As the person who gets a call whenever a virus or malware is found on friends, family, colleagues, and clients systems, I have come to really dislike the group of Russian hackers who initially started the ‘fake’ AV concept, using names such as AV 2008, AV 2009, etc.  Their interface looks just like a real […]

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Well, I spent over three (3) hours last night trying to get my in-laws’ email working again.  Short background…my in-laws have sbcglobal (AT&T) as their DSL provider.  They also have their own domain for email.  They use Outlook Express for their domain email account. They informed me that for the last four months, they were […]

Well, I just finished working on a client’s system and it nearly did me in.  Somehow (they claim they didn’t click on anything) they contracted what appeared to be some typical malware/spyware garbage.  After using my typical process of using MalwareBytes, SuperAntiSpyware, Microsoft Security Essentials, and of course, CCleaner, it seemed all was well.  However, […]

Having installed hundreds of mile of cable in my networking lifetime, there comes a time when you have to run the wire on the outside of the wall rather than on the inside.  To do this, you use what is called ‘raceway’.  You’ve probably see raceway used for electrical wiring on cinder block walls.  The […]

As a parent and teacher, I am thrilled with what is available on the Internet.  Unfortunately, I am at the same time scared to death of what is available on the Internet.  If that seems to be a bit of a paradox, welcome to the harsh reality of the Internet!  It is important for you […]

When troubleshooting a computer, the sound it makes can be very helpful in determining the root of the problem.  In fact, I just purchased a mechanic’s stethoscope to help locate various and sundry noises in the computer.  However, even without the specialized equipment, you can many times ‘hear’ the telltale signs of impending doom and […]

One of the things I do for many of my clients is install networks–wired, wireless, and combinations.  However, there are times where running wire is too difficult (no suspended ceiling, concrete walls vs. plasterboard, etc) and wireless it inadequate.  So what do you do?  I have found the answer, and it is the Powerline adapters […]

To hopefully keep you from the frustrations I have had in dealing with this, here is a little known fact about setting the time on your home router.  If you home router (DLink, Belkin, Linksys, etc) has the incorrect time (usually due to a power outage, a factory reset, etc), you will probably not be […]

I am often asked about recovering data…whether from a formatted hard drive, a corrupt memory card, or a USB drive gone awry.  Due to that, I have tried nearly every option out there.  Hopefully you can learn from my pain and expenditures rather than suffering on your own… First you need to determine if it […]