A customer has just called wanting me to get rid of a pesky trojan horse for him.
For this I usually boot into Safe Mode and use MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware program.
Results later.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Troubleshooting 101
The other day, I had a customer ask to me to fix his sound. This called for Troubleshooting 101; figure out and solve the problem.
First, is there a defined problem? Yes; "the sound doesnt work."
Second, is the problem hardware, software or both? In this case, both.
Third, check the software:
Is the volume muted? Yes/No
Is the volume turned all the down, or otherwise turned off? Yes/No
Then check the hardware:
Are the speakers on? Yes/No
If no, are the speakers plugged in to power?
Are the speakers plugged into the computer? The correct plug?
Finally, check all other connections. Follow all cords to make sure everything is plugged in to its proper place, including sub-woofers and surround-sound.
If none of this works, then it is time to check for device driver errors. But that is Troubleshooting 102.
As it turned out, my customer had unplugged his sub-woofers power cord, and that had unplugged his speakers. So, I plugged the sub-woofer in and all was well.
First, is there a defined problem? Yes; "the sound doesnt work."
Second, is the problem hardware, software or both? In this case, both.
Third, check the software:
Is the volume muted? Yes/No
Is the volume turned all the down, or otherwise turned off? Yes/No
Then check the hardware:
Are the speakers on? Yes/No
If no, are the speakers plugged in to power?
Are the speakers plugged into the computer? The correct plug?
Finally, check all other connections. Follow all cords to make sure everything is plugged in to its proper place, including sub-woofers and surround-sound.
If none of this works, then it is time to check for device driver errors. But that is Troubleshooting 102.
As it turned out, my customer had unplugged his sub-woofers power cord, and that had unplugged his speakers. So, I plugged the sub-woofer in and all was well.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Why Updating Windows Is Important
You might think that with all of today's security measures for your computer, that massive virus outbreaks are a thing of the past, but you would be wrong.
Right now, there is a worm called Conficker (also called Downadup) that is exploiting missing Windows patches. What Conficker does is allow other infected computers to attack yours, which would allow your computer to be taken over in turn and used to attack yet more computers.
Conficker has also been seen to allow downloads of fake antivirus programs that attempt to scare you into buying the fake program, when then gives your credit card number to criminals.
Windows Updates are an important part of keeping your computer healthy. I know that sometimes the update notifier can be annoying and a nag, but it really is important that you let your computer be updated.
If you are in the middle of an important project, let it go until you are done; but then find a time when your computer is not busy and install the updates.
Right now, there is a worm called Conficker (also called Downadup) that is exploiting missing Windows patches. What Conficker does is allow other infected computers to attack yours, which would allow your computer to be taken over in turn and used to attack yet more computers.
Conficker has also been seen to allow downloads of fake antivirus programs that attempt to scare you into buying the fake program, when then gives your credit card number to criminals.
Windows Updates are an important part of keeping your computer healthy. I know that sometimes the update notifier can be annoying and a nag, but it really is important that you let your computer be updated.
If you are in the middle of an important project, let it go until you are done; but then find a time when your computer is not busy and install the updates.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Beware the fake stimulus
Email scams are nothing new; for example, look at the 'Nigerian Prince' (aka 419) emails.
But with the down economy, email scammers have a new tack, the 'fake stimulus' email. Because so many people are in trouble, either with their mortgage or with jobs and money in general, people are willing to be more gullible than ever if it means that they have a chance a getting some of the government stimulus money.
Emails are going out that look and sound official, as if some heretofore unknown government agency was telling people how to apply for government assistance. These emails do not come from a .gov address, nor do they have any official seals on them(even though a govt. seal is easy to fake).
People are just very willing right now to take a strangers word that this stranger knows how to get government stimulus money, that they are willing to share it with you, and it will only cost you a small administrative fee.
You should know by now that any email that says they know a secret way to get money from the government is fake, and a scam.
And, in addition, any email that asks for money is crooked and will only get you in trouble. Not with the government, but with your wallet.
So dont believe it. There is no stimulus money being given out to individual citizens. Even if there was, the government would not send you an anonymous email telling you so.
But with the down economy, email scammers have a new tack, the 'fake stimulus' email. Because so many people are in trouble, either with their mortgage or with jobs and money in general, people are willing to be more gullible than ever if it means that they have a chance a getting some of the government stimulus money.
Emails are going out that look and sound official, as if some heretofore unknown government agency was telling people how to apply for government assistance. These emails do not come from a .gov address, nor do they have any official seals on them(even though a govt. seal is easy to fake).
People are just very willing right now to take a strangers word that this stranger knows how to get government stimulus money, that they are willing to share it with you, and it will only cost you a small administrative fee.
You should know by now that any email that says they know a secret way to get money from the government is fake, and a scam.
And, in addition, any email that asks for money is crooked and will only get you in trouble. Not with the government, but with your wallet.
So dont believe it. There is no stimulus money being given out to individual citizens. Even if there was, the government would not send you an anonymous email telling you so.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Why doesnt my Wi-fi work
If you live in an old house, that is, really old, your walls are probably made of a combination of hardwood sticks and a cement-like mortar; this is called 'lathe and plaster'.
Tests on wi-fi signal strengths have shown that lathe and plaster walls are so dense that they reflect the radio signals that make up your wi-fi signal. The next worse thing to have in your walls between you and your router are metal ductwork. The metal of the ductwork also reflects the radio signals.
The solution is one of two things: buy a stronger router(or a booster for your existing one), or move the router closer to where you want to work.
If you go the new router route, you will want to buy an "N" router(that means 802.11n, Draft 2.0); these are the newest and strongest routers, designed to bounce the signal around obstacles.
Tests on wi-fi signal strengths have shown that lathe and plaster walls are so dense that they reflect the radio signals that make up your wi-fi signal. The next worse thing to have in your walls between you and your router are metal ductwork. The metal of the ductwork also reflects the radio signals.
The solution is one of two things: buy a stronger router(or a booster for your existing one), or move the router closer to where you want to work.
If you go the new router route, you will want to buy an "N" router(that means 802.11n, Draft 2.0); these are the newest and strongest routers, designed to bounce the signal around obstacles.
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