Blog
Computing is not about computers anymore. It is about living. ~ Nicholas Negroponte
Windows 11 — Should You Upgrade?
"Wait. Don't install Windows 10 right now." That's what we're telling clients of PC Assistants....
OneDrive Backup Feature
Backing up your important files is a good idea…usually. Most computer users are familiar with the...
Making Christmas Easier: Excel and Avery
Mailing lists are essential, especially this time of year when we’re eager to send out holiday greetings to family, friends, colleagues and clients. Excel is a spreadsheet program that can be used as a database that many of our clients use to maintain such a list;...
Binary System
Take a look at this website’s banner. Do you see a background of two digits: 0 and 1? They’re the foundation (called a binary system) for all computer digital circuits that have just two states: Off (0) and On (1). Computers perform their functions by reading patterns...
Prevent Damage from Hit-and-Run Computer Help
One day prior to leaving on vacation, two clients of mine (husband and wife) had a relative visit. While asking if all was set for their trip, this individual sat down at my clients’ computer and determined there was “a much easier way” to access their e-mail while...
“Simple” Computer Projects
It was supposed to be simple. Just 3 easy steps, my client was told, and she’d be up and running: Enter the program path c:\mip share\setup.exe Press Enter Watch the installation complete After going around and around with these “simple” steps, I was called to help....
Here a Scam, There a Scam
The article first appeared in Microsoft's On The Issues blog on December 14, 2014. Several days ago, it was referenced again on a tech forum I belong to. Microsoft is going after companies who charge for bogus IT support, some of whom add insult to injury by then...
Cryptolocker
Don’t Let Your Data Be Held Hostage That’s not a catchy heading—it’s a warning. There’s a dangerous Trojan called Cryptolocker that encrypts the user data residing on your computer (irreplaceable documents, photos, music, etc.). Then you’re sent a message. It reads...
Hibernation Isn’t Just For Bears
A client of ours was excited to learn about putting her computer into hibernation. A long-time computer user, she hadn't heard of this feature before; we thought others might not know either. What’s so special about hibernation? This "snapshot shutdown," as it's...
Talking to Your IT Guy
Back when I did systems engineering and software development for medical imaging equipment, I’d occasionally see an error message from the operating system that read something like, “Unknown Error Code: 10241.” Now, that always struck me as funny since it clearly was...
Character Counts
“I can't send or receive any e-mail. Outlook keeps asking for my password. I think my computer may have a virus!” That was the phone message from a client last week. I called her as soon as I could and we tried to determine the problem over the phone. We checked the...