Change Is A Good Thing, Right?

Okay... so I got my website from 1and1.com back in 2006.  I read HTML For Dummies, spent a few weeks experomenting and fine-tuning, and created a primitive website... which hasn't changed all that much in the last twelve and a half years.

I didn't change, but my host did.  1and1 got bought/absorbed/merged with Ionos, a German company.  Not sure, but I think 1and1 might have been German, too.  Anyhoo, the cost of owning just the website name increased by 100%; and in a two-step process, the hosting fees for actually storing and displaying the site content increased by 150%.  There were no new features added... instead, my trouble report page disappeared when the new owners decided not to support 'web objects' any longer.  So, less functionality, and the site that cost $82 a year when I was keeping the proceeds for myself costs $200 now that I'm giving every penny I earn fixing computers to a dog rescue...

No, Thanks.  Pretty sure I can do better.  I'm turning off the auto-renewal for the name and the hosting; when the current hosting contract comes up for renewal in May, I'll abandon the site.  They can keep the last six months of the name registration.  I believe my simple site will run from within my blog; I'll do some testing, find out for sure before May.

[addendum:  turns out the new hosting bill was for a year, not the six-month period they used to bill for.  So... the rate hasn't increased as much as I thought it had, but I'll still look at moving, just because there's no good reason to pay for what you might could get for free. Am_I_Right?]

Software Recommendation

I stumbled across this source of free multimedia software: DVDVideoSoft, from Digital Wave LTD, in Great Britain.  There are 29 different free Windows apps, each with one or two simple functions.  This approach means the apps can be 25-50% smaller, and that means they load faster.

https://www.dvdvideosoft.com/

Don't get me wrong: I still love the multimedia apps from Anysoft... I go back and forth between apps from the two companies. I'm just offering alternatives here. The individual apps can be downloaded here:
https://www.dvdvideosoft.com/free-dvd-video-software-download.htm

Digital Wave has created a sort of a packaging app called Free Studio that serves as a shell for the 22 apps they think you will use most often. It's available here:
https://www.dvdvideosoft.com/download.htm?fname=FreeStudio.exe&ls=

Some of the apps load automatically, already included in Free Studio. The rest are grouped by category under five headers; clicking on an app that isn't already loaded will start the download and install process for adding it to the studio app.

[after I wrote this post, I tried using one or two of the utilities again.  They're great... but crippled.  To encourage you to buy, the download speed is throttled back to a crawl; you can get useful speed only by buying a license.  As of the day I'm writing this, Thanksgiving Day 2018, there's a sale going on:  ALL of the utilities they offer for a blanket fee of $29 for a year, or $39 for a lifetime site license.  I'm the first to agree that's a bargain basement price, but I'm much too cheap to pay a license fee for a program I can replace elsewhere for free.  Think I'll stick with Anysoft, but I'll leave this post up for anyone who might not be as frugal as I am.]

Offline Virus Scans

I've been using a program called YUMI to run AVG virus scans from a thumb drive. It works fine most of the time, but I can't seem to make it work on a computer with a UEFI BIOS; they've been around for a few years now, but so far I've only worked on three or four, and have had poor luck booting any of them from a thumb drive.

While I'm sure I could overcome this obstacle if I really put my mind to it, there's no need... Microsoft to the rescue! (and you KNOW how much I hate saying anything good about Microsoft.) There's a web page out there where you can download a program that will create a bootable thumb drive, one that even works with UEFI BIOS PCs, open a Windows PE environment, and run a Windows Defender scan. Since it's a Windows PE boot, none of the files on your hard drive are protected as 'in use', and can be repaired or deleted if they are found to be infected.

Here's the page:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17466/windows-defender-offline-help-protect-my-pc
Here, you can download Windows Defender Offline:The links are at the bottom of the page; choose 32- or 64-bit as appropriate. Once the download completes, plug in a blank thumb drive, then double-click  mssstool32.exe  or  mssstool64.exe  in your Downloads folder; from here on, it's pretty much self-explanatory... you should be able to boot the computer from the thumb drive and scan the PC.

How's that for short and sweet?

Basic Windows Concepts

This will be a very short post... rather than write a new post, I've just provided a link to a Windows Basics tutorial I wrote in 2009.  Not for a minute do I maintain that it's anything like complete, thorough, definitive, or any other pretentious bull.  But you'd be surprised how many people still aren't comfortable with these simple concepts.

Windows 101: Basic Concepts

Backups... You Know You Oughta

I had a minor disaster today. I inadvertently wiped a file containing hours of research; I'm still not quite sure how it happened, but that's immaterial... what matters is, there wasn't a second copy of the file that could be used to recover the data.

Several months ago, I had an even worse calamity, when I was working from a Linux boot disk, and mistakenly wiped the hard drive in my laptop... my intention had been to wipe an external drive of similar size.

In both cases, there were warnings I ignored before shooting myself in the foot... my bad. Also in both cases, had I followed the backup rules I suggest to all my clients, there would have been no real harm done... definitely a case of "Do What I say, Not What I Do."

Three Simple Rules:
1. There should be at least two copies of ANYTHING that matters to you.
2. You should backup your personal files every day or two; more often if a particular file represents any significant amount of work.
3. You should back up your entire hard drive... programs, operating system, the whole shebang... every few months.

And backups are so easy to do nowadays, there's just no excuse not to do them. I wasn't a big fan of the backup utility that came with earlier versions of Windows, but starting with Windows 7, it seems pretty easy to use and does a good job.
Start => Control Panel => Backup and Restore; from there, it's pretty self-explanatory.

I prefer a couple of alternative programs. Don't ask me why, I just do. I've had good luck with both of these.

• Macrium Reflect is a commercial program out of England, but it's free for personal use. The version in the link will work with any Windows version from XP SP3 on; if you still have XP SP2, drop me a line, tell me whether you have 32- or 64-bit Windows, and I'll send you a link to Reflect Free version 5. The free version will only do full partition- or disk-image backups, not individuals files and folders, but it will let you restore individual files and folders from the full disk images.
• Clonezilla is a free and Open Source backup and restore program. You need it if you're using your computer to make a buck and don't want to buy the commercial version of Macrium Reflect. You might want it for personal use, just because it's fun to play with. As far as I've discovered so far, it's only good for full disk images, and only for full disk restores... you can't recover individual files. I could be wrong...

Daily backups of your personal files can be accomplished by the built-in Windows Backup utility, just using different settings. I prefer using this DOS batch file I wrote, and its partner file for restoring files from the backup.

• Once you download each file, move it to your desktop; right-click it, and select Edit.
• Press and release Windows-E (the Windows logo and the letter E at the same time) to open Windows Explorer.
• Connect a large thumb drive or external drive, just the one drive, and see what drive letter appears in the Explorer window; in the Notepad window, scroll down to the series of letters in parentheses, and remove the letters corresponding to CD and memory cards, making sure the external drive you inserted is still in the list. Close Windows Explorer, Save and close the batch file. Remember to do this for both batch files.
• Lastly, move the Restore... batch file to your personal folder: C:\Users\[your user name]; it might even be displayed on your desktop, in which case you can just drag the file over the icon and release it to move it.

Got any questions? Click this link to send me an email; I promise I'll respond PDQ.

Dale

To Be, Or Not To Be... (a Windows 10 User)

I posted on this subject back in December, but there's lots more needs to be said, so...

More and more, I see folks, on social media and in emails from my clients, saying they got a free gift from Microsoft, in the form of a drive-by installation of Windows 10. And so far, none of them have been expressing their gratitude and pleasure at receiving the gift.

Don't get me wrong here... Windows 10 is a vast improvement over Windows 8.1... if you currently use Win 8, you should get a full disk image backup of your computer, then upgrade to Windows 10.

But if you have Windows 7, Windows 10 isn't an improvement. The learning curve is considerable, and there's no commensurate improvement in speed or usability to make it worth the trouble. Here's step-by-step instructions on how to avoid having Windows 10 inflicted on you.

• From the Win 7 desktop, click on Start => All Programs => Windows Update (in the list of programs ABOVE the first folder).
• In the Windows Update window, near the top of the left pane, click on Change Settings.
• In the Change Settings window, make sure all boxes are checked, then use the drop-down arrow under Important Updates to change the setting to Never Check For Updates. Click OK.
  (If you're running WinPatrol, you'll get a dialog within a couple minutes, asking if you want to accept the new setting; click Accept.)
• Back in the Windows Update window, near the bottom of the left pane, click on Installed Updates. Wait for the progress indicator in the Location box to sweep all the way to the right, then disappear... then click the Name heading in the list to sort by name and number.
• Scroll down past the Office Updates, the Hotfixes, and the Security Updates, to the plain old Updates for Microsoft Windows. They should be in numerical order.

There are three updates you need to find and uninstall. You might not have all of them. They are...

• KB3035583
• KB3123862
• KB3150513

For each of these updates you find on your list, highlight the listed item, then click Uninstall => Yes. Wait for the uninstall to complete. If you get asked about rebooting, click Restart Later; if you just get an Uninstall Complete message, click OK. Scroll down and look for the next update on the list above.

When you've found and removed all three suspect updates, or verified they aren't there to be removed, reboot the computer. After the reboot, come back to Windows Update, and click on Check for Updates. Wait... When the update check completes, look at the list to see if any of the updates listed above are there; if so, remove its check mark, then right-click and select Hide Update. When you're done, click OK. No need to install updates right now... after the next step, it will happen, eventually.

Finally, click on Change Settings again, change the setting to Check For Updates But Let Me Choose Whether To Install... (Again, if WinPatrol asks, accept the change.) Every now and then Windows will offer you updates. Accept all Security Updates, but look down the list of plain old updates and make sure you're not getting one of the three listed above.

One last thing: If you're running Advanced SystemCare, un-check the box next to Vulnerability Fix before you scan. IOBit Tech Support insists they're not restoring the hidden updates, but I'm not sure I believe them.

And, as always, if you have questions, just click this link to send me a trouble report.

Till next time...

Dale

Where To Buy Computer Parts

I've been pushing TigerDirect, and their predecessor CompUSA, for years. But everything changes: circumstances, opinions, you name it. And from this point on, while I might occasionally buy computer parts and peripherals from TigerDirect, I'm not comfortable advising anyone else to do so. And I'll only use them when all my other sources fail me.

Why the change of heart? Last year, TigerDirect closed nearly all of their stores, becoming primarily a mail-order-only business. And Dec 24, they stopped accepting returns, stopped allowing refunds, FOR ANY REASON. Manufacturers' warranties are still as good (or otherwise) as they ever were, but the minute they ship your goods, TigerDirect has finished with the deal; if your item is DOA, it's between you and the manufacturer. Maybe that's your idea of customer service, but it's certainly not mine.

Read their new policy here:  www.tigerdirect.com/sectors/help/return.asp

So, What Are Your Alternatives?

If you're lucky enough to have an electronics distributor nearby who stocks computer parts, I envy you... they're getting more and more scarce, especially outside the major metropolitan areas. And, as in all else, you'll pay for the convenience, in cash.

As always, I recommend the nearest Dollar Tree for USB connectors, cheap earplugs/headphones, and cheap styluses for tablets and phones. Mice, keyboards, powered speakers, and laptop cool pads, I get at Big Lots. For parts and peripherals, check out www.Newegg.com, eBay, Amazon, and/or Google Shopping.  Best Buy is my store of last resort, though I love that they recycle just about anything you can think of, for free... and if you're in a hurry, it's awfully nice not to have to wait for shipping.

Here's a few considerations when shopping online:

• Read the product descriptions VERY carefully. If you buy the wrong item, even if they take it back, you might still get hit with the return shipping cost.
• Always use Paypal or Paypal Credit to buy online. In case of dispute, the buyer is always right: the seller takes all the risk in every deal. And all Paypal Credit purchases are "6 months Same As Cash."
• Use a tabbed browser, and shop several sites at once for the same item. This is the best way to compare 'apples to apples', so to speak.
• Make sure you include shipping charges when comparing prices. I've seen items sell for a fraction of the nearest competitor's price, but with outrageous shipping costs, while the other guy included free or nearly-free shipping... again, be sure you're comparing apples to apples.
• Don't be afraid of buying an item because it says it will ship from China; if you can stand the increased shipping time, the smaller purchase price will leave you feeling good about the deal. Remember, chances are the item you buy here and the item you buy from China were made in the same Chinese factory; you're paying considerably more for the convenience of getting it in less time from a nearby middle man who already stocked up from the Chinese manufacturer. Again, use Paypal.

There are a couple of additional considerations when using Google Shopping:

• After you've typed in your search term and gotten your first page of results, look at the top of the list, on the right... where it says  Sort: Default, click the downward-pointing arrow, and select  Price - Low to High. You need to do this every time you type in a new search term.
• It's even more crucial that you read the item descriptions thoroughly on Google Shopping. A large number of merchants post a picture of an item, but the description of a component part or accessory for that item: what you see ain't necessarily what you get. Even using Paypal, you could still get burned if you don't read the description.

Hope I've helped... 

Dale