A lot of users are hooking their computers up to their televisions for many reasons. There is the benefit of the larger screen, and also having access to the internet, you can watch your favorite online shows. There’s Hulu.com, www.Fancast.com, and others. Also the major broadcasters now have their shows online.

Fox Video Page

CBS Video Page

Below is a link that will show you how easy it can be to hook your computer up to your television. .
http://hookpctotv.com/

There are several benefits to purchasing a used computer. The main benefit is the money that you can save.
1st, ask yourself, what am I going to use the computer for? Once you’ve done that, than you will want to ask someone at one of our stores what is needed to accomplish that. You will be able to save sometimes hundreds of dollars that would otherwise be wasted unnecessarily. We can match you up to the perfect computer for your needs. We have computers that are perfect for the basic user, all the way up to advanced users that would enjoy a gaming machine. All at discounted rates compared to the ‘big box’ stores.
Need reliable computers for your business? With our business end systems, you get a warrantied personal computer that will save your company hundreds of valuable dollars and possibly more.

Why not get a 2nd computer for the home or office. If there are multiple users at home, a 2nd computer would allow for each user to be on at the same time. That will allow for more efficient use of your systems. Allowing you to use your computer for research, paying bills, searching for online savings, gaming, or whatever you use your system for.

Again there are several benefits to buying a used computer, your wallet will thank you.

When purchasing a used personal computer, there are a few things you will want to make check on before your purchase. Now each of these are guaranteed when purchasing a computer from Refresh Computers and Electronics. If your not sure that you will get these benefits, you should head over to one of our stores.

Clean System
- No Viruses
- No Malware
- No Spyware
- No Bloatware

Licensed copy of Operating System
- Allows important security updates that will fix holes within the operating system
- Free Microsoft Security Essentials for virus protection, malware protection, and other security benefits.
- Microsoft will stop you from using your computer if your copy is not licensed, the only way to use your computer again will be to purchase a legal copy

Computer speeds have outpaced the requirements of the most common software used by most PC users. Below is a list of the requirements of some of those programs. Each of these can be run without issues on a desktop for less than $200. Below you’ll find the speed and and RAM requirements.

Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010 – 500Mhz or higher – 512MB RAM recommended

ITunes – 1Ghz or higher – 512Mb RAM

Internet Explorer – 244Mhz or higher – 128MB RAM

Adobe Photoshop CS5 – Pentium 4 – 1GB RAM

Microsoft Windows 7 – 1Ghz or higher – 1GB RAM

Best Buy – $500 – Dual Pentium 4 – 2.8Ghz – 4GB RAM

Refresh Electronics - $135 – Pentium 4 - 2.8Ghz – 1GB RAM

Don’t overspend if you don’t have to!

Answer:
“Tethering” is the use of your cell phone — or other Internet-enabled mobile device — as a modem for another device, usually a notebook or PDA. The connection is made either with a cable (USB or serial) or wirelessly through bluetooth (or, in the good old days, via infrared or IrDA).

Follow this link for more information
What is Tethering

If you are having issues with Windows 7 starting then some component of the operating system may have become damaged. While many times Windows 7 will try to automatically fix the issue you may have to manually launch startup repair. The first method is best to use if you can otherwise you will need the Windows 7 installation disk to launch the recovery options.

Method One

After starting your computer immediately begin pressing the  F8 key about once a second until a black screen comes up with a couple options. If the screen doesn’t come up the first time you try you should reboot the computer and try again. It should show up before you ever see a Windows logo. Select the Repair Your Computer option and then click on Startup Repair and follow the prompts.

Method Two

Insert your Windows 7 CD into the optical drive and restart the computer. It is a good idea to let the computer boot once completely as some are configured by default to boot from CD first, if this does not work then you may have to configure the computer to boot from CD. Booting from the CD-Rom drive which can be accomplished by either entering the bios and changing the boot order or by selecting boot to another device if your computer supports it. You should see some text on the bottom of the screen immediately after pressing the power button telling you to push a certain key to enter the bios or to select an alternative boot device. Either go into the bios and change the boot order or set the boot device to CD.  Once the Windows 7 CD loads you need to select your language and then click on Repair Your Computer which should be in the lower left portion of the screen.  Click next then Startup Repair and follow the prompts.

Windows has a great built in feature that allows you to uninstall almost any software on your computer, even software that does not include its own uninstaller. Removing unused software can free up space on your hard drive and speed up your computer. The way to access the feature varies by operating system

Windows XP

Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs
or
Start -> Run -> apwiz.cpl

Windows Vista / 7

Start -> Control Panel -> Uninstall a Program
or
Start -> Control Panel -> Remove Programs or Features
or
Start -> Type “Uninstall a Program” in the search box

This is a great way to get rid of multiple programs easily, just make sure you know what you are deleting otherwise you can cause serious issues if you remove the wrong thing.

Darik’s Boot and Nuke (DBAN) – Tutorial

1. Download and burn the DBAN CD Found Here.

2. Remove all hard drives or media that you do not want erased from the computer.

3. Restart your computer with the DBAN CD in the drive and your computer to boot from this drive. Consult your computer’s guide or manufacturer on how to do this.

4. When you receive the splash screen for DBAN, type “Autonuke”

5. Watch the progress, the process will take a few hours.

If you are like any casual user and sometimes you just simply cannot access the internet from your wireless or even your wired network. Here are a few simple tricks to help you get that working.

Winsock Reset

To reset your winsock, which is the portion of your computer that controls all of your information coming in from the internet, follow these steps.

1. Click Start or the Windows Logo

2. For XP Users: Click run. For Vista or Windows 7 Users, type “run” in the search box.

3. In the run dialog box, type “cmd”

4. In the command prompt dialog box type “netsh winsock reset”

5. Restart your computer.

Reset Internet Explorer

1. Click Start

2. Click Control Panel

3. Open Internet Options

4. Click the Advanced Tab

5. Click Reset.

Windows NT-based CHKDSK

CHKDSK can be run from the Windows Shell, the Windows Command Prompt or the Windows Recovery Console. One option for CHKDSK is the use of the Command-line/R parameter, which allows the program to repair damage it finds on the hard drive.

Conducting a CHKDSK can take some time, especially if using the /R parameter, and the results are often not visible, for various reasons. The results of a CHKDSK conducted on restart using Windows 2000 or later operating systems are written to the Application Log, with a “Source” name of Wininit or Winlogon and can be viewed with the Event Viewer.

The standard version of CHKDSK supports the following switches :

filename	FAT only. Specifies the file or set of files to check for fragmentation. Wildcard characters (* and ?) are allowed.
path	FAT only. Specifies the location of a file or set of files within the folder structure of the volume.
size	NTFS only. Changes the log file size to the specified number of kilobytes. Must be used with the /l switch.
volume	FAT and NTFS (NTFS support is unofficially supported but works normally). Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point, or volume name.
/c	NTFS only. Skips checking of cycles within the folder structure.
/f	Fixes errors on the volume. The volume must be locked. If CHKDSK cannot lock the volume, it offers to check it the next time the computer starts.
/i	NTFS only. Performs a less vigorous check of index entries.
/l[:size]	NTFS only. Displays current size of the log file. If size is specified, changes the log file to that size (in kilobytes).
/p	Checks disk even if it is not flagged as “dirty” (only available in the Recovery Console).
/r	Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information (implies /f and /p). If CHKDSK cannot lock the volume, it offers to check it the next time the computer starts.
/v	On FAT: Displays the full path and name of every file on the volume. On NTFS: Displays cleanup messages, if any.
/x	NTFS only. Forces the volume to dismount first, if necessary. All opened handles to the volume are then invalid (implies /f ).
/b	NTFS only, since Vista. Clears the list of bad clusters on the volume and rescans all clusters for errors (implies /r).
/?	Displays the list of available CHKDSK switches.

When running CHKDSK from the Recovery Console the options are different. The /p is not read-only as in the standard version but corrects errors :^[1]

/p	Fixes errors on the volume. Same as the /f option in standard CHKDSK.
/r	Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information (implies /f and /p). Takes much longer to run than /p by itself.

A typical result:

Checking file system on C:

The type of the file system is NTFS.

A disk check has been scheduled.

Windows will now check the disk.

Cleaning up minor inconsistencies on the drive.

Cleaning up 318 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.

Cleaning up 318 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.

Cleaning up 318 unused security descriptors.

CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...

File data verification completed.

CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...

Free space verification is complete.

  14996645 KB total disk space.

  10187752 KB in 88054 files.

     30784 KB in 5774 indexes.

         0 KB in bad sectors.

    164341 KB in use by the system.

     65536 KB occupied by the log file.

   4613768 KB available on disk.

      4096 bytes in each allocation unit.

   3749161 total allocation units on disk.

   1153442 allocation units available on disk.

Vista result (App Event Log) found in “bootex.log” in the root folder of the drive:

Checking file system on C:

The type of the file system is NTFS.

A disk check has been scheduled.

Windows will now check the disk.

  79232 file records processed.

  332 large file records processed.

  0 bad file records processed.

  2 EA records processed.

  44 reparse records processed.

  105198 index entries processed.

  0 unindexed files processed.

  79232 security descriptors processed.

  Cleaning up 1 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.

Cleaning up 1 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.

Cleaning up 1 unused security descriptors.

  12984 data files processed.

CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...

  35789792 USN bytes processed.

Usn Journal verification completed.

Windows has checked the file system and found no problems.

  78175231 KB total disk space.

  12902428 KB in 54029 files.

     36068 KB in 12985 indexes.

         0 KB in bad sectors.

    187407 KB in use by the system.

     65536 KB occupied by the log file.

  65049328 KB available on disk.

      4096 bytes in each allocation unit.

  19543807 total allocation units on disk.

  16262332 allocation units available on disk.

To run Chkdsk, this is how you start.

1. Click “Start” or the Windows logo at the bottom-left of the screen.
2. Click “RUN” or Search “Run” in the search bar.
3. In the run dialog box, type “chkdsk C: /r /f /x”
4. You will get the following window.

5. Press the “Y” key and hit enter, restart your computer, and walk away letting the machine run.

Bloatware Software

Here is an excerpt for a article that I found telling about different types of bloatware. However, as always, stay on the side of safety and do not remove anything that you are unsure about. If you are ever unsure about any type of software, give either of our stores a call or email wdbo@refreshelectronics.com and we will help you out.

Alternatively, you can download and run a program called PC Decrapifier, which is downloadable from http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/

Here is a little about bloatware software, this snippet taken from http://malektips.com/preinstalled-bloatware-definition-information.html

* Security Software – Unfortunately, some computer operating systems have been so insecure that they could become infected with malware just by connecting the computer to the Internet! This has led many computer manufacturers to include security software on new machines. Vendors may think that if the software was not included, many users might not install security software at all!

Pre-installed security software may take the form of various individual programs or a suite of applications that provide a firewall plus protection against spam, viruses, malware, and other “nasties” on the Internet.

However, the included security software is not purely installed for altruistic reasons. These applications must be updated constantly to stay effective, and may only be licensed initially for 3, 6, 12, or 15 months. Afterwards, the user must purchase an extension to continue to download updates, providing a convenient “lock-in” for the software manufacturer.

* Search Engine Toolbars and Related Software – Some people appreciate a handy toolbar in their web browser giving them instant access to the many capabilities of a modern search engine. However, these are not usually included just for user convenience – there might be payment involved from the search engine to the computer manufacturer. These toolbars can help create user “lock-in” to a particular search engine, because if users become accustomed to accessing search features via the toolbar, they are less likely to try another service.

* Trial or Feature-Limited Software – Pre-built computers often come with trial or feature-limited versions of games, graphics viewers/editors, CD and DVD burning software, and other applications. Computer manufacturers like to place this software on machines to provide a bonus to the end-user, sometimes advertising that their computers come built-in with “hundreds of dollars of free software”. However, software manufacturers get something out of this deal – they hope if you like the trial or feature-limited versions of the software, you might purchase the full versions via always-convenient order buttons.

Unfortunately, bloatware can cause problems, which is why you may want to remove some of these applications and utilities:

* Actual “Bloat” – Pre-installed bloatware may require a large portion of the computer’s hard drive, meaning you may be able to store fewer files than expected. Also, portions of these applications may run continuously, using up CPU time, causing your computer to run slower.

* Software Conflicts – Bloatware may conflict with other software you may download and/or purchase. Also, if you choose to run different security software, removing the pre-installed applications may require a great deal of time.

* Uninstaller Bloat – Even if you remove some or all of the bloatware, uninstallers are notorious for not completely removing all traces of applications from a system. Pieces of software may remain in the computer virtually forever unless manually removed by an expert computer technician or via registry and other software cleaners.

* Unneeded Features – Of course, you may wish to remove some of these applications because you frankly just don’t need them. You may not deal with photos, you may not like the computer manufacturer’s multimedia software, you may find the software manufacturer’s technical support applications useless and a waste of hard drive space, etc.

Most vendor-built computers come with a pre-installed operating system, potentially saving you hours of time. However, bloatware may be included, applications that the vendor thinks you will find valuable. While some of these programs such as security software may be of use, bloatware can cause problems. These applications may fill up your computer with features you do not need or conflict with software installed later. Plus, even if you uninstall this software, parts of the bloatware may remain. Thus, while bloatware may provide money in the coffers of computer manufactures and provide software companies and web services with a convenient “locked-in” user base, its actual usefulness for some computer users may be questionable.

You all know that I am a big proponent of multiple backup solutions for your data. Well, we were prompted from a caller about Carbonite Backup, a program that is used to automatically backup any of your important documents and files to their servers for safe keeping. Unfortunately, this caller Ken, was having issues because of his backup solution. Carbonite was constantly attempting to connect to its servers, giving his computer quite a bit of lag and so he was unable to watch videos and listen to streaming music properly. To get around this problem, users would need to schedule their backups to happen at a certain time and you should not be using the computer at this time.

Here are a couple of programs that I recommend using to keep your computer safe, secure, and running the most efficiently.

RevoUnisntaller

A simple utility to help uninstall and remove leftovers from a remaining installation of software. This utility can help remove programs that have become corrupted or are missing certain files. This removes all the useless stuff from your computer. Highly recommended.

Microsoft Security Essentials

About Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free* download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.

Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions or long computer wait times.

Learn more at the Microsoft Malware Protection Center

Find information, definitions, and analyses of all the latest threats that Microsoft Security Essentials can help protect you against in the Microsoft Malware Protection Center.

Need security for your business?
Protect your computers with Microsoft Forefront Client Security

*Your PC must run genuine Windows to install Microsoft Security Essentials.Learn more about genuine

A flawed McAfee antivirus update sent enterprise administrators scrambling yesterday as the new signatures quarantined a crucial Windows system file, crippling an unknown number of Windows XP computers, according to messages on the company’s support forum.

McAfee confirmed it had pushed the faulty antivirus update to users. “McAfee is aware that a number of customers have incurred a false positive error due to incorrect malware alerts on Wednesday, April 21,” said company spokesman Joris Evers in an email reply to questions. “The problem occurs with the 5958 virus definition file (DAT) that was released on April 21 at 2:00 P.M. GMT+1 (6:00 A.M. Pacific).”

According to users on McAfee’s support forum, today’s update flagged Windows’ “svchost.exe” file, a generic host process for services that run from other DLLs (dynamic link libraries).

“HOW THE F*** do they put a DAT out that kills a *VITAL* system process?” asked Jeff Gerard on one thread. “This is goddamn ridiculous,” added Gerard, who identified himself as a senior security administrator with Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company of Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada. “Great work McAfee! GRRRRRRRRRRR.”

As of 3:30 p.m. ET, McAfee’s support forum was offline, with a message reading “The McAfee Community is experiencing unusually large traffic which may cause slow page loads. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Both users and McAfee said that the flawed update had crippled Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) machines, but not PCs running Vista or Windows 7. “Our initial investigation indicates that the error can result in moderate to significant performance issues on systems running Windows XP Service Pack 3,” acknowledged Evers.

Affected PCs have displayed a shutdown error or blue error screen, then gone into an endless cycle of rebooting, users claimed.

(article above taken from Infoworld. To read more go Here.)

From WDBO AM580 Radio Show on 04/18/2010

A1 Assets Electronics Recycling Events this Week:

A1 Assets and Vann Data’s 3^rd Annual “Go Green” Computer Recycling Event:

Date: Thursday, April 22^nd, 2010

Time: 10:00AM-2:00PM

Location: 1801 Dunn Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Hosted by: Vann Data Services Inc.

Website: www.vanndata.com

Contact Person: Julie Beard 386-238-1200 x 1404

This electronics recycling drive benefits the Stewart Marchman Act Behavioral Healthcare which provides prevention, intervention, education and treatment services for delinquencies.  For more information about the Stewart Marchman Act Behavioral Healthcare, please visit their website: www.smabehavioral.org

Organizers are seeking voluntary donations of $1 per item of which 100% of the proceeds will benefit this worthwhile non-profit organization.

Please note that there will be a $3 charge per CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor and that NO CRT televisions will be accepted at this year’s event.

First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee’s “Recycling to Nurture God’s Creation” Recycling Drive:

Date: Saturday, April 24^th, 2010

Time: 10:00AM-2:30PM

Location: 101 West Dakin Ave, Kissimmee, FL 34741

Hosted by: First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee

Contact Person: Mark Johnson 407-847-3700

Everyone in the community is invited to participate in recycling their old computers and electronics at this is location.  This recycling event is sponsored by the Church as part of their Earth Stewardship Program and celebrates both Earth Month and their Festival of God’s Creation.

Please note that there will be a $3 charge per CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor and that CRT televisions will incur a $5 charge.

The community including households and businesses are encouraged to bring their obsolete and old electronics to either one of these two locations.  Everything from computers, cell phones, laptops, printers, scanners, audio equipment, telecom equipment and other electronics will be collected!

Should you not be able to participate at either one of these two recycling events, A1 Assets Inc. will gladly accept your old electronics at their Longwood facility located at 1100 Charles Street, Longwood, FL 32750.  For more information about Florida’s leading recycling and remarketing specialists, please visit A1 Assets Inc. at www.a1assets.com or you may contact them by phone at 407-339-7030.

1. Activate the power saving options. Most computers have the ability to set power saving options for the monitor, the hard drive(s) and the entire system. To access the Power Options in Windows, click on the Start button, then on Control Panel and then on Power Options. To access the Energy Saver option in Mac OS X, choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then choose Energy Saver from the View menu.
2. Turn it off! Your display screen is the biggest power consuming device, especially if it’s one of the older CRT monitors. Today’s flat panels consume less than half the power of older CRT screens, so consider replacing if you still have an old display. Hit the display’s power button when you are going to be away from your computer for a while or if you aren’t going to be using the computer for several hours or overnight, shut the entire system down instead of letting it go to sleep.
3. Optimize your computer’s performance. If your computer takes forever to boot up and seems to be getting slower for just about everything, not only is it aggravating, you’re wasting energy. Anything that’s running in the background is expending your computer’s resources and wasting energy at the same time. If you haven’t had your computer cleaned up in the past year or two, getting it serviced will lower your blood pressure and reduce the power consumption.
4. If you have a laptop, use it more. Laptops by design are more efficient users of electricity, so if you own both a desktop and a laptop, use the laptop as much as you can.
5. Get rid of the cutesy screen saver. Many improperly associate screen savers with power savers. Screen savers were designed to keep screens from “burning in” and are actually power wasters. Those cute photos of your family vacation when your screen saver kicks in cause power to be wasted by your hard drive, CPU and monitor. For the lowest power consumption, set your screen saver option to “blank” which will save your screen and power.
6. Dispose of old technology properly. Never dispose of any electronic device by throwing it away, as the toxic waste in all electronics is substantial. Check with your municipality for local charities, schools, churches or recycling programs to donate or recycle your old electronics properly. Tips for scrubbing your personal information from an old computer before donating or recycling can be found at www.datadoctors.com
7. Keep it digital. The popularity of digital music downloads has reduced the number of CDs manufactured by the music industry. Using an iPod or other MP3 players instead of burning CDs reduces waste. Instead of using a fax machine, scan a document so it can be e-mailed. Businesses can setup a fax server instead of a traditional fax machine so all incoming faxes are digitized automatically and save the paper. Instead of printing out something so you can read it, read it on the screen. Instead of printing out a photo to send to someone, use one of the online photo sharing services…if you think about it, the digital options are almost endless.
8. Stop over charging your batteries. Simply put, if you keep your laptop plugged into the wall and your battery is fully charged, then your just wasting electricity. The power adapter that connected your wall to your computer is always draining power whether the laptop is running or not. So be green and unplug them if your battery is fully charged already overnight.

• This is a test of WP to Twitter. (3280537) #
• This is a test of WP to Twitter. (6735604) #
• New post: This is a test of WP to Twitte… http://refreshelectronics.com/blog.php/?p=84 #
• New post: This is a test of WP to Twitte… http://refreshelectronics.com/blog.php/?p=85 #
• Twitter news #
• Refresh Longwood just got some great HP Compaq NX6110 laptops! $157.99! #
• Gateway M275 Tablet at 1.6GHz with 512MB and a 40GB hard drive. Tablets r great for taking notes in class! http://tweetphoto.com/18526279 #

Gateway M275 Tablet at 1.6GHz with 512MB and a 40GB hard drive. Tablets r great for taking notes in class! http://tweetphoto.com/18526279

Refresh Longwood just got some great HP Compaq NX6110 laptops! $157.99!

Twitter news

Teamviewer

Teamviewer is a wonderful program to allow you to remotely access your home, work, or even a friend’s PC from anywhere in the world, as long as you have internet of course. Head over to www.teamviewer.com and simply click the “Teamviewer 5” button to allow you to download and install the program. The program is free for personal use and they also have corporate licensing available. This program is automatically configured all your partner has to do is click the “quick support” button on the main Teamviewer webpage, a dialog box comes up with a 9 digit ID and a 4 digit password. Your partner reads you these numbers and viola, your computer is now connected to theirs with the ability to file transfer, view and control their desktop, switching sides so they can do the same to yours.

Sometimes it is impossible to get connected to the internet. Here are a few settings that may do the trick! Sometimes viruses and other different types of software malfunctions change these items. Here is how to reset them.

Reset Internet Explorer

How to reset Internet Explorer

1. Click “Start” or the Windows Logo
2. Click “Control Panel”
3. Double or Open “ Internet Options”
4. On the new page that opens, go to the “advanced” tab.
5. Click “Reset…”
6. Then it confirms if you want to reset.

How to Change Internet Explorer Proxy Settings

1. Click “Start” or the Windows Logo
2. Click “Control Panel”
3. Double or Open “ Internet Options”
4. Open the “Connections” tab
5. Click “LAN Settings”
6. Check the “Automatically Detect settings”
7. Then make sure the “Use a proxy server or VPN for your LAN” box is unchecked.

A gentleman called in on the radio this afternoon saying that his Gmail Account was hacked. To avoid this and to do damage control, I suggest:

• Changing your Gmail Password (Needs to be done ASAP)
• Contact Friends and Family and tell them not to open up any emails sent within the last (however long your account was lost).
• Contact Google and provide them with any information that they may need to verify your account and to help them track the hacker/spammer.

Another gentleman called in this afternoon stating that he could not find his drivers for his HP laptop. If this laptop is not in the recall list (mentioned in previous shows), I recommend you use this program to find the drivers or you can use a subscription service like Driver Agent.

Unknown Devices

Driver Agent

Shopping online has become more and more popular. Never having to leave home for your needs and wants. With that being said, are you protected, is your information protected? Here are a couple of tips to help keep yourself safe while shopping online.

Tip #1

Always make sure your computer’s Operating System (OS) is up to date.  To do the updates, I provided the directions on how to keep your computer up to date.

Microsoft Windows XP

1. Click “Start”
2. Click “All Programs”
3. At the top of that pop-out menu, you will have either (or both) “Windows Update” or “Microsoft Update”, and simply follow the onscreen directions.

Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows 7

1. At the bottom left, click the “Windows Logo”
2. Click “Control Panel”
3. Double Click “Windows Update” or “Microsoft Update” and follow the onscreen directions.

Tip #2

Use common sense and your browser to determine fake website addresses. In Internet Explorer 8 the address bar at the top will change color to red or black to signify that something is wrong. Firefox also prompts you before it accesses the website and at that point you choose to continue or to go away. The same can be said for Google Chrome.

Tip #3

Use “InPrivate” web browsing to securely check out. Using the “InPrivate” feature in IE8 to check out allows the browser to automatically delete any files that a website will save on your computer and does not save form data, such as credit card fields.

Tip #4

Make sure the payment website is using a secure format. For example, before checking out and entering your personal information, check the top of the website, where the address bar is. Make sure it begins with “https://” this means that you are viewing a secure website.

Tip #5

Never respond to unsolicited pop-ups asking you do “update” your information on file. Disregard pop-ups or simply leave the website when you see them. It isn’t worth the hassle if it turns out that the pop-up is a fake.

Tip #6

Beware of Malware and scams. Period. If anything pops up on your computer saying that you have viruses and it isn’t your security program, shut down your computer. Moreover, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is. (Unless its OUR low prices.)

Tip #7

Keep your Antivirus software up to date. There are many types of softwares out there, so I cannot cover how to update your antivirus software, but I would suggest consult your manual of the FAQ page of your antiviruses website.

Pwn2Own

In the recent Pwn2Own convention, the main battle was the “Battle of the  Browsers.” The top 4 web browsers were put to the test by some of the greatest security minds in the world. At stake, a $10,000 prize. So how did the rank up?

Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7

Internet Explorer 8 was hacked and completely taken over by the hackers in under 2 minutes time. Does this mean you are insecure? Not quite. These attacks were directly aimed at Internet Explorer, so unless someone is particularly trying to attack you and you use common sense, you should be okay.

Firefox

Although I cannot find many details on the exploit of Firefox, it can be said that Firefox has left its place as being “Fast and Secure”, due to many plugins, it is vulnerable to an array of attacks.

Safari

Quoting Andrew Heining from “The Christian Science Monitor”, “ Safari was compromised in seconds, victim to a prepared attack that “allows a remote attacker to gain control of a machine by having a user click on a single malicious URL.” Safari running on a Mac was the most-attacked browser at this year’s conference this year, because “it’s an easy target,” according to last year’s overall winner.”

Google Chrome

Hands down winner, Google’s Chrome browser was unable to be hacked! Due to the unique design in the browsers security settings, your data is safe. Using what in the world calls, “Sandboxing” Google keeps all HTML data in a separate process off of the main chrome processes, keeping all of the browser secure except for exploits through third-party plug-ins like Flash and Javascript.

Want to try each one?

Internet Explorer 8

Safari

Firefox

Google Chrome

Here are a couple of habits everyone from novices to experienced computer users have. Unfortunately, these bad habits can impact your computers performance or leave your personal information out in the open.

Bad Habit #1

Creating too much desktop clutter:

We all know how finding files on your computer sometimes can be a pain in the butt regardless of if your computer is cluttered or not! Just imagine though, you need to find an essay you wrote for your final exam and you have less than 5 minutes to turn it in! Well you want to be able to find it on your desktop rather easily right? Maybe you have a spreadsheet of accounts your company deals with and need to provide that to your superior as soon as possible. Finding files should be quick and easy. Place documents and other types of files in folders according to their need. It just makes life simple.

Bad Habit # 2

Using the power button to shut down

How many times can I say “no” to this? This is a huge problem! Pressing the shutdown button can simply destroy your computer! Make sure you go through your normal shutdown method by click the “start” button, then clicking shutdown. Using the shutdown button stops data from being wrtiten to the hard drive as it is turning off, this can cause data loss, bad sectors, and many other harmful defects to your computer.

Bad Habit # 3

Storing Passwords in a Text file

Lets say you just came up with a hackproof password for your online banking account but you store it in an unencrypted text file with the name “passwords” or something similar. That is just exactly what a hacker is looking for. If you are really concerned with your passwords, find a password manager/generating program such as “KeePass” which is a free program that encrypts all of your passwords for you.

Bad Hait # 4

Carrying an unencrypted flash drive

In the world of portable computing, removal flash devices (usb drives) are extremely helpful. However, storing personal information on these devices can be a security risk. Keeping financial data on a flash drive for example has been a new craze. If you were to accidently loose this flash drive, then someone has access to all of your data. Simply install a program that I recommend, “TrueCrypt”, it is a simple to use flash drive encryption program.

Bad Habit # 5

Blindly Clicking the next button

When installing programs, many people just click the next button a bizzilion times to get through the installer. Scary thing is, you just installed a toolbar that tracks what you do. Problem? Yes. Always read what you are installing before you do install the item. The End User License Agreement (EULA) tells you about what is being installed and what your rights are regarding that program. Know what you can and cannot do and what the program developer can and cannot do to your computer.

Bad Habit # 6

Relying on a single backup method

By only having one backup method, such as an external hard drive, you’re keeping all your eggs in one basket. What if that external drive just happened to go bad when you need it most? You are out of luck. Its happened to me on a couple school projects so I’m sure it has happened to some business professionals. A simple way of avoiding this is to upload your documents to a secure “Google Documents” account while also having it on an external hard drive. This way you have all of your documents ready to be pulled from the internet should anything go wrong.

Now with the world of wireless technology becoming more and more popular, you have to wonder if your information is secure. It would be wise to follow the directions of your particular router and change the security based on your needs. Below are the types of security and what the differences are.

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)

WPA (Wi-Fi Protect Access)

WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protect Access)

As the article state, WEP is now an insufficient type of security standard. It is now recommended to use WPA/WPA2 security. If you are unsure what type of security you are using, feel free to contact the stores at longwood@refreshelectronics.com or UCF@refreshelectronics.com, and any of our technicians will be able to help you out. Moreover, call either of the stores Longwood: 407-478-8200 UCF: 407-306-0777

Almost all computer users have a battery backup for their computers. These devices help us out tremendously (especially if you’re in Florida like us). These devices will keep your computer and monitor running for a short period of time while you save any important documents or anything critical that you are doing on a computer. Now, the problem is that as with any product, the batteries inside these uninterpretable power supplies (UPSs) is a battery. All batteries have period of which the battery will hold a charge. Most people figure that when these batteries die, its time to get a new one. You couldn’t have been more wrong! You can actually replace the battery within most UPS’s. A good place to start looking for a replacement UPS battery is at a website called Gruber.

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack is a collection of codecs and related tools. The K-Lite Codec Pack is designed as a user-friendly solution for playing all your movie files.

http://www.free-codecs.com/k_lite_Mega_codec_pack_download.htm

Features of K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.8.0 :

• Player:
- Media Player Classic Home Cinema [version 1.3.1595.0]
- Media Player Classic [version 6.4.9.1 rev. 105]
• ffdshow:
- ffdshow [revision 3158]
- ffdshow VFW interface
- extra plugins
• DirectShow video decoding filters:
- XviD [version 1.2.2]
- DivX [version 6.8.5]
- DivX H.264 [version 8.2.0.26]
- On2 VP7 [version 7.0.10.0]
- MPEG-2 (Cyberlink) [version 8.4.0.1014]
- MPEG-2 (Gabest) [version 1.3.1333.0]
• DirectShow audio decoding filters:
- AC3/DTS/LPCM (AC3Filter) [version 1.63b]
- Vorbis (CoreVorbis) [version 1.1.0.79]
- AAC (MONOGRAM) [version 0.9.6.0]
• DirectShow audio parsers:
- FLAC (madFLAC) [version 1.8]
- WavPack (CoreWavPack) [version 1.1.1]
- MusePack (MONOGRAM) [version 0.9.2.0 | 0.4.0.0]
- Monkey’s Audio (DCoder) [version 1.0]
- OptimFROG (RadLight) [version 1.0.0.1]
- AMR (MONOGRAM) [version 1.0.1.0]
- DC-Bass Source [version 1.2.0]
- AC3/DTS Source (AC3File) [version 0.7b]
• DirectShow source filters:
- Haali Media Splitter [version 1.9.42.1]
- AVI splitter (Gabest) [version 1.3.1333.0]
- MP4 splitter (Gabest) [version 1.3.1572.0]
- Matroska splitter (Gabest) [version 1.3.1333.0]
- Ogg splitter (Gabest) [version 1.3.1333.0]
- MPEG PS/TS splitter (Gabest) [version 1.3.1333.0]
- FLV splitter (Gabest) [version 1.3.1333.0]
- CDXA Reader (Gabest) [version 1.3.1333.0]
• DirectShow subtitle filter:
- DirectVobSub (a.k.a. VSFilter) [version 2.39.5.2]
- DirectVobSub (a.k.a. VSFilter) [version 2.33]
• Other filters:
- Haali Video Renderer [version 1.9.42.1]
• VFW video codecs:
- XviD [version 1.2.2]
- DivX [version 6.8.5]
- x264 [revision 1195]
- On2 VP6 [version 6.4.2.0]
- On2 VP7 [version 7.0.10.0]
- Intel Indeo 4 [version 4.51.16.2]
- Intel Indeo 5 [version 5.2562.15.54]
- Intel I.263 [version 2.55.1.16]
- huffyuv [version 2.1.1 CCE Patch 0.2.5]
- DivX [version 3.11]
- YV12 (Helix) [version 1.2]
• ACM audio codecs:
- MP3 (Fraunhofer) [version 3.4.0.0]
- MP3 (LAME) [version 3.98.2]
- AC3ACM [version 1.4]
- Vorbis [version 0.0.3.6]
- DivX WMA [version 4.2.0.0]
• Real Alternative:
- RealMedia codecs [version 12.0.0.301]
- RealMedia plugin for Internet Explorer
- RealMedia plugin for Firefox/Mozilla/Netscape/Opera/Chrome
- RealMedia DirectShow splitter [version 1.3.1290.0]
• Tools:
- Codec Tweak Tool [version 4.2.0]
- Preferred filter tweaker for Windows 7 2.8
- GSpot Codec Information Appliance [version 2.70a]
- MediaInfo Lite [version 0.7.27]
- VobSubStrip [version 0.11]
- GraphStudio [version 0.3.2.0]
- Haali Muxer
- FourCC Changer
- Bitrate Calculator

Changes from K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.7.0 to K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 5.8.0 :

- Updated Media Player Classic Home Cinema to version 1.3.1748.0
- Updated Media Player Classic (regular) to version 6.4.9.1 rev. 107
- Added translations for MPC-HC
- Updated LAME MP3 ACM codec to version 3.98.3
- Updated RealMedia components to version 12.0.0.614
- Updated Codec Tweak Tool to version 4.2.2
- Updated Win7DSFilterTweaker to version 3.0
- Updated MediaInfo Lite to version 0.7.29
- Tweaks applied by Win7DSFilterTweaker can now be automatically undone during uninstall
- Minor changes

Important Note :

- The K-Lite Mega Codec Pack works only on Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7.

New High-Performance SuperSpeed USB and SATA 600 Controller Cards

Date Released: 12/23/2009

MANHATTAN, a leading global provider of personal computer components, peripherals, cables and accessories, today becomes one of the few brands to offer new PCI Express and ExpressCard controllers for SuperSpeed USB and SATA 600 technologies. SuperSpeed USB or USB 3.0 can deliver data transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps nearly ten-fold above those of Hi-Speed USB 2.0. Easily installed and Windows 7 compatible with hot-swap and backwards capability, the new MANHATTAN SuperSpeed USB PCI Express and ExpressCard/34 controllers add SuperSpeed USB ports to desktop and notebook computers for high-performance access to next-generation USB 3.0 peripherals for improved responsiveness, synchronization and interactive experiences. High-Performance SuperSpeed USB and SATA 600 Controller Cards New MANHATTAN SATA 600 PCI Express and ExpressCard/34 controllers based on the SATA 3.0 standard support data transfer rates of up to 6 Gbps giving desktop and notebook computers the ability to potentially double the previous 3 Gbps rates of the SATA Revision 2.6 specification. Compatible with Windows 7, each model supports Native Command Queuing (NCQ) and large-capacity drives over 137 GB for advanced data streaming, better power management and improved solutions for optical disk, hard-disk and solid-state drives and removable magnetic media devices. MANHATTAN offers a complete, single-source of personal computing solutions for work, home and mobile venues. Its expansive range of innovative products protected with a lifetime warranty and comprehensive technical support reinforce its commitment to personal computer users worldwide. MANHATTAN is a division of IC Intracom, a global leader in computer peripherals, accessories, and networking products with 13 locations worldwide and its headquarters in Oldsmar, Florida.

I have found a really good article on another website, a website that I often use for referencing. www.bleepingcomputer.com. This website has many tools and different article to help make your ocmputer live longer and work better for you. One of these such articles is the list of processes that are and are NOT needed for your Windows operating system. Consult this list on the following link if you are curious. However, if you are unsure of doing such an action, please call either of the locations Longwood: 407-478-8200 or UCF: 407-306-0777 and ask to speak with a technician so we may be able to help you out.

List of Good and BAD processes

Changing your power options will always help extend the lifetime of your computer, and also lower your energy bill! Changing your power settings is very simple, simply follow these steps:

1. Click “Start”
2. Click “Control Panel”
3. Click “Power Options” or “Power”
4. Change your options accordingly.

Some options to look for are to change the time your screen shuts off, to a lower time. Maybe 5 minutes instead of 15, or allow your computer to go into “Hibernate” mode. I’m personally not a fan of the “Standby” or “Sleep” modes, they are more reliable than they used to be. But I still caution against them. Having your computer go into “Hibernate” instead of sleep also completely shuts down your computer, but saves your current data, allowing your computer to start up quicker and not use any power.

We have all seen them, those lovely little toolbars that we get whenever we install some software. For example, if you install Yahoo Messenger, it automatically puts in its Yahoo Toolbar. If you heard me on the show earlier today, you would know that I absolutely hate them. They don’t work well, they slow down your internet, and also they take up so much space! If you see some of the toolbars in your Internet Explorer program or your Mozilla Firefox, if you don’t use these items, then get rid of them!

A few steps to remove them.

Internet Explorer:

1. Click the “X” on the toolbar
2. Click “Disable” on the new dialog box

Internet Explorer Alternate:

1. Click “Start”
2. Click “Control Panel”
3. Click “Add Remove Programs” or “Programs”
4. Remove any items that have “toolbar” in the name.

Firefox:

1. Click “tools”
2. Click “Add-ons”
3. Remove any add-ons that are not needed.

I’m sure all of you guys reading this who have been using Microsoft Windows products are not unfamiliar with the typical BSODs, what we in the industry call blue screens of death. unfortunately, this happens with almost all different versions of Microsoft Windows, everything from Windows 9x/ME, 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7. Although the errors have become less and less over the years, it is still possible to have them pop up. Sometimes frequently, sometimes not so much. Some typical causes of BSODs are:

1. Hardware Failure
2. Windows Operating System Failure
3. Hardware/Device driver failure

If it seems that you are having any of these issues, please feel free to stop by either store location and have one of our qualified technicians take a look at your computer for you. Information is below:

Longwood Store:

(407)-478-8200

820 East State Road 434

Longwood, FL

32750

UCF Store

(407)-306-0777

12140 Collegiate Way

Orlando, FL

32817

While working at either of the Refresh Computer and Electronics stores, I have noticed a large amount of HP laptops having bad motherboards. Because of this, I decided to do some digging and found an article showing all fo the HP Pavilion DV Series, and the Compaq Presario V Series laptops that are under recall. Click the link below to access the original HP/Compaq article or comment with the following information for us to help determine if your laptop qualifies for a recall.

HP/Compaq Recall List

Probably the most overlooked component inside of any computer (laptops and desktops alike) are the fans.  These devices are very inexpensive, however if they fail can lead to a very expensive repair.  In this article we will cover what computer fans are, their function, and some general maintenance that should be done.

Purpose of a Fan:

The primary purpose of a computer fan is to keep a computer cool.  CPU’s and other chips inside the computer can become very hot, in fact hot enough to fry an egg or even hotter.  So keeping the air flowing is critical, unless the system uses a liquid based cooling system (we will not be discussing liquid cooling in this article.)

Types of Fans:

•  Power Supply:  Most PSU’s (Power Supply Unit) come with one 90mm or 120mm internal fan, however some power supplies (recommend) have two, one intake and one out-take.  It is very important to keep a power supply cool as it will prolong the life of the power supply.  A power supply that needs this type of cooling that does not have an operating fan can reduce it’s life significantly, because it will only be a matter of time before things get too hot inside that little box for components to melt or even explode due to heat.

•  CPU (Central Processing Unit):  It is very critical to have a well working and operating fan on this component.  Most modern CPU’s range from 35 degrees Celsius to 75 degrees Celsius (or 95F to 167F.)  So, keeping the heat moving off the heat sink is essential.  Never let a CPU go without an operating fan that a heat sink requires.  Most CPU thresholds are 80 degrees Celsius before physical failure begins, which can further damage a motherboard and connected components.

•  Chipset:  Some motherboard chipsets come with fans and others have passive heat-pipes.  I prefer the passive heat-pipes over fans, however don’t be fooled by the importance of these tiny little fans.  When they fail, the most common problem that arrives is system halt blue screens or also known as the blue screen of death (BSOD).  The system chipset needs to stay cool just as much as the CPU does, period.

•  GPU (Graphic Processing Unit):  These fans can be found on the medium to upper end video cards.  Much like the CPU Fan, all the above applies.  If you want to keep your games running smooth without artifacts and other anomalies, then keep your video card chilled as much as possible.

•  Case (chassis) Fans:  Not all system setups need or come with case fans, but I would never recommend it.  Relying on your systems power supply to cool the inside temperature of the case is not going to work effectively. Case fans can come in all different sizes varying on the style of case.  Having a minimum intake and out-take fan in place will make a big difference in your setup as long as the room temperature is less then the temperature inside the computer.

•  There are other supplemental fans that can be installed such as hard drive, CD style (front of case), and PCI slot (great for helping CPU’s and video cards.  These fans are typically more optional and not mandatory than the above fans, but will add some degrees in differences.  Every degree counts inside of a computer.

Because of dust, animal hair, cigarette smoke, factory air, etc. fans aren’t entirely maintenance free.  Depending on the environment, will depend on how often you clean the fans and alike components.  Be sure to stop by our “How to Keep a Computer or Laptop Dust Free” page for preventative maintenance and cleaning tips.  Fans are typically rated between 50,000 to 80,000 hours (that’s between 5 1/2 years to 9 years of continuous use.)  While this number almost rarely is achieved because of environmental variables such as the above, it isn’t too far off if they are well maintained.  Unfortunately fans will fail before their time.

Replacement:

When replacing fans, be sure to replace with a good brand and a quite one.  At the Refresh Computer and Electronics store we have a wide assortment of different fans, feel free to call either location, or our online store for more details.

Longwood Store: 407-468-8200

UCF Store: 407-306-0777

Original Article

Unfortunately, all computer users have come to the conclusion that your computer just simply will not run as fast as it would when you first bought the machine. A few tips below may help restore your computer to a much faster state and keep you happy, allowing your computers to work better for you.

1. Too many items at start-up

Over time after installing software, your computer will not run as fast simply because you have too many programs starting up at the same time, and starting when they are unnecessary. HP Printer tools are a really big one to do this. You can simply remove many of these by right clicking on the icon and saying “Remove from start-up” or something similar. Otherwise, you can remove them from the start-up list by going into a utility provided by Microsoft called Microsoft System Configuration Utility. To access this utility, you simply go to

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Type “msconfig” (without quotes)
4. Click on the “Startup” Tab

From here, simply uncheck any boxes with programs that you do not seem to want running in the backgroun. For example, the “Google Toolbar Notification” item can safely be unchecked. However, do not uncheck any items that you do not know what they are. If you are unsure of any items, please consult a local technician or someone that you trust. Unchecking the wrong items could cause undesired effects.

2. Viruses/Spyware/Malware/Other Malicious Software

Throughout the computing world, there are many people that are trying to make their living by stealing your information. Many of these “hackers” are using software that you install to steal your information. When you install malicious software 9 times out of 10, they slow down your computer. It is always important to keep update anti-virus/anti-Malware/anti-spyware software up-to-date. For some free ideas, you may want to reference some of the items below:

Microsoft Security Essentials

Malware Bytes Anti-Malware Software

3. Hard Drive Failure (Or impending failure)

All of your data is stored on disk that is inside your computer, called a Hard Drive. This drive stores all of your information, your pictures, music, documents, videos and all of your programs. Also, it stores all of your Microsoft Windows system files. When a hard drive is beginning to fail, you will see errors such as bad sectors and many other programs. Especially a slower computer. A quick remedy to prolong the life of your computer, is to run a simple command:

1. Click “Start”
2. Click “Run”
3. Type “CMD”
4. In the new DOS-Like dialog box, type “CHKDSK C: (or other drive letter) /f /r /x

While the test is running it will attempt to recover bad sectors and fix your Hard Drive.

4. Memory

Your system has device called Random Access Memory (RAM), the RAM is an essential part to your computer. RAM is what allows you to multi-tasking on your computer, the more RAM you have, generally the rule of thumb is the faster your computer will be. If RAM is failing or you have too little, it just simply won’t be able to keep up with what you demand out of your computer. Bring your computer to a local dealer for someone to test your RAM and maybe upgrade your RAM.

5. System Cleanup/Temporary/Unused Files

Having your hard drive cluttered with files that are old, not useful, or simply the temporary files made by the system can impact your system performance quite a bit. For a free solution to clean up many of these unused files, please download the following software and run the cleaner.

CCleaner

Every Sunday from 3PM to 4PM! We talk about computers and electronics nostalgia to the latest and greatest gadgets – AND ways to make your computer world more friendly and affordable!

If you have a question about your computer and want to ask your question on the radio, please call 407-290-0058 or toll free: 1-800-329-5858.

eMail your questions or comments to wdbo@refreshelectronics.com

Who is Consumer Priority Service?
Consumer Priority Service was founded on the belief that consumers deserve better service. Putting the satisfaction of the consumer at the forefront of our corporate policy has driven our company to be among the very best at post sale service both on and offline. Our lineup of consumer protection products can be found at America’s largest retailers as well as America’s best boutique shops. Although some of our Authorized Dealers compete with each other they all share one common belief – Consumers Deserve A Better Service Provider. That is why your retailer has selected Consumer Priority service, a place where you, our mutual customer, is Always Our Priority.

Why Do I need This?
Consumer Priority Service Extended Protection plans provides you with easy protection from potentially high future repair costs. Planning ahead and taking action now can save you the stress of dealing with unqualified servicers should your product become defective. Saving time and money is in everybody’s best interests. We are here for you.

What is Covered?
CPS Protection Plans are extensions of your manufacturers’ written warranty a few added bonus features. Any malfunctions that would normally be covered within the terms and conditions of the original written warranty would be covered through the life of the Consumer Priority Service Extension. “Our Shield Means You’re Protected.“

Benefits of owning a Consumer Priority Service Plan

 

Zero Deductible
All CPS plans are zero deductible. This means that ALLcosts associated with Parts and Labor to repair your defective product are covered. Owning a CPS service plan means you’re FULLY COVERED.

Total Access
With CPS you can file a claim for repair or replacement 24 hours a day 7 days a week through our consumer network at www.cpscentral.com

In-Home Service
In-Home parts and labor protection plans provide service for your products at your home or your workplace. Contact us Toll Free at 1-800-905-0443 so that we may arrange for a convenient service time for you.

Express On-Site Upgrade
With our Express On-Site Upgrade plan you can now upgrade any of our service plans to include door-to-door service. We’ll pickup your defective product from your home or workplace, repair or replace it, and return it to you.

Product Replacement Plan
Any product that plugs in or takes a battery qualifies for this program. If your product fails to operate properly under the terms of its written warranty, we will replace it, No Questions Asked!

Nationwide Service
Consumer Priority Service provides complete coverage across all 48 contiguous states.

No Lemon Guarantee
If our authorized service center determines your product to be beyond economical repair or they have unsuccessfully attempted to repair your product three times, we will replace your product.

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Owning a CPS service plan virtually guarantees that you will get years of use from your product through the duration of the plan.

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