With email account hacking being a common occurrence, email providers Google, Microsoft and others introduced a 2-step verification process that can keep unwanted people from accessing your email account, or help you regain access to it in the event of a forgotten password or if it has been taken over by a hacker. It is important to note that you must setup 2-step verification for your account before hackers have a chance to do it first - and potentially lock you out of your account. … [Read more...]
November 8, 2016 By Computer Techs
March 15, 2016 By Computer Techs
Microsoft prompting users to get free upgrade to Windows 10
Updated 3-15-16 to include information on how to back-out of forced installation and how to rollback. Microsoft's Windows 10 became available on July 29, 2015, and computer users have been seeing upgrade prompts ever since. If your computer has Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you may have noticed a mysterious new icon has appeared on the right-hand side of your taskbar. The icon is Microsoft's notification that invites users to register for their free Windows 10 upgrade. Clicking the small Windows … [Read more...]
September 7, 2015 By Computer Techs
Windows 10: The Good, Bad & Ugly
Microsoft’s Windows 10 became available on July 29, and we've helped several clients who have purchased a new computer or upgraded their existing computer from Windows 7 or 8/8.1. On older computers Microsoft’s notification invites users to register to download a free upgrade to Windows 10 - an offer which will be good until July 2016. But just because it's free doesn't mean that you should do the upgrade. The Good: Windows 10 is an improvement over Windows 8/8.1. It brings back a "Start" … [Read more...]
December 8, 2014 By Computer Techs
Why your most important password is the one that secures your email
You may think that nobody would be interested in reading your email, therefore your email password doesn't need to be secure. However if a hacker accesses your email, consider the following common occurrences: A hacker can change your password and lock you out of your account. A hacker can go to financial and shopping websites and have password reset requests sent to your email address. With access to your financially related websites in the hands of a miscreant, you could potentially … [Read more...]
May 27, 2014 By Computer Techs
Does your computer have adware?
Adware is advertisement-supported software that is usually is bundled with other programs that are downloaded from the internet. For example you may download a free program from the internet, but in order for the website to make money they typically bundle the program with adware, browser toolbars and/or browser hijackers. These Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) will display advertisements, re-direct your internet search results and even change your browser home/start page. Adware should … [Read more...]
April 30, 2014 By Computer Techs
How to change your email password
Updated May 2024: Below are links to instructions for changing your password at most major email providers. Please review how to safely manage your passwords when creating a new password. AOL Mail AT&T/Yahoo email - att.net, sbcglobal.net, prodigy.net, nvbell.net Charter email Gmail Hotmail/Outlook.com Yahoo Mail If you access email on your smart phone, tablet or email program on your computer, don't forget to update the password on those device(s) with the new … [Read more...]
April 15, 2014 By Computer Techs
Microsoft offers cheaper Office 365 subscription and free online version
Microsoft now offers a cheaper subscription option to their Office 365 suite. For $69 per year (or $6.99 per month), you can use the full suite of Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and others on 1 computer plus 1 tablet computing device. Their original subscription option which is still available allows the use of the full suite of Office products on 5 computers plus 5 tablets in a household for $99 per year (or $9.99 per month). Last month Microsoft … [Read more...]
April 9, 2014 By Computer Techs
Heartbleed flaw impacts half a million websites – change your passwords
The "Heartbleed bug" is a flaw in the OpenSSL encryption standard that is used by half a million websites which was uncovered on April 7. Most websites that require a password to access use OpenSSL encryption to "scramble" the data transferred between your computer and the website's server. OpenSSL has since been patched and millions of websites - many that you likely use - are being updated and new encryption certificates and keys are being issued. So what does this all mean for the average … [Read more...]
April 8, 2014 By Computer Techs
How to tell what version of Windows is on your computer
Updated November 2024: Every time Microsoft ends support for a version of their Windows operating system, we are frequently asked how to easily tell what version of Windows is on their computer. Here's two methods for determining the version of Windows on your computer: … [Read more...]
January 18, 2014 By Computer Techs
New twists in tech support phone scams
For years we’ve been warning people about tech support scams where someone claiming to be from Microsoft, your internet service provider or computer manufacturer calls to inform you that your computer is in danger and filled with trojan viruses or critical errors. In a later twist, shady companies began advertising on Google, Yahoo, Bing and other websites targeting search terms such as “HP tech support number” in hopes that vulnerable computer users would call them. After calling the number … [Read more...]