AVG and Acer Computers

In the past week I have seen three Acer computers with the same, or at least very similar, fault symptoms. That fault symptom being that as the system starts up and enters Windows, it will either reboot itself or not completely load up the desktop icons, however they would all start up fine in "Safe Mode".

The first one had me stumped for a while because I was thinking it was a driver or a recent windows update that was causing the problem. So to get it going again, I got the customer to boot up in Safe Mode and use the windows "System Restore" feature to return the Registry to an earlier time when all was good. This did the trick, but within a couple of weeks, the same thing happened again. This time I got the customer to bring the computer into the office for me to take a closer look.

I began by disabling things that were starting at boot up, and it just so happened that the first thing I chose was AVG antivirus. Low and behold, once it was disabled the system booted up without any trouble. Now I was confused. Why had it taken a couple of weeks for the problem to return? AVG regularly updates itself so the problem should have returned within a day or two. The reason was that the customer rarely used the PC and AVG hadn't had time to update itself again. As a quick fix I installed PC Tools Free Antivirus in AVG's place.

On the very same day I had a call from another customer with an Acer computer with exactly the same problem. So I got them to boot up in Safe Mode and uninstall AVG and download and install PC Tools Antivirus.

Then just this morning I had a third Acer PC land in the office, but this time the symptom was that it would boot to the desktop, but no icons would appear. Once again AVG was the culprit.

I have since contacted AVG, and it turns out the problem is a piece of Acer software called eLock. Apparently an updated version is available from Acer. Wouldn't it be nice if they shipped their computers with the updated software? Nahhhhhhhhh that would be too easy.

Now I ask you, who would want to work fixing computers? !!!!!!!!!!!

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

Funny

This has nothing to do with computers or any relation to anything technical, I just wanted to share it.

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

How Fast Is Your ISP Really?

A report released by Australian Research Company Epitiro has concluded that consumers are not necessarily getting what they pay for when it comes to Broadband Internet speeds.

Epitiro's analysis claims that Australians receive on average 65.5% of advertised package speeds when downloading data from national sources. ADSL2+ packages achieved an average 53.7% of advertised package speed; downloads from international servers are considerably worse (14.5% on average). Downloading data from locations outside Australia is also said to be much slower than in most other countries.

Telstra topped the ratings, whilst Optus slid right down the scale, something Optus customers don't need to be told. I have said it before and I will say it again, you might not like Telstra, but you can't deny the quality of their product.

Here's how Epitiro placed the ISPs (with previous quarter rankings in brackets):

1. Telstra (1)

2. TPG (3)

3. iiNet (2)

4. Netspace (4)

5. AAPT (7)

6. Internode (8)

7. Westnet (6)

8. Optus (5)

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

Speed boost for Telstra Next G Mobile Broadband

Ok I am probably a little biased considering I am a Telstra Dealer, but you have to admit when it comes to network speed and reliability, Telstra wins hands down.

Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo announced that Telstra will increase the speed of its Next G network from 14.4 Megabits per second to 21Mbps on February 23, and to a staggering 42Mbps by years end. At 21Mbps, it is already the fastest network in the world and as such has been entered into the Guinness Book Of Records. That’s roughly four times faster than anything currently available from other telcos. It appears that this commitment will also cover the HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) evolution outlined by Ericsson on 13th Feb, which could push future peak speeds to an amazing 168Mbps.

Business customers will be among the first in Australia to access Telstra's upgraded Next G service when it goes on sale next week. Telstra business customers will be able to sign up to the 21Mbps Next G service from February 23, but consumers will have to wait until April. The improved service will launch nationally with Mr Trujillo saying, "We won't be going city by city or base station by base station, it will go nationwide''.

Mr Trujillo said consumers could expect to download a 2MB video in about 6 seconds with the speed upgrade. Although the network is capable of peak speeds of 21Mbps, a lack of compatible devices will make it difficult to achieve these speeds. The upgrade will only be available to users of mobile data devices, but Telstra is expecting 21Mbps compatible PDAs and handsets to be available at the end of the year.

Telstra has steadily increased the speeds of its Next G network since launching in 2006 with a theoretical peak speed of 3.6Mbps initially, then to 7.2Mbps in 2007 and 14.4Mbps early last year. Telstra now says the network will deliver speeds up to 42Mbps to 99 per cent of the population by the end of 2009. Real world speeds vary depending on location and how many users are on the network at any one time.

Now all we need is for Telstra to drop the pricing to a level that is affordable!!!!

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

The Future Of Coffee Tables?

How cool is this?

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

What does the future hold?

For those who are in any doubt just how fast technology, and indeed life itself is changing, have a look at the following video. It graphically shows the rate of change we are experiencing. We are at a point now, (in fact we are past it), where if you don't take an interest in technology, understand it, and embrace it, you WILL be left behind.

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

Off-Site Backups

Wouldn't it be great if there was a simple way to backup important data off-site so that, if the building burns down, or your computer or laptop is stolen, or your hard drive decides to crash, you don't lose everything? And wouldn't it be nice if one of those things did happen, you could get that data back easily?

Well there is a way. I have been espousing the virtues of a little program called Carbonite for some time now. In a nutshell, Carbonite is a small program that works quietly in the background looking for new and changed files to back up. It looks and feels like part of your computer, and is integrated with your desktop, so there’s nothing new to learn.

Your computer is filled with irreplaceable files. Emails, photos, music, business contacts and financials. Carbonite automatically and securely backs up the irreplaceable contents of your computer via the internet and there is UNLIMITED backup. That's right, no limit. The only limit is that of your internet plan and it's allowed data usage per month.

If you lose your data for whatever reason, you simply get onto a computer with internet access (anywhere in the world), go to the Carbonite website, log into your account, and download whatever data you need.

Find out more details here.

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

After Delays, ISP Filtering (Censoring) Goes Ahead

The testing will take place for six weeks once the equipment has been installed at the ISP's, and will examine impacts on performance, user experience and also the ease of circumvention. Customers will get to choose if they want to participate in the trial.

The first phase of the Government's ISP filtering (Internet Censoring) trial has been confirmed with an initial rollout to six participating ISP's.

The "test" group of ISPs are Primus, Tech 2U, Webshield, OMNIconnect, Netforce and Highway 1.

Consultations are continuing with a number of other ISP's that have applied to take part.

Apart from Primus, most internet users would not be familiar with the other ISP's due to their small size.

According to Senator Conroy (the Minister for censorship), consultations are continuing with a number of other ISP's that have applied to take part. They include iiNet, Internode, Optus and others, some of whom have voiced concerns that the filtering tests will be watered-down and won’t represent real world conditions.

Telstra, Australia's largest ISP, refused to participate in the trial, calling mandatory Internet filtering an attempt to "boil the ocean".

The pilot will involve two filtering techniques — a simple filter of the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) blacklist, and a more invasive content filtering solution.

Addendum - 15 Feb 09

Primus, one of the ISP's involved in the Government’s mandatory filtering system trials, has compared the new filtering process to China’s harsh censorship laws.

Primus – the largest ISP to take part in the trials – also says any filtering systems shouldn’t be mandatory.

Andrew Sims, the Manager for Marketing and Products has stated that, "customers should have a choice as to whether their internet connections are filtered". "We've got instances of that around the world, particularly in China where the Government forces filtering upon their population," he said. "My professional opinion is I don't really believe that forced filtering is a good option". "If a family chooses not to have their children exposed to some of the nasty stuff on the internet, that's an option. But forcing everyone to do it, I don't believe it's a good idea".

Sims also said that Primus customers will be given notification of the trials, and they have the ability to opt-out. "Customers who feel that it's an invasion of privacy or who don't wish to participate for whatever reason won't have to".

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

The Most Common Computer Faults

Computer problems can be broken down into 3 basic categories:

1. Software faults,
2. Hardware faults, and
3. Operator error.
   

By far and away the most common fault I see is a toss up between Viruses & Spyware and Hard Drive failure normally in the form of Bad Sectors, but can be mechanical or electrical.
Viruses & Spyware can really be placed into 2 categories, the Software Fault category and the Operator Error category. It is the easiest one of all to prevent, because invariably it is the operator that causes it (generally speaking). In my experience it is unlikely that you will get a virus if you do the right thing on the internet. What do I mean by right thing? Well, if you do the following, you will more than likely remain virus and spyware free:

1. Install Antivirus & Antispyware software;
2. Always install the Microsoft security updates (I know that sometimes they can cause some issues, but by and large you really need to do them);
3. Never assume that just because you have googled something and it displays a site or some software (particularly antivirus software), that is safe to visit that site or download and install the software. A classic thing that I see all the time is when someone has been infected with a virus and they "google" free antivirus software, and then stupidly download and install a program even if they have no idea of whether it is legitimate or not;
   
4. and finally, DO NOT visit porn sites, game cheat/hack sites, pirate software sites, free screensaver sites, also if you are using peer-to-peer software like Limewire, you never know if what you are downloading is legitimate or indeed a virus. Be very wary of anything that you download that is an executable file.
   

As far as Bad Sectors on hard drives are concerned, there is absolutely nothing you can do about that. Well almost nothing. All you can do is make sure you don't knock or bump the computer while it is operating (this can cause head crashes), and prevent data loss by making sure you regularly back-up important data, as well as taking note of anything weird that happens and doing something about it. If you catch it early, it is possible to make an image of your old hard drive and copy that image to a new one. If left too long however, it may not be possible to do that. What symptoms and indications should you look for?

1. The computer seems really slow doing basic tasks like opening folders. This may also be symptomatic of viruses and spyware or a lack of RAM (memory), or not enough free hard drive space;
2. There seems to be a lot of hard drive activity all the time. The hard drive light seems to be on all the time.
   
3. You get error messages about missing or corrupted files;
4. Sometimes the computer won't boot up or won't boot up at all, or restarts randomly; and
   
5. You hear clicking noises. If you hear this, be afraid, very afraid. This is NOT good. Often this is referred to as the "click of death".

The 2nd most common hardware fault is a poor connection on the RAM contacts. Typical symptoms include:

1. You press the "Power" button on the computer, all the lights come on, there is no beep, nothing appears on the monitor;
2. You press the "Power" button on the computer, all the lights come on, and there is a constant beep beep sound; or
   
3. You are happily working on you computer, the monitor goes blank, you shut down the computer and restart, and one of the two symptoms above occur.

This is a really easy one to fix. Turn off the power to the computer by unplugging the power cord. Then simply locate the RAM on the motherboard, remove it, clean the contacts with a pencil eraser, and replace the RAM. 99 times out of 100 this will solve the problem. Sometimes however it may be a mechanical issue caused by the contacts in the socket on the motherboard where the RAM plugs into spreading apart on not contacting correctly with the RAM contacts. If this is the case the only solution is to replace the motherboard.

There is one other thing I would like to touch on with regards to hardware faults, and that is remember this, "heat is the enemy". All too often you will see a computer stuffed into a small storage area in a computer desk with books or papers wedged against the side blocking case air ducts. This is a recipe for component failure. So is dust. If it is at all possible, get the computer off the floor away from the dust and size 10 boots. Your computer will thank you.

Software faults include software that is not compatible with your hardware or operating system. Most commonly this will occur when you buy a new computer and you move from one operating system to another. For example you had Windows XP on your old computer and the new one has Windows Vista and the latter is not compatible with your old hardware and software. Viruses and spyware fall into this category as well. After all they are just software. And last but not least, misbehaving hardware drivers, or a security update or patch that causes problems. These two go hand in hand because sometimes after a windows update, drivers can become incompatible so the solution is to download the latest version of the driver from the manufacturers website. A list of the major manufacturers is shown in the menu on the right hand side of this blog.

The last category is Operator Error. Sometimes there is no fault at all. It is a lack of knowledge on the part of the operator. Unfortunately I can't really help you here other than to advise you that you learn about your computer, it's operating system and the software installed on the computer. Also, try thinking outside the box and a little laterally. I will give you an example. Yesterday I was out on a job, and the customer was complaining that the new computer I built for them was not recognising their digital cameras. One camera was an older one, but the other was brand new. I plugged in the older camera 1st, and sure enough the computer did not see it. But the first thing I noticed was that the cable that connected it to the computer had insulation tape around the plug at one end. This immediately rang alarm bells in my head, so I plugged a USB Drive into the computer and it recognised it straight away. What does this tell me? It tells me that the USB port and the computer are fine and that the problem is more than likely the dodgy cable. So I grabbed the 2nd camera and plugged it in and again the computer did not recognise it. But if the customer had taken the time to look at the LCD screen at the rear of the camera, he would have noticed that he was being prompted to choose what sort of connection he would like to make. Either a PC connection or a PictBridge connection. Once the PC connection was chosen, all was good. My point here is that it is my experience that most people do not read or take notice of messages and do not try to understand them or investigate their meaning. If you get an error message, try googling it for an answer. You would be surprised how often you will find and answer and be able to solve the problem on your own :-)

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

Top Ten Free Programs

I personally use all these programs and can recommend them all. In no particular order, here they are:

1. AVG Free - Antivirus software - download here
   

2. OpenOffice.org - Office Suite - download here

3. Paint.NET - Photo editing software - download here

4. Spybot Search & Destroy - Antispyware software - download here

5. Dial-a-fix - A collection of known fixes gleaned from Microsoft Knowledge Base articles (NOT for Vista) - download here

6. Advanced System Care - System maintenance utility - download here

7. Audacity - Audio editing software - download here

8. PC Inspector File Recovery - Data recovery program - download here

9. SyncBack - Backup & sync software - download here

10. Hamachi - VPN software - download here

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

Antivirus/Antispyware Software

I am often asked, "what is the best antivirus product to use". I usually reply with a smart arse response like, "how long is a piece of string?, quickly followed by, "It matters not what protection you have on your computer. If you do the wrong thing on the internet, you are stuffed". Or words to that effect.

It amazes me how many people think that just because they have antivirus and/or antispyware software, they are somehow invincibly protected and can do what they like on the internet with impunity.

The fact is that literally thousands of new viruses/spyware/malware are being released every week, and whilst antivirus and antispyware software can detect virus like activity, they cannot possibly know about all the different infections and variants. They are really only as good as the database of known bugs.

So, if you like going to porn sites, crack/cheat/pirated software sites, installing free screensavers willy nilly, surfing for gimmicky add-ons and smiley faces for email and MSN, using peer-2-peer programs like Limewire, then I can almost guarantee it will end in tears.

Having said all that, you MUST have antivirus and antispyware software installed on your computer. I am no fan of Internet Security Suites because invariably they use a lot of system resources and can cause more problems than they prevent. Particularly their firewalls. Usually you will get asked, "do you want to block this thing or allow it?" And you would know the answer to that question how?

I recommend you use AVG Free. It is as good as any other antivirus program and now incorporates a little bit of antispyware as well. You can download it from http://free.avg.com/

For a more detailed look at what Viruses and Spyware are and the do's and don'ts, download my virus and spyware notes. Remember Prevention is better than cure. Once you are infected the bugs can be very difficult to remove.

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

Great FREE system utility

Recently I discovered a system maintenance utility that does quite a good job and is very easy to use. Advanced System Care from IObit is a great FREE utility. You can download it from http://www.iobit.com.

The following is taken from their website.

Advanced SystemCare Free (formerly Advanced WindowsCare Personal) has a one-click approach to helping protect, repair, clean, and optimize your PC. With over 20,000,000 downloads since 2006, this fantastic, award-winning, free program is a "must-have" tool for your computer, 100% safe and clean with no adware, spyware, or viruses.

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery

Say NO to Clean Feed Internet

I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of bureaucrats telling me what I can and can't do. My current Bug Bear is the Governments proposed "Clean Feed" internet. ie. Internet Censorship.
If you agree with me, express your concern by joining the petition at http://nocleanfeed.com/
What the government can't wrap their heads around is that even if they introduce this, it can easily be circumvented by using readily available, free, Virtual Private Network (VPN) software, thus rendering the whole system useless and wasting mega-dollars.
The following is a copy of a letter I sent to Senator Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, expressing my opinion and feelings on the proposal:

Just who do you people think you are?
How dare you presume to know what is best for me, my family, my friends or anyone for that matter.
I have had it up to the back teeth with governments at all levels dictating what I should or shouldn’t do, and more importantly what I should think!!!
It has taken longer than he thought, but George Orwell must be laughing in his grave.
I am of course referring to Internet Content Filtering.
So you are going to filter the Internet for illegal and inappropriate content?
Then tell me this, just who is it that is going to determine what is illegal or inappropriate?
Some idiot public servant with a dart board?
The premise of our legal system is innocent until proven guilty. Is the under manned police force to be employed to undertake this task?
How can something be deemed illegal without it being tested in the courts first?
But of course you will probably just put everything under the umbrella of “inappropriate”.
Last time I checked we still lived in a democracy, but it seems I am sadly mistaken.
You just have to look at how the FOI laws are abused by government.
Anytime something that is embarrassing to the government is requested it is refused on the premise that it is a security issue.
We all know our civil liberties are constantly being eroded, and this is another nail in that coffin.
So it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if this plan to filter content was misused and abused to benefit the politicians and public servants of the day.
Used to filter political , religious, ideological, and any alternative points of view that are contrary to the regulator.
This is the sort of thing that we condemn other governments for doing. Think back to the Beijing Olympics. Remember the outcry about internet censorship there? What is the difference? It is a government deciding what information we can and can’t have access to.
The government crows about how they are going to improve broadband in this country with their “National Broadband Plan”.
Lamenting about how vital it is to business and our economy that we have a fast Internet network.
So what is your government planning to do? Hamstring the poor service we already have now, and in the future, with a futile attempt to satisfy your own moral dilemmas by imposing a dictatorial system to what we can access on the internet.
By imposing compulsory filtering you will increase the cost to each and every individual and business using the internet, and worst of all reduce the performance of an already sub-standard service!!!!
This is just a lose, lose situation.
If people are worried about what their kids see or do on the internet, then the answer is simple. SUPERVISE YOUR CHILDREN!!!!!!
As far as adults are concerned, we are old enough to look out for ourselves. We don’t need or want the government to do it for us.
I cannot even begin to express my dissatisfaction with the ever increasing government control over every aspect of my life.
I may as well live in cold war Russia or current day China.
I am sure I do not stand alone with these points of view, but I had to make them before they were filtered!!!!!
Seriously you need to stop Kowtowing to the Independent members of parliament and open your eyes and see this for what it is, a blatant attempt to impose someone else's moral standards over everyone.

Iain

Computer Repairs | Virus Removal | Website Hosting Design | Data Recovery