TechTalk - Free Online Computer Support information from real professionals.

Spyware
When talking about spyware it is important to understand what exactly this software is and how it may be used. The term spyware is loosely used and commonly misunderstood. There are a lot of different types of spyware, many of which put your identity and your e-mailbox in great danger. Some people confuse this term for a program in which the user can spy on other users of the same PC. 

The most common form of spyware also seems to be the most harmless. It has the simple task of  recording a user’s web browsing behavior, which allows a third party company to develop trends based on the information they have acquired. While this may seem harmless, how safe do you feel that someone is ultimately recording everything you do on the Internet?

Not all spyware is the same and most kinds of spyware are a lot more serious than the one mentioned above. Alot of spyware applications are specifically developed to harvest a user’s account information as it is entered in to various websites. This means that if you are unknowingly running this software, any account you access via the Internet (i.e. Myspace.com, bank, e-mail, eBay, etc) may be shared with a possibly malicious third party.

OK, so how do you know that you have spyware running? While there are multiple ways of detecting spyware infections, we do not recommend any software that claims to ”remove spyware”. A lot of companies produce these out of the box magical spyware removal software that simply does not work. Some of these applications have even been known to be another form of spyware!

The most obvious symptom of spyware is that you notice your PC running very sluggish, especially while browsing the web. Another symptom is that you have a suspicion that one of your accounts may be compromised. More and more our customers complain to us that their friends on Myspace.com say that they are posting weird messages with a link, usually the link leads to a pornographic website. If this has happened to you, you have been phished, or you have some spyware running on your PC which has compromised your account.

Phishing
What is phishing? This is the act of ‘cloning’ a website with the malicious intent of stealing a user’s account information for that website. This has become real popular as spammers use the stolen accounts to accomplish their objective. While the latest Microsoft products may offer phishing filters, the absolute best method to avoid being phished is to simply examine the address bar of the site you are browsing. For example, you might unknowingly click off of the site Myspace.com to a visually identical site with an extremely similar address. Usually if the page asks you to log back in, it’s a fake.

I have been phished, now what?
Once your accounts have been compromised it is imperative that you act quickly to salvage your identity. You need to either get the spyware removed (if applicable), or get on a computer that is safe.

The first thing you should do is regain control of your mailbox. If the password has not been changed, change it.

Secondly,  Check your mail for any significant changes to your accounts. Usually a robot will e-mail you about changes to any of your accounts. Track these changes, again you may need to regain control of each site individually. Once you own the e-mail box again, you should be able to regain control of each account with the proper information.

If your PC is showing symptoms of spyware and would like a computer specialist to completely secure your PC (and your identity), than you should give your online tech a call.

So you went out and purchased that new title you have been waiting to be released for months now. You played the single player and loved it, looking for new challenges you decide to take your skills to the Internet for some multi-player action. You set up your profile, and tried connecting to a server. You keep getting errors such as “Connection timed out.”  Why can’t I connect to any games? I have a fast computer, a fast Internet connection, what is the problem?

A lot of newer PC games require an open port to be hosted on your PC. What this means is that at the time of connection the server you are connecting to actually opens a connection to your PC. The problem this presents is that if you are behind a NAT router (i.e Linksys, Belkin, etc) that shares your Internet connection than it is possible that the connection cannot be made.

There is an easy fix for this.

1) Connect to your router.
a) At run command (start menu–>run), type in ”cmd”
b) Type in “ipconfig”
c) Copy down the IP address of your ”default gateway” under the network interface that you are currently using.
d) Open up your web browser (such as Internet Explorer), and enter in that IP address.

2) Find a setting in your router’s configuration which states “Port forwarding/Virtual Server”

3) Enter your IP address, and the port that needs to be opened (consult your game’s documentation)

4) Save settings. The port should now be fowarded to the PC you wish to play the game on.

As long as you have no firewall on the local PC blocking the desired port, than you should have no problems.

Please note, most out-of-the-box routers use DHCP for IP address assignment. If this is the case, you may want to manually change your IP address so you don’t have to change the IP in your port forwarding section of your router each time you wish to play the game.

Have your myspace friends been telling you that you have posted some very strange and otherwise unusual comments to your bulletin board? Messages such as “You should see what she did last night, here are the pictures!” are posted on your bulletin board, only to reveal a link that appears to direct the friend of yours to a picture hosting site. While the link text may look friendly, if you look in the status bar of your web browser, you should see the actual URL it’s pointing to. It will usually be some unsolicited porn site or even a phishing site.

If you clicked on one of these links and it looks like myspace requesting you to log in again, you have been phished. Phishing is a process used by deceptive people to gain your personal information, in this case, your myspace account info. Remember, once your logged in to myspace, you will not need to log in again to see pictures.

A simple way to avoid being phished is to simply check the address bar of your web browser and verify that the domain name (i.e. myspace.com) is there. Do not just rely on what the website looks like, it is very easy to duplicate websites in real-time, and it is done every day.

Phishing is more commonly used in e-mail spam. You may receive an unsolicited e-mail which will in turn provide you with a link to a website that looks like your banking institution, credit card statements, student loan management, anything. These websites will often look legit, sometimes they are a mirror image of the actual website. Again, the easiest way to verify that its the actual website is to look at your address bar for the real URL.

So you have been phished and your account has been compromised, now what?

1) If you can still log in, if your password has not been changed, do so immediately and change your password. If it has been changed, you should be able to recover it with the website’s automated system by providing them your valid e-mail.

2) Get your computer checked for spyware. If you we’re not phished directly from e-mail spam, or off-site related links as stated above, you may have spyware. There is alot of commercial software available for spyware removal and protection, however it is recommended that you allow a professional to service your PC and educate you on how to prevent future occurrences.

Youronlinetech.com is available 24/7 for immediate assistance with your PC.

Any PC technician with even just the minimal amount of experience will tell you, overheating is one of the most common reasons for PCs to operate very slowly, and can cause random restarts.

Why your computer may be overheating. All electronic devices create heat, temperatures may differ based on voltage, airflow, etc. All computers have at least two fans, one for the CPU (processor), and one inside the power supply. Many computers have more than this minimum, and some (i.e. gaming systems, production servers) even use liquid cooling technology, similar to what you can find under the hood of your car.

First off, keep it in a dry cool place. It is advised that your PC is not confined into one of those enclosed PC cabinets featured on some office desks for there would not be sufficient air intake. Another step is to make sure that your fans are always working properly. Your PC will sound much different when a fan is going bad, or when its not working at all.

The most important way to protect your PC from heat related problems involves the most tedious task. Dust will eventually build up inside the unit, stopping airflow from the fan to the surface being cooled, like your CPU’s heat sink. This will eventually cause your PC to overheat. To prevent this, simply clean your PC.

How to safely clean your PC.

1) Unplug the unit.
2) Open the case, there should be a few case screws (or even thumb screws) on the rear of the unit.
3) Using canned air, or an air compressor, systematically blow the dust off of all hardware in your PC. Be careful not to allow the fans to spin when blowing them, hold a blade with your finger before spraying with air.  Pay special attention to the heat sink, the metal block under your CPU fan, its similar to a radiator. Be sure to spray all dust out of each crevice.
4) Put your PC case back on and safely plug it back in.

Note: It is also a good idea to regularly clean the surfaces around your PC as to prevent dust from being pulled into the unit.

People who are knowledgeable about a certain topic, are usually well known for it. This is because when your passionate about something you enjoy talking to other people about it. When you have a problem with something you usually think about who you know personally that can help resolve your problem, right? Yes we’re all guilty of this. Whether its something as simple as advice on buying a new tire, or repairing your PC. Personally, I can’t count all the times I have heard this “…Oh fix my computer.” 

Thats fine, because when something needs professional attention, it needs professional attention. However, times have changed. No longer is it necessary to invite a geek into your home to fix your computer. You do not need to drive your computer to the local geek lair to get your PC serviced any more. There is an easier, safer, and more affordable way to remedy your PC problems.

I know what your thinking.. What? How am I supposed to get this slow pc fixed without seeing someone face to face? Is this some kind of tech support line? I think my warranty has expired and I don’t wan’t to speak to somebody in India anyways! Traditional tech support has been outdated. Local computer stores, and geek lairs within large superstores, are no longer the only way to get your PC fixed while not being outsourced.

Say ‘hello’ to Your Online Tech (youronlinetech.com). No really, say ‘hello’.. An American PC technician will speak with you on the phone while fixing your computer via the internet. Youronlinetech professionals are available to listen to your PC problems while you watch them live on your screen fixing your PC. Not only will you benefit by saving fuel, frustration, and money, but you will learn how to do more PC maintenance related things by watching the technician work on-screen.

I know what your thinking. This is too good to be true. Is it safe? Yes. It is safe. Once you and the technician are on the phone, you will be instructed to download a small program which will allow for the screen sharing session. Only you can initiate the session, the technician cannot. You can simply delete the program once the session is over if you wish, for there is no installation of software.

I have a strict firewall/router, will this prevent a session? No firewall/router can stop this session from being initiated. Since you initiate the connection, your firewall does not stop it (your PC is not listening on any open ports).

What do I need to use this service? The only thing needed is a high speed Internet connection (DSL, Cable, T1, etc), MS Windows based PC, a telephone, and some time to talk to a technician while he/she fixes your computer in front of your eyes.

Check out your online tech for affordable online computer support.

Ok. So your surfing myspace, and your computer is going really slow. You just bought this computer like three months ago, and its acting like ten years old. You’re furious.

You finally have had it. So you unplug your computer, load it into your car, drive it to your local geek store, and shell out cash for them to fix it. You wait 2-3 days to finally hear the geek’s crackly little voice on the phone to tell you that your PC is ready. Your happy because you miss your late night myspace browsing, whatever. Your problem is solved, right? Well, maybe.

You go to pick up your computer. The little geek tells you what was wrong with it, as if you understand a word of jargon that comes out his/her mouth, but does not explain to you how to prevent future issues. Why would he/she? You both know if you break it again you will return.

Wait. Something happened in between you dropping off your PC and picking it up. What is it? Your privacy was violated! The odds are, while your PC was in the geek-sweat-shop your privacy was violated. The secret pics of you and your girlfriend (you know, the ones that you had to beg to take), maybe even all that porn you deleted prior to dropping off your PC were all looked at and probably copied. If a geek is going to steal your pics, what is going to stop him/her from stealing your passwords, personal information, etc.

For a reference to proven theft from a well known ‘geek’ company check out this disturbing article.

I’m not saying that all geeks are crooks. I can vouch for that, actually. Is backing up your data and irreversibly deleting it prior to dropping the PC off an option? Probably not. There is a better way. Hire a professional who will fix your PC as you watch him work on screen. On screen computer support is an emerging new option for home and business users who need technical support and wish to preserve their privacy. Check out professional on screen computer support offered by your online tech for more information.

Don’t Let the Cartridge Dry Out.

The number one refilling problem is waiting too long to refill your cartridge. If you run out of ink, leave your cartridge in the printer. Don’t let your cartridge dry out. Inside just about all inkjet cartridges with a built-in print head (HP, Lexmark), there is a foam sponge. When the cartridge runs out of ink, the sponge may dry up and go hard, especially when the cartridge is removed from the printer.

Once the sponge has hardened the cartridge is “done for”. Even if you refill the cartridge before the sponge becomes useless, dried ink can clog the microscopic holes (jets) in the print head. It’s always better to refill the cartridge before it runs dry. Topping off the cartridge every 200-300 sheets ensures that the cartridge always has ink in it to stop the sponge from drying out, and preventing you from running out of ink in the middle of a job. The print head of an ink jet cartridge can reach temperatures of 500 degrees centigrade (932 digress fahrenheit) and the ink itself serves as a coolant, so allowing the cartridge to run dry can destroy the print head.

If you are out of refill ink supplies and want to preserve, your cartridge for future refilling, wrap your cartridge in a slightly moist paper towel or cloth and seal it in tightly a plastic baggie. Remember to get as much air out of the baggie as possible. This will buy you time to get resupplied.

All Printers Require Good Preventive Maintenance.

The number one complaint about poor print quality, specifically streaking print, white lines through the print, or no print at all, can be avoided by frequent use of your printer. These print problems are caused by ink drying up in the print head or nozzles, clogging them and preventing ink from reaching the paper. If you don’t use your printer regularly you can help keep it in working order by printing a test page or running a print head cleaning cycle once a week. Consult your printer’s manual for additional or more specific preventative maintenance tips.

Power Down Properly.

Always use your printer’s power switch rather than the switch on a surge protector to shut the unit down. Most ink jet printers have a print head parking function that’s triggered by the printer’s own power switch. This ensures that your cartridges are ’sealed’ properly and not exposed to the drying effects of ambient air.

Keep The Print Head Clean.

Care needs to be taken to ensure that the print head is kept clean in order to stop ink clogging in the print head. Some printers (Hewlett Packard for example) don’t do a very thorough job of cleaning the print head when you run their normal cleaning cycle. Deposits of ink can build up on the print head, causing the cartridge to function poorly. You can help circumvent this problem by occasionally cleaning the print head with a soft cotton cloth or Q-tip (doesn’t use tissues and be gentle) dipped in water. Snap the cartridge in and out a couple times to get a good connection after cleaning. Keeping the print head clean will result in a maximum number of successful refills. You can also purchase Inkjet Printer Cleaning Kits to aid you in this.

Preventing “Color Mixing” When Refilling.

When refilling a three color (or more) cartridge, there is a chance that you can have the cartridge turned the wrong way and get the colors on the ends backwards. In other words, you might put the magenta ink in the cyan chamber. To avoid this from happening and ruining your cartridge: use three tooth picks and insert one of them into each fill hole, deep enough to pick up some ink. Mark the cartridge with a marker or piece of tape to help you remember which chamber is which color. Pretty simple and helpful.

Warning when refilling color cartridges be sure to follow the instructions provided with your refill kit very carefully.

Do Not Run Back-to-Back Cleaning Cycles. (this applies to all printers)

Give the cartridge a chance to let some ink flow in between cleaning cycles. This will purge air bubbles or foamy ink that a cleaning cycle may have created. Print a test page or a color balanced image. If the printing quality hasn’t improved, run another cleaning cycle and test it again. Repeat the process as often as needed.

Purge the Cartridge.

Purging the cartridge regularly is one of the most important steps in ensuring a long cartridge life. The purging cycle is not the same as the cleaning cycle. If you don’t know how to do this, read your printer manual, it’s all in there. The purge cycle consists of a process that heats all the jets in the cartridge and then cleans them from the inside out. All purge cycles produce a grid which consists of vertical and horizontal lines which represent all the jets in the cartridge.

Late model printers may offer an “ink level gauge”.

Be aware that this software “gauges” are not accurate measures of the ink level in the cartridge and should not be trusted. For this reason we suggest that you top off your cartridges on a regular basis. If you know that you use a cartridge every 2 months, refill every month. Place a sticky note on your printer to remind you when to next refill. If you rely on your printer ink level gauge, be sure to refill before the ‘out of ink indicator’ pops up. Note: if you have ink left over don’t worry, it’ll keep.

When you sign up on a website using information such as your name and address, always make sure your session is encrypted.  Encrypted communication ensures your privacy, it ensures your are sending your information to only the intended recipients.  Look for the little padlock on the top of your web browser window, probably near the website address.  Alternatively, you can look for “https://” in the website address.  If you do not see either one of these indicators, your privacy could be in jeopardy.

It has happened to all of us. We have had some silly computer problem which needed attention (so we thought) from these so called professionals. So, naturally, we called our manufacturer’s tech support line, only to be transferred. OK, its a big company, your going to be transferred, not a big deal. Is it?

Before you know it (or later), your transferred 1000 miles away to some country you wish to never visit, speaking to someone you wish to never meet, and you can not understand! This individual has no idea what your problem is, he doesn’t even have the information you already provided the phone system with. By the time your done giving him/her your name, PC model, serial number, etc, he/she wants to sell you a new warranty!

Is this what tech support has come to? Is your problem really that serious where you need to invest another $150 in additional warranty coverage? I am very doubtful. Is this warranty coverage worth the money considering you cant even understand the person on the other end? Is this person even capable of helping you?

Let’s be real for a second. Globalization is great, it is not the enemy. However, it should be the answer when it comes to big companies satisfying their large demand for technical support. The enemy is not outsourcing, the enemy is the idea that it is the only option. What about education? What about English speaking technicians who are friendly and will listen to you and understand your computer problems? Yes, the do exist. It’s time to meet your online tech.

As an online computer support service, youronlinetech.com, is proud to announce it’s online computer repair service. A live technician will connect to your PC (with your permission, of course), while chatting with you on the phone, and fix your computer problems right in front of your eyes. While we don’t boast being the geekiest of the bunch, we are still the best. Why do geeks have to rule? Let’s be real, do you want to speak to a geek, or to a English speaking computer technician who knows what he/she is doing.

The answer is simple. Pick the company who will satisfy your needs. Not the one who boasts being the geekiest, or the one who bids the lowest (per call) to the super-sized manufacturers needs.

Sincerely,

A proud youronlinetech.com technician,

Michael Thomas

• Secure Your Computer
  You’re responsible for the use of your service account. You should secure your computer equipment so that only authorized users can gain access to your service account.
• Block Spam
  Use a Spam Blocker to filter out unwanted e-mail and other junk bulk mail.
• Regularly Scan for Viruses
  Always perform a virus scan on files e-mailed to you or downloaded from the Internet.
• Use a Firewall
  If you have an ‘always-on’ connection to the Internet (cable, DSL, etc.), installing firewall software can help protect your PC.
• Protect Personal Information
  Never post or disclose any personally identifiable information belonging to children. Children and teens should be especially careful not to give anyone personal information about themselves such as real name, phone, address, city, URL, age, gender, or e-mail ID.
• Keep E-mail Address Private
  If you wish to include your e-mail address on a web page you’ve created, please be aware that Web crawlers can visit your page, pull the e-mail address and proceed to use it in mass e-mailings.