Free Computer Consultant ………. Daily Insights

Many computers experienced BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) or continuous reboots after applying security update 977165. Often this was an indicator that the PC was infected with a rootkit virus.

Microsoft has a free “fix it” tool that will scan your PC and let you know if they think you will have a problem installing 977165.

It does not FIX anything, just let you know if it’s probably safe to do the fix.

Find the utility here:

Microsoft Fix It for 977165

Many of us IT Pros have been holding off installing MS10-015 (977165). Reports of BSOD (blue screen of death) warranted caution.

Turns out those PC’s doing the blue screen typically were infected with Alureon rootkit (aka TDSS, Tidserv, TDL3).

So you want to make sure you are not infected with that rootkit before applying this patch.

Here are some free tools to do that:

Kaspersky TDSSKiller

Hitman Pro 3

Eset is the BMW in Computer security and protecting your PC from internet threats, malware, etc.

Better protection sometimes costs a little more, but for a short time you can use this link to save $20.

EXP 2/17/10: $20 off ESET Smart Security 2-year Licenses

This information was originally published on Yahoo! News. I am reprinting it here rather than linking to it since I have found over the years that Yahoo! takes the content down and then I am left with a dead link and you, the reader, get nothing.

So if you want to stay out of people’s view, but still want to be on Facebook, here are some things to look out for as you take another look at your settings.

1. Some of your information is viewable by everyone.

Everyone can see your name, your profile photo and the names of work and school networks you’re part of. Ditto for pages you are a fan of. If you are worried about a potential employer finding out about a quirky fetish or unorthodox political leaning, avoid becoming a Facebook fan of such groups. You can’t tell Facebook you don’t want those publicly listed. Your gender and current city are also available, if you choose to specify them. You can uncheck “Show my sex in my profile” when you edit your profile if you don’t want it listed, and you can leave “Current City” blank.

2. Your list of friends may also be public.

Facebook also considers your friends list publicly available information. Privacy advocates worry that much can be gleaned from a person’s list of friends — even sexual orientation, according to one MIT study. But there is a way to hide the list. Go to your profile page and click on the little blue pencil icon on the top right of your box of friends. Uncheck “Show Friend List to everyone.” Either way, those you are already friends with can always see your full list.

3. You can hide yourself from Web searches.

There is a section for “Search” under Facebook’s privacy settings page, which is accessible from the top right corner of the Web site under “Settings.” If you click the “Allow” box next to “Public Search Results,” the information that Facebook deems publicly available (such as photo, fan pages and list of friends), along with anything else you have made available to everyone, will show up when someone looks up your name on a search engine such as Google. The stuff you’ve limited access to in your profile will not show up.

This is useful if you want people you’ve lost touch with, or potential work contacts, to be able to find your Facebook page. If you’d rather not be found, uncheck this box.

A second setting, controlling searches within Facebook, lets you refine who can find you once that person has logged on. Limit searches to friends only if you think you have all the friends you need and don’t want anyone to find you when they type in your name to Facebook.

4. Beware of third-party applications.

Quizzes and games are fun, but each time you take one, you first authorize it to access your profile information, even if you have made that available only to your friends. You’re also letting the app access some information on your friends.

Under “Application Settings,” Facebook lists all the apps you have opened your profile up to. If you no longer want to authorize access to “Which Golden Girl Are You?” you can always remove it by clicking on the “X” next to its name. Apps you use regularly, such as Facebook for Android if you update your status from your mobile phone, should stay.

Next, by clicking on “Applications and Websites” on the privacy settings page, you can edit whether your friends can share your birthday, photos and other specific information. Remember that applications can access your “publicly available information” no matter what.

The security firm Sophos recommends users set their privacy settings for two of Facebook’s own popular applications, notes and photos, to friends only.

5. Go over your list of friends.

The average Facebook user has 130 friends. But many people interact with a much smaller group when commenting on status updates, photos and links. So it doesn’t hurt to occasionally review your list of your friends to get an idea of just who can view your status posts, vacation photos and funny links you’ve shared over the years. Don’t feel obligated to add anyone as a friend, even if that person adds you first. For professional acquaintance you don’t want to snub, send them to a LinkedIn profile you can set up. Some workplaces and schools have rules about Facebook interactions between bosses and employees or students and teachers.

6. Create custom friends groups.

If you have friended a lot of people, sort them. Think of the groups you interact with in real life — co-workers, college buddies, girlfriends, grandma and grandpa — and organize your Facebook friends in these groups, too. Go to “All Friends” under the “Friends” button up top, click on “Create New List” and fire away. Then decide what aspects of your profile, and which status posts and photos, these people will have access to. Or, simply create a “limited” list for acquaintances or distant relatives and limit their access.

7. Customize your status posts.

Type “I’m hungry” into your status update box. Click on the little lock icon. You’ll see a range of privacy controls pop up, letting you either allow or limit access to the post. If you want, you can even hide it from everyone by clicking “Only Me” under the custom settings. Click on “Save Setting.” Repeat with each post, or create a default setting for most updates and increase or decrease privacy as you see fit.

8. Let your friends know you have boundaries — in person.

Many of us have woken up on a Sunday morning to find that an overzealous friend has posted dozens of photos from that wild party we barely remembered — the good, the bad and the hideous. Chances are, they didn’t do this to embarrass you, though if they did you have bigger problems. Rather, they probably don’t know that you don’t want these photos posted. Sure, tweak your photo privacy settings on Facebook. But if someone starts snapping pictures of you at a party, ask them to check with you before posting it anywhere.

9. Never assume complete privacy.

Even for the most tech-savvy person, unflattering photos, incriminating text messages or angry status posts about work have a way of worming their way out in the open.

That should go without saying, but, it happens every day.

$10 off $200 valid in our Computers, Software, Home Networking, Digital Cameras and Electronic Stores! exp 12/31/09

You just got your new Dell Laptop with Windows 7 and you are pretty excited about how cool it looks. So you setup a screensaver, wondering why there are fewer built in choices than with Windows XP, set it for one minute and waited.

And waited.

You come back later and find your Windows 7 screensaver still has not kicked in. While this may not matter because the defaults imposed by Al Gore have the darn thing sleeping, hibernating or screen off, hard drive off, usb devices off, etc. anyway —- wouldn’t you like your screen saver to work?

Well, yes.

Do you have a Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse, which I highly recommend? Unplug the USB dongle.

Voila’, screensaver is now working, yes?

Way to go Microsoft, just brilliant (again).

I have written often that usually the quickest, easiest, and most effective way to speed up your PC is by increasing the amount of memory or RAM.

The simple and easy way to know what your options are and how much they cost is to use the Crucial Advisor Memory Tool.

Here is a video showing you how to use that tool.

With Windows XP you probably want to shoot for 2 GB of RAM. With Windows Vista or Windows 7 in 32 bit mode, 4 GB is better – although Windows may only “see” 3 GB of the 4 GB.

With 64 bit Windows 7, go ahead and add more yet if you think you are going to push the machine to the limits. Upgrading memory is usually not terribly costly and should definitely speed up your PC.

Some folks thing I am a little bit anal on the whole backup thing.

This email came to me from an internet marketer just because I am on his list. He is really wishing he had read and taken my advice on computer backup.

Well a couple days ago My PC crashed on me. Everything froze,
I forced to turn it off with the power button and it never came
back

And guess what?

Well the good news is that I got a new pc (Toshiba) but the
bad news is that while fixing the ‘old one’ I formatted the
wrong drive and loss all my data.

You know all the good stuff

Ebooks
Videos
Niche Materials
Everything

This has got to be one of the worse thing that has happened to
me in a long while.

So Please, Please Please

BACKUP you files. Honestly, I wouldn’t want something like this to
happen to you. It is dreadful and frustrating!!!!!!

Don’t let this happen to you. Backup your computer!

Here is the link again:

http://freecomputerconsultant.com/blog/no-backup-whats-your-excuse/

The debate is over on whether Windows 7 is good, bad or ugly. It has to be good, we have no other choice. Windows XP is long in the tooth and its owner seems intent on killing it. Vista needs to be put behind like another bad dream, Windows ME (and “Bob”, remember?).

So when you buy a new PC, the only thing that should really keep you from getting it loaded with Windows 7 is software you HAVE to have; very few people, percentage wise, need a device that has no support in W7.

And if your software will not run on Windows 7, then think again about what vendor you buy your software from and why.

I have clients who, in the past were victims of software that held them back; turned out it was just the vendor trying intentionally to hold us back for their own profit. It cost my client thousands of dollars before I finally “forced” the vendors hand.

Configuring a new PC for Windows 7

The key items to keep in mind for Windows 7 hardware are these:

1. RAM (memory): Windows has always been a hog, but finally, if you go 64 bit Windows 7, you can use more than 4GB, or more than 3 GB which is what many PC’s have been limited to with previous versions of Windows. I recommend buying 4 GB RAM even with 32 bit Windows, even if you can only use 3 GB. As Adrian Monk would say, “You’ll thank me later”.
2. Video: Don’t skimp on video. One of the benefits to Windows 7 is the way it looks. Onboard video is not the answer,  I would get a 512 video card if the budget allows. Many corporate customers may feel 256 is adequate. Know your monitors, though, there are VGA, DVI and now DP (DataPort) monitor connections; adapters can be expensive and clunky.
3. Hard drive: Nothing less than 7200 rpm, not even in a laptop. 10,000 rpm SATA are out here, and if you want the best, go for SAS 10,000 rpm – but SAS will really up the price point, and likely increase cold boot times.
4. CPU: Multiple Cores. The Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0 Ghz from Intel is my “base” purchase. Windows 7 finally knows how to use cores, especially with 64 bit. Quad Core, i7 are better but pricier. If you go Quad Core, 2.66 Ghz should be the minimum.
5. Optical Drive: DVD +/-RW is both the minimum and the norm, Blue Ray for entertainment.
6. Floppy Drive: Laugh away, make sure that for $9 more you don’t wish you had one later. If it’s a server, think drivers, bios updates and support later. Dell Support will thank you if you have a floppy on the server you are working on together.
7. Power Supply: If a better one is offered as an option, you are typically better off taking it.

Dell Configuration

Here is the basic workstation I am ordering from Dell:

Dell Small Business has some aggressive pricing now through the end of the month; the machine above is available in the low $900’s.

I would use the above link even for a home PC; Dell Small Business has better offerings in my opinion.

There have been a lot of really authentic looking emails coming from spammers with viruses, trojans and malware – usually as an attachment.

Do you know which email to be suspicious of?

Here is a short video I did to warn PC users and help them identify what might be harmful to your PC.