Computer Repair Gone Wrong
I have a customer on Anastasia Island who decided to take her laptop to a store-front computer repair shop. They told her that the motherboard was damaged, and it would cost hundreds to fix her laptop. So, she bought a new computer, and paid them to transfer her files...
Anti-Virus – More is not better
April 2018 Edition
When we consider protection, we tend to think that more is better. In many cases this is true. Such as your car having locks plus an alarm, your money in a bank plus FDIC insurance on those bank deposits, or a 300+ pound center plus several large linesmen guarding your favorite quarterback on an important play.
Computer virus protection is different, and more than one application is actually much worse. They will fight one another in several ways, which can prevent the virus protection you need, and slow your computer down.
Tax Season Scams – Recognizing the telltale signs
March 2018 Edition
Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams. Scammers use the regular mail, telephone, or email to set up individuals, businesses, payroll and tax professionals.
The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information. Recognize the telltale signs of a scam.
Password Recovery – lessons you don’t want to learn
February 2018 Edition
Password recovery or reset often requires answers to questions that were answered when the account was set up, possibly years ago. Many questions are not well thought out. Such as; “What country would you like to visit?” This may not be the same answer forever. If you answered this sort of question 10 years ago, you may have different travel dreams now.
Keyboard Shortcuts
January 2018 edition: Often while helping clients with their computers I am asked “How did you do that?” This usually happens when I use a Keyboard Shortcut that saves me from having to use the mouse to click on something to get something done.
New technology this season?
December 2017 edition: Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, and the holiday giving season is directly ahead. For many this means new computers, tablets, or cell phones. Now we need to address getting our important documents and files moved from an old device to the new one. It also means that we need to think about how to best dispose of the old equipment.
Online Security Checkup
November 2017 edition: It is time to review and update the security section on all your online accounts. Most online accounts have a section called “Security”. This includes your password, your Security Questions & Answers, and other means for ensuring that you are the rightful owner of the account.
Equifax Hack – Were you impacted?
October 2017 edition: In September, we learned that Equifax had been hacked and the sensitive personal data of 143 million American consumers was stolen. 209,000 of the records stolen also included Credit Card Numbers. What should you be doing to protect yourself?
Got Backups?
September 2017 edition: 1 out of 10 folks I work with has a backup of any kind. That’s taking a big risk with important files. If a hard drive fails, and there are no backups, everything is lost.
OneDrive can help.
I have Anti-Virus, how did I get hacked?
Many home users and businesses have the feeling that they don’t need to worry about Cyber-Security. They don’t do things on their computer that are questionable, and they have anti-virus running on their computers.
Why is my computer so slow?
Back in the early days of personal computers, we accepted the fact that we would have to wait (and wait… and wait some more) for things to get done. Today we have little patience for having to wait and watch spinning wheels and slow response times.
Spyware, Ransomware, Viruses…. Oh My!
The news these days is full of global virus outbreaks. It reminds me of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, & the Lion skipping down the Yellow Brick Road singing about all the evils that lie in wait for them just ahead. Many folks ask me, what is the difference...
Fake News on the Internet
The way that these types of news stories play on emotions is powerful. Emotional responses are spur-of-the-moment and often cause us to drop our defenses. We have a “need to know more” response because of the headline… and we click on it to find out more.
Computer Spring Cleaning
Maybe when we think of Spring Cleaning, we don’t think about our computer, or what should be done to help it serve us, well into the future.
Early 2017 Scams
The IRS has a webpage that lists scams which are costing US Taxpayers millions of dollars.
One deeply disturbing “2 Stage” scam targets Tax Professionals, and then uses information stolen to scam the individuals that have used the Tax Pro.
Ransomware – Should you worry about it?
Ransomware is a big threat that nearly every tech company is tracking and gearing up defenses against.
Save Your Eyesight
If you are like me and sometimes sit down at the computer without your reading glasses, this might be a great help for you.
Windows 10 Upgrade now (or later) for FREE
Can I get the free upgrade if I don’t want to upgrade this month? Seems like a simple question.
Should I just upgrade to Windows 10?
Speaking with customers provides a unique viewpoint on the uncertainty felt about the Windows 10 upgrade.