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Microsoft Pushes Windows 10 onto Users

Posted May 17, 2016 by South City Computer

We often hear that computers are automatically upgrading to Windows 10 without the computer users knowledge or consent.

Here are just a few messages that appeared on Facebook over the weekend with the identities and expletives removed. You can see the frustration of the Windows users.

At first we thought maybe people were confused by the recommended Windows 10 upgrade message and maybe accidentally clicked to initiate the upgrade, until we noticed the computers for sale here at South City Computer started showing a message indicating that Windows was going to upgrade to Windows 10 automatically. What Microsoft?!?! We didn’t ask or agree to upgrade to Windows 10!

As you can see, Windows is set to automatically upgrade to Windows 10 on May 20th for this computer. Even though we have ignored the pop-ups urging us to upgrade to Windows 10 for months now, we are going to be upgraded unless we take action!

So here is how to cancel this force upgrade. Do NOT click OK, instead click on the word “here” where it says “Click here to change upgrade schedule or cancel scheduled upgrade”.

The next screen you should see is as follows:

Next click “Cancel scheduled upgrade”.

After this you will see the next message:

Again, Microsoft wants to be very sure that we want to seriously Cancel the automatic upgrade to Windows 10. Now click the “Cancel Scheduled Upgrade” button.

After you do this, it should cancel the automatic upgrade that was set for May 20th. If you do not go through this process, then you will be forced into Windows 10. If you want to eliminate the Windows 10 upgrade completely forever, bring your computer to South City Computer and we will disable the Windows 10 upgrade for good!

Windows 10 Free Upgrade Ends this Summer

Posted May 11, 2016 by South City Computer

The FREE Windows 10 upgrade offer is set to expire on July 29, 2016. After the free Windows 10 upgrade expires Windows users will still be able to upgrade, but will have to pay for the new version of Windows.

As time is running out, you may be asking yourself if taking the leap into Windows 10 is going to be right for you? Most computers will upgrade cleanly to the new version of Windows without any problems, however some computers just do not work with Windows 10. Refer to your computer manufacturer to verify that your computer will work with Windows 10.

If you are in doubt and don’t want to goof up your computer please schedule an in-store or remote Spring System Maintenance Service for 34.99 and we will include a FREE Upgrade Consultation, a 49.99 value.

Stop by South City Computer located at 3235 Ivanhoe Ave. St. Louis, MO 63139 or Call South City Computer 314-400-7918.

Tips to stay safe on the Internet

Posted May 10, 2016 by South City Computer

computer-repair-scams-st-louis Keep your computer system up to date. Run updates regularly and also have a running up-to-date anti-virus software if you are using Windows. Never allow your anti-virus software become out of date. Newer and better malware and computer viruses are released on the Internet every day.

Use 2-factor authentication whenever possible. This can mean having your cell phone number and an email address connected to your account. This way if one becomes compromised there is still another way to retrieve your hacked account.

Monitor your bank account and credit card account activity regularly. Keep an eye on your expenses, if you notice anything unusual contact your bank or credit card company immediately.

Use a Paypal, Google or Amazon account to make online purchases. This keeps your credit card or bank account information confidential with one trusted source. Don’t share your credit card information on any website that doesn’t take an alternative payment method such as Paypal, Google Wallet, or Amazon Payments.

Maintain strong, hard to guess, passwords. Try to come up with something memorable, yet complex. Use a capital letter with lower case letters, numbers, a symbol, and something that has a length of 8 or more characters are recommended.

Use different passwords for social media accounts than the one(s) you use for your financial accounts. Make sure the passwords are not alike either. This way if your social media account becomes compromised, then you bank account won’t be next in line. Just using different passwords could save you a lot!

Never share your password or login credentials with anyone.

Never allow anyone to connect to your computer using a screen sharing software without verifying they are a trusted computer repair company.

Never open attachments in emails you are not sure of their authenticity.

Never give out your Social Security number or credit card information unless you initiated the phone call and verified the phone number is who you indeed are trying to contact with a secondary source such as a phone book.

Use privacy settings on your social media accounts that will only allow friends to see your personal information and what you post. Also put as little personal information as possible into social media sites. Scammers and hackers can learn a lot about their victims by simply looking at social media posts.

Keep your system backed up. New computer malware and viruses can corrupt your data so that it cannot be recovered.

The Windows 10 Hidden Gotcha!

Posted April 20, 2016 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.

Apple Ransomware

Posted March 8, 2016 by South City Computer

apple now targeted by ransomeware Apple 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 February 11, 2016 by South City Computer

Credit cards A 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 February 10, 2016 by South City Computer

Microsoft Windows 10 If 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 February 2, 2016 by South City Computer

ms-eye Did 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 December 9, 2015 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 October 31, 2015 by South City Computer

robot costume using recycled computer parts About 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

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