System Restore - Disable, or Not to Disable...

Most users are probably familiar with Windows System Restore and have probably fallen back on it on many occasions. For those of you unfamiliar with this feature, System Restore is a Windows utility that periodically saves changes made to the system and allows users to roll back the system to its previous state in the event of PC instability or program failures. The best part of System Restore is that it does not change any of the user files, such as Word documents or pictures. The program only rolls back things like changes made to the Registry, installed or uninstalled programs and Windows Updates.

However, in cases where the system is infected, System Restore might also be affected by infected system files and viruses. Being that System Restore monitors all Operating System files, installed programs and Windows registry settings, changes made to said components by an infection would also be backed up. Windows makes restore points automatically and does not check for any infection or malware present on your system. By design, the System Restore function doesn't allow any other program to handle files stored in the Restore folder. Virus removal programs such as Symantec have trouble clearing infected files from the System Restore folder. For example, in a system I recently repaired, a Kaspersky scan continued to show Trojan files trapped in files that begin with “C:\System Volume Information\_restore…”

While the internet can be a virtually endless wealth of information, it can also breed misinformation and half-cocked rumors. To that effect, many self-proclaimed technicians are under the impression that viruses in the System Restore will creep out of that folder and re-infect the system after an infection has been removed. The fact is, viruses in that folder are dormant and more or less harmless. They do not usually do anything while in that folder until a user activates said infected restore points by using them.

So the fact remains that these files should be removed, but not until after the system has been repaired and confirmed repaired so that System Restore can still be used for exactly what it was meant to be used for. Technicians are human beings, and human beings make mistakes. That's where System Restore comes in. This means that a blanket statement that you should always delete restore points may be a little excessive. Whether you should or not, depends on the infection, the time it occurred and whether system files were clean at the time the restore points were made.

All of these things considered reaffirms my emphasis on a reliable backup routine. Many enterprise environments don't even bother with removing infections - they just restore the user to the most recent backup.  This is also where Roaming Profiles (aka User Redirect) come into play. But that's all for another article...

Look Forward to Windows 10

That's right, you read right - Windows 10.
Why 10? Maybe Microsoft's marketing department showed that people like the number 10 more than they like the number 9. Regardless, here's what you have to look forward to.

Some rather simple and obvious improvements that give the people what they want. My take on this - a company that listens. Microsoft has given in to critics and brought back the traditional start menu that people will recognize from Windows 7. That means consumers can click on the window icon and have a menu pop up showing their documents folder, PC settings, command prompt, and the like. Microsoft has also tried to placate people that were accustomed to the tile-based interface of Windows 8 by, in essence, gluing a few tiles onto the right side of the start menu.

As I have written in previous blog entries, Microsoft is attempting to merge all the devices we have come to use on a daily basis. That was the attempt with the whole "tile" thing in Windows 8 - to increase familiarity between devices such as the Windows Phone, Microsoft Surface interfaces as well as other non-Microsoft devices. This along with the integration of the Windows SkyDrive, now called OneDrive made for seamless integration between devices and further guided us all into a Cloud based world. Windows 10 takes this one step further by literally making all Microsoft devices run on Windows 10. That means that your Surface, laptop, desktop, and phone would all run on the same basic code that is Windows 10.

With Windows 10, Microsoft is delivering something familiar, which should be an easier sell for businesses looking to upgrade machines with minimal hassle. This may also be a huge irritant as many businesses just finished spending millions to upgrade and or replace their systems which were running the now obsolete Windows XP. Now, this doesn't mean that companies must upgrade, but its kind of like when you buy the latest TV only to find one way cooler, larger, and cheaper for sale the following week.

If Microsoft keeps its trend of failed every other Operating Systems, Windows 10 should be the OS to please us all. Hopefully....
Just an FYI - I'm still running 7.

For more help and tips, check out www.MooreITHelp.com

Verizon’s FiOS Customers to Receive Upload Speeds That Match Their Current Download

You may have seen the ads as of late regarding Verizon Rewards program. If you were distracted by the guy being taken away by birds in the commercial, Verizon’s message was that they will match your download speeds with your upload speeds. Now, for anyone trying to run a small business or an avid gamer – this is huge.

Maybe you didn’t know it, but yes, your internet connection has different speeds for uploads and downloads. Without getting too much into network architecture and how data transfer actually works, just know that ISP companies set the default setting to download faster than upload, as most people have more of a need to download information. If you are running a VPN Server or perhaps sharing a video with friends – you may notice that your computer’s speed isn’t nearly as impressive as when you download something or stream a movie.

Now, allow me to preface this by stating that this free upgrade seems totally worth it, so far. As commonplace with Verizon, I’m waiting for a surprise technicality on my next bill. However, if you do go through the two second steps to match your upload speeds to your download speeds, don’t be too surprised when you see something like this:

Yeah,

To my surprise, I’m paying for 15MBPS, yet I’m receiving over 24MBPS. Which is pretty cool, but it’s not what Verizon’s Rewards program is selling. They are selling to match what you are paying for. Probably should have mentioned that in your ads, Verizon.

Then again, one really can’t complain – I’m getting more than I’m paying for plus the added bonus of increased upload speeds. All in all, a pretty good deal.

For more help and tips, check out www.MooreITHelp.com

Where's my Start Menu?

Much of Windows 8 will surprise and/or confuse users on first boot, but its desktop's absence of a Start menu looks to be its biggest long-term annoyance. Microsoft responded to this pretty quickly with the release of the free Windows 8.1 upgrade. So when you first turn on your new fancy computer – head on over to the Windows Updates and let that finish up before throwing it out the window.

So that takes care of one problem….but first you have to flip over to Windows 8's new-look Start screen (by clicking in the bottom-left corner of the screen or with a tap of the keyboard's Windows-logo key), then you can either start typing a program's name to launch a search for it or right-click on a blank area and select an "All apps" icon to see a screen listing all of your choices. To me, and most other Windows 8 users I've heard from, that's too much of a detour.

To that effect, I have modified my PC Setup Service to include an optional “Make 8 More Like 7” routine. Once your computer is online, we can even do this all remotely. This service includes downloading and installing essential software such as Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash, and programs like WinRAR, running all necessary Windows Updates, installing an Internet Security Solution and up to three pieces of software provided by the client.

Otherwise, you may want to install third-party software such as Classic Shell. It installs quickly, matches the cleaner looks of Windows 8's desktop instead of looking like some grafted-on growth and lets you prune such Start menu clutter as the "Games" and "Default Programs" links.

Start8 also comes preset to boot Windows into the desktop instead of the Start screen and allows you to disable some new Win 8 features such as the "charms bar" that materializes when you mouse into the bottom or top right corners.

San Francisco-based IObit's Start Menu 8 is free and installs as quickly as Start8, but its beta status results in distracting orange "Send Feedback" button below your account picture at the top of the Start menu. It doesn't provide as many options to clean up the Start menu and leaves some clutter of its own: a desktop shortcut that did absolutely nothing on my laptop.

For more help and tips, check out www.MooreITHelp.com

Windows 8 Start Menu

One of the primary complaints with Windows 8 has been the forced, complete removal of the infamous Start Button. Though Windows 8 users can still access their familiar Desktop, passing the Metro interface, they are still forced into this streamlined GUI whenever they are looking for something that isn’t a shortcut on the Desktop.

Microsoft responded to this pretty quickly with the release of Windows 8.1; a free upgrade available via the Windows Store. Unfortunately, though this update restores the Start Button, it does not contain the return of the Start Menu.

However, the folks at ReviverSoft are ready to make Windows XP users moving to Windows 8.1 a deal that is too good to pass up: Start Menu Reviver 2. This free add-on to Windows 8.1 provides a fully functional Start Menu, but with a Modern UI look and feel. This product will surely make it easier on folks making the transition from Windows XP to Windows 8.1.

There are many other 3^rd party softwares out there, but so far it seems that Start Menu Reviver 2 and Classic Shell are the best.

MaxMySpeed.com - Scam or Legit?

Many of you have probably seen the various ads on TV about DoubleMySpeed.com and MaxMySpeed.com and all these other free to use softwares that claim to speed up your machine in minutes. As a technician, I am skeptical of any service that claims to solve all of your computer problems, especially if it says “in minutes”. Before I get into whether the program does as it claims, allow me to address the fact that the issues these ads describe, such as slow performance and Blue Screens, are NOT "tell tale signs of a virus" as the ad claims. Many times this is the result of hardware failure, incorrect/out of date drivers, and even reputable programs that simply aren't compatible with your machine or were improperly installed. Sometimes it can even be as simple as installing a Windows Update to correct the problem. Allow me to also briefly address their categorization of "taking more than three seconds for email to load". First of all - that question is so vague it becomes inapplicable. The question doesn't take into consideration how the user is accessing their email; through a program such as Outlook or if they are using a web based email. This question also doesn't take into consideration factors such as hardware, program (Outlook/browser) version, OS version, and/or internet connection speeds. And if this is a company email account, well that opens up a whole different can of questions.

Now, being that I prefer to support my claims rather than go on a blind, rage-fueled rant, I downloaded and ran the MyCleanPC program on a new computer which was just purchased today. After running the scan, MyCleanPC found over 2000 problems with my brand new computer. How is this possible? Well - let's take a look at what MyCleanPC considers to be critical issues which can "cause permanent damage to your computer."

What the - My web history? How is this a problem? Okay, clearing your web history IS a basic step in boosting system performance, but 1. This isn't worth $39.98, and 2. This would be more useful in 1997 than for current systems with decent hard drives.

Okay, a fragmented drive. This is probably a result of transferring all my data, running all the Windows updates, and the number of bloatware programs I removed from the manufacturer. This is mildly useful, but again, any user can do this themselves for free! And look at this - it's counting every single fragmented file individually. This is clearly to boost the number of "problems" with your computer - a basic marketing tactic to scare you into purchasing their software. And here's something interesting:

  

All these ads you're seeing are all from the same company. That's a little disturbing.

My systems were pretty tied up backing up data from a couple customer's hard drives, so I decided to look into this further. I looked through some of my old computers and managed to find an old system that had two problems; 1.) It was infected....Horribly Infected and 2.) The hard drive was dying (bad sectors found). I ran the MaxMySpeed program and didn't see a single thing about a virus. No mention of the Hard Drive's current health. In fact, the results were pretty much the same as the one I got from the first computer. It seems that this program is just a glorified Wizard Tool for some basic steps in speeding up a machine.

But just as you bring your car to a mechanic for simple oil changes, computer maintenance and tune ups should always be performed by a trained specialist as they can tell if there is something else wrong with your computer. Kinda like the time my mechanic found a wrench stuck in my serpentine belt. Good times....Good times...

IN SHORT:

I would not call this a scam - but I would call it a waste of money. If you are experiencing Blue Screens, slow performance, and repetitive and odd error messages - call a tech.

Call 617-396-7044 or visit us at www.MooreITHelp.com

Syncing Firefox's Bookmarks with Internet Explorer's Favorites

Hey all,

Just wanted to do a quick follow-up to a post I made way back in July of 2012 regarding Internet Explorer’s favorites and Firefox’s Bookmarks.

In that post, I explained how I use to recommend the use of Firefox over Internet Explorer due to IE's numerous security vulnerabilities. Firefox was so much faster and more stable than IE6 and 7. But Internet Explorer has really cleaned up its act with IE 8 and 9, however with so many great apps available for Firefox, I found myself jumping between browsers and it can be frustrating to search both favorites and bookmarks in an attempt to find a page that I KNOW I saved before.

As time went on, the Plain Old Favorites program I had found to solve my problems began to have problems of its own and eventually was no longer compatible with the latest version of Firefox. To that effect, I have rekindled my curiosity in syncing my favorites/bookmarks and took another look into XMarks. Back in 2012, XMarks seemed to only provide me with error messages and constant incomplete syncing before I quickly uninstalled it and moved onto Plain Old Favorites. But today, it seems that XMarks has cleaned up its act. (Perhaps it was the result of it being purchased by LastPass.) It seems to work seamlessly between all browsers. It not only syncs locally, but also has an option to sync to your other computers as well. Install Xmarks on each computer you use, and it seamlessly integrates with your web browser(s) and keeps your bookmarks safely backed up and in sync. Now, granted that Firefox already does the whole syncing to your other systems thing – but that’s quickly rendered borderline useless for people like me who find themselves bouncing between IE and Firefox.

Give it a shot, and if you have any trouble – feel free to give us a call at 617-396-7044, check out our website at www.MooreITHelp.com, or shoot us an email at Help@MooreITHelp.com.

http://download.xmarks.com/download/all

 

WD My Cloud

A little while back, Western Digital launched My Cloud EX2, a 2-bay network attached storage (NAS) system designed for the "prosumer" and creative professionals that need to save, share, back up, stream and manage huge amounts of data on one device. The new NAS joins the 4-bay My Cloud EX4, which was launched back in November 2013.

According to the company, the new NAS features an integrated file server, FTP server, backup server and a P2P download server. Users can also download and run a number of third party apps including eMule, Icecast, Joomla!, phpBB, phpMyAdmin, Transmission, SqueezeCenter, and more. Desktop and laptop backups are performed using WD SmartWare Pro software on the PC.

Users can also stream videos and photos to connected TVs, media players, gaming consoles and other DLNA/UPnP devices with the included Twonky 7.2 server, DLNA-certified 1.5 media server, and built-in iTunes server.

As for drive management options, users are provided with RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD and spanning modes, while data protection options include RAID 1, USB, cloud or LAN/WAN backup. However, the My Cloud EX2 comes preconfigured in RAID 1 mode to protect data from the start.

Customers have the option of purchasing the NAS without hard drives, or purchasing the NAS with WD Red hard drives installed in both bays. Pricing is $199.99 USD for the diskless My Cloud EX2, $369.99 USD for 4 TB, $469.99 USD for 6 TB and $569.99 USD for 8 TB.

For more help and tips, check out www.MooreITHelp.com

Infections for Windows XP

Microsoft warned many of its customers that they were on their own earlier this month when it stopped supporting XP, an older but still widespread version of its Windows operating system. The software remains functional, but Microsoft won’t fix its newly discovered security holes, leaving those who haven’t upgraded to a newer version vulnerable to a future hacking attack. It didn’t take long to find one.

Over the weekend, computer security company FireEye said it had noticed a number of attacks on U.S. firms via a vulnerability in various versions of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. If successful, the attacks can force a computer to run code of the attacker’s choosing, which could extract data or send spam. More than 26 percent of desktop computers used the affected browsers last year, according to NetMarketShare. FireEye gave the attack a name—Operation Clandestine Fox—but wouldn’t say much about the extent or targets of the attacks.

Microsoft is working on fixing the IE problem. The fix, though, will not be sent to machines running XP. As of the beginning of this month, XP was the world’s second-most-popular operating system in terms of Internet usage, according to StatCounter, and was the OS of choice of more than 18 percent of Internet users. In an e-mail to Reuters, the company suggested that people update their systems.

There are other things that could protect XP users from attacks. The vulnerability exists in a Web browser, which means that it can only be exploited if victims use that browser to visit a website designed to attack them. “An attacker would have no way to force users to visit these websites,” wrote Microsoft in a security advisory. “Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the website, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or Instant Messenger message.”

This almost certainly means that this won’t lead to the kinds of devastating attacks on ATMs some security experts wrung their hands about earlier this year. Many ATMs and other industrial computers have been built around their operating systems, making it a difficult task to upgrade to a new OS. As a result, many continue to run XP even though their makers had ample warning to switch to a newer version of Windows.

Aravinda Korala, the chief executive of KAL ATM Software, wrote earlier this month that any ATM Armageddon is a ways off. “Most bank ATMs are very well protected,” he wrote in ATM Marketplace, a trade publication. “They are connected on a private network with no Internet access. They are locked down tightly so that only the minimum functionality necessary for the ATM to operate is allowed.” For one thing, ATMs don’t click on suspicious links.

For more help and tips, check out www.MooreITHelp.com

How Your PC Effects Your Android Device

I've been asked a few times in casual conversation if ones phone can be infected. The short answer is "yes", but it's not too common. But now a new (and rather late, in my opinion) vulnerability to your phone exists; Your computer. We all know that a PC can become infected and how that can result in anything from identity theft to being just plain annoying, but now the vulnerability of your PC can have a direct impact on the vulnerability of your Android Smart Phone.

The Windows Trojan "Droidpak" is designed (like most Trojans) to download itself and desgiese itself as a critical system service. Once installed, the Torjan contacts a remote server which then downloads a configuration file in order to download the malware under the guise of the "Google App Store." The malware, Android.Fakebank.B, is actually a malicious replica of a Korean online banking application. If a legitimate banking app is detected on the Android device, it is  replaced with a fake one in order to obtain user credentials and thus full access to your bank account. The malware is also capable of intercepting SMS messages and sending them to cybercriminals.

Now that we are aware of the program and how it works, most reliable Internet Security Solutions, such as ESET Smart Security 7, can now protect you against this infection. This is another prime example of why 1. a good Internet Security Solution is critical to any user, and 2. why it is critical to keep said Internet Security Solution updated. One should also be aware that there are Internet Security Apps available for the Droid. One such app is LookOut Mobile Security. 

If you are unsure if your computer is running the current most reliable Internet Security Solution, or your computer is running slow and you are suspicious of infection, spyware, or malware - give us a call at 617-396-7044 or check us out on the web at www.MooreITHelp.com