November 25, 2009

Turkey Day

Filed under: Data Doctors — Tags: business, computers, Data Doctors, hours, wayzata — admin @ 10:28 am

Happy Turkey Day from Data Doctors in Wayzata.

Here is the update on our hours for this week:
Wednesday 25 – closing at 2pm
Thursday 26 – CLOSED
Friday 27 – 11am to 6pm
Saturday 8 – 10am to 5pm
Sunday – CLOSED

We hope everyone one has a fun and safe turkey weekend!

November 16, 2009

Cloud computing: What can it do for me?

Filed under: cloud computing — Tags: cloud computing, computers, E-mail, email, gmail, Internet, Microsoft, microsoft outlook, online software, outlook, small business, Software — admin @ 9:00 am

Cloud computing has many different inferences but in its simplest description, it refers to using a computer that works solely off the Internet instead of from your computer’s hard drive. It offers businesses lower start up and maintenance costs and replaces those costs with monthly ongoing fees.

Instead of having to buy the machine, software, servers, and get everything installed, configured and working correctly, you can buy a simple off-the-shelf computer, connect it to the internet and away you go.  The ease of using the Internet for the average consumer or small business is that there are many free or low cost options through cloud computing available.

Gmail is a great example of a consumer cloud computing offering as it’s a very powerful e-mail system that is entirely housed and processed by Google’s servers.  Unlike Microsoft Outlook Express, you are not tied to a single computer to get your e-mail.   Another example is tax-prep software. Now with cloud computing you can sign up online and do your taxes from work, home or anywhere that you have a computer and can log onto the Internet  Or, in the more traditional manner you can buy the disk, install the software and then be responsible for backing it up and keeping track of all the data on your hard drive, hoping your computer doesn’t crash at some point and lose it all. The downside to cloud computing is that if you don’t have access to the Internet, or if your connection goes down or the host servers get overloaded or attacked, you have no way to access your data.  Another concern voiced by some has to do with data security.  Since it’s in the “cloud” critics says it’s exposed to various ways data can be compromised on the Internet.  However, one also has to realize that data can be exposed to security issues wherever you house the data. If your data is housed on  a hard-drive, you risk it being physically stolen or leaked by a hacker on the Internet.

Cloud computing IS for everyone, but it ISN’T for everything!  Weigh your pros and cons when deciding when and what to commit to the cloud!

November 12, 2009

Upgrading from XP or Vista to Win7: What you should know!

Filed under: PC, Software, Windows 7 — Tags: computer, computer upgrade, computers, software upgrade, upgrade, upgrade to windows 7, vista, win7, Windows 7, windows vista, windows vista upgrade, windows xp, windows xp upgrade — admin @ 9:00 am

Windows 7, just release in October of 2009 is worth considering.  It’s not a first generation overhaul but a reworked version of Windows Vista.  Before you go online to buy your upgrade there are a few things you should know:

First, everything that made migrating from Windows XP to Vista a big pain has been overcome and the rest of the world has had time to update their support for Vista.  Thus, upgrading from Vista to the new Windows 7 is done easily by performing an ‘in-place’ upgrade, which will retain all the programs, data, settings, favorites, etc.

Windows XP users, on the other hand,  are going to have a tougher time.  An in-place upgrade is as easy as paying for an upgrade online and running the upgrade installer but for Windows XP users it’s not that easy.  They will have two choices: wipe everything out and start with a fresh installation of a full copy of Windows 7 or upgrade to Windows Vista and then upgrade again to Windows 7.  Both options have their downfalls, either loose all your data or spend a lot more money as well as each of time consuming in and of them self.

Your best bet is to start completely over.  The amount of junk and trauma that builds up in a computer over the years especially if it wasnt serviced regularly is best left behind during an upgrade.  A free upgrade adviser is available through Microsoft.  If you have to start over anyway, buying a new computer with Windows 7 pre-installed or getting a new Vista system with an upgrade coupon will be the smarter way to go.  Especially since mainstream support for Windows XP ended in April of 2009.

November 10, 2009

Best Antivirus software to use

Filed under: Software, Viruses — Tags: antispyware, antivirus, antivirus program, antivirus software, computer solution, computers, recommended software — admin @ 9:00 am

With all the lurking threats on the Internet, this is one of the most common questions that we field. The answer to this question is very much specific to you and your computer and less about what the various review sites may profess.

We have recommended and used just about every companies’ solution and since virus’ are ever evolving and getting stronger there will continually be better and better software designed to protect. The sad fact is that none of the programs will ever protect you 100% because the virus developers have the upper hand. They have the advantage of being able to ‘reverse-engineer’ the protection programs that are on the market and ‘cook’ their new attacks until they can bypass or evade protection programs.The other problem is that if they can get you to click on or open anything with malicious code embedded, they can disable or bypass your antivirus program.With that being said, you must have antivirus software installed on Windows based computers that are connected to the Internet (Mac users can currently get away without it, but this is likely to change as more users migrate to that side of the fence).

For now here is what we recommend:

Windows is the most attacked operating system because it has the most users by a very wide margin. If you are a hacker and want to exploit the largest number of users, you will always choose to write malware directed at Windows users.

I prefer a solid antivirus program accompanied by a pro-active antispyware program that does what it can from allowing spyware into your computer in the first place. Lots of free programs exist in both the antivirus and antispyware categories, but there is a reason that they are free. It isn’t that they don’t provide good protection; it has more to do with the frequency of updates, lack of support and the active protection against the latest threats.

Technically, most freeware programs vs the pay version of the same program are less powerful generally based on how they attempt to detect malicious code. Most basic program use ‘signature-based’ detection, while more sophisticated programs add behavior-based analysis to better detect newer exploits. There isn’t really a ‘one-size fits all’ solution for every single situation, but in most cases we currently install the antivirus/antispyware combination from Computer Associates. If you can’t wade through all the technical geek-speak when making your decision, consult an expert or someone you trust to review your specific situation for the best results.

November 9, 2009

32 bit vs. 64 bit Windows 7

Filed under: PC, Software, Windows 7 — Tags: antivirus, computer, computer repair, computer service, computer software, laptop repair, recover my files, software upgrades, Windows 7, windows vista, windows vista upgrade, windows xp upgrade — admin @ 2:16 pm

Before you get too hyped up on the 64-bit revolution, let’s make sure you aren’t “buying a car based on the tachometer”. Without question, the future of personal computing is in the 64-bit realm.  64-bit processors and operating systems have been out for quite a long time, but primarily only useful to very knowledgeable techies that had specific tasks they needed to address (such as video editing, computer aided design, graphic design or gaming).

Here is why we view 64-bit computing in the late stages of the leading edge:

• 64-bit Operating Systems require 64-bit processors
• To take full advantage of the 64-bit platform, you must also have 64-bit applications, which are few and far between for the casual computer user
• You must have 64-bit drivers for all of your hardware and peripherals (forget about support for really old components, printers, scanners, etc.)
• You must have 64-bit Anti-Virus software & other vital security software
• You’re wasting your time if you don’t have more than 3 Gb of RAM (and actually 4-8 Gb to really make it worthwhile)
• You must be willing to put up with companies that are still trying to get their drivers and software compatible with 64-bit operating systems (which, thanks to Vista, is becoming much less of an issue)

While having a 64-bit operating system can be viewed as ‘future-proofing’, the question you have to ask yourself is: are you willing to take the chance of compatibility problems to be ready for the future? (iTunes seems to be a common configuration issue for many 64-bit converts on Internet forums.)

For most folks, seeing any appreciable difference between a 32-bit & 64-bit system while surfing the Internet, checking e-mail & writing letters is likely to be slim to none.  None of the ‘average user’ tasks really stress a properly configured 32-bit system.  With all the 64-bit hype, too many users are improperly blaming the ’32-bit limitation’ as the reason why their computers are running so slow.

The reality is that most folks don’t properly maintain their computers and are inundated with unnecessary programs, hidden malware and cheap hardware (that wouldn’t have a prayer of running a 64-bit OS anyway!) If you just have to have 64 Bit Windows 7 watch out for the Upgrade gotcha. 32 Bit Vista does not upgrade to 64 Bit Windows 7! To go from 32 to 64 you must do a clean reinstall.

In review, 64-bit is absolutely the way to go if you can verify your hardware, peripherals, drivers and programs are all compatible with a 64-bit environment.  If you are technically incapable of determining these things, too lazy to do the homework or don’t want to have to wipe out your existing Windows Vista installation, stick to the 32-bit version (or consult a knowledgeable professional).

November 6, 2009

What exactly is Windows 7’s XP mode and what is it used for?

Filed under: PC, Software, Windows 7 — Tags: computer repair, computers, hardware, Microsoft, RAM, Software, upgrade software, Win 7, Windows 7, windows xp, XP safe mode — admin @ 2:02 pm

Microsoft knew that it was going to have a tough time convincing hardcore Windows XP users to migrate to Windows 7 because some older applications and hardware (like scanners) that required Windows XP could not be updated to work in Windows 7.  Accordingly,  certain versions of Windows 7 have an optional feature called Windows XP Mode, which unlike the ‘XP Compatibility mode’ that was in Windows Vista, is an actual complete copy of Windows XP with SP3 (Service Pack 3) that can run as a ‘virtual’ system within Windows 7.

This means that older or outdated applications and peripherals that would only work in Windows XP can run in a virtual session that will appear as just another icon in Windows 7 (and it’s really cool how smooth it works!)

But, before you get too worked up about this creative approach to migrating older users and applications, there are some ‘requirements’ that you should know about. To support XP Mode, you will need a newer computer with a processor capable of ‘hardware virtualization’  (AMD-V or Intel VT), at least 2 GB of RAM and a recommended 15 GB of free drive space.

If you want to see if your computer is capable of supporting Windows XP Mode, you can run Microsoft’s Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Detection tool. In addition, the only versions of Windows 7 that support XP Mode are Professional, Ultimate & Enterprise edition which means that if you get the Home Premium version, which is the least expensive, you don’t have this option.

The reality is, you won’t need this feature to simply surf the web, exchange e-mails and write some letters; it’s only for those will special programs and older peripherals.  The XP Mode feature is a godsend to corporate IT departments as it provides a much more comprehensive way to migrate to Windows 7 without the expense of updating old custom programs that were designed to run in Windows XP.

What is very important to understand is that this is not a replacement for Windows 7 and should only be used for specific programs or devices that won’t work in Windows 7. For instance, if you plan on using XP Mode, you wouldn’t want to surf the Internet from within the XP session because it would expose you to all of the vulnerabilities that Windows XP has. Windows 7 is significantly more secure for web browsing in today’s hostile Internet environment (keep in mind, Windows XP was designed to deal with security threats that existed in 2001), so minimizing what you do in XP Mode is prudent.

As you may have already realized, this feature is not designed to be setup by the casual user, so if you think you might have a need for the feature, consult a knowledgeable technical resource or your local computer expert to review your specific situation before you spend the money on something you don’t actually need!