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1/26/2010

Reputable Malware Scanners

To say there are many anti-malware and anti-spyware applications in existance is an understatement.  Unfortunately, in addition to the numurous legitimate products, there are many viruses that disguize themselves as anit-malware products.  And, to complicate things even more, what worked yesterday, often is not the most effective today.  We currently recommend the following product(s) for malware scanning and removal:

The above list will be modified periodically to reflect what is working in the current environment.

Posted at 8:20 PM by Mike Wittmer | Category: Tips & Tricks | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)
Improve Windows Boot Time

No guarantees but you can try the following to improve the time it takes for Windows Vista to boot to the Desktop.  It has worked for me every time.

1.  Run MSConfig

2.  Click Services tab -> hide all Microsoft services -> uncheck these if they exist: xaudio, vongo, stllsvr,roxmediad89, installdriver table manager, cyberlink background, cyberlink task

3.  Click on the Boot tab ->advanced options

4.  Change number of processors to "2" and check "maximum memory."


If your company is located in the Greater Houston Area and needs a reputable IT Support firm, give The PC Paramedics, Inc. a call at (281) 412-7183 or visit us online at http://thepcparamedics.com/

Posted at 8:18 PM by Mike Wittmer | Category: Tips & Tricks | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

1/24/2010

A general note about Virus Protection

Many clients ask how they became infected with a virus while pointing out that they have current antivirus software installed. Unfortunately, protecting your computer from infection is an ongoing process.  I have found the following multi-tiered approach the most effective in protecting against infections:

1.  Email - Be paranoid when opening email attachments.  Infected Email attachments can appear to be sent by sources you know and trust.

2.  Operating System - Make sure your Windows software is fully patched with the latest security updates (Windows Critical Updates)

3.  Current & Reputable Antivirus - Make sure your Antivirus is current and fully patched.  Do not let you antivirus software get too old before upgrading and make sure the virus definitions are up to date. For a current list of reputable AntiVirus programs, click HERE. 

4.  Malware Protection - Periodically run a decent malware scan.  You should run a malware scan at least once per month. For a current list of reputable Anti-Malware programs, click HERE.

5.  Firewall - Have a software firewall enabled and in place (i.e. Windows Firewall).

6.  Surfing Habits - When surfing the web, try to stick to reputable websites as much as possible.   A virus infection can occur simply by visiting an infected website.  So the more you venture out into the dark corners of the internet, the more likely bad things will happen.  Stay in the well-lit areas as much as possible.

7.  Internet Browser - Use a third party internet browser, such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari.

Posted at 3:16 PM by Mike Wittmer | Category: Tips & Tricks | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

10/28/2009

How to install NTBACKUP on Windows XP Home Edition

Information Pulled from http://www.ntbackup.us/Articles/install-ntbackup-xp-home.htm

Microsoft originally planned to include Windows Backup in the Home Edition as well as the Professional Edition. Unfortunately they removed it, for reasons known to themselves, from the final version. However you may install the utility from your original XP Home Edition CD or from the SP2 installation files or you can download it here.

Simply insert the XP CD and run NTBACKUP.MSI (it might look like just "Ntbackup") program from the folder D:\Valueadd\msft\ntbackup where D: is the letter of your CD drive. This will launch the Windows Backup Utility Installation Wizard, which will install the utility automatically. When it is finished, click "Finish."

Now you can click Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Backup, and the Backup Utility will start.

Microsoft approves this in KB Article Q302700.

Alternatively, you can install Windows Backup from Service Pack 2 (SP2). To do this, make sure that you have the full network install version of XP SP2 - "WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe", size 272 MBytes. You can download this from :-

www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=049c9dbe-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a

Or it is available on CD and from a multitude of sources. The file that you need is NTBACKUP.EX_ which is the compressed version of NTBACKUP.EXE

The SP2 file is a self extracting ZIP file. So the easiest way to extract the NTBACKUP file is using a tool like WINZIP which can extract this file on its own. However if you do not have winzip or another zip tool, you can run the SP2 file which will self extract to a folder on your hard disk - usually under the C:\ folder. Before you cancel the SP2 Installation Wizard, extract the NTBACKUP.EXE file which is located in the "i386" sub-folder. To extract it, use the EXPAND command from a command prompt. The Expand command is included as a part of every windows operating system. Type:-

EXPAND NTBACKUP.EX_ NTBACKUP.EXE

Then copy the NTBACKUP.EXE program into the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder. You can create a shortcut to NTBACKUP.EXE on the desktop or under the START button as usual. But if you are using SoftSwift Enhanced Windows Backup, you will not need to run it directly anyway.

You should check your EULA to ensure that you are permitted to extract and use this or any other file from SP2 or to download from this website.

Download NTBackup.

Posted at 8:38 PM by Mike Wittmer | Category: How To; Tips & Tricks | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

10/20/2009

Why Pay For the 411 Service?

We received this communication in our inbox today and are re-posting here as an FYI…

 

Just leave it up to Google to come up with something like this!!!

Here's a number worth putting in your cell phone, or your home phone speed dial: 1-800-goog411 or 1-800-466-4411.  This is an awesome service from Google, and it's free -- great when you are on the road.  Don't waste your money on information calls and don't waste your time manually dialing the number.  I am driving along in my car and I need to call the golf course and I don't know the number.  I hit the speed dial for information that I have programmed (1-800-goog411).  The voice at the other end says, "Say the name of the business and the City & State.."  I say, "Firewheel Golf Course, Garland ,   Texas ..'  He says, "Connecting," and Firewheel answers the phone.  How great is that?  This is nationwide and it is absolutely free!  Works on cell and landline phones.

Click on the link below and watch the short clip for a quick demonstration.

http://www.google.com/goog411/

Posted at 10:13 AM by Mike Wittmer | Category: General; News; Tips & Tricks | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

8/19/2009

Thunderstorms - What do I need to do?
It is still a good idea to turn off your PC (and other expensive electronics) during a thunderstorm even if you are using a UPS or surge suppressor.  Many times people don't realize their power protection is bad until the power surge hits and blows something out.  It is also not a bad idea to unplug the UPS/SS from the wall if you can...take reasonable measures.
Posted at 8:03 AM by Mike Wittmer | Category: Tips & Tricks | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

7/9/2009

Tips & Tricks - An Old Shortcut Trick
OK, this is an oldie but a goodie.  I use this all the time on my productivity machine.  The trick has been around since at least Windows 95, maybe earlier.  I am very pleased Microsoft has kept the functionality around through the Vista era...Let's see if it stays in Windows 7.
 
Keyboard Shortcut Keys
 
Say you have 3 programs you use 90% of the time.  Word, Excel, and that cool retro Dictionary/Thessaurus program you've had since high school.  If there is a icon for these apps in your "Start > Program Files" menu, you can assign shortcut keys to these so you can launch them with a quick key combination.
 
To set the Word Shortcut Key:
  • Click Start > Programs > Microsoft Office
  • Right-click Microsoft Word and select Properties
  • Type "W" in the "Shortcut Key" field.  The field will be populated with "Ctr + Alt + W".
  • Click OK.
Now, from pretty much anywhere in Windows, if you press Ctrl + Alt + W, Microsoft Word will launch.  Now you can assign letters to Excel and that cool dictionary program.
 
Just FYI...Here are some keys I like to assign:
Ctrl + Alt + C = Calculator
Ctrl + Alt + D = Dictionary
Ctrl + Alt + I = iTunes
Ctrl + Alt + M = Mapping Software (Microsoft Mappoint)
 
Once you have some of these setup, who knows, you may feel better about deleting those unnecessary shortcuts that are cluttering up your Windows desktop!
 
Best,
Michael Wittmer
Posted at 9:32 AM by Mike Wittmer | Category: Tips & Tricks | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

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