Are you using a safe password?

I have been reading in the news lately that many computer users are using passwords that are too easy to guess.  Often they are using the same password for multiple websites. This means that if one website gets hacked into, the hacker may try that same password on other popular websites. I recommend using a unique password for critical websites such as your bank and email.  Your email password is especially important.  If a someone knows your email password they can often gain access to your other accounts by using the forgot your password link which often sends a new password to your email.  Try to avoid logging into important accounts when you are using a strange computer as you do not know if it may contain a virus.  It is also a good idea to change your passwords at least once a year.

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Beware of phone scammers

Recently I have been dealing with many customers who have received fake phone calls from con artists claiming to work for Microsoft or other reputable companies saying their computers have been compromised, then offering help in return for credit card information and remote access to their computers. Once given access to the computer they may load a virus or setup remote access so they can control the computer in the future.  They may also install key logging software to attempt to gain access to your passwords.   If you have followed any instructions from one of these individuals please give me a call and I can make sure your computer is secure.  Here is a video that summarizes these scams:

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Upgrade to a web based email using Gmail

Recently I have been moving a lot of my customers to Gmail when they start having problems with their traditional email programs on their computer (outlook, outlook express, windows mail , etc..).  The main problems with the traditional email programs seem to occur when the user collects to many emails in their database.  Many of these email clients were not designed to handle the volume or size of emails the average user is receiving today.   Here are the pros and cons of moving to a web based email:

 

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Expand your Wireless

I recently helped a customer who built a new office in her backyard.  She had shaw internet in the house and did not want to pay shaw for a second connection in her new office.  She had an existing wireless router in her house but the connection would not reach to her office.  I purchased a product from DLink called a wireless expander.

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Laptop down

Recently I had a customer drop off a six year old laptop that was turning itself off after 30 seconds.  I first removed the hard drive to make sure her data was safe.  I plugged it into a second computer and made sure I could view all the important documents.  I then ran a diagnostics test to make sure the hard drive was physically running as it should.  After determining that the customers data was safe, I continued to test the laptop.  I ran a test on the ram and the computer was freezing during testing.  I replaced the ram and it still continued to freeze. 

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