Blog

Posted on

My biggest Frustration:

This type of issue has happened a lot lately so I thought I would share this with all of my subscribers to help everyone avoid this type of issue.

What I am talking about is when a customer calls me and tells me they have already purchased something technology related and now they need help setting it up since it didn’t work out like they had hoped. Sometimes this is a new computer, other times it is a printer or even a router or network extender of some sort. My frustration comes from having to tell them that what they purchased is subpar, not what they need, or there are much better (and many times cheaper) options available.

If you don’t know this, I will gladly help you find exactly what you need when it comes to your technology. I have customers all the time that call or email and ask about what they should get for a new computer, printer, etc. I usually respond by asking a few questions so I can find exactly what they need and then I offer to send them a link or even purchase the item, bring it to them and help set it up.

The time it takes me to find what they need is a lot less than them guessing and getting the wrong thing, having to return it, or worse, having to live with it. There is no reason to waste your time. I don’t charge extra for finding the right items for my customers. It is easier than explaining why their purchase isn’t going to work.

Take advantage of the mistakes I have made and seen over the years.

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!
Posted on

Storage Woes

I have had a number of people recently contact me with random pop-ups or emails concerning storage issues. Most of these people didn’t know if the pop-ups or emails were real or phishing and they didn’t know how to check their system to find out. Based on these interactions I decided to give you a quick view of storage and how to know if you actually have a storage issue.

First, if you receive one of these emails stating your cloud storage is full, it should clearly state what cloud they are referring to. That could be iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive, DropBox, or some other cloud service and it should give you the name of it. If it only gives some generic “cloud service” it is most likely fake.

The next clue is the email address it comes from. All of the above-mentioned cloud services will come from an email domain that includes their name. For example: icloud.com, or apple.com for icloud. If the email comes from some random Gmail account you don’t need to look any further, it is fake.

If you really are not sure, you can open File Explorer in Windows, or Finder in Mac OS and look for a folder listed in the left column for iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive, or DropBox. If you don’t have any of those the email is also probably fake.

File Explorer
Finder

If you do see one of these clouds listed in your file system you can look at the size and determine if you are over the limit or not. Once you know what you are looking for this scam falls apart quickly. Most importantly, never click on or follow any links in emails unless you are POSITIVE the email is real. It is always better to use the company’s website from your browser.

Lastly, if you are getting a pop-up on your screen about storage you can also verify this in either type of computer. In Windows computers look for “This PC” in the left column of File explorer. This should show you your C-Drive and usually shows a little graph telling you how much of your storage is used. In Mac OS you need to click the apple on the top left and choose “About” then click storage. Both also come with tools to help you manage storage if it is close to full.

I hope this little discussion about storage woes has been helpful. As always, I am available to help if you can’t find or figure it out.

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!
Posted on

Your Computer’s Life After Windows 10 End of Life

As most of you know, Microsoft quit supporting Windows 10 last October and the one year of extra support they offered is about to end also. Hopefully most of us have purchased a new computer that is Windows 11 compatible by now.

If you are one of the people that is still using an old Windows 10 computer here are some things to consider.

  • Security holes stop getting fixed – Microsoft is constantly battling against bad actors to ensure there are no vulnerabilities or holes in their operating systems. Windows 10 machines won’t get those fixes and can become more vulnerable to malware, ransomware and attacks.
  • Some programs might quit working – Some software will also stop getting updates since many software makers follow Microsoft as far as the versions they support. You might not be able to upgrade to a new version.
  • Browsers will stop going to certain sites – Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and others won’t support Windows 10 forever. Once browser updates stop, banking, shopping, email, and other websites can become both less secure and less compatible. Many sites will just stop loading.
  • New hardware might not work – Newer printers or other devices might not come with a driver for Windows 10.
  • Security software can’t completely protect your computer – Anti-virus and security patches protect you in different ways. To stay protected you need both.

Your computer isn’t going to just stop working. This “end of life” doesn’t mean that your computer will just stop working one day. It means that each day you use it you are working with less protection and the chance of an issue will increase. Eventually your browsers will refuse to connect to sites that need more security like banks and financial institutions and even paying your bills.

Also, if you are still using a Windows 10 computer your computer is probably more than 5 years old. In those five years processing power and memory have increased by leaps and bounds. You will be happily surprised when you upgrade to a new computer. You will find that things that used to take a long time to load will now load instantly.

Many websites are configured to take advantage of the newest hardware, this is why some websites struggle to load on your current computer. There are also many new features in Windows 11 that might also save you some time.

As always, I am available to help you through the process of finding and setting up a new computer.

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!
Posted on

Passkeys – Coming to a computer near you!

I don’t know about all of you, but I have received numerous emails lately telling me that all of my Microsoft products will soon be switching to PASSKEYS. The email subject states: “Passkeys by default and retirement of Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication.”

To help with the many phishing scams Microsoft is retiring SMS and voice authentication. They claim these are more vulnerable due to AI. Everyone will need to move away from these by February 1, 2027. After February 1, 2027 — Users whose only available MFA method is SMS or voice will receive a blocking prompt to register a passkey before they can continue signing in. There is no opt out from this enforcement; it applies to all tenants. Not just Microsoft, but most other accounts you use on a daily basis on your devices will be going to these. 

Since this is relatively new technology for most of us, I did some research so that we can all better understand what this is, how it works, and how we keep from getting locked out of our accounts in the future. From what I found out this new technology will be helpful to most as long as it is set up correctly.

First of all, there are two kinds of passkeys: 

  • Synced passkey: Stored by a credential manager such as Microsoft Password Manager, Google Password Manager, Apple iCloud Keychain, 1Password, etc. The encrypted passkey is synchronized through that provider. When you replace your device, you sign into the same credential manager, and your passkeys can become available on the new device. 
  • Device-bound passkey: Stored only on that particular computer, phone, or hardware security key. Lose the device and you’ve lost that copy of the passkey. You need another passkey or another account-recovery method.

This just reinforces the need for a password manager. If you save your passkeys in a password manager, you will always have access to those by just signing into a new device with the password manager. If you use local passkeys like Windows Hello, you are in danger if that device dies or gets stolen. You could lose access to the accounts. For instance, if you use the Google password manager on your android phone when you sign into your new android phone all of your passkeys will be available.

This is a much better solution than the Microsoft authenticator that might not sync those accounts to your new phone. The big difference is using a SYNCED CREDENTIAL MANAGER. So, all of us that use Windows Hello on our computers are not saving our credentials to a synced credential manager but instead a local one. Those will not sync to your new device.

Another issue is if you switch platforms on devices. If you go from an Android phone to an iPhone your Google passwords might not come over and if you go from an iPhone to an android your apple keychain might not come over. This is the same with going from mac to pc or pc to mac.

The bottom line of all of this is that you really need to know where your passkeys are saved so you can ensure you have access even if you can’t access one of your devices. It is still best to set up all available options for account recovery to protect yourself from losing access to an important account.

As always, I can help with this as long as you reach out before there is a problem and an account is not accessible. When that happens, my methods might not be able to help. Make sure you are protected before something happens.

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!
Posted on

Your Power Button Isn’t Really a Power Button

This actually comes up a lot, and most people don’t know this. That button that you use to turn your computer on is not set up to turn your computer off. I am talking about the physical button, not the icon on your screen.

The reason this comes up a lot is that I regularly get phone calls from my customers telling me they accidently clicked on something on the internet, or they sometimes don’t know what happened but now there is a big box covering their entire screen, yelling at them to call some number immediately and clicking anywhere does nothing, so they feel stuck.

I would hope that by now everyone would have heard about this scam but apparently not because I get typically one call per week about this. Many times, people will tap that physical power button and then the screen goes black and they think they are in the clear.

Then they tap the button again to turn it back on and immediately the same screen pops up and the yelling starts again. When this happens, people become really concerned and sometimes think the only way to solve this is to call the number.

This is all part of the scam. The scammers know that when you only tap the power button it is set up to sleep the computer unless someone has gone in and changed this setting. They hope this happens so that you will call them so they can perpetuate their scam.

When people call me about this, I always explain how this button really works. It is mainly a sleep button. To make it actually turn off your computer, you need to hold it down for a little while until all lights and sounds go out. I usually recommend holding it for about 30 seconds.

After that, when you hit this button again you should see the complete start up. The manufacturer logo followed by the circle until Windows loads. This is how you know you held it long enough.

Since it did completely turn off, not just go to sleep, the window with no controls is now gone and there is no more yelling. Just don’t restore your previous session on your browser and everything will be fine.

Some of you might be wondering why the computer makers would make the power button work like this. That is because quickly shutting down your computer can cause damage to the hard drive and the operating system. That is why they make you hold the button for a while. This allows the computer to activate the complete shutdown to avoid damage. This is why it isn’t a good idea to pull the plug from a desktop computer. 

Unless you have a situation similar to the one, I just explained it is always better to use the start icon on your screen and then choose turn off from there. Holding the button just once will probably not damage your computer but doing this regularly could cause damage.

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!
Posted on

A Simple Computer Setup Turned into a Big Problem

I wish this was the first time I had this situation, but it is not. I got a call from a customer that recently purchased a new computer. They bought it from a national electronics chain, so they decided to let their in-house services set it up for them.

Once they got home, they soon realized that it was set up with the wrong Microsoft account and all of her documents were now mingled with her husband’s OneDrive. They ended up having a remote session with the company to attempt to fix it and now there are no documents at all on their new computer. 

They called me and I looked all through her new computer and verified that her documents were not there. Now I am going to their house to copy all of her files from her dead old computer so she will have access to her stuff again. Luckily, they did not recycle their dead computer.

When my customer called me, they said the same thing others in the same situation said. Since I was already at the store, I figured this would be easier. Easier is not always better. 

Having someone take their old and new computers into some backroom to attempt to transfer everything without any communication, can’t compare to having someone, like me, who will sit next to you, asking you many questions and making sure it is set up the way you want it done.

I know my customers. And I know how they use their computers. I don’t follow a script to set up a new computer. I do it customized to how my customer wants it done. When I help someone set up a new computer, the process usually takes one to two hours and I encourage my customers to stay as I walk them through everything to make sure nothing is missed and everything on their new computer works just like it did on their old computer.

Save yourself some trouble and call me the next time you need a new computer. I also help many of my customers find their new computer. There is a lot more to think about than just the price. I would rather help you find a good computer that will do what you need it to do, than have to tell you why your new computer is so slow and that it can’t be corrected. This is something that happens occasionally also.

So, if you are thinking about a new computer, give me a call and I can coach you through what to look for, help you decide between a few choices, or even handle the purchase completely. Whatever works best for you.

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!
Posted on

Is Your Laptop Really Just a Desktop Computer?

This comes up so often. I get a message from someone that says their laptop battery is only holding a charge for a couple minutes, or worse, not at all. Sometimes they think they need a new computer. 

This is what happens when you treat your laptop like a desktop computer. By that I mean they always leave it plugged in and they are constantly charging it. All laptop batteries are designed to be used for maximum life. That means you should plug it in and charge it 100% and then you should unplug it and use it until it is down to 10% or less. A good rule is to plug it in when the screen starts to dim. This is caused by the built-in battery saver.

This doesn’t mean you can’t leave it plugged in if you are doing something very important and you want to make sure it doesn’t die. You just need to regularly use your battery as much as possible. They sort of have muscle memory and if you only use the top 10% and constantly charge it eventually that 10% is all you will have.Another issue with leaving your laptop plugged in all the time is THERMAL RUNAWAY. Your battery can actually become damaged and begin to swell. In extreme cases the battery can even explode. Here is a picture of a couple batteries, one brand new battery on the right and one that has begun to experience thermal runaway.

The laptop keyboard and trackpad were not working any longer due to the bulging battery.

So, if you have been in the habit of always leaving your laptop plugged in, you might want to start using your battery to preserve its life. If it is too late and your battery is almost dead, I can help you replace it.

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!
Posted on

Passwords, They Will Be the Death of All of Us!

I have written about passwords quite a bit but the issue with passwords keeps coming up. Whether it is while setting up a new computer, setting up a new phone, or due to some changes made by a company or site, passwords keep being a major issue for many of us. How can anyone keep track of all of them? Then you need to add all of the multi-factor authentication, and it can get very confusing. Here are my latest recommendations about passwords. 

  1. Password Managers – They are still the best way to keep all of those passwords straight and safe. Whether you import all passwords from a browser or input them one by one as you need them, a password manager will keep all of your passwords safe and even help you change passwords when needed. If you are not familiar with how they work, they store all of your passwords on your devices, but you still need to input your main password into the manager to access all other passwords. It is much easier to remember one password than trying to keep fifty passwords unique and safe. Most require a small subscription for use across multiple devices, but it is well worth it.
  2. Browser built-in password managers – All browsers will offer to save your passwords to make it easier to login to all of your accounts. The important thing to remember about these built-in password managers is that they don’t require any password before they can be accessed. This means if someone can get into your computer and open your browser, they will have access to all of your passwords. There have even been cases where someone was able to steal the login credentials for a browser account and then set that account up on another computer and now, they have access to all of that person’s passwords in an environment where they would never be seen. This type of password manager is great for convenience but not for safety.
  3. Using an Encrypted Spreadsheet – I have known many people that keep all of their passwords on their computer, but they are in a password encrypted spreadsheet. This is fairly easy to set up, and it will keep your passwords safe, but what happens if your computer crashes and the hard drive fails? Unless you keep another copy of that spreadsheet on another drive you might be out of luck. I even know people that keep this spreadsheet on a thumb drive to make sure it is available if their computer dies. Just remember that thumb drives can also fail.
  4. Notebook, printed spreadsheet or address book – This is the way many of us kept our passwords for years. You have a small book where you keep all usernames and passwords, and you erase or cross out old passwords and write in the new ones. Some people even write the date of the change to try to make it as understandable as possible. I have helped set up computers for many people who use this method. It is not fool proof. It is too easy to update a password on the fly and forget to update on your sheet. Another issue with this is not having the list available when you are on your phone and not at home. Also, if you print this from your computer and then make changes you can end up with multiple copies or worse lose your copies. This method is set up to fail.

Out of all methods listed, only the actual password managers can keep you connected and safe in this modern world where each of us has dozens of accounts and we need access to those accounts on more than one device. If you are using methods 2,3, and 4 above I would love to help you get organized and catch up with the best option for your passwords. They are not going away and the longer you wait to adopt this method the worse it will get.

One more thing about all of these passwords and keeping access to your accounts, if you are offered multifactor authentication for any account, I suggest you set that up also and use every authentication method they allow you to use. Set up their authenticator app, use your phone number, and use your email address. Having more than one way to access your account will keep you from permanently losing access to an important account.

Speaking of authenticator apps, just know that when you get a new phone you will need to reset most of those connections. This is why it is important to have other ways to authenticate. Usually once you get into the account you can easily reset the authenticator.

As always, I am available to help with this type of issue.

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!
Posted on

Hey Parents! Your Router Can Help You.

Summer has begun and for many parents that means that their kids will be home alone more often. Many parents struggle with getting their kids to help out around the house because many kids spend too much of their time on their devices. Your home router can help you keep this to a workable amount of time.

Most routers come with some kind of parental controls that can keep kids safe and productive. They can block certain kinds of content so your kids can’t access it from their devices. You can also have a schedule that turns their wifi off and on at certain times. This is great for making sure the kids are sleeping at night and not just streaming or hanging out on social media all night.

Most of these routers come with an app for your phone so you can manage it even when you are not at home.

Here are some common features to look for in a new router:

  1. Profile based filtering – This allows you to add your child’s phone, tablet and game console to one profile so you can easily turn wifi off for all of their devices with one tap. You can also use this for specific rules for different ages.
  2. Screen time limits – You can give each child a daily allowance of wifi, or schedule daily shutoff for bedtime.
  3. Content filtering – Automatically block categories like gambling, adult content or even social media.
  4. App blocking – Prevent access to certain apps like TikTok or YouTube instead of just blocking an entire category.
  5. Pause button – Cut internet access to certain devices or all devices for dinner or family time.

If you are interested in this type of help and your current router doesn’t offer anything like this a quick Google search can find many that fit the bill. If you need assistance with this, I can help also.

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!
Posted on

Cloud Storage is Full

This is a topic that keeps coming back to me. I get calls and emails about this all the time. Usually the first question is “Is this real?” Followed up by, “Do I even use this and do I need this?” Of course, the answer to these questions is different depending on who is asking.

First of all, there have been a number of scams based on “your cloud storage is full.” So, the first thing to know is if you do use cloud storage and if so, which cloud storage you use. In the scams the emails are usually very vague about the actual name of the cloud service so that is always the first give away that it is a scam.

In case you are not sure what a cloud storage service is, the major players are Microsoft with OneDrive, Google with Google Drive, Apple with iCloud, and Dropbox. There are others but most people have one or more of these if they use a cloud storage service. They all work very similarly. They all give you a small amount of online storage for free in the hope that you will put more in these accounts and then they can charge you for excess use. Basically, cloud storage is just someone else’s computer where your data is stored and with the correct credentials you can access it from any computer, browser, tablet or phone.

How do you know if you use a cloud service and which one you use? If you look at File Explorer on a Windows computer or Finder on a Mac, you should see your cloud listed in the left column. You can then open that folder to see what you have stored in the cloud. Both OneDrive on a PC and iCloud on a Mac could easily be installed without you really being aware of it. It takes more effort to install Google Drive and Dropbox onto a computer. Any of these can easily be set up on a phone. Based on all of this you might need to do a little research to figure out what you use, where you use it, and what is actually stored in it. When you get a legitimate email about full storage from Google or Apple it is usually pointing to photos on your phone since that is the largest use of space for most of us.

If you are not sure if you have a cloud service or if you need one, I am happy to discuss this with you. For some it is necessary or a great convenience and for others it is not needed at all. With a few simple questions we can figure this out.

Now getting back to that email you received about your cloud storage being full. The first thing is to look at who it is coming from. All of the cloud services mentioned above will send an email from their company name so if the sending email address is some random name, you can be sure it is fake. Next, don’t click any link in the email. Instead look for the account on your device and log into it from there. If your storage is full, you will be told about that as soon as you open their app. 

If you are using their free version and your storage is full you will need to make a decision about paying for more storage or removing the service from your device. If you are not sure, I can help you make that decision also.Finally, some of these services call their service a backup. They really are not a backup but a sync. Here is a video I made a couple of years ago that explains the difference. https://youtu.be/wzqLy-6cJWQ

Want to get my computer services updates and reminders directly into your email inbox? Sign up for my FREE Newsletter!

Sign Up!