Windows 11: Should You Upgrade or Wait?

Windows 11 was officially announced by Microsoft a few months ago and there seems to be a collective “meh” about the upcoming release on October 5th. It’s been over six years since the Bill Gates-created behemoth released its latest major OS upgrade in Windows 10, so it’s not very surprising Microsoft is announcing a new release of Windows. The biggest difference between previous Windows OS releases and this one (we’re ignoring the hot mess that was Windows Vista) is that this newest flavor makes minor, but noticeable, changes to the GUI while also updating how you manage your files and access applications. Windows has decided to go a little Apple with their Start menu, centering the icons very similar to the way macOS shows icons on the system’s Dock. Corners are rounded, another macOS aesthetic, and there are some interesting changes Windows has done to its interface; you can now add Widgets to your desktop, can snap apps and windows next to each other, and there are some changes to File Explorer as well.

Arguably the biggest change is the minimum requirements Windows has listed in order to upgrade to Windows 11. Windows initially released requirements for upgrading to Windows 11 that were more stringent than many in the community thought necessary and, as a result, has released an updated blog post on minimum system requirements, which can be found here. The blog post has a link to a list that includes more chipsets, but the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements still exist; the only way to get around the TPM 2.0 requirement without having a compatible processor is to do some registry editing, which I wouldn't recommend unless you know what you're doing and/or you're ready to break your PC.

Windows stated that they are maintaining these stringent requirements in order to "...deliver on the principles we established to best support you". Older PCs that meet the Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 requirements but are a little weaker on some of the other requirements can still install and run Windows 11; however, you'll need to install Windows 11 from an ISO image since you won't get the option to download and install an update from the Microsoft Store. Windows has provided some very basic stats on computers that have installed Windows 11 but didn't meet the minimum system requirements, and it appears that these computers are more unstable and suffer more kernel crashes than computers that did meet the minimum system requirements.

The bottom line, for now at least, is that your PC will need to at least have the minimum requirements recommended in order to install and run Windows 11 smoothly. Is it worth the upgrade? Some of the security features sound great, but most users aren't familiar at all with TPM and don't really care about the added security it provides. As for the added flexibility in file management, most people again won't even care about the new features. Most users just want Windows to work and run the programs the previous version did and will be just fine sticking with Windows 10 for now, especially since Microsoft will still support Windows 10 until October 14, 2025. That leaves plenty of time for users to upgrade to newer computers that meet the minimum system requirements and may very well have Windows 11 pre-installed.

Simple Troubleshooting, Part 4: Connecting Devices

Most computer users feel like they have no idea what to do when their computer decides to stop doing whatever it is supposed to be doing. They aren’t very comfortable with troubleshooting, and frankly some don’t feel like they have the time. However, there are a few easy things you can try before you decide to take a hammer (or keyboard) to your desktop.

This series will examine four areas where knowing some basic troubleshooting steps can help you find and fix what is wrong  and may help mitigate some of the stress that comes along with dealing with a malfunctioning PC.

In part 3 of our series, we talked about smartphone troubleshooting. In this final week of the series we will discuss device connectivity.

Today it is commonplace to have multiple devices connected to the same home or small office network.  Take a family of four, for example.  Each member could have a cell phone and a computer or laptop, you’d likely have at least one printer in the house, a smart TV, one or more streaming devices, a few tablets, maybe a smart refrigerator, a smart speaker…the list can go on.  You can already see how quickly the number of devices begins to add up. More devices means more opportunities for a device to not connect properly or see other devices on a network.  Diagnosing connectivity issues can be a little complex even in the simplest of networks, so we are going to make a few assumptions in this blog in order to keep it simple:

  1. Your network has AT MOST one router/modem that can broadcast on two different bands and that you may have two different service set identifiers, or SSIDs, for each band. SSIDs are the names you see when you try to connect a device to a wired or wireless network.

  2. Your network isn’t currently set up with any additional Wi-Fi extenders or repeaters. Repeaters and extenders are physical devices that help extend the range of your wireless network. Troubleshooting with these devices on the network would involve similar steps you’d use for a bare bones network, but they have their own steps for setup and access and we’d have to address connectivity issues with those additional steps in mind. 

One of the first things you’ll want to check if a device like a printer isn’t showing up on the network is to see if it is turned on and has power.  This seems silly, but we take it for granted that our devices are always on and the problem could be something as simple as a power strip’s switch might have been turned off by mistake or the device was unplugged for some reason and wasn’t plugged back in.  Next, you’ll want to check your internet connection.  If your internet is down, you’ll want to refer to part 1 of our series.  Check with other devices to see if they can see the printer in question. Try to print from your phone or another computer. If they can see it, then you know it isn’t a problem with the network.  Confirm that the device you’re trying to connect to the printer is on the same network.  If you have your network split with two or more different SSIDs for the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, check both device’s Wi-Fi settings to make sure the printer isn’t one one network and the device is on another.  Is the printer on Joe Bob’s 2,4 GHz Wi-Fi and the device on Joe Bob’s 5 GHz Wi-Fi, for example? Keep in mind some older devices will only allow them to see the 2.4 GHz network and newer devices can see both 2.4 and 5 GHz networks; you will want to set up your devices accordingly. 

For streaming devices that use AirPlay or  Google Cast, you’ll need to ensure that both devices are on the same network in order for them to see the other.  Apple uses AirPlay and Android uses Google Cast and they can’t play together, so keep that in mind when purchasing a streaming device. Any other smart devices like thermostats, smoke detectors, webcams and the like are going to follow the same principle of needing to be connected to the same network in order to speak to one another. NOTE: As for smart TVs, refrigerators, and other new devices that have the ability to connect to the internet, I would personally recommend against giving these devices connectivity if you can at all avoid it.  Your smart TV may be the only way you can access Netflix, Hulu, and the like, so it’s possible you may not be able to.  If you can avoid it, however, it would be one less way companies can have access to your viewing and spending habits.  The user agreements for connecting these devices are usually VERY one sided and allow a company access to most, if not all, of your data and can even involve keeping track of what you watch and when.  Worse still, these devices have their own IP addresses and default settings for access for the device which almost no person ever changes, so individuals with malicious intent can easily hack these devices and take them over without your knowledge.

If you have a tablet, phone, laptop, or other device that you set up to be viewable on your network, you’ll want to check your operating system’s network settings (usually labeled “Network Connections” or “Internet Settings” to see if a recent update changed a setting you’ve made.  Sometimes an operating system update can change or even turn off your network sharing settings and these changes will not be explicitly stated in the patch notes.  If you’re having connectivity issues that are more complex and you can’t solve them on your own, you may need to consider hiring a professional

Making the Most of Working From Home

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During these difficult times, millions of us have suddenly found ourselves stuck at home. Not only are we working and studying from home but we’re not really able to go out for recreation or a break due to social distancing guidelines.  We’ve already compiled a brief guide to some great tools for working remotely, so we decided to devote this article to share some ideas and tips for making the most of your time at home, not just for work, but all aspects of your life.

Treat working from home as actual work

It’s tempting to settle in to being at home and to treat it as the longest weekend that ever was. Resist! When you are working from home, you are really and truly working. Do the same types of things you would do to prepare for work. Get up at the same time you used to get up to go to work. We’ll give you some suggestions for how to use the additional time you’ve gained from no longer having to travel to work later in the article, but for now, don’t use it to sleep in longer; get up!  Get up, take a shower and get dressed as if you were going to leave the house for work. This all helps to put you in a “working” state of mind. Once you’ve started working, stick to a scheduled routine of working the same hours each day. You can be flexible, but the more consistent you are, the more productive you will end up being over time.

Eat a healthy breakfast

You know that breakfast is supposed to be one of the most important meals of the day, so get in the habit of not skipping breakfast, especially now that you have time to make and eat it.  Try to include lots of whole grains, fruits, and protein. It doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult to prepare. In fact, having lots of fresh fruits, simple whole grains and sources of protein on hand usually allows for quickly throwing together a very healthy breakfast and often raw foods are not only easier to prepare, but healthier.

Use the time gained from not traveling to work for consistent morning routines. 

You may have gained anywhere from 1 to 2 hours of extra time that would have ordinarily been spent traveling to and from work; for some of you with longer commutes, this could be even more. Use this time wisely by getting up at the same time as you normally would have and consistently doing things like reading, praying or meditating, planning out your day, considering all for which and for whom you are thankful, learning something new, and finding ways to express love to your family and friends.

Prepare your home working environment

Find a quiet area. If you don’t really have a quiet place, consider investing in a pair of noise-canceling wireless headphones.  They work great to cancel out environmental noise even if you’re not actually listening to anything. Set up your area with everything you need to work and make sure that there are as few distractions as possible.  If you are working primarily on your computer and phone, enable Do Not Disturb on all working devices during the times you will be focused on work.

Exercise

Try to get regular exercise each day.  Exercise releases endorphins, increases blood flow and improves concentration and motivation. You may already have home exercise equipment; even if you don’t you can do bodyweight exercises and stretches.  If you are able to, go outside for a walk or run and get some fresh air. The psychological release of being outside of the house for a bit (just make sure to stay at least 6 feet away from others) will help improve your mood and overall well-being.

Work in short bursts with brief breaks in-between

Working with intense focus for periods of 25-60 minutes with a 5-10 minute break in between bursts is a good way to be highly productive. Practice the Pomodoro Technique. This simple technique involves working in 25-minute periods with brief breaks in between and a longer break after every 4 periods of work.  You will find that you get a lot more done working this way than trying to slog through 8 hours all at once.

Focus on your relationships

Lastly, make sure you spend a good amount of time focusing on your family, friends and other close relationships. Take the time to play with your kids, love your spouse, take long walks with the dog, and talk on the phone or computer with friends and more distant family. This is a rare time when we can work hard and still have lots of time for our family, so you should make an effort to make the most of this time by spending a healthy portion of it on what really matters most. Keep an eye out for our next post where we will wrap up our troubleshooting series.

Simple Troubleshooting, Part 3: Smartphone Troubleshooting

Most computer users feel like they have no idea what to do when their computer decides to stop doing whatever it is supposed to be doing. They aren’t very comfortable with troubleshooting, and frankly some don’t feel like they have the time. However, there are a few easy things you can try before you decide to take a hammer (or keyboard) to your desktop.

This series will examine four areas where knowing some basic troubleshooting steps can help you find and fix what is wrong  and may help mitigate some of the stress that comes along with dealing with a malfunctioning PC.

Part 3. Smartphone Troubleshooting

In our previous post, we looked at how to troubleshoot slow or unresponsive applications on your desktop PC or Mac. Smartphones today are literally small computers that we carry around in our pockets and can exhibit many of the same issues we have with our computers at home. This post will look into a few steps you can take to try and solve these issue when they arise.

It wasn’t that long ago that we only had to deal with our desktops or laptops when troubleshooting. With the ubiquity of cell phones, we now have computers in our pockets that are more powerful than home computers one or two decades ago.  Our cell phones have gone from making phone calls on the go to devices that we use browse the internet, run businesses, make video calls, do personal banking, create and edit documents, create our weekly schedules, and so on.  Our mobile devices have become increasingly complex and, as a result, there is more of a chance for something to go wrong. Your phone can become sluggish, problematic, or sometimes downright unresponsive.

There are many makes and models of cell phones out today, but operating systems on phones fall into two main categories: iOS and Android.  When it comes to troubleshooting on iOS, steps will be the same across all devices and will only vary slightly depending on whether or not you have the most recent version on your phone.  Troubleshooting across Android devices will vary greatly depending on the phone’s manufacturer, the model of the phone, and your cellular provider.  As such, troubleshooting steps will vary depending on your circumstance, and the following steps are guidelines to help you narrow down what your problem may be. 

Process Hogging Apps

One of the most common issues users can have is slower performance: applications take forever to open and work slowly when they do, switching between apps seems to take a lifetime, and your device loves to crash apps that are open.  The culprit may be an app or two that are eating up your phone’s RAM. Android phones have a place in their setting menu where you can see what applications are eating up the most RAM and you can troubleshoot from there to decide whether or not to close out of the guilty programs or eliminate them from your phone entirely.  iPhones don’t have that feature in settings, unfortunately, but there are ways to reset the RAM on your iPhone device; a simple internet search will lead you to the appropriate instructions for your iPhone model.

Check for Malicious Apps on Your Phone

This is a much smaller issue for iPhones than Android since Apple has a more rigorous process for approving apps that are found on their app store.  For Android, this isn’t the case, and there can be many versions of the same app on the Google Play store, which means there are more opportunities for malicious software to find its way onto your phone. One of the best things you can do to avoid this issue is to check the developer of the app and what it purports to do BEFORE you install it.  Are there a slew of glowing reviews on the app store?  Has the app not been around long? Does the app require access to your contacts?  There are many other things to consider, but the bottom line is this: if you don’t fully trust or know the developer, don’t download the app.  

Many apps that run malicious software on your phone do it without your knowledge or approval and can obtain access to your address book, microphone, and camera without you knowing, and sometimes the only telltale sign is that the app is taking up much more RAM than what an app of that particular type would normally take up.  Sometimes you’ll install an app and it immediately blasts out text messages to everyone from your contact list asking them to download the app (I recently had my daughter receive an SMS from an app called Twenty asking if she knew a friend of hers by name and if she went to a particular school.  Her friend said the app got access to her contacts list and sent the SMS). If you become aware of a phone that has installed malware or other malicious software on your phone, you’ll need to delete the application and possibly restore your phone from an earlier backup afterwards. 

Update Your Operating System

One of the easiest steps you can take to try and boost your phone’s performance is to make sure your operating system is up to date.  For iPhone users, this process is the most straightforward and tends to be applied universally across all iOS devices unless your device is quite old.  Most Apple devices three or four generations back can run the most recent operating system.  Apple’s website can tell you what operating system your device supports.  For Android, you’ll have to know a few things. First, what company manufactured your phone?  The most recent version of Android’s  operating system will vary depending on whether it’s an LG, Samsung, HTC, Google Pixel, or other type of Android phone. Second, what make is your phone?  A Samsung Galaxy Note 10 won’t have the same version of Android as a Samsung Galaxy A6, for example. Additionally, your current cellular provider will also affect which version of Android you’ll be able to upgrade to and when that update will be pushed to your phone. 

Keep in mind that these are just a few possible solutions to your phone’s performance issues. Hopefully, taking the above steps will solve the problem, but  you might have to make a visit to your cellular provider or the Apple Store for further troubleshooting and sort out whether or not the issue is a hardware problem, a software problem, or a combination of both.  Our next blog post will look into…..

Simple Troubleshooting, Part 2: Slow or Unresponsive Applications or Programs

Most computer users feel like they have no idea what to do when their computer decides to stop doing whatever it is supposed to be doing. They aren’t very comfortable with troubleshooting, and frankly some don’t feel like they have the time. However, there are a few easy things you can try before you decide to take a hammer (or keyboard) to your desktop.

This series will examine four areas where knowing some basic troubleshooting steps can help you find and fix what is wrong  and may help mitigate some of the stress that comes along with dealing with a malfunctioning PC.

Part 2. Slow or unresponsive applications or programs

In our previous post, we looked at how to troubleshoot a poor or broken internet connection.  But as we all have experienced at one time or another, any program or application can sometimes slow down or become suddenly and mysteriously unresponsive.  This article will show you how to figure out what’s going on and, hopefully, how to fix it.

First, let’s try to narrow down the scope of the issue.  Is it just one program or app that’s running more slowly than usual or is it multiple apps or even the whole operating system? What exactly does “slow” mean for you? Does it take a long time to respond when you click or enter something? Is the cursor moving sluggishly or in fits and starts? Does animation progress extremely slowly?  Exactly what is happening?  Learning to pay attention to precisely what’s happening on your screen can not only help you narrow down and resolve issues on your own, but will also help you to better describe what’s going on to someone else if you end up needing outside assistance.

If you’ve narrowed it down to a single application, then try reinstalling the application.  If that doesn’t work or if there are multiple applications giving you trouble, try rebooting the system and see if and how that affects the way things are running.

If you are still having issues with responsiveness after a simple reboot, make sure the application(s) and the operating system are fully up-to-date.

If none of the above works, try restarting your computer in Safe Mode.  

INSTRUCTIONS FOR STARTING WINDOWS IN SAFE MODE

  1. Go to Settings, then Update & Security

Click on the Recovery tab from the left hand side menu 

  1. Go to Advanced Startup, then click on “Restart now”

You will be taken to a screen titled “Choose an option” with three choices.

2. Click on Troublsehoot,

3. Then click on Startup Settings

4. Click Restart and your PC will restart

5. After restarting you will see a screen with several options for working in Safe Mode. Press the number 5 key on your keyboard to enter Safe Mode with Networking. Keep in mind you will need to login using your Microsoft Account credentials; login in with your PIN isn’t available in Safe Mode. 

To reboot in Safe Mode on a Mac:

1. Start your Mac. If it was on, restart it.

2. Press and hold the Shift key.

3. You’ll see the Apple logo appear on the display.

4. Release the Shift key when the login window appears.

That’s all you need to do to reboot in Safe Mode on a Mac.

So what exactly does rebooting in Safe Mode do? It boots the operating system without loading all the little special programs, apps, and utilities which normally load up at boot time.  Doing this tells you if one or more of these (most commonly an antivirus application) is conflicting or corrupted.  If everything seems to work fine and without any speed issues after rebooting into Safe Mode, then you most likely have a utility software conflict or corruption.

If you still have problems, even in Safe Mode, then you may have a hardware or memory issue and you should contact us for a professional consultation.

Simple Troubleshooting, Part 1: Internet Isn’t Working or Is Super Slow

Most computer users feel like they have no idea what to do when their computer decides to stop doing whatever it is supposed to be doing. They aren’t very comfortable with troubleshooting, and frankly some don’t feel like they have the time. However, there are a few easy things you can try before you decide to take a hammer (or keyboard) to your desktop. 

This series will examine four areas where knowing some basic troubleshooting steps can help you find and fix what is wrong  and may help mitigate some of the stress that comes along with dealing with a malfunctioning PC.

Part 1. Internet Isn’t Working or Is Super Slow

You can’t do much without an Internet connection these days, so when your internet connection is trudging along like an oyster running a marathon or it stops working entirely, then you have a not so minor problem on your hands. The first thing you should do is check your internet speed. One of the easiest ways to check your actual internet speed is to run a speed test. There are several websites that you can use to run this test, but one of the easier ones to use is www.speedtest.net (formerly www.ookla.com). 

The browser interface on the site is quite easy to use; you simply click on the large “GO” button in the middle of the screen and let it do its thing. The site will give you your ping (the amount of time a request is sent from your computer to the destination and then back again) and your download and upload speeds in Megabits per second (Mbps). 

Now, ping time isn’t usually a huge concern for most folks (except for gamers, of course), so it’s best for the average user to focus on download and upload times. If you know what speeds you’re supposed to be getting from your Internet Service Provider (ISP), you can compare that to what you see in your speed test results. Keep in mind that internet service providers sell you on the maximum possible speed you COULD get, but your average speed won’t be that high all the time. There are a lot of factors which can affect internet speeds: the number of people on your local network, the number of people on the internet in your area at that time, peak usage (the more folks online, the more bandwidth being used), and other factors that can be beyond the service provider’s control. As long as you aren’t seeing speeds significantly slower than what your ISP quoted, you should be fine. You may want to check with your ISP and aggregate outage sites like https://downdetector.com to see if there is an outage in your area that could be the cause of your connection issues. 

Another thing to check if you’re experiencing slow internet is your browser cache;  sometimes clearing your cache will help speed things up. Also, if you have a habit of leaving multiple tabs open, closing some of these tabs might help.  You may also try restarting your router and your computer in that order. 

If you are experiencing much slower speeds than normal or no connection at all, you will want to give the classic unplug-your-router-wait-15-seconds-then-plug-it-back-in a try.  Most routers are router/modems and have several indicator lights in the front. Check to make sure all lights are back on according to the modem’s manual and you can move on to the next steps if you’re still without a connection. 

If you’ve confirmed that your modem is up and running properly but you still don’t an internet connection, then next you’ll want to use another desktop or laptop computer to try and connect to the internet. If you are hardwired into the modem, check your Ethernet cable by unplugging the cable end from the first computer and plugging that end into a different laptop or desktop.   

Hopefully, trying one of these fixes will get your internet back up and running. If not, you may need to contact a professional IT company for further troubleshooting and assistance. In our next blog post we’ll be looking at how to troubleshoot slow or unresponsive applications or programs. 

Don’t Live in Regret; Back Up Your Data!

How many of us as individuals or business owners know we should back up our data on a regular basis? How many of us actually do so? Making backups of our important files is something everyone agrees should be done, so why is it that so many individuals and  businesses fail to regularly back up their data?

One assumption that no longer holds true is that making backups is complicated and cumbersome. The process in the past required multiple floppy disks or tapes that would be used to back up your files and programs. Restoring these files and programs after a loss would take quite a bit of time. The process today is much simpler. Operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS make it very user-friendly; you can simply purchase a USB external hard drive, follow the step-by-step instructions on setting up the automated backup process, and let it do its thing. 

Another assumption is that restoring files from backup is a messy endeavor. Again, that process has been made much easier.  In Windows and Mac OS, you can actually go back to a specific point in your previous backups where you can restore individual files that may have been lost, corrupted, or otherwise overwritten by mistake. Mac OS’s backup system, Time Machine, even lets you go into the folder via a special graphic user interface to find and restore a particular file just as if you were looking for it normally. 

Thankfully, there are several options for backing up your files that don’t include floppy disks!  These backup options are fairly inexpensive and are simple to set up and maintain. You can use an external USB hard drive, optical disks (although these kinds of discs such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM are being used less and less), flash drives, and even use a cloud-based backup system such as Carbonite or Barracuda. Cloud backup systems differ from the others in that your data is physically stored on a company’s server which you access via the internet.

No matter which storage type you choose to use, you are saving yourself time and money by making sure your important files are backed up so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel if something were to happen to your computers on site or at home. You should back up regularly and back up often; again, with today’s technology, making regular scheduled backups is as easy as following a few steps for setup and letting the computer do the rest of the work. 


How to Buy A New Computer

Cars. Furniture. Major appliances such as a refrigerator or washer and dryer. There are several high-priced products that most people need to purchase on a recurring basis but that they plan to own for years. For many people nowadays, a computer has been added to this list.  One thing that such products have in common is that there are many companies vying for your business and it becomes difficult as well as overwhelming trying to sort through all of the features, pricing options, and customization options being offered.  The good news is that the process of deciding what to buy is not very different between them either.  The more you know about what exactly you really need, why you need it, and what you are able or willing to spend on getting it, the easier it is to cut through all of the noise and find something that will meet your needs within your budget.

One of the first things to decide is how much money you are prepared to spend.  We won’t go into whether or not it’s better to buy, lease, or finance a computer, but that decision is similar to deciding whether or not to buy, lease or finance a major appliance or furniture.  No matter the source, you still need to decide how much you’re willing and able to spend on a new computer.  Typically, you should be able to find a computer that can meet your basic needs in any category within a reasonable budget. For a variety of reasons, we won’t give actual dollar amounts. Instead, we’re focusing on how to go about deciding how to spend whatever you’ve decided to spend to get the most value.

Once you’ve decided how much you will spend, think about what you want to use the computer for: 

  • household tasks such as managing finances, research on the web, personal email, and light word processing or spreadsheets

  • gaming

  • a media server for streaming video and music

  • professional work or serious hobby, in which case you also should think about the main type of work

    • video

    • audio

    • photography

    • programming

    • writing

    • visual design or art

    • 3D design

    • office work (heavy word processing, spreadsheets, databases, email, project planning, etc.)

    • special applications needed for work

  • do you need a laptop or will a desktop be fine for what you need to do (you may need both)

Knowing what you want to use the computer for will help you decide what features and how much resources you really need to get in order to do what you want to do.  For basic household tasks, an entry level computer is usually fine.  If your primary use is gaming, on the other hand, then you’ll need a lot more resources (and money!).  If you are working with media, you should prioritize storage and processing power.  Laptops are more convenient than desktops, but generally cost more for similar features.

Once you’ve decided how much you’d like to spend, what you primarily plan to use the computer for, and whether to get a laptop or a desktop, you’re in a much better position to know what features to prioritize and you can negotiate and look for value in things like processor speed, amount of RAM, amount of storage space, etc.

If you are a sole proprietorship or freelancer the thought process is not much different. You may need to spend more time thinking through what tasks you will really need to perform.  If you are a small business with 3 or more computers, you need to consider things like taxes, compatibility, interoperability, what operating systems your employees use at home or prefer, scalability, total cost of ownership (including purchase cost, maintenance cost, repairs, backups, software and accessories, utility usage costs, etc.) and other variables which may not factor as heavily into the decision to purchase a single computer.

If you need help making technology purchasing decisions for yourself or for your business, Aeron IT Consulting LLC is able to help. Just send us an email or give us a call to schedule a consultation.


Don’t Neglect Patches & Updates

For most users, security patches & updates are regular annoyances that are dealt with promptly or put on the back burner until you’re harassed by Windows to the point where you do it just to shut it up. Worse yet, some users ignore critical updates, sometimes to their own detriment. So what’s the point of all these patches and updates? Does it matter if you update them immediately or wait?

There are two main reasons why it’s a good idea to go ahead and run those pesky Windows updates regularly. First, Windows regularly puts out security patches to its software. These critical updates are designed to fix a flaw in the operating system’s code that a malicious user could exploit to gain access to your computer and files and/or install software on your computer, oftentimes without you knowing the exploit has already been carried out. Most users don’t even know they’ve been hacked because there aren’t any obvious signs like we see in the movies. Your computer can be exploited simply for its extra processing power along with an army of other similarly infected computers on the internet; modern hackers aren’t always going after sensitive info like passwords and bank account info. 

Second, since operating systems are being updated and pushed out more frequently, there is more of a chance that the underlying code will have flaws in it that need to be updated. These updates may or may not be critical, but they are designed to help things run more smoothly for users. We’d all like our software to run perfectly out of the box, but that’s never been the case with any software. Since the advent of the internet, software developers have taken advantage of its connectivity to fix those problems that prior to the internet would have been a bug that you just had to live with. 

The downside to more complicated operating systems that do more and more is that you’ll have more frequent software updates and patches. It seems like there are updates on an almost daily basis. One of the ways you can make these updates less of a hassle is by scheduling when your computer checks for and applies these updates. You can set times for when your system checks for and applies updates to your computer so you aren’t dedicating time when you should be working to run maintenance. You can also choose to run most updates immediately and then choose to delay restarting your computer to apply those updates until a more convenient time. 

So, running regular updates and security patches is an important part of regular computer maintenance that doesn’t have to be put off until a more convenient time. These software updates can be of high importance and at the very least will help your operating system run more smoothly. You have the ability to structure when and how these updates are run and applied to your computer. How and when you choose to run your operating system’s updates is up to you.  If all of this still sounds like too much trouble for you, please contact us to schedule a consultation for a monthly or annual maintenance contract.  We’ll take over the work of backing up your crucial systems and regularly running security patches, updates, virus updates, malware protection and all of the other crucial tasks necessary for a secure, modern IT environment.

Yes, You Need to Have Antivirus Software

“I’m a small business with only a few computers. Do I really need antivirus software?”

We are all connected to the Internet, whether we like it or not (and whether we know it or not). Because you and your devices are online all the time, you are vulnerable to viruses, Trojan horses, adware, ransomware, and all other types of malicious software (malware). So yes, you DO need to have antivirus software installed on your computers. 

You’ve probably heard of Norton and McAfee; they’re two of the bigger antivirus products out there. They tend to have corporate contracts with companies like Dell, Xfinity, and other large businesses so they can get their software out to a lot of users. They sell software packages for home users as well, but here’s the thing: there are good, secure, free alternatives out there for you to use that don’t require an annual purchase or a subscription fee.  As a matter fact, most software is moving to this model versus an annual purchase of a newer software version, so you end up spending even more money. Antivirus products like AVG Antivirus, Total AV, and Avast Antivirus offer reliable alternatives to many comparable paid antivirus software. 

Now, keep in mind that most of these free alternatives do have paid versions; one of the tradeoffs for using free software is you’ll have some sort of periodic attempt to upsell you to a paid version of some sort. Additionally, some companies use notification alerts to prompt you into upgrading your service to something you don’t necessarily need. You’ll want to research the products offered and read any relevant reviews in order to determine what software might work best for you and your company. 

Once you’ve made your decision, you will need to set up your antivirus software to run on a regular basis; this could be daily or weekly depending on how often your computers are in use. Make sure you pay attention to how often the program updates its virus definitions, that is the database that lists past and current malware threats security companies have identified. 

Bottom line: yes, you need antivirus software on your computer. You don’t need to shell out a ton of money, or any, in order to protect yourself from malware, but you do need to have something that is reliable and updated regularly. 


They Are Listening and Watching Everything

A record number of people have been shopping online this holiday season. The holidays are a time when people increasingly communicate with family and friends with always-connected devices. NPR has published a recent article referencing Mozilla’s “Privacy Not Included” guide, which reviews Internet-connected products based on the privacy features they provide. We recommend you read the article and check out the guide before you buy that newest must-have gift for friends and family.


Stay Safe Online: Use a VPN

We continue to make rapid advances in technology and we are spending more and more of our time online performing tasks that used to chain us to our computers at home. While we experience the freedom and increased productivity this brings, we need to be aware that we are increasingly exposing ourselves to possible attack over the internet.  With much more powerful cell phones than even a decade ago, it’s become commonplace for most of us to bank and pay bills online, communicate with family, check our email, read news, and frequent social media sites.

It used to be that you only had to worry about security on your home network, but those times are long gone.  Before we had faster cellular data speeds like 3G and 4G, users had to rely on public Wi-Fi.  It used to be you’d have to go to a coffee shop or a hotel to find reliable(ish) Wi-Fi, but now you can hop on at most restaurants, retail stores, and even some outdoor public places. Most people don’t question connecting to these networks and don’t think about the digital trail they leave behind.  Since we are doing so much more of our business––both personal and personal––on the go, how do we secure ourselves from malicious actors?

One of the easiest ways to enhance our personal network security, short of not jumping on public Wi-Fi at all, is to use a virtual private network, or VPN.  Think of a VPN like a tunnel on the information superhighway, to use an old term.  Using a VPN puts your data inside that tunnel so that nobody can see it, with the possible exception of the VPN provider (often your data is encrypted from the VPN provider as well).  If, for example, you’re on a public network and someone was able to hijack the network and see all of the traffic, your activity would not be seen by the hacker because everything you send and receive through a VPN is in an encrypted tunnel.  

Many online banking services and other activities of a more sensitive nature use HTTPS security on their sites which does encrypt activity between you and the website, but a hacker could still monitor what sites you are visiting even if they couldn’t see what data you are transmitting.  More websites are using HTTPS, but it’s still a good idea to use a VPN in addition to secure browsing.  A VPN hides and encrypts all network data traffic, not just web browsing.  

There are free options when choosing a VPN, but you want to make sure the app you use is from a company you trust.  Paid VPN apps exist as well; one app that is particularly easy to set up and use is Encrypt.me, formerly Cloak VPN.  Setup is fairly straightforward, you can use it on multiple devices (e.g., phones, desktops, laptops, etc.) with one subscription, and you can set the app up to automatically connect to untrusted networks and add any trusted networks like your home network or a friend’s house, for example, to a list of networks that the app can ignore.  The app has different tiers and pricing depending on your needs; you can even purchase a week or month long pass for trips.

No matter which VPN you choose (there are many!), make sure that you do your homework and read many reviews until you know you can trust the provider and that the app is easy for you to use. You can almost always try the app out for a trial period to see how you like it and see if it suits your needs. 

Security is a four letter word

I like to think of myself as pretty up to speed when it comes to online security.  I use a VPN, don’t conduct any banking or other sensitive transactions on public wi-fi, use two-factor authentication whenever I can and I use a password manager.  In spite of all the precautions I take, my information is still vulnerable.  Why?  Because companies sometimes don’t do a very good job of securing users’ data.  

I found this out firsthand last week.  I am a casual gamer (mostly console), and I received an email from a gaming company I have an account with stating that my account had been temporarily locked due to too many unsuccessful login attempts.  I immediately start doing a mental inventory in my head: what, if any, banking accounts I have connected to my login (none, yay!); was the company recently a victim of hacking (yes, ugh); was my password compromised (no, just email addresses according to a report in March); should I look at any other of my 100+ accounts (probably not, since this seems to be a targeted hack at the company).  

After a brief minute or so of reflection on the frailty of man’s existence in this cold, cold world, I decided that I need to log in once my account was unlocked, change my password, and enable two-factor authentication on the account, a feature that I was unaware they had until recently.

After doing some house cleaning, I was good to go.  

So, what lessons can the not-as-paranoid learn from this?  As a consumer of the Internet, you need to assume that you will get hacked sometime in the future.  Count on it.  Once you start from that perspective, there are a few key things you want to do, and these are by no means all inclusive:

 

  1. Enable two-factor authentication on any account you can.  Google, Apple, Facebook, and others provide this as an added security feature.  With it, a hacker must have access to your computer, phone, secondary email address, or authenticator app in order to login to your accounts.  Using email and a password isn’t enough. 
  2. Use strong passwords, change them regularly, and don’t use the same passwords for multiple accounts.  PLEASE don’t use any permutation of “password”, 12345, ilikesportz, nothingcompares2.  Use alphanumeric passwords that have a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and a special character.  Keep in mind that not all sites have stringent password requirements, so you need to assume responsibility for your password’s security.  Using a password manager like 1Password is an excellent way to create and store unique passwords (Remember my 100+ accounts? I use 1Password to help me remember all of those lovely strings of gibberish that I call my passwords).
  3. Refrain from using actual personal information in your secret questions.  Hackers often will try to scrub social media accounts to obtain this kind of information.  The less truthful your answers, the better.   I tend to use nonsense answers like “Chalupa” when asked “What’s the middle name of your first child?” or “Burkina Faso” when asked “What is your mother’s maiden name?”.  Nobody is going to guess that.  Again, a reputable password manager is a great way to keep notes on these kinds of things.

Security online is becoming more and more important as we give companies increasing access to our data.  Don’t assume that companies are keeping your usernames and passwords safe; security is a moving target and companies are often unwilling to spend what is necessary to be proactive.  Taking a few extra minutes to better secure your information will save you a lot of headaches in the future.