What if while purchasing a new car, appliance, or piece of office equipment you were told that the item you’re about to purchase comes with on-going maintenance and improvements at no additional charge? The sales person tells you that his company will let you know when there are any improvements or when you need maintenance, and you won’t be required to visit a repair shop or have a repair person visit your office or home. Would you elect to take advantage of that offer? Maintenance plus improvements without the headaches of a service visit and zero expense on your part. Who wouldn’t say yes to an offer like that?
Unfortunately in most cases that is just a fantasy; however it is reality when it comes to your Windows operating system. Microsoft continues to make improvements and repairs to their operating systems available for several years after purchase, yet many people do not take advantage of this benefit. Well if something so sensible isn’t motivation enough, here are some more reasons why updating your desktop and server operating systems is not only prudent, it is critical.
Stories about hackers and threats to computers and networks are in the news almost every day, and many of these stories include tips on how to prevent or minimize this from happening to you. Across the board, consistently, one of the recommended tips is to keep your operating system updated! The reason is because a majority of the updates Microsoft releases are security updates. Never seen before threats are developed by crafty hackers all the time and Microsoft is constantly refining its operating systems to counter these new threats; but in order to take advantage of these improvements, and protect your devices and network, you need to keep your operating systems up-to-date.
Operating systems are also updated to address bugs and shortcomings. Prior to making software available to the public Microsoft will release a beta version of the product for people, primarily IT geeks, to try, experiment, and play with. Then, Microsoft takes the feedback and improves the product, eventually releasing it to the public. However, now that it is in the hands of the public you have dramatically increased the number of people using it and the ways it is being used. Not surprisingly, more issues come to light and, one way or another, come to the attention of Microsoft. Microsoft then uses this feedback to make improvements to the software, also known as patches, and eventually makes these new improvements available. The end result is an operating system that is not good as new, it is better!
Patching desktops and laptops is fairly easy because you can set updates to automatically download and install.
For Windows 7 users, type and click “Windows Updates” in the search box. In the left pane, click “Change Settings,” then under Recommended Updates, select either the “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates” or “Include recommended updates when downloading, installing, or notifying me about updates” check box and click OK.
For Windows 8 and 10 users, choose “Change PC Settings” in your Settings, then click “Update and recovery.” Click on “Choose how updates get installed,” and under recommended updates, select the “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates” checkbox and apply those settings.
If you follow those steps, all of the Windows Updates that are offered will be automatically installed without you being bothered and annoyed by the frequent notifications.
Because operating system updates help your computer to be more secure and perform better, we suggest installing these updates as often as possible. However, occasionally there may be problems caused by the updates. Sometimes the updates aren’t configured properly or the installation doesn’t complete and can cause your computer to revert the updates automatically (if you’re lucky), or even create some serious system issues. That is why we recommend backing up your important files, such as documents and pictures, onto an external hard drive in the event of a disaster.
Fortunately, at the Computer Doctor, we deal with all sorts of software configuration issues— including those caused by Windows updates. If you are concerned with updating your computer on your own, we are happy to install the updates here at the shop in Hampden while simultaneously tuning up your computer; we can guarantee it will be running much faster and better than it was before! Better yet, ask about our new service package that we will now be offering to our residential and home based business customers. Our business clients experience the full benefits of our managed services program. We take care of their Windows updates on a planned schedule to avoid Microsofts patch problems, we also have an automated service program that manages third party updates, continually monitors your computer hardware for potential failures and performance issues and includes a fully managed antivirus suite of monitoring and mitigation programs and so much more! We have packages to meet every need and budget.
If you are interested in a complete system tune up, or any of our other computer services, please give us a call at 862-7019 or stop by to see us at 50 Main Road North in Hampden! And if you mention this article, you will receive 10% off a tune up!
With a new year comes new ways for hackers to attempt to gain access to your personal information and data, and 2016 is no different. Actually, 2016 is foreseen to have the most frequent cases of the most malicious viruses ever: ransomware. Security Magazine predicts ransomware attacks to grow this year because “greater numbers of inexperienced cybercriminals will leverage ransomware-as-a-service offerings which could further accelerate the growth of ransomware.”
Ransomware is a virus that stops you from using your PC, and holds your PC or files for ransom. Some versions are called “FBI Moneypak” or the “FBI virus” because they use the FBI’s logos to trick people into sending the hacker money. The virus will often claim you have done something illegal with your PC and you will be fined by your local or federal government agency. Obviously the claims are false, but if you pay the fine to the supposed agency, then there is no guarantee that paying the fine will give you access to your PC or files again. Here is an example of a page that may pop up to convince you that you are paying the government for your illegal actions:
The virus can prevent you from accessing Windows, encrypt your files so you can’t access or use them, and stop certain apps, such as your web browser, from running. The hacker will demand you to do something to regain access to your PC or files; it is usually to send them money in the form of BitCoins over the internet or a MoneyPak. Ransomware has been known to charge over $1500 to give your data back, but of course that is not always the result of this expensive transaction.
A family of these ransomware viruses is called FakeBsod. FakeBsod uses a malicious piece of JavaScript code to lock your web browser and show a fake warning message when you visit a compromised webpage. The message says to “contact Microsoft technicians” because of an “Error 333 Registry Failure of operating system” on a blue screen. If you call the number shown on the blue screen, you will be asked to pay money to “fix” the issue. This is an example of the fake warning message:
After the ransom note has been displayed, the virus begins encrypting files. When a file is encrypted, the ransomware generates a key for each file that only the hacker knows. This means that the hacker holds your files hostage paying the ransom is no easy feat and there is a good chance that after you empty your wallet, your files may still be irretrievable.
Unfortunately there is no easy or guaranteed solution to restore a PC or its files after they have been infected with a ransomware virus. However, there are some steps you can take to protect your data from it:
Back up your data regularly. Simply putting your most important files on a $10 thumb drive from Staples could save you hundreds of dollars in the event of a ransomware infection.
Verify email sources. Many virus infections come from emails, so make sure you check the sender’s email address before opening any link or downloading anything from your email. Even if it seems enticing, don’t do it!
Bookmark websites. Bookmarking your frequently visited and trusted websites can prevent you from visiting a malicious website by accidentally typing the wrong web address.
Update your security software. Update any antivirus or security software you may have to provide an extra layer of protection for the latest ransomware viruses.
Use specialized software to block encryption viruses. Computer Doctor can install specialized software to help protect you from this specific attack.
Hopefully you will be lucky enough to avoid these harmful and cruel viruses and you take the necessary precautions to protect your valuable data. In the horrible event that you believe your computer is infected with ransomware, please call the Computer Doctor at 862-7019 as soon as possible! The sooner you catch the infection, the more likely it is that your information can be retrieved. The Computer Doctor has dealt with ransomware countless times and is the best resource in the area to return your PC and files back to you— without encryption and at a much better price! He has a customized and tiered approach to ransomware. For your own specialized software to prevent a horrific infection, look at our Crypto Innoculation page!
Come see us at 50 Main Road North in Hampden, in the same building at River Town Family Eye Care. You can call us at 862-7019 if you have any questions! We also do Remote Support Sessions as well as House Calls. If you bring in your computer for a virus removal, mention this article until February 15 and receive 10% off!
Although Macs are well known for their dependability and relative long life, they can still get bogged down and benefit from . Here are some services we can do for your iMac, MacBook, or even Mac Mini to prolong it’s useful life.
Memory Upgrade
It is very common for a laptop or computer to only have 4GB of RAM. If you upgrade to 8GB of RAM, that would be comfortable for most people’s computers and would noticeably speed up your Mac. If you need storage for huge amounts of data, such as video editing or graphic design, then 16GB would be ideal— but that would be too much unnecessary space for your thousands of pictures from vacation or a few videos of your children blowing out candles on their birthdays!
Hard Drive Replacement
A Solid State Hard Drive will revolutionize your experience on your Mac. It will feel much more responsive, and even if you have a small amount of memory, swapping to a Solid State Hard Drive will also help because an SSD is especially fast at the transfer of data from the memory to the hard drive— much faster than an ordinary hard drive. An SSD is nearly 100x faster than an ordinary hard drive, and can even extend the battery life in a laptop as well!
Solid State Hard Drives have no moving parts, so they are much more reliable because over time the ordinary hard drive parts will wear down and fail with use. SSDs also generate no noise and significantly less heat than an ordinary hard drive does.
Utilize Your Additional Storage Options
Computers perform badly when their main storage drive is full. A common rule is to leave at least 10 % of your drive free—so consider adding additional storage and offloading files you don’t use often to it. This might be external storage, such as a USB flash drive or external hard drive. Getting those extra files that you don’t need on-hand off of your hard drive will free up some extra space and make your computer run more efficiently.
Update your Operating System
It is highly recommended to install the latest Operating System on your Mac for the increased security and features. Technologies such as App Nap— a feature that pauses apps not being used and reduces power usage— and compressed memory in OS X 10.10 Yosemite can actually improve performance on weaker hardware, such as your original hard drive.
Updating your Operating System can be tricky. The newest version of OS X for Mac is El Capitan, but we have seen some issues with completing the upgrade and computers not rebooting quickly afterward. If you tried to update your operating system and there was a problem with the install, then we encourage you to bring your Mac to us to get it back on track. If you bring your computer in to the Computer Doctor in Hampden for us to update your operating system, then you will receive $10 off if you mention this article!
The benefits to updating your OS X definitely outweigh the drawbacks— that is, if you have a newer Mac. If your Mac model is older than 2008, then it might not be the best idea to update it to the newest operating system. We’ve heard horror stories of older Macs completely grinding to a halt under the strain of the new OS X, and there’s definitely a danger with older Macs that newer operating systems will demand too much. At the Computer Doctor, we have every Mac operating system since Snow Leopard came out in 2009. We can install any of the operating systems that have come out in the past 6 years directly onto your Mac, and we will advise you which one would be the most efficient for your computer.
Apple has produced a line of outstanding products, and at the Computer Doctor we have found Macs to run better, quicker, and be more dependable than other brands of computers. If you bring in any Mac computer, laptop, or mini on or before November 28, 2015, then you will receive 10% off any service if you mention this article!
Come see us at 50 Main Road North in Hampden, Maine; across the street from the Circle K in the same building as Rivertown Family Eye Care. You can also call us anytime at (207) 862-7019.
Microsoft seems to hit the mark with operating systems about 50% of the time. Going back to when I first installed windows, Windows 3.1 worked remarkably well and...
Hard drives fail. All of them…eventually. I love my iMac, It is a finely crafted piece of aluminum that greets me everyday with a beautiful bright gl...
Memory Upgrade
A Solid State Hard Drive will revolutionize your experience on your Mac. It will feel much more responsive, and even if you have a small amount of memory, swapping to a Solid State Hard Drive will also help because an SSD is especially fast at the transfer of data from the memory to the hard drive— much faster than an ordinary hard drive. An SSD is nearly 100x faster than an ordinary hard drive, and can even extend the battery life in a laptop as well!
