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 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 7, 2009

How did I get infected with Antivirus 2009?

Filed under: Viruses — Tags: antivirus, computer, computer checkup, computer recovery, computer repair, computer service, computer services, computer stores, computer support, computers, data recovery, data recovery software, disk recovery, easy recovery, file recovery, hard drive recovery, laptop repair, partition recovery, recover files, recover my files, recovery, recovery software, repair computer, virus removal — admin @ 10:28 am

Even with security software in place, virus infections can occur. Anti-virus/anti-spyware programs as well as firewalls are of no protection if the user of the computer decides to click on links that generate malicious code or download and run questionable files. The user’s interactions can easily override the installed protection and in some cases, actually disable protection programs, but make it look like they are still running.

The fake antivirus program scams actually started last year as “Antivirus 2008” and they were so successful that they live on as many variations including “Antivirus 2009” and most recently, “Personal Anti-Virus Pro.” A clever author of malware discovered a sneaky way to fool folks into installing malicious software into their computers, THEN extract money from them by posing as a legitimate program for removing the malicious software.

The reason that this approach has been so successful is that they very closely mimic Windows warning screens and legitimate antivirus programs. Virtually every legitimate antivirus company has a product called Antivirus 2009, which further confuses the uninitiated.

The most common ways to come in contact with this infection include maliciously coded websites that popup a warning message that you are infected, e-mail messages that trick folks into clicking on a link, websites that claim you need to download software in order to see a posted video and links or downloads that are spread through social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook as well as all of the Instant Messaging systems.

Today, any form of popup or error message that refers to Antivirus 2008 or 2009 (including System Antivirus, Ultimate Antivirus, Vista Antivirus, Pro Antivirus or XP Antivirus followed by a number) should be considered extremely suspicious. If you ever see any reference to a virus that is not specifically from the product that you have installed in your computer for protection, you should consider it to be a fake (Windows, itself won’t ever alert you of a virus infection).Similarly, any website that claims that you need to download a new video program or “codec” in order to view a video should be considered a threat.

Users of file sharing networks are at a high risk of contracting malicious software as it’s often hidden within what appears to be a legitimate program (referred to as a Trojan).The writers of malicious code count on users that are not really paying attention and at this point, they are fooling people by the millions around the Internet. This type of infection is amongst the worst that I have seen in my 20 years of using computers.

Getting rid of the code once it has infected your system can be very involved and is different for the various versions of the infections, so don’t attempt this without help if you are a novice.

Start by identifying the exact version of the malware that you have and placing it in quotation marks followed by the words ‘removal instructions’ in Google (Ex: “Antivirus 2009” removal instructions).

WARNING: There are so many people infected with this family of malware that many new scam programs that claim to specifically clean the code have popped up. Some appear to be free programs that will only scan your system for free, but charge you to remove the code and often they don’t even do that properly.

Since there are so many different variations of this infection, the exact steps are going to be based on the exact version of the malware that you have. In our service business, we use a combination of several manual detection and removal processes (again, based on the exact version of the infection) along with multiple scanning programs to ensure that all potential re-infection avenues (temp files, restore points, modified dll files, etc.) have been removed or restored.

If you know how to work with the Windows registry, operate in Safe Mode and have a current backup of your critical files, you should be able to find instructions online for removing the exact version of the infection that you have.

If not, consult a tech savvy friend or a professional as removing this infection properly (so that you don’t re-infect) is not for the novice.

October 5, 2009

Dropped my phone in water, ugh!

Filed under: Tips, mobile — Tags: battery, computer, computer recovery, computer repair, computer service, computer services, computer stores, computer support, computers, data recovery, data recovery software, disk recovery, easy recovery, file recovery, hard drive recovery, laptop repair, partition recovery, phone recovery, recover files, recover my files, recovery, recovery software, repair computer — admin @ 7:34 am

Ker-plunk. There goes my phone, down into the dark depths of the lake, a burial of yet another phone costing me hundreds of dollars. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was something that I could do to attempt lifesaving measures on this electronic device?

The first thing to do is turn the phone off and take out the battery (iPhone users don’t have the battery removal option, so turning it off is critical.) The biggest mistake that’s made in these panic situations is repeatedly trying to get the device to power up hoping that everything will be ok; each attempt could be your last!

Your best chances of recovery will be to not turn it back on until you are absolutely certain that all of the moisture has been removed or has evaporated – this could take days.

October 2, 2009

Am I really safe using public WiFi?

Filed under: Online Safety, Wireless Internet — Tags: computer, computer recovery, computer repair, computer service, computer services, computer stores, computer support, computers, data recovery, data recovery software, disk recovery, easy recovery, file recovery, hard drive recovery, laptop repair, partition recovery, recover files, recover my files, recovery, recovery software, repair computer, WiFi — admin @ 7:12 am

How many times have you logged onto public WiFi and wondered if you’re safe and secure? In order to intercept your transmissions, a hacker would have to install special software called a ‘packet sniffer’ which secretly copies unsecured packets transmitted on the same network or create a ‘man-in-the-middle’ exploit to trick you into connecting directly to their computer instead of a wifi access point.

Packet sniffers are readily available on the Internet and any motivated 14-year old could figure out how to use one, but that doesn’t mean that everyone around you has one.

The other issue is that even if someone can see what website you are surfing while you are at the airport, no harm is done unless you access your e-mail account, an online banking site or other normally secured resources on the Internet.

Secured sites on the Internet will show up as ‘https:’ instead of ‘http’. If you need to type sensitive information into your computer while on public WiFi, make sure you are doing it on a page that has the ‘https:’ prefix so that your transmissions are being encrypted.

Sadly, many web-based e-mail systems have a secured login page, but once you get past the login, the rest of the pages are not secured. The easiest way to tell if your webmail system is secure at all times is to log in, then go to your Inbox and see if the ‘https:’ remained in the URL.

If your webmail does not encrypt pages after the login screen, then you need to think twice about using it on public wifi networks without adding additional security software, such as VPN – Virtual Private Network software (more on this later).

To avoid the ‘man-in-the-middle’ attack, be very careful to look at the icon next to each available connection when you are attempting to connect to a wifi network. A fake wifi connection will appear as two computers instead of something that looks like an antenna.

Overall, you are pretty safe using a public wifi. Just remember to watch what you click and don’t go into confidential files without a secure login while you are public.

September 29, 2009

Welcome to the new Data Doctors Mpls Blog!

Filed under: Data Doctors — Tags: adware removal, computer checkup, computer repair, computers, slow computer, solutions, spyware, virus removal — admin @ 12:27 pm

Data Doctors in Wayzata provides comprehensive computer and networking services for your home and small business. We’re also the home of the Data Doctors Quality Care program.

Staffed with Certified computer technicians specially trained in customer service, you can expect expert care to help you with:

* Improving the performance of a SLOW COMPUTER.

* Virus, spyware and adware removal.

* Component repair or replacement for your desktop or laptop.

* Wireless networking advice and supplies.

* Data recovery.

* A NEW computer that is just right for your needs.

Come in for a FREE COMPUTER CHECKUP or call to arrange a HOUSE CALL to provide the solutions you need!

We are your prescription in Wayzata for computer and network health!