Computer Doctor of Hampden

Computer Doctor warns of  Cryptolocker Virus

This changes everything in my book. At Computer Doctor we deal with all types of Virus infections everyday, this one demands proactive measures or many will lose their documents and pictures permanently. Scared? You should be, and here is why. Ransomware takes control of your computer, denies you access and demands payment to resolve the issue. Two examples are the Rogue antivirus programs which masquerade themselves as an Antivirus program and demand payment to remove the infection, of course the program itself is the infection and when you pay your credit card information can be hijacked and the infection stays. The other example is the FBI or Moneypack Virus. This also locks your computer and states that you have violated a number of federal regulations and demands payment to unlock your computer. These can be very real looking and I have dealt with a number of people who have “freaked out” when they saw this. We see these infections every week and have a number of strategies to restore your computer and keep your data intact.

The Cryptolocker is a horse of a different color. The infection encrypts your files so you can no longer access them. The only way to unlock the files is to pay. There is no way at this point to get around this, encryption is a powerful tool  and when used against you there is no way at this point for anyone to break the encryption and unlock your files. Game over, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Yikes!

So how do you deal with it when it happens, at this point there are no simple solutions. If the files are encrypted it is too late, the virus will start a timer giving you X amount of time to complete the payment and get the key, If you do a system restore you will lose the chance to retrieve the encryption code and your files are locked forever. In some cases there are some decryption tools that may or may not help. Frankly this is sickening, I hope this does not get as rampant as other infections because the potential is there for catastrophic damage to business systems and the personal memories we hold dear being placed in jeopardy.

Here is a quick video done by another tech that spells it out:

Email is still huge entrance for many viral infections, recently particular client of ours recently opened the email, and clicked the download attachment link because the client was actually expecting files to be sent via email to him. It’s an especially dangerous situation in a business atmosphere, where the majority of the work is being completed on computers.

The email noted a file being sent from Xerox file transfer, which most likely does not exist, or is not widely available to the public.  This is the first sign to never click a link in an email that is vague, or is delivered via an “outside” third party with no personal name attached to it.  If this occurs in your email, delete it immediately. Don’t be duped by bogus emails, be careful of all emails even ones from people you know. File attachments are still the number one source of email based virus infections, read and think twice before you open any email attachment. This is one of many ways the virus is finding it’s way into your system.

The only way to protect your data is via a cold back up. An external drive needs to be connected and all files that need to be safe should be copied onto the drive and then the drive disconnected from the machine. Unless this is done there is no way to be 100% sure that your data is safe. Online back up programs can copy and replace your known good files with the encrypted ones, you won’t know the damage is done until you try to open them and how often do you open older documents and pictures, the encryption process is hidden until complete and then the ransom appears. These infections can run rampant through a network and encrypt files on your server and jump to other workstations. A nightmare!

There are variants to every virus, some of these can be hoax’s and not encrypt anything, some will work as planned and by paying you will be sent a key. The worst situation is your files will be encrypted and you pay and don’t receive the key.

Here is our current recommendation:

• Purchase an external hard drive and back up all your files ASAP, if you need help contact us and we can take care of this for you.
• Make sure your operating system is up to date and all web players and software packages are updated, java,adobe flash, etc.
• Make sure your antivirus program is updated and actively scanning your system.
• Make sure you have a firewall installed.
• Think before you click a web link or open an email.
• For business users, how are you protecting your data and do your employees have the access to infect your network by accident.

If you see the cryptolocker icon appear on your desktop, do not ignore it! Disconnect the computer from your network first and then call a professional for help and guidance. We will update the blog with more information as it becomes available. Please call or email with questions. Back up now, this is not to be ignored!

A tale of three tablets.

Ok I admit it, I am a technophile. If finances allowed I would be knee deep in every gadget I could get my mitts on. One of the benefits of owning a business that supports technology is, it is rather easy for me to convince myself that my techno lust is justified as I need to “research” emerging devices and educate myself in the operation and utilization of said devices to properly support our customers. So given that back story, I am the proud owner of three tablet computing devices.

The first device is an Acer A500

Computer Doctor of Hampden Acer A500

The device itself is well built, here is a link to a full review on the device. The shortcomings that make me under utilize this device include less then stellar navigation, an app store that you have to wade through and hope you don’t download a bug ridden mess that locks up your tablet. However, my biggest pet peeve is the fractured development platform. If you are lucky you get one major OS jump after purchase, then you just fester wishing you could work your way though the alphabet with sweet android goodness. No Jellybeans or Kitkats in my tablets future. Each manufacturer tweaks the OS release and decides which models will get a new update. This reeks of planned obsolescence to me.

My next tablet was a gift from my wife, that means I am not allowed to sell,trade or barter it away. For those of you who are unfamiliar, here is the iPad 3 in all its gleaming retina display glory.

Computer Doctor of Hampden iPad3

The iPad just plain works and it does what it proclaims to do very well. With a minimum of fuss this finely crafted hunk of aluminum delivers in every respect. It is not however a laptop, it fills a niche Apple created with the advent of apps. If your needs can be met within the App store, it can and will continue to be all (some) people need to interact with media, lite gaming, email and social media. The beauty I see in the device is the huge variety in the app store, the decent job of vetting the apps therein and a unified hardware and software platform that is well supported.

My latest acquisition  is the Microsoft Surface RT. A relative latecomer to the game Microsoft opens the door to laptop replacement by adding Office 2013 as part of the mix as well as a nice keyboard, built in kickstand  and an actual full size usb port. An interesting twist is Microsoft uses it’s own version of the magsafe adapter, something that would be a welcome addition to the iPad.

Computer Doctor of Hampden Microsoft Surface RT

What do I use these devices for? The Android tablet is relegated to act as a cash register in my office using the Square reader, not that it isn’t capable but I don’t have time to futz around with it and with choices why  not use the best device for a given set of tasks, The Acer tablet has a big screen and mounted in a stand it captures signatures and I wouldn’t be heart broken if it hit the floor.

The iPad3 has many uses. My daughter loves it, she uses it for games and reading books on the kindle app and netflix. It is the one that comes along for family trips and vacations. I will use it for apps like flipboard which is a gorgeous app that collects media from many sources and displays it in a beautifully elegant format. Once again the iPad’s strong suit is the mature development community with an endless selction of great apps. I will also check email, facebook, linked in etc when on vacation. The iPad is my recommendation if you have younger children and if you or a family member have been looking to switch from a laptop and you are more of a consumer of media and information than creating and editing files and docs, this is the winner hands down.

This leaves the Microsoft Surface RT. A horse of a different color for sure and for many it can replace your laptop. With the upcoming Windows 8.1 release you will not only have a very familiar Windows 8 experience but with the bundled Office 2013 RT you can have a full MS touch enabled office suite including outlook. The added value of that software package alone is worth the price of admission. The Surface RT will not run standard windows x86 programs but with Office many of your needs are taken care of. the Windows app store is no longer a ghost town, but it does have a long way to go. Where Microsoft screwed up marketing wise I feel is making any comparison at all to an iPad. If you are looking for an iPad experience you will be disappointed this is not an iPad! If you are looking to have a uber portable windows laptop replacement that also features some pretty cool apps than this is an amazing device at a bargain price.

Summer is in full force as I write this. Even in Bangor Maine temperatures have been in the high 90’s. Just as we need to keep ourselves cool in this heat, our electronics need to be protected from the heat also. Laptops run hot enough as it is, as prices have dropped so have the quality of the components. Please check out this great post from Lifehacker that goes into more specifics on how to keep your laptop cools and prevent heat related failures.

Key thinks to remember:

• Keep your laptop out of the direct sun (especially when using them or transporting them in vehicles)
• Try to use your laptop on a hard flat surface to help with airflow.
• Do not block cooling fan inlet or outlet.
• Let you laptop cool down before using it if it has been in a hot car for a few hours.
• Shut down your wifi/bluetooth if not needed to decrease heat.

Common heat related symptoms:

• Slow startup and shutdowns.
• Poor battery life.
• Bulging battery.
• Abrupt total shut downs.

Please keep your data backed up to another device, a USB drive or online storage like google drive or drop box are cheap insurance! Enjoy the heat!

The adage ” there is no free lunch” rings true on the internet even more than you can imagine. We are continually bombarded with opportunities to allow our personal privacy to be invaded. At our business Computer Doctor of Hampden, we see everyday the toll adware  and spyware takes on computer systems. If you are a casual web surfer you may not notice how your internet experience gets slowly modified as more of these programs get installed. Tool bar ad-ons are a prime example of how adware starts.

So what is going on? If we start at the top these programs expose you to advertising, specific ads from specific advertisers using an ad campaign tailored to this spyware program. If you find yourself noticing that your search results have changed, grab another computer and search for the same keywords. Your adware infected computer will bring up a ton of paid results and even the organic ones will be skewed. On an infected machine things usually start to worsen quickly. Another by-product we see @ Computer Doctor is what is termed a browser hijacker. The result of hijacking is that every search is redirected to specific pages, some of these will be loosely based on what you were searching for others will be a repository for all the nasty bits the net provides, clicking through this mess will ultimately infect your computer with more malicious software and your problems begin to snowball from there.

Here is a short video explaining more about adware. Thanks to Lana @ identitiytheftmanifesto.

The point we are trying to make is, read before you click! Freeware is not free and can often be a costly mistake. The freedom of the internet is what makes it the most valuable hub of information ever created, at the same time we need to be mindful that for every gem we find, we wade through more malicious crap that is becoming increasingly crafty, it invades our privacy, capture our information and expose us to more garbage… Questions? Drop us a line  doc@oldersite.hampdencomputer.com

Windows 8 is reaching a milestone with it’s first major update, while so far it has not been referred to as a “Service Pack”  it appears that Microsoft may be going back to a different naming convention, last time I heard a .1 edition was Windows for Work groups and Windows 3.11. The video below shows some nice user interface enhancements, tweaks and basic navigational adjustments to make the new Metro interface more easy to navigate and the option to boot to the desktop! When demonstrated on the surface, Windows 8 is very fluid, gentle swipes easily bring forth elegantly designed full screen apps. The problem remains that how many people use Windows 8 on a touch enabled device? I think 10% would be pushing it. Grab a mouse and keyboard and the Windows 8 experience is cumbersome at best. Laptops are a little bit better if you can use your small touch pad for swiping. The next generation of PC’s and laptops will showcase the functionality of Window 8 or possibly Windows 9, by then touch enabled desktops and laptops will be readily available.

If you lo0k closely @ the 2:14 mark in the video you will see a start button on the desktop! Not sure whether this is going to be added in, but if the Microsoft demo surface is running one it shows that this glaring PITA omission from Windows 8 may be rectified. If you are looking for the proven stability of Windows 7, we have been ordering custom configured Lenovo Thinkpad laptops at very competitive prices. Call or email for more details.

I have come to appreciate the Apple Macbook Pro as one of the finest notebook computers I have ever used. I currently have a 2012 model that I run both OSX Mountain Lion along with Windows 7 Pro. From the fit and finish to the solid aluminum unibody construction, great backlit keyboard and excellent track pad the machine is top notch running Mac or Windows. That being said as with any machine they require maintenance and care and occasional repair. At our repair center Computer Doctor of Hampden we deal with both Mac and PC issues everyday. From liquid spills to broken screens, software glitches and hard drive repairs we see it all. First and foremost your Macbook Pro is hydrophobic! It does not like water, beer, wine, soda,coffee, tea, milk, dog urine or pickle juice and yes I have worked on all those scenarios! The adage an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure rings true even more with the base price for a Macbook pro @ the $1200 mark. Life can be hectic, you can bring your portable Mac so many places, think about the risks you run, from loss of the system, data corruption and at least a loss of productivity and repair costs.

Broken Macbook Pro Computer Doctor of Hampden Apple Repair

What is your back up plan? OSX has a very simple back up plan that can aid in both data and system recovery for the price of an external usb drive you can have peace of mind and the ability to find deleted files as well as recovering from a crashed hard drive . Please follow the instruction on Apples website to set up your back up plan sooner than later, consider it insurance for your digital life. Need help getting started? We stock external hard drives and can configure your back up plan as well as optimize your Mac for top performance and check for potential problems.

Given routine maintenance, reasonable care and proper usage your Macbook Pro can give you years of faithful service. Feel free to contact us with questions or submit a service request now.

Latest or Greatest, the choice is yours?

We have begun to see more Windows 8 devices come in for repair. A common question we are asked is if we can make Windows 8 act more like Windows 7. Windows 8 is starting to grow on me, like a barnacle I admit, but it does have its place. The problem is the place it belongs is on a touch enabled device. Yes, device I think is the right word, desktop and laptop are too limiting as we are in the new world of cross platform computing, be it phone, tablet, netbook, convertible laptop or all in one desktop, the choices are growing and Windows wants to be the defacto standard operating system for them all.

Our advice as far as upgrading has been to root out the reason behind the request first, then asses the hardware they currently have and then recommend a path that makes the most sense.

If your machine came from the factory with Windows XP and it was not a downgrade from Win 7 or Vista I really wouldn’t waste my time, processing power, graphics memory and driver issues make this a lost cause. Additionally XP is a little less then a year away from support ending, you are on borrowed time!

Windows Vista, the bastard stepchild of the Windows world can go either way, some of the early, low end Vista computers will have similar issues as XP under powered and lack of driver support for the hardware. This situation I advise to look at on a case by case basis.

Windows 7 will is the easiest and most straight forward upgrade path, there should be little issue with drive compatibility and most Windows 7 machines should be able to run Windows 8 without much fuss.

My personal views are if you don’t need a new machine presently and you do not have a touch enabled device, stick with Windows 7 the rumors are already starting for a 2014 Windows 9, if the trend continues Windows 9 will be a more stable mature platform and will be introduced on hardware that will more than likely integrate touch functionality more completely.

Want to check your hardware and software for compatibility? The Windows 8 upgrade advisor can be found here.

If you have Windows 8 and desperately miss the traditional Windows 7 desktop and start button feel, let us know we have a way to bring back the look and feel of Windows 7 while still keeping the live tile and  Apps of Windows 8.  Questions? Computer Doctor of Hampden

Every year people line up at an obscene time of day to save a few dollars on whatever they need or want and to burn off a few calories after the Thanksgiving feast.

Often the door buster deals are the cheapest computer you can imagine, special models are sometimes put together just for these blow out events. Here at Computer Doctor of Hampden, we see these computer come in all year round, you may be lucky and have one fail during warranty but more often then not they fail catastrophically shortly after the warranty expires. Now some people look at computers and laptops as throw away devices, buy cheap and get a new one when it dies. That is great as long as you have an excellent back up plan, I recommend a combination of local and cloud based back up plans.

For those that plan on keeping their computers for a few years here are some suggestions, avoid the cheapest of the cheap, avoid Acer,Gateway, HP and Compaq laptops that you are paying under $400 for. We have a pile of these failed computers and laptops, we are seeing both motherboard and hard drive failures increasing as prices decrease. Cheap hard drives and poor cooling systems are a recipe for failure. If you do find yourself drawn in to these cheap computers, try to get one with an intel processor, they tend to run a bit cooler and make an investment in a cooling pad, for ~$20 you can help extend the life of your bargain basement laptop.

This is a scam that won’t quit. It looks real enough and has some people opening their wallets and checking with the police. At Computer Doctor of Hampden we deal with computer virus infections everyday. The FBI Virus or Moneypack Virus is another example of ransomeware, typically ransomeware is disguised as a fake antivirus program, this rotten piece of code would start a fake scan saying that you had numerous virus infections and for a fee this program would activate and remove the infections. This scanner was itself the infection and not only would they take your payment, your credit card number would be stolen and a nightmare of trying to stop false charges would begin.

The FBI Virus claims that they have been monitoring your moves on the internet and you have downloaded illegal files and your computer has been locked. If you don’t pay, your computer will stay frozen and legal proceeding will be brought against you. They make in look convincing, some even pop open your webcam to snap a picture.

As you guessed this is also a scam, the virus itself continues to morph and take on characteristics of a rootkit infection. Nasty stuff… If you need help feel free to contact us @207-862-7019 we know how to get this off your system and will evaluate your security and tune up your computer at the same time.

Where is my start button!

The year is 1995, no wait that was 17 years ago… It seems a lifetime since the quantum shift from Windows 3.11 to Windows 95. What is my litmus test for quantum change? Stick a teenager on a Windows 95 machine and they will be able to get around, albiet begrudgingly. Put that same teen on a Windows 3.11 machine and depending on the crowd and their upbringing  a WTF will soon be issued.

This was exactly how I felt when I downloaded a pre release of Windows 8.  WTF? Where is my start button, what are these widgety things, how do I find my “real desktop” and come on Redmond this looks cool, but my desktop is not an iPad.

I get it, no I really do. Change is in the wind, the PC is a complex device capable of so many things and relied upon more and more everyday, by more people to do more things. So what is the problem? Market penetration is my guess. Call it simplification, or dumbing down or spoon feeding the masses, computing is not easy for everyone, so everyone doesn’t own one or two or three. Believe it or not there are people that don’t have a smart phone, tablet, laptop and desktop. But just imagine if a company could make a simple interface, sort of like an iPad that would work and look the same regardless of the device. Welcome to Windows 8.

It is a brave new world of technology and Microsoft is jumping into the future with both feet. The legacy desktop that greets us every morning is not the first thing you will see when you fire up your PC. You will however see smart tiles that portray basic information pulled from “apps” yes, I said apps not programs. The software model is too lucrative for MS to ignore. Selling small, purpose built applications available instantly from their store, MS wants to cash in on the short money sales. Easier to part with $2.99 than worry about plunking down$299 for office, especially when all you need is word and excel. I’ll take my software ala carte please…

So welcome to 1995 all over again. We will all beta test Windows 8 for MS, just like we bought Vista, you remember that buggy short lived platform that bought MS some time to get Win7 stable. I am sure Win9 will be out in Q1 of 2014 and be the polished, tweaked and stable version of Win8 we should be getting now.

Personally, I will get one of the new MS surface devices which will drag me into Win8, probably learn to love it and if it suits my fancy, it may lead to a Windows phone purchase. I am not planning to install Win 8 on my desktop anytime soon, I have little hair left to pull out these days and frankly just want things to work right so I can get right to work.

Want more info or a personal recommendation for new hardware? Feel free to contact me !

(written on my iMac)