Lean Computers

Username: ?

Password:  ?#@!!!%#@?

We have them, we need them.  Nowadays we need a username and password for everything.  I’m surprised you can read this blog without a username and password (seriously!)

So you say you have a program that saves all of that information right?  Great!… so… what do you do when you are at a friends house, and that program is on your computer at your house, and you need to check your bank statements etc.  Or your computer crashes, and with it goes your password program…  and all of your passwords with it.

I personally have at least 5-8 email accounts that I can think of… and countless others that I have long forgotten.  but 95% of all websites that I go to (that I have previously visited and entered a username and password) I remember…  How is that Freaking Even PoSSIBLE? you may ask… The task is fairly simple….  Get out your pens and papers students, and lets get to work!

Think of passwords the same way you think of security for your briefcase, combination lock, Security system, safe etc.  On most briefcases / lockboxes a 3 digit code is standard…  That 3 digit code is a theft deterrent, thats all…  Enough time and it will be fairly simple to figure out that combination.  As you go to something more complex such as a Security system/ safe, the mechanisms and the numbers increase… Because…well you don’t want a simple password that someone could manipulate.  We will do the same with your online passwords.

Lets think of the basic passwords.  I will choose the word “password” (as password #1) and the word “happy” (as password #2).  So lets say I want to go to a website for whatever reason, and they make me signup to check things out.  I really don’t care about the account, just want to take a look.  I’ll use “password“  or “happy” as my password.  Why? because the account is not important to me… Someone figures out the password - who cares?  Some sites won’t accept “password” as a password, so that is why I have the word “happy” as a backup.

Now lets say I want to log into something more important… something that I would Rather not be hacked, but still doesn’t need much security.  I would create the password as “password1955“  or “happy1955”

Now my email I value highly, and don’t need anyone getting their curious eyes on.  my password for that would be something like “H@ppy195s”

Notice the capital “H” and the “@” instead of “a“.  Still easy to remember, but it doesn’t allow someone to hack it via a dictionary attack (program that uses words in the dictionary to hack an account)  Happy is a word  H@ppy is not…

So the basics are simply to have 2-3 words that you use regularly, have a set 4-6 numbers that use regularly and mix n match.  That way, even if you don’t remember THE password, you can figure it out fairly easily.

Here are some great password examples:

z0mb1e9215

El3ph#nt994

p0rsHe445L2

hApp9L500

And Really folks, don’t tell people your password..   If you have to, change it the second you have the chance..  If you would like for me to setup you up with a really good password because you lack the time/ creativity, shoot me an email
mesbah@atlantacomputerrepaircenter.com, I’d be happy to help!

We’ve all seen the commercials, we’ve seen the rivalry…. Now hear some of he facts from someone in the industry.

Marketing: Mac’s don’t get viruses
Truth: Mac’s do get viruses, just do a quick google search for Mac Anti-virus programs, and you will see a variety of different ones. Why do Mac’s need anti-virus programs if there aren’t viruses for macintosh’s?

The Details: Viruses are nothing more than a program. Much like microsoft office is a program, the difference is the installation of a virus can take place with little to no user input.

Viruses / Malware production is a multi-billion dollar industry.  Often when you are attacked, a fake scan is popped up displaying a wild assortment of  “trojans / viruses etc”  and only way to get rid of them is paying said company a fee of $50-$99.  DON”T DO IT! As this is a scam in-itself.    Now, from a marketing perspective, being that Windows is approximately 80% of the marketshare, it makes more sense to attack windows then Macs.  And as mac’s popularity grows, as does the issues, viruses etc.

The Marketing: Macs are better than PC
The Truth: Depends on the use of the computer

The Details: Is a Diesel Dodge Truck better than a V8 Corvette? That depends on whether you are hauling or racing right?

Same principles apply here. If you are using your computer for graphic design, extensive Photoshopping, then I would recommend Apple over Windows.

If you are using your computer for business, general productivity, extensive computing/ number crunching, then I would recommend Windows any day over Apple.

The Marketing: Apples are Better the Windows
The Truth: There is a substantial Price Increase / Similar Parts Used
The Details: Cheapest Apple Laptop: = $1000
Cheapest Windows PC: = $400
(that is twice the price!) Plus, on a Mac it is highly recommended to get the Warranty as repairs are very costly. Please add an additional $250 to the price tag. 1250 for a Mac = 3 Windows Machines

Now granted, Apple does incorporate a lot of style, and clean design into the build of their computers (Owning anything Mac (i.e. iphone, Macbook Pro etc) has become very trendy)  But for me, a computer is something that I work on, not a fashion statement. The same can be said about cars, phones etc. I personally do not care for spending a small fortune on a computer that I could do virtually the same thing at a fraction of the price.  You pick your poison, nice car, nice computer, nice cell phone, or pay down your credit cards…. I choose the latter!

Reliability: Linux is an extremely stable operating system. An operating system is only half the reliability factor. The other half would be the physical hardware on a system.

Keep in mind, that your data is THE MOST VALUABLE part of any computer. Without it, you really don’t have much.

All computer manufacturer’s utilize hard drives from 3rd party companies such as, Seagate, Western Digital, Maxtor, Fujitsu, etc. Hard drives are susceptible to the type of conditions of use (heat, vibrations, duration of use) before they fail. And all hard drives will fail eventually. Just a matter of when. (Almost all Hard drives have moving parts…. Anything that has moving parts will eventually fail.  That is the most expensive and costly repairs… Data Recovery.

These are the facts and opinions of someone in the field. I used to own a Mac, but for the price and business use, Windows is for me.

30% of our new clients utilize our services due to malware, spyware and viruses that infect our computers and laptops. So… What’s the difference between them?

Spyware is simply a program that watches what you do on a computer. They can be simple as advertising programs that are gathering information on your shopping habits etc for marketing purposes, to something more deviant, such a keylogger which saves all of your key strokes/ passwords to various sites.  Think of Spyware as nosy neighbor always watching what you do…

Malware is more annoying than harmful. Typically malware will mimic an antivirus program, completing fake scans and alerting you to many many “found” trojans etc. They urge you to enter your credit card information to “clean up” your computer. In the end, they are simply trying to obtain your credit card information to defraud you of your hard earned money. I would equate malware to an annoying neighbor who comes over and bugs you non-stop and doesn’t allow you to complete your work.

Viruses are, of course, the worst! They cause moderate to severe damage to your computer, many of which will cause critical operating system files structures to become inoperable when removed.  Viruses are equivalent to a burglar; damaging your house, many times he is invited over by Spyware, (that annoying no good yappy neighbor)

So the big question is, how do I stop from ever getting a virus?  Well, much like the human cold, there is no fail-safe way to prevent you from getting a cold, similar to your computer getting a virus.  If you don’t want to personally catch a cold, you need to wash & sanitize your hands regularly, keep up with your personal hygiene and keep your distance from people who are sick.

The same principles apply to computers, you need to perform regular checks for viruses, make sure all of your virus definitions are up to date.  Make sure you get a good spyware/malware protection and have those definitions updated on the regular as well.

Last is, be careful about the facebook apps you download and the websites you visit.  Sometimes a website can get infected and the owner may not know about it.  Many of our clients have had a friend of theirs [who is infected with a virus] email them an attachment [automatically sent by the virus] and when they open the attachment/mail they too become infect and the virus autospams everyone in that users address book.   The onslaught continues.

In short, be careful about the sites you visit, the applications you download, and keep your virus definitions in check.  When your anti virus software gives you an alert, read it before simply clicking yes, you don’t just sign a contract without reading do you? Do you???

Good luck with your internet searches, and stay alert online.  But in the event that you find yourself a victim of a virus, do not hesitate to contact us at Atlanta Computer Repair Center.

Backing up your data goes above and beyond anything else you can do for your computer.  It is the simplest task, and can be very inexpensive.  However, if not completed, this can cause a nightmare and loss of hours/ years of work and thousands in repair bills.

We’ve seen it all the time at work, I’ve seen it many times in my 8+ years in IT.  I’ve seen my friends, my family and myself become victim to this easily avoidable problem.

With an ounce of prevention, we can prevent a ton of the cure (in some cases there isn’t one)

First thing is first….   Never trust anyone to backup your work..  Not your brother, best friend, or your favorite IT technician (hopefully that’s one of our friendly staff).   Even if you already have an automatic backup system setup such as mozi, or carbonite…. Things happen…  Software stops working for various reasons, credit cards decline, the list goes on.

Lesson two is that you need more than one backup…  You actually need more than two backups…   3 is the magic number…

BACKUP #1
The number one way to backup are DVD’s.  Most computers have DVD burners.  If you don’t then chances are you have a CD burner..   What’s the difference?  A DVD will hold 5 times more information than a CD…    And since you are simply using them for backing up, you can store picture, music, documents, anything you want on them.

So burn all of your data to DVD’s…  Depending on how much music, videos, pictures etc you may have will determine how many DVD’s or CD’s will be needed.

So you have burned/ labeled and stored all of your burned DVD’s in a safe place.  Now what?

Purchase an external hard drive.   Most hard drives will have a 3-5 year warranty…   Warranty is only for the Drive…  Not your Data.   Hard drives are moving parts.  A moving part is guaranteed to always fail, just a matter of time.  There are various software that may be preinstalled on your Hard drive for automatic backups…  If you use one of those products, verify after every backup your data was correctly backed up…  Its your responsibility to make sure the Software completed the backup to your satisfaction….

We use an incredibly easy software for backing up your data on an external hard drive (Just set it and forget it!)  Contact us if you are interested.

Lastly, use an off-site backup solution..  Prices range from 5-15 dollars per month for these programs…. Again, you need to verify that it is backing up all of your files you need.

This is a fail-safe system.   We’ve had clients that had their Laptops stolen, along with the backup hard drive (not a very smart idea; keep the backup separate).
We’ve had situations where hard drive on laptop crashes, and their external backup software didn’t correctly backup because of an erroneous error…

If you implement the 3 step backup system, you will never encounter a total loss.

So…. How often should you backup your data?  Well… How much can you afford to lose?  If you losing last months data would be a minor inconvenience, then backup monthly.  You can strike a good balance between time reliability and efficiency.

90% of clients that lose their data, needed that one file that they didn’t backup…. We hope you are never in that predicament… But if you are, give us a a Call at Atlanta Computer Repair Center.