I use my e-mail?

You will need an e-mail client, which is a program that connects to our mail server over the internet, and retrieves the e-mails from your mailbox on the server.

The most popular e-mail client for Windows is Outlook Express, which is supplied with Internet Explorer. Most people will use either Outlook, or Outlook Express. Outlook is supplied either as a seperate application to purchase, or as part of the Microsoft Office software package. Outlook Express is free to download.

It is recommended that you check your e-mail at least once a week, to ensure that you still have room in your inbox. If your inbox fills up with too many messages, it will start rejecting messages that people try to send you, until you have emptied the mail box.

Proweb (UK) Ltd do not endorse using our servers to send out "spam" e-mails to people, and any users found sending spam are liable to have their accounts closed if they fail to stop when requested. For more information on spam, please refer to http://spam.abuse.net

What is a Virus?

A computer virus is a program, created to spread itself and cause malicous damage to computer files. Most viruses tend to spread in e-mail, but can be found and removed if you use a virus scanner. If you find that your computer starts behaving oddly, there's a high chance it is a virus.

If you follow these guidelines though, you should be able to avoid being infected by viruses:

1. Don't run sent programs - If you get an e-mail, especially if it's from someone you don't know, and it has an executable program attached to it, don't run the program. If the e-mail came from someone you know, contact them first to ensure that they intended to send you the file, and possibly check it for viruses anyway to be sure.

2. Get a virus scanner - Install a virus scanner, such as AVG from www.grisoft.com. This is one of the leading virus scanners, and can be updated automatically over the internet to protect against any new viruses as well.

3. Install Windows service packs - Several new viruses are coming out that exploit problems in some of the Windows components, and they can infect your system without needing any programs to be executed. To ensure these viruses do not get through, keep checking on Microsoft's site for news on any security updates. If you run Windows Update, included in most newer versions of Windows, this will also tell you if there are any new security updates you should install.

If you follow these steps, you should be able to keep your system secure and virus free.

We hope that you have found this guide useful, and hope you have a safe, enjoyable browsing experience.