Triona's Tech Tips

There’s a big debacle going on in the tech world. It seems that CNet aka download.com, purveyors of downloadable software, took a very popular geek tool called Nmap and wrapped their version of the free installer with the installer for some junky browser toolbar. Two of my favorite tech sites, The Register and Sophos Naked Security, have good descriptions of the situation.

The author of Nmap is a well-known Net.denizen named Fyodor, who is justifiably steamed. His response:

“The problem is that users often just click through installer screens, trusting that download.com gave them the real installer and knowing that the Nmap project wouldn’t put malicious code in our installer. Then the next time the user opens their browser, they find that their computer is hosed with crappy toolbars, Bing searches, Microsoft as their home page, and whatever other shenanigans the software performs! The worst thing is that users will think we (Nmap Project) did this to them!”

He has an excellent point. I can tell you that any customer I’ve ever worked with would be irate indeed to have their computer messed up by a stupid junky toolbar they never wanted. But what should you, as a consumer, do about good software that comes bundled with junk?

Go to the original download source
Don’t rely on aggregate sites like CNet for your software. Instead, go directly to the web site of the program’s developers. You’ll often find a more recent version there, as well as better support options. This also eliminates the problem of poisoned search engine results when searching for programs (links that look legit but lead to virus-laden sites).

Look at the window before you click
In the Nmap case, the installer for the Babylon browser bar makes it look like you have to install it before you can install Nmap. When installing software, look very carefully for obscure checkboxes and buttons. Most of these installers stealthily install their junk by either making the opt-out checkbox hard to find, or by making the junk look like a necessary part of the install.

In the Nmap case, if you click Accept you’re only accepting the junk because this is the wrapper; you haven’t even gotten to the real installer yet. As Fyodor said, most people will click this then wonder why their Web browser isn’t working. Then they’ll have to find somebody who knows how to remove this kind of junk, because you have to remove ALL of it or it will continue to mess up your computer.

Make your voice heard
If you spot software that is bundled with junk, let the manufacturer know how disgusted you are. Keep your friends and colleagues informed by sending them a link to this article and letting them know about the menace of stealthy junk software.

You should not ever have to install a piece of junk to install the program you want – and if the program you want won’t let you do it any other way, find a different program. Shame on you, CNet. And kudos to developers like Fyodor who actually care about the end users.

(Photo of awesome Tron “I Fight For The Users” shirt from ThinkGeek. And no, I’m not getting any affiliate rewards for telling you that. I just like both the shirt and the store.)

Since the 1980s I’ve been fixing computers that won’t start up, won’t print, or can’t find files. The Internet adds an extra level of complexity, but we’re still facing the same basic tech support problems.

1. Your computer won’t start up.
There are three possibilities: your computer isn’t getting any power, it can’t find the hard drive, or there’s something wrong with your system software. The latter is by far the most common, and may be the result of a virus, a program conflict, or just bad luck.

First, try powering your computer down. If it doesn’t start up, follow the prompts on the screen. But don’t expect your PC to work properly in Safe Mode, which is meant as a diagnostic tool only. Once you’re in you need to find what caused the error and fix it. Likely suspects are new programs or devices. Run your virus scanner not just once, but several times. If your startup failure is caused by a virus you may need a tool like Malwarebytes to get rid of it completely. Reboot several times to make sure things are working, and make an immediate backup (but don’t overwrite the old one in case you still need it).

2. You can’t print.
Once again, three possibilities: the printer has no power, it’s not connected to the computer, or there’s a software error. Let’s assume you’ve tried rebooting and you’ve checked the cables. If you’ve printed successfully in the past, then it’s probably a problem with the software or file. Try a different file as well as a different program. You can look up any error messages or misbehavior on the printer’s support site. As a last resort you can unplug your printer, remove its software, and reinstall according to manufacturer instructions.

3. Your data is missing.
The default directory for Windows XP files is My Documents. In Vista and Windows 7 it’s Documents, as it is for Mac users. But this is just the default location; files can be saved almost anywhere. If your file or folder isn’t where you expect, try searching for it by name or date.

What if all your data is gone? If your desktop also looks different, you may be logged in under the wrong account. Check under the Start menu in Windows or the Apple menu on a Mac to see your login name.

In the previous case the data was simply misplaced. What if it really is gone? The sooner you try to recover a file, the better your chances of success, although it’s far easier to recover from a backup. In truly grim situations you might have to send your drive to a data recovery service.

4. You can’t get on the Internet.
Sometimes it’s not your Internet connection, just one specific program. But if none of your Internet applications are working and a reboot doesn’t help, it’s time for some diagnostics.

First, check your cables and the lights on our router and/or DSL modem. As I explained in a previous article, you should familiarize yourself with what “normal” looks like for your setup so you know what “not normal” looks like. Power everything off and back on, wait a few moments, and try again.

If it’s a wireless problem you may be able to connect with a wire, and this is a good way to determine if it’s just the wireless or the whole network.

5. You can’t open an attachment.
This almost always means your computer doesn’t know which program to use. You should be able to open anything with a common file type: TXT, DOC, PDF, JPG. But you might receive an attachment created in a program you don’t have. One common example of this is receiving a DOCX file, the new Word format that replaced DOC. If you can’t open DOCX files you either need a plug-in for your word processing program (typically free to download) or the person who created the file needs to resave as DOC.

Once you get the hang of common tech support problems, they waste less of your time.

If you’re worried about your kids’ Internet safety, you’re not alone. The rapid pace of tech innovation often leaves parents feeling lost, but the latest parental control software gives you the ability to keep up with the trends.

One of my current favorites is a freebie from an old friend. Symantec’s Norton Online Family lets you protect all the computers in your house from one convenient web-based control panel. What’s nice about Norton Online Family is that it works with both PC and Mac. First, set up your initial account on the Online Family web site, then add accounts for each child based on age. You’ll receive emails notifying you of any blocked sites or unwanted activity, and as the parental administrator you can permit or deny sites as you prefer. The default settings work great for blocking popups and ads on the sites your kids visit. And did I mention, it’s free?

There are some other freebies available to you if you have Windows 7 or Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Lion. The latest versions of these systems include improved parental control features.

I’m often asked if kids can get past parental controls. Of course they can, if they try hard enough. Using your computer’s built-in features offers resistance to “accidental” attempts to disarm the safeties, but I think a better deterrent is good old-fashioned communication. Even using the term “parental control software” can put your teen into a combative stance. Instead, call it what it is: part of your Internet safety arsenal. There are good reasons to protect kids’ computers that have nothing to do with parental trust. Stuff you don’t want will appear on even the most innocuous sites, or the sites themselves can be redirected somewhere unsavory. With parental control software you have an added level of protection on top of your antivirus software.

In my column in today’s Northwest Herald I talk about the risks of using older systems like Windows XP:

Now, think about poor Windows XP. Itʼs 10 years old, so the criminals have had ample opportunity to discover and exploit its weaknesses. Antivirus programs arenʼt as effective as their counterparts for Windows Vista and 7 because Windows XP canʼt run the newer features.

Vital new versions of programs such as Internet Explorer arenʼt available for Windows XP, and to make matters worse, just having the old version of the program on your computer renders you even more vulnerable to viruses.

Yet weʼre using this ancient, bug-riddled system to share all sorts of personal information. Itʼs like leaving your brand-new iPhone on the seat of a beat-up car with broken locks. The forced upgrade cycle is true for any computer system, including Macs, tablets, smart phones and other devices. Technological advances result in new security risks, which in turn result in eventual obsolescence.

When you don’t plan your computer expenses, you end up buying whatever’s on the shelf and paying more than you might have otherwise. Usually it’s because your existing computer has crashed and you’re in a crisis, which is not the best time to be making decisions about big expenditures. What if you watched the sales, waiting for the right computer at the right price? What if you planned your computer upgrade instead of having it forced on you when you least expect it? We all get into firefighting mode when it comes to our computers and sometimes it doesn’t occur to us that there might be an easier, less stressful way.

I think the best time to do an upgrade is during your least busy season. If it’s a big upgrade you might even want to consider telling your customers your office is closed for a short time. It’s far easier to focus on your computer infrastructure if you’re not fielding calls, and the time saved in reduced computer problems will more than make up for any lost productivity.

If you’re a consumer, the most important message to take home is this: An old computer is a dangerous computer. Don’t let cybercriminals ruin your life by stealing your identity, and make it harder for them to hurt others by keeping your own computer protections in place.

You may think you’re using your computer to read yet another fabulous Tech Tips article, but in reality you are fighting a war in which the cybercriminals are the winners and the rest of us are the losers.

Cybercriminals, as I’ve discussed before, use innocent victims to do their dirty work. They write viruses that commandeer your computer, create malicious lookalike Web sites that harvest your passwords, and hijack your accounts so they can send crud to all your contacts. It’s one area of the economy that’s, sadly, thriving. And the only person who can protect you is you. (Well, I’ll help, but you have to do your part.)

You know the drill: use good security software, keep your passwords strong and your software updated. But there’s something else you can do: educate your family, friends, neighbors, casual acquaintances, even complete strangers about the need for computer security.

The biggest problem consumers and small businesses face is not lack of information about computer security, but lack of usable information. You’ll hear plenty of news stories about viruses or cyber attacks. Some of them even include a few tidbits about what you can do to protect yourself, but few explain that computer security is a mindset. Just as you have to be aware of your surroundings when you walk down the street, you have to be aware of Internet threats and take action to avoid them.

Why not start today by asking a friend to join you in a conscious effort to become more security-aware? You’ll appreciate the results.

I often mention the importance of strong, unique passwords. Let’s practice those skills with a pop quiz. Watch out for multiple answers and trick questions!

1. Which of the following are strong passwords?

A. iloveyou

B. 123456

C. I’m2Cool

D. 654321

2. Why should your password be unique on every site?

A. Otherwise you can’t log in.

B. It’s an Internet law.

C. To make using the computer even more annoying.

D. If your password for one account is breached, the others won’t be affected.

3. A secure way to manage your passwords is:

A. To write them down on a piece of paper.

B. To write them down on a piece of paper kept in a locked drawer.

C. To keep them in a Word or Excel file.

D. To use a password management program.

4. You receive a call from someone saying they’re from tech support and need your password so they can fix the problems you reported with your computer. Do you give it to them?

A. No. It’s probably a hacker in disguise.

B. Yes. Tech support needs your password to fix your computer.

5. You should change your passwords:

A. Once a week

B. Once a month

C. Once a quarter

D. Once a year

And here are your answers:

1. C. According to a study by Imperva, the others are all commonly used passwords (and if you use any of these you should change them immediately). “I’m2Cool” is a decent password. It has a mix of upper- and lower-case letters plus numbers and symbols.

2. D. Making your passwords unique for every account and site protects you because even if hackers gain access to one of them, they won’t be able to get into the others. (Although C may also apply!)

3. B and D. Sticking a written password reminder on your wall is both common and dangerous. Similarly, keeping your passwords in a Word or Excel file isn’t a good idea because it’s ridiculously easy to gain access to the content of these files even if they’re password-protected.

4. A. You should never give out your password via phone, email or any other method. Tech support doesn’t need your password to fix problems, and gaining information via the old-fashioned telephone is a common hacker tactic.

5. I usually recommend C (once a quarter), but if you want to do it once a week or once a month I certainly won’t stop you. Once a year is not often enough. And remember not to rotate between the same two or three passwords, another common trend that renders your passwords less than useless.

How can you harness the power of LinkedIn and, more importantly, how do you find the time? My column in today’s Northwest Herald talks about how you can achieve LinkedIn success in just five minutes a day if you follow these guidelines:

• Prepare
  If you save inspiring quotes and links to interesting articles in a file, you can quickly copy and paste them into your LinkedIn status. Your status can be anything as long as it’s concise and relevant to your industry.
• Schedule
  Make a five-minute window in your day. Dedicate that time only to LinkedIn and, other than that, forget about it.
• Prioritize
  Responding to invitations and messages should be first, posting new status updates second, and managing recommendations third. Don’t forget thank yous! They go a long way toward building relationships.
• Respond
  If John Smith posted that he has a new job, send congratulations. If Mary Jones shares a link to an article, respond with your viewpoint. It only takes a moment and it increases your visibility.
• Integrate
  Do you have a blog? If you’re manually posting updates to LinkedIn, you’re wasting time. You can integrate LinkedIn with blogs, Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare and other social networking sites.
• Explore
  Take one minute out of your five to familiarize yourself with LinkedIn. Try searching for events, participating in group discussions, asking or answering questions in the Q&A forums. But don’t share too many personal details, because criminals use LinkedIn and other social networking sites to glean information about potential victims.
• Revise
  Every few months, expand your five minutes into a half hour and review your LinkedIn profile. The most important parts are your “headline” or title, your status, and your summary. We are all evolving as professionals, and your LinkedIn profile should evolve with you.
• Relax
  LinkedIn isn’t a contest. There’s no reward for getting 500 contacts or answering a million questions in the Q&A section. The way you reap the rewards of LinkedIn is by using it to expand your horizons.

Join me this Thursday for Leveraging LinkedIn, sponsored by the Cary Grove Chamber Of Commerce. More seminars on blogs and social networking available this summer, keep an eye on my Upcoming Events page or subscribe to the Tech Tips e-newsletter for details as they become available.

Leveraging LinkedIn
Cary Grove Chamber Of Commerce
Thursday, May 26, 2011, 12pm-1:30pm
Fox River Grove Village Hall, 305 Illinois St., Fox River Grove IL

Discover how to get the most out of LinkedIn. We’ll explore the features of LinkedIn and how you can best use them to market yourself or your business. To register, contact the Cary Grove Chamber Of Commerce at 847-639-2800.

Subscribe free to Tech Tips and receive bonus tips, tricks and product reviews, plus notice of upcoming seminars and other events. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

We’ve all been there. You’ve got something vital to do, you click on your Web browser and… nothing. Hourglass. Spinning beachball. Page Not Found.

Never fear, many Internet problems are easily repaired. Here are my top five ways to fix your Internet connection.

1. Reboot your computer. It’s possible your computer is simply misbehaving itself, in which case a reboot will clear up the problem. This is especially true if other computers on your network are still able to see the Internet.
2. Reboot your network. Turn off your computer(s), your router, and your DSL or cable modem. Leave them off about thirty seconds, then turn them back on in reverse order waiting a minute or two between devices.
3. Examine the blinky lights. The lights on modems and routers give you lots of good info. You should jot down what they look like when they’re working so you can recognize when they’re not. Typically you’ll have a steady green Power light, a flickering Activity or LAN light, and a green light for the Internet (might be called WAN or DSL). You may have other lights depending on your device. Check your manufacturer’s Web site for manuals that will explain which lights should be steady, which should flicker, and which may turn amber or red if there’s an error.
4. Check the cables. You’d be surprised the number of times a simple loose wire is the culprit. Shut down your computer and check all the cords coming out of it, as well as all the cords coming out of your router and modem. Unplug each and plug it back in, but be sure to put it back in the same place!
5. Is the Internet light out? If the Internet or DSL light is out, the problem is likely with your service provider. You should contact their support and have them test to see if your connection is active.

If you like I can help you document your setup on my next service visit. I’ll show you what the lights on your router represent, and I’ll label your wires in case you need to unplug them in the future.

Subscribe free to Tech Tips and receive bonus tips, tricks and product reviews. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

eWeek recently shared the ten reasons they feel Microsoft must start thinking beyond Windows and Office, and one of the most important is cloud computing. With the success of services like Google Docs and the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, the relevance of traditional computer seems to be fading. Or is it?

In cloud computing, all programs and files reside “in the cloud,” or on the Internet. This means you don’t have to spend as much in hardware, because you don’t need the processing power of a traditional computer. The same data can be accessed from any device that can surf the Web. Even if, say, your smartphone dies, you can still reach your files with another device like an iPad or a netbook.

But there are disadvantages to cloud computing, as I mentioned in a previous Tech Tips article. You don’t know where your files live nor whether they’re secure, and if your Internet or cloud computing service goes down, you’re out of luck. Users of Microsoft’s Office Live discovered this to their dismay recently, when the service went down on two occasions (here and here). As I said before, I personally don’t want to lose access to basic word processing just because some server happens to fail.

For the moment, we’re seeing a mix of both approaches. Most small businesses are continuing to use traditional approaches while exploring new technologies, and I predict that’s going to continue for a while. We’re not quite at the point where people are willing to commit their computing world to the cloud, but we’d better get ready because our world is becoming more mobile, more social, and less private than ever before.

Subscribe free to Tech Tips and receive bonus tips, tricks and product reviews. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

Want to learn more about LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter? I’ve added new social networking seminars to my calendar for the month of May.

NEW! Grow Your Business With Social Networking
Power Partners Of Cary Grove
Thursday, May 19, 2011, 8am-9am
Century 21 Sketchbook, 20 Northwest Hwy (Rt 14), Cary IL

What’s the best way to use LinkedIn? Should you market your business on Facebook? In this seminar we’ll discuss how you can use social networking to grow your business. Guests welcome! Power Partners of Cary Grove meets at Century 21 Sketchbook in Cary, Illinois.

Leveraging LinkedIn
Cary Grove Chamber Of Commerce
Thursday, May 26, 2011, 12pm-1:30pm
Fox River Grove Village Hall, 305 Illinois St., Fox River Grove IL

Discover how to get the most out of LinkedIn. We’ll explore the features of LinkedIn and how you can best use them to market yourself or your business. To register, contact the Cary Grove Chamber Of Commerce at 847-639-2800.

Coming this summer…

Advanced Blogs For Business
Expanding Your Online Presence With Social Media

..and more! You can always find my latest schedule in the Upcoming Events section of my web site, or subscribe to Tech Tips by email. Hope to see you there!