MS Windows
Offline Virus & Malware Scanning
Obviously I would like you to hire me to perform this kind of task, but for those do-it-yourselfers out there this article gives a brief introduction to offline security scans. Sometimes the antivirus and anti-malware software you use on a daily basis isn’t enough. This includes ALL such protection software. Don’t listen to the salesmen or enthusiasts of one product or another; no security product is 100% effective. Offline scans can help find and remove pernicious and persistent malicious code from your computer. For the sake of this blog post I will say “security threats” rather than use the terms virus, malware or malicious code; and...
Read More2015 12 14 Fix to Avoid Forced Upgrade to Windows 10
An unfortunate reality of today’s computing world is we must protect ourselves even from major, world-wide software vendors such as Microsoft, Sun, Adobe, etc. I’m picking on these three just now, but they only represent the overall problem. A problem that is wide spread and the bane of all computer technicians and system administrators. A case in point is the push by Microsoft to force people to upgrade from Windows versions 7 and 8.x to Windows 10. Microsoft is doing everything physically possible to force people to upgrade to Windows 10. I get it. They don’t want to continue to support the older Windows versions like they did – for twelve...
Read MoreMicrosoft Windows 8.1 – How to Quickly Set File Associations & Extensions – Level: Intermediate
I sometimes get a call from clients who suddenly cannot open PDF files. This is usually due to Windows losing the file association for PDF files, often due to a program update when two or more PDF readers are installed; for instance, Adobe Reader and Foxit Reader. Something happens during the program update and rather than one program or the other claiming the PDF file type, both programs lose out. Suddenly Windows 8.1 cannot open PDF files. This same process I’m about to show you works for other file types such as .DOCX or .XLSX, as long as you know which program should open the files (MS Word & MS Excel respectively, in this case). #1 Find the file in...
Read MoreMicrosoft Windows 7 – How to Quickly Set File Associations & Extensions – Level: Intermediate
I sometimes get a call from clients who suddenly cannot open PDF files. This is usually due to Windows losing the file association for PDF files, often due to a program update when two or more PDF readers are installed; for instance, Adobe Reader and Foxit Reader. Something happens during the program update and rather than one program or the other claiming the PDF file type, both programs lose out. Suddenly Windows 7 cannot open PDF files. This same process I’m about to show you works for other file types such as .DOCX or .XLSX, as long as you know which program should open the files (MS Word & MS Excel respectively, in this case). #1 Find the file in Windows...
Read More2014 01 14 CryptoPrevent: A New AntiMalware Tool
CryptoPrevent was created by an experienced I.T. man named Nick Shaw, who saw a need for a small utility to apply Windows GPO (Group Policy Object) settings that lock out, for the most part, this creepy and creeping bit of ransomware named CryptoLocker. The quick explanation is that CryptoLocker is downloaded to your computer via an infected website, email or USB device. It then encrypts any of your documents it can find and presents you with a ransom note. The newer versions of CryptoLocker go much further than the older versions. It now disables your computer until you pay the ransom. Nasty indeed! In comes CryptoPrevent. You can use this tool to apply settings...
Read More2013 11 18 Internet Explorer – A Website Suddenly Doesn’t Work!
This blog post is a bit long. It would be best to print it off, then mark each step as you perform it. Let me be clear, I like all the mainstream web browsers. They each have their special features. The best of those features are quickly poached and inserted into the competitors’ browsers, which is one reason I can say they are all the same – even while all are different. Many websites are tweaked or even built for a specific browser, be that browser Internet Explorer(IE), Firefox or Safari. This is the main reason you should become familiar with other, mainstream browsers. One browser does not fit all people or web sites. I commonly run two or three...
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