Triona's Tech Tips

Why get a generic geek when you can work with an award-winning computer professional for less? My rates for 2010 (pdf) are the same as 2009, and include brand-new options such as personalized advice on social networking and blogs.

Guidry Consulting, Inc. provides computer services for business and home. On-site service is available in the northwest Chicago suburbs.

• Tech support for PC and Mac
• Networks, servers, and security
• Web design (see my portfolio)
• Computer classes (see my schedule)
• Blogs
• Social networking including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
• …and much more!

But don’t take my word for it. Find out what my customers are saying, then learn how I can help with your computer needs.

Your free email subscription to Tech Tips includes bonus tips, tricks and product reviews. Through January 31, 2010, new subscibers will also receive a special gift: my IT Business Continuity Checklist. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to assist with your computer needs. I hope to work with you in the new year!

This week sees the public release of Microsoft Windows 7. I’ll be giving you an in-depth look at Windows 7 in next month’s Tech Tips (so don’t miss your free subscription and special gift). To whet your appetite, let’s talk about whether or not you should upgrade.

If you use Windows, you’ll have to upgrade eventually, especially if you haven’t already made the leap to Vista. Many people have delayed this either because they don’t like the changes to the Windows look-and-feel, or because they have software that isn’t compatible. But, as I said in a previous article:

It’s sad to say, but our decisions to upgrade have become less about whether we need it for productivity and more about whether our computers can remain functional against the continual onslaught of cyber-attacks. Remember, Windows XP is 8 years old. These attacks are sneaking through despite our best defenses. Windows Vista is no panacea, but its improvements in security offer better protection.

This is even more true of Windows 7, which improves on Vista’s security while eliminating some of the headaches that slowed Vista adoption, notably incompatibility with drivers. In the past most of us have chosen to hold off until the first Service Pack comes out, but in this case we may not have that luxury. Hardware makers aren’t likely to support three versions of Windows, so they will be eager to get everyone off XP as soon as possible by making new equipment Vista- and Windows 7-compatible only. Between that, the Internet threat risk and Microsoft’s lifecycle policy, XP’s days are numbered.

The good news is, Windows 7 is supposed to be more stable than Vista, so waiting for the first Service Pack isn’t a necessity. Also Windows 7 comes with a compatibility mode for XP, which may make migrating your applications easier.

If you have an older computer and are considering an upgrade anyway, Windows 7 is a wise choice. If your computer is less than three years old and doing what you want it to do, you don’t have to move to Windows 7 right away. But plan for the future, knowing you will eventually have to make that leap even if you’re not fond of Windows 7’s Vista-like look.

Are you planning to move to Windows 7? Why or why not? Click Comments to discuss.

Through November 1st, 2009, new subscribers to the free email version of Tech Tips will receive a special tip sheet on Four Easy Ways To Protect Your Computer. Just click here to sign up.

There’s still time to sign up for my seminar, Social Networking: Marketing Your Business Online, sponsored by the Cary Grove Chamber Of Commerce. It will be held Thursday, September 24th, 2009, from 11:30am-1pm (registration includes box lunch) at the Fox River Grove, Illinois, Village Hall, 305 Illinois St. Click here for downloadable flyer (PDF).

Have you been asked to get LinkedIn? Can you make business contacts through Facebook or MySpace? Should you Twitter your business? Join us for this computer series workshop on using social networking to market your business. Registration is required. To register, contact the Cary Grove Chamber at (847) 639-2800.

For a full list of my computer classes for PC and Mac, please see my events calendar.

Subscribe FREE to the email version of Tech Tips between now and October 14, 2009 and I’ll send your special gift: a tip sheet on Computer Housekeeping for PC and Mac.

The latest version of Mozilla Firefox 3.5 (3.5.3) includes an important new feature. It checks to see if you have old, unsafe versions of Flash, a plug-in used to view multimedia content.

Old versions of Flash are problematic because they can be used to infect your computer with viruses and other malware. It’s not always easy to tell which version you’re running, and Flash often goes under the radar screen because it’s a plug-in, not a program you run directly by clicking an icon.

Mozilla reports that 99% of Firefox users have Flash. Of the six million users who upgraded Firefox after last week’s upgrade, half of them had unsafe versions of Flash.

Firefox can’t run the Flash upgrade for you; you have to do it yourself by clicking the link to visit the Adobe site. When I visited, Adobe tried to lump some free McAfee antivirus software with the Flash upgrade; you can de-select that. You may need to approve the Adobe Download Manager (look for the yellow bar at the top of your Firefox window). Once Download Manager completes, Firefox needs to restart. A new window will appear, downloading the latest version of Flash. Finally, close Adobe Download Manager by clicking the orange button. (With all these steps, is it any wonder people don’t upgrade Flash more often?)

While the new version of Firefox 3.0 (3.0.14) also includes this Flash check, I encourage you to upgrade to 3.5.3 for greatest security.

Subscribe FREE to the email version of Tech Tips between now and October 14, 2009 and I’ll send your special gift: a tip sheet on Computer Housekeeping for PC and Mac.

Welcome to my brand new, redesigned Tech Tips blog!

Please note that the address for this site is http://www.guidryconsulting.com/techtips. If you’ve bookmarked the direct link to the old version on Blogger (blogspot), be sure to note the correct address. I’ve been linking to the Guidry Consulting version all along in my newsletters and posts, so for the most part there should be no change. However, some article links may be different. If you are looking for something but can’t find it, please contact me or check the Archives and Categories in the right-hand sidebar.

You’ll find updated resources for PC and Mac in the right-hand sidebar, plus new functionality in a beautiful new format based upon feedback from my readers. All of my original articles plus comments remain available for your convenience.

So come on over and post your comments and questions!

And don’t forget about your FREE email subscription to Tech Tips. Email subscribers receive my monthly newsletter, plus notice of new Tech Tips blog posts, bonus tips, product reviews and more. You can sign up here.

Let me know what you think! I hope you continue to find Tech Tips a valuable resource for your home or business.

Finding a job can be difficult. Fortunately the Internet offers excellent tools to help you in your job search or career transition.

It’s important to think of the Internet as one of many tools in your job search arsenal. To that end, you’ll want to think of yourself as a brand, like Coca-Cola or CNN. What are your strengths? What are your skills? What sets you apart from other applicants? Write your mission statement on an index card (”I am a computer expert specializing in tech support, web design and training”) and tape it to the top of your monitor. This will help you stay focused as you visit various job sites.

Next, decide which technologies you want to incorporate into your search. Web 2.0 refers to collaborative web sites, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you try to be on LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, and FaceBook all at once. Some people choose to forgo a web site in favor of a blog, for example, or elect to participate in only one or two social networking sites.

Speaking of networking, it’s hard to succeed by computer alone. Meeting people face-to-face remains the best way to find employment. Create a business card for yourself with links to your online profiles. When you meet people, get their cards and send a follow-up email asking them to network with you online. And be sure to put your newly-honed Web 2.0 skills on your resume!

If you’re interested, I’ll be teaching a class on Web 2.0 For Job Search for the Cary (Illinois) Park District on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 9:30am-11:30am and again from 6pm-8pm. You can find registration details on my web site. I hope to see you there!

Don’t forget to subscribe to Tech Tips for the latest computer news. Next month, just in time for Hallowe’en, I’ll frighten you with Bride Of The Computer Zombies. If you have any computer questions, let me know.

Your computer, like your house, needs to be cleaned regularly. These tips will help you get better performance out of your PC or Mac.

The number-one rule of tech support is: When in doubt, reboot! Turning your computer off and back on will give better results than simply restarting. I also recommend you shut down your computer overnight, unless you need to leave it on for backups. This gives your computer a cool-down period and less opportunity to confuse itself.

Keeping your desktop clean will help maximize memory. The more files you store on the desktop, the more memory they will consume. Maintaining your computer’s security protections and junking spam are other ways you can reduce the possibility of computer problems.

SPECIAL GIFT: If you subscribe to the Tech Tips email list between now and October 14th, 2009, I’ll send you a free tip sheet (PDF) offering more details on how to keep your computer in shape.

And if you’re interested, I’ll be teaching a class on Computer Housekeeping for the Cary (Illinois) Park District on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 9:30am-11:30am. You can find registration details on my web site. I hope to see you there!

In October we’ll talk about What To Do If You Get A Computer Virus. If you have any computer questions, let me know.

More reports are coming in of scareware coming from major news sites including The New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

As I mentioned in my previous alert about scareware via Newsweek, it’s important to note that these scams can happen anywhere, anytime, even on the most reliable of sites. Please be careful, and bear in mind my recommendations on how to protect yourself from scareware.

Don’t miss my upcoming seminar, Social Networking: Marketing Your Business Online, sponsored by the Cary Grove Chamber Of Commerce. It will be held Thursday, September 24th, 2009, from 11:30am-1pm (registration includes box lunch) at the Fox River Grove, Illinois, Village Hall, 305 Illinois St. Click here for downloadable flyer (PDF).

Have you been asked to get LinkedIn? Can you make business contacts through Facebook or MySpace? Should you Twitter your business? Join us for this computer series workshop on using social networking to market your business. To register, contact the Cary Grove Chamber at (847) 639-2800.

For a full list of my computer classes for PC and Mac, please see my events calendar. And be sure to sign up for FREE Tech Tips by email.

Hope to see you there!

This article caught my attention recently, concerning a scareware scam that is being distributed via Newsweek’s web site. I mention this one in particular because it’s an example of how bad links sometimes come from good sites.

Scareware is when you receive a popup that insists there’s something wrong with your computer. It’s a scam to try to get you to click on a link, thus infecting your computer with viruses and possibly also ripping off your credit card. Don’t expect your antivirus software to catch this stuff, it often sneaks through. I strongly encourage you to protect yourself through a combination of good computer security, free web site ratings software like McAfee SiteAdvisor or LinkExtend for Firefox, and plain old common sense.

Here are some of my previous articles which may help you out in this situation:

• How To Spot Bad Web Links
• Antivirus 2010: A New Low In Fake Antivirus
• Phony Web Pop-ups
• How To Protect From Cybercrime

I’ll be reprising my class on How To Protect From Cybercrime this November with the Cary Park District if you’re looking for further help. See my class schedule for details and registration information.