Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Recover Accidentally Deleted Files

UndeleteMyFiles Pro is a quick way to recover accidentally deleted files. I've used other software to do this in the past, but the scans took hours meaning it was not something I could easily do onsite. This program took 93 seconds to scan my 250GB Samsung SSD so I estimate around 45 minutes to scan a 1TB mechanical drive. You will need to know either the file name or file path to recover what you are looking for.

It's completely free and can be download here<http://seriousbit.com/undeletemyfiles/> .

Brett Kline Mobile Computer Wizard San Diego Computer Repair 619 255-1215 Office 858 876 2278 Mobile

iOS7 Photo Download via USB Cable requires Trust

I was helping a client in North County San Diego with an iPad photo issue. Her iPad was getting too full so I helped her remove bulk photos and then set up photostream. One point is that a new setup of photostream only does new photos taken. Existing photos are not transferred to the PC via the iCloud control panel. It also happens automatically, there is NOT a way to trigger the sync. Assume there will be a 2 to 3 minute lag on the photo transfer. That's OK, but a bit annoying as your are waiting for confirmation. Thirdly, on iOS7 if you connect a USB cable to a computer to do a direct photo transfer a new feature requires that you 'trust' the PC or Mac. A pop up will display on the iPad awaiting confirmation before the photo drive will show up in my computer.

Kurt Rein MobileComputerWizard.com 619 255-1215 Office San Diego Computer Repair

Thursday, September 19, 2013

SysMate - Easily Replace Windows system files

In San Diego, we see a lot of virus infections that sometimes corrupt vital Windows system files. The normal process for correcting this is to boot into a live CD and replace the file outside of the Windows environment. SysMate<http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/File-Management/SysMate-System-File-Walker.shtml> allows you to replace these files within Windows, saving you time.

Brett Kline Mobile Computer Wizard San Diego, CA

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Saying Goodbye to Windows XP!

So it would be that time to start saying good bye to your beloved computer that is running Windows XP. Microsoft will no longer be providing support for XP after April 8, 2014. So what does this mean to you, the avid XP user who does not like change? It is time to accept the change!


Q&A:


What happens after April 4, 2013? - The answer is Microsoft will no longer issue any updates that will protect your computer from security risks and viruses.


Will I still be able to use my Windows XP computer? - The answer is yes.


Will Mobile Computer Wizard still support me if I have an XP computer? - The short answer is possibly. The long answer is: It depends on what is going on with your computer. A lot of the versions of software we use to support XP are starting to fade away and gear themselves towards Windows 7 and 8. This will make our jobs a lot harder and our success rate may drop. This is no way means we will say "No, you are using Windows XP, so will not support you." It simply means, you need to get an updated computer. 


What about the programs I use on my XP machine, will I still be able to use them? - The answer is yes, but with limitations. The limitations behing that when Microsoft stops supporting the operating system, 3rd party companies stop updating their software for the operating system being taken away and focus more on the latest and greatest. So when that update for QuickBooks comes out, don't expect to be able to update it on your XP machine.


Can I just buy the new Windows 7 or 8 and install it on my XP machine? - The answer: 99% no. When computers were released for XP, the hardware in them was the fastest and best at the time. That hardware is now defunct, as technology gets replaced very frequently throughout the year. If your computer has a label on it that says "Made for XP" and you have not updated any internal components, then you will need to buy a new computer.


What should I look for in a new computer? - The answer: It varies, based on your needs. For the best available options, call our office and we will ask you a serious of questions. Then we can remote to your machine, have your credit card ready and we will assist you in purchasing a new machine on the spot.


What about all my data, like my photos, documents, music, programs, etc? We can move all of that to your new computer for a nominal fee, with a turn around time of 24-48 business hours depending on the amount of the data to be transferred and your place in the queue. There are excepotions to this though:


a) We will not install any software in which you do not have the original disc and serial number for. You must provide those to us. If the software is a download, you will have to download that yourself.


b) We will not install any software that allows you to bypass the operating system, or any software licensing features (i.e. online activation). It violates federal and state law, as well as our company policy.


c) You mst also understand, that transferring all the data is not 100% guaranteed as their may be issues with the hard drive which is corrupting the data. MCW cannot be held liable if that is the case.


So now what do I do? Call us at (858) 345-0382, Mondays through Thursdays from 9am till 5pm & Fridays from 9am - 4pm and speak with one of our Wizards today! If you are an existing member of our extended family, call your Wizard directly, as they best understand your needs.

Phishing Emails and Viruses

Lately, we have had an influx in virus removal from Microsoft© Windows Computers which has quite a few known ways to get on a computer.


In this blog, I will discuss phishing emails. "Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication."


How to spot a phishing email:


1. Check who the email is addressed to and who it is from? Is it you and do you recognize the sender? If the answer to both of these is no, then immediately delete it.


2. The subject of the email - Does it say something about forwarding you a scan file? Were you expecting it? - Again, if you say yes to the first and no to the second, then just delete it.


3. The attachement - Most email services block the sending of the attachements if they meet certain extensions. Phishers found a way around this by sending it in a zip file. If you were not expecting a file from someone, just delete it.


4. Look at the body of the message, the opening may be overly formal or just formal using Mr. or Mrs., also, look for if the email is asking for information from you. If it is, it is phishing. No company will ever email you asking you for your personal information or password. Now, back to the from address. Is the name the same in the from field as it is in the closing of the email? If the email meets any of this criteria, it is 99% safe to delete.


5. Spelling - Always a major one (and myself being a big person on spelling and grammer) I always look at these. If there are mistakes, especially on common words that we use everyday (such as everyday, being spelled everday) then you know that it is potentially a phishing scam.


If any of this sounds familiar to you and you went ahead and opened the attachment, you should give us a call to make sure your computer is not infected. Nothing upsets someone more than a slow computer with a ton of pop-ups making the computer practically unusable.


 


CEW

Friday, September 13, 2013

Microsoft Office 2010 Trial or upgrade being forced on folks.

Three times now this week clients have called me saying that their documents no longer open up. Somehow, users with versions of Office 2010 Starter edition or older have been forced into an upgrade mode for a newer version of office. Good news is that it's a minor issue and in add/remove programs you can dump the latest Office install by sorting programs by date. Additionally, you may need to fix file associations. Thanks Microsoft!

Kurt Rein MobileComputerWizard.com 619 255-1215 Office San Diego Computer Repair

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

ScreenConnect remote support software updated to version 4.0

New interface... let us know if there are any problems.


Kurt Rein


MobileComputerWizard.com


619 255-1215 Office

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Remove Trusteer Endpoint Protection Rapport Toolbar plug in removal solved!

A client in North County San Diego had this little piece of junk software on his PC. It may or may not be legit and related to banking sites, but in my opinion it is not needed. Standard removal from add/remove programs failed. This utility came from http://www.trusteer.com/node/1490/done?sid=126823 , it's called the Safe Uninstall Utility. More conveniently, without getting on thier email list, get it from here, but be SURE to RUN it as administrator or it won't work.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/vm26frc6stz5eha/RapportSafeUninstall%20Tristeer%20-RUN%20AS%20ADMIN.exe


Kurt Rein


MobileComputerWizard.com


619 255-1215 Office


Computer Repair San Diego