Common Problems with Windows 10 1709 Update

While the "Fall Creator's Update" 1079 for Windows 10 has been out and updating itself on devices since mid-October, the rampant issues associated with it are still rearing their ugly little heads. Since release day, this update has had issues ranging from deactivated drivers, missing applications, to the update itself failing to install on a large percentage of machines. Despite Microsoft offering a slew of self-help websites to address the issues, many of the problems associated with the Fall Creator's Update are not easily identified -- particularly if your machine did the update automatically without notifying you.

Since October, we've identified and resolved many of the Update issues on our customers' machines, with the most prominent one being the driver problems directly related to network adapters and graphics cards.

 

Drivers & Monitor Complaints

For many Windows users, the installation of the 1079 update immediately caused visual issues with the monitor by altering the contrast and color display, leaving some with off-color appearances or black-and-white screens across the board. For others, specifically those with Razer laptops, the keyboard, trackpad and USB ports no longer functioned.

 

Microsoft Edge Failures

Microsoft Edge users would suddenly find their browsers failing to connect or offering recovery webpages. If access to Edge wasn't an issue, users complained about any text inputs into the search bar or webpage text fields lagging to the point where they were not usable.

 

Failure to Install

The 1079 update would often fail to install altogether, throwing numerous errors or grinding to a halt half-way through the update before rebooting machines. Many users complained that their machines would no longer allow user logins, particularly those with ASUS computers. Install failures were most commonly found on machines where users would manually install the update rather than wait for Windows to prompt you to do so. Even today, most Microsoft help sites are encouraging users to avoid manual installations of the Fall Creator's Update and instead wait for Windows to either do so automatically, or prompts you for the install.

 

To wrap things up, it's clear that this update was severely flawed during beta and release, and while Windows is slowly addressing the issues there are many fixes that our techs at Mobile Computer Wizard can do to help you if you are having any complications. Give us a call or an email and we can schedule a time with you to have you come into our office or send one of our techs to your home; they're all very competent and happy to walk you through the Fall Creator's Update problems and implement fixes and solutions.

Behind the Scenes at Mobile Computer Wizard

Here at Mobile Computer Wizard, our primary goal is to offer a solid, positive service and experience with all of our customers. Whether you are a veteran customer or a new one looking to use our services, it's important to us that you understand what we offer and how we go about our business; that being said, we thought it would be a great idea to offer a post that walked the public through a typical day and service at our shop!

 

Open Communication - We're Just A Call, Email or Visit Away

We pride ourselves on being responsive! If you ever have a question about any of the services we offer or a problem you might be experiencing with your computer, we make every effort to answer the phone on the first ring in order to offer prompt and immediate service. If we happen to be busy, all messages are returned same-day if the message was left during regular business hours. For the folks who aren't able to call, send us an email! Better yet, you can use the "Chat Now" feature on the bottom-right corner of our website to chat with one of us live. If you're nearby or want to meet us in person, drop by our office to say hello! We're eager to help and look forward to meeting you.

 

Remote, Onsite and Drop-off

Depending on what type of problem(s) you may be experiencing, our office can assist you in one of three primary ways: Remote repair, Onsite visit to your location, or Dropping your machine at our office for in-shop repairs. A simple phone call, email or online chat can help us determine which method best suits your particular needs.

• If it's a problem that one of our techs can repair remotely, we can access your computer remotely and make the repair without you ever having to leaving your home. Watch as we work via the screen sharing option! From start to finish, everything from intake, repair and payment can be completed online and through this remote service.


• If the problem requires one of us to be present to sort through any problems or potential solutions and you're unable to bring your computer to us, we offer onsite visits with flexible time slots to accommodate your personal schedule. Our knowledgeable and friendly techs will arrive at your home or business ready to tackle the problem and get you back to full functionality.


• Lastly, if the issue requires more time or new parts, dropping off your machine at our shop for a shop visit is the best option, and can allow us to walk you through the needed repairs.

 

One-stop Equipment Shop

If at any point in time your computer is in need of parts, we have a selection of items that we carry and offer to our customers here in our shop. If we don't have what you need in stock, we can get it ordered for you and installed on your machine quickly! For larger commercial jobs, this allows us to pre-order and have parts ready for important onsite visits and upgrades. We're always happy and available to answer questions about what items might serve you best.

 

You, our customers, are very important to us. We hope that this behind-the-scenes post will give you a glimpse at what we do and how we do it, in every effort to make your experience with us a positive one! As always, we're always ready and willing to answer any questions you might have: about us, the shop, or our services. Stop on in or give us a call or email at (858) 345-0382 and support@mobilecomputerwizard.com.

Badrabbit Malware Attack

Good morning customers! It was brought to our attention yesterday that many businesses worldwide were hit with a new and particularly rough form of ransomware, dubbed "Badrabbit". The majority of these ransomware attacks were centered in the USA, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Germany, Bulgaria, and Estonia. It disguises itself as an Adobe Flash update, which is a very common update to see on your computers.

Many anti-malware and anti-virus software's and vendors failed to catch Badrabbit with catastrophic results for those businesses. However, we are proud to announce that Malwarebytes was one of the only anti-malware software's to find, alert and protect against Badrabbit. 

This is why we choose to partner with and use Malwarebytes, and also why it is incredibly important to have good, reliable anti-virus and anti-malware software on your computers.

Give us a call at (858) 345-0382 if you have any questions and would like to sign up for a 1-year subscription of our Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection!

 

Malware Protection Made Simple

One of the most common issues we find in our day-to-day repair work is the discovery of malware on a customer's PC or laptop. Malware (short for malicious software) is a software specifically designed to damage, incapacitate or otherwise ruin computers and their systems. Malware can include viruses, worms, ransomware, spyware, adware and other annoying (and often expensive) programs. The easiest way to infect your computer with malware is by downloading suspicious or unknown content, such as images or files, but it can also find its way onto your computer by visiting certain websites that contain it. Once downloaded, the computer can begin exhibiting many symptoms of infection including, but not limited to, sluggish response, freezing, unwanted popups and more.

For many, this becomes a mild inconvenience resulting in a trip to our shop for a cleanup or minor repair. For others, especially those unlucky enough to have been infected by ransomware, it can be incredibly costly to retrieve your data from the person or persons who now hold your data hostage.

So how do you protect yourself and your computer from Malware?

 

Exercise Caution When You Click

First and foremost, education is important with the ever-evolving tech and internet industry. Don't click unverified links, don't download files in an unverified email you've received, don't click that popup no matter how enticing it might be. Though it might seem paranoid, always consider the fact that anyone or anything on the other side of your computer screen is doing all they can to obtain your personal information and gain access over your computer.

The old adage of "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" rings accurate when it comes to the internet, as most malware have become personalized enough that they can even appear to be friends or family. Double and triple-checking can save you a whole lot of hassle.

Long story short: if you don't know where it came from, don't click it. Educate yourself on what types of websites to avoid, what things not to click, and you'll be on your way to protecting yourself from any adverse malware affects and infections.

 

Malwarebytes: MCW Approved!

Waste no time in getting an approved anti-virus/anti-malware software on your computer. Seriously. Don't wait.

Here at Mobile Computer Wizard, we partner with Malwarebytes to come to the rescue and assist us with infected machines, as well as preventing any further infections once a healed computer leaves our shop. Malwarebytes is a layered system that provides malware detection, specialized ransomware protection, and security. Downloading the free version to your computer gives you scanning and removal ability of malware right at your fingertips. They also provide a paid premium program that handles virusware, rootkits, anti-exploits, scheduled scans and more.

If you want to take it ten steps farther, sign up for the Cloud-based Endpoint Protection, which includes everything that is in the Malwarebytes paid premium version, but has a managed services back-end. This allows Mobile Computer Wizard to remotely respond to any threats on your machine, for just $39.99/year. That's just $3/day!

Virtually every machine that comes to our shop leaves with Malwarebytes installed, because we trust it on our own computers, business and personal. 

Call or email us at (858) 345-0382 or support@mobilecomputerwizard.com if you have any questions about Malware, Malwarebytes, or the services that Mobile Computer Wizard provides. We're here to help!

Data Preservation - Protect Your Data Now with a Cloud Backup!

A cloud backup is exactly what it sounds like: the data stored on your laptop, computer or other device is uploaded and saved on an online archive, safe and sound from those unthinkable (and almost always unplanned) device or hardware failures. We’ve all been there at some point in a personal or business capacity: something happens with the device we’re working on, it crashes, and we’re left with a terrifying amount of complete squat. All that hard work (for some people it can be years worth of important documents) gone… and while data recovery is possible, it’s not always successful.

If you don’t have a cloud backup, you need to get one, and soon! For every minute you don’t have a backup in place for your data, you risk losing some or all of it to any number of potential failures… even one so simple as accidentally spilling your morning coffee on your laptop.

While it’s possible to back up and store your own data, it can be tricky and time consuming. Most folks find it easiest to toss some money at a third-party provider once a month to store their data. But what happens if that third-party discontinues?

 

Crashplan Backup Service Discontinuing

One of the most popular services our customers have used for backing up personal data has been provided by the online service CrashPlan. They were reliable, cost-effective and had well-managed customer service… until now. The CEO of CrashPlan has announced that they have discontinued their cloud backup service as of August 22, 2017 for home users - that is, the individuals of the world - and are shifting their focus to businesses and enterprises only.

This is huge, and impacts every person who just wants to make sure their personal data is safe and stored away in a cloud backup. CrashPlan will continue to offer Business plans, but the pricing is nowhere near feasible for a single person or persons simply wanting their data reliably backed up. Those with current home subscriptions will have them honored, but if you have one be prepared that they will not renew it once it expires.

 

A New Plan for your Cloud Backup

Because of the news above, Mobile Computer Wizard has taken action and will now be offering cloud-based backup services to our customers!

Wizard Cloud Backup 1PC+100GB (File Based) - This subscription provides you with secure backup services for a single PC or Laptop with 100GB of file storage.

Wizard Cloud Backup 1PC+100GB (Image Based) - This subscription provides you with secure backup services for a single PC or Laptop with 100GB of image storage.

We also provide additional storage that can be added to either plan, providing you with as much space as you need for your files. All storage purchased is pooled and can be shared between your computers. For example, one computer can have 50G, while a second has 150G, for a total of 200G used.

Prices for the above plans range from $99-120 yearly - that’s <$10/month to ensure your data, documents, projects, family photos and more are backed up safely on the MCW cloud. Most of all, it’s peace of mind that you'll never be left in a compromising position of losing some (or all) of your hard work.

Give us a call at (858) 345-0382 or email us at support@mobilecomputerwizard.com to discuss your options. We're always happy to answer any questions you might have!

 

 

 

 

 

CCleaner version 5.33 is known to contain malware. Please update to 5.34 or higher ASAP.

Today Avast/Piriform announced that they have discovered a malware infection in their CCleaner windows software.  Their blog post can be found here: BLOG  We highly recommend that you update to their newest version ASAP and run a Malware-bytes and Windows Defender scan to make sure.  The updated version can be found here: LINK

Piriform was recently purchase by the security software company AVAST.

Sync Text Messages from Android/iPhone to PC like iPhone and iMessage does with a Mac!

I don't know about you but as a PC/Android user, one of the things for which I've always wished, and have been envious of Mac/iPhone users for, is the ability to send text (SMS) messages from the PC or phone seamlessly.  Thanks to Pushbullet, there is finally a way.

Simply:

• Download the PushBullet App on your iPhone or Android device.


• Install, sign in with your Google account (Any old gmail account will work.  Same credentials and everything!)


• Allow it all necessary permissions the app requests.  (And make sure to say yes when it asks if you would like to sync SMS.  That's the whole point of this tutorial!  Basically, say yes to everything the app requests up first launch.  Those are the correct configuration choices, "yes", all the way.)


• Next, download and install the PC PushBullet app.  Sign in with your Google account and presto, you're finished!

You can now see your SMS messages on the Desktop PC as well as send SMS messages from the PC!    The nice thing is, they don't make you use their app/interface.  The sync happens in the background so keep using whatever SMS messaging app you prefer on the phone.

One last thing.  Because of the nature of SMS messages, just like with iMessage, your phone must be on in order to send them.  Even if it's from your PC.  Since most of us keep our phones on 24/7, it doesn't matter!  Just don't expect this to be a backup if your phone is out of commission.

Pushbullet Desktop App