SJW Tech Services

There definitely is a new trend popping up and it’s called “scareware.” The tactic basically involves some kind of Internet Explorer advertisement that looks really similar to Windows, and tries to “scare” you into thinking you’re infected:

Once you’re convinced that you’ve been infected, you click “OK” and illegitimate anti-virus software is downloaded and installed on your machine.

One such scam that I’ve seen several times already is called “Personal Antivirus” (pictured above). Don’t fall for this scam – the only alerts you should trust will explicitly say the name of your anti-virus software. e.g. “avast! has detected a threat…” If you have been “infected” with this software, it can be a nasty bugger to remove – it plants itself inside IE, sometimes in your startup items, your registry, and may or may not even show up in the Add/Remove Programs control panel. If you do become infected, it’s a good idea NOT to login to banking/eBay/credit card websites until you’re sure the computer is clean. Remember, you can call me for all you’re virus/malware/spyware removing needs at 865.803.5092.

Check out this article on MSNBC. Some users of Windows Live (i.e. Hotmail) recieved a message on sign-in that said they didn’t have an e-mail inbox. Yikes! Microsoft has tried to reassure everyone that the e-mails are fine, the glitch just happened during routine maintenance.

“I am both celebrating and feeling wiser,” said one affected user. ”My project today is to get all that ‘valuable’ info mined out of those saved e-mails and onto paper!” Now paper might be a little bit too extreme, but there are better solutions than trusting your entire e-mail and contact history to Hotmail, G-mail, Yahoo! mail, etc. Exchange is one option, using Outlook to check your e-mail then backing up and archiving PST files is yet another option. The bottom line is this: don’t trust the safety of YOUR data to anyone else but you.

In case you missed it, April 1 marked a change in behavior of a nasty virus known as “Conflicker.” (Click here to read about it) This thing is vicious – it polls 500 websites from a randomly generated list of 50,000 seeking a specific code that tells the virus what to do next… such as stealing personal information like passwords and credit card numbers, or adding your computer to a botnet – a vast array of computers the use of which is sold on the black market to the highest bidder. (This stuff is straight out of a movie – I can’t even make this up anymore!)  Conflicker also disables the Automatic Update feature in Windows XP,  and prevents the user from accessing popular anti-virus websites such as Trend Micro, Symantec, and McAfee. If that’s not bad enough, the media got wind of this scary little bug and BAM! The world’s coming to an end because of this critter!

… but is it, really? The security flaw in Windows that Conflicker takes advantage of was patched in October of 2008. Every anti-virus software that’s out there has said that if you have the latest virus definition updates, you’re easily protected from the virus. So, what have we learned from all this?

First, you NEED an anti-virus. Second, you NEED to keep Windows up-to-date. How do you do that? Easy. In Windows XP, anytime there is an update available, there’s a little gold shield in the bottom right-hand corner. In Vista, the icon looks a little different, but if you hover your mouse over it, it will say “Windows updates are available to install.” Or, you can go into the Control Panel, and open up “Automatic Updates.” OR, you can go to windowsupdate.microsoft.com and that will scan your comptuer and see what updates you need (this method works for all Windows versions EXCEPT Vista – you have to use the Control Panel in Vista). 

If you think you might be infected with any kind of virus, it can be very difficult to remove without the proper software and equipment. Your personal data might also be at risk if you’re unfamiliar with properly cleaning an infected machine. Fortunately, I’ve cleaned many computers of hundreds of different types of viruses and spyware. Think you’re infected now? Don’t wait – call me, Stefan, at 865-803-5092. Need some preventative maintenance? I can do that too. Don’t wait until it’s too late – make sure you’re protected now.

It’s best to perform these actions back-to-back, about twice a month.

To perform a disk cleanup:

1.      Open “My Computer”

2.      Right-click the C: drive

3.      Click Properties

4.      Click the “Disk Cleanup” button

5.      You might have to wait until a window pops up

6.      Check every box in the list

7.      Click OK

To perform a disk defragmentation (do this AFTER a cleanup):

1.      Open “My Computer”

2.      Right-click the C: drive

3.      Click Properties

4.      Click the “Tools” tab

5.      Click “Defragment Now”

6.      When the window pops-up, make sure that the C: drive is selected, then click “Defragment.”

Depending upon the type of use that the computer gets and the frequency you perform a cleanup and defragment, these tasks might take anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. It’s best to do these as long you’re sure you won’t need your computer for a while.

Windows running a little slow? Does your computer always seem to be doing something when you’re not actively using it? Try turning OFF the Indexing Service to save some CPU time. Now I’m in no way saying this is a cure-all for your Windows woes, but if you’re trying to maximize performance this is one way to do it.

NOTE: If you disable Indexing Service on a drive, your searches will take LONGER to perform; this is because the indexing service is just that – it indexes keywords and data on your drive to make searches run faster.

To disable the Indexing Service on a drive, open My Computer, right-click the drive you want to disable (usually C:), click Properties, un-check the box at the bottom of the window that says “Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching”. A little progress window will appear; if you get an error message saying it can’t access a file, just click “Ignore All” once and it won’t prompt you again.

Remember, if you UN-CHECK the box, your Windows searches will be a little slower; but, if you’re like me and you don’t perform file searches across the whole hard drive that often, this feature isn’t worth the processing power it utilizes. If Windows is painfully slow, it might be time for a service call. Call Stefan at 865-803-5092 to schedule an appointment!

Did you know that viruses and spy-ware aren’t the only things that can slow down your computer? A fragmented page-file can cause your computer to be excruciatingly slow. Other things that can cause your computer to run slow:

• Too many unnecessary programs running at the same time, often on startup
• Too little RAM – I recommend at least 512 MB of RAM for Windows XP, and at least 1 GB for Windows Vista
• Multiple virus / spyware scanners running
• Out-of-date software, including missing Windows updates and patches
• A fragmented hard disk

Fortunately, there are cures for each of these problems. If your computer is running slow, call SJW Tech Services for a tune-up!

Are we witnessing the end of the desktop-computer era? An MSNBC article suggests that Notebook sales have surpassed sales of Desktops for the first time. This should be setting off alarms in the computer industry – more desktops than laptops? This represents a fundamental shift in the way that computers are used. Desktops are often set-up in one room, and you have to sit down and dedicate time to using it. Laptops, on the other hand, seem to be used on a more incidental basis. “I’ll take my laptop with me just in case I need it,” is a common phrase I hear (and even say myself). Laptops are often kept in the kitchen or living room in case something needs to be googled (yes, it is a verb!).

Panera, Starbucks, Krystal, and even McDonald’s now offer wi-fi hotspots; Verizon and AT&T are battling it out for the share of the “mobile-user” market with their 3G wireless access cards – some laptops even come with 3G wireless cards built-in.

It’s definitely a fun time to be involved in the technology industry. It can be daunting and at times a bit frustrating, but everything is getting simpler, more portable, and easier to use each and every day.

Soon, you may see the SJW Tech Services logo in a newspaper. Or, you might open up a Knoxville magazine and see an ad. While traditional forms of advertising are somewhat effective, I very much value and depend on word-of-mouth and referrals.

Because the nature of my business is very personal, I depend on my clients to share their experiences with friends, co-workers, their family, even here – on this very site. If you have used my services in the past, I would encourage you to help me by spreading the word about me and my services. If I’ve never had the privilege of serving you before, please take a moment to browse this site and feel free to call me or e-mail me. 

Thanks so much, and I look forward to providing you with top-quality technology support for years to come!

So, you want a website. You’re ready to go primetime and unleash your business into the realm of point-and-click. Hold on just a second, though. Answer these 3 questions first:

1. Why do you want to be on the web?
2. What image do you want to present?
3. What do you want people to be able to do when they visit your site?

The answers to these three questions will define the goal(s) of your online site and get the design process up and running. Depending on your answers and goals, the price for web design will shift accordingly. If you want a fairly straightforward site that simply tells customers about you, expect to spend somewhere between $500 and $1,000. The more complicated and intricate the site, the more you should expect to spend.

Also, don’t forget about advertising efforts through search engines like Google. AdWords – a Google advertising service – allows you to target users geographically and by what they’re searching for. This service helps you get the most bang for your advertising buck.

There’s a very interesting article on MSN Technology (but written by PC World Magazine) that elaborately explains the differences between OEM and third party ink-jet cartridges.

PC World used some elaborate testing methods – including a judging panel, and a xenon-arc chamber that tested the longevity of the prints themselves. Here’s the conclusion:

“For the best inkjet experience — including crisp, colorful, long-lasting print output — ink from the printer’s manufacturer tends to be a better bet than third-party ink. That said, if you’re willing to compromise a bit on print quality and longevity, you can save considerable money over the life of your printer by using aftermarket inks from reputable third-party vendors.”

So, if you care about quality and longevity, stick with the OEM ink cartridges; but, if you’re just printing for school or quick presentations, go for the third party inks.