A few of these sites are FinallyFast, DoubleMySpeed and CleanPC. I won’t link to them here, because they’re nothing more than scams. With names like “DoubleMySpeed”, they’re certainly tempting but there is no software available that will do what the name implies.

As a test, I went to all three sites listed above on a newly reloaded computer. Nothing other than Windows Vista was installed on the computer, so there were no viruses or spyware or really anything else to slow the system down. In short, it was running perfectly.
All three sites said that there were between 75 and 200 errors on the computer and to fix them it’d cost money.

Each site is installing rogue security software. The software that tells you that your computer has a problem (even if it doesn’t) and the only way to fix it is to pay them money. This is, unfortunately, the new way viruses and malware work. It’s all business, and their business must be paying off.

If you truly want to speed up your PC, and were considering one of these sites, do yourself a favor; Avoid the site and have the RAM in your system upgraded. It’s far more effective, trust me!

The first thing to check is that your computer’s fans are spinning and able to effectively cool the system. In laptops especially, the fans and heatsinks can get clogged by dust preventing the system from cooling itself, often causing it to shut down while you’re using it. Some laptops have removable panels allowing you to clean the fans, others do not. To clean, or to help keep clean, the fans use a can of pressurized air from an office supply store to blow out the vents on the sides and bottom of your computer. If your laptop hasn’t been cleaned for a while, you may want to have it professionally cleaned to prevent problems later on. You might be surprised how much dust it can pick up!

When using your laptop, make sure it’s on a flat surface and the vents aren’t obstructed. Move your computer to a cooler room or to a cooler place in the room if you don’t have air conditioning. Avoid leaving your computer in the direct sunlight, especially while it’s on.

Finally, remember that your computer is generating its own heat and raising the ambient temperature of the room. You can keep your room a little cooler by putting the computer to sleep or turning it off while you’re not using it.

A quick heads-up: We will be closed Saturday May 29 through Monday May 31 for Memorial Day. We’ll be back on Tuesday, June 1 at 10:00am.

I was recently interviewed by NBC4 about my thoughts on extended warranties and “optimization” services at the big stores. Here are a few thoughts that didn’t make it into the story:

When thinking about extended warranties, you really have to consider two things, how you’ll use the system and how long you want to keep it. If you’re buying a laptop that you’ll carry around with you and use as your primary computer, I think that a warranty with accidental damage is a good idea. We see a lot of systems that have had a liquid spill, been dropped or have a few types of damage that aren’t covered by a normal manufacturer’s warranty. If you’re buying a system that won’t ever leave your desk, accidental damage is unlikely to ever be used.

I was asked about my thoughts on the price of a warranty, compared to the price of a computer. It was briefly touched on, but when you buy a more expensive computer, the repair parts are usually more expensive as well. A 17″ LCD screen usually costs a bit more than a 13″ LCD. A $1500 laptop has a more expensive motherboard than does a $500 laptop. I think this is a good thing to consider when you look at the cost of the warranties.

In the interview I said “There’s nothing you can really do to make a new computer faster.” Taken a face value, that’s not entirely true. A real optimization on a new computer would be four main things: 1. Load all windows updates. 2. Load the latest hardware drivers from the vendor. 3. Remove any and all trial software. and 4. Set up and properly configure an internet security program. All of those things will give a very small improvement in the way the system performs, but rarely enough to be noticeable.

Just dropping a quick line to let you know that we will be closed Thursday the 24th through Sunday, January 3rd so that we can spend time with our families.  We will be back on Monday, January 4th at 10am.

Thank you to all of our customers who have made 2009 a great year at Dos-Boot!  Have a happy holiday and we will see you in 2010!

Ryan

Q.   What do you think of Windows 7?

A.  It’s functional.   It works.   It’s stable.    I’m not somebody that ever complained about Vista, and I think that Windows 7 is largely over-hyped.   Having said that, it definitely has some nice changes to the interface and there are some pretty nice little features here and there that make it a complete product out of the box.   I did miss a few features from the old versions, though.   It took me a while to get used to not having a quick launch bar, and pinning items to the task bar instead.   Complaints were minor, and I barely remember them.

Q.  Will my computer run it?

A.  If your computer runs Vista, almost certainly.  If you’re running XP, maybe.  Anything older, no.   If you want to be sure, you should run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.  Click the link, follow the directions.

Q.  Should I upgrade?

A.  The first part of my answer to this is “Only if you want to.”   The second half is “If everything you use will run.”   If you’re using your computer for work or in an office, you really need to check with all of your software vendors or your IT guys to make sure you can upgrade.   I’ve already heard of a few applications that work in Vista that will not yet work in Windows 7.  If you have no problems with your computer, no complaints, and everything works the way you want…don’t upgrade yet.   If you don’t like Vista, and you know why you don’t like it, and Windows 7 fixes your problems….then definitely upgrade.

Q.  Can I upgrade from XP?  From Vista?

A.  You are able to upgrade from XP and Vista, with some rules.   Upgrading from any version of XP requires what Microsoft calls a “custom install”.   That basically means that you need to backup all of your data, start the install process, and let it erase your hard drive and replace XP.  Programs and data need to be reinstalled or copied from backups.
Vista is a bit trickier to explain.   32-bit can upgrade “in-place” to equal or higher editions of 32-bit Windows 7…and 64-bit can upgrade “in-place” to equal or higher editions of 64-bit Windows 7.    If you’re moving to a lower edition of Windows 7 than your running edition of Vista….you will need to do a “custom install” mentioned above.   So, forgetting 32-bit or 64-bit for my example, you CAN “in-place” upgrade from Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium.  You CAN NOT upgrade from Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Home Premium.  If you’re confused, you’re not alone.   You can read a little more about upgrading here.

Q.  What problems have you had with Windows 7?

A.  I had trouble getting my sound to work on my Macbook, when I first installed.   The first couple of days using it, install programs seemed to take forever to open.   I have a bluetooth mouse that absolutely refuses to synch with a Windows 7 machine, even though it worked perfectly fine in Vista.   When I did an “in-place” upgrade to my Vista media center, several applications stopped working for no good reason.  While not a problem, exactly, the “in-place” upgrade on my media center took about four hours.
I can’t think of any problems I’ve had after the upgrades were completed.

Q.  Can I buy Windows 7 from you?   Will you install Windows 7 for me?

A.  Since we are not a retail shop, we don’t sell product without a workorder.  We are only selling copies of Windows 7 as part of a repair, if you’re having us install it on an existing computer, or if you’re having us build you a new system.   We will not sell the OS by itself and will instead refer you to Staples, Microcenter, Best Buy or the bigger stores that do retail.
If you have a copy and need us to install it, we can help.   As always, we’re happy to install any parts or software you provide.

Security Essentials is designed to be a more light-weight, less invasive antivirus and anti-malware program.  It’s made with simplicity in mind;  You install it and forget it.  Unlike other free security software, it’ll never nag you to upgrade to a “full” version.
I’ve installed Security Essentials on my home PCs and it does deliver on being lightweight and almost completely non-invasive.  I don’t think that it’s been out long enough for anyone to really comment on how well it works, though some early reviews are saying that it “holds its own”.

If you need an antivirus software and would like to try Security Essentials, you can download it here:  http://www.microsoft.com/Security_essentials/

One of the latest examples of social engineering that I’ve run across is an e-mail, falsely saying that your antivirus subscription has expired.   If you don’t know how to check, you may think nothing of the e-mail and follow the link.   Unfortunately, the end result is that you’ve just clicked a link to infect your computer.

Dear (insert email address here),

You are receiving this message to let you know that your antivirus is outdated.
We request that you execute a full system scan at your earliest convenience by clicking on this link.

< hXXp://nonce.IaV8QJP.fullhourinternet.com/scan/>

Non compliance may result in possible fraud on your credit cards, data loss, as well as spyware infection

Kind Regards,
Liz
Antivirus Customer Service #77

The more official the e-mail, or message, looks the more likely people are to believe it.   Often the scammers will use very official looking images.  Sometimes the message will try to look like an official message from a bank or credit card, antivirus software, or other online services.

Generally, social engineering as a whole is too broad a problem to give specific examples on how to avoid becoming a victim.    Some things to remember, though;    Almost every online service WILL NOT ask for your password through e-mail.    Unless you specifically request it, your bank or credit card company will not communicate through e-mail.   If you do have online accounts, and you’re suspicious, don’t follow the links in the e-mail;  Go to the website directly.

A very handy tool, to help prevent scam attempts, is WebOfTrust.  With this browser add-on, you will be warned if the website you’re viewing is potentially dangerous before visiting.   Combined it with Firefox’s already built in ability to check attack sites, and cautious surfing, you’re much less likely to find yourself a victim of a social engineering scam.

Guess what, it is getting worse.

In the vast majority of laptops, the power jack is a (relatively) cheap little part that’s only secured in place by a few solder joints on the motherboard. Just the act of plugging in your power adapter can weaken these joints and damage the pins on the jack, causing your connection problem. And to make matters worse, wiggling is damaging them even more. This happens all the time with laptops, and when you call your manufacturer (or even a lot of repair shops!) they’ll say “You need to replace your motherboard to fix that. By the way, that’s several hundred dollars.”

Don’t believe them.  With the right equipment in skilled hands, replacing a power jack is a standard, even routine, repair that is a fraction of the cost of replacing the motherboard. So if you call someone about your “wiggling problem” and without looking at it they tell you that you’ll need a new motherboard, call someone else!