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The Windows 10 Hidden Gotcha!

Posted by South City Computer

South City Computer Windows 10 The free Windows 10 product key works very differently from previous versions Windows. In the past the product key would always serve to activate your copy of Windows. However if you upgraded to Windows 10 from a previous version of Windows then you probably never received a product key for Windows 10. Since a Windows 10 update released in November it may be possible to use your previous Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 product key to activate Windows 10. But, basically the Windows 10 upgraders just don’t have a product key.

The Windows 10 license key is now bound to your computer’s hardware. During the Windows 10 activation Microsoft created a fingerprint of your computer’s hardware that corresponds to your product key. They did this in order to identify your computer again if it requests to activate Windows 10. If you reinstall Windows 10, then you will probably not have any issues. If you replace your hard drive, video card, a broken screen or RAM you will probably not have any issues re-activating Windows 10 either. However if you replace your computer’s CPU or motherboard, you will be surprised that Windows 10 will no longer activate.

If Windows 10 is instructing you to activate your copy of Windows, then you will have to call Microsoft support. They will decide whether or not you deserve a free licensed copy of Windows 10 again. They will probably inform you that you have to purchase a copy of Windows 10 in order to use the operating system on your computer.

There might be a workaround, a way to get a Windows 10 license again. But this is only good while the Windows 10 upgrade window lasts. But before I tell you, I want you to agree that you will not do anything that violates your license agreement with Microsoft. If you are able to re-install the previous valid licensed copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, then you could possibly just upgrade to Windows 10 again.

What To Do When Your Laptop Breaks

Posted by South City Computer

The Fragility of Hardware: Or What To Do When Your Laptop Breaks

Gravity. It is the force that binds us to this planet, and is largely responsible for all life as we know it. However, like all creative forces at work in this majestic universe, gravity has a destructive side. It can wreak havoc on your laptop! Laptops have been known to fall from heights great and small. Being portable devices, they seem especially drawn to Earth’s pull. If they are not sliding toward the edge of the surface on which they’ve been gently placed, they’re often releasing themselves from the grasp of caring hands. Even if your laptop manages to avoid a calamitous rendezvous gravity, hardware damage can still occur. Micro tremors, vibrations, being picked up, being set down. All of this gradual ware and tear can lead to hardware issues.

What should you do when misfortune befalls your beloved laptop? Worry not! It doesn’t have to be the end. We can remedy myriad hardware issues right here at South City Computer! Broken screen? We can fix that! Damaged keyboard? We can fix that! Some unseen internal gizmo has made its existence impossible to ignore by suddenly refusing to function? Odds are… We can fix that! What happens when gravity attacks your laptop from above? Say gravity has chosen to conspire with a cat, who has gingerly knocked a glass of water all over your precious PC? Well, after you frantically unplug the device, turn it off, and remove the battery… Bring it to South City Computer! Give us a chance to fix that!

Apple Ransomware

Posted by South City Computer

apple now targeted by ransomewareApple computers are not immune to malware vulnerabilities. A new form of malware called “ransomware” is targeting Apple’s Mac OS X operating system. Ransomeware is a computer virus that encrypts important data such as pictures, videos, music, and documents in order to “hold it for ransom” at an unsuspecting victim’s expense. If the victim pays the ransom then, hopefully, they would receive a key to decrypt their data, known as a decryption key. Unfortunately many times there is no decryption key and the victim loses not only their data but possibly up to $700 USD in ransom payment. The ransom payment transaction occurs using an anonymous payment method in order to conceal the identity of the scammer holding the data ransom so that there is no trace. Ransomware is usually spread via email attachments, peer to peer file sharing, and more recently removable devices such as external hard drives and USB flash drives.

While this is not the first time Apple computers have been vulnerable to malware attacks, such as the FBI virus a few years ago, a recent Reuters report revealed that ransomware was targeting Apple computers for the first time. Ransomware is already rampant on computers running the Windows operating system. Many variants of the trojan horse already exist such as Bitlocker, CryptoWall, Cryptorbit, and CryptoLocker or Crypto-malware. So far the ransomware has infected Apple computers via peer to peer file sharing networks using bit torrent.

There is no easy fix for the data that has been affected by the ransomware. Without the decryption key the data is scrambled to a point that it cannot be deciphered using current technology.

“The best way to protect your data from a ransomware attack is to have an archive backup of the important data on a computer” says South City Computer security expert Nestor Wheelock. “Because the archive is completely disconnected from the live file system the ransomware will not encrypt the data”. While this form of data backup service is complex and daunting to most computer users, South City Computer offers a service package that includes this type of backup service. If you need assistance setting up this type of backup service contact South City Computer or a local computer repair store near you.

Credit Card Skimmers Found at St. Louis Gas Pumps

Posted by South City Computer

Credit cardsA recent plethora of reports of stolen credit card numbers in the St. Louis metro area has led authorities, banks, and credit and debit card customers on a wild goose chase to recover their stolen funds. The cards numbers were “lifted” using credit card “skimmers” that were inserted into several metro area gas station pumping machines. A credit card skimmer is a computer device small enough to be inserted into a credit card reader that has it’s own credit card stripe reader and usually some sort of radio or Bluetooth device to transmit the information to another computer in order to commit credit card fraud.

Several gas station customers in Ladue, Webster Groves, Clayton, St. Louis City, and other areas in the St. Louis metro region have reported being victim to this recent credit card scam. Hundreds to thousands of credit card numbers have been stolen without the victims knowledge due to the credit card skimmers being nearly impossible to spot. The credit card skimmers are inserted into the credit card reader of a gas station pump in order to collect the information stored on the back of the card during the swipe. The information stored includes the credit card holders name, address, phone, and credit card number, that is then used to create a fake credit card that is used to make fraudulent purchases.

How to know if your card has been compromised

It is hard to know unless you start seeing unauthorized charges happening in your account. Some banks will catch these charges right away and restrict your account if they seem unusual to your normal buying behaviors. These charges vary and appear to be mostly at local St. Louis metro area businesses but sometimes can appear from other states. Usually the first charge will occur at a Walgreens for over $100, and then after that the charges will vary from gas stations, stores, and fast food restaurants.

What to do if your card has been compromised

Contact your bank or card issuer immediately and let them know what charges you believe to be fraudulent. They will have their own security department investigate the fraudulent charges and may further instruct you to file a police report.

Upgrading To Windows 10? You may want to reconsider.

Posted by South City Computer

Microsoft Windows 10If you don’t currently have Windows 10, you are likely getting pop-ups urging you to upgrade. However, you may want to think twice before you do. Unfortunately, in the short time it’s been available, it has shown itself to be simply not the best option for everyone. If you’re system is currently running Windows 8/8.1, you may be able to make the transition with only minor headaches… Maybe. But if your system is currently running Windows 7, upgrading to Window’s 10 will probably end up being way more trouble than it’s worth.

One of the features of Windows 10 that has proven problematic is the automatic updates. Windows 10 is new, and part of being new is being imperfect. The automatic updates are designed to remedy these imperfections as they make themselves apparent. The problem with these automatic updates is that they have been known to lead to more problems.

Many computers simply will not support Windows 10. Period. Windows 10 is not certified by manufacturers for all computers. In these cases the devices do not have the capability to run Windows 10 to the desired effect, if at all.

Of course, for some, upgrading to Windows 10 will be relatively smooth. However, it is important to consider all that has been mentioned before taking the plunge. It might be best to simply wait until the next version of Windows comes out. As of yet, when it comes to Windows 10 the old adage seems to ring true in many cases: If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

Beef Up Your Windows 10 Privacy

Posted by South City Computer

ms-eyeDid you know that Microsoft Windows 10 shares information with Microsoft about your computer usage? Likely if you have gone through the Windows 10 upgrade or installed Windows 10 onto your computer you might still need to set up your privacy settings.

Terry Myerson / Executive Vice President, Windows and Devices Group tells Windows users in his blog post:

“From the very beginning, we designed Windows 10 with two straightforward privacy principles in mind:
1. Windows 10 collects information so the product will work better for you.
2. You are in control with the ability to determine what information is collected.

With Windows 10, information we collect is encrypted in transit to our servers, and then stored in secure facilities.”

You may not have realized that the new Microsoft operating system was designed with your privacy in mind as Terry points in his second point that you are in control of your privacy settings.

This article aims to give a few quick privacy tips you can use to beef up your Windows 10 privacy.

Set up a local account
The most invasive Windows 10 privacy concerns occur because the Windows user has set up a Microsoft account instead of a local account. The Microsoft account enables settings like “Cortana” that aim to assist the user but also shares alot of information with Microsoft. If you don’t use “Cortana” often then you should probably use a local account on your computer instead.

To set up a local account on your computer:
1. Open the Start Menu and search for “Account”, then choose “Manage your account.” (Alternatively, open the Settings app and choose “Account.”)
2. Click “Sign in with a local account instead.”
3. Create a new username and password.
4. Log out and re-log in using your new credentials.

When you use Cortana, Microsoft collects information about your device location and location history, contacts, voice input, search history, calendar, content and communication history from messages and apps, and other information on your device. In Microsoft Edge, Cortana collects and uses your browsing history.

Set up your privacy settings
From the start menu search for “Settings” to launch the Settings Panel. From the Settings Panel select “Privacy”. From here you can tweak your privacy settings for your location, microphone, and camera.

Windows 10 has a ton of privacy features that are too lengthy to cover in this article. If you are having issues setting up your privacy settings, or don’t know what would be the best settings for you, take your computer to a computer repair store in your area for a consultation with a repair technician that can help you to choose the right privacy settings for you.

Common Windows 10 Issues

Posted by South City Computer

Windows 10 woes

Windows 10 is being called a vast improvement over Windows 8 and has been well received by most people who have successfully upgraded there computers. So maybe you have decided to take the plunge and upgrade to the new Windows 10 but now you may be having some unforeseen issues.

While it is true that Windows 10 works great on most computers and most folks are totally satisfied with their Windows 10 upgrade, there are some computers that have issues from the get-go after the upgrade to Windows 10.

These are the most common Windows 10 issues we have been seeing since the release of the new Microsoft operating system earlier this year.

A common issue that we have encountered after a computer has been upgraded to Windows 10 is that the computer will hang during the boot process and never load the desktop. The computer will be stuck on a blank or black screen with a moveable mouse cursor, but that is it. There is nothing else the user can do with their new Windows 10 computer but move the mouse cursor around on the screen. Unfortunately there is no fix available from Microsoft for this issue at this time. If you are having this issue it is recommended to have your computer rolled back to your previous version of Windows.

Another common issue we have been seeing after a computer has been upgraded to Windows 10 is that the start menu just doesn’t work at all. When you click the start menu icon in the toolbar, it just doesn’t do anything or shows an error message saying “The Start Menu has failed”. Unfortunately Microsoft does not offer a fix for this issue at this time. There are a few work-arounds available to try on the Internet, however most do not produce a working solution. It is recommended if you have this issue that you roll your computer back to your previous installed version of Windows.

Another common issue we have been seeing after a computer has been upgraded to Windows 10 is the computer will crash often. There is no known reason that this will occur as Microsoft has not given and explanation for this behavior. Again if you are having this type of issue after upgrading your computer to Windows 10, it is recommended that your downgrade your computer back to the previous version of Windows at this time until a future release of Windows 10 fixes these issues.

Finally you may have noticed certain devices such as printers and web cams may no longer function properly or at all after the upgrade to Windows 10. These devices may need their device drivers upgraded as well, and many device manufacturers may still be slow to release updated drivers for Windows 10. You may be able to install and run these drivers in compatibility mode as a solution to get your devices to work again, or you may be out of luck at this time until the manufacturer releases a Windows 10 driver for your device.

While a downgrade may be the only solution to fix these issues now, it is likely Microsoft and device manufacturers will fix most of the issues described in this article in future releases of the software.

If you need help to downgrade your computer back to the previous installed version of Windows contact a local computer repair store in your area. If you are in the St. Louis metro region contact South City Computer today and we can help get your computer back up and running.

Recycled Computer Parts Robot Costume

Posted by South City Computer

robot costume using recycled computer partsAbout a month ago a customer came to South City Computer asking for some old computer parts that she could give to her son, Sam, so that he could create a Halloween costume. Sam and his father came by the South City Computer repair store today to show off Sam’s Halloween costume creation. Sam created a robot costume using the recycled computer parts and is complete with functional LED lights and a robot rocket-pack on the back. Sam’s Halloween Robot costume was made possible by using computer parts that South City Computer customers have recycled. Thanks to Sam and his parents for the creative use of recycled computer technology with Halloween.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Make your computer into a Spooky Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween

Windows says You may be a victim of software counterfeiting

Posted by South City Computer

Windows counterfeit messageIf you are getting a message popping up on Windows that says “You may be a victim of software counterfeiting. This copy of Windows is not genuine and is not eligible to receive the full range of upgrades and product support from Microsoft” there is no need to be alarmed because you probably just need to activate your copy of Windows using your Windows license key. This error message can occur on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 versions.

This Windows error message occurs if your copy of Microsoft Windows attempts to run Windows Updates but has not been activated. To fix this error message you will just need to simply activate your copy of Windows using your 25 digit Windows license key. The Windows counterfeit error message is common if your computer has had Windows restored, re-installed Windows, upgraded Windows, installed a new copy of Windows, or reset your computer back to the factory default settings. If none of the previous scenarios are true for you, then malware may have compromised the Windows registry on your computer.

Here is how to activate your copy of Windows online:

1. Click the ‘Start’ Button located at left side of the desktop
2. Right Click on Computer and then select Properties. It will let you go to the System Properties.
3. Click on “Activate Windows online now”.
4. Locate your Windows license key on your DVD installation media, or a license key sticker may be located on your computer. (Windows 8 computers do not have a license key sticker on the computer)
4. After entering the 25 character validation key, click ‘Next’ to activate Windows on your desktop or laptop. After a few seconds (depending on the speed of your Internet) your copy of Windows will be verified with Microsoft and the message should no longer appear.

Alternatively if you cannot activate your computer online you may call Microsoft to activate your copy of Windows over a phone. You will read your Windows license key to a Microsoft support attendant and they will give you a series of characters in return to enter in order to activate your copy of Microsoft Windows. This is pretty easy to do and no need to be alarmed. If you need help activating your copy of Windows contact a local computer repair store near you.

Should you Upgrade to Windows 10?

Posted by South City Computer

Microsoft Windows 10 Are you considering upgrading your computer to Windows 10? Have you already? With the launch of Windows 10 you may be asking the question “Should I upgrade to Windows 10”. The answer depends on you. I tend to live by the words of wisdom, “if it ain’t broke, don’t break it”. Windows 10 undoubtedly fixes a ton of issues that people were complaining about with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 interface, but is that really reason enough to jump right in to 10? Most Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are probably totally willing to go all the way with Windows 10, but Windows 7 users will probably be a little more reluctant.

So far the only issues customers are coming into our computer repair store in St. Louis MO are with peripheral devices such as printers and scanners and higher end gaming graphics cards. The drivers are just not ready for Windows 10 on all devices yet, so you may want to consider waiting for a few months until the rest of the tech world works out the kinks. The good thing is you have time to wait to upgrade your PC. People using Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 can upgrade for FREE to Windows 10 anytime before July 29, 2016. Yes, for FREE! With all Microsoft Windows releases the corporate IT world will sit on the fence for a while while they work the bugs and unforeseen issues of the operating system. However, if you are one of those people who has to be on the cutting edge of Microsoft Windows technology then you may choose to upgrade to Windows 10 right away.

What is Windows 10?

Microsoft is offering a FREE upgrade to their new Windows 10 operating system. This is not a trial, this is the full version! To take advantage of the offer you must upgrade to Windows 10 by July 29, 2016. The upgrade is valid for qualified Windows 7 and Windows 8 and 8.1 devices. You will need to have internet access to upgrade at home, and if you don’t then bring your computer to a local computer repair store, and they can probably perform the upgrade for you at a minimal charge.

What if you don’t like Windows 10?

Having commitment issues, that’s okay. You can easily roll back to your previous version of Windows at anytime during the upgrade period. But the upgrade period won’t last forever, so don’t get trapped in an old version of Windows and then have to pay to upgrade at a later date.

I have Windows Vista, can I upgrade to Window 10?
Yes you can upgrade to Windows 10, but you have to pay Microsoft for the software, sorry! Be sure to check your computer’s specifications to make sure that your computer can handle running Windows 10.

I have Windows XP, can I upgrade to Windows 10?
What? You are still running Windows XP. You need to upgrade your computer immediately and Windows 10 is your perfect opportunity, that is if it will work on your old computer. Check your computer specifications against the following section to see if Windows 10 will run on your computer.

What kind of computer do I need to run Windows 10?
It doesn’t take much of a computer to run Windows 10. The following are the minimum requirements to run Windows 10. Please note these are the minimum, and not the recommended, so you can always throw a lot more at it.
Processor:
1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC
RAM:
1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
Hard disk space:
16 GB for 32-bit OS 20 GB for 64-bit OS
Graphics card:
DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
Display:
800×600

So what is SO different about Windows 10?
Don’t look for the ‘Charms bar’ menu in Windows 10. The charms menu is that strange hidden menu that pops up on the left side of your screen on Windows 8 and 8.1. Instead the Charms bar has been replaced with a more robust Settings section that can be easily found from the Start Menu.

Windows 10 returns to the classic Windows 7 style desktop, complete with a Start Menu! However the new Start Menu features optional live tiles for those who liked that addition to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

Another cool feature of Windows 10 is the new universal apps. This mean that you purchase and App once on your computer and then have it available on all your Windows devices – ie. PC, Surface, tablet, phone, or even your Xbox One!

Another new feature called Continuum senses what kind of device you are using and adjusts the interface accordingly. So if you have a Surface Pro 3 and remove the keyboard Windows 10 will then switch to an entirely touch based system, and vice versa, it is that easy!

Apple users love Siri and Android users love Google Now, the talking companions that will help them with their day to day web searches via voice commands. Windows 10 introduces a new voice integrated feature called Cortana for all devices include desktops and laptops not just Windows tablets and phones.

And finally the best feature in my humble opinion is the new task view mode to easily create multiple workspaces on your PC and switch between them as if they were on different screens. This feature is great for multi-tasking! This is a feature Linux and Mac OS X users have had for a long time, but for some strange reason, Windows just never caught onto.

Are you ready to upgrade to Windows 10 now? Go ahead and try it out, and if you run into issues bring your computer to a local computer repair store for help and questions you may have about Windows 10.

Please notice:

Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows 8.1 Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Continuum are all trademarks of Microsoft Corporation

Apple, Mac OSX, Siri are all trademarks of Apple Corporation

Google, Android, Google Now are all trademarks of Google Inc.

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