FixMyPC2

Where did the last 12 months go?

2009-08-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

It's October 2009 and I have not posted here since last November LAST year. It's not that I have any more time today just that I feel guilty for not at least posting something. The summer went far too fast and the new school year is well under way.

Fix My PC 2 is keeping me very busy with new viruses and Trojans infecting machines every week. One of the most frequent questions I get from my customers is "I have an Antivirus so how come I still get these infections". My reply is simple, you have seat belts in your car, you have anti lock brakes and airbags but if you insist on driving off a cliff you will probably die. In the case of your computer if you allow your antivirus to do it's job, stay up to date with the latest virus definitions and respond appropriately when it pops up and tells you to act on a found infection you will keep your computer clean of these annoying, time consuming and ultimately expensive infections. I am still advocating the use of AVG Anti virus for my clients, and many times after removing Norton or McAfee not only will the PC run better but subsequent installation of AVG will find a Trojan or a Virus. This year I also had my first incident of a Mac virus and expect to see more as this platform becomes more popular. currently Symantec (Norton) is the only anti virus option I have found effective for Mac's

On October 22, 2009 Microsoft is releasing their new operating system, Windows 7. I have installed a trial copy and it is definitely an improvement over Windows Vista. They appear to have overcome the poor performance of the Vista systems and reduced a lot of those annoying warnings. Home networking is even simpler than Windows XP. However, I did not find the differences enough to justify changing from Windows XP but if you are currently running Windows Vista it is worth upgrading. Two caveats, one the cost of the upgrade is about $100 ($149 for a 3 PC family pack) and I mention this because Vista was SO bad I think Microsoft should be giving this away for FREE. Two, upgrades to operating systems NEVER work as well as a "clean install". This means backing up all your data, music, pictures and documents, wiping your hard drive clean, installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 only (rather than upgrading an exiting XP or Vista install) then reinstalling your programs (do you still have all those disks and or download install keys) and then finally copying your backed up files back to the PC. This is a lot of work.

Finally, I continue to see PC's (and Macs) that are not backed up! Today there is no excuse, local, remote or both it is so easy. For local backups on the Mac use the built-in Time Machine on systems 10.5 and above. For PC's checkout a similar product from Geniesoft called Timeline (genie-soft.com/Products/genie_timeline/default.html $35). Remote solutions are also very affordable, checkout Mozy (mozy.com) Dell Datasafe (dell.com/datasafe) and Carbonite (carbonite.com).

I will not leave it another year before I write again and until then.

Ctrl-Alt-Del.

Your Identity - Gone Phishing - Let's hope not!

2008-11-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

What is Phishing?

Phishing - the practice of luring unsuspecting Internet users to a fake Web site by using authentic-looking email with the real organization's logo, in an attempt to steal passwords, financial or personal information, or introduce a virus attack; the creation of a Web site replica for fooling unsuspecting Internet users into submitting personal or financial information or passwords.
Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7)
Copyright © 2003-2008 Dictionary.com, LLC

Your Bank Knows who you are!

By now you must have heard the term "Phishing" derived from the other type of "fishing" where unsuspecting computer users simply by logging on to their bank account or reading their emails are "lured" into giving up personal information because they thought their bank or other financial institution was asking for them to verify it. If you remember nothing else from this newsletter remember this one thing..
YOUR BANK KNOWS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. THEY WILL NOT ASK FOR IT ONLINE UNLESS YOU ARE SIGNING UP TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT FOR THE FIRST TIME.

So how do they get you without your bank knowing about it, and how do they masquerade as your own trusted bank? Well it's all in the URL or Uniform Resource Locater which is a fancy name for a directory name. Just like you are listed in the phone book with your various phone numbers, the Internet has its own phone book with these directory names or URLs, next to each is an Internet (phone) number known as an IP (internet Protocol) address.

Sending you to the Wrong address

For example when you type chase.com into your Firefox, Explorer, Safari or AOL web browser, your PC goes to an "Internet Phone Book" (more accurately called the Domain Name Server or DNS) and looks up the appropriate IP address for the chase.com web site. Thereafter all other page and listing URLs will be some subset of that IP address. It all sounds a bit complicated, I know but bear with me here because the important thing to remember is that it is possible to mess with your computer settings so that when you type in or click on a link that says for example "chase.com/logon" you will in fact be directed to a completely bogus IP address sitting on a criminal's computer in Russia or Brazil.

This is just one way to scam you and just another good reason to keep your virus protection and antispyware up-to-date and active. These corruptions to your DNS settings can come from viruses, spyware and malicious spyware known as malware.

The other scam which catches a lot of users is the way URLs are presented in emails, for example an email may have the line.. "Click here to logon to your bank and verify your personal data." Again I repeat..YOUR BANK KNOWS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. THEY WILL NOT ASK FOR IT ONLINE UNLESS YOU ARE SIGNING UP TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT FOR THE FIRST TIME. However you can easily check that the link is correctly presented by placing your mouse over the link WITHOUT clicking. After a few seconds the true URL should appear and if it does not match do not click on it. Let me demonstrate. Click here to go to disney.com. Did you see my web address appears even though it says disney.com? These are the easiest phishing scams to find so don't be fooled again.

OpenDNS

Finally many web browsers such as Firefox 3 and Internet Explorer 7 have phishing filters built into them. They refer to a database of known phishing sites and will warn the user when they are being directed toward one of these malicious sites. However, the Safari browser and others don't all have such filters so to avoid being "phished" you should change the DNS (internet phone book) settings so you do not get snagged. By changing your DNS settings from the default, given you by Optonline, Verizon or whomever you use as your Internet provider, to a free service known as OpenDNS you can also avoid being redirected to the "wrong part of town." The two pictures below show you the DNS settings for OpenDNS as it should be entered in Windows XP(left) and Mac OSX(right).

If you need help setting this up on your computer let me know and I'll be glad to set up a service call. In the meantime if you feel you have been phished call your bank immediately.

If you open a web page that asks you for personal data remember...
YOUR BANK KNOWS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. THEY WILL NOT ASK FOR IT ONLINE UNLESS YOU ARE SIGNING UP TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Untill then Ctrl-Alt-Delete

Steve Holder
Fix My PC 2, llc

IMPORTANCE OF BACKUPS

2008-10-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

WARNING
These past two weeks I have had 8 service calls where the client's PC or laptop would not start-up properly. Some would simply not recognize the hard drive (the place where the operating system, the programs and your data is stored) and some would simply freeze with a blue screen with white text aka "The Blue screen of Death".
Until recently, I have been very successful in either repairing these "corrupted"
disks or, in the worse case, I have been able to retrieve the clients data before the drive gave up the ghost completely.
However, recently I have had 3 incidents where the hard drive was NOT recoverable and the client's pictures, music, financial data and documents were lost forever.
While I sympathize with these users I have to say that in today's environment of cheap storage there is NO excuse for not backing up your important files. If you are a recipient of my newsletter and are not backing up your computer data, no matter how insignificant you may feel it is, let this be a wake up call for you to act, and act now. I will state that "any PC that is more than 4 years old is at a high risk of it's hard drive failing". That is not to say that if you just bought a brand new PC or Mac that you are safe. The reason that manufacturers give a 90 day warranty is that the first 90 days of any electronic product is the period when it may experience what is termed "early life failure". That is the period during which, if a new product is going to fail, because of a manufacturing defect or weak component, it will most likely fail. Get past the first 90 days and you will be safe, at least from this effect. From 90 days to say 4 or 5 years, you are not totally out of the woods either, a local lightning strike, a can of Coke poured into the keyboard by your three year old or a malicious virus can wipe out your photographic, musical and written memories in an instant.
So, if I have not convinced you of the importance of backups by now you obviously don't drink milk and if you do you don't cry when you spill it, if you get my gist.
If on the other hand I have convinced you to install a backup system, what should you do?

Local and Remote Options
First of all there are two major types of backup. The first is a "local" back up, in other words a device that somehow attaches to your computer and receives a copy of all the important data on it. This device is either next to your computer or at least in the same house as your computer so, in the event of any type of computer or hard drive failure you would have a backup. However, as I tell all my clients, in the event that you have a fire, the last thing you would do is to grab the computer or it's back up device as you are running out the door. Which brings us to the other type of backup device, the "remote" backup. This type of backup, which until recently was only available and affordable to corporate users, is now very affordable and easy to install for the individual. This is a backup system that relies on your Internet connection and backs up important files that you specify while the computer is not being used for anything else. Choosing the remote backup pretty much negates the need for a local back up in many cases.
Personally, I like the idea that I can locally recover an accidentally deleted file without downloading a complete back up from my remote back up vendor, so I maintain both. For most people that choose the remote backup option, it is enough and the small cost per month will be about equal to the cost of a local backup device and software amortized over say a couple of years.

Local Backup Options
So what are your options for each type? Well there are many and it can be confusing.
Let's first look at local backups. On the latest Apple iMacs or MacBooks running Leopard or Mac OS Version 10.5 you simply plug in a network attached or local USB drive and the Apple "Time Machine" will prompt you into backup heaven. For the rest of us we fall into one of two categories, a single PC user or a household with multiple PC's and laptops on a wired or wireless network. For the single PC house a simple USB attached external hard drive with equally simple "set it and forget it" software is the best solution. I cannot stress enough, you must have an automated backup software solution otherwise you WILL forget to manually backup on a regular basis and then you might as well just attach a brick to your PC. Any external hard drive will do the trick although I am partial to Seagate as a manufacturer. The software I use all the time is "Second copy" by Centered Systems. This award winning backup software is simple, reliable and costs just $30. If you really want simple, there is a PC product called "Click Free Easy Backup". It is an external hard drive with automatically loading backup software. You simply plug it in and it does the rest and for $180 for 180 Gigabytes it is the easiest way to achieve peace of mind. ( I have this in stock if you want to purchase it). If you have more than one PC or Mac and you are networked, in other words your computers all share the same Internet connection through a Router, then you might consider a shared standalone backup device that attaches to your wired or wireless network known as a "Network Attached Storage" or NAS for short. These devices are simple computers in their own right but are managed through a simple interface program that you run from one of your existing computers. They come in various flavors and configurations and require a little understanding of networks to set up properly. The Apple "Time Capsule"
is an all singing all dancing unit that also replaces your existing router. It comes in two sizes, 500 Gigabytes and 1000 Gigabytes or 1 Terabyte, priced at $300 and $400 respectively. Modern (Leopard) Mac's automatically back up to the Time capsule using the built-in "Time Machine" software. To back up automatically from your PC's you would need to add additional software like "second Copy". LinkSys, Netgear and ZyXEL are just some of the manufacturers of NAS units. Most of these units do come without the storage hard drives which you have to add. Although this does require a little more understanding, it does give you more flexibility as well as the ability to simply swap a drive if it goes bad. Most units support fully redundant (RAID) drive systems. This means if a drive goes bad there is a second "Mirror" running avoiding any lost data or downtime.

Remote Backup Options
Remote backups are becoming more and more affordable and hence more popular. They are all subscription based and their cost is based on how much you want to backup.
In fact if you back up requirements are 2 Gigabytes (a Gigabyte is 1024 million bytes, about 500 digital photographs or 300 iTune songs) or less then the two companies I am about to mention currently offer FREE backups up to a total of 2 Gigabytes.
To activate you simply download their software, install and configure, simply a matter of deciding what you want to back up, how frequently to do it and at what time of day. Mozy, www.mozy.com, is an EMC company which has been around for decades and offers unlimited back up from a single PC for just $4.95 a month. For those who want to spend less and have less to back up, Dell Data Safe, www.dell.com/datasafe provides a prorated service starting at just $30 per year for up to 10 Gigabytes of back up. Both these companies encrypt your data before sending your information over the Internet to protect your privacy.
Finally, and although not strictly designed as a backup system there is a free service run by Microsoft called FolderShare, www.foldershare.com. As the name suggests you can share folders with other computers that have Internet access. For example, if you have a home PC and a remote Office PC that you are able to configure (i.e. your own business), you can create a FolderShare account and synchronize data folders between them. This not only ensures your most recent work is always available to you, but automatically gives you a remote backup.

Finally,
I hope I have convinced you that backing up your computer is not only essential but very inexpensive. Digital photographs of your children or those special vacations and events can never be reproduced. Music documents and financial data are just going to cost you time aggravation and money. Act now and if you need help deciding or implementing the best solution for you please feel free to call me call me for a consult.
Until then Ctrl-Alt-Del,

Steve Holder
Fix My PC 2, llc

The Problem with Mac's

2008-09-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

I like the Apple line of products, first it's designed in Cupertino California in the good ole USA, even though it's manufactured just about everywhere else in the world but here, and no matter how much a fan you may be of Microsoft Windows the Mac user interface has never been surpassed by any other operating system. Also, once you have your Macbook or iMac set up with all the peripherals you need and the software you use is installed, it's about as stable a product as you will find anywhere. The reason is the Mac operating system is UNIX based (means very robust) and will hardly ever crash or stop working. However, if after a couple of years you decide to add a new software package or external device to your Mac then this is where your troubles could begin.

So basically any software that "needs" to be updated, like tax programs, financial software or programs that are still under development may cause you major problems. I think that part of the reason is that Apple computers are still in the minority and also Apple does make fairly frequent updates to it's operating system so software companies that write software for Apple computers not only will not see as large a return on these Mac versions but they quickly find they have problems when Apple decides to update their operating system.

I was recently reminded of the problems with a fiasco that panned out at one of my recent clients. My customer, had been given an iMac by his daughter a couple of years ago. At that time the operating system was version 10.3.9 and the CPU or the "brain" of the computer was a Motorola Power PC chip. Now this customer, new to the computer, wanted to write his biography but not being a typist asked if there was any other way to enter the text. So having installed many "Dragon Naturally Speaking" software packages on regular PC's I went to their web site where I found a Mac version that stated it ran on Mac Operating system version 10.3. Great, so I obtained a copy for the customer. Now you have to understand that these older dictation software packages took hours of personal commitment to "train" the computer into recognizing your particular voice and speaking style and this customer I know put hours into this exercise. However when he clicked the button to analyze his hours of speaking the software promptly crashed.

Upon calling the company they sadly told me that the Mac version only worked on Mac Operating systems up to version 10.3.6. Now that stinks! But wait it is not over yet... Okay so during this "learning" exercise I discussed with the same client applications that can be used to put his book together, applications that can format and flow text and graphics that eventually can be sent to a printer. In the publishing industry the two main players are Quark and Adobe. After some research we opted for "InDesign C3" by Adobe only to find that the minimum Mac Operating System required is version 10.4. So the bottom line was that his iMac was too new for one piece of software and too old for another.

Finally there is another company that has released an acclaimed dictation software for the later version Macs and using the same core technology as "Dragon Naturally Speaking". However, go to their web site and they will quickly tell you that their software only works on Macs with Intel Multi-Core processors.. you will recall my client's Mac is a Power PC. He ended up buying a new iMac for about $1500. So the next time someone raves about the Mac and Apple products remember nothing in this world is perfect and when it is we won't need computers anyway.

By the way I run a Mac mini, and I love it, but there again I love all computers.
So if you need help with your PC or a Mac just give me a call.

Until then Ctrl - Alt - Delete

Steve Holder
Office: (201) 652-7108
Mobile: (201) 294-8355
P.O. Box 462
Paramus, NJ 07653-0462

If you ever felt stupid read this...

2008-09-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of the funniest things in a long time. I think this guy should have been promoted, not fired. This is a true story from the WordPerfect Helpline, which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say the Help Desk employee was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the WordPerfect organization for 'Termination without Cause.'
Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee.
(Now I know why they record these conversations!):
Operator: 'Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?'
Caller: 'Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect.'
Operator: 'What sort of trouble??'
Caller: 'Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.'
Operator: 'Went away?'
Caller: 'They disappeared'
Operator: 'Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?'
Caller: 'Nothing.'
Operator: 'Nothing??'
Caller: 'It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type.'
Operator: 'Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?'
Caller: 'How do I tell?'
Operator: 'Can you see the 'C: prompt' on the screen?'
Caller: 'What's a sea-prompt?'
Operator: 'Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?'
Caller: 'There isn't any cursor; I told you, it won't accept anything I type.'
Operator: 'Does your monitor have a power indicator??'
Caller: 'What's a monitor?'
Operator: 'It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that
tells you when it's on?'
Caller: 'I don't know.'
Operator: 'Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??'
Caller: 'Yes, I think so.'
Operator: 'Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall.
Caller: 'Yes, it is.'
Operator: 'When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one? '
Caller: 'No.'
Operator: 'Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable.'
Caller: 'Okay, here it is.'
Operator: 'Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer.'
Caller: 'I can't reach.'
Operator: 'OK. Well, can you see if it is?'
Caller: 'No.'
Operator: 'Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?'
Caller: 'Well, it's not because I don't have the right angle -- it's because it's dark.'
Operator: 'Dark?'
Caller: 'Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window.'
Operator: 'Well, turn on the office light then.'
Caller: 'I can't.'
Operator: 'No? Why not?'
Caller: 'Because there's a power failure.'
Operator: 'A power .... A power failure? Aha. Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff that your computer came in?'
Caller: 'Well, yes, I keep them in the closet.'
Operator: 'Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from.'
Caller: 'Really? Is it that bad?'
Operator: 'Yes, I'm afraid it is.'
Caller: 'Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?'
Operator: 'Tell them you're too damned stupid to own a computer!'

“Help my Internet is down!”

2008-07-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

“Help my Internet is down!” I hear it all the time… technology takes time to stabilize and I am sure that eventually not being “connected” will be a thing of the past or at the very least a rarity. I know I am going to regret saying this but I have had Verizon FIOS for over a year now and it has NEVER gone down. Verizon have had their share of problems with failing Actiontec Wireless routers, but I think they have now resolved that issue. I have been asked more than once ”how long should a router last?” It's a strange question because in a perfect world these totally electronic devices “should” last forever but they don't and I replace 1 per week on average. “In a perfect world” is the key here, I can tell you that in most cases customers are not using a good “surge suppressing” power strip. Spend at least $30 on one of these power strips from a company like Belkin and it will pay for itself.

On the subject of Verizon FIOS, I, like many of you, signed up for the $99 TV, Phone and Internet package a little over a year ago. Since my year was up my June bill went up by a whopping 45%. However a quick call to Verizon and my agreement to stay with Verizon for another 2 years brought my costs back down to within a couple of dollars of the original promo price. So call, it is worth it.

So what can YOU do today when you have no Internet? Well there are a few simple tests and procedures that you can perform and in many cases will get you back on line. The following is broken down based on the type of Internet connection you have.

DSL (In our area Verizon, AT&T, Earthlink and AOL provide DSL service)

DO NOT PRESS THE HIDDEN RED RESET BUTTON AS IT WILL RESULT IN LOSS OF ACCOUNT NAME AND PASSWORDS ESSENTIAL TO ACCESS THE INTERNET VIA DSL.

DSL stands for “Digital Subscriber Line” and is based on a technology that sends high speed data down the same wire used for your “Plain Old Telephone System” (POTS). As with all diagnostic procedures you have to remember that it “was” working and so either someone changed something or something has broken. First check that nothing has been added to the phone line, a new phone, a fax or someone removed the in-line filter on one of the phones. No changes? Okay now go find the DSL Modem/Router, usually a small black, cream or silver box with a phone line plugged into it and another cable connecting it to your computer. These devices have multiple indicator lights on them. First check you have the power light on and if not, make sure the device is powered on. Next check the Ethernet or USB light and if you don't have either check your connection to the computer.

Now check the DSL light, it should be on and NOT flashing. If it is off check you have a phone line plugged into the device and that there is a dial tone on the phone line. If the light flashes slow then fast then slow again this means the DSL signal is not strong enough to pass high speed data. Pick up any phone on the same line and make sure there is no “crackling” on the line “behind” the dial tone sound. If there is call your telephone and DSL provider.

Finally if the previous 3 lights are lit but the Internet light is not, then power cycle the device by unplugging and plugging in or, if the device has one, use the power switch. This is usually a rocker switch. Wait 1 minute and if you still do not have the Internet light lit or access to the Internet call your DSL provider.

DO NOT PRESS THE HIDDEN RED RESET BUTTON AS IT WILL RESULT IN LOSS OF ACCOUNT NAME AND PASSWORDS ESSENTIAL TO ACCESS THE INTERNET VIA DSL.

CABLE (In our area called Optonline, and provided solely by Cablevision)

The cable Internet system uses the same cable used to provide you with a television signal to connect you to the Internet. If you have no Internet check that no one has changed anything like an additional set top box, or TV. Check no one has changed or added devices to the cable splitters that distributes the cable throughout your house. It is highly recommended that the “Cable Modem” (a black or cream device with indicator lights) be connected to the first two way splitter as the cable enters your home. The more splitters present before the cable modem, the weaker the signal and the more likely you will have problems. If you purchased phone service from the cable company you can also pick up a house phone and check for a dial tone. If you have dial tone restart your computer and check the connection between the cable modem and the computer. If you still do not have Internet connection ensure the indicator lights on the cable modem are illuminated. Power, Sync (or Internet) and Ethernet should all be lit. You can try power cycling the cable modem but wait for the sync light to go solid before trying the Internet again. NOTE: If you change the computer or router attached to a cable modem you must power cycle the cable modem after each change. Leave the modem off for 30 seconds each time you power cycle.

FIOS (In our area provided solely by Verizon)

Verizon FIOS (FIber Optic Service) is a new medium that utilizes an optical fiber about the thickness of a human hair to deliver TV, phone service and Internet via transmission of light through an optical fiber. When the fiber arrives at your home an electronic box converts the light of various frequencies (colors) into a TV cable signal, Telephone signal and Internet signal. All these signals are distributed within your home using conventional copper wire methods. The Internet signal is sent via ether TV cable or Ethernet to a router. Although it is rare to have problems with FIOS you will from time to time have to power cycle the router.

DO NOT PRESS THE HIDDEN RED RESET BUTTON AS IT MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF ESSENTIAL SETTINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR PROPER OPERATION.

If power cycling the router (Black Actiontec box or others) does not resolve the loss of Internet connectivity, check you have TV and of phone service. If your TV and or Phone are working you may have a defective router and you should call Verizon FIOS support.

Summary

These high speed network connections to your home are complex and problems are not often easy to fix. In general you need to be methodical and patient and remember the problem may not be in your house, so if you know a neighbor that uses the same provider, speak to them to see if they have an Internet connection.

If all else fails, call your provider and if that becomes too frustrating for you I am always here to help.

Until then, Ctrl - Alt - Delete

Still looking for Windows XP?

2008-07-21T14:53:00.001-07:00

You need to read this..

http://www.pcworld.com/article/148450/article.html?tk=nl_wbxnws

Coming soon

2008-03-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

Protecting Your PC - What can I do to protect my PC, am I doing enough, am I spending too much. How to protect your PC and not spend a fortune.
The Internet - How it works. Internet Phone directories, Server farms and routers.

Are we ready for Vista?

2008-03-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

Fact, every new operating system released by Microsoft has been slower than the previous version when tested under exactly the same conditions.
Fact, when you purchase a desktop PC or laptop with Windows XP installed, part of the cost is for the Windows XP license.

So you might ask “Why would I even consider Vista?”... Good question, I also ask the same, but Microsoft is in the business of selling software licenses and if everyone stayed with Windows XP what would they sell?

The majority of the world is running on Windows software and despite what you may feel about Microsoft, Windows XP at least has become a well understood and stable operating system. So it’s now been more than a year since Vista was released and if you go to your local technology store you will only be able to purchase a PC or Laptop with Vista preinstalled. However the major computer suppliers such as DELL, HP etc, still offer computers to their business customers with Windows XP preinstalled. This fact alone must make you question the need to move to Vista. Businesses have learned that changing an operating system can cost them millions of dollars in retraining, license fees not to mention lost revenue when the computers go awry. The popular publishers of computer magazines say that Microsoft has to support Windows XP through 2014 and by then who knows Windows Vista may be as well understood, bug free and as stable as Windows XP is today.

From the end user standpoint who has never used Windows XP buying a computer with Vista preinstalled is a pretty innocuous affair. They will blissfully turn it on, follow all the instructions, read all the warning screens and hopefully make the right decisions about whether to “Allow” or “Not”. If they don’t make the right decision, and it’s easy to do, they can be into hours of fighting a computer that will no longer let them get on the Internet or do much else.

For the rest of us Windows XP users, buyer beware, with Vista you will have a new user interface to learn, and it’s not always intuitive, it’s slower, it asks questions that you never had to answer before, and many programs are still not updated to work with Vista, especially some of the high end gaming programs and specialized business programs. So what are the pluses?

You get a cooler user interface with semitransparent windows, why I have no idea.
It has an advanced memory manager that not only supports larger amounts of memory but it will also learn what programs you use frequently and will try to keep them in the faster memory rather than having to continually load them from the slower spinning hard drive.
Security is improved, however they still do not supply an Anti-virus with the operating system, and you still have to buy or download one of the free versions. Many of the security issue are totally transparent to the everyday user.

So I guess you know by now that I am advising you to steer clear of Vista. If you need to buy a new computer then go online and find a company that will still offer computers loaded with Windows XP. As I previously mentioned, DELL offers XP to both its home and business customers. Let me know if I can help.

Until then Ctrl – Alt – Delete.

Steve Holder

Email Demystified

2008-02-18T16:59:00.001-08:00

Why is email so difficult to understand? Not the concept but the way we use it today. Did you know that the first ever electronic mail was sent on May 24th 1844? The content? "What hath God wrought?" I assure you this was the first email and it predates all of us. After receiving a $30,000 grant from the then US Congress Mr. Samuel Morse was able to lay 40 miles of cable between Baltimore and Washington DC and was able to send this first historic message. Within 10 years more than 23,000 miles of telegraph cable would be laid around the world changing the way we communicate forever. Telegraph, telegram, telex, fax and now email, instant messaging and phone text messaging have all followed. There was a time in between where we actually used a device called a telephone to use the spoken word to communicate but that is fast becoming far too intrusive in our very busy lives. Who has time to chat on the phone when all you need to tell someone is that you just bought a new computer and found a great guy to install it.:-)

The first electronic telegraph as transcribed by Samuel Morse. Click to enlarge.

I digress, but you see the point, email is not so new, it's been around for 164 years so why is it so difficult? Well like all things computer there are just too many options. The concept is just as simple as that first message sent by Samuel Morse 164 years ago but the human interface used to send and receive those messages is varied and sometimes confusing.

So to start let's talk about the concept or how email works. Just like that first telegraph message from Baltimore to DC email is sent from one location to another. In those days it was referred to a "terminus" and today it is referred to as a "domain" or “point of presence”. Examples are verizon.net, optonline.net, gmail.com, hotmail.com, yahoo.com etc. The main difference between then and now is that in order for that message to get to and from the terminus in 1844 a boy would be dispatched by foot or on horseback. Today in order to get the message to and from the "point of presence” we simply need a computer and a connection to the Internet from our home or place of work.

The other major difference between then and now is that the “terminus” was in a physical location, i.e. Baltimore and Washington, DC, whereas an email server or point of presence can be in any (or many) physical locations anywhere in the world so long as it is firmly connected to the Internet.

Many of these domains or points of presence allow you to create one or more email addresses, the only proviso being that the address you choose is unique to that domain name. Therefore johnsmith@hotmail.com and johnsmith@yahoo.com may coexist on the Internet and be two totally different people. Consequently when you do apply for an email address using your real name or a common word you should not be surprised when the server comes back to you saying the “address is not available” with suggestions that you pick another like johnsmith1 or johnsmith2 etc.

So having established your email address and protected it with a password so no one else can retrieve your email you have probably been guided to one of two methods of sending, receiving and maintaining the names and addresses of your favorite recipients.

WEB MAIL

If you are on AOL, Google Gmail or Yahoo mail you are probably viewing your mail through an Internet browser like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or the AOL Interface. This method is particularly useful if you move between various computers and or locations. This method leaves the sent and received emails (as well as your address book) on the domain’s server so that you can view it from any location by simply signing in with your email address and password. The disadvantage? There is always a limit to the amount of email these domains will allow you to store on their servers; exceed this limit and future emails will be rejected. Some will simply delete older emails even if you wanted to keep them. Finally the email experience or performance associated with opening emails will be totally controlled by the speed of your Internet connection and how busy the domain’s email server is at that time.

EMAIL APPLICATIONS

The alternate way to send and receive email is to use an application such as Outlook Express, Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird specifically designed to go to the terminus, sorry I mean “Point Of Presence” (POP) server and from time to time and “download” your email to this application on you personal computer. The advantage being that the server will never get overloaded with your email and the experience of sending and receiving will be totally independent of the Internet or Server performance after the download is complete.

Conversely once the email is downloaded from the email server it can no longer be read from another computer or location. There are special conditions and systems that combine both the above options but require a more advanced setup and are not employed by the majority of home and small business user.

So to summarize, email is a simple concept made complicated by computers. On a recent trip to visit my son in Florida the local Marriott Courtyard had a business PC set up in the lobby with a vastly simplified user interface to read email and browse the Internet. I hope eventually this type of approach will become a de facto standard for everyone

Until then

Ctrl-Alt-Del

Steve Holder

Repair, Replace or Upgrade?

2008-01-19T12:13:00.000-08:00

One of the first questions I commonly get when addressing a problematic computer is "Is this computer worth fixing or should I buy a new one?" There is no quick and easy answer to this question. However, there are some things to consider, and this applies to both desktop and laptop computers.

Windows 98/ME/SE - Yikes
Even though it is 2008, I still have customers with PCs running Windows 98, Windows ME and Windows SE. If this is your case then I would highly recommend that you replace the computer as soon as you can. Generally speaking these computers are not "strong enough" to support Windows XP or Windows Vista and many software products, services and upgrades do not support these unreliable systems.

More than 5 Years old?
If your computer is five or more years old then it is also probably time to buy new. Even if it is running Windows XP, these PC's are probably not strong enough anymore to support all the updates and service packs that have been added to Windows XP over the past few years.

Less than 5 Years but it's oh so slow?
Many times the reaction to a slow computer is one of "Well shall I just replace it with a new one". Fortunately this is not case and most of the time, when a computer that is less than five years old, and running Windows XP it still has a lot of life in it. The reasons these computers run slow can be many fold, however, the solution can be as simple as adding more random access memory also known as a RAM, and what I like to refer to as the computer's "short term memory". Or maybe there are just too many processes running on the computer at the same time. Sorry, I did promise not to get technical. "Running too many processes" does not mean you have too many programs on the computer, or that you have too many pictures or too much music downloaded on your computer. What it does mean is that there are too many "software gadgets" running in the background of your computer. For example, I have found that HP printers install many such pieces of software and can slow the machine down to a snail's pace. In general, all of these issues on a PC that is less than 5 years old, and running Windows XP, can be addressed with a single service call from your preferred provider [hopefully me:-)].

Mac or PC
If your decision is to replace the computer, you basically have two options. You will either decide to purchase a PC running Microsoft Windows or one of the new highly marketed Apple MacBooks or iMac desktops running the Macintosh operating system. While I am a big fan of Apple products in general one cannot move from a PC to a Mac environment without considering the following. First, if you've been using a PC then you probably have experience with the Windows interface, have purchased PC software and have peripherals such as printers and scanners that run on the PC. Introducing an Apple product into the mix can cause frustration and costs not originally planned for. For example many printers are only supplied with PC software and will only print from a Windows PC. Be sure to check your printer specifications before you purchase if you plan on adding a Mac to your computing. Secondly, the software currently running on your PC will not run on your Mac, at least not without putting Windows onto the Mac, and that is an added expense that makes no sense. If you're running a mixed environment, in other words, you have both Windows PCs and Macs; you'll probably want to share resources between those computers. First of all sharing an Internet connection is never a problem. Secondly, as I previously mentioned, most printers will support both Mac and PC, however the question is whether this is a network printer in which case it should not be a problem but if it's a printer that is interfaced through a direct PC connection this can also be problematic. Also, Apple does provide the ability for its files to be viewed on the PC so sharing data at least between them usually is not a problem, provided you have the same or compatible programs running on each. Finally, unlike the PC where there are many hardware vendors to choose from, if you choose to buy a Mac you'll be buying from Apple as they are the only company providing the necessary accessories. Philosophically, I have a problem with this, being that when you have a single vendor they basically dictate price, the sale conditions and the cost of ownership, so buyer beware...

What to buy?
If you decide to buy a Mac you will need to either purchase online through apple.com or you will go to one of their stores in the area. If you buy a Mac I strongly recommend you purchase the extended warranty as this is specialized hardware and is expensive to repair should it fail. You do need to take this into account when evaluating the costs this device. By the way I do service Apple products from a software, networking and training standpoint. But you will need to go to Apple for any hardware failures.

Those of you staying with PCs first need to decide whether you want to purchase a desktop computer or a laptop computer or a new category that has emerged which is called the desktop replacement, which in essence is simply a large laptop. As far as I'm concerned it's very simple; if you're traveling frequently and need to carry your documents and you’re computing with you, buy the laptop. If not, I strongly advise you to stay with the desktop computer as they are generally less expensive, more reliable and less expensive to maintain. With respect to hardware manufacturers, I don't spend a lot of time researching this aspect of the PC. This topic is much better done through the various publications such as PC Magazine, Consumer reports and the like. However, for many years I have promoted and suggested that people buy Dell computers. I know some of you out there will cringe at this because you have had a bad Dell experience. More than likely your experience was of poor support rather than poor product. Unfortunately today many of the major computer manufacturers degraded to similar levels of support and frankly it's probably why I'm in business. Having said that, I do believe that Dell gives the best value for the money, the most reliable product, and from a person that has been supporting Dell computers for many years, resources that are second to none in the computer industry. If I need to find out what software driver is required for a Dell computer, whether it is a month old or five years old, that task is extremely simple and straightforward. By the way, I am not paid by Dell to say these things.

Finally, many new PC buyers out there that try to go it alone or trust the advice of the salesman at the local store, more than likely being sold a computer that has far more functionality than you will ever need. Also at this time, I have to say that you should avoid the Windows Vista operating system. Again Dell, as an industry leader, has recognized that customers still would like to purchase the Windows XP operating system and have continued to supply a large variety of PCs with this configuration into 2008.

If you're still confused about repairing, updating or replacing your computer then please allow me to help you make the right choice for your needs.

Until then, Ctrl-Alt-Del

Steve Holder

Wireless network setup

2007-11-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

I have set up many wireless networks for my customers now and can honestly say that given the right conditions they can be a reliable and inexpensive way to share your Internet connection, printers and files. While you simply cannot beat the reliability of an Ethernet (wired) network for home use, wireless can be the network of choice. Conversely I would not be happy supporting a business that way, and given the mandate to support a business network would have to insist it was wired.

However, for the home user these are my 4 basic guidelines to a successful Router set up:

1. Use a reliable, and simple wireless router that supports 802.11b and 802.11g. I prefer to use the WRT54G from Linksys.
2. Place the router (wireless access point) in a central location so that no PC (or wireless printer) would have to transition more than 3 walls or floors when taking a "line of sight" between router and the end device (PC).
3. Ensure you change the default name of the wireless transmission (SSID) otherwise you will conflict with your neighbor that fails to do the same. It can be anything you want, but keep it short and sweet to make setup easier, e.g. joe, molly, geneva, hotrod, rover, etc.
4. Finally enable WEP network security, don't go crazy, just use the 64 bit key which simply equates to 10 hexadecimal characters. They must be 0-9,a-f, so again keep it simple and use your 10 digit cell or home phone number, that way you won't forget it.

To access the above mentioned settings on the WRT54G Linksys router simply point a browser at the gateway (aka router) address of your network. 192.168.1.1
The default login is Username = [blank], password = admin. You can change the password if you like but just don't forget it, better still, write it on a post it and stick to the underside of the router. Once into the router you can set or check your wireless settings.

Setting up the Wireless on your Windows XP PC or Laptop

In order to connect to your wireless network you will need to setup your wireless system to link to your particular wireless system (SSID, 3 above) and also enter the wireless encryption protocol (WEP) key as described in 4 above. Microsoft Windows has it's own application (Wireless Zero Configuration) that will assist you to do this. However, some wireless adapters, either integrated or after market add-ons, come with their own applications. Usually one has to choose either the Microsoft application or the third party. If you choose to use the third party application follow the directions supplied, usually in the help menu.

Alternately you can follow the Microsoft Wireless setup Wizard as follows:

Go to Control panel and select Network Connections.
Assuming you have a Wireless Network Connection right click on it and left click View available connections.
You should see your wireless name here, if you do not you need to trouble shoot that first. Click on "Set up a wireless network for a home or small office" under network tasks on the left.
Click Next then select "Set up a new wireless network" then click next.
Type in your wireless name (SSID - #4 above in router setup) and select "manually assign a network key" then click next.
Type in your WEP key twice as set in router set up #5 above and click next.
Select "Set up network manually" and click next then Finish.

Your computer should now automatically connect to the router in 30 seconds or less.

Still having problems? Better call your local PC and Network Specialist.

Till the next time..

Ctrl=Alt-Delete

Steve

Drive Failures

2007-11-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

For those of you that don't believe in backing up your documents, photos or music, and you are the majority, here is something to think about. I have been seeing an increasing number of hard drive failures over the past few months. Sometimes I am contacted early in the failure cycle but sometimes its just too late. Catastrophic failure of the hard drive means you lose everything. Basically your computer will not start (boot) and in many case the BIOS(the Basic Input Output System) will not even recognize that your computer even has a hard drive. As Monty Python would say you have a "Dead Computer". (see Dead Parrot sketch)

What this means is that all those digital family pictures you have downloaded to your computer are gone. Your financial records from Money, Quicken or your favorite tax program are lost forever, not to mention your address book in Outlook, calender and all those emails you wanted to keep. Gone, gone, gone.. Favorite web sites, music, family trees, and medical records, all gone. Sure there are companies out there that will dismantle a damaged drive and recover any data that still exists but these services run into the $1000s and there are NO guarantees.

So what can you do:

Install an automatic backup system, today.
Pay attention to changes in your computers performance, if it is taking extra time to respond to data opened from your hard drive this could be an indicator of a hard drive failure.
Ensure your hard drive is monitored by the S.M.A.R.T. system giving you an early warning of pending failure.
Have your computer serviced regularly by a qualified technician.
Consider replacing your hard drive after 2 to 3 years

Of late I have seen many Maxtor hard drive failures. Now to be fair they are an inexpensive brand and consequently used in high numbers. However, Western Digital drives fall into this same criteria but I feel are not failing as frequently. If you have a Maxtor drive in your PC, and it is more than 2 years old, and you don't have an automatic backup system, I would highly recommend you change it. Fix My PC 2 will change your hard drive over to a Seagate or Western Digital, 160 GByte Drive for $129. Look at your BIOS or Windows Device Manager to determine what drive you have.

So you have been warned.. but let's hope you you don't experience a drive failure, and if you do that you have everything backed up.

Until then Ctrl-Alt-Del

Steve Holder

Memoirs without typing

2007-10-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

I just hung up the phone with a customer who is writing a book using a PC, printer and dictation software procured and installed for him 2 weeks ago. He had asked me to follow up with him in 2 weeks, which I just did, and told me he was delighted with the system I had installed for him. Just 2 years ago the technology to dictate accurately to the PC was not quite there yet, sure it was available but took the user hours of training the computer to recognize the idiosyncrasies of their voice and pronunciation. Today the technology is much better and a lot easier and quicker to get started with the real work at hand.

I purchased Eugene a new DELL Inspiron 530 desktop, complete with 19 inch monitor, HP Laserjet 1018 printer and "Dragon Naturally Speaking" version 9 which even comes with it's own headset and microphone. The total package was less than a $1000 including my setup time.

The point being, if you are like me and have a creative flair for writing but cannot type worth a dam then there are solutions out there that can help you capture those fast fading memoirs as long as your throat does not go dry. Of coarse there is still a learning curve, nothing is for free, we all know that, but today it is a practical proposition to start talking to your computer and let it do the typing for you.

So don't put off that book any longer, there is no excuse. If you live in my area and want me to help you set it up on a new or existing computer just give me a call.

Until then. Ctrl-Alt-Del

Steve Holder

Cyber-Wars

2007-09-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

I just heard on the news that we are in the midst of a Cyber-War being waged mainly by hackers located in China. What does that mean? For most of us it means nothing, but pay attention this stuff is IMPORTANT. Let's set the record straight, there ARE people out there on the Internet that, a)have too much time on their hands, b)want to feel like they made an impact on the world, albeit negative and c)do not care about the pain, suffering and lost money they cause to their unsuspecting victims.

Most of you reading this have made the jump to light speed and are on a fast Internet connection, Cable, DSL or even Fiber Optic. It's not that these fast information pipes are the cause of the Cyber-War it just facilitates it. In the blink of an eye a pop-up appears and tells you with a professional looking graphic that your computer is already infected and you need to click on "THIS" button to clean them. You do it and like a fly in a spiders web you are caught. "DON'T CLICK ON ANYTHING YOU DON'T RECOGNISE AS SAFE"

Okay so you did, no worries you have an up-to-date anti-virus right? Please tell me you do.. no it's no good if you did not renew the subscription in 2002, the virus you just downloaded was designed 2 weeks ago, how can anti-virus definitions that are years old protect you from that? Like I said computers are dumb.. we have to tell them how to look after themselves.

See my page on Recommended Software and make sure you computer is protected, there is no excuse, these products are FREE for personal use. Not sure how to install them or maintain your computer to be safe from attack in the Cyber-War? Then call someone who can help you. Don't leave it to chance, there are only 2 ways to protect your computer, keep the protection up-to-date or don't turn the darn thing on..:-)

I'll write more soon and maybe we will all become a little more knowledgeable about our computers.

Till then "Control-Alt-Delete".

Steve Holder

Dumb Computers

2007-09-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

So after thirty odd years in the computer industry I decided to go back to my roots and start messing with those dumb computers again. But its not like it was 30 years ago when I worked on mini computers or even 20 years ago when I came across the pond and worked on my first PC, today these little beasts are powerful, connected to everyone around the world with untold access to a global information bank of facts, lies and everything in between. So why is it all so difficult if these personal computers are supposed to make our lives so much easier? Why is it that it takes twice as long to find something, write something, chat with someone than it did before we all had computers? We used to pull the encyclopedia off the book shelf, take pen to paper and pick up a phone. What happened to those days? I guess they are gone, now with a computer we can have instant knowledge, instant mail and instant messaging. Trouble is when they don't work who are you going to call? Ghost busters? The lucky have access to a tech savvy family member or neighbor, but what about the rest of us? Tried calling Dell Computer tech support lately? Although the accent is a dead giveaway you would otherwise never know you were speaking with a technician in Delhi or Calcutta. Not that there's anything wrong with that, except for the lost American jobs, but it's tough to get them to stop by the house and check the machine out if what they are telling you just don't make sense.

Anyway I digress.. this article is supposed to be about helping you understand better about this machine that we are expected to use every day for just about everything. So lets start by setting the record straight, its a computer and as such it is extremely complicated, far more complicated than ninety-five percent of us will ever need it to be. So DO NOT feel stupid, the people that make these machines and write the software have thousands of hours into them, let alone their education to get them to the point of understanding, and guess what, they don't always get it right either.

It is not you that are stupid, it is the computer that is a dumb machine. It's a harmless piece of electronics and as long as you keep it well ventilated it won't burn you house down so don't be scared of it. Finally if you don't know how to do something just ask, there is always a techy out there dying to show you how smart he or she is.

I'll write more soon and maybe we will all become a little more knowledgeable about our computers.

Till then "Control-Alt-Delete".

Steve Holder

Welcome

2007-09-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

A 30 year veteran in computers and customer support, Steve runs "Fix My PC 2", a PC and networking support business serving both home and small business users in Northern New Jersey.

Steve started his career back in the 70's developing electronic solutions for an innovative computer image processing company called Crosfield Electronics. Soon becoming itchy to see the world, Steve took on the role of International support engineer and traveled extensively for 7 years to countries around the globe. During these years Steve become adept at fault finding complex electronic systems and has never lost the knack. Working from his UK base Steve was sent to the states for what was supposed to be a temporary management assignment in 1984. The rest is history.

Since 1984 Steve has been heavily involved in computing, networks and the Internet. He has held senior positions in many high tech start ups.

Today Steve is happy to go back to his roots and to simply "fix the customer".