I've talked about PUPs before, but if you missed the series of articles and have ever wondered what a PUP is, here it is: PUP stands for Potentially Unwanted Program, and is considered to be a form of malware. While they are not quite the same thing as standard viruses, they’re still not a good thing. PUPs are those programs that scoot in almost completely unannounced through downloads, usually as software bundles. Once installed, they will usually start harassing users pretty aggressively about one thing or another: your memory is low, you have outdated drivers that need to be fixed immediately, your system is insecure, etc. etc. (and as you might have guessed, these are all false and they want money to “fix” said problems). They may also start hijacking your browser to give you funny search engines, ads galore, and redirect you to websites you didn’t ask for. Sadly, even Macs are no longer immune from this problem. PUPs can be hard to catch before the fact, and even harder to remove after the fact, so I have a couple of recommendations to keep these things off your system. My number one recommendation is to use Chrome with Adblock exclusively. This particular combination will fend off a lot of unwanted drive-by installs. After that, I recommend fine-tuning your antivirus to actively look for PUPs in its sensitivity settings. Finally, I highly recommend installing a little program called Unchecky. This small program runs in the background, making sure that nothing tries to slip in when you’re installing something downloaded from the internet. It does a great job, and it’s free!

​If you think you might have a few PUPs on your system, and aren't sure how to get rid of them, give me a call!  My standard virus removal service will eradicate those pesky PUPs, and any other viruses or malware you may have.  And if you contact me and mention this blog entry, I'll perform the virus removal service for FREE, with the purchase of a year of my ProActive Care - Antivirus service.  The antivirus service I use includes PUP detection right out of the box.  And, you'll have peace of mind knowing that your PC Tech is constantly monitoring the system and making sure it's eliminating threats to your computer.  CLICK HERE to take advantage of this offer!  I look forward to hearing from you!

Many people have the same email address they received when they signed up with their internet service provider (usually AT&T or Charter) years ago and are surprised to learn I am not a big fan of ISP-provided email addresses. But why? It’s free and it works! Well…it has a number of potential problems. A big issue with ISP email addresses is that the lack of features makes it hard to do some things. Some ISP mail services are still POP only (a very old protocol that makes a real mess if you want to check your mail on more than one computer), and some have very limiting attachment restrictions (do you feel like sending five different emails because your ISP’s mail server only lets you attach two or three at a time?). ISP email also doesn’t give you very much room and then it just starts bouncing your mail when it’s full. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about these problems. But you can get an email account where these things aren’t a problem. Check from anywhere, send huge attachments, don’t worry about cleaning out your inbox—these are just some of the advantages with email accounts like Gmail (the one I recommend!). But…what about all my contacts?? Do I really have to email each and every one of them about my new email address? Nope! A simple mail forward takes care of this problem. I can set all of your ISP email to forward to your new account so you won’t miss a thing. And over time, as people respond to your new address, they get in your contact list and your old address fades from everyone’s memory. As a bonus, Gmail is very, very good at catching spam. (http://www.wired.com/2015/07/google-says-ai-catches-99-9-percent-gmail-spam)

​Let me know if you would like assistance when setting up a Gmail account.  Contact me to schedule an appointment.

When it comes to anti virus & spyware programs, just how much difference is there between the paid for versions and the free ones?
In the “olden days” when computer viruses were just beginning to hit their heyday, you had to pay for all virus protection software. Nowadays, there are plenty of free virus protection programs available for users to download from the Internet. There are also many paid programs available, so you may be wondering whether you need to pay for virus protection software or if the free programs are adequate.

To answer that question, you need to determine what your virus protection needs are and in what capacity you will be using your virus protection program. For example, the majority of free programs are designed for personal home use only, not for business use. So if you’re looking for virus software for your business, you’ll have to purchase a licensed version. There are several other differences between the paid and free versions as well. 

Performance
The main reason you install virus protection software is to protect your computer against viruses, which can harm your computer. Tests have shown that both the free and the paid virus protection programs perform comparably in terms of detecting viruses on a computer. While this is incredibly important, there are other types of malicious programs and components that can infect your computer and cause irreparable damage or steal personal information. Detection and removal of spyware, malware and other nasty items is where the paid programs shine.

Most of the free programs also detect malware, but the paid programs do a better job and detect more of the little nuisances, which means your computer is cleaner and your information is safer if you’re using a paid program.

Additional Features 
Another way paid virus protection wins over users is by offering additional features. When comparing virus protection programs, you should take a look at these added features and see if any of them appeal to you. Examples of added features include parental controls, enhanced spam filters and identity theft protection. Avast’s paid program, Internet Security 6 Package, even opens up a new desktop for sensitive information, such as online banking, so other programs cannot steal account numbers or passwords.

Support 
One of the major differences between free and paid virus programs is the customer support. Support is typically lacking or nonexistent with free programs because there is no money being exchanged. You may find a FAQ section on the company’s Web site or a limited help section built into the program, but the companies offering free software typically do not invest much money in support for these free programs.

Paid programs, on the other hand, typically offer online and phone support for users. While you may not consider support to be a big deal, keep in mind that the free programs are often a bit more difficult to operate and navigate. If you decide on a free program, but are unable to set it up properly, it is useless.

If you’re still unsure of whether to go with free or paid virus protection, think about how you use the Internet. For users who are frequently downloading files and surfing a wide range of sites, a higher level of protection is warranted. For people who do minimal surfing, do not download many files and do not use credit cards online or engage in online banking, a free version is most likely fine. You could always see if the paid program you like has a free trial and compare it to a free program for yourself. That way you’ll know if it’s worth spending the money each year for the paid version.

With my antivirus protection service, ProActive Care - Antivirus, I also include the benefit of monitoring the system.  This is something that medium to large businesses are able to do, but is rarely available for home users.  On a daily basis, I personally check the antivirus system to make sure my clients are virus free.  If I notice an issue, a quick call to my client will usually resolves the issue.  My service also includes free virus removals, if something happens to get past the system.  My service is business class protection at residential pricing.  Contact me for a free trial of the service!

Good luck, and stay clean from those malicious viruses!

A wireless router is quickly becoming one of the most critical pieces of electronic equipment in most homes.  Serving as a virtual gateway to both the home network and the internet, we have become increasingly more dependent upon this device than ever before.  Whereas just a few years ago the only things connected to a router were one, or perhaps 2 computers, in many homes today we have gaming consoles, smart phones, tablets, printers, smart TV’s and streaming media devices (e.g. Roku, Apple TV, etc.), appliances, as well as laptop and desktop computers all requiring access to the internet.  An older router can become a bottleneck as all of these devices compete for bandwidth.  If your router is more than a few years old, you may want to consider replacing your device with one which will better serve your home networking needs.  

What is a router and why do I need one?
Quite simply a router allows information from devices on one network (e.g. your home network) to connect to devices on another network (e.g. the internet), either via wires (Ethernet cable) or wirelessly.   A home router may be a separate piece of equipment from the modem (the appliance which actually connects you to the internet), or the router and modem may be combined into one unit.  If you have multiple devices which need to access each other or the internet, you need a router.  

Your First Consideration:  Buy or Rent?
Many folks choose to use whatever piece of equipment that is supplied by their Internet Service Provider (ISP).  What they may not be aware of, though, is that there is usually a monthly charge of between $8.00-$10.00 to “rent” this device.  While that might not seem like a lot of money, over time those monthly charges accumulate and supersede the actual value of the device many times over.  The good thing about this arrangement is that if the modem/router exhibits problems or stops working, customers can usually get a replacement at no charge.  However, most home modems and routers have fairly basic settings, do not offer the latest features and cannot always be configured the way that the customers may prefer.  Therefore, it may be a good idea for home users to purchase their own equipment.  Routers, like many other electronic gadgets, have come down in price significantly over the past few years.  However, it can be a little intimidating for many folks to know just what to buy, especially since routers range in price from $40.00-$250.00.  Let’s take a look at the differences.

Breaking down the specs:

Single Band or dual band: Remember that routers are basically small radio transmitters and receivers.  Most routers broadcast on either one or two frequencies:  2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz.  Older routers (802.11b/g standard) only use 2.4 Ghz band. Routers utilizing the N wireless standard can broadcast on both bands (sometimes called mixed mode).  While many wireless devices, including things like baby monitors and garage door openers, can cause signal interference on the 2.4 Ghz band, it does offer greater coverage than the 5 Ghz band.  Newer routers which use the 802.11ac standard only use the 5 Ghz.

Wireless standards: b/g, n, ac – The oldest wireless standard in common use today is the b/g standard.  Most new devices (bought within the past 3-4 years), utilize the N standard.  The ac standard has come out within the past couple year, though not all equipment (phones, computers, tablets, etc.) are using this standard yet. While this alphabet soup of standards can be confusing, just remember that the more recent standards offer better performance (faster data throughput, more devices communicating simultaneously) and greater coverage (i.e. you can be further away from the router and still connect.)

Mbps:  The speed at which data travels over the network via the wireless signal is called Megabits per second.  Older routers which utilize the b/g standard typically provided 54 Mbps throughput.  However, this could be less the further away you are from the router. The newer standards, N and ac, are advertising 150 Mbps, 300 Mbps or even higher.  However, whether or not you actually get these speeds will depend on whether or not the router and the wireless device you are using (phone, laptop, etc.) are both operating on this standard.  That is, if you have a fast, new router, but if you have older wireless equipment on the other end, the connection will not be any faster.  

Security standards: All new routers being sold today have WPS2 wireless encryption.  This enables home users to “lock down” their wireless networks so that only users who have the password to the router can connect to the network.  

Extras:
Many of the differences in prices for routers are due to the extra bells and whistles that they offer.  The higher-priced ones, of course, usually offer more features or provide greater coverage and performance.  Many routers today actually allow two separate networks – a regular internal home network in which all of the devices (computers, printers, etc.) are permitted to “talk” to each other, and a guest network (with a separate password) which only grants users access to the internet.  It can be helpful to offer guest network access to visitors in your home who only need internet access for a short time.  Some routers include USB ports into which you can plug a flash drive or external hard drive.  Router configuration settings can be saved to these removable devices and they can also be configured to share the storage space across the network.  Likewise, some routers offer slots for SD cards (commonly used in cameras, phones, tablets, computers, etc.) to make sharing data on the network a little easier.  For those who need their wireless network to cover a large area, such as two floors in a home, some routers offer a bridge mode which essentially allows them to re-broadcast the signal from another router, thereby extending the range of the wireless network. 

Though router manufacturers have attempted to make setting up a new router less complicated, it can still be intimidating for many home users to navigate all of the various settings and connections.  If you need some assistance to get the most out of your home router, or if you are thinking of upgrading your device and need some guidance, please send me a note or give me a call.   


Want a discount?  Like my Facebook page for 10% off your next service call.  This includes any service I offer, including the Windows 10 upgrade special in this article.  The discount is limited to one time per customer. 

Many of you may be aware that Microsoft has released the latest version of their operating system this summer, July 29th to be exact.  There are some great new features in the tech giant's offering.  However, you may want to wait, or at least be very careful, before you make the jump to Windows 10. Below are some things that you need to be aware of before you make the move.  

What's Great About Windows 10?
I have been running a preview of Windows 10 for several months now and I can say that, overall, I really like it.  While no computer program or operating system is perfect, Microsoft is getting a lot of things right with Windows 10.  Here are some highlights:

• The return of the Start menu (well, sort of).  Many of the folks who experienced the previous operating system, Windows 8, were very put off by the Start screen, which highlighted "metro-style" apps and live tiles.  However, in Windows 10 they bring back a more familiar style start menu in the lower left corner of the screen.  It's a bit of a hybrid between the Windows 7 start menu and the Windows 8 app-driven start screen.  However, it's highly customizable and makes it easy to get to most of the things that you need on a daily basis.  Further, Microsoft gives users the option of using the new start menu or the Windows 8 style start screen. 
• Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant.  Cortana is a bit like Siri, Apple's voice-driven assistant.  In Windows 10, though, Cortana will be available on every device - phone, tablet, desktop and laptop.  You can essentially talk you your computer to perform searches or access information on your computer.  Further, Cortana is a learning robot.  That is, she will use what she knows about you and offer you increasingly relevant information when you ask for it.  For example, you will be able to ask/tell Cortanta, "find me pictures from last month," and she will present you with all pictures on your computer (or in OneDrive) from the past 30 days.  Or you can say something like, "Is my flight going to leave on time today" and she will be able to give you a fairly accurate answer, based on current airline schedules.  
• Microsoft Edge, the new web browser.  A big change for users in Windows 10 will be that Internet Explorer will no longer be the default program to browse web pages on the Internet.  Instead, Edge will be the new, streamlined browser experience.  Edge will be very minimalist compared to Internet Explorer.  There will be no toolbars, icons and settings to get in the way of viewing various web pages.  However, Internet Explorer will still be installed in Windows 10 for users who must use it.  Keep in mind, though, that you are free to install other web browsers, like Google Chrome or Firefox, if you wish.  
• Virtual desktops - Users will be able to set up multiple desktops on their Windows 10 computers.  For example, you can set up a desktop with all of your work-related icons and a separate desktop for all of your personal items.  Another use might be to set up a different desktop for each user in your home, rather than separate accounts for each user.  
• Free upgrade for the first year.  For users who are running Windows 7 (service pack 1) or Windows 8.1, Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade for the first year after it is released.  However, if you don't upgrade within that first year, you will have to buy the operating system if you decide to upgrade.  Microsoft began pushing out this offer for the free upgrade by installing an update on Windows 7 & 8 machines.  You may have seen a small Windows flag in the lower-right hand corner of your screen encouraging you to sign up for the free upgrade.

Should You Upgrade to Windows 10?
While I believe that Windows 10 will be successful for Microsoft, I would strongly caution you about upgrading, from your current computer, at least at first.  The initial release of Windows 10 may still have some bugs to work out which may cause issues on your computer.  It may be better to wait a few months for these to be worked out.  If you do decide that you want to upgrade, here are some things that you will need to do first:

• Make a complete backup of everything on your system.  If something goes wrong during the upgrade process, you want to have a way to restore your computer to the way it was before the upgrade.  The easiest way to do this is to use the built-in tools with Windows 7 or 8 to create a system image on an external hard drive.  
• Install all of the latest updates on your operating system.  It would be best to run Windows updates on your system prior to an upgrade to be sure that you have the latest security and system patches.
• Make sure that your current software and hardware is compatible with Windows 10.  It may be that, though everything is running just fine on your current system, it may not run smoothly on Window 10.  Microsoft may release a compatibility tool which you can run to test & see if your hardware and software will work with Windows 10, but they have not done so yet.  We recommend that you install the latest device drivers for your computer (particularly video and network devices) prior to upgrading.  
• Be sure to back up your data.  In addition to a full system upgrade, it would be wise to create a separate copy of your critical data (documents, pictures, music, videos, etc.) prior to upgrading.  Of course, you should be doing this on a regular basis anyway.

Truly, upgrading is a daunting task for most home computer users.  If you feel that this is beyond your technical ability, I encourage you to give me a call.  I will be offering a special Windows 10 upgrade service to my customers for a flat rate of $100.  This package will include all of the above recommendations.  

Want a discount?  Like my Facebook page for 10% off your next service call.  This includes any service I offer, including the Windows 10 upgrade special in this article.  The discount is limited to one time per customer.  

Welcome to PC Tech for Hire, Montgomery Alabama's trusted residential and small business computer repair and service provider.

Slow System?
“Why is my computer SO slow to start up?” It happens to most of us--you go to start work on an urgent email, or finish that document you really need to print, or finally edit that photo of the kids--and five minutes later after you started your system, the computer STILL isn’t ready! It’s extremely frustrating, but there are things that can help. The first culprit that I usually see impeding startup time is malware infection. These insidious bits of software do everything they can to take over processing priority, and you’ll especially notice the performance hit at startup. Another common culprit is simply too many (legitimate) programs stampeding to load at startup, unbeknownst to you. These are the programs that load in the system tray by default, and 90% of them--especially non-Microsoft processes--don’t really need to load at startup, though they set themselves to do that. Finally, one of the more common culprits is low RAM. Many computers ship with the bare minimum needed to run Windows (this keeps the price enticingly low at the store), but does not exactly make them perform well on a daily basis in practice. It is fairly inexpensive to upgrade the RAM in your system. That said, if you REALLY want to speed things up, you can choose to switch out your hard drive for the newest variety, an SSD hard drive. These hard drives have no moving parts and are super-fast. I have these installed in almost all our computers at home. On my big rig this change alone changed my boot time from almost seven minutes to less than 30 seconds. They are smaller and somewhat more expensive than traditional drives, but if these trade-offs are worth it to you, the speed you will enjoy is quite nice. So if your computer is slower than molasses on a cold day, I can fix this! Just let me know.

Welcome to PC Tech for Hire, Montgomery Alabama's premier residential and small business computer repair and service provider.

Welcome to the first edition of my blog.  With this blog, I will be bringing you important information about the latest computer issues or trends.  I may talk about the latest computer security news, or I may provide helpful information about a product that could help you get the most out of your computer.  There won't be a set schedule, but I plan on posting at least once a week.  Every once in a while, I may post a special deal that will only be available to my blog and newsletter readers.  So, check back often, or connect your favorite RSS news reader to my site for automatic notifications of new posts.

Feel free to post a comment letting me know what you would like to see.  Ultimately, everything I do is to help you get the best experience possible with your computer.  Let me know what you want to see or learn, and I'll include it in a future post.