The End of Windows XP - Part 2

This is the second article in the series The End of Windows XP and will deal with replacing, should you so wish, your XP Computer. I’ve put up a series of webpages dealing with how to secure your XP computer post April 8^th which you can find at www.reidyonline.com/endofxp.htm

Replacing Your PC

Before you rush out to the store and plonk down a wad of cash on a new desktop or laptop you should take the time to consider if this is really necessary. The end of XP support from Microsoft does not mean you have to replace your computer provided you take the steps to protect it correctly. Having said that if you decide it’s time for a new pc you need to proceed with caution.

What’s Available and What NOT To Buy.

In the shops you’ll find laptops and a few desktops all running Windows 8. I do not recommend buying a pc with windows 8 unless you like to get upset. As an operating system it is just dreadful. Windows 7 Professional is still available but you will have to buy online and it appears only to be available on the higher priced models.

Processors

A good solid processor is the intel I5 coupled with 8 gig or more of ram. Don’t skimp on ram as windows, in all it’s variants, needs lots of it to run efficiently.

Disk Space

For the vast majority of users a 500 gig drive is more than enough space unless you plan to store your entire movie collection on your pc. You can save a few bob by selecting a model with a 500 gig drive.

Laptop Desktop or Tablet

I’m still a fan of desktops and believe they offer the best roi (return on investment) for the consumer. Tablets are good at what they do but will not meet all the needs of a traditional xp computer user.

Software

If you are an office user you may need to figure in the cost of a new office system which is not cheap. Gone are the days of cd’s for office. You’ll have to download it from the website and if you’ve got a poor connection this can be very time consuming. If the download fails you can purchase a dvd from Microsoft but they will charge you extra for it.

The End of Windows XP

Microsoft has announced that from the 8^th of April 2014 windows xp will no longer be supported and is officially obsolete. Microsoft is also ending support for Office 2003 on that date. This article outlines what steps you may need to take if your computer is currently running XP and also what impact the end of XP support may have on your system. You can read what Microsoft has to say by visiting Visit http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/endofsupport.aspx

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Steps You Need To Do Before April 8th

Audit Your PC

If you are running a small business on your xp computer you should audit the machine to see what programs, other than Microsoft office, you are using. Payroll, accounting packages, anti-virus packages, etc will all be impacted by the end of support from Microsoft.  Once you have a list then you should contact the suppliers to see if they will continue to support the software on xp after April. If they are not you’ll need to decide if you can continue without support and updates from them after that date. Bear in mind that many accounting and payroll packages require updating each year after the budget.

Decide Your Response

Based on the results of your audit you’ll need to decide to either maintain your xp computer or purchase a replacement.

Maintaining Your XP System

There are a number of solutions available if you need to continue to run xp applications after April. All of the solutions I have looked at require technical assistance and should not be attempted by non qualified personnel.

In the industry the primary fear is that once Microsoft stops providing support and updates the hackers and virus writers will search for any remaining weak spots in XP and use them to attack xp computers. This is a real threat and is not to be taken likely and without the correct solution there is a real chance your xp machine will be compromised.

Browsers and Java.

Many of you will be users of Java for online banking and Revenue on line. If Sun decides to stop providing updates for Java on xp you will be unable to use these sites. Likewise if sites such as your online banking require you to have a version of internet explorer greater than version 8 you will not be able to use these sites.

Replacing Your XP Computer

Next month I’ll deal with the issue of replacing your xp computer before the April deadline.

Beware Wolves Bearing Gifts

This is the first in a series of articles dealing with the every growing threat posed to you by the internet. It seems like every day now I hear of some unfortunate soul who has been scammed in one way or another by someone on the internet. Protecting yourself from their clutches involves some work on your behalf but if you follow the advice contained in this series of articles the chances of them getting into your wallet will be seriously reduced. “Knowledge is Power” so take the time to read these articles.

Fake Websites
Fake websites rely on our inherent tendency not to fully read what we see on our computer screens. As creatures of habit if the screen appears to be something familiar we automatically assume it is legitimate. Internet thieves depend on this flaw to fool you into thinking you are visiting one of your regular websites.
Fake websites pretending to be :Banking sites, Hotmail, Gmail and Paypal come on line everyday.

 To get you to visit the fake site the scammers rely on two primary methods:
Fake emails and fake links within emails.

How To Avoid Fake Websites
1.    Do Not respond to an email asking you to reset or change your password to any of the websites where you transact money or your gmail or hotmail accounts.
2.    Do not accept any telephone calls where the caller claims they work for Microsoft or some other computer company and they have detected a problem on your computer. No computer company will ever call you in this manner. Do not engage or talk with these individuals – hang up!
3.    Suspect all emails which tell you that something is wrong with your online accounts and never click on any link within these emails or respond to the email. Delete it.
4.    If you get a email telling you a friend has been injured, is in jail, needs your assistance, or is in hospital ignore it. Call the friend if you need assurance. Internet thieves once they have hacked an email will immediately send out these types of emails to all contacts in the hacked address book.
5.    Always check the address of the website at the top of the screen before your login. A favourite tactic of thieves is to download spyware to your computer and change your favourites in your internet browser to point at fake websites.

Five Technology Gifts For Christmas

It’s that time of year again with Christmas just around the corner. As many of you will be working on limited budgets I am providing some suggestions on affordable technology gifts for your loved ones.

Gadgets To Boost Wireless Speed And Signal Strength
Boost Wireless Speed On Your PC/Laptop
Older laptops can benefit from the addition of a wireless N usb adapter. If your broadband router is less than two years old chances are it broadcasts a wireless N signal. Your laptop is probably equipped with a wireless G (54mbps) or worse a wireless B(11 mbps) adapter. The speed difference is dramatic with wireless N(600-900 mbps) providing  more than 10 times the speed of Wireless G and 50 times the speed of wireless B.

Tplink Wireless N adapter 300mbps model TL-WN821N cost around €15)

Add Wireless N To Your Broadband/boost Signal Strength
If your broadband router is not wireless N you can connect a wireless N access point(WAP) to it. The model recommended not only provides 
Wireless N but also a significant increase in the wireless signal strength.
(TPlink Wireless N Access Point: Model WA901ND 300Mbps cost Around €50-€60)

Gadgets To Cool Your Laptop
Overheating is one of the big killers of laptops and you can reduce the temperature on the laptop by using a stand equipped with fans. The fans are powered from your usb ports on your laptop.
(Costing from €15-€25 and available from Trust and Belkin.)

Gadgets To Protect Your Laptop/Desktop
Electrical spikes and surges are another killer and every year I see my share of machines that have fallen victim to electrical problems. A quality surge protector will reduce the chances of a surge or spike causing damage to your computer. Available in single and multiple port models I recommend units manufactured by Belkin. 
(Belkin Single port model cost around - €10, Belkin 4 port model cost around €15)
 
Gadget To Backup Your Data
There are a myriad of backup drives out there but my recommendation is the Adata dashDrive durable. This robust 500 gig usb 3.0 external backup drive is encased in rubber to protect it from accidental falls or knocks. I am a fan of these drives as they work flawlessly with but old and new laptops, which is not the case with other usb 3.0 drives. The drive is both waterproof and shockproof and is designed so that the cable attaches neatly to the drive.(ADATA Dashdrive Durable 500 gig Model HD710 – Around €70)

Protecting Your Data Part 2

This month’s article is part two of Protecting Your Data.

Rule 4. Restrict Access
I am baffled by how easily people allow their computer to be freely used by people they either live with or know.  Allowing access to your computer opens you to virus spyware infections and you have no control over what the person using your machine does. The internet is riddled with web sites that are virus and spyware infected and it takes only seconds, if you visit one of these sites, for your machine to be infected.

No matter what anyone tells you it is virtually impossible to be 100% protected from these attacks. The sensible approach is to avoid these sites completely.

Restricting access also includes preventing anyone from plugging in a usb key or external drive to your computer. Virus and spyware writers wrote viruses many years ago to use these devices as a means of infecting your machine. If you use a usb key to transfer data between machines ensure that you purchase and install a solid anti-virus program on your home machine. The anti-virus program should automatically scan usb devices each time you plug one in. Many of the name brand anti-virus programs fail to meet my criteria as being able to adequately protect your computer. Visit http://www.reidyonline.com/compareav.htm on my website and judge for yourself.

Rule 5. Rules For Multiple Users Sharing A Computer
Where you must share your computer among the family I advise that all users are restricted to standard users with only one account have full administrator privileges.
The administrator account should only be used when you need to add or update software on the machine. Thus don’t give your own account administrator status.
The administrator account should be password protected and regardless of the pleading and begging never give this password out to the other people sharing the machine.

A restricted account reduces the changes of a virus getting a firm hold on the computer but as with all preventative policies it is by no means foolproof. All accounts on the computer should have a password.

Rule 6. Activate The Guest Account Option
All windows machines come with a guest account option and if you decide to allow a guest to use your machine they should only be allowed to login via the guest option.
The guest account ensures you minimize the damage the guest  can do when they use your machine but again it is not foolproof.

Protecting Your Data - Part 1

As promised last month I will cover how to effectively protect your data this month.
With the increased use of technology for everyday tasks valuable data is no longer confined to your pictures and cv and now covers a wide range of data you keep for various reasons. Safeguarding this data should be a priority for everyone but this is rarely the case. In most cases, it becomes a priority, only when a serious technical problem occurs or worse when the data is lost.

Three Rules To Safeguard Your Data

Rule 1. The Two Copy Rule
This is a very simple rule and if you implement it then it is virtually impossible for you to actually lose data. The two copy rule states that “must have at least two copies of your data in two different locations.” For the typical user this means keeping a valid up to date backup of your data on any device other than the original device. For example if your photos are on the internet a copy should also exist on your computer. Cloud backup and storage is the current flavour of the month and many software suppliers are touting this as the answer to safeguarding your data. I do not recommend it and in practice, from an Irish internet prospective, it simply is too slow to be usable.

Rule 2. Practice Safe Computing
It’s tempting to download the latest movie or get that song you’ve just heard and it’s even more temping not to have to pay for it. This temptation, if succumbed to, may well cost you your data as the internet sites providing these illegal services are riddled with viruses. Gone are the days when viruses simply made your computer unusable and the modern virus writer is concentrating on obtaining your money. I’ve written numerous articles concerning this so by now you should know better than to use these sites!

Rule 3. Repairs And Maintenance
Regular checks and maintenance are required on any computer and if you get this done early then there is a good chance a qualified technician may spot a problem before information is lost. In the 32 years since I graduated from computer school I’ve repaired countless computers after they have been serviced or fixed by alleged “experts” in computers. I advise you to take the same attitude to your computer that I do with my car and that is if there is a problem I call my trusty qualified and experienced mechanic. This simple rule has never failed me yet, I rest my case on this issue.

Next month I will continue on this topic

Buying A Computer For School Or College

It’s that time of year again and many of you will be heading back to school/college and deciding on what to do about a computer. If you are buying a new computer the news is both good and bad as you now have a mind boggling choice of computing devices. To quote a very old saying “The devil is in the detail” so before buying I would suggest you consider the contents of this article as an aid to making your decision.

Which Device – Desktop Laptop Tablet ?
Desktops
By far the best value for your Euro is still the desktop computer but you will need to do some work to get your hands on a decent model. With the shortage of cash in the economy and poor sales, the  computer shops are offering low quality cheap desktop computers. These machines are dog slow and the performance is dreadful. To add to the misery most are now installed with Windows 8, which so far is proving very unpopular. The response has been so bad that just months after it’s release Microsoft is due to release a major update to address the bugs. This latest offering from Microsoft is designed to work with a touch screen and unless the desktop comes with a touch screen forget buying a desktop pc with windows 8 unless you can also install windows 7. 

Laptops
90% of the computers I repair originate from three manufacturers. For legal reasons I cannot mention their names but if you talk to a couple of your friends about their experiences you’ll quickly know which ones to avoid. In my opinion the best laptops on the market are from Lenovo and Toshiba.  As with the desktop do not get a model with windows 8 and ensure that the laptop has at least 6 gigabytes of ram.

Tablets
If there is one thing you take away from this article it should be this “do not buy a tablet as a computer”. These devices are great for on the go computing but if you store information on them you are very likely to lose it when it gets damaged. The honeymoon with tablets is in full swing at the moment as sales are rocketing. The Apple ipad and Samsung models lead the pack in this area. 


Protecting Your Data
Next month I will discuss how to effectively safeguard your data no matter what device you buy. Good hunting.