Beckett PC Solutions

Most recent Windows 10 update is version 2004. It is big, takes a long time to complete with about three rebbots, and has many periods where you think it has failed, the screen is blank or it looks like it has frozen. Allow it to complete, walk away. After it is done, check for more updates, there are usually two. Stay well.

The 2004 version of the Windows update is very large and will take longer to complete than other update. It may also take more than one restart. If there are errors and it fails to complete after two tries, you could have hard drive or RAM issues. It is not uncommon for these hardware problems to show up during or after an update.

If you currently have Windows 7 you know that in January 2020 support will go away. I can upgrade your computer to Windows 10 for $60. I was a bit surprise that my upgrades have not required activation. Previously, I communicated that Windows as about $99 to purchase but on the last two computers I upgraded, activation was not required.

I am switching remote services because I found a really good one that costs half what I am paying now but it also supports Linux. Why is this important? I really feel that many of my clients should be using Linux. No Windows updates to deal with and none of the pop ups. Just as easy to use and now with this remote service i can help you. On January 1, 2020, Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7. Your options will be to do nothing and risk security issues, purchase a new computer with Windows 10, purchase Windows 10 and install it, or install Linux on your computer. Linux is free, Windows 10 is $120. All the software for Linux is free. Just something to consider.

Still available if you know anyone that can use this. First come first serve.

I have a new laptop available at a reduced rate. https://beckettpcsolutions.com/?page_id=206

Gmail changed security options and this might cause Outlook and other application without the ability to use Gmail security to fail to log on. You will be asked to enter a password and still not be able to access email this way. You will still be able to use the browser to log on to Gmail but Outlook and some other email applications will fail. You need to set up two level verification on Gmail and use the application password option to generated a computer password. In some cases you might need to remove and re-add the gmail account in Outlook. If you do this, you will need to copy your calendar and contacts from the old PST (outlook data file) or use the old PST when setting up the new account. It is a lot of work, but the only way to get Gmail working again in Outlook.

There is a new email phishing scam. I have received many of them myself and thought I would let everyone know. You may have seen the first one, looks to be a message from Costco, saying that you have a $50 reward waiting for you. Note the email address it was sent from has little to do with Costco. Delete it. The one I received today that I have not seen before was from Walgreen's and again the email address is not from Walgreen's. It is asking for your account informati...on so you can get a $50 reward. Delete it. As a general rule, don't click on any links you are not receiving from people you know AND, you are expecting the link to be sent to you. It is easy to make it look like the message is coming from a friend. Call and check with them if you weren't expecting it. If you think the message is from the bank or other outfit that you have an account with, use the browser to go to the web site (don't click on the link in the email) and see if there is a message connected to your account there. Most of the time you will find there is not. -Will

Upgrade your hard drive to speed up the computer The cost of SSD have dropped in the last two years. As a result, I have been doing many upgrades of older computer to SSD drives. The total cost for just the upgrade is usually under $140 for a 500gig drive and under $210 for a 1TB hard drive, including parts and labor. Usually clients want me to do a standard clean up of the computer while I have it which adds just $60. The upgrade transfers all the information, including programs (applications) so everything looks the same but is four times faster. I have done many of these in the last year and it makes a big difference to my clients. It takes me about two days to get the SSD and then my work takes 24 hours to do the transplant. I can do these on laptops or desktops.

Computer Costs still low Computer costs continue to be low. New laptops with Windows 10, 8 gig of RAM and webcams in the bezel of the display, can be found under $350. New desktop computers are frequently on sale at Frys and Best Buy for the same price. If I do the setup in my office, the cost for the setup with data transfer is $120. I include the purchasing and picking up the computer with that price and can usually turn this around within 48 hours. LCD flat panel disp...lays at 19 and 23 are less than $100, 27 are around $150. If you want a higher quality laptop, I would recommend going with an Intel processor i-5 to i-7 and at least 6gig of RAM if not 8gig or 12gig. Optical drive are not usually included anymore since most applications are downloaded and movies are streamed. It is worth finding laptops with SSD (solid state harddrives), because they are four times faster than conventional hard drives and manage shock much better. The SSD is usually smaller capacity but don’t let this put you off. Check the current hard disk space you are using, likely it will be less. Some computers come with two drives, and SSD and conventional hard drive. In this case the conventional drive is usually 1TB. The cost for these laptops are usually in the range of $700 to $1200. See more

Passwords Passwords are a necessary evil in our world today. Passwords are required for your email and for your bank, Social Security, or car insurance. Many require special formats, upper case, lower case, numbers and some with special characters (!@#$...). Most understand the need for passwords but then how do you remember them all? You can make your password the same for everything if it follows the required rules for each site, but there is a danger if it is cracked, ...then all your accounts are accessible. I have some clients that keep a paper log of their passwords, others that have a Word file on their computer with all their passwords. These methods can be compromise your security. I use a program to track all my passwords, secret codes and PIN numbers that is free to download and has a great structure for organizing types of passwords. I added a feature so that the data file (encrypted and secure) is in my DropBox account so I have access to it from any of my computers or my phone. This came in very handy when I needed a password while I was in Europe last year. So the program I use is KeePass (http://keepass.info/). Go to this link, click on the most current application for your computer to download it. Start the install and then run the program. Create a file name for your KeePass file and save it to the location that is best for you, creating a password to access this file (the only password you will need to remember without writing it down). Click on the Network tab and enter all your wireless and modem passwords. Then click on the eMail tab and enter all of your email account passwords. After this click on Homebanking and enter all your financial institution accounts and passwords. Click the save icon and you are done. Just remember, any time you change your password, open this program up and edit the selection to reflect this change. Dual verification systems are best where there is a secondary verification sent to your cell phone or to email. Once the device has gone through this process, it is usually remembered and only need to enter your password. You need to change your passwords at least once each year to stay safe and protect your identity. See more

Windows 10 Many of you are now using Windows 10 and if you have been with me a while, you are also using ClassicShell.net as your start menu for Windows 10. The menu looks a lot like the Windows 7 menu and for many, is easier to use than the Windows 10 menu. The start button can be fixed with ClassicShell.net, a simple download and install. The Gadgets, icons on the right that show a clock and calendar, sometimes weather info, can also be added back though they use a lot o...f RAM. During Windows updates you might be asked if it is OK to fix ClassicShell and/or 8Gadgits and you should click yes to these questions. Updates are a necessary evil. They happen often and people that leave their computers on all day may not notice they are happening. Most of the calls I get are related to updates. My screen went blank for a long time, I think my computer died. My computer is frozen My computer is really slow and I am not doing anything Updates will usually show up during the boot up process if you watch the computer boot up, also when you restart or shutdown the computer. You can check to see the status of an update by doing the following steps: 1. Click the Start button 2. Type Updates and Security 3. Select the Windows Updates Settings or Check for Updates 4. Check Windows updates should be at the top of the window with a button to Check for Updates 5. If there is no button, you may see that updates are in process. Some updates can take hours to complete. Some might show an error. The general rules is to let them run their course over several days before you intervene. Leave the computer on for the day, restart the computer if there is an error. Shut down and restart a computer at least once each day because most updates require a restart to complete. Be patient, it will save you much grief in the long run.

Scams, be very aware Few have been untouched by scams which appear regularly and in many forms. Cold calls are the most common. Some will say they are from Microsoft and that you have viruses on your computer and they can fix it for you. They will also say they are from Windows, which of course, is not a company, the company is Microsoft. Bottom line is that none of these companies will call you unless you call them first. Hang up! Some of my clients have paid them, one... of my clients was really cheated out of $4500. Other methods involve a small popup on the lower right of your Windows desktop. Ads appear here all the time and the general rule is not to click on them. Sometimes you will receive email messages. Unless you know a link is being sent to you, don’t click on anything. It may look like your bank but don’t click on the link. Go to your browser and log on to your account if you have concerns. You will be able to tell it is a scam by hoovering over the link and looking at the URL that appears. It is likely not the real website for your bank or other service. One more scam will be a page that takes over the home page of your browser, it will not let you close the page. Try shutting down the computer right away. This might fix the problem. If it doesn’t, your browser will need to be reset to turn off the background applications. Some of these applications will not let you get into settings to do a reset. Many of the browsers will let you start the browser in safe mode (no background programs will run) if you hold the Shift button when you start the program. Then you can go into settings and reset the browser. When in doubt, please call me