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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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.