The other day I came across one in particular.  It was from a website called “face crooks.” They promote a “doomsday” mentality that is hard to argue about.  I have seen hackers do things which baffle the mind.  I would not take any warnings for granted.

If I was a hacker, I would put all my efforts into hacking something that is relatively common as opposed to something that is rare.  Yes, Facebook is vulnerable. Unfortunately as a popular website Facebook easily becomes a target for a threat of a security breach on passwords, etc. This is a real possibility – hackers are getting more and more sophisticated.  Don’t take anything for granted.  “Security experts speculate that the compromised accounts are being used to spread malicious links on Face book”.  ‘Sounds like a sci-fi movie….however I have cleaned up customer’s computers that come into the office with viruses (and spyware/malware), which easily gain entrance into an unsuspecting computer when someone opens a malicious link, or even downloads a picture.

It is hard to emphasize security precaution to people and have them take it seriously, unless they have experienced a bad outcome (like an infection from a rogue virus or a “fake antivirus alert“), or learn about a concrete threat to watch out for.  Most people shrug them off and say, “it will never happen to me!”

Even your email can get hacked into (like Hotmail and even AOL).  One deterrent is to change your password….add some symbols to it (like, $*#!)  In fact, recently we’ve received (and resolved) distress calls from customers that a popular internet cable provider has been locking out users from getting into their own email.  It turns out that the vendor decided to keep customers from looking at their email – if their user password was too weak.  Of course, there was no communication with the User that this would happen!  This is causing some concerns but is easily corrected by modifying your email password if you are a customer of this particular provider and you have trouble logging into your email account to retrieve or send messages.

Many box stores offer an “additional” or “extended” warranty (for an additional cost).   Sales people always ask the consumer (purchaser) if they want  to purchase an additional warranty. The cost for Extended Warranties are often based on a formula relating to the purchase price of the item.

If you indeed pay extra money for another (in-store) warranty, it is important to register this additional Warranty. 

A good rule of thumb is to register this added warranty within the first few weeks of owning the item.  Keep all of this Warranty paperwork in a secure place so you can find it easily should you need to. 

In todays market, computer prices (and prices for other office technologies) have gone down.  In some instances, so has the quality of the product.  It is recommended to purchase an extended warranty for printers, computers, cameras, etc. because you, as the consumer, should protect your investment.

New Laptops and Desktops are less costly than a year ago.  However if you have data on your old computer, you need to transfer it to a new computer. When I talk about data I am referring to:

1.  Email Files (Outlook/Outlook Express)

2.  Documents

3.  Pictures

4.  Music

Backing up your data from one Computer has an expense associated with it ($50).  Then, to transfer the backed up data over to a new computer will cost $50.  (If you want to keep the backed up data, you would provide/purchase the external device – like an external hard drive – so the data gets backed up onto your own hardware device).

Applications that cannot be transferred:

a.  Microsoft Office

b.  Microsoft Works

c.  Photoshop

d.  Quickbooks and Quicken

e.  Adobe Acrobat (paid software version)

f.  Any applications which were downloaded or software which has been upgraded.

Applications must be reloaded which means you must have the original media with the license #.  If you own a multiple user license, you still need the proper authentication.

There are some cases in which the data from the old computer cannot be transferred because the old hard drive has errors.  The cost of this data recovery is initally $195, but in some cases, if the hard drive has mechanical issues, the cost can be much higher.  This will be dealt on a case-by-case basis.

Are your SW applications up-to-date?

A major problem for independent contractors, retail stores and small businesses and individuals working out of one location, is that they rely on various software programs for their livelihood.  For instance – with interior designers, and professions that use a CAD-type of software, the software is very expensive ($4,000-$8,000). An important issue is that in order to continue to get updates, they must have a support contract. 

Contractors, plumbers, and electricians should be using QuickBooks or some type of accounting software to keep track of payments, receivables, as well as a database of their customers. 

The bottom line is to be prepared for disaster.  Keep your licenses up-to-date.  Make sure you have support and if necessary have the software on hand, in case you need to reinstall.  If your SW files get corrupted, the vendor will help you download the missing files – or the product – but you need to give them the correct licensing information or else the communication with the vendor will be frustrating and even more expensive.

This sounds like a lot of work and it is, but the consequence of not having the right information and software can be bleak.  Backing up the data is important too, but you can’t back up your software applications.

Your business relies on organization, records, and preparation in case of a disaster.

An example of this:  A residential user was having issues with their modem but in order to deflect the problem, the ISP was blaming the router (which was their own hardware equipment that was in place).  The average individual has no idea about the workings of these products and can very easily be confused with the technical jargon. 

Some issues can only be resolved by speaking directly with ”internet provider” and COMPUTER CARE ASSOCIATES  provides clear communication to resolve any issues that come up.  We will talk directly with the technicians on your behalf, fight for what is your right (in a tactful manner) and in all honesty – we’ve gotten the customer more than they had ever hoped for in the majority of the instances!

Since we offer a full service for each customer, we consider working with your ISP on issues as part of the computer repairs and we treat each customer as if it were our own family member.  “Caring for Your Computer is Job # 1″

We also provide remote services as opposed to in-home services for those in locations which are outside of our service area.  Call us (508-370-8080) or email us about any of the services we offer.

While a BSOD stands for “Blue Screen of Death” this problem is not always fatal. Unfortunately, the reason for this problem is not always very clear. Computer Care Associates works hard to find the cause and remedy the problem.

The Blue Screen Of Death named after the color of the screen generated by the error.  There are various reasons for a blue screen.  It is really important to write down the information from the blue screen.  The problem ranges from “bad software drivers, hardware problems (memory, hard drive), software conflicting with other software, or even a virus in the computer.

How to analyze blue screen errors

Hardware errors are very difficult to analyze.  All you can do is eliminate potential problems.  One blue screen I was getting indicated a problem was with the hardware.  However it didn’t tell me what exactly was causing the problem except for a vague message.

 The first step is find out the cause of the problem is to clarify what exactly is happening.  Is this a software error or an issue with your hardware (hard drive). Write down the error message if you can.

It is very important to note what the “blue screen” says. We use this information to isolate the offending file.  In many cases, the problem can be caused by a bad hard drive, bad software or viruses/spyware.

Besides calling an expert (like COMPUTER CARE ASSOCIATES) what else can I do?

You can run some programs that scan your equipment.

• Memory Check
• Hard Drive Error Checking
• Drivers from the Manufacturer’s website (of your hardware devices)
• Virus and Spyware check

It never hurts to scan your computer with several different scanners.  What one scanner finds, another will not.

TIP:  Be careful and choose wisely, don’t just pile on more software scanners and protection.  Call and ask COMPUTER CARE ASSOCIATES (508-370-8080) 

The bottom line is that a blue screen cannot or should not be ignored.  It is like your body having a temperature.  It is an indication of a problem that needs to be resolved.  At Computer Care Associates, we analyze these problems and come up with a solution.  Unfortunately the resolution is not a quick and simple fix.  However make sure that backup has be done recently and you have the applications (MS Office 2007, Photoshop, etc.) on hand in case it needs to be reinstalled, as well as the Operating System Disk and the Driver Disk.  This can be in the form of “recovery disks” or just disks from the computer manufacturer.

During the last year, the number of FakeAV has mushroomed. We have seen evidence of this by the numbers of customers who call us to help them extricate their computer from the clutches of this culprit.

This huge rise in popularity among this type of malware writers is primarily due to the direct revenue source that FakeAV provides. Compared to other classes of malware such as bots, backdoor Trojans, downloaders and password stealers, FakeAV draws the victim into handing money over directly to the malware author.  FakeAV is also associated with a thriving affiliate network community that makes large amounts of money by driving traffic toward the stores of their partners.

The more someone tries to escape from the Fake AV Security Messages, the more problems occur.  Users who think they can escape, can’t. It makes it worse.  It is like being tied up, the more you struggle….the tighter the knot becomes.

Users who recognize they have a problem of this Fake alert are on the right track. The best action is turn off your computer.  Let the professionals clean up the mess!  Call Computer Care Associates (508-370-8080) and we will rid your computer of these types of problems.

My answer to this is they do not help give your computer extra protection.  Instead, they slow down your computer from booting up and from opening applications. 

I recommend an antivirus program called Avast AntiVirus (free edition) which is found on the Computer Care Associates website LINK page.  Avast AntiVirus constantly scans your computer, giving the user protection from Viruses and Spyware. 

For the (at risk) individual who “surfs the internet” I often put on a free firewall.  However, there are risks associated with web sites.

People often ask me “how did I get that virus?”   The answer usually involves common sense; however occasionally spyware can be transmitted from a web site. 

Certain web sites that you trust and visit daily can be hacked to distribute spyware.  Most of the time, the spyware is in the form of “ransomeware” which can show up as a warning on your computer.  It may say you have viruses and tell you the only way to get rid of the spyware is to purchase a phony antivirus software over the internet. [so, be aware that there is this type of marketing ploy]  You can also fall victim of “drive by downloads” which happens automatically without any user action, other than visiting the site.

 All browsers (IE or Foxfire] are equally at risk for attacks.  There are ways to secure your computer so these risks are minimized. 

When I optimize a computer I look for certain software that is used to exploit the browsers.  One thing I make sure I do is to uninstall old “java” software and install the newest java software.  The newest java software has fixed many older problems.  So when I see old java” applications, that’s one red flag that I see.

 Although nothing is fool proof and nothing is fully protected from harm or from having your privacy invaded, there are things to look for.  Do you use software to share music such as LimeWire?  Do you download those cute smiley icons? Do you download “free” software without reading the license agreement?  (there is good SW and bad SW that will bring in a problem.  Personally, I have tested “free” software on the internet and know what is good and what is bad.)

A good rule of thumb is - if it seems too good to be true it probably is.

For this type of machine, the best advice is to buy a new computer and transfer the data.  Transferring the data is not as easy as it sounds.  You don’t want to transfer viruses, spyware or any corruption from the old computer to the new computer.  We scan the data with several different antivirus scanners, and malware scanners to make sure the data is clean before moving it to a newer machine.  Then the data can be transferred safely.

TRANSFERRING DATA options:

1) the hard drive needs to be removed from the old computer, backed up and scanned. 

OR

2) the data can be backed up to an external hard drive and scanned.

We do not sell new computers, however we consult on buying new computers.  We find out what you use the computer for and advise on how much memory you need, and the type of processing speed you need. 

We also will setup the new computer once your purchase has arrived.  However you must provide the software applications such as Microsoft Office, Quickbooks, Quicken, etc.  A cloning process to move these applications from the old computer to the new one is possible but not recommended.  The best policy is to put the applications freshly installed into the new computer without bringing in old problems from the old computer.

More visable improvement in performance can be seen in defragmenting a hard drive, cleaning the computer from temporary files, and performing a spyware or virus scan using tested software.  DO NOT USE SOFTWARE THAT HAS NOT BEEN TESTED.  We provide a list of links that have been tested and verified that are not spyware.  Even if you have anti-virus, you can still run an online antivirus check.

BASICS IN OPTIMIZING A COMPUTER: 

1.      The first thing I do is make sure those important data files are backed up!

2.      Defragment the hard drive

3.      Clean out temporary files

4.      Uninstall old versions of Java, download the latest version

5.      Scan with Malwarebyte, Spybot, and Superantispyware

6.      My next step is to scan with “hijackthis” which shows me everything that is running….including the software installed and various other components (“hijackthis” should only to be used by an expert)

7.      Scan for viruses using an on-line scanner

8.      Add additional memory if required

9.      Remove those resource hungry software applications such as AOL, McAfee, Norton, Security Suites, etc.

10.   There is more to Optimizing a computer than people realize, and it can take hours.  Various precautions are taken to ensure that data is not lost or compromised.