Please read this link and scan your computer. I am a member of may Geek forums and information sites. This virus is NO JOKE. Microsoft is offering a $250,000 reward to find the person or group who started this virus.
Go to this link
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Have you had your Cookies today?
HTTP cookies, more commonly referred to as Web cookies, tracking cookies or just cookies, are parcels of text sent by a server to a Web client (usually a browser) and then sent back unchanged by client each time it accesses that server. So what does that all mean in non computer geek terms? When you access a website that requires a sign-in, password or both such as Facebook, Twitter, and most others. They send a small piece of computer code to your browser. When you sign in a second time the page looks for the cookie it sent and it recognizes you and makes it quicker for you to access the site. There is a misconception that cookies are bad. There are bad cookies, but for the most part cookies help to speed up your web browsing experience. You can block cookies in most web browsers by accessing the security menu and turning cookies off.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Turn if OFF or Leave it RUNNING
I often get asked if it is better to turn your computer off when it isn't being used or to leave it runner. If your computer is a laptop ALWAYS turn it off when you aren't using it. Laptops don't have the best cooling systems in the world and often just a little dust in the fan can cause a laptop to overheat and it will fry the processor or mother board or both. Most laptop failure is do to overheating.
If your asking about your desktop I recommend that if your computer won't be used for a few hours or more shut it down. Most computers also have a sleep mode and you can save a considerable amount of power and heat in the computer by putting it to sleep. I used to run my computers 24/7 but that is OLD SCHOOL today. With the size of hard disk and the heat from super fast processors and video cards it doesn't make sense to leave the computer running when it won't be used for a long period of time. I know it a pain to shut down and wait for it to reboot, but it really is better for the long run in keeping your computer from overheating and crashing.
If your asking about your desktop I recommend that if your computer won't be used for a few hours or more shut it down. Most computers also have a sleep mode and you can save a considerable amount of power and heat in the computer by putting it to sleep. I used to run my computers 24/7 but that is OLD SCHOOL today. With the size of hard disk and the heat from super fast processors and video cards it doesn't make sense to leave the computer running when it won't be used for a long period of time. I know it a pain to shut down and wait for it to reboot, but it really is better for the long run in keeping your computer from overheating and crashing.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
LifeHacker dot com
I know this is a computer repair blog, but today I'm going to do something different. I'm going to tell you about a URL that I visit daily. www.lifehacker.com is to me a must visit daily site. This site offers so much information that I find useful. Not all of it is computer related. Go ahead and leave my blog for now and take a look at LifeHacker. I bet you will put it in your bookmarks also. I have provided a link to Lifehacker on the right.
COME BACK HERE SOON!
COME BACK HERE SOON!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
WiFi where you live?
I found this URL today that gives you the locations of WiFi in the area you live in.
Just put in the address and it gives you a list of public WiFi spots. I will be keeping this in the favorites on my laptop. Now if my Blackberry goes off I just type in my location and it will find me the nearest WiFi Hot spot to get connected.
Click HERE to go to the URL
Just put in the address and it gives you a list of public WiFi spots. I will be keeping this in the favorites on my laptop. Now if my Blackberry goes off I just type in my location and it will find me the nearest WiFi Hot spot to get connected.
Click HERE to go to the URL
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Do you need a clean install?????
There are times when it is just about impossible to FIX what is wrong with your operating system. After many hours of frustrating attempts to get your computer working properly you may decide it's time to just start from scratch and do a clean install.
The most important thing to realize before performing a clean installation of Windows is that all of the information on the drive that Windows is currently on (probably your C: drive) will be destroyed during this process. That means that if there's anything you want to keep you should back it up to a CD or another drive prior to beginning this process. If you don't feel comfortable doing this yourself DON'T DO IT.
A clean install can take a couple of hours even if everything goes perfectly. Call me if you have any questions.
The most important thing to realize before performing a clean installation of Windows is that all of the information on the drive that Windows is currently on (probably your C: drive) will be destroyed during this process. That means that if there's anything you want to keep you should back it up to a CD or another drive prior to beginning this process. If you don't feel comfortable doing this yourself DON'T DO IT.
A clean install can take a couple of hours even if everything goes perfectly. Call me if you have any questions.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Speed up XP shutdown
One of the biggest annoyances in Windows XP is waiting for what seems an eternity while it shuts down, so we have a couple of registry tweaks to help force Windows to shut down more quickly.
Usually what is happening is one or more applications is hanging up to 20 seconds (in the Registry all values are set to milliseconds) while the OS tries to shutdown. Before making any changes to the Registry it is highly advisable to create a backup.
Before I just throw this information out on the blog I want to give this WARNING. If you don't know what you are doing you could crash you whole computer. If you feel comfortable working with your registry I want you to call or email me and I will sent the instructions on how to adjust the registry to speed up XP shutdowns.
Usually what is happening is one or more applications is hanging up to 20 seconds (in the Registry all values are set to milliseconds) while the OS tries to shutdown. Before making any changes to the Registry it is highly advisable to create a backup.
Before I just throw this information out on the blog I want to give this WARNING. If you don't know what you are doing you could crash you whole computer. If you feel comfortable working with your registry I want you to call or email me and I will sent the instructions on how to adjust the registry to speed up XP shutdowns.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Critical Image Flaw - Fixed
A fix has been released by Microsoft about a critical image flaw that lets an attacker control a computer if a user viewed a poisoned image in a website or an email in an HTML format.
It is “probably of interest to all customers using Windows,” but that it “probably won’t be reliably exploited,” according to Mike Reavey of Microsoft who is the Security Response Center director of the company.
It involves how the operating system processes WMF and EMF files. The affected versions are Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 and 2008, and Vista.
Source: PCWorld
Tony's NOTE: I have already seen this virus in action. My wife clicked on a picture on a popular game site just to try to close it and BAM she had the virus. AVG virus protection didn't stop it and it took me almost 4 hours to clean the virus from her computer.
It is “probably of interest to all customers using Windows,” but that it “probably won’t be reliably exploited,” according to Mike Reavey of Microsoft who is the Security Response Center director of the company.
It involves how the operating system processes WMF and EMF files. The affected versions are Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 and 2008, and Vista.
Source: PCWorld
Tony's NOTE: I have already seen this virus in action. My wife clicked on a picture on a popular game site just to try to close it and BAM she had the virus. AVG virus protection didn't stop it and it took me almost 4 hours to clean the virus from her computer.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Windows Registry
What is your Windows Registry? The Registry is a database used to store settings and options for the 32 bit versions of Microsoft Windows including Windows 95, 98, ME and NT/2000 and XP. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, software, users, and preferences of the PC. Whenever a user makes changes to a Control Panel settings, or File Associations, System Policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in the Registry.
Over time the Windows Registry gets congested. Think of it like a closet where you keep putting stuff in it but you never remove what you don't need. After awhile it keeps taking longer and longer to find what you are looking for it the closet. That is what happens to the Windows Registry. Your computer slows down or even gives up if the Registry gets too over loaded.
You can clean your Windows Registry but you must be very careful. If you remove a file that is needed for the operating system or a program to function you can crash your computer or the program. Registry cleaning is best left to a professional or someone with a good bit of computer experience.
NEVER make changes to your registry without making a back up first. If you have questions about cleaning your Registry give me a call or email me.
Over time the Windows Registry gets congested. Think of it like a closet where you keep putting stuff in it but you never remove what you don't need. After awhile it keeps taking longer and longer to find what you are looking for it the closet. That is what happens to the Windows Registry. Your computer slows down or even gives up if the Registry gets too over loaded.
You can clean your Windows Registry but you must be very careful. If you remove a file that is needed for the operating system or a program to function you can crash your computer or the program. Registry cleaning is best left to a professional or someone with a good bit of computer experience.
NEVER make changes to your registry without making a back up first. If you have questions about cleaning your Registry give me a call or email me.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Live update what you should know
Live updates. Do you keep your software up to date? You should. Microsoft sends out any software updates for it's operating systems on Tuesdays. It is important to download and install these updates to keep your computer running smoothly and to help block known viruses and other Internet security issues. You can go to control panel and turn on automatic updates so the computer will take care of this for you. If you don't know how to turn on the automatic update in your software give me a call or email me and I will talk you through it for FREE.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Welcome to USB
What is USB? Universal Serial Bus This is a standard connecting device that allows you to easily add devices to your computer. This uses a standard play and play technology that offers connection of external computer peripherals such as Hard Disk Drives, CD and DVD players, Flash Drives, Printers, Mice and Keyboard, Cameras, and many more items.
What makes USB really nice is the ability to move a peripheral from one computer to another without much concern with installing special software. Todays modern operating systems OS has the needed software drivers built in to access the USB peripheral you choose to use. A USB flash drive has become a standard piece of equipment to be carried in your pocket, purse, or on your keychain. Once you use the convience of a USB device you will appreciate this technology.
What makes USB really nice is the ability to move a peripheral from one computer to another without much concern with installing special software. Todays modern operating systems OS has the needed software drivers built in to access the USB peripheral you choose to use. A USB flash drive has become a standard piece of equipment to be carried in your pocket, purse, or on your keychain. Once you use the convience of a USB device you will appreciate this technology.
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