A-Tec Computer Repair

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Computer Tips

Some of us think we know the best way to do things.  Here are a few of mine  :)
 

Malware Prevention

For the most part, malware seems to slip by many, if not all anti-virus products.  I have had machines brought to me with AVG, Avira, McAfee, Norton, Kasperski, etc that have been infected with malware and are affected with the associated registry changes and damages.

So what gives?  Aren't we protected if we have an updated anti-virus installed?

Obviously not.

I remove a lot of malware and have learned malware patterns and where their damages lie.  I know how malware infections happen and I know how to avoid them.  I also know a secret that the major anti-virus companies don't want you to know - actual viruses are very rare and the biggest modern threat is malware.  The kicker is that their products will not stop malware from being installed.

So what about protection?

The best protection is our brain.  There are conscious things we can do to prevent malware from becoming installed.  Become aware.  Look out for traps and tripwires because they're everywhere.  If something pops up saying "you may be infected", question it before you click OK, REPAIR or FIX.  Is it really your system or your computer's anti-virus warning you or is it a script trying to scare you into clicking a button that will cause the installation of malware and the associated damages?

Trying to watch an embedded video but the page prompts you to install a "missing codec" by clicking a button?  Surfing the web and a generic pop-up tells you to click the button to update JAVA?  I think not.  If you go for it, you might be calling me. Today's malware is designed with effective social-engineering and you are tricked into installing it yourself.  That's one reason why most anti-virus applications are ineffective against this type of malware.

One thing is certain - once being tricked into installing malware on your own system, there is nothing on those pop-ups that you can click on that will cause them to go away.  Depending on the type, further interaction with these pop-ups can cause deeper damage and the installation of harder-to-detect root-kits.

Here's what I am telling my customers:

If you are on the Internet and a Windows alert pops up with a warning or an unfamiliar scan window is activated that is telling you that you have numerous infections, assume that it is a trick unless you can confirm that this message is actually from your anti-virus.  Adobe and JAVA updates are offered when Windows loads - NOT while surfing the web.  When you determine that a pop-up is likely a tripwire, close it and all other occurrences of your web browser by opening Task Manager (right-click on the clock and choose Task Manager) and then "End Task" everything listed in the Applications tab.

Don't click OK or even the "X" on the initial pop-up.  Close everything on your screen with Task Manager including the web page you were on and then don't go back there again.  If Task Manager won't open, then it's too late and you are already infected.  Please stop everything and consider calling me right away.  Much better removal removal results happen on fresh infections rather than when someone has been futilely hacking at it with an axe for a few days.

On my customers' computers, I am installing a malware preventative application but as I mentioned earlier, no application I've seen so far can save us from ourselves.

 Remember - don't fall for the "missing codec" trick in order to watch Lady GaGa's newest video but if you do get infected with malware and are in my service area, you know who to call.

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Wireless Network Security

If you have a wireless router in your home so your laptop can connect wirelessly, does your router have the password enabled?

You really need to do this so no unauthorized connections to your network can be made from the outside.  Why?  The first reason is that any traffic that crosses your Internet gateway is your responsibility.  An unsavory example is pedophilia material.  Those that traffic in illegal Internet activity know how to not get caught and it doesn't take a genius to sniff an area for an unsecured network allowing a gateway to the Internet that can't be traced to them.  You get my drift.

Another reason to lock your wireless down is that if your ISP limits your monthly data throughput, you could be paying extra for a neighbor who is using your Internet account without your knowledge to download the complete Beatles catalog.  This same neighbor could be sharing copyrighted material with the world and because it's coming from your IP address, you are responsible.  Have you ever shared your wireless password with a neighbor as a favor?  If your password is still the same, they may still be using it.  Know any good lawyers?

Yeah... granting someone temporary Internet access is a neighborly thing to do, but be aware that if you have file sharing enabled, anyone on your network who is in the same workgroup can access those files.  After handing out your password, be sure and change it after a day or two.

If your router is not secured, please secure it from people on the outside and protect yourself.  Different brands of wireless routers are accessed differently - they have different default login usernames & passwords.  Read your manual or do a Google search on your particular router.  It's really worth learning how to do this and basically there are only two parts: Getting into the interface and changing the settings.

• Name (SSID) - This is the network name that appears in the list of available wireless networks.  A default name is already used (usually contains your router's mfg. name).  If you want to change the broadcasted name to something different, I recommend choosing a name that doesn't identify you to your neighbors.
• Encryption Type - For residential use with widest backward compatibility, I like WPA-PSK (or WPA / WPA2-PSK).  Whatever the choices, be sure WPA is included.
• Password - Choose a password that you will remember and no one will guess.

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Printer Installation: Direct via USB (or Parallel Cable)

This applies mainly to users where the printer is to be installed to a particular computer using a USB or old-type parallel cable.  We'll cover networked printers later.

I am not a fan at all of the software that comes bundled with printers (or scanners and digital cameras for that matter).  Running an included disk usually installs programs that run in the background that you don't really need and can contribute to slowing down your computer.  You don't need an inaccurate estimating monitor to tell you when you're almost out of an ink color.

IMO, the only thing you need off the disk are the drivers and that is all I use to install my own and my customers' printers.  Vista and Seven usually already have the drivers available, but it's a good idea to use the drivers included in the disk, or better yet - the most recent drivers from the manufacturer's website.

How do you install only the drivers and not the bloated, computer-dragging software?

Before connecting your printer, insert the printer disk and click around until you find the actual driver folder.  The install routine may start up automatically.  When the setup software starts, stop the auto-running installation by clicking CANCEL the first chance you get.  The install window should close and nothing else should be happening.

Now physically connect your printer - plug it in and connect the USB cable.  If you are using a serial cable, power down your computer before connecting and only restart after the printer is powered up and connected.

The Windows "New Hardware Wizard" will come up.  Pick the options that let YOU choose the driver and its location.  Once on the screen where you point the wizard, navigate to the driver folder and click NEXT.  Say the magic words, "Shazam!" or "Oh, mighty Isis!" and Windows will take it from there.

This works for other types of hardware installs where you have extracted a driver installation package into a folder but it's not a self-installing driver.  If you know where the installation drivers are, this method works like a charm and it's far cleaner than doing a default software install for your printer.

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Printer Installation: Network

OK - so in your home you have a printer installed to a desktop computer using a USB or parallel cable.  You have a wired or wireless router and other computers are hooked in (either by Ethernet cable or wireless).  If you are creating documents to be printed on computers without printers installed you don't need to email them to yourself or transfer them across computers using a flash drive.  With that router connecting your computers you have the potential to network and from any computer, you can print directly to the printer you already have installed.

The steps to do this can be found in numerous places on the web and there are probably some shaky software solutions out there as well.  I'll just give you a very brief list of things that have to be done to accomplish printer sharing.

These should be avoided like plagues.  At best, they only serve to take up valuable space in your web browser window.  At worst, they can "phone home" using data streams, track your surfing habits and transmit that data for supposed marketing purposes.  Toolbars come bundled to almost all free program installations and many updates.  JAVA will try to load one and even Adobe will try to sneak a McAfee Toolbar and also a virus scanner on your system.  Keep your browser clean and look for the opportunity to "uncheck" the toolbar options whenever updating or installing anything.

To remove toolbars, the place to start is Control Panel and Uninstall a Program (Add/Remove).  My advice is to remove ALL toolbars.  MSN, Ask, WebSearch (actually, remove ALL WebSearch items), YaHoo!, AOL.  You don't need these toolbars.  Learn to use the features already in your browser like making use of your browser's Favorites (Bookmarks) Bar, putting your default search to Google, and setting your homepage to whatever you want.

Replacement Laptop Batteries

Sooner or later, it will be time to replace a failing or dead laptop battery.  Don't just jump on the least expensive one made for your computer.  They are not the same - neither in quality or performance.  Making a quick decision based on price alone could be a mistake both in performance expectation and safety.

Besides making sure that it's a quality Lithium-ion (Li-ion) type and made specifically for your model computer, you also need a rating that is supplied by the battery's manufacturer so you can compare different batteries.

Here's the number from which to make performance comparisons: "Watt Hours" (WH)

A few manufacturers rate their batteries by "Milliamp Hours" (mAH).  This is sometimes done to try to disguise a low-performing battery behind a large number and a large price-tag.  To properly compare batteries, one that has a mAH rating needs that number converted to HW.  Remember when you said you that you wouldn't ever use the stuff your math teacher was having you do?

Here's the conversion formula:

(mAH x battery voltage) / 1000 = WH

Once you get the watt hours (WH) on all the batteries that you are comparing, you can compare quality and size.

Quality
Quality comes into effect when your computer's charging system doesn't recognize or identify the battery.  The battery may still perform but your computer may either tell you that there is no battery or the meter in your task bar may give inaccurate readings.  Some aftermarket batteries might not latch securely inside the laptop and may drop out when you pick it up.

Size
Some higher performing batteries with more cells may not fit flush with back of the laptop or may make it not sit level.  This isn't necessarily bad, but it is something of which to be aware.  Having your computer jacked up a bit can actually be a good thing as far as allowing additional clearance for your cooling system's air intake and better ergonomics, but if your computer barely fits into your carry bag, then you will not want the extra bulge.

The best sources for this type of information are reviews from users. The reviews on Amazon.com are great for learning from the experiences from others - just be sure the review is for the exact product that you are considering.

With regard to laptop batteries, cheapest will usually get you a battery that does not last long and quality may be questionable - but paying more doesn't necessarily get you the best either.  A little effort can insure a wise choice, so do your homework and decide on a good balance between price and performance.  For safety reasons, it's usually best to buy from a manufacturer or authorized reseller.

New Computer Cleanup

In my opinion, new computers sold today are not necessarily ready-to-go when taken out of the box.  Used to be, a new computer came with an anti-virus which lasted a few months to a year before the subscription ran out.  What was once a customary "freebie" is no longer free and now the new computer owner is reminded by way of annoying pop-ups to buy a subscription immediately after a very short trial period expires.  In the past, the only baited traps you had to watch out for were accidentally clicking on the MSN, AOL, or EarthLink desktop icons because you thought those got you to the Internet.

When first turning on a new computer from most manufacturers, the new owner is now hit with a succession of windows where confusing maintenance and "performance tuning" schedules are expected to be set up and clicking on the wrong thing will cause more unnecessary nagging windows.  The goal here is to try to get the new owner to eventually buy a maintenance/support subscription from the manufacturer to be paid for by a reoccurring charge on their credit card.  Modern computers need very little in the way of software maintenance and with the right program, you can easily do what little needs to be done yourself - either manually or on a schedule.

Sometimes online data backup is offered... again via balloon messages or pop-ups.  And again for a reoccurring fee on your card.  Another unneeded subscription service for something you can easily do yourself.

The new computer's desktop comes cluttered with Internet shortcuts which are nothing more than ads.  Click the "Games" icon and you will be taken to a place that will install games but requires a credit card in order to upgrade from limited-use trial versions.

There are also the hidden and unneeded background programs that are set to start up every time Windows starts.  Preventing these from automatically starting will let your computer run much faster with practically no interruptions.  But knowing which processes to disable (varying by manufacturer) and how to safely do so requires a bit of knowledge and experience.

Most computers come with a student version of Microsoft Office but it is only a partially-installed stripped-down trial which soon expires.  Get your credit card again.  If you know what to click on you can get a useful "starter" version of Word and Excel 2010.  There sometimes is a fully-working office suite with a word processing application that you can use without restriction called Microsoft Works.  This set of programs is OK for using in your home but is useless otherwise because it does not handle the more widely-used office document file types that you might receive in email or need to create for others.

Correcting these things on new computers is second-nature to me, but a non-techie it might find it to be an overwhelming and unsure task to try to distinguish between what is needed and what should be disabled, and the best way to do it.

I offer a very useful service I call "New Computer Setup" to help the owner of a new system.  The benefits of this type of cleaning isn't isolated to new computers - older computers can really benefit as well.  A computer cleaned like I described is easier to work with, faster, and more fun to use.