April 15, 2010

Don’t Fool Around with the F1

Filed under: F1 Scam, Microsoft, Microsoft Security Essentials, Viruses, security advisory — Tags: computer, computer help, computer security, computer service technician, computer services, computer technician., computers, F1, F1 Scam, internet explorer, keep your computer safe, malicious web page, march Microsoft advisory, march Microsoft security advisory, March security advisory, Microsoft, Microsoft advisory, Microsoft Essentials, Microsoft Security, Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft virus, Microsoft viruses, security advisory, security services, security virus, security viruses, service technician, snopes, snopes.com, virus, Viruses — admin @ 12:59 pm

It sounds like it couldn’t possibly be true, but Microsoft itself confirms it: pressing F1 on a computer keyboard can actually activate malware for Internet Explorer users.

Microsoft released an advisory March 1, 2010 that warns of the F1 scam.

“Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a vulnerability in VBScript that is exposed on supported versions of Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 through the use of Internet Explorer. Our investigation has shown that the vulnerability cannot be exploited on Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008. The main impact of the vulnerability is remote code execution. We are not aware of attacks that try to use the reported vulnerabilities or of customer impact at this time[…] Upon completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take the appropriate action to help protect our customers. This may include providing a security update through our monthly release process or providing an out-of-cycle security update, depending on customer needs.” By: Microsoft TechNet.

With this security issue, a dialog box is displayed by a malicious web page or other Internet site. Then a prompt occurs that urges users to press F1. The prompt often appears repeatedly. When users hit the F1 key, malware can cause malicious code to be run on the user’s computer.

Microsoft admits that there is not a patch for this vulnerability at this time.

If you are online and a site is trying to convince you to press F1, you are advised to simply log off the system. You could also use the Task Manager to kill the Internet Explorer process. Making sure that you have working security software such as Microsoft Essentials is most essential to keeping your computer and information safe.

The F1 scam is currently one of the Hot 25 on the scam-busting website Snopes.com.

Check back for updates on security advisories!  Should you suspect that your computer has been infected with a virus, contact your local computer service technician.

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!

October 21, 2009

What makes Windows 7 better than Vista or XP?

Filed under: Software — Tags: computer, computer checkup, computer repair, computer service, computer services, computer software, repair computer, Software, solutions, Windows 7 — admin @ 9:11 am

Windows 7, the long awaited replacement for the much maligned Windows Vista is due to be released on Oct 22nd (although many custom-build computer shops like ours are already delivering Windows 7 systems.)  Even if the reasons for considering an upgrade to the new OS were not so numerous, the reality is that at some point most users will have no choice. No matter how much users like Windows XP, there will come a time when Microsoft won’t support it, including the very important security patches that plug security vulnerabilities.  With this in mind, the Windows 7 question isn’t really a question of WILL you upgrade, but WHEN will you upgrade (a month, a year, 5 years?).

By all accounts, Windows 7 is a significant improvement over Windows Vista, primarily because Microsoft has been able to strip out the bad and add lots of new good to make what is essentially Windows Vista 2. (They knew better than to call it that, though!)

Regardless of how it happened, Microsoft listened to the complaints of Vista users and continued to improve the built-in security to produce a pretty solid operating system.

Here are some of the major improvements:

It actually requires less hardware than Windows Vista. For those of us that have been around since Windows 1.0, we were shocked to learn that Microsoft didn’t ratchet up the hardware requirements like they have with every previous version.  Systems light on power that struggled to run Windows Vista will likely run better with Windows 7 (you will even see lots of Netbooks running Windows 7 shortly, which would be unimaginable for Vista).

A kinder, gentler and more flexible UAC (User Account Control). In Windows Vista, the UAC feature was so over-bearing (remember the humorous ‘accept or deny’ Apple commercials?) that many users simply turned it off, which disabled one of the best features that made Vista much more secure than Windows XP.  In Windows 7, you can decide where and how this very useful and powerful tool is implemented (a great way to control what the kids can and cannot add to the system). With the sneaky malicious software that is plaguing the Internet at the moment, this updated version of the UAC is just what most consumers and small businesses need to fight the malware battle.

Faster boot times. The goal from the engineering side at Microsoft was to target a 15 second startup time, which may or may not be possible for everyone (your start time will depend upon what additional software you install), but by all measures, the tech community agrees that 7 boots faster than Vista.

Easier home networking setup. Anyone that went through the nightmare of trying to integrate a Vista system into an existing Windows XP network will appreciate this improvement.

Better support for multi-monitor configuration. If you haven’t experienced the joy of having dual monitors installed on your home or office computer, you are really missing a huge improvement in productivity (add it to your holiday wish list, you will thank us for it!).  Windows Vista was pretty picky about what it would support, whereas Windows 7 has wider support for different video cards coexisting in the same computer for a dual display configuration.

There are a whole host of other improvements such as auto-sizing side-by-side windows, consolidated and clearer security messages, Taskbar previews that are actually viewable and control over those irritating balloon notifications in the bottom right corner that make Windows 7 worth considering.

At the end of the day, if what you are using is working fine, don’t be in a huge hurry to fix what ain’t broken, however, if you are struggling with security, stability or performance, Windows 7 may be just what the doctor orders!