QUALITY COMPUTER RESOURCES

'Serving SE Oklahoma Since 1999'

'WE MAKE HOUSE CALLS!'

P.O. Box 892 Wilburton, OK 74578

(918) 297-3438  (918) 917-0312

DISCLAIMER:

All Tips and Tricks are provided AS IS. Since new technology

is constantly being introduced, it is always a good idea to

research these procedures before actually trying them out.

ALWAYS back up your important files and Good Luck!

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June 9, 2011

We have all seen those commercials or perhaps you have used the

October 8, 2010

Windows 7 has proven to be the most popular operating system from Microsoft EVER. Since it’s release late last year the OS has enjoyed much success. But the question that is always on everyone’s mind is it vulnerable to viruses? ALL operating systems are susceptible to malware and bad guys trying to figure out ways to break into a computer. One way to prevent these attacks is to not click on every little thing that you see while surfing the web. Win a million dollars from some guy in Nigeria? And all you have to do is click here? The old adage ‘If it sounds too good to be true, then it is not true’ comes into play here. Another way to prevent intrusion is to use a trusted antivirus solution. I usually recommend a two prong attack, Microsoft’s Security Essentials for automatic monitoring and Malwarebytes as a helper for malware. Malwarebytes must be updated manually but is one of the best known little programs out there that the bad guys dread. Best of all, both of these little gems are available for free and can be found and downloaded from our website. Also, make sure to download your regular updates from Microsoft which usually happen on the second Tuesday of every month. And backing up your precious files is a must as nothing is bulletproof in the digital age.   

May 20, 2010

A few of my clients have asked me to explain the difference in 32-bit and 64-bit computing. Basically, a 64-bit computer can support more memory or RAM and thus the PC can perform faster and complete more complex tasks. RAM or random access memory is simply put, the total amount of data address location that a computer can keep in it’s working area and should not be confused with physical hard drive storage. Recently, I attended a Microsoft Event in Tulsa and the speaker was using a laptop for his presentation that had 16 gigabytes of RAM! At this time, the RAM limit is theoretically physical, as in how much RAM chips you can place on your motherboard concerning a 64-bit computer. A 32-bit computer has a limit of about 4 gigabyte memory which is usually enough for most folks to do everyday tasks. But if you are thinking of buying a new PC, I would recommend 64-bit since you want to be able to keep up with the wide adaptation that is now occurring in the computer world. What operating systems support 64-bit? Windows has supported 64-bit since before XP but XP did not play well with many applications and it wasn’t until Vista that the kinks were worked out due in large part to features like compatibility mode and virtual machine. These little gems can run programs or apps in either 32-bit or 64-bit computing and plays well with others, indeed! Also, manufacturer’s of printers, software, and other hardware are writing their code for drivers in both 32-bit and 64-bit. 64-bit has been around for awhile and was even in Nintendo 64 and PlayStation 2 gaming consoles back in the nineties! So will there be a 128-bit computer you may ask? I am sure there will be one soon and I figure it will be utilized as a server computer way before I can get my hands on one. Until then, a geek can only dream and wonder what wonderful changes

March 25, 2010

A boatload of new browsers, those nifty programs we use to surf the internet, are being released and upgraded every day. I advise everyone to upgrade their browsers when the software is available, and updates are now ready to download for the popular ones like Internet Explorer, Mozilla’s Firefox, and Google Chrome running Windows XP, Vista, and 7. A little known browser called Opera 10.5 is available and it promises to make big waves in the Information Technology Universe. The nifty little program has a little button called Opera Turbo that speeds up browsing on slow connections. This is an ideal little feature for folks on dial-up and satellite internet. The Norwegian company’s browser can be found in many different products ranging from PDA’s to gaming consoles, Linux and Mac operating systems, and the mobile web. You can download Opera 10.5 for Windows free at my website. Try it out and see what you think and remember that EVERY browser wants to be your default browser, or ‘The Boss’ so I would advise not to let Opera be your default browser until you are satisfied that it will work for you. You can have as many browsers on your computer as you want and may find a new favorite way to surf the web. Remember to always back up important files and get your updates for your PC when they are available.  

January 14, 2010

Spoofing is a common problem now days for anyone that surfs the web. For example, you may be visiting a web site when suddenly, a foreboding prompt appears telling you that you are infected with bad guys and that the world will end if you do not click on the button that will save all humanity! This is all theatrics, of course, but it does get our attention and by clicking on ANY of the selections, we unknowingly download a virus or other malware to our PC. Why does our antivirus program not alert us? Because technically, you do not have a virus until you make a selection and most folks are fooled into thinking that this prompt is genuine as it masquerades as Windows, Microsoft, or your antivirus program. Solution? Help is on the way! When you find yourself in a spoof situation, do not click on ANY selection as this will download the bad guys. Instead, start Task Manager by right clicking on your task bar, the horizontal bar that runs across the bottom of most of our screens. After right-clicking, a menu will appear and this is where you would left click ‘Task Manager.’ In the applications folder, you should see the spoof and the status would be running. Left click once on the spoof program to highlight it, then left click on the End Task button and after a confirmation prompt, this should remove the offender from view. In some cases, you may have to repeat this procedure to complete the process. Also, when you restart your browser (i.e. Internet Explorer, Firefox.) the program may ask if you want to restore your previous session. Since you DO NOT want to see a spoof again, make the start a new session selection and you should be back in business. Remember to backup your data, keep the latest updates current, and empty your internet browsing history frequently. This can be done in Control Panel in Internet Options.If your programs are up to date, a legitimate prompt will tell you when a threat is real in most cases, so be sure to know the programs you can trust that are installed on your computer.  

December 17, 2009

Microsoft has released a free anti-virus program called Microsoft Security Essentials that will run on Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. The free download will check to see if you are running genuine Windows and then the rest of the installation processes fairly simple and straightforward. The old Windows Defender program, also available as a free anti-malware program from Microsoft, is now part of Security Essentials and follows the basic guidelines that us techies recommend for keeping your PC safe by having one anti-virus and at least one anti-malware program installed on your computer. You can set Security Essentials to update and scan for bad guys and in my testing, the program worked well. Since it has been my experience that no anti-virus program is bullet proof, a free program from Microsoft seems to be a smart choice as long as updates are installed regularly and scans are set at a time when you will not be using your computer so the program can do it’s work. Remember to remove your old anti-virus solution before installing Security Essentials and disable your internet connection briefly while doing so as you never want to be unprotected, even for a short time. Back up your files and read up on Microsoft Security Essentials before you do anything and as always, these downloads are available for free at the Quality Computer Resources website. A sincere thank you and well wishes are in order to my readers and clients for their business and comments through the year and it is a honor and privilege to serve the SE Oklahoma area. Happy Christmas and Happy New Year, everybody!   

October 1, 2009

Windows 7, the latest operating system from Microsoft, will be released October 22, 2009 with the preliminary results indicating a solid performer that may finally convince folks to upgrade from the old venerable Windows XP. After testing Windows 7 on a 1.6 GHz netbook and a 3.0 GHz quad core, I must say that I am very excited about Redmond’s latest offering. Both machines were speedier and the interface was gorgeous and streamlined. But I am a geek and I get excited about anything computer related, so your mileage may vary. You may ask why anyone would want to upgrade their Windows based PC while XP does such a good job as is? In a single word, security. While Windows XP is still the world standard for operating systems, the code has been around since late 2001 and Microsoft has to date released three service packs for the OS. Hackers have had time to study the XP code and have exploited flaws; one of the current switch and bait routines is the ‘scan’ which indicates viruses or malware on your computer. The ‘scan’ then tells you that it will remove the ‘viruses’ for some money, but does no such thing as it simply infects the computer further, and captures your credit card number info to boot. For advanced users, Windows 7 offers the Power Shell which can be customized for commandlets and scripts for personalized apps. And Windows 7 seems to be much easier to network than the Vista operating system which caused many an IT head to explode with frustration, myself included. Should you go out and buy Windows 7 immediately come Oct. 22? Only if you are the geeky type like me who likes to contend with the inevitable bugs and crashes that come with any new software release. But if you have a new computer on your Christmas list, treat yourself to Windows 7, and enjoy!

March 27, 2009

The browser wars keep on getting interesting with the release of the latest way to view the net from Microsoft, Internet Explorer 8. There are a lot of new bells and whistles in IE 8, including a privacy filter, compatibility view, web slices, better security, and in some cases, speedier loading of web pages. I compared IE 8 with Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome browsers’ on an ASUS netbook with a 1.6 gigahertz Intel processor, 1024 megabytes of RAM, operating in Windows XP Home. The results were similar in speed with all browsers only lagging or finishing faster by a second or two. Only time will tell if IE 8 or for that matter, any browser will be totally secure from hackers and other maliciousness that plague the web. IE 8 and other browsers are free and available for download at the QCR website. Before installing any new program, make sure to back up your important files. If you install and are having problems with IE 8 in Vista, Windows identifies IE 8 as an update, and that update must be removed or rolled back via the Control Panel. In XP, IE 8 can be removed in the Remove Programs section of the Control Panel. There appears to be no plans for a Mac Internet Explorer release but Apple’s Safari browser seems to do a pretty good job and Firefox works well also.

January 23, 2009

Happy New Year and welcome to another installment of QCR Tips and Tricks. I would just like to thank the good folks at the newspapers for allowing me to share my experiences and of course, a big thank you to my loyal clients and customers who keep me in ice cream money! The Windows 7 Beta is out and the successor to Vista seems quite promising. I really like the streamlined feel of the new operating system and Microsoft says that they will officially have a new release in 2010, but many insiders are pointing to a date even sooner. If you are tech savvy and want to try out the free beta, go to our website for more info. Remember, beta software can be buggy and you do not want to install it on a computer you use every day. Always back up your important files and read the fine print as beta software almost always has a time limit. Another new product that I am impressed with is Malwarebytes, a great little program that fights spyware and other nasties that can wreck your PC. I used the software on a computer that had root kits, a particularly tough and icky type of undesirable, and the program took care of business. Malwarebytes is free, but they do charge for a set it and forget it version that you may be interested in if you want a more automatic kind of protection to help out with your existing antivirus solution.  

Questions or comments? Come see me on the web!    

Visit QualityComputerResources.Com or call (918) 297-3438 cell (918) 917-0312

October 27, 2008

The good folks at Google have come up with an alternative browser to Internet Explorer. The little bugger is called Chrome and it is available for free for Windows XP and Vista computers. I have tried out the browser and in a lot of cases the speed was much faster than Internet Explorer or even my personal favorite, Mozilla’s Firefox. Chrome is still in beta form which means that a final release is forthcoming and you should only use it knowing that it could crash as is the case in all pre-release software. One of my clients had problems playing games as Chrome had some issues with Java, a popular programming language and software component of many web applications. My client solved the problem by playing her games in Internet Explorer and browsing web pages in her opinion, the much faster Google Chrome. You may also have other unforeseen problems with Chrome so if you decide to download and install it, make sure to backup your important files and do not uninstall the old reliable Internet Explorer that came with your Windows PC. Chrome is not ready for Apple computers just yet, but as I understand it the programming used is based on Safari code, which is native to a Mac and should be out soon. You can find a link to Chrome as well as other browsers at our website so take Chrome out for a spin today!

September 4, 2008

A client of mine went to Google to search for free antivirus. Unfortunately, this client clicked on a link that downloaded a virus onto their PC and the client had to call me to remove the nasty critter. While Google and other search engines have revolutionized the way we shop, look up information, and even find free stuff, fact is that there are bad guys out there ready to take advantage. What to do? Fear not, for the cyber cavalry has arrived! The good people over at McAfee, makers of some of the oldest and most trusted antivirus programs, have come up with their Site Advisor plug in for Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers. Site Advisor comes in two flavors, the paid version and a less featured but still very helpful free version. I downloaded and installed the free version on my test PC running Windows Vista. I then went to Google in Internet Explorer and searched for “free antivirus.” Sure enough, McAfee Site Advisor warned me about  questionable sites and links with a question mark icon; sites that had been tested by the McAfee team as favorable received a green check mark as in “go.” Since most of us only click on links in the first page of results that we find in a search engine query, McAfee Site Advisor does the same and is quite useful. Visit our site to download this little wonder and take a test drive and try it out for yourself. Always remember that nothing is foolproof. But it is nice to have a little help every now and then.

July 31, 2008

The latest security warning for folks on the internet is a big one since nearly all versions, makes, and models are affected. The culprit is called DNS Poisoning and it can wreak havoc for anyone who has a device on the internet. What is it and how can we be protected? First, let us recall how the internet works. Since us humans like to remember names we often will type in ‘WalMart.Com’ in our favorite search engine and we can easily find the website that we want. Computers actually translate these names from the numbers that they really are, so ‘WalMart.Com is actually 204.74.108.1. This process is called ‘Domain Name System’ or DNS and is widely used by almost everyone online. How does DNS Poisoning occur? The problem as I understand it is a basic design flaw in which the cache is flooded with queries from a spoofed source who can then respond with a non-genuine website. In other words, the rogue attacker can fool you and the DNS into thinking you are where you want to be when in actuality, you are being detoured to a malicious site. How do we protect ourselves? First, see if your ISP is protected since this is the way most of us surf the web. Dan Kaminsky, who discovered this flaw, has a website where you can use his free DNS Checker. You can find a link at our site, just look for DNS CHECKER. Secondly, always keep your computer up to date with the latest patches and updates for your operating system and antivirus programs. Thirdly, be wary; if something looks fishy or does not add up, then stop. As usual, I welcome your questions and comments, come see me on the web!     

June 5, 2008

While working on several clients’ computers, I find that many folks have downloaded and installed programs that are not what they claim to be. These rogue programs may report that there is a serious problem with your PC and needs to be scanned immediately or the world will end! Don’t believe it. While there are legitimate free programs out there that help the home user keep free of viruses and nasty bugs, there are plenty of internet carpet baggers as well, all trying to trick you into giving them money or making your PC a zombie. How can we tell the good guys from the bad guys? By doing a little research, we can usually find out who is going to make Santa’s list of naughty and nice and one of the best places to start is C-Net.Com. C-Net has been around for quite some time and they provide links, reviews, and editorials on various types of software for your particular needs. For instance, let us say we want to find a good free antispyware program; simply go to C-Net’s downloads.com and type in ‘antispyware’ in the handy search box and press enter. Note that ‘sponsored links’ will come up; we do not necessarily want to mess with any of these, since C-Net has to pay the bills. We are interested in research and reviews both by editors and people that have actually downloaded and used the programs. As of this writing, I see that Avast Home Edition comes up in our search and is highly rated by users and the editors. Since I personally use Avast, I can vouch for how good it is and it is free. Also note that some programs are free to try for a limited time and that the companies will want you to pay for it when the trial expires. Other programs are totally free and if you have a good experience with them, tell your neighbors and tell C-Net. They welcome your feedback as do I. Remember, do the research and you’ll be glad you did, and as always, you can find the above mentioned links at our website. Come see us!  

April 8, 2008

My good friend Terry Kelly, who owns EGreenLawnCare.Com, made a suggestion the other day. He asked me if I could put my past Tips & Tricks online so he could read them in case one of his children decides to hide the paper from him, which evidently happens quite frequently. So, to help Terry out and anyone else who may have devious newspaper kidnappers, you can view older columns at the QCR website. Today’s tip is an important reminder of the seriousness of web related crime. I recently visited an office where the secretary had her Internet Explorer browser opened to her online banking site, and in her rush to take care of customers, she failed to sign out of her account. HTTPS is a secure way to perform financial transactions, but leaving the browser open for more than five minutes in a public place or in a Wi-Fi environment is asking for trouble. A well equipped hacker may be able to gain access and steal valuable information; an easier way would be to simply lean over the counter and look at the screen. We all get busy, but we must take precautions so if you check your banking or buy from Amazon online, make sure to sign out of your account the minute you are done. You will notice that HTTPS will go into effect when you sign in, and HTTP will take its place once you have signed out. Usually HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer) will change the color of the browser address bar to a yellow or green, but this is not always the case. The best advice is to do your business carefully, but quickly and always sign out of your account and for added security, close your browser.

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March 3, 2008

Microsoft Office is the leading word processor and all around office productivity suite, and has been for quite a few years. But price prohibits much of us Okies from being able to purchase expensive software or other knick knacks that could help us out on our PC do goodings and what not. What if I told you of a Microsoft Office compatible program that was free? Would you think that ol’ Chronister had been in the apple jack again? It is true, and I have not been in the applejack! OpenOffice.Org has a free suite of programs that are compatible with earlier versions of Microsoft Office up to 2003. They include word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, data charting, and more all in one download. The free download is 120 megabytes or so and CD’s are available via snail mail for a small mailing fee. In my experience, I have found that spreadsheets or XML files created in MS Office can be modified with Open Office, but these changes cannot be read in Excel unless Open Office is the default or main program for these files. So there will be compatibility problems if you have both programs on a PC and your mileage may vary if you are taking files back and forth to school or work. I tested Open Office on a Windows XP machine but I have not tried it on a Windows 98 or Windows Vista machines. Open Source software accepts donations but it is not a requirement to use their software. Like any new experience, back up your files and data and try it out, and OpenOffice.Org can help you with FAQ’s as well as your download.

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January 14, 2008

Happy New Year! If you have a Microsoft based computer, look out for some big updates in 2008 for Windows, coming soon. XP users will see the release of Service Pack 3 and Vista users will see the release of Service Pack 1 for their PCs. What is a service pack and do I need it? In most cases, a service pack is a roll up of all improvements plus other tweaks to date for an operating system. Benefits can range from improved security to better performance and most experts agree that it is always wise to keep your machine up to date with the latest software. And if you own a legitimate copy of Windows, these updates are free via download. Unfortunately, these updates can be large so folks with dial-up internet could potentially be downloading for days, tying up the telephone and possibly missing that call from Ed McMahon that we have all been waiting for! A good way to remedy this situation is to find a friend or family member with a broadband connection and visit the Microsoft Update Catalog for your updates. You can then have your friend or family member download the latest software, and burn it to a disk or put it on a flash drive so you can install the updates on your computer at home. Your local library may also be able to assist you in these updates as they have broadband, but call and ask first so we can both stay out of trouble. In closing, remember to back up your PC and be cautious before making any changes to it, because the fact is that sometimes computers crash, and in some cases, updates are to blame. For a link to the Microsoft Update Catalog, simply visit my website and click on the appropriate link.

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Dec. 17, 2007

Many of my rural clients on dial-up connections ask me when they will be able to get high speed internet. The short answer is hard to say, but help may be on the way. In 2009, analog television as we know it will be a thing of the past as the FCC has made it mandatory that the industry must change over to the new digital TV spectrum. This means that the old frequencies that carried say, channel 8 out of Tulsa, will be vacant as channel 8 will have moved to its new assigned wave length. What does this have to do with high speed internet? Since these old signal frequencies are quite strong and can carry for many miles, many IT industry giants are interested in sending broadband over the air thus reaching new clients who were previously only able to receive dial-up or expensive satellite internet. Many hurdles have to be overcome so things are up in the air and much testing has to be completed before this can become reality. In the meantime, it is a good idea to keep your phone lines in good condition so you can receive the best signal from your ISP. This means making sure your outside phone box is not exposed to excess moisture or heat and that both your inside and outside phone lines are not worn or frayed. If you have noise or crackling on your line, this will prevent your ISP from making a good connection and it may be time to call Ma Bell or your local phone company to inspect your lines, but watch those charges, they add up quick. Happy Christmas!   

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November 12, 2007

By now, anyone that uses email has had to deal with spam. No, I am not talking about that delicious stuff that comes in a can and goes great with some Tabasco and eggs! I am instead referring to unwanted email that seems to overflow your inbox with trashy talk and unwanted suggestions. Some surveys indicate that spam is accounting for 60% of all email and in many cases, internet users have abandoned their original email addresses altogether. Is there anything we can do about spam? Of course there is! One way to cut down on spam is to use filters. A filter is a program that you train to recognize spam so that it can be sorted to a bulk mail folder without you having to actually open it. This does take time and you will have to have a look at your bulk mail folder to make sure the filter did not sort a legitimate email in the wrong place. Portal email providers like Yahoo, Google, and Hotmail have very good filters and also recommend that you add important email addresses to your online address book so the filter can make sure Aunt Kay Kay’s cookie recipes end up in the inbox. Outlook and Mozilla’s Thunderbird also offer great filtering, but remember that training the program does take time. Experts also suggest that you get more than one email address since they are so readily available for free or through your ISP, and only give the address out to a small group of friends or family. Not all spam is evil, but many folks have been caught off guard by phony links that install malware after clicking on a legitimate looking link in an email and thus getting their computers hacked. If you open a suspicious email and the screen starts flashing or something fishy occurs, there is a good chance that you have been had. Just be careful and sensible and don’t click on something that makes you go …Hmm.

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October 1, 2007

Many of my rural clients only have access to dial-up internet and thusly have problems with slow connections. One way to speed up the loading of a web page as long as you do not need to see the pretty pictures, is to disable the ‘Show Pictures’ option in Internet Explorer. To do this in Internet Explorer 7, click on Tools, then Internet Options and go to the Advanced tab. Scroll down until you see the Multimedia section, and uncheck the box that says ‘Show Pictures.’ Click on OK, and then restart Internet Explorer. Your home page should load much faster but without graphics which can be convenient if you just need to check your email or scan the latest headlines. If you cannot live without your graphics, simply go back and check the ‘Show Pictures’ box and restart Internet Explorer and you are back where you started. Not sure what version of Internet Explorer you have on your computer? In IE, click on Help and then click on ‘About Internet Explorer.’ If you do not see Help, right click on the column pane and then left click on ‘Menu Bar.’ You should then see File and all of your old Internet Explorer commands. Earlier versions of Internet Explorer will differ slightly in these steps but it is also possible to prevent slow loading graphics for the speed challenged internet user. Mozilla’s Firefox and Apple’s Safari browsers both have these display options as well.

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September 6, 2007

The CPU or central processing unit is the heart of any computer. The speed of the CPU is usually referred to in megahertz (MHz) and gigahertz (GHz). The breakthrough Intel Pentium 166 MHz CPU which was introduced in the mid 1990s was capable of 166 million cycles per second. Today, Intel and its chief rival CPU maker AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) make units that have measured speeds of three GHz, which is 3000 megahertz or 3 billion cycles per second and beyond. But many factors affect the speed of a central processing unit, including its architecture, power consumption, and heat dissipation. Most consumers cannot do much about changing the architecture or design of their trusty computer, but we can all protect and care for our PCs with some simple tips that should make them work reliably and continuously. Make sure that there is sufficient air flow to the computer from the front and the back. For example, do not place the tower on a shag carpet as this will restrict circulation and build up heat. Gather up those dust bunnies from behind and around your PC as they have no business on the internet anyway! Finally, make sure you have a good surge protector for your PC, as our power grid in this area suffers the whims of Oklahoma weather just like we do and bad voltage is not good for anything electronic. If you can, invest in a battery backup system and at the very least, chain together two or more power strips so they will bear the brunt of power surges instead of your valuable CPU.

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