Bitdefender Foibles: a reader asks… Hi Chris, last year following your recommendation I purchased Bitdefender Internet Security to protect my Windows PC. It’s been working great, protecting me without bothering me alot, so thanks there! But it just recently did an auto-renew of my subscription, which I didn’t even know I’d signed up for. And they charged me 80 bucks for a 1-year renewal! I know that I can buy Bitdefender fresh elsewhere for about 40 bucks. What should I […]
Does your password suck? Is your password a combination of your kid’s birthday and your dog’s name? If so that’s not as bad as most people’s. The most common password is currently ‘123456’, closely followed by the word ‘password’. There are thousands of crappy passwords in use today. Here’s a list from Splashdata of last year’s 25 most common passwords. Is yours one of these? 123456, password, 12345, 12345678, qwerty, 123456789, 1234, baseball, dragon, football, 1234567, monkey, letmein, abc123, 111111, mustang, access, shadow, master, michael, superman, 696969, 123123, batman, trustno1 If yours is one of these or similar, you should […]
Anatomy of a Credit Card Hack: a reader asked… My credit card information, but not the credit card was recently stolen. I never lost sight of my card, but somehow someone got enough information to make some fraudulent purchases. Fortunately, my bank called about suspected purchases and I was able to have the card replaced in one day. So my question is, how could something like this happen and can I do anything to prevent it happening again? Credit card […]
Norton Security 2015? a reader asks… Hi Chris, can you please give me your opinion of Norton Security 2015 and Norton Backup? I’ve been using them for protection against viruses/malware/spyware, as well as to backup my Microsoft Windows computer. Hmm, let me first say that it’s the penchant for companies to start with something they do well, and then expand to cover other areas – often not-so-well. Norton is a big player in the computer protection field, and they enjoy […]
Change Windows Default Folder Locations: If you’re planning on implementing a backup solution using Google Drive, Dropbox, or other cloud-based file storage system, then you might want to change the default location of your personal files. Normally Microsoft Windows has folders set up for your user account, Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Music, Downloads, etc. These are located in a particular place – C:\Users\Your username\… To move these into your local copy of the cloud-based file storage system, here’s what you do: […]
Barebones Microsoft Windows Security: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I have a computer with Microsoft Windows, and I’d like to ask you for a brief list of what programs I should install to protect myself. Thanks! Ok, here’s a barebones quick list: If you’re using Windows XP or Vista, upgrade to Windows 7. If you’re using Windows 8, upgrade to Windows 8.1. Upgrade from Windows Update to Microsoft Update (so you get updates for Windows and other Microsoft software) and […]
Anatomy of a Malware Attack: after watching a recent episode of CSI:Cyber a friend asked me if malware attacks were really that easy to accomplish. That got me thinking about how easy it is for malware to bypass any software protections we use, and how easy it is for us to ignore warnings and neglect to take action because we’re so focused on our work deadlines. Here’s a possible scenario for a malware attack on a computer user. Please, this […]
Pay for Stuff Safely: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I just received a new credit card with a microchip embedded in it. Can you tell me how this makes for safer purchasing? Are there other options that are safer? Thanks! These new credit cards are rolling out in the US to meet an October 2015 deadline by the major credit card issuers for increased security. This is similar to the EMV smart card that’s been in use for many years outside […]
The Mysteries of Wi-fi: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve got Verizon FIOS and the router they gave me has an antenna on it. My router is in my basement nearest an outer wall, and I have a pretty small house. But I can’t get a good signal everywhere in the house. Can you tell me which way I should point my antenna to get the best signal throughout my home? Wi-fi can seem to have some pretty mysterious properties, […]
Comcast Modem Upgrade: a reader asks… I have to upgrade my modem for Comcast to a DOCSIS 3.0. I have two questions: 1) What’s your recommendation for the easiest to install/configure 3.0 modem (because I’m not a patient tech guy) or perhaps a combo modem/wireless router? and 2) I’ve been using an older Linksys 2.4 Ghz router. Do I need to upgrade that to be fully compatible with the new modem—or doesn’t it matter? Many thanks! Assuming you don’t need a special gateway […]
16gb iPhone Strain: a reader asks… I have an iphone 5 with 16 gb of memory. I use it for work and play. The largest amount of memory is used for music (about 6gb), the second largest for email and documents (about 3.5 gb) and the rest for apps and the operating system. I don’t have any photos. I have started getting repeated messages that the storage is almost full. I only have about 10 added apps on the phone, […]
LastPass Secure Notes: a reader asks… I’ve read your article on using a password manager, and think I’m going to go with LastPass. Can you tell me if it helps you save other security information, like your credit card info, memberships and insurance stuff? Couldn’t this help me be more secure than having a paper notebook of all this info? Thanks! I think you’re making a good decision, and LastPass offers a great secure notes feature that includes templates for […]
Tech Refresh Tips: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’m a small business owner (one person shop) and I think it’s time to refresh my technology, can you give me some pointers? I currently have a Lenovo laptop with Windows XP, am using MS Office 2010, have an old iPad and iPhone. I use Outlook a lot and hate the 2013 version, so I’d like to stick with Outlook 2010 for as long as possible. And I have a website, but […]
Recycle Your Old Computer: a reader asks… Hi Chris, can you tell me how to recycle my old computer? I want to be ‘green’ but I also don’t want to let go of any of my personal files on my old computer. So I guess I’m asking two questions: how do I destroy all my personal files from my old computer, and where can I take it for recycling? I previously wrote about this subject in this article which focuses […]
Smartphone Switch? A reader asks… Hi Chris, I have an iPhone 5 and am now eligible to upgrade to the new iPhone 6 without having to pay full price. But I’m reading reviews of the new Samsung Galaxy S6, and it’s looking like that is better than the iPhone. Should I make the switch? You certainly could, but let’s take a look at some factors to consider before you decide. I previously wrote about the subject of switching in this […]
Jucheck.exe bugs me: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve been seeing a pop-up on my Windows computer screen from time to time, wanting to run a program I don’t recognize: “Jucheck.exe”. I’ve been ignoring it for some time now, but it never goes away. What is it and what should I do? Thanks for your help! I’m glad that you’ve asked! Pop-ups should almost never be ignored – they’re often an indicator that either something is wrong, or something needs […]
You Need a Password Manager! Are you worried about hackers stealing info from banks, credit card companies, retailers and even government? Your online identity being stolen? You’re not alone! Everybody is grappling with the problem of keeping safe, and it seems like every day you read about another data compromise. If it’s not Target or Home Depot, it’s J.P. Morgan or Dropbox. My advice is to just take it for granted that everybody you deal with has been compromised, and take steps to […]
SmallBiz Website: A member asks… I am curious to find out what blog system you’re utilizing? I’m experiencing some small security issues with my latest site and I’d like to find something more safeguarded. Do you have any solutions? Practical Help is powered by WordPress, the most popular content management system (CMS) used on the internet. WordPress is on 48% of Technorati top 100 blogs, and writers publish over 46 million posts monthly using WordPress. Not bad for something that’s free! […]
Keep Your Android Safe: Android-powered smartphones around the world are extremely popular, in part due to their lower cost (compared to Apple iPhones), and also because they are very customizable. Users can configure them in zillions of ways, and install apps from many different places on the internet. Therein lies a risk – Android-powered smartphones are much more vulnerable to hackers and malware. But fear not, you can easily limit your risk and exposure by following some simple rules. Now […]
Headset Jack Confusion: a reader asks… I’ve recently gotten myself all messed up with headsets and earbuds. I have a cordless phone in the house, along with an older cellphone and both Android and Apple smartphones, plus our laptops. So at home we have several sets of earbuds and headsets to listen to music, use the phone and such. Sometimes the jack I’m trying to plug into is either too small or too big for the plug on my earbuds, […]
Time for a new laptop? A reader asks… Hi Chris, my four year old Sony VAIO laptop is starting to go on me, some parts have broken off, the screen is scratched, and Windows runs like a dog. I’m ready to get a new laptop and want to stick with Windows, do you have any recommendations? If you buy just about any new laptop today, it will have Windows 8.1 on it, which many people find a crappy version of […]
Windows Disk Missing? A reader asks… Hi Chris, I was wondering if you could help me, I have a 3 year old Dell laptop and my hard drive crashed. I bought a new hard drive and stuck it in, but I don’t have a Windows 7 installation disk that I can use to install Windows. Do you know if I can get one without having to pay money to Dell? Am I being outlandish? This isn’t such an outlandish concern! […]
Mac Keychain Password? A reader asks… After I log into my computer, I get this message. I don’t know what Keychain is and I can’t get to my desktop. “Keychain” is just the Mac’s word for the feature that collects and saves all the passwords you use on your computer. The Keychain gives out the correct password for applications that need it. That feature itself is locked by the Keychain password, which is usually the same as your login account password […]
It’s time to take another look at the computer backup scene. I’ve previously written about the Time Capsule for a Mac household, about ways to make backup automatic with online services (here and here), and some things to consider and other options (here). So let’s recap this and give you strategies to deal with the whole process of backup and recovery (!) in the event of disaster. Get yourself ahead of most people who don’t bother backing up – sooner or […]
FIOS Router Password: A member asked… Hi Chris, I just got a new FIOS router and am trying to self-install. I got it all hooked up right, and now I’m trying to log into the router controls. The instructions say to go to a number address on my web browser, and that shows me a login screen. I type in the username just fine, but when I start to type in the password, it looks like my keyboard is malfunctioning […]
Windows 7 Envy: a reader asks… Hey Chris, I just got a new computer and it has Windows 8 on it. I really hate the new start screen. Is there any way to get the old start button back? Sure there is! I previously wrote about this here talking about the little program from www.startisback.com called StartIsBack Personal Edition (costs $3). Another option would be the free Classic Shell (get it here). Or you can just wait a bit for Windows 10 to come […]
Gmail Organizing: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I recently switched from AOL email to the trendier Gmail. I’m finding it challenging to re-sort my mail into folders like I had in AOL. Any suggestions? The short answer is that Gmail is already self-organized, welcome to the 21st century of email! Gmail offers a lot of advantages besides just being easy to use anywhere, on any device. Such as helping to manage spam (see this article), serving as a master inbox […]
Facebook Primer: a reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve recently setup a Facebook account on my computer and am starting to use it, but don’t really know what I’m doing. Can you give me a rundown of the basics please? Facebook continues to change (as all things online do), but here’s some info as of right now. First off when you create an account at Facebook, you go thru some steps, providing some basic personal information including your email address (or […]
Missing Mac Mail Password. A member asks… Hi Chris, I use the Mail program on my Mac to read email. It’s set up to access my Apple email account (…@me.com), as well as 2 other email accounts. Whenever I run Mail, I get a popup that asks me to type in my email password, but I haven’t changed my Apple email account. I usually just hit the Cancel button and go on, and am able to read my Apple email […]
Leave Microsoft Windows running: So the good news is that your Microsoft Windows computer doesn’t get tired – you can leave it running and it’ll keep working for you for many years. Most computers have only two moving parts – the spinning hard drive and the cooling fan – the latest computers only have the cooling fan (they have a solid-state hard drive). These moving parts are subject to wear and tear, but their service lives are very long. There are […]
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