Posts Tagged: safety

General Computer Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — 2 Comments
14
Nov 09

Holiday Computer Madness

Every year for the last 7-8 years, I bring up a version of this tip to help save you time and money during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years visiting season. Please follow the advice. I can guarantee that it will save you and your computer lots of grief.

With all the traveling done during the holidays, your computer is bound to be taken hostage by friends and family wanting to check their email or play a game or two. Unlike the TV, a computer can be victimized, unintentionally, by all this attention. When everyone returns home, you may not recognize your computer or have problems with the way it runs.

If you like the way your computer is running currently, set a few ground rules for the use of your computer (and please follow the same rules if you are the one doing the borrowing of a loved ones precious PC). In no particular order, here they are: Continue reading →

General Computer Tips / Internet Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — 10 Comments
11
Nov 09

5 Simple Rules to avoid SCD (Slow Computer Disease)

HPIM8136

photo credit: jennconspiracy

I’ve written about this before, but it bares repeating on occasion for new visitors to the site and long time visitors who haven’t learned yet. The advice is simple:

Do not download free screensavers, wallpaper, email programs (Incredimail, etc), or games from the Internet.

Unless you are WELL versed in the origin of these items, they can easily destroy your computer’s ability to compute.

“Slow computer” is the most common computer ailment  Windows users search for on the web. Sadly, slow computer disease (SCD*), does not have to be the pandemic it is because it is 100% preventable.

Here are my 5 simple rules to prevent SCD for Windows users: Continue reading →

Internet Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick / Tech News — No Comments
22
Mar 09

It pays to scrutinize search results – Tainted March Madness search results

air time

photo credit: *sean

Computer degenerates looking to turn a quick buck always take advantage of hot topics. This month, the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament is the target. The shady folks possess skills that let them take advantage of how search engines see web pages and can lead unsuspecting web browsers into a trap. Once sprung, the trap is designed to take your money, infect your computer or both.

How do you fight it? Always keep your anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall security up to date and running. Use a safer browser, like Firefox, and most of all be smart about searching. Read the short summary that most search engines provide, and then be discerning about the site you visit. Unfortunately, it gets harder and harder to trust unknown web sites, and the bad guys are forcing me and others to recommend that you only click on links from companies and organizations you recognize. If you are searching for March Madness news and results, click on links that come from ESPN, CBS Sports, or other well known outlets. Don’t click on results that look like:  Marypicksthewinners.com.

Here’s the article I read that spurred this short tip.

Hackers poison PCs that Google “March Madness” – Technology Live – USATODAY.com.

Internet Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — 4 Comments
16
Dec 08

Switch TODAY!

Just say NO to IEOn my way out the door today, I came across this article outlining one of the largest security breaches yet with Internet Explorer. I have been recommending for years that you switch to Mozilla Firefox. Today, I’m taking a harder line and recommending that you should never use Internet Explorer except in the extremely rare instance where a site truly requires Internet Explorer (IE) to run properly. For your safety and the safety of all of us connected to the Internet, please download and use either Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.

Riding Shotgun with Rick — 6 Comments
18
Mar 08

Linux growing rapidly

I never thought I would write about or like Linux as much as I do. If you search HelpMeRick.com for Linux or Ubuntu, you will get a plethora of information.

Today, I received an email from Bill in Kentucky, who is an avid listener of our web show. He sent me links to stories of major organizations from all over the world describing the exodus from Windows to Linux. Cost is definitely a factor, but the functionality, safety and stability of Linux also ranks very high for the switching organizations. Listed below are the articles for you to read for yourself….thanks Bill in KY!

I don’t have a question, but rather a news story. Microsoft is in big trouble, not from the EU or from the latest Vista or Novell problem. This seems like mass defections from Windows to Linux.

Riding Shotgun with Adam — 1 Comment
22
Jan 08

How about a new business model for airlines?

For a guy who has few investments, I spend a lot of time thinking about business. I watch news stories and when I hear about a failing industry I begin thinking about ways to improve it. This is especially the case with industries that shouldn’t be failing based how society depends on them.

I have offered ideas on how to save the movie theater industry and cell phone industry in previous posts but last night I literally shot up out of dead sleep with a possible solution for the airline business.

I think Google should start an airline – or at least significantly fund one. There are thousands of airlines in the air at any given time, each airliner holds hundreds of people. These people are sitting in one place staring at the back of the seat in front of them for an hour our more.

These people are reading about how to exit the plan and even how to use the vomit bag. Once they are bored with that, they may flip through the airline sponsored shopping magazine or watch the little LCD monitor in front of them as it nags them to insert a credit card to watch something else besides the credit card nag.

Why doesn’t someone put all this advertising space to good use and lower the price of air travel? City buses are full of advertising. Wouldn’t the same concept work with an airline?

The attendants could wear patches or the safety warning could be sponsored. Wouldn’t it be great if Starbuck’s paid to have the smell of a fresh roast piped through the airplane just before landing?

The inside of airlines have nothing but advertising space. Airlines may even find more money on their underside. While the underside of an airliner’s wings are rarely seen, they still have to be worth something for those who watch family come in or take off.

CBS could pay for LCD screens in 200 planes that would pay CBS programming. Begin an entire first season of a program and by the end of the flight the show would have a new group of regular viewers.

One big reason that computers have gradually decreased in price is because other companies are loading new systems with advertising and trialware. Why can’t the same be done with the airline business?

Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
1
Sep 07

Social Engineering

A client and I had a discussion today about online safety when shopping or banking. She expressed some concern about the VA security breach last year where 1000’s of our vets had their identities at risk. And a few years ago we heard about the massive loss of customer information at a huge marketing company.

None of these events were due to “computer hacking” in the way most of us think of hacking. An individual being able to work their way into a secure computer is extremely difficult and highly unlikely, but with a little social engineering the job gets much easier. Social engineering can best be defined as the act of getting a person who works for a company or organization to make a slip or bad judgment and let an unknown person or someone with questionable credentials sit at one of their computers. Or even works, laptops with sensitive information being stolen or lost.

These are examples of social engineering. Computers do a pretty good job, and getting better all the time, of securing our data and providing a safe haven for personal information of all kinds. However, if a criminal master mind is able to get someone on the ‘inside’ to grant access through trickery and clever dialog, then the prospect of a breach in security increases exponentially. To read more about social engineering, check out these sources:

Internet Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
27
Aug 07

How to Remove the Greeting Card Virus

Adam and I first mentioned this nasty little virus earlier this spring on our radio show. The email that spreads it poses as an electronic greeting card from your friend or relative. Because the email is so poorly constructed, is never from a known address, and the link it displays in the body of the message is a number (NEVER, EVER Click a link that is constructed of a number, ex: http://91.188.176.15/) we didn’t put much credence in how much damage it could do.

Unfortunately, we underestimated the sentimentality of many computer users. Many saw the words “greeting card”, “friend”, and/or “relative” and common sense and computer safety went out the window. They clicked on the link which then installs the virus, and a greeting card never is seen. If you have done this, and your Internet and computer seem much slower than normal, you have the greeting card virus infection. One reason for the slowness is that part of the infection involves using your computer to send out thousands of spam messages!

Here’s how to remove the virus and restore order to your computer:

  1. Download either CCleaner or CleanUp 
  2. Update your anti-virus program (hopefully you are using AVG Antivirus) 
  3. Disconnect from the Internet
  4. Run which ever tool you downloaded in Step 1 
  5. Disable System Restore  
  6. Restart the computer in Safe Mode
  7. Search for and delete the tcpip.sys file found in the Windows folder (usually C:\Windows\System32\Drivers)
  8. Search for another tcpip.sys file on your computer (usually there is at least one backup somewhere)
  9. Copy and paste this file back into:  C:\Windows\System32\Drivers
  10. Search for and delete spooldr.exe and spooldr.sys (usually found in the Windows folder or sometimes the desktop)
  11. Run which ever tool you downloaded in Step 1 AGAIN
  12. Run a full system scan with your antivirus program
  13. Restart your computer normally
  14. Connect back to the Internet
  15. Update and run an anti-spyware program like AVG Anti-spyware, Super Anti-Spyware, SpyBot Search & Destory, etc. All these tools can be found in our Links & Resources section
  16. After all scans have finished, turn System Restore back on again.
  17. STOP Clicking on links in goofy emails…pay attention and be more discerning.

 

General Computer Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — 1 Comment
19
Apr 07

When to use a CD for backup

Our regular listeners hear us talk about this subject often, but it bears repeating as much as we can talk about it for your data's safety and your sanity. Backing up to CD's is a multi-step process and all the steps need to be followed for it to go right.

CD's work great for archiving data that won't change. This includes pictures, music, your finished novel, etc. CD's should only be burned ONE time. CD-R's have the capability of being written to many times, but this also increases the likelihood of problems with the CD. Burn them once and store them in a safe place.

CDRW's should NEVER be used for any purpose.

The reason we don't like to use CD's for reusable backup is a technical one. When we burn CD's, the CD burning software has to burn extra files to the CD called a Table of Contents (TOC). These files act as the disk's librarian. When inserted into a CD drive, the drive looks first for the TOC so it knows how to read the disk and recall the data. When repeatedly burning the disk, the software has to find and read the old TOC, create a new TOC (that ignores the original) and burn it to the CD. Too many chances for error can occur in this process. We know that many people have had no problems burning CD's and CDRW's multiple times, we just want it to be known why the disk fails using the process. 

For data that changes often like word processing documents, financial program backups, genealogy backups, address books, and other similar files, we recommend using USB flash drives. They are fast, spacious, and durable. Copying information to a Flash drive is a one step process versus the multi-step process required by CD burning.

As always, if you have extremely important information that you really don't want to lose, make multiple copies of your backups. 

Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
13
Apr 07

“NEW” Google Feature – Pass it on….

Reader, Chuck, wrote in and asked our opinion about this "new" feature from Google, which isn't new and isn't limited to Google. In fact, the feature has been around since the phone book was invented. Here's how the too frequently forwarded email starts:

"Google has implemented a new feature which enables you to type a telephone number into the search bar and hit enter, and you will be given the person's name and address. If you then hit MapQuest, you will get a map to the person's house. Everyone should be aware of this! It's a nationwide reverse telephone book.

If a child gives out his/her phone number, someone can now look it up to find out where he/she lives. The safety issues are obvious and alarming.

Note that you can have your phone number removed or blocked. I tried my number and it came up along with the map and directions straight to our house. I did fill out the removal form for myself, and encourage all of you to do the same.

In order to test whether your phone number is mapped, go to Google at www.google.com, type your phone number in the search bar (e.g. 555-555-1212) and press enter. If you want to BLOCK Google from divulging your private information, simply click on your telephone number and then click on the Removal Form. Removal takes 48-hours.

Please share this information with friends and family."

First off let me start by saying that ANY email that ends "please share this information with everyone you know" is a BOGUS email. Hit the delete button immediately.

Now, to the heart of this email. Reverse phone book lookup is NOT new to Google, it is NOT unique to Google, and it is NOT even unique to the Internet age. YES, you can enter a phone number into Google (or any good search engine) and then get the name of the person who pays the bill for that number, and their address with a link to a map of that address. All this information is available IF the phone number is not an unlisted one and IF it is a land based phone. There currently is no cellular phone book.

Almost all communities have had reverse phone number lookup capabilities since phone books have been published. And almost every phone book that I know of has an indexed map of the area in it as well. So, although it took longer, anyone could perform (and still can perform) the same function with almost any phone book. The Internet just gives us access to every phone book in the world.

It is also TRUE that once you find your name via your phone number on Google, a link is presented to you offering to have your name removed from the list…trouble is that there are literally hundreds of reverse phone number lookup sites. The only way you can get your name and number removed from these sites is to have your phone number unlisted through your phone company (and they charge $5-10 per month for that service) OR switch your phone service to cellular only.

Our information has never been private and will never be private unless we make it so.

I'll let YOU decide whether or not this article is meaningful enough for you to pass on to ALL your friends, family, and co-workers.

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