Showing posts with label windows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label windows. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Upgrade To Windows 11 ~ With Your Apps and Data Intact!

 Can You Install Windows 11,
Without Losing Apps or Data In The Process? 

Why yes you can! 

Thanks to the Windows Installation Assistant!



I found an article (linked below) while looking into a "surefire" way to upgrade a Windows 10 system to Windows 11, without having to run the risk of needing to reinstall software and applications, or even potentially loose data. Currently, the only guaranteed method to install Windows 11 on your computer without performing a fresh install is by using the Installation Assistant. This tool from Microsoft acts as an update, transforming your existing Windows installation to the newer version without affecting any of the files or applications:

 https://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-11/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-11-without-losing-any-data/


Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NorthWest Computers

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Scan/Repair Corrupted Windows 10 & Windows 11 System Files

1) Open an elevated Command Prompt:

2) In the command prompt, enter the following commands one at a time. Let each procedure fully complete its process before moving on to the next command/repair.

  1. SFC /SCANNOW
  2. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
  3. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3) Restart the system and verify repairs were completed successfully.

4) If issues persist after running these repairs, running a repair installation of the Windows Operating System (being sure to retain user data) would be the next step in hopes of repairing the system:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/reinstall-windows-d8369486-3e33-7d9c-dccc-859e2b022fc7#bkmk_reset_windows_10

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NW Computers

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

How to Create a Local Account When Setting up a NEW Windows 11 Computer

How to Create a Local Account When Setting up a NEW Windows 11 Computer

We figured out a way to create a local account on Windows 11 when you are installing a fresh OS or setting up a new system! With this trick, you can steer clear of the Microsoft account requirement for Windows 11!


The easiest way to set up Windows without a Microsoft account is using a "dummy account" that was set up for this exact purpose. You don’t need to open Command Prompt, run commands, or disable the internet connection here. It’s a tried-and-tested method, and it just works without any fuss. 


The easiest way to set up Windows without a Microsoft account is using a "dummy account" that was set up for this exact purpose. You don’t need to open Command Prompt, run commands, or disable the internet connection here. It’s a tried-and-tested method, and it just works without any fuss. 


Here’s how to go about it:

  1. First, connect to the Wi-Fi and proceed with the Windows setup as normal. If you have a wired Ethernet connection, keep it connected.
  2. When you reach the Microsoft sign-in screen, enter a@a.com under the email field and click on “Next”. Do not worry, it’s a locked dummy account used for bypassing the Microsoft account requirement.
  3. On the next page, enter any password you like just to complete the steps. 
  4. Now, click on “Sign in“.
  5. Since it’s a locked account, Microsoft will straight away start setting up a local account for you. You will see an “Oops, something went wrong” error, and then you can create a local account on Windows 11. Simply click on “Next”.
  6. Now you can now use Windows 11 without logging into a Microsoft account!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NW Computers
360.624.7379

Friday, March 3, 2023

Windows 11 Local Security Authority Protection Is Off & Won't Turn Back On!?


If you have a Windows 11 computer and find that your Local Security Authority protection is turned off, and Windows won't turn it back on, no matter how many times you restart the system. There is a simple registry edit you can make to get things working again!

Hold down the Windows key on your keyboard + R at the same time, this brings up the Run dialog box. Type regedit and hit enter to bring up the registry editor. 

Inside the registry editor, in the list on the left side, navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

Once there, right-click anywhere on the list on the right side to bring up the context menu. Select New>DWORD (32-bit). Make sure you don't click QWORD (64-bit) by accident. If you're seeing a list that says "Modify" and some other options, left-click anywhere on the white space in the list to deselect whatever is selected there and right-click again.

Now name the new entry "RunAsPPLBoot", then right-click the "RunAsPPLBoot" entry and click Modify. The "Value" box should already be highlighted, enter 2 and click OK. Close the registry editor without modifying anything else, and restart your computer.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Find Your Microsoft BitLocker Recovery Key


So your Windows Computer just recently completed some Windows Updates, or maybe you changed some system settings. But NOW all of a sudden, your Windows computer is asking for a "BitLocker Recovery key" to be able to start your computer!
But you have no idea what BitLocker is, what BitLocker does, nor do you know what to do!

"BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature that integrates with the Windows operating system and addresses the threats of data theft or exposure from lost, stolen, or inappropriately decommissioned computers."
Which is all fine and dandy if you purposefully set it up, and saved the recovery key information. The BitLocker disk encryption keeps your data safe in the event your computer is lost or stolen. But, more often than not, folks don't even realize that BitLocker is even turned on, and thusly do NOT have any recovery methods ready to go if they were to get locked out!

If your system is asking you for your BitLocker recovery key, the following information may help you locate your recovery key. 

There are several places where your recovery key may be, depending on the choice that was made when activating BitLocker.  If you purposefully turned on BitLocker hard drive encryption, you may have printed out the security key that was created.   Or you may have saved that BitLocker Recovery key information to a USB thumb drive and thusly created a "Recovery USB Key". If so, just use the appropriate recovery method that you have created/saved, to get back into your system!

If you don't have any kind of Recovery Key information backed up or saved, the easiest way to find your BitLocker recovery key is through the Microsoft account you were using on that computer! Your Microsoft account is typically tied to your everyday email address, plus a password that was set up.

So all you need to do is use another computer or a tablet, or even your cell phone, and sign in to your Microsoft account to find your recovery key. This is the most likely place to find your recovery key! 


If you are NOT able to find any sort of recovery key, you would be looking at having to reinstall the Windows Operating System to get the system functional again. But, since the hard drive is encrypted, data backup nor data recovery would be possible.

If we can be of any assistance with this type of problem or issue, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific Northwest Computers
360.624.7379
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

Thursday, September 1, 2022

Fix the "Virus Scan Failed" download error in Google Chrome, and the "Couldn't Download Virus Scan Failed" error in Microsoft Edge

Fix the "Virus Scan Failed" download error in Google Chrome, and the "Couldn't Download Virus Scan Failed" error in Microsoft Edge

  1. Locate the following registry subkeys:
    \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments
  2. If you do not see the "Attachments" subkey, create it by right-clicking on "Policies", selecting "New", then clicking "Key", and then typing "Attachments" as the key name.
  3. Right-click "Attachments", select "New", and then click "DWORD (32-bit) Value".
  4. Type "ScanWithAntiVirus" as the value name, and then press Enter.
  5. Right-click the new "ScanWithAntiVirus" DWORD value, and then click "Modify".
  6. In the "Value data" box, type 1, and then click OK.
  7. Exit the Registry Editor.
  8. Restart your computer, and then log back into Windows to have the registry change take effect!

The download error(s) should be now resolved in both Google Chrome and Microsft Edge!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific Northwest Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers
360-624-7379

Monday, May 30, 2022

Windows Security Center Stops Working - Windows 11

I have run into a problem repeatedly recently. On a client computer running Windows 11, if I go to open the Windows Security Center, it won't open and I will get the following message/error:

Some websites will recommend the following:

"Go to the Settings. Select App > Apps & features and type in ‘security’ in search menu box. An icon for Windows Security will pop open. From there, click on the options (three dots) and select Advanced options. Now scroll down to Reset section and click on Reset.

You’ll get a confirmation asking if you really want to reset the app, along with your whole app data. Click on Reset to go with it."

However, so far what I have found is that "Windows Security" is not in the application list at all! 

So how can I reset the app?

Well, what I have found was a simple command you can run from the Windows PowerShell (with administrative privileges) that ultimately solved the problem for me, as well as for some of my clients who have run into this same issue as well.

  • Using Windows' search, just type in "PowerShell"



  • Right-click on its icon, and select "Run as Administrator"
  • Next, copy and paste (or type in) the following script:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.SecHealthUI -AllUsers | Reset-AppxPackage

  • Hit Enter, and you should get a screen like this:


That should do the trick!
Your Windows Security Center should now be working again!

Pacific NW Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com
360.624.7379

Thursday, April 28, 2022

M.2 SSD Not Detected by Windows 11/10 Installer

If you experience that the Windows installer cannot find your M.2/NVMe drives when installing Windows 11/10, try this process of loading the Intel IRST driver to gain access to your SSD drive!



For the Intel CPU platform, you need to manually install Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver during the Windows installation process. You can also refer to the Intel document of How to Configure RAID or Intel Optane Memory with Intel RST on an Intel VMD Capable Platform.
Note: The following pictures are a reference, it may be varied depending on the different versions.


Manually install Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver

  • Download Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver Download Link.
  • After downloading the driver, right-click [V18.0.4.1146_IRST_VMD_20H1] compressed file① and select [Extract All]②.
  • Select a Destination③ (such as a USB thumb drive) and click [Extract]④.

  • After the extraction is completed, please copy the entire folder (V18.0.4.1146_IRST_VMD_20H1) to a USB flash drive.
  • If you used a USB flash drive to create the Windows 11/10 installation media as well, please copy the entire folder to the same USB flash drive which is created as the Windows 11/10 installation media.

  • After the copying is completed, make sure the folder includes the following files.

Install Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver

  • Connect the USB flash drive which includes the Windows 11/10 installation media and Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver (V18.0.4.1146_IRST_VMD_20H1 folder) to the target computer. (If you used a DVD to install Windows 11/10, please insert the DVD and consist of the above files USB flash drive to the target computer together.)
  • Restart the Windows 11/10 installation process, here you can learn more about How to use installation media to insatll Windows 11/10.
  • On the screen of Where do you want to install Windows and Windows cannot find any drives, please select [Load driver]①.

  • Select [OK]②.

  • Click [OK]③.

  • Select [Browse]④, then find the [V18.0.4.1146_IRST_VMD_20H1] folder⑤ and select [OK]⑥.

  • Select [Intel RST VMD Controller 9A08 (TGL) ]⑦, then select [Next]⑧ to install the driver.

  • After the driver installation is completed, the drives will appear normally.

That's it!

The Windows installer should now see your M.2/NVMe drive!


Original Article:
https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1044458

Monday, March 7, 2022

Ransomware Infection? This could help!!


Ransomware infections are a very real and very serious problem that general computer users, and businesses alike, should be prepared for!

  • First off, the best prevention to start with is to have good security software installed that can protect you from Ransomware infections (such as Malwarebytes Anti-malware, Kaspersky Antivirus, etc).
  • Secondly, have a good data backup system in place that follows the 3-2-1 backup rule to keep your data safe! 
    • The 3-2-1 backup rule simply states that you should have:
      • 3 copies of your data (your main data and 2 backup copies)
      • On two different media types (NAS drive and a thumb drive)
      • With one copy off-site for disaster recovery (cloud backup, etc).

If you do get hit with a ransomware infection, the website below can help you identify which ransomware you were infected with and if there is a de-encryption tool available to help get your data/files back: https://id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com/


Pacific NW Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com
360.624.7379

Simple Automatic Backup

Quick Computer/Laptop Tip:

If your laptop has an SD card slot and you don't have a data backup system in place, you can use an SD card to set up an automatic backup of your Windows computer!
No clunky external hard drive is needed if you aren't storing a ton of stuff! 

  • Snag a compatible 128, 256, or 512GB Class 10 U3 V30 or better SD card off of Amazon
  • Pop that little chip into the card reader slot on your laptop.
  • Open up the "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)" system utility from the Windows Control Panel. 
  • Select the installed SD card as your backup destination and continue with, and complete, the backup configuration! 
  • Then just leave the SD card plugged in, and the computer will automatically backup to the installed SD as scheduled!

That's it! 🙌
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy; your data is now automatically backed up! 

Pacific NW Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com
360.624.7379

Monday, February 28, 2022

Upgrade your Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 NOW!

No need to wait for the Windows Update to come along... You can download and install Windows 11 RIGHT NOW!

All you have to do is use Microsoft's Windows 11 Installation Assistant, and you can upgrade your computer today!

You need to make sure your system is compatible and meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. You can check your computer's compatibility by using Microsoft's PC Health Check application!

Windows 11 System Requirements:

  • Processor 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
  • RAM Minimum of 4 gigabyte (GB).
  • Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device.
  • System firmware UEFI, Secure Boot capable. Check here for information on how your PC might be able to meet this requirement.
  • TPM Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. Check here for instructions on how your PC might be enabled to meet this requirement.
  • Graphics card Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
  • Display High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel.

Monday, April 26, 2021

Monitor & Printer Color Calibration - PC


Printing out images can sometimes produce different colors and tones than you might expect. Here are a few ways to make sure your screen and printer are properly calibrated.

  • DON'T USE STANDARD PRINTER/COPY PAPER!

  • Get a Professional Graphic Design Monitor; Even One Pre-Calibrated:

ViewSonic Professional 27 Inch 4K Monitor with 100% sRGB Rec709 14-bit 3D LUT Color Calibration for Photography and Graphic Design

  • Calibrate Your Monitor Colors - Windows 10:

  1. Click Search or Cortana in the lower-left corner of your display.
  2. Type "Calibrate Display Color".
  3. Select "Calibrate Display Color" from the flyout menu to open "Display Color Calibration"
  4. If your system has more than one monitor, move the "Display Color Calibration" application window to the display that you want to calibrate and then click Next.
  5. Follow the instructions as they walk you through calibrating your monitor.

  • Display Color Management - Windows 10:

It's important that you make sure that both your monitor and your printer are using the proper ICC profile. You can see and change these profiles from the "Windows Color Management" dialog box. 
To get there, follow these steps:
  1. Click the "Windows Search" or "Cortana" icon in the lower-left corner of your screen.
  2. Type "Color Management".
  3. Click the Device drop-down menu.
  4. Choose your monitor from the list.
Note that if you did not install the drivers that came with your monitor, Windows may recognize and install its own profile for your display. Some inexpensive displays may not come with ICC profiles, and in turn, draw their calibration info from one of Windows' several generic profiles. And remember that, as mentioned, a good number of monitors come calibrated for office settings; the monitor may require some additional tweaking to get colors to match more closely to what comes out of your printer.

  • Printer ICC Profile for Paper Being Used: 

As for your printer's ICC profile, nowadays, nearly all printers come with them, which programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign load and read as soon as you select the device from the printer list in the application's Print Settings (or equivalent) dialog box. You can also pick up ICC profiles from the hardware manufacturer's website or by contacting the company directly. When you have the profile in hand, you can install it in Windows in two steps:
  1. Right-click on the ICC profile file (it has a .icc file extension)
  2. Click "Install profile"
ICC Profiles and Monitor Settings Database

  • Hardware Color Profiler/Calibration Tool:
Monitor calibration kits and/or monitor-printer calibration kits, have been around for some time now and many of them work quite well. They range in cost from just less than $100 to more than $500. These devices can be your go-to for the entire process of calibration, or in addition to the steps listed previously. 

Datacolor SpyderX Pro – Monitor Calibration Designed for Serious Photographers and Designers


Hopefully, with all these steps complete, you should find that your prints are much closer to those on your screen.

Monday, May 7, 2018

Identify and Remove Un-needed Programs from your PC or Mac!

Ever wonder how to clean out your computer? Many people do, because it’s not unusual to have your PC filled with adware, toolbars and other programs you no longer need or probably never intended to install in the first place. But like most people, what programs should you remove is the tough question. 

Well we have your answer!
For PC users, you just simply need to visit and download "Should I Remove It?"! "Should I Remove It?" is a tiny, lightweight program designed to show you what programs you have installed on your computer and quickly determine what programs you can safely remove.
For an even deeper clean, we can't recommend CCleaner enough! CCleaner can help restore your system speed by removing unnecessary files taking up room on your hard drive as well as clear out errors and broken settings to improve stability. CCleaner can also help boost your browser speed and help protect your privacy by securely erasing tracking cookies and history!

Now, for the Apple Computers, there is CleanMyMac.com. CleanMyMac finds the junk that got installed on your Mac and full system cleaning. It helps you figure out if your system has extra/unneeded add-ons installed and even left over junk files from old programs and software/system upgrades. When everything on your Mac works twice as fast, you accomplish more every day. All you need is the right tool to make your Mac clean and fast again. CleanMyMac is perfect for the job: it removes the clutter from hard drive and speeds up your system. Plus, it’s super easy to use!

Should I Remove It? ~ www.shouldiremoveit.com <-- clean-up="" div="" program="" windows="">
CCleaner ~ www.ccleaner.com <-- cleaning="" deep="" div="" program="" windows="">
CleanMyMac ~ www.cleanmymac.com <-- app="" clean-up="" div="" macintosh="">

Pacific Northwest Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com

Monday, March 12, 2018

Run macOS in Windows via Virtual Machine!


With a few downloads, a hand full of steps to follow, you can have a Virtual Apple computer running on your Windows PC. That's right! Your eyes are not deceiving you. You can create a macOS virtual machine using VMware Workstation Player! Have access to the apps, tools, programs that you love about your Apple computer, all on your Windows PC!! No "hackintosh" required.

The link for the tutorial is below and will require you to download and install several programs as well as modify a config file using NotePad. Nothing crazy, but there are quiet a few steps involved. So read carefully and pay close attention to each step.

Link: Run macOS High Sierra OSX via Virtual Machine on a Windows PC!


**A few quick notes regarding this guide!**

  • VMware Virtual Workstation Player us up to version 14. However the needed "unlocker" utility that makes VMware Workstation Player compatible with OSX is ONLY compatible with copies of Version 12 VMware Virtual Workstation Player. So DO NOT download the newest version of VMware Virtual Workstation Player; only use copies of version 12.
  • You DO NOT need an ISO or currently OSX installation media. The tutorial has a link to have to download the Intel version of the Mac OSX virtual machine. This virtual machine is provided courtesy of the excellent fellows at Techsvidrewer.

Thank you PCSteps.com for creating such an easy to follow and thorough setup/install guide!!

Pacific Northwest Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Security & Performance for your PC!!

I get asked all the time, “Jon, what do you recommend for security and performance for my computer?” So I decided to give folks a brief, and to the point, run down of what I programs and tools I use and recommend.

So, core security: I typically use and install Avast Free or BitDefender Free Antivirus (MS Security if Windows 7). Then I always use (and have used for years) MalwareBytes Antimalware and Spybot Search & Destroy. MalwareBytes is a Zero-day exploit and “name brand” bug catcher King and Spybot can find a lot of stuff that normally would get left behind and can also undo damage a virus has caused to your system. But you do not want them to be running all the time, as your Antivirus is providing that protection. MBAM (MalwareBytes for short) and Spybot are just "tools in the toolbox" per say. Include them in your routine scans and cleanings but they will be your go to, if and when a virus gets around your Antivirus. But the basic "run it when you need it" free versions are all you need (unless you have computer with horsepower and speed then let em rip!).
Then with the new variant of malware being “browser hi-jack” bugs, if you get hit with something like that, all those other security programs may not be able to find all of them; or even any of them at all! So that is where ADWCleaner and JRT come in to play. Both are now distributed by MalwareBytes (so that's who you will likely download them from as an FYI), they are specifically browser hi-jack clean-up tools. These tools will find, fix and remove what the other programs cant. Including website re-directions, search engine and homepage hi-jacks, removal of malicious add-ons, and much more.

Then last but not least, lets keep the computer clean of junk!

Class, meet CCleaner. CCleaner; class.

CCleaner has been my go-to performance and clean-up tool for nearly my entire professional computer career. Junk, temp and cache files, prefetch data, DNS cache, delete free space; CCleaner can do A LOT! So to keep things clean and your computer running snappy, I highly recommend it’s installation and use!

You can find direct download links to all the previously mentioned programs, as well as a complete virus removal tutorial just by clicking the link below! Doesn’t get much easier than that ;)
Recommended Software Downloads & Virus Removal Tutorial

As always, if you need any kind of computer or “tech” help, or if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch! This is why I do, what I do :)

Jon Pienkowski 
Pacific Northwest Computers 
360.624.7379

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Winning Against Windows 10: Fight Microsoft and Win!


Ever since the release of Microsoft’s “Free Upgrade” to WIndows 10 (which came to and end August 1st 2016), I have fixed dozens of computers for people which had system damage or issues stemming from an unwarranted upgrade of their computer to Windows 10. The upgrade to Windows 10 was free for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users for almost a year, but was supposed to be an optional decision. The end user was supposed to decide on whether or not, or when, to install Microsoft’s “latest and greatest operating system”.

As well all know from either the news, friends, family, or even personal experience, Windows was tricky with this OS upgrade and many people were automatically upgraded without direct and clear consent or without any knowledge until it was too late. If they did agree, some users had major issues with system stability, hardware, and software following the upgrade to Windows 10. Not the smooth process Microsoft said it to was to be... This means repair costs for folks as well as the inconvenience of downtown, as well as lost work and income for business.

Well recently I had a customer whose business computer went down due to a non-user initiated Windows 10 upgrade. The upgrade actually didn't complete correctly, killing the Windows OS upgrade installation (mid-install) requiring the system to be brought into the shop, have Windows 7 re-installed and onsite service to get everything set back up again. Well my client did some research and found a ebook on Amazon called "Winning against Windows 10".

"Winning against Windows 10" is the story of a woman named Teri Goldstein and specifically lays out how Teri fought back against Microsoft (due to a Windows 10 upgrade that messed up her system) and she actually was able to win; forcing Microsoft to reimburse her $10,000!!

Using the book (which gives you the specifics on her court case), my client was able to fight back against Microsoft themselves and was able to get Microsoft to reimburse them for all of the repair costs; onsites and all!

So if you have had any issues with Windows 10 "damaging" your computer and you had to get it fixed and/or can prove lost income from downtime, etc you could get Microsoft to pay you back!!










Any questions or comments?? Feel free to get in touch!
www.pnwcomputers.com

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Microsoft Internet Explorer Vulnerability ~ Fact and Opinion


As you have most likely heard, Microsoft is scrambling to fix a major bug which allows hackers to exploit flaws in Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. The company has also confirmed it will not issue a fix for web browsers running on Windows XP after it formally ended support for the 13 year old operating system back on April 8th.

The vulnerability was discovered by cyber security software maker FireEye Inc. which stated the flaw is a ‘zero-day’ threat. This means the first attacks were made on the vulnerability before Microsoft was aware of it. FireEye also revealed a sophisticated hacker group has already been exploiting the flaw in a campaign dubbed ‘Operation Clandestine Fox’, which targets US military and financial institutions.

FireEye spokesman Vitor De Souza declined to name the hackers or potential victims as the investigation is ongoing, only telling Reuters: “It’s unclear what the motives of this attack group are at this point. It appears to be broad-spectrum intel gathering.”

For its part Microsoft has confirmed the existence of the flaw in an official post: https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/2963983

Now, Internet Explorer has always been a vulnerable browser and has exploits created/identified against it everyday. This is why for YEARS I have pushed my customers to use an alternative Web Browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. As previously mentioned, both of those web browsers are safer to use than Internet Explorer and are both immune from the recently identified exploit!

What makes this recent vulnerability stand out from the others, and why this particular vulnerability is making all the headlines, is that the problem is pretty widespread; affecting 1 in 4 Windows based computers and ALL Windows XP systems.

A Temporary Fix
While Microsoft rushes to fix the bug, FireEye gave concerned users two workarounds .
  1. Use another web browser other than Internet Explorer
  2. Disable Adobe Flash. “The attack will not work without Adobe Flash,” it said. “Disabling the Flash plugin within IE will prevent the exploit from functioning.”
*Adobe has released a new patch/update for their Flash Player! Allow the Flash Player to update or manually download and install the latest version here: http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/downloads.html

No Hope For Windows XP
Microsoft has confirmed that no fix will be rolled out for Windows XP because support has officially ended and there are no plans to make an exception. It states:

“An unsupported version of Windows will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update. These include security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information.”

The company’s advice to Windows XP users has remained the same for some time: upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 or buy a new PC. It has also repeatedly sent a pop-up dialog box to reachable Windows XP machines with the following end of support notification.

For users unsure whether their existing XP PCs can support Windows 8, Microsoft offers a software tool called ‘Windows Upgrade Assistant’ which can be downloaded here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=321548

If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to get in touch!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NorthWest Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com
360-624-7379

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

How to Clean up a Slow Performing Computer ~PLUS~ a few Mac tips too ;)


Many think that when a computer starts performing poorly that it's time to buy a new computer. Does your desktop or laptop often hang on the hourglass or swirling circle for several minutes at a time? Does "Not Responding" sound familiar to you? Is it slow to load files or applications, and does it take a long time to boot? Even if you're extremely careful about how you use your computer and never download questionable material, over time it is inevitable that your system will accumulate unwanted registry entries, errors, clutter, and debris. Here's how to clean your computer up and get it running faster again!

Steps To Take:
  1. Update your antivirus software and run a full scan. Antivirus software helps protect you from viruses and other suspect files that can spread by simply opening an email. It performs regular system checks and detects when foreign files are trying to infiltrate your computer. Click the link below for a list of the security software that Pacific Northwest Computers recommends and uses:

    **Do not use Registry Optimizers or so called Clean Reg Tools.!! 
    Most of these cause more harm than good in the future with your PC!!!

  2. Clear up some space on the hard drive. Deleting unnecessary files that your computer stores is an easy and simple way to free up memory and improve overall performance. To do this, access Disk Cleanup in Windows and delete Temporary Files on a Mac.

    *For Windows XP, Windows 7, and Vista: Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.

    *For Mac: Go to Applications, click Utilities, and click Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt, type in "sudo rm -fr /tmp/*" and hit Enter. The temporary files that have been left behind on your computer will now be cleared.
  3. Uninstall useless programs or programs you rarely use. These can include games or media files that you or your children never use, as well as programs that have become redundant or obsolete.

  4. When uninstalling programs be sure you don't need them! Some programs are needed for the operation of the computer. So if you are unsure about a program then leave it alone or do a quick search on Google to see if you can find out whether it's good or bad.
  5. For Windows: Follow the Start Menu to Settings and then to Control Panel. From this screen click on Add/remove programs or Uninstall a program and uninstall programs that are no longer needed.

    *When uninstalling programs, be sure you don't need them before removing them! Some programs are needed for the operation of the computer. So if you are unsure about a program then leave it alone or do a quick search on Google to see if you can find out whether it might be good or bad.

    *For Mac: Kill unwanted or redundant programs by dropping the program files into the Recycle Bin.
  6. Remember to empty your Recycle Bin after deleting these files because they are still on the hard drive and taking up space; just right-click the icon and navigate to “Empty Bin.”
  7. Download and install and run spyware removing programs like Spybot Search and Destroy. Spyware is a kind of malicious software installed on computers that track certain information without the user's knowledge. For both privacy implications and the health of your computer, it's best to delete spyware and other "malware."

    *You can download Spybot and other security software for your computer for free by using this link:

  8. Defragment your hard drive. Fragmentation basically is when your computer's files get disorganized, hurting your computer's ability to lay data out sequentially. Defragmentation is the correction to this process.

    *For Windows: click on My Computer, then click Properties, then click the "Tool's" tab. From this tab just click on the Defragment button and then run the program. You can set it up so that your computer automatically defragments at set intervals.

    *Besides the Windows Defragmentation utility, we recommend MyDefrag (formerly JKDefrag). MyDefrag is a disk defragmenter and optimizer for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/2008/X64 computers. It's very easy to use, fast, low overhead, with several optimization strategies, and can handle floppies, USB disks, memory sticks, and anything else that looks like a disk to Windows!
    *For Mac: Mac operating systems rarely, if ever, need to have their disk space defragmented.

  9. Check your RAM. RAM stands for Random Access Memory. These are the computer's memory chips. If there are not enough of them or they are not very large in size, your computer will use your hard disk to store intermediate results. But this is a much slower process. The computer will appear busy and will also be slow to write and read things from the hard disk. You can hear it, and the LED on the computer itself will light up and just stay on. Right-click on the My Computer icon, then select properties, then read what is said on the 'General' tab. For Windows XP it should be 1GB or more and 2GB's or more for Windows 7 or 8. Anything less than those numbers might be the problem.

    *If RAM is the real problem, your computer will be slow whenever you start a new application. If your computer is only slow when you turn on your computer or reboot, it is more likely that it is some other problem.

    *Before you rush out to get some additional RAM in a computer shop, make sure you know exactly what type fits in with your computer, and convince yourself that there are still empty slots (inside your computer) that can be used to put the RAM in. For most people it is best to make a computer repair shop responsible for all this; you can give us a call and you can bring your system if you need help!!

Tips!
  • Never install software that you don't intend to use regularly.
  • Be careful about what you install; most free downloads from certain sites can come with some form of spyware/malware/grayware or possibly a virus.
  • Make an effort to defrag your computer weekly.
  • To ensure safe broadband internet browsing install a firewall program (Microsoft has one built in with XP) or buy an external firewall router.
  • Always perform a spyware scan and virus scan weekly if you do minimal file/program downloads. If you do many downloads weekly, then the suggested performance is daily.

!!!Warnings!!!
  • When uninstalling programs be sure you don't need them; some programs are needed for the operation of the computer.
  • When using the spyware removal program, be sure to go over the directions thoroughly. Since this program makes changes to the registry you can actually make the computer perform worse than before. If you are not an avid computer user, just clean the detected items that appear in red, or consult a friend who knows about computers.