Marc Crow Computer Repairs

How did my computer get infected?

2012-01-10T17:34:00.000-06:00

One of the most common questions found when cleaning malware is "how did my machine get infected?". There are a variety of reasons, but the most common ones are that you are not practicing Safe Internet, you are not running the proper security software or that your computer's security settings are set too low.

Below I have outlined a series of categories that outline how you can increase the security of your computer to help reduce the chance of being infected again in the future.

Do not use P2P programs
Peer-to-peer or file-sharing programs (such as uTorrent, Limewire and Bitorrent) are probably the primary route of infection nowadays. These programs allow file sharing between users as the name(s) suggest. It is almost impossible to know whether the file you’re downloading through P2P programs is safe.

It is therefore possible to be infected by downloading infected files via peer-to-peer programs and so I recommend that you do not use these programs. Should you wish to use them, they must be used with extreme care. Some further reading on this subject, along with included links, are as follows: "File-Sharing, otherwise known as Peer To Peer" and "Risks of File-Sharing Technology."

In addition, P2P programs facilitate cyber crime and help distribute pirated software, movies and other illegal material.

Practice Safe Internet
Another one of the main reasons people get infected in the first place is that they are not practicing Safe Internet. You practice Safe Internet when you educate yourself on how to properly use the Internet through the use of security tools and good practice. Knowing how you can get infected and what types of files and sites to avoid will be the most crucial step in keeping your computer malware free. The reality is that the majority of people who are infected with malware are ones who click on things they shouldn't be clicking on. Whether these things are files or sites it doesn't really matter. If something is out to get you, and you click on it, it most likely will.

Below are a list of simple precautions to take to keep your computer clean and running securely:

If you receive an attachment from someone you do not know, DO NOT OPEN IT! Simple as that. Opening attachments from people you do not know is a very common method for viruses or worms to infect your computer.
If you receive an attachment and it ends with a .exe, .com, .bat, or .pif do not open the attachment unless you know for a fact that it is clean. For the casual computer user, you will almost never receive a valid attachment of this type.
If you receive an attachment from someone you know, and it looks suspicious, then it probably is. The email could be from someone you know who is themselves infected with malware which is trying to infect everyone in their address book. A key thing to look out for here is: does the email sound as though it’s from the person you know? Often, the email may simply have a web link or a “Run this file to make your PC run fast” message in it.
If you are browsing the Internet and a popup appears saying that you are infected, ignore it!. These are, as far as I am concerned, scams that are being used to scare you into purchasing a piece of software. For an example of these types of pop-ups, or Foistware, you should read this article: Foistware, And how to avoid it.
There are also programs that disguise themselves as Anti-Spyware or security products but are instead scams. Removal instructions for a lot of these "rogues" can be found here.
Another tactic to fool you on the web is when a site displays a popup that looks like a normal Windows message or alert. When you click on them, though, they instead bring you to another site that is trying to push a product on you, or will download a file to your PC without your knowledge. You can check to see if it's a real alert by right-clicking on the window. If there is a menu that comes up saying Add to Favorites... you know it's a fake. DO NOT click on these windows, instead close them by finding the open window on your Taskbar, right click and chose close.
Do not visit pornographic websites. I know this may bother some of you, but the fact is that a large amount of malware is pushed through these types of sites. I am not saying all adult sites do this, but a lot do, as this can often form part of their funding.
When using an Instant Messaging program be cautious about clicking on links people send to you. It is not uncommon for infections to send a message to everyone in the infected person's contact list that contains a link to an infection. Instead when you receive a message that contains a link you should message back to the person asking if it is legit.
Stay away from Warez and Crack sites! As with Peer-2-Peer programs, in addition to the obvious copyright issues, the downloads from these sites are typically overrun with infections.
Be careful of what you download off of web sites and Peer-2-Peer networks. Some sites disguise malware as legitimate software to trick you into installing them and Peer-2-Peer networks are crawling with it. If you want to download files from a site, and are not sure if they are legitimate, you can use tools such as BitDefender Traffic Light, Norton Safe Web, or McAfee SiteAdvisor to look up info on the site and stay protected against malicious sites. Please be sure to only choose and install one of those tool bars.
DO NOT INSTALL any software without first reading the End User License Agreement, otherwise known as the EULA. A tactic that some developers use is to offer their software for free, but have spyware and other programs you do not want bundled with it. This is where they make their money. By reading the agreement there is a good chance you can spot this and not install the software.
Sometimes even legitimate programs will try to bundle extra, unwanted, software with the program you want - this is done to raise money for the program. Be sure to untick any boxes which may indicate that other programs will be downloaded.

Keep Windows up-to-date
Microsoft continually releases security and stability updates for its supported operating systems and you should always apply these to help keep your PC secure.

Windows XP users
You should visit Windows Update to check for the latest updates to your system. The latest service pack (SP3) can be obtained directly from Microsoft here.
Windows Vista users
You should run the Windows Update program from your start menu to access the latest updates to your operating system (information can be found here). The latest service pack (SP2) can be obtained directly from Microsoft here.
Windows 7 users
You should run the Windows Update program from your start menu to access the latest updates to your operating system (information can be found here). The latest service pack (SP1) can be obtained directly from Microsoft here

Keep your browser secure
Most modern browsers have come on in leaps and bounds with their inbuilt, default security. The best way to keep your browser secure nowadays is simply to keep it up-to-date.

The latest versions of the three common browsers can be found below:

Use an AntiVirus Software
It is very important that your computer has an up-to-date anti-virus software on it which has a real-time agent running. This alone can save you a lot of trouble with malware in the future.
See this link for a listing of some online & their stand-alone antivirus programs: Virus, Spyware, and Malware Protection and Removal Resources, a couple of free Anti-Virus programs you may be interested in are Microsoft Security Essentials and Avast.

It is imperative that you update your Antivirus software at least once a week (even more if you wish). If you do not update your antivirus software then it will not be able to catch any of the new variants that may come out. If you use a commercial antivirus program you must make sure you keep renewing your subscription. Otherwise, once your subscription runs out, you may not be able to update the programs virus definitions.

Use a Firewall
I can not stress how important it is that you use a Firewall on your computer. Without a firewall your computer is susceptible to being hacked and taken over. Simply using a Firewall in its default configuration can lower your risk greatly.

All versions of Windows starting from XP have an in-built firewall. With Windows XP this firewall will protect you from incoming traffic (i.e. hackers). Starting with Windows Vista, the firewall was beefed up to also protect you against outgoing traffic (i.e. malicious programs installed on your machine should be blocked from sending data, such as your bank details and passwords, out).

In addition, if you connect to the internet via a router, this will normally have a firewall in-built.

Some people will recommend installing a different firewall (instead of the Windows’ built one), this is personal choice, but the message is to definitely have one! For a tutorial on Firewalls and a listing of some available ones see this link: Understanding and Using Firewalls

Install an Anti-Malware program
Recommended, and free, Anti-Malware programs are Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and SuperAntiSpyware.

You should regularly (perhaps once a week) scan your computer with an Anti-Malware program just as you would with an antivirus software.

Make sure your applications have all of their updates
It is also possible for other programs on your computer to have security vulnerability that can allow malware to infect you. Therefore, it is very important to check for the latest versions of commonly installed applications that are regularly patched to fix vulnerabilities (such as Adobe Reader and Java). You can check these by visiting Secunia Software Inspector.

Follow this list and your potential for being infected again will reduce dramatically.

VIA: Bleepingcomputer.com

No Surprise Computer Repairs

2011-11-08T20:14:00.000-06:00

Ever taken your computer to get it cleaned up and walked away paying over $300 for a basic virus removal? That's almost the price of a new computer!! Don't let someone hassle you into unnecessary repairs! At Marc Crow Computer Repairs, I install software to help protect your computer that does NOT require a subscription for you to renew on a yearly basis. No hassle, no unexpected costs.

For quick, affordable and honest computer service call Marc Crow Computer Repairs today!

No hassle, no regrets.

580-243-9545

2320 West 3rd Street

Elk City, Ok

The Complete Guide to Updating to iOS 5

2011-10-12T14:39:00.001-05:00

The Complete Guide to Updating to iOS 5

iOS 5 is finally here of your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Now what? With the flurry of features and updates being dropped today and yesterday the whole thing can be a confusing mess. Here's the best way to get up to speed and enjoy Apple's latest iOS.

While you're getting ready to update, remember that Apple's servers are getting hammered right now with downloads, people registering for iCloud and iOS 5 updates. If you're getting server error 3200 while attempting to update, or if your downloads are taking entirely too long for you, just relax. As traffic subsides the errors and download issues will go away and you'll be able to add images to Photo Stream in no time.

Update your Mac or PC

Before you update your iPhone, you'll want to grab a few updates. First update iTunes to 10.5. You'll need that update in order to actually installed iOS 5 on your device. For iCloud features, update Lion to 10.7.2 and iPhoto to 9.2. Lion and iTunes can be updated using Software Update, while iPhoto requires you to use the Mac App Store. If you're on a Windows machine, you need to download the iCloud control panel. Or you can skip all that and download the updates manually with the links below. And, this should go without saying BUT we're saying it 'cause you might need us to: Back everything up first!

Lion 10.7.2
iPhoto 9.2
iTunes 10.5
iCloud control panel for Windows

iOS 5 update

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Before hitting the Check for Update button, you'll want to backup. You can manually force your iOS device to backup when you plug it in. Right-click on your device in the left-hand column in iTunes. Select Backup. Let iTunes do its magic before going forward. If something goes horribly wrong during the update, you'll thank me for this. (This would be a good time to do a backup of your whole machine too.)

Now lets download the iOS 5 update. You can manually download the update here, or you can just plug your iOS device into iTunes and Check for Update. At this point you have to make a decision. Do you want to just do the normal update, or go for the clean install with Restore.

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The Check for Update install will download iOS 5 to your machine, your device will restart and the installation will begin. It might take a while to download the update, but the install should only take about 15-20 minutes. After a few restarts your device will be ready to go.

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The Restore button will completely erase your device, apply the update, then sync all your backed up settings, apps, photos, and music to you device. This is helpful if you're having problems with your device or you just want the peace of mind that a clean install gives. To update this way, just hit the Restore button and iOS 5 will be downloaded like above. Because you've completely erased your device, the initial sync could take hours depending on the amount of apps and music you have on your device. What's nice is that as long as your device is plugged into iTunes, with iOS 5 you can continue the set up without interrupting the sync.

iCloud

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While you're updating your iOS device, head to System Preferences and click on the iCloud preference to set up your free account.

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If you're new to Apple's cloud services, use your Apple ID (the ID you use to buy music and apps from iTunes and the App Store) to sign in or set up a new one. You'll need iCloud for some of Apple's new iOS features like Photo Stream, Find my Mac, cloud backup of your iOS device, and Find My Friend. After sign up, you'll use the iCloud system preference to choose which features you want to utilize.

If you're migrating from from MobileMe, it'll take a few minutes to migrate to the new service. Whether you move to iCloud or not, Apple intends on killing off iDisk, iWeb pages, and its online galleries. Fortunately, you have until June 30, 2012 to pull your items off of iDisk and updating to iCloud won't stop you from accessing the online drive. So you might as well update. It's free.

iOS device set up

Once your iPhone finishes the update, you'll be presented with the setup-assistant walkthrough. You can now set up your iPhone without it being connected to your computer.

During the setup you'll first be asked if you want to set up Location Services. This allows your apps to access your location using your device's GPS feature and any location-logged Wi-Fi locations. Next, If you're at home or work, you can add your Wi-Fi network to your device.

If you decided to just update your iPhone instead of restore, skip the next two paragraphs, If you're one of the brave souls that decided to completely erase your device before updating with the Restore button, your device will now ask if you want to set up a new iPhone/iPad/iPod touch or restore from an iCloud or iTunes backup. Unless you've updated to iOS 5 previously and this is a reinstall, you probably don't have a back up saved to iCloud. Choose Restore from iTunes and if it isn't already, connect your device to iTunes.

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You'll be presented with the latest backup of your iPhone in iTunes. Click on continue restore from that backup. Your device will be set up for restore and will restart after a few minutes. Going forward, you'll be able to restore your iOS device from iCloud. So when you're on vacation and your iPhone takes a dump on you, you'll be ready to restore without a computer around.

At this point you'll be asked to add your Apple ID information. This information is used to set up iTunes, the App Store, and iCloud.

Here is the big one, iCloud. If you made an account earlier, just tap, Use iCloud. You can adjust your iCloud settings on your device by heading to Settings>iCloud. There you can enable and disable features. Which is helpful if Photo Stream starts uploading photos you'd rather not share.

The set up assistant will also ask if you want to utilize Cloud Backup. I'd say hold off on that for a few days. iCloud is going to be busy with new accounts. Instead you should continue to back up to your computer for now. You have a few more choices to make and you're done. I highly recommend using Find my iPhone. If your device is lost or stolen, this is a killer feature.

Your iOS device should now be ready to enjoy all the new features of iOS 5. If you updated iPhoto and Lion your Mac will be ready for the future of computing, iCloud. To keep up with all the latest features and apps, check out our continually updating iOS 5 page.

Via: Gizmodo

R.I.P Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T08:59:00.003-05:00

http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/

Why Hackers Write Computer Viruses

2011-08-24T17:25:00.000-05:00

Why do hackers hack? Why create a worm that sends out an email to everyone in your contact list, or a Trojan that deletes your term papers? Is it mischief, malice, money, or something else entirely?
This is the question that was on my mind when I met with Mikko Hypponen, a legendary computer security heavyweight who has been hunting viruses for 25 years—since Brain.a, the first PC ~~computer~~ virus.

Hypponen is the lead security researcher for F-Secure in Finland. His takedowns and diagnosis include some of the nastiest, biggest computer viruses out there: Sobig.F, Sasser, Storm Worm. PC World called him one of the 50 most important people on the Web. Hypponen was on his way to a black hat conference in Las Vegas.
We met at the Ferry Plaza in San Francisco, sitting by the pier as commuter boats came and went. I wanted to ask him about the long history of personal computer viruses, now in their 25th year, from the simple to Stuxnet, and the shifting motivations that inspire virus writers to act. We had an hour.

The Hobbyists

2011 is the 25th anniversary of the first PC virus. In September, 1986, two brothers from Lahore, Pakistan, Amjad Farooq Alvi and Basit Farooq Alvi, released Brain.a into the wild. Brain.a infected the boot section of computers running PC-DOS. Its authors claimed they were simply trying to target people who were infringing on their own software. But the virus spread wide across the world, and marked the beginning of the malware era in computing.
Late last year, Hypponen was going through his records at F-Secure. He found a box with the 100 first computer viruses, all on floppy disks. "These are probably from five years or more," says Hypponen, "now more than that are written in one hour."

He realized that the first of these, Brain, was approaching its birthday. He had a long history with it, having studied it when it was first unleashed. To mark the anniversary, he travelled to Lahore, Pakistan, in an attempt to track the Alvi brothers down. Amazingly, they still had a business at the same address they had listed in the original Brain.a virus code. So he knocked on the door. They answered.
"They wanted to demonstrate that the PC system was not as secure as Microsoft and IBM said it was," he explains. "They thought it was weak, and [wrote Brain] to demonstrate that."
The Alvi brothers were Unix guys. DOS seemed like a weaker system, and they thought they might be able to exploit it. They wanted to see if they could move code from one system to another, on its own. They wanted to see if it could be transmitted, like a virus.
It worked! Before long the brothers (who had helpfully included their phone number in the code) were getting calls from universities and businesses all over the world, wanting to know what it was.
Others began tinkering with Brain.a, releasing variants. And as time passed, more and more people began writing distinct viruses. These were for the most part, however, more of annoyances than real problems. They might mess up your system but they would not (for most people at least) ruin your life.
And then came email. And that was bad.
"It has changed completely now," says Hypponen. "It changed from hobbyists and old school hackers around 2002 or 2003 when the hobbyists realized they could make money."

The Criminals

By the turn of the century, spam was big business. But in order to send out a lot of spam, you needed a lot of computers. And to keep from getting caught, they shouldn't be your own. Enter botnets.
Viruses allowed spammers to capture and control users' computers remotely. They could use infected machines to ensnare other computers, sending out not just offers for herbal viagra, but phishing attacks and keystroke loggers that give them access to bank and financial data and personal information. By 2005, the point of malware writing had largely changed. Fuck proof of concept. Now it's for money.
There's also another reason that malware writers have surged: Microsoft Windows XP. That ancient system is, unbelievably, still the most widely used operating system on the planet. It's installed on more than 50 percent of all machines connected to the Internet, and it's very insecure.
"XP is the weakest of all systems," says Hypponen, " and it is installed on the most computers. Of course you will target that."
"The source of malware today is 99 percent criminal gangs, and that's a pretty nasty development," says Hypponen. "We didn't used to have to worry in the real world. But now there are organized criminal gangs, making millions from their attacks. When we shut down their operations, they know who we are."
It's not just a hypothetical fear. ~~Ivan~~ Eugene Kaspersky, who owns one of the world's leading anti-virus security labs, had his son Ivan snatched off the streets of Moscow earlier this year. Whether there was a revenge motivation, in addition to the ransom, is still unclear. But the fact remains that anti-virus guys are now effectively standing between the mob and big piles of money. Which is never a very safe place to be.

And if that wasn't bad enough, now there's a new, potentially deadlier, source of viruses: governments.

The Spies

"I have Stuxnet right here with me in my bag! Do you want it?"
He leans over and slaps his computer bag on the side. I decline. I know it's not, say, smallpox, but sitting next to the most sophisticated computer virus ever created is oddly worrisome.
Stuxnet upped the ante. It targeted only a certain programming environment, with a certain PLC, with a certain configuration, in a certain location—which turned out to be a nuclear plant in Iran. When it went active, it recorded the normal plant operations for a few days, and then began playing them back to monitors, like a closed circuit tv camera in a bank heist film, while in actuality it was modifying the speed centrifuges spun at, causing them to break apart, most likely in violent fashion. Stuxnet, for now at least, ended Iran's nuclear ambitions.
But where did it come from?
"It was done by your government!" The Finn doesn't have any proof of this, but like most security researchers, he takes it as accepted wisdom.
"I do believe that when in 2008, George W. Bush signed the [Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative] that the end result of that was Stuxnet."
Unlike most viruses, Stuxnet didn't spread over the Internet. Instead, it spreads from one machine to another on infected USB sticks. Which means that somehow, someone had to get an infected stick into physical contact with Iran's nuclear facility in Bushier.
"We don't know how it was originally planted, says Hypponen. "My guess is that they pick-pocketed workers, or broke into their homes and planted them."
Stuxnet has heralded a new era. Today's sophisticated malware attacks might now just target one machine in the entire world. An employee at a certain company could get a virus targeted just to that specific person. Governments, corporations, and extremist groups are already engaged in this. As Hypponen points out, Stuxnet had been in the wild for more than a year before anyone discovered it.

VIA: Gizmodo

Used Desktop & Laptop for sale

2011-08-04T09:16:00.001-05:00

I have a "like new" Acer desktop computer for sale. It has Windows 7, 2GB of memory and a 150GB hard drive. Asking $300.

Also have a Toshiba laptop for sale. Windows XP, 1GB of memory and a 30GB hard drive for $100.

Facebook + Skype

2011-07-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

Call Your Friends Right From Facebook

by Philip Su on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at 12:23pm

Over the last year, the messages team has been working to make it easier to have one on one conversations with your friends. In November, we launched the new messages, which brings together your chats, texts, emails and messages all in one place.

Today I'm excited to introduce video calling and other improvements to chat.

See The Friends You Message Most

The new chat design includes a sidebar that lists the people you message most. Now it's easier to find your friends and start a conversation. The sidebar adjusts with the size of your browser window, and it automatically appears when the window is wide enough.

Create a Group Chat Instantly

We're also launching multi-person chat, which is one of our most requested features. Now when your friends can't figure out what movie to see, you can just add them to a chat and decide together. To include more friends in your conversation, simply select Add Friends to Chat.

And just like your other chats, the history of your conversation is available in messages.

Bring Your Conversations to Life

Video chat has been around for years now, but it's still not an everyday activity for most people. Sometimes it's too difficult to set up, or the friends you want to talk to are on different services.

So a few months ago, we started working with Skype to bring video calling to Facebook. We built it right into chat, so all your conversations start from the same place. To call your friend, just click the video call button at the top of your chat window.

Talk to friends around the world right from Facebook.

For those of us who have been working on this, it's particularly exciting to bring video calling to over 750 million people. We're making this available in over 70 different languages, so friends can stay in touch all over the world.

Video calling will be available to everyone over the next few weeks, but if you don't want to wait, you can get it now.

Via: Facebook Blog

Tornado Disaster Relief

2011-05-25T19:36:00.000-05:00

Donate $25 or more to the Oklahoma Disaster Relief Fund, and get a free computer repair from Marc Crow Computer Repairs. All you have to do is bring me the confirmation email from your donation to the Red Cross.

Donations can be made at OKC.RedCross.org

Questions

2011-05-10T19:49:00.000-05:00

Added a couple of Poll's to the sidebar. If you would answer them, I would greatly appreciate it.

Vacation Time

2011-04-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

I am taking a vacation this summer and heading to Cancun, Mexico. I will be out of the office from June 13th to the 17th.
This will be my 2nd time to Cancun. It was almost 10 years ago the last time I was there, so interested to see how much it has changed.

The Verizon iPhone

2011-01-11T12:39:00.000-06:00

We've waited and waited, and now Apple and Verizon have made a million dreams come true: the iPhone is coming to Big Red. After talking up his new LTE network a bit, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam confirmed a CDMA (non-LTE) version of the iPhone 4 is coming to Verizon Wireless next month. Talks started way back in 2008, and the phone has been in testing for a year -- it sounds like they wanted to get this one right. Current Verizon customers will be able to pre-order on Feburary 3rd for the standard $200 price for the 16GB model on a two year agreement, $300 for the 32GB version -- everyone else can order on February 10th (see it compared with AT&T's iPhone 4). Just to clarify and put any wild rumors to bed, the phone is Verizon 3G (EV-DO) only, no 4G data or GSM roaming. It's not a world phone or an AT&T + Verizon phone, it's just a Verizon phone.

Outside of Verizon connectivity, the phone is basically unchanged, although Verizon's CDMA network doesn't support simultaneous voice and data as with the GSM version. It does have the new antenna design we were hearing about last week, but that's just because CMDA requires a different configuration of antennas. (Apple says they didn't go LTE just yet because first-gen chipsets would force unwanted design decisions, and customers want a Verizon device now.) That slight modification also equates to a slight bump in where the volume buttons and mute switch -- a new case might be required. Software-wise the big innovation is five user WiFi hotspot functionality, something that's standard on Android phones, while Apple has kept the iPhone only able to tether directly to one computer.

Via: Engadget

Holiday

2010-12-14T20:56:00.000-06:00

I will be out off the office December 23rd - 26th next week (and Jason will be too). Happy Holidays from Marc Crow Computer Repairs & 4 Runner Logo & Design.
Oh, and January is Marc Crow Computer Repairs 2nd year in business. Expect an exciting announcement sometime soon.

KEYB Best in the West 2010

2010-12-13T17:40:00.000-06:00

I would like to thank everybody that voted for me in the KEYB Best in the West contest again this year.
2 Wins in 2 Years for Best Computer Service in Western Oklahoma.
To say thank you to my customers, expect something big in January.
I have an idea that I think everybody will like.

MONDAY!!!

2010-11-29T16:31:00.000-06:00

Today has definitely made up for me taking off for Thanksgiving.

I get a call from one of my business customers this morning saying that their internet was down. I was in the middle of a job, so I hurried what I was doing and got to a stopping point and went to check out the internet problems at the other place.

I thought this was going to be a quick and easy job, but turned out not to be the case. I wasn't able to get their DSL modem to connect to AT&T, so I went and got a new modem, thinking the original one was bad. Got the new modem hooked up and their account information setup, but still no luck.

Called AT&T and went through the whole robot voice person to finally get to a real human to talk to. Gave them the account info and waited as she was looking it up. She comes back and tells me the DSL had been canceled on that account. Somebody had called in on the 23rd and canceled it and today was the shut off date. I am the only one that has any access to the DSL account information, and I know I didn't call and cancel one of my customer's DSL account, so I was a little freaked out.

AT&T support started talking with their billing department to figure out who called in and authorized the account to be canceled. They gave me a name and a number and put me on hold while they were trying to figure out what was going on as well. As I was on the phone with AT&T, my customer called the person they had said canceled the account. She is an accountant for a Best Buy Distribution Center in Admore, OK, and had noticed they had been paying for a DSL account that they didn't have for 5 years and canceled it when they noticed it. What does that have to do with my customer? 580-225-XXXX 580-224-XXXX.
Spot the difference. Elk City, Admore. Yeah, AT&T had missed typed the phone number by one number.

2+ Hours on the phone getting this figured out and getting my customers account reactivated, on a different number that was actually theirs and getting equipment moved over to the correct phone jack for that number.

It was a really interesting morning to say the least.

Free Virus Scanner

2010-11-02T16:13:00.000-05:00

Second Opinion Malware Scanner

If your child is not feeling well and you suspect he or she has a virus infection you're going to visit your doctor. But what do you do when the doctor tells you that he cannot find anything but your child still does not feel very well? Of course, you go to visit another doctor for a second opinion.

This is the same what Hitman Pro does for your computer. Hitman Pro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti virus software, firewalls, etc.).

Why A Second Opinion?

Research shows that computers are still run a chance of getting infected because the existing anti virus program is not giving you a 100% protection. "32% of computers infected, despite presence of anti virus program." Read more...

Just relying on a single vendor is not sufficient to completely protect you. You do need a second source to make sure you are secure. But in most cases, installing a second anti virus program is not a viable solution. Two programs are effecting the performance of the computer dramatically, and sometimes even conflict causing the computer to crash.

Hitman Pro is designed to work alongside existing security programs without any conflicts. It scans the computer quickly (less than 5 minutes) and does not slow down the computer (except for the few minutes it is scanning). Hitman Pro does not need to be installed. It can be run straight from a USB flash drive, a CD/DVD, local or network attached hard drive.

Hitman Pro offers you a Free Scan for a second opinion. It is designed to check if your security measures work. If nothing is found (and we sincerely hope so), then you will never need a license. When a virus is found, then you will receive a free 30-day license to remove the threat.

Download Hitman Pro now, and run your Free Scan.

Laptop Repairs

2010-10-21T19:56:00.000-05:00

The bad thing about laptops being portable, is that they just get put down anywhere. This tends to lead to a lot of broken screens from accidentally stepping on the laptop when you set them on the floor, or broken power jacks from tripping on the power cord, and slinging the laptop off the bed or couch.

The good thing is I can fix it.

Prices vary when it comes to laptop screens, the bigger the screen, the more they cost.

Power jacks depend on if the jack is actually broken or just came un-soldered from the motherboard. Sometimes this requires taking the laptop apart to determine which is which.

Just bring it in and I will look at it and give you an estimate on repair costs.

Marc Crow Computer Repairs
2320 West 3rd Street
Elk City, Ok
580-243-9545

Best of the West

2010-10-19T19:54:00.000-05:00

One week left to vote in KEYB's Best of the West contest. Nominate your favorite local businesses from Western Oklahoma. Make sure you pay attention to number 26.

Vote Here

What do I do with my old computer?

2010-10-08T15:56:00.001-05:00

I get asked that all the time, and now I have an answer. Bring it to me. I found a place in the city that recycles desktops/laptops and printers/monitors. It costs $10 for CRT monitors, but everything else is free.

So, if you have an old computer/laptop/printer/monitor out in your garage, or in a closet taking up some space, just bring it down to my office and I get it off your hands.

No Wait Repairs

2010-09-16T14:36:00.000-05:00

At Marc Crow Computer Repairs, all repairs, no matter the problem, are usually finished and out the door within 2-3 business days. Most virus/spyware clean ups are ready to be picked up the next day.

Don't want to wait a week for your computer to get fixed? Now you know where to bring it.

Marc Crow Computer Repairs
2320 West 3rd Street
Elk City, Ok

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Own Your Space

2010-09-09T19:35:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has come out with an eBook for teens, to help explain and understand safe internet practices, called Own Your Space.

What You’ll Learn
This book is designed for any teen who is

    •    In fear of drive-by downloads of nasty adware, spyware, and viruses
    •    Anxious about scareware and ransomware
    •    Trying to stay safe on social networking sites
    •    Concerned about online predators and identity thieves
    •    Scattering secrets to the wind in favorite hot spots
    •    Shopping online without protection
    •    Unsure of the risks about webcams and sexting
    •    Dealing with cyberbullies at home or in school
    •    Blogging alone and in the dark

I am going to read this myself, and suggest everybody else does too.

Google also came out with their Family Safety Center.

When it comes to family safety, we aim to:
Provide parents and teachers with tools to help them choose what content their children see online
Offer tips and advice to families about how to stay safe online
Work closely with organizations such as charities, others in our industry and government bodies dedicated to protecting young people

The internet is a dangerous place, and if you don't know how to use it correctly and safely, you will wind up bringing your computer to somebody like me.

Anti-virus programs

2010-09-08T16:28:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of options out there when it comes to having an anti-virus program on your computer. Most new computers will come with a trial of something, but usually only works for 30-90 days and then expires.

Everybody has heard of Norton & McAfee, but most of the computers I see that come in that have either of those are expired, or heavily infected.

I use Microsoft Security Essentials on my personal computers and also install it on the repairs that I work on that have an expired anti-virus or just don't have one installed at all.

It's FREE, it's easy to download and install, and updates and runs scheduled scans weekly without you having to do anything.

Download Microsoft Security Essentials.

Honesty.

2010-08-27T16:54:00.002-05:00

I had a guy call me today wanting to get a 2nd opinion on a laptop. He had taken it somewhere else first and was told he needed a new laptop. Thinking they were just trying to sell him something he didn't need, he brought me the laptop to check out. They had told him that they had charged the battery on it (he didn't have a power cord for it), but the battery was dead when he brought it to my shop.

I asked him if the laptop had a password on it, he said he didn't know, and if it had one, the other place didn't say anything to him about it.

So, I brought it back into my office and used my universal laptop power cord to get it started up. It did have a password. Reset the password so I could log into Windows. Checked to make sure the battery was charging, and it was. Made me think that the other place didn't even turn on the computer. The battery was dead and there was a password on the laptop that the customer didn't know and hadn't been reset, so I went and looked at the Event Viewer on the laptop. The customer had told me this laptop had been just laying around for about a year, and he was right. Before I had turned on the laptop today, the last time it was on was 8/29/2009!

They let his laptop sit down there for an hour and probably didn't even open the lid. Called him and told him he needed a new laptop and probably showed him a couple of brand new fancy ones they had down there.

Lucky for him, I saved him some money. His laptop works great. Just needed a power cord, Windows Updates installed and Microsoft Security Essentials. Going to cost him a little over $50 for everything, compared to $600-$700 that he probably would have spent.

I will NEVER sell you something you don't need. I am in business to make my customers happy and save them money. I am honest, professional and most of all, when you come to my office, you get treated like a person, not like bank account.

The only reason I am even saying anything about this is because, it pisses me off.

Find me on Facebook

2010-08-20T19:41:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already done so, like Marc Crow Computer Repairs on Facebook. While you are at it, write me a review if you are a customer. Feedback from my customers is what keeps me in business.

For the month of September, all computer cleanups will be half price. That includes removal of spyware, malware, and viruses, installation of an AntiVirus, all the latest Windows Security Updates, optimizing your computer for better performance, and cleaning up temp files.

If you have an iPhone, Android or Blackberry, get another $10 off by checking in at Marc Crow Computer Repairs with Foursquare.

But wait, there is more. Google Marc Crow Computer Repairs now and find my coupon, print it out and bring it in for another $10 off of a computer repair. This coupon is only good until October.

Rate, review and comment on Marc Crow Computer Repairs.

4 Runner Logo & Design.

2010-08-17T21:05:00.000-05:00

KECO 96.5 will be at the office tomorrow from 11:30 to 1:00. 4 Runner Logo & Design is having a customer appreciation day. Stop by and check it out, especially if you need business cards, banners, some vinyl graphics for your car, truck or boat. Jason does it all. http://www.4runnerdesign.com & http://kecofm.com

AT&T Issues AGAIN!

2010-07-12T19:47:00.000-05:00

So, AT&T Wireless service has been TERRIBLE for the last 3 weeks or more. Now it seems there is a total outage. So, I'm without a phone for the moment. Sorry! You can get a hold of me other ways though. Comment here, on Facebook, or email.

iPhone 4 Review

2010-06-29T19:42:00.000-05:00

It has been a week since I got my iPhone 4, so I thought I would share my thoughts about it.
In the last week, there have been numerous reports of problems with the iPhone 4. Yellow spots on the screen, loss of cellular service if you hold it the wrong way, and easily broken screens when dropped. The broken screen issue has always been a problem since Apple decided to use glass instead of plastic, but it just seems to me that this iPhone is more fragile and susceptible to broken screens than the others.

There is another problem that I ran into yesterday. It seems that the proximity sensor (which detects when you have the phone to your ear while making calls) doesn't work as well as it did. I was on a call the other day and was holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder, I ended up hanging up a couple of times and managed to put it on speaker phone and push several of the other keys while trying to talk.

I'm sure the proximity sensor problem can be fixed with the next software update, and possibly the loss of cellular signal. The yellow spots on the screen have been reported to go away after a while, but the broken screens will always be an issue I suppose.

I haven't had the yellow spot problem, and I haven't had the loss of cell service....unless I physically try to hold it in the way that causes it to drop signal.

I was excited about today though. The local AT&T store had their first shipment of iPhone 4's in stock today. I was ready for somebody else in Elk City to get one, so I could check out the FaceTime video calls. Finally, after a week of waiting, Chris Gordon called me using FaceTime. My phone rang like it would normally, but as it was ringing, the background on my phone changed to video....just happened to be the ceiling fan in my office at home.

Quality of video and audio was great. We didn't have any lag at all. I even went out in the backyard and was walking around without loss of quality. FaceTime video chat is only available if you have a WiFi connection, but hopefully in the near future, AT&T's network will get better, and it will be available if you have a 3G connection as well.

And on that note, 3G will be coming to Elk City soon. I have heard by the end of next month, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

So, iPhone 4 tips: Get a case. It will solve the loss of signal issue, and protect the phone from shattered screens. I don't have one yet for my phone, but as soon as I get something worth talking about, you will find it here.

The screen quality is amazing, there are some new iPhone 4 games & Apps that are awesome, and well, it is just another great phone, even with the issues it has. But, there has always been issues with the iPhone, no this, no that....slowly but surely it is getting better and better.

iPhone 4

2010-06-23T21:25:00.000-05:00

iPhone 4 pre-orders started last week on the 15th. It was a day of several failed attempts at getting my order to go through. Apple & AT&T's servers were so jam packed with so many people trying to order the new iPhone, that it was virtually impossible to do online. A friend of mine even went to the AT&T store here, and they were not able to process an order there either.

Surprisingly, almost 600,000 pre-orders made it through on the first day. That was enough for AT&T to sell out of what iPhone 4's they had available for launch day (June 24th).

I got my order in with Apple at 9PM on the 15th, apparently before Apple suspended pre-orders. Wasn't expecting to get it on the 24th, but got a order confirmation saying delivery on the 24th. So, I was a little excited. Then, Apple sent me an email saying delivery had been moved to the 23rd, now I was a little more excited.

My iPhone 4 came in today after lunch. I asked the FedEx delivery guy if he had delivered more boxes like this today, and he said none. The local AT&T store pushed back their iPhone 4 launch until next Tuesday because they hadn't gotten their allotment of iPhone's yet. I went down there, and they were kind of surprised I had one already.

Between the iOS 4 update that came out Monday, and the new iPhone today, there has been a lot of things to check out. Still finding new features and new apps to take advantage of the new features.

Just need somebody else to have an iPhone 4, so I can test out the FaceTime Video Chat.

iOS 4 for iPhone

2010-06-16T08:57:00.000-05:00

I got a copy of iOS 4 for the iPhone a week early. It is the new Operating System update that will come out on the 24th when the new iPhone 4 comes out.

I have been playing around with it this morning and so far, I like it. There are tons of new features built in, and performance seems to be quicker too. I guess I will have to compare the speed performance with the iPhone 4 when I actually have one in my hands.

I'll point out some of the over 100 new features.

Spell check: Just like in Microsoft Office, you get a red underlined word that is misspelled and once you click on it, suggested correct spellings.
Multitasking: Double click the home button, and see a list of all the recently opened programs. You can leave an App (like Pandora Radio) and it will continue to play music in the background when you go to another App.
Folders: Drag an App on top of another App to create folders of Apps. It auto names folders for specific categories like Games, Social, Utilities...etc.
Photos: Taking pictures with the camera and location services on now allows you to view your albums by where they were taken, as well as if you are a Mac user, by Faces. The Camera also has 5x digital zoom, and is super quick taking pictures now. Also, portrait view is available in your Camera Roll.
Internet Tethering: Use your iPhone as your internet connection. Useful if you are out and about and need to get something done on your laptop, but don't have a WiFi connection. More useful if you have a 3G connection.

For more info and details on the new editions of iOS 4, check out the iOS 4 walkthrough.

iPhone 4

2010-06-09T21:48:00.000-05:00

iPhone 4 was announced this week. New design, new features and new iOS 4.

The biggest of the new features in my opinion is the front facing camera, which will allow you to take advantage of another new feature, FaceTime video calling. Video over WiFi from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 only though. They have also upgraded the cameras from 3 MP to 5 MP and included HD video recording.

iPhone 4 also has the iPad's A4 processor...as expected. So there will be a speed bump compared to the 3GS, and better battery power management because of the A4 processor. And on top of the power management, there is also a bigger battery in the phone which is supposed to allow 7 hours of talk time and 10 hours of WiFi browsing.

Tethering your iPhone to your laptop is finally coming to the iPhone too. Not going to be worth much unless you have 3G with AT&T (supposedly coming to Western Oklahoma sometime this year).

Everything about the new iPhone is different. There are tons of new features, a whole new look.
See all the new features at Apple's website.

Pre-orders start June 15th and it will be in stores June 24th.

Update on 3G in Western Oklahoma story.

2010-05-18T20:42:00.000-05:00

Talked to a friend at the local AT&T. Here is what he had to say.

They have advised us that it will happen this year. They do not want to over-promise and under-deliver. However, this is the first I have seen about it happening that soon. I hope this is correct. Either way it will be here this year.

So, I guess we will have to wait and see...as usual.

OKC area hail storm pics & video from 5/16/2010

2010-05-17T21:06:00.007-05:00

Photos VIA: Robyn Templeton

Update: A couple of more pictures and another video.

3G in Western OK.

2010-05-17T10:23:00.001-05:00

That’s right! The title says it all. 3G will soon be in Western Oklahoma. I promise you this is not a rumor. A friend of mine works for AT&T and told me first hand that this is happening. And it is happening now. Elk City will be the first. They are turning on and testing circuits in the area now. It will hopefully be up and running for customer in that area by the end of May. If not, it will be in June.
Next on the list is Clinton. Work orders are coming in for technicians now to begin preparing for it. Clinton is not scheduled until probably about August. Then Weatherford will follow. AT&T recently built a new tower on the Southwestern campus in preparation for it. The idea behind this expansion is to eventually get 3G coverage all the way along I-40 from border to border.
If you have an iPhone or a Blackberry or some other internet enabled phone on AT&T service, it is about to get a whole lot better for us in this area.

VIA: Tech Smores

Microsoft Office 2010

2010-05-12T11:52:00.000-05:00

The Office 2010 suite, which Microsoft will release to business customers tomorrow and to consumers in early June, will include the ability to create, edit, view and share files online using the company's SkyDrive website. In fact, you won't even need to buy the program to use the online tools; Microsoft will make the majority of Office functionality available for free to anyone -- whether they've bought the new suite or not.

Interesting to see how this compares to Google Docs.

Via: FOXNews

Tornado Season Again

2010-04-22T15:23:00.001-05:00

Tornado season started a little early this year (March 8th) with a couple of tornado's North of Elk City.
The South side of Hammon got hit damaging a house and the county barn.

You can track several groups of storm chasers, including the guys from "Storm Chasers" at TornadoVideos.net

Elk City native Joel Taylor was in town yesterday with his storm chasing partner Reed Timmer. They stopped in town and had the "Dominator" parked so everybody could check it out. Probably won't be the last time this storm season that they will be in our area.

AT&T Issues today

2010-04-22T12:15:00.000-05:00

AT&T is having some problems around the Elk City area today. Call quality is so bad, you can't understand anything you are are hearing, and the person on the other end can't understand you.

Calls are going directly to voice mail also.

So, you may not be able to get me by phone today.

Apple iPad Case Review

2010-04-15T19:07:00.002-05:00

Got my iPad case today. First thing I noticed was that while in the case, the iPad doesn't fit in the iPad dock.

I think I can make it work with some modifications.

It is nice to have something to hold the iPad at a nice angle for typing when it is not in the keyboard dock, not that typing on the iPad is a friendly experience. I have reverted back to finger pecking to keep typing mistakes on the touchy iPad keyboard, to a minimum.

The case doesn't seem like it is going to protect the iPad from major drops, but it does give a better grip on it, and taking the iPad from place to place will save you some finger print cleaning because of the case. It fits in the case snugly, so getting it back out to put it on the dock is a hassle.

So basically, I like that the case props up the iPad horizontally and vertically, but other than that, I would wait for something better. Same is true for the iPhone. The people who make the protective cases for them, should also make compatible docking stations for their products.

I want to be able to put my iPad in a case and not have to take it out of the case to dock it.

-- Post From My iPad...mostly

iPad keyboard dock review

2010-04-14T22:18:00.003-05:00

Lots of iPad news from me lately, but it's my new toy, so it will slow down pretty soon.

I got my iPad keyboard dock in today. I was kind of regretting getting it since I could use a Bluetooth keyboard to connect to it, BUT, the iPad keyboard dock has specialty keys for the iPad. They all do a specific function on the iPad, like going to the Home screen, starting the Slideshow, opening the on screen iPad keyboard (or closing, and only in apps that typing is required), going to the search screen, and locking the iPad.

The Slideshow button starts and stops the Slideshow, and the Unlock button locks and unlocks without having to swipe (which is pretty cool).

There is a blank key on the top row that apparently serves no function, and you can't use the arrow keys to navigate between pages or apps on the iPad. Would be nice to be able to browse between pages left or right on the keyboard with a double tap, and then use the arrow keys to navigate between apps with a single tap, and then launch it with the return key.

There are some FPS (First Person Shooter) games on the iPad that a keyboard would come in handy (no pun intended). Guess I need to download one and see if there is keyboard support.

I put my iPhone on it, and it didn't do anything at all. Didn't think it would, but when iPhone firmware 4.0 comes out, maybe you could use the iPad keyboard dock with the iPhone too. The iPad dock isn't made to fit the iPhone, but it does fit on it....snugly.

iPad Q&A

2010-04-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

Q. How is the iPad for displaying photos?
A. It is great. iTunes optimizes your photos before transferring them to the iPad. There are great sideshow transitions, and like the iPhone, with the swipe of a finger, you are at the next photo.

Q. Do all the iPhone apps work on the the iPad?
A. Yes. All iPhone apps work, but may not be formatted to take advantage of the bigger screen. Apps that haven't updated to be full screen on the iPad have a button to double the screen resolution of the normal sized iPhone app. The picture below is an iPhone app as displayed on the iPad at normal size and then doubled for the iPad.

Q. Is it a phone?
A. No. You can not make cellular phone calls with an iPad. You can text using Google Voice though. There is also a Skype iPhone app that will allow you to make Skype to Skype calls (supposedly).
So, it isn't a phone, but you can do some phone like things on it.

Apple iPad Review

2010-04-11T19:38:00.004-05:00

Magical and revolutionary? There is definitely nothing magical about the Apple iPad, unless you have been living under a rock for the last 50 years.

Revolutionary? Possibly. Apple revolutionized the portable music industry and cell phone industry. The iPad is just the next step in Apple's evolutionary tree for portable devices.

For me, the iPad is going to be a replacement to my laptop. I use my laptop primarily when away from home, or being lazy in bed. The iPad is smaller and more convenient that having a laptop (unless you have a Netbook).

I spent the weekend away from home with nothing but my iPhone and my iPad, and a change of clothes. The iPad provided me my daily morning web browsing and checking emails, entertained a 2 year old, and gave me something to read on the long ride home. It also served my friend James with some needed web browsing when his laptop battery died.

The iPad doesn't make what you are looking at on the internet any different, or the emails you are reading funnier, and it doesn't make the movies/tv shows you are watching any better, BUT, it does make how you do those things a little more friendly in some aspects.

The iPad does EVERYTHING beautifully. The way apps open and close, the transition from portrait to landscape mode in apps and websites, the design of the App Store and the iPod player and the way apps are taking advantage of the bigger landscape. It is just cool.

There are some apps that are really neat too. The Elements: A Visual Exploration. The potential for other books like this excites me. Netflix streaming directly to your iPad is amazing, and one of my favorite iPhone games has an HD version especially for the iPad: Plants VS. Zombies.

I haven't spent a whole lot of time typing on it, but what typing I have done was manageable. If you find it difficult to type on the iPad, there are 2 solutions. 1. Pair your iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard
2. Order the iPad Keyboard Dock.

The iPhone 3GS has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating that seems to work pretty well, and the iPad does too, but for some reason, it doesn't appear to be as effective on the iPad to me. Maybe it is because I find myself wiping my iPhone on my pant leg as 2nd nature now, and it is a little more difficult maneuver to pull off with the iPad.

It doesn't fair well for watching video in bright daylight, but reading was a breeze.
There isn't a camera on the iPad, but there is an iPhone/iPad app that you can install to get around that if you just want to do it. There isn't any Flash support, so no playing Farmville or other games from your Facebook page, and no flash video, but some websites are converting their embedded videos to iPad friendly HTLM5.

This summer, iPhone OS 4.0 is coming out, and will bring a lot of the iPad's functionality to the iPhone 3GS, and also add some features that the iPad will not be getting till Fall. Multitasking.
You will be able to listen to your iPod App in the background and at the same time browse the web or check your email without stopping the music. You will also be able to create folders for apps, so you can have a folder for all your different types of apps. One icon to get to all your games, or social networking apps.

I can't recommend that you should or should not get an iPad. I guess it just kind of depends on what you expect to be able to do with it. If you are already an iPhone user, then you pretty well know what to expect with the iPad...just bigger and better. If you don't have an iPhone and are looking to get an iPad as a laptop replacement, you might not be able to do everything you want to do, and you can only do one thing at a time for now.

This Fall when iPhone OS 4.0 makes its way to the iPad, then I am pretty sure that buying an iPad as a laptop replacement would be something I would suggest.

Until then, visit Apple's website and let them tell you why you should get the iPad.

Busy Next Week.

2010-04-08T19:26:00.000-05:00

Going to be out of the office the 13th, which is next Tuesday. Got the call from the new Clarion Hotel, and I will be setting up their new workstations all day....and possibly all night. Also have to go back Thursday afternoon, so, going to be a busy week, next week.

Xbox 360 & PS3 Repairs in Elk City

2010-04-06T20:24:00.000-05:00

Wondering where to take your broken Xbox 360 or PS3 to get fixed? Marc Crow Computer Repairs.

I have fixed Xbox 360 problems from the "Red Ring of Death" to bad DVD drives and Wireless controller issues.

Playstation 3 repairs include, fixing corrupt hard drives, replacing broken DVD/Blu-Ray drives among other things.

Console repairs also include installation of the latest software upgrades for your Xbox 360 or PS3.

Give me a call at 243-9545.

Google's Fiber Network

2010-03-26T20:39:00.000-05:00

Since we announced our plans to build experimental, ultra high-speed broadband networks, the response from communities and individuals has been tremendous and creative. With just a few hours left before our submission deadline, we've received more than 600 community responses to our request for information (RFI), and more than 190,000 responses from individuals (we'll post an update with the final numbers later tonight). We've seen cities rename themselves, great YouTube videos, public rallies and hundreds of grassroots Facebook groups come to life, all with the goal of bringing ultra high-speed broadband to their communities.

Full Story

Photoshop CS5 Sneek Peak

2010-03-24T17:56:00.002-05:00

Apple iPad

2010-03-23T18:11:00.000-05:00

I have been an iPhone user since it was released in 2007. Gone from the original 2G to the 3G and now the 3GS. Since MMS was enabled, there pretty much isn't anything that I NEED to do on a phone that I can't do. I love it. Don't think I could ever go back to a "regular" cell phone after using this for the last 3 years.

So, when Apple announced the iPad, I got pretty excited. A cross between an iPhone and a laptop sounded pretty interesting. Waited and waited and waited to hear about the price. Kept hearing under $1,000.00. Thought that meant it was going to be $999. But finally in late January they announced the starting price of $499.

I thought that was a pretty good price, especially since I paid $100 less than that for my first iPhone. I had all of February to think about if I wanted to get one or not, since it wasn't available for pre-order until March 12th. I even waited a week after that to think about it more, but gave in and ordered one. I ordered the 16GB WiFi model (the base model). They start shipping on April 3rd. 10 Days and 14 hours from now.

I am excited about the possibilities. I am pretty sure that once/if Elk City gets 3G with AT&T, I will probably end up getting the WiFi+3G version, then things will definitely be a little more accessible and that will broaden the possibilities.

18 Firefox Add-Ons that Help You Save Money

2010-03-22T20:14:00.000-05:00

Four Past Four has a great article about Firefox Add-Ons to help you find better deals on the internet, cheaper travel, and the best prices on Ebay auctions.

Download Firefox today and check out all the ways you can make browsing the internet a whole lot better with Firefox Add-Ons.

Microsoft Security Essentials

2010-03-10T08:54:00.001-06:00

There is a new version of Microsoft Security Essentials out, so if you already had Microsoft Security Essentials installed, you will probably get a message pop up telling you about the upgrade.

After installing the upgrade, you will have to restart your computer.

Topeka , Kansas name change.

2010-03-03T11:00:00.000-06:00

In a formal proclamation Monday, Mayor Bill Bunten announced his city will be known as "Google" -- Google, Kansas.

"It's just fun. We're having a good time of it," he said of the unofficial name change, which will last through the end of March. "There's a lot of good things that are going on in our city."

The unusual move comes as several U.S. cities elbow for a spot in Google's new "Fiber for Communities" program. The Web giant is going to install new Internet connections in unannounced locations, giving those communities Internet speeds 100 times faster than those elsewhere, with data transfer rates faster than 1 gigabit per second.

Google Fiber for Communities

2010-02-11T09:24:00.000-06:00

Google is planning to launch an experiment that we hope will make Internet access better and faster for everyone. We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We'll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.

From now until March 26th, we're asking interested municipalities to provide us with information about their communities through a Request for information (RFI), which we'll use to determine where to build our network.

More information at Google Fiber for Communities

Put your computer to good use while you sleep

2010-02-09T18:42:00.001-06:00

Use the idle time on your computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) to cure diseases, study global warming, discover pulsars, and do many other types of scientific research.

BOINC, short for Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing, is open source software for volunteer and grid computing. Its used by science research projects like SETI@Home, Rosetta@home, World Community Grid, Climateprediction.net and many other Universities and Organizations around the world.

Volunteers can download the BOINC software, attach to one or more of these science projects and participate in the science research. The BOINC software will run on any type of computer and just operates in the background and wont effect your normal computer use. Why leave a computer idle when it could be doing something beneficial for science?

Download the BOINC software today, join Rosetta@home, and become a member of Marc Crow Computer Repair's team, to help to fight diseases such as HIV, Malaria, Cancer, and Alzheimer's.

Power Flickers

2010-02-04T11:55:00.001-06:00

With all the freezing rain, sleet, snow and freezing fog lately, Elk City and surrounding areas have been getting frequent power outages and brownouts. These power fluctuations can be troublesome for your computer equipment if you don't have the proper equipment to keep your computer safe.

A battery backup can provide power for your home computer or other electronics in the event of power outages or when utility voltage fluctuates outside safe levels. It also protects your equipment from damaging surges and spikes that travel over utility and phone/fax/DSL lines.

With the sometimes extreme Oklahoma weather like the ice and snow we are having now, and the spring thunderstorms, a battery backup can save you some expensive computer repairs in the future.

Come see me at 2320 West 3rd Street to get more information.

Winter Storm January 2010 in pictures.

2010-01-31T17:27:00.000-06:00

I got out this morning to take some pictures of the winter weather we have had lately. Thought we were done in Elk City with the snow, ice and sleet, but the weather surprised me when I woke up this morning with freezing fog. Just was I was getting home from taking pictures, it started to snow. Looks like we added about another 2 inches of snow this afternoon.

Here are some of the pictures I took today.

The full set can be found on my Flickr Page.

Winter Storm January 2010

2010-01-28T08:57:00.000-06:00

The backyard is covered in a layer of ice and my sidewalks were iced over too. Supposedly going to get worse.

Online TV Shows by Ustream

Live video from my backyard.

HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 & Compaq Presario V3000/V6000 series Laptops

2010-01-07T18:21:00.001-06:00

I can't count how many HP Pavilion dv6000/dv9000 laptops I have worked on in the last year. They all had the same problem, black screen and wouldn't do anything else, or the wireless would just quit working out of the blue. The wireless problem is an easy fix. The black screen, not so much.

HP extended the 1 year warranty for another 2 years on these specific laptops because of all the problems they were causing, but the problem now is that the extended warranty has expired also (at least all the ones I have come across).

I worked on 3 of the HP/Compaq models listed above today. 1 had the wireless issue, 1 had the black screen issue (bad motherboard), and 1 was still working perfectly. I warned that lady about her laptop. Told her the issues it had and about the expired extended warranty. Suggested to her a couple of different backup solutions, and a couple of different (more reliable) laptop brands.

SO, if you have one of the laptops named above and it is still working, congratulations first off, and 2nd, you should probably bring it in and let me check to see if it has the BIOS update that fixes (supposedly) the problem.

Phone Issues

2009-12-29T15:29:00.000-06:00

I have had a couple of customers come in recently saying that they were not able to get a hold of my on my cell phone. Don't worry, you have the right number. The problem has been with AT&T. Unfortunately, I have them for my cell phone provider because I have an iPhone. Love the phone, hate the service with AT&T. So, if you have tried to call me within the last couple of days, I most likely haven't gotten your call.

Things seem to be working better right now with AT&T, so you will hopefully be able to get through if you try to call again.

2009-12-23T14:26:00.000-06:00

Did You Know: Social Media

2009-12-21T14:59:00.002-06:00

Did You Know: Social Media - Watch more Funny Videos

Holiday Season

2009-12-18T14:17:00.000-06:00

I will be closed for the Christmas holiday from December 23rd to 25th. I hope everybody has a wonderful Christmas!

Back to work.

2009-11-29T21:02:00.000-06:00

I will be back in the shop tomorrow after a 6 day vacation. Pretty sure it is going to be a busy 1st half of the week.

If you are looking for a new desktop or laptop computer for Christmas, come see me! I can get you an all-in-one desktop computer as low as $270 or a new laptop for around $600. Don't waist your time trying to find the right computer for your needs, let me do your dirty work for you.

Online Backup Solutions

2009-11-19T19:10:00.001-06:00

There are a lot of online data backup options out there these days. Mozy.com offers 2 GB of free data storage. All you have to do is sign up, download the software, and select what to backup. It does automatic backups of the data you select to be backed up.

Another option for specific files like pictures is using a photo sharing website like Flickr, or Google's Picasa.

If you have documents like Microsoft Word and Excel files or PDF files, an option for those type of files is Google Docs. Just upload your files, and you can share them with other contacts as well.

If none of those options suit your needs, email the files to your Gmail email account. There are some limits to Gmail though. You can only upload files 25 MB or smaller, but Gmail has over 7 GB of email storage space, and is growing daily.

If you are interested in learning more about using Gmail as an online backup solution, keep checking back to marccrow.com. I will go into more detail about how to utilize Gmail's 7 GB of free backup space.

Laptop Reliablility

2009-11-18T12:14:00.001-06:00

SquareTrade analyzed failure rates for over 30,000 new laptop computers covered by SquareTrade Laptop Warranty plans and found that one-third of all laptops will fail within 3 years. SquareTrade also found that netbooks are 20% more unreliable than other laptops, and that Asus and Toshiba are the most reliable laptop brands.

Thanksgiving Holiday

2009-11-11T18:19:00.000-06:00

I will be out of the office from November 23rd to 27th for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Traveling to New Mexico this year to enjoy the holiday.

Microsoft Security Essentials

2009-11-11T09:35:00.001-06:00

The release of Microsoft Security Essentials has changed the landscape of antivirus software. We've finally got a completely free application that protects against viruses, spyware, and other malware—without killing system performance like some of the "suites" tend to do. In my personal experience, it barely slows down the machine and rarely affects my work—and during a deliberate attempt to download some viruses (for testing purposes), it immediately found and blocked them from doing anything.

You don't have to take my word for it, however. Not only did AV-Test.org find that it detects 98% of their enormous malware database, but AV-Comparatives (a widely known anti-malware testing group) found that MSE was one of only three products that did well at both finding and removing malware, including the leftovers. It was also the only free product to grab their "Advanced+" rating—the top honor for an anti-malware solution.

Via: Lifehacker

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

2009-11-11T06:45:00.002-06:00

Download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if your PC is ready for Windows 7. It scans your hardware, devices, and installed programs for known compatibility issues, gives you guidance on how to resolve potential issues found, and recommends what to do before you upgrade.

Download Now

For the iPhone users

2009-11-05T08:25:00.002-06:00

I have a couple of really useful apps on my iPhone that everybody should try out.

Funambol
The Funambol plug-in delivers over-the-air backup and synchronization of your iPhone contacts. Keep you Contacts in sync with your address book, anywhere, anytime. And it is FREE.

DataCase
Turn your iPhone and iPod touch into a wireless drive and file viewer with DataCase!
This app is nice to use when you need a flash drive and don't have one. Just store the files on your iPhone like you would with a flash drive. $6.99

A Day Too Late

2009-11-02T14:23:00.002-06:00

Had a guy bring in a laptop this morning that won't boot to Windows, but powers on.
I tried a bunch of things hoping it was fixable without having to get a motherboard for it. I decided to look up the warranty information on the laptop through the manufacturer, and wouldn't you know it....the warranty expired while I was sleeping last night.

I called anyway to see if they would spot me 12hrs, but they wouldn't.

Going to suck telling this guy his laptop is fried and his warranty went out YESTERDAY! Friday, could have gotten this fixed for free - today, going to cost him a new laptop.

The Master List of New Windows 7 Shortcuts

2009-10-26T13:46:00.003-05:00

Windows 7 adds loads of great shortcuts for switching between apps, moving windows around your screen, moving them to another monitor altogether, and much more. Here's a quick-reference master list of the best new Windows 7 shortcuts.

* Win+Home: Clear all but the active window.
* Win+Space: All windows become transparent so you can see through to the desktop.
* Win+Up arrow: Maximize the active window.
* Shift+Win+Up arrow: Maximize the active window vertically.
* Win+Down arrow: Minimize the window/Restore the window if it's maximized.
* Win+Left/Right arrows: Dock the window to each side of the monitor.
* Shift+Win+Left/Right arrows: Move the window to the monitor on the left or right.

Visit Lifehacker.com for the full list of Windows 7 shortcuts.

Just bought my first Mac!

2009-10-20T16:09:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking about getting an Apple computer for a while now, but finally broke down today and ordered one. I figured I better start since I have a business customer that just switched over to Mac last week. Better start learning as much as I can before they start actually using them full time.

I ordered the new Mac mini that came out today. 2.26GHz processor, 160GB Hard Drive (which I am going to swap out with a 1TB drive that I have) and I upgraded the memory to 4GB. Also got the Apple Wireless keyboard and the new Magic Mouse.

Should ship in about 3-4 days, and then 5-7 days for delivery.
This is going to be a long wait.

McAfee, Inc. Names Jessica Biel the Most Dangerous Celebrity in Cyberspace

2009-09-30T20:23:00.001-05:00

Jessica Biel has overtaken Brad Pitt as the most dangerous celebrity to search in cyberspace, according to Internet security company McAfee, Inc. (NYSE:MFE). For the third year in a row, McAfee researched Hollywood’s glamorous stars and pop culture’s most famous people to reveal the riskiest celebrities on the Web. McAfee’s latest report found that searches for Barack or Michelle Obama posed a lesser threat compared to others.

Fans searching for “Jessica Biel” or “Jessica Biel downloads,” “Jessica Biel wallpaper,” “Jessica Biel screen savers,” “Jessica Biel photos” and “Jessica Biel videos” have a one in five chance of landing at a Web site that’s tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware. Searching for the latest celebrity news and downloads can cause serious damage to one’s personal computer.

Every day, cybercriminals use celebrities’ names and images, like Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, to lure surfers searching for the latest stories, screen savers and ringtones to sites offering free downloads laden with malware.

See the full list of the Most Dangerous Celebrities in Cyberspace

Free Microsoft Software, for software developers.

2009-09-30T19:02:00.003-05:00

Video about how Microsoft is dealing with piracy of their software.

Microsoft BizSpark for software developers.

Microsoft Security Essentials

2009-09-29T16:15:00.004-05:00

I mentioned back in June about Microsoft releasing a new and free antivirus product. Well, it is now here.

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.

If your current antivirus program is expired, you might check out Microsoft Security Essentials.

Windows 7 For Dummies

2009-09-28T18:23:00.004-05:00

The next Windows Operating System (Windows 7) is set to be released on October 22nd. To be prepared, grab a copy of Windows 7 For Dummies.

The perfect plain-English guide to the much-anticipated release of Windows 7

Windows For Dummies is the all-time bestselling guide to the Windows operating system. Windows 7 For Dummies answers all your questions about the interface adjustments and all the new tools in Windows 7.

Whether you're new to computers or just eager to start using the newest version of Windows, expert author Andy Rathbone will walk you step by step through the most common Windows 7 tasks, including managing files, applications, media, and Internet access. If you've never used Windows before, it shows you the things most books assume you already know, like how to navigate the interface, customize the desktop, and work with the file system. Then it helps you get comfortable using all aspects of Windows 7.

Come by or call me at 580-243-9545 to get your copy of this book.

If you have recently purchased a new computer with Windows Vista on it, you may be eligible for a Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade. Bring in your computer, and I will check to see if your computer qualifies and get your Windows 7 Upgrade installed.

If you don't qualify for the free upgrade, but would still like to install Windows 7, I can get the upgrade version of Windows 7 to match your computer's needs.

PS3 Backwards Compatibiliy

2009-09-15T16:41:00.003-05:00

I have been getting a lot of questions from PS3 owners wondering why they can't play PS2 games on their newer PS3 Systems.

The answer is they stopped supporting PS2 Game disks on all PS3's that have come out after August 2007. My guess is that is about the same time they started thinking about having PS2 games in the Sony Store for purchase.

Here are the Model #'s of PS3 systems that do have PS2 emulation.
20 GB - CECHBxx
60 GB - CECHAxx
60 GB - CECHCxx
80 GB - CECHExx

You can find your model number on the back of your PS3.

Printing the Internet

2009-09-15T16:30:00.004-05:00

Physical Storage vs. Digital Storage

2009-09-15T15:36:00.001-05:00

This is an quick and interesting read:

Physical VS. Digital Storage

Remote Data Backup

2009-09-10T11:23:00.006-05:00

Remote Data Backups

Protect Your Most Valuable Asset... Your Data!

What would you do if you suddenly lost your data? How much would it cost to recover? Would your business survive?

We now provide the most cost effective, reliable, secure and convenient way to automatically back up your mission critical data offsite every night.

Start your FREE 30-day backup trial, and learn more »

(No credit card required, no obligation, full-featured service)

Enjoy peace of mind knowing if the unexpected happens (systems crash, virus, data corruption, fire, flood, theft, sabotage, human error, etc.), your data is secure offsite at our two mirrored data centers and easily accessible to you with just a few clicks, 24/7.

Advantages over Obsolete Backup Solutions

... such as tape
drive, CD / DVD, etc.

It's Easy: Simple to set up & operate, perfect for non-techies;

It's Automated: Runs nightly, saves your staff's time;

It's Fast: Delta block incremental backup transmits only changes;

It's Secure: Transmitted and stored using military-strength 128-bit AES encryption through Secure Socket Layer at two mirrored, state-of-the-art underground data centers with redundant power and bandwidth.

It's Offsite: Protects your data from fire, flood, theft, sabotage and human error;

Free 24/7 Support: No extra charges for support, restores, bandwidth usage, etc.

Free 30-Day Trial: No credit card required to start using the service unrestricted.

Time & Money Saving Features

....that increase your efficiency and productivity, while minimizing costly data loss and downtime.

*Easy System Restore: Full system backup files for easy, complete hard drive recovery;

Remote Web Access: Access your data from any computer with Internet connection;

10-File, 30-day Versioning: Restore files up to the last 10 versions or up to the last 30 days;

Extended Archiving: We store any data deleted from your system for 30 days;

Start your FREE 30-day backup trial, and learn more »

Free Solutions to your software needs

2009-09-07T14:41:00.002-05:00

Don't want to spend the money for Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop? Here are some FREE alternatives to commonly used software.

Open Office
OpenOffice 3 is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.

Gimp
GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.

It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc.

GIMP is expandable and extensible. It is designed to be augmented with plug-ins and extensions to do just about anything. The advanced scripting interface allows everything from the simplest task to the most complex image manipulation procedures to be easily scripted.

Audacity
Audacity is a free, easy-to-use and multilingual audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to:

* Record live audio.
* Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
* Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.
* Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
* Change the speed or pitch of a recording.

4 Runner Logo & Design

2009-08-10T08:47:00.002-05:00

Jason (4 Runnter Logo & Design) will be out of the shop from Aug. 11th - 16th for Summer Vacation.
If I am not at the shop, you can call me at 580-243-9545 and I can meet you back at the shop to drop off/pick up a computer.

Thanks,

Marc

Back to Business as Usual

2009-07-06T09:30:00.001-05:00

I'm back from my long holiday weekend. Wasn't quite ready to be back to work this morning, but have a lot to do already.

Hope everybody had a great Independence Day.

Closed Friday the 3rd of July

2009-06-30T13:40:00.001-05:00

I will be closed this Friday. Taking a long holiday weekend. Everybody body have a safe and fun 4th.

Acer appears poised to overtake Dell as the world’s second-largest seller of personal computers.

2009-06-28T09:40:00.003-05:00

Acer’s Everywhere. How Did That Happen?

About three months ago, Gianfranco Lanci flew into San Francisco International Airport, got off the plane and made his way to the passport control stations. As he pulled out his documents, the passport agent immediately recognized him as the chief executive of Acer.

“It was the first time in my life that has ever happened,” he says.

Mr. Lanci may need to come to grips with his growing celebrity. After all, he has turned Acer, the personal computer seller based in Taiwan, into a finely tuned organization that’s obliterating some of the computing industry’s longest-standing traditions and leading Taiwan’s charge up the technology food chain.

This year, Acer appears poised to overtake Dell as the world’s second-largest seller of personal computers, which would put a real dent into one of America’s favorite dorm-to-empire business stories. And if this comes to pass, Acer would trail only Hewlett-Packard; no computer company based outside the United States has ever climbed so high.

VIA: The New York Times

Windows 7 official pricing announced

2009-06-26T09:46:00.000-05:00

Microsoft just laid out the Windows 7 pricing grid for us, and here's the big takeaway: Vista and XP users will need to pony up $119.99, $199.99, or $219.99 on October 22 to score their Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate upgrade, and those of you who want a full retail disc will need to roll up with $199.99, $299.99, or $319.99 respectively. It's not quite that simple, though: starting tomorrow, June 26, you'll be able to pre-order upgrades at much cheaper prices -- $49.99 for Home Premium and $99.99 for Professional.

VIA: Engadget

iPhone 3.0 Firmware is out Tomorrow.

2009-06-16T19:17:00.002-05:00

For all you iPhone owners out there, a new firmware will be available tomorrow. This new firmware has a lot of new features that should get everybody excited.

Just to name a few:

Copy/Cut/Paste
MMS
Landscape Keyboard
Voice Memos
Note Syncing With iTunes
Turn By Turn Navigation
Tethering

You can read more about the new features and how they work here.

And the new iPhone 3G S will be in stores Friday.

Microsoft going to try it again with a new Anti-Virus service

2009-06-11T17:15:00.003-05:00

Microsoft is getting ready to unveil a long-anticipated free anti-virus service for personal computers that will compete with products sold by Symantec Corp and McAfee Inc.

A Microsoft spokesman said on Wednesday that the world's biggest software maker is testing an early version of the product with its own employees. Microsoft would "soon" make a trial version, or product beta, available via its website, he added, but declined to provide a specific date.

Three years ago, Microsoft entered that market with Live OneCare, which turned out to be a commercial flop. It announced plans in November to kill that product suite, saying it would launch the free Morro service by the end of 2009.

Microsoft has said it will provide protection from several types of malicious software including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.

VIA: Reuters

The Web's Most Dangerous Keywords to Search For

2009-05-29T07:16:00.003-05:00

Which is the most dangerous keyword to search for using public search engines these days? It’s “screensavers” with a maximum risk of 59.1 percent and has the highest risk percentage of exposing users to malware and fraudulent web sites, according to McAfee’s recently released report “The Web’s Most Dangerous Search Terms“.

More resutls:

* The categories with the worst maximum risk profile were lyrics keywords (26.3%) and phrases that include the word “free” (21.3%). If a consumer landed at the riskiest search page for a typical lyrics search, one of four results would be risky
* The categories with the worst average risk profile were also lyrics sites (5.1%) and “free” sites (7.3%)
* The categories with the safest risk profile were health-related search terms and searches concerning the recent economic crisis. The maximum risk on a single page of queries on the economy was 3.5% and only 0.5% risky across all results. Similarly, even the worst page for health queries had just 4.0% risky sites and just 0.4% risk overall

This kind of goes back and confirms some of the things I mentioned in a post in March about Spyware Prevention.

Read the full PDF of "The Web's Most Dangerous Search Terms"

VIA: ZDNet

Elk City's City Wide Wireless to be Shut Down

2009-05-27T18:28:00.004-05:00

Elk City's, city wide wireless internet service is up for sale. The service which cost about $1.3 million to install and cost over $30,000 per month to operate is set to be shut down at the end of this month.

A bid from Lenius Technologies of $35,000 was made, but was turned down after a vote.

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Released

2009-05-26T07:12:00.002-05:00

Service Pack 2, the latest service pack for both Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, supports new types of hardware and emerging hardware standards, includes all of the updates that have been delivered since SP1, and simplifies deployment, for consumers, developers, and IT professionals.

Download 32 Bit Version
Download 64 Bit Version

Mini-Vacation

2009-05-20T21:44:00.003-05:00

I think I am going to take Friday off. I haven't had a vacation in over 2 years, and this holiday weekend will give some time to get away and relax. 4 days off is probably as close to a vacation as I am going to get anytime soon.

No plans other than getting out of in front of a computer for a few days.

I'll be back Tuesday.

Computer Tip

2009-05-19T17:46:00.003-05:00

Here is a list of all the funtions you can start on your computer just by typing it into the "Run" box.

Commands:

1. Accessibility Controls - access.cpl
2. Accessibility Wizard - accwiz
3. Add Hardware Wizard - hdwwiz.cpl
4. Add/Remove Programs - appwiz.cpl
5. Administrative Tools - control admintools
6. Automatic Updates - wuaucpl.cpl
7. Bluetooth Transfer Wizard - fsquirt
8. Calculator - calc
9. Certificate Manager - certmgr.msc
10. Character Map - charmap
11. Check Disk Utility - chkdsk
12. Clipboard Viewer - clipbrd
13. Command Prompt - cmd
14. Component Services - dcomcnfg
15. Computer Management - compmgmt.msc
16. Control Panel - control
17. Date and Time Properties - timedate.cpl
18. DDE Shares - ddeshare
19. Device Manager - devmgmt.msc
20. Direct X Troubleshooter - dxdiag
21. Disk Cleanup Utility - cleanmgr
22. Disk Defragment - dfrg.msc
23. Disk Management - diskmgmt.msc
24. Disk Partition Manager - diskpart
25. Display Properties - control desktop
26. Display Properties - desk.cpl
27. Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility - drwtsn32
28. Driver Verifier Utility - verifier
29. Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc
30. Files and Settings Transfer Tool - migwiz
31. File Signature Verification Tool - sigverif
32. Findfast - findfast.cpl
33. Firefox - firefox
34. Folders Properties - control folders
35. Fonts - control fonts
36. Fonts Folder - fonts
37. Free Cell Card Game - freecell
38. Game Controllers - joy.cpl
39. Group Policy Editor (for xp professional) - gpedit.msc
40. Hearts Card Game - mshearts
41. Help and Support - helpctr
42. HyperTerminal - hypertrm
43. Iexpress Wizard - iexpress
44. Indexing Service - ciadv.msc
45. Internet Connection Wizard - icwconn1
46. Internet Explorer - iexplore
47. Internet Properties - inetcpl.cpl
48. Keyboard Properties - control keyboard
49. Local Security Settings - secpol.msc
50. Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc
51. Logs You Out Of Windows - logoff
52. Malicious Software Removal Tool - mrt
53. Microsoft Chat - winchat
54. Microsoft Movie Maker - moviemk
55. Microsoft Paint - mspaint
56. Microsoft Syncronization Tool - mobsync
57. Minesweeper Game - winmine
58. Mouse Properties - control mouse
59. Mouse Properties - main.cpl
60. Netmeeting - conf
61. Network Connections - control netconnections
62. Network Connections - ncpa.cpl
63. Network Setup Wizard - netsetup.cpl
64. Notepad - notepad
65. Object Packager - packager
66. ODBC Data Source Administrator - odbccp32.cpl
67. On Screen Keyboard - osk
68. Outlook Express - msimn
69. Paint - pbrush
70. Password Properties - password.cpl
71. Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc
72. Performance Monitor - perfmon
73. Phone and Modem Options - telephon.cpl
74. Phone Dialer - dialer
75. Pinball Game - pinball
76. Power Configuration - powercfg.cpl
77. Printers and Faxes - control printers
78. Printers Folder - printers
79. Regional Settings - intl.cpl
80. Registry Editor - regedit
81. Registry Editor - regedit32
82. Remote Access Phonebook - rasphone
83. Remote Desktop - mstsc
84. Removable Storage - ntmsmgr.msc
85. Removable Storage Operator Requests - ntmsoprq.msc
86. Resultant Set of Policy (for xp professional) - rsop.msc
87. Scanners and Cameras - sticpl.cpl
88. Scheduled Tasks - control schedtasks
89. Security Center - wscui.cpl
90. Services - services.msc
91. Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc
92. Shuts Down Windows - shutdown
93. Sounds and Audio - mmsys.cpl
94. Spider Solitare Card Game - spider
95. SQL Client Configuration - cliconfg
96. System Configuration Editor - sysedit
97. System Configuration Utility - msconfig
98. System Information - msinfo32
99. System Properties - sysdm.cpl
100. Task Manager - taskmgr
101. TCP Tester - tcptest
102. Telnet Client - telnet
103. User Account Management - nusrmgr.cpl
104. Utility Manager - utilman
105. Windows Address Book - wab
106. Windows Address Book Import Utility - wabmig
107. Windows Explorer - explorer
108. Windows Firewall - firewall.cpl
109. Windows Magnifier - magnify
110. Windows Management Infrastructure - wmimgmt.msc
111. Windows Media Player - wmplayer
112. Windows Messenger - msmsgs
113. Windows System Security Tool - syskey
114. Windows Update Launches - wupdmgr
115. Windows Version - winver
116. Wordpad - write

Online Television

2009-05-13T20:56:00.004-05:00

There is a new trend on the internet that I think is going to take over the Cable/Satellite companies in the near future. Online streaming Television & Movies.

Websites like Hulu.com and Joost.com have free streaming content that rivals any package you have with your cable provider. Hulu, for example, brings together a large selection of videos from nearly 150 leading content companies, including FOX, NBC Universal, Comedy Central, Lionsgate, MGM, MTV Networks, National Geographic, Paramount, PBS, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros. and more. Users can choose from more than 1250 current primetime TV hits such as The Simpsons, 30 Rock, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Office the morning after they air; classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The A-Team, Airwolf and Married...with Children; movies like Revenge of the Nerds and In the Line of Fire; documentaries like Super Size Me, Crawford and I Am Because We Are; and clips from Saturday Night Live, Friends and other popular TV shows and movies.

Disney also recently signed on as a partner with Hulu, so that means that you will also be able to get full episodes of Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Samantha Who, Scrubs, Private Practice ,Jimmy Kimmel Live, General Hospital and The View.

Hulu is like having a DVR online. You subscribe to a show you want to watch, and every morning, you get an email when the latest episodes are available.

I think with this new trend, TV's will have built in access to the internet and be able to stream TV without having to use a computer in the near future.

I have already canceled my Dish Network account. Saving at least $120.00/Year (if you have the minimal package). I watch all my favorite TV shows online now, with the help of my Playstation 3 and a program that runs on my computer called PlayOn. With that software and my Playstation 3, I am able to watch all the content provided by Hulu, on my TV, through my Playstation 3, just like normal TV. Sounds complicated, but it's not. PlayOn also works with the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

I encourage you to check out Hulu.com and check out all the TV shows and movies they have available to watch.

Windows 7 to be released this year.

2009-05-12T11:14:00.004-05:00

Microsoft confirmed on Monday that it is planning to release Windows 7 this year, in time for the holiday shopping season.

"We are tracking well to a Windows 7 holiday," Microsoft Senior Vice President Bill Veghte said in an interview.

Veghte made a similar statement in a speech Monday at Microsoft's TechEd event in Los Angeles, California. As recently as January, Veghte was saying publicly that such a release was not a sure thing.

For months now, Microsoft's official position has been that Windows 7 would ship by January 2010 -- the three-year anniversary of Windows Vista's mainstream launch. However the software maker has been aiming and planning for a 2009 release all along, as we noted last fall.

Computer makers have been indicating privately -- and in a few cases publicly -- that things have remained on track. But, with memories of Vista's delays fresh in its mind, Microsoft continued to hedge its bets.

Early feedback from the Windows 7 release candidate, which came out late last month, convinced Microsoft it could commit to a 2009 launch, Veghte said.

Veghte said Microsoft has seen the needed step-function drop in the number of crashes being experienced with the release candidate as opposed to the beta version.

"You know pretty quickly if you've got any big gotchas," he said. "You can get a pretty good sniff pretty quickly."

Equally important, Veghte said the company has seen the needed level of partner support. He noted that the first couple of companies have gotten Windows 7 logo certification.

Among that first group are some graphics chip vendors -- a big change from Vista in which limited graphics support was among the many compatibility headaches experienced by early adopters.

Veghte did not provide a specific time for launch or when the code would be finalized. However, he said that typically the ecosystem needs anywhere from nine to 14 weeks from the product being declared final to be ready for launch.

VIA: CNN

Dirty Computer

2009-05-04T14:38:00.006-05:00

A slow computer isn't always caused by spyware or virus infections. Another easily fixable solution to your computer running slow, is to make sure that then fans inside the computer don't have an excess amount of dust and dirt clogging them up.

If you have noticed that your computer is louder than normal, it is probably because your fans are blowing harder trying to keep your computer cooler. And they are blowing harder, probably because you have a lot of dust buildup on your processor fan causing your processor to overheat.

This is something you can fix at home yourself. All you need is a screw driver to remove the screws holding on the side of the case, or if you have a Dell computer, you probably won't even need that. You will also need some canned air, or an air compressor. I would suggest unplugging your computer and taking it outside if it is really dirty and blow out all the fans and try to get as much of the dust out as possible. Just make sure that if you used canned air, not to turn the can upside down while blowing out your computer. And you might even want to wear a dust mask and protective glasses so you don't breath in the dust that you are blowing out.

Just doing that can make a huge difference in how quiet your computer runs and will also improve the performance of your computer.

Oklahoma Weather

2009-05-01T20:05:00.002-05:00

I had a weekend trip planned for this weekend, but as usual, Oklahoma's always changing weather has put a halt on the trip for now.

I was planning on going to Eastern Oklahoma and driving the Talimena Scenic Drive from Talihina, OK to Mena, AR. The Talimena Scenic drive is the only National Scenic Byway in Oklahoma. Thought it would be a nice, quiet and relaxing day, although a long day to get there. But, with the cold, wet weather that moved into the state today, I think I am going to have to reschedule.

I think I am going to head south instead. To the Hackberry Flat Wetlands, south of Frederick, OK. This is another one of the places in Oklahoma that I have driven past too many times to count, but never stopped. I got a new telephoto lens for my camera, so I think I will go try it out down there and see if I can get some nice wildlife photos.

Busy Week

2009-04-23T20:12:00.004-05:00

I got my banner hung outside this week.
It looks a little smaller than what I had hoped.
I think I might get a bigger one and move this one back inside.

It has been a busy week once again. I have been working on everything from computers to PS3's and Xbox 360's this week.

I have a Dell Vostro computer for sale. It is used, but basically brand new. Comes with a 19" Widescreen monitor and keyboard/mouse. It has a fresh install of Windows Vista and plenty of memory and hard drive space. Come in and check it out. It is a really nice computer for a great price.

Printer Ink Catridges...why are they so expensive?

2009-04-14T19:57:00.003-05:00

Printer ink is a necessity for anyone who has a printer, but spending the money to purchase new ink cartridges cost the same, if not more, than just buying a new printer.

It is estimated that American's spent $5 Billion dollars on ink cartridges last year. Printer Ink cost between $10.00 - $55.00 per cartridge (depending on the printer). A brand new HP Deskjet F2210 Printer, Scanner, and Copier All in One only cost you $29.00 at Wal-Mart and comes with ink cartridges.

The reason ink is so expensive, is the same reason you get a free phone when you sign a new contract with a provider, the same reason disposable razors are so cheap, but the blades cost more than the razor....business.

Companies want to make it seem like you are getting something for next to nothing, but when you go buy those refills at the price they are, they are making their money back.

Kodak has a new line of printers that use a new kind of ink cartridge. They claim to save you on average about $200.00 a year in ink compared to a basic HP Printer.
They have 2 ink cartridges that work in all their printers. A black cartridge for $9.99 or a 5 ink color cartridge for $14.99.

Kodak's comparable All-In-One Printer, Scanner, and Copier will cost you about $99.99 though. So, is it just another marketing gimmick? I think so.

Either way, a desktop printer, no matter the brand or the cost, is still going to print the same documents and photos. In my opinion, you are still going to pay about the same yearly for any brand of printer.

Keeping your computer safe during storm season.

2009-04-12T17:28:00.003-05:00

You always hear to not use your land line telephone or take a shower/bath during lightning storms. A lightning strike could travel through your phone lines or water pipes or even electrical lines and be fatal.

The same goes for your computer. The phone line and power cord are conduits for electrical surges to fry your computer. You may have a surge strip on your computer, but those are not always reliable.

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that if they just turn off their computer, it will be safe. And those that think to unplug the computer often forget about the phone line or cable connection that is connected to their computer through either the dial-up modem or their high speed internet modem.

My advice would be to unplug the power cord from any electrical device that you don't want to have to replace. Make sure you unplug your phone line from your computer or DSL modem, and the cable connection to your cable modem and TV.

The Day After

2009-04-10T16:58:00.005-05:00

After a crazy afternoon of very strong winds, grass fires, downed power lines, damaged buildings and everything else that happened yesterday, I expected today to be a little busy, but had no idea how BUSY it was really going to be.

I was up at 6:30 this morning and having my first Dr. Pepper of the day, checking out the news reports about yesterday. My first calls started coming in just a little while later.

I left the house at 7 this morning and spent the next 7 hours going from job to job. That includes a 3 hour job in Leedey getting a fried server swapped out and setting up a new workstation.

Took a short lunch....well, got lunch and took it to with me to my next job. Ate and worked at the same time, and then on to the next job.

Still not finished. I still have a few more things to finish up in the morning. And I still need to get this DVR system for a customer figured out, and get started on another website for another customer, and also finish up on a few minor details on one other customer website.

Big Empty Office

2009-04-06T14:44:00.006-05:00

From Marc Crow Computer Repairs

The Phone Shop/Game Exchange officially shut down this weekend. That leaves our office looking a little empty and might even look like nobody works there, but I assure you that 4 Runner Logo & Design and myself are still there.

Conficker C Virus

2009-04-03T15:12:00.003-05:00

The Conficker C Virus just came out a couple of days ago. I haven't heard anybody having any problems with it yet, but that could change.

Here are some of the problems you may be having if you are infected with it.

• Deactivates Windows Security Center notifications
• Prevents restart in Safe Mode
• Prevents Windows Defender from running at system startup
• Deletes all system restore points
• Disables various error-reporting and security services
• Terminates over twenty security-related processes
• Blocks DNS queries
• Blocks access to security and antivirus websites
• And, to top it all off, Conficker C can choose from a list of 500 domains to contact out of a pool of 50,000

If you are experiencing any of those problems, give me a call. 580-243-9545

Tornado Season

2009-04-01T19:22:00.003-05:00

Last year, you might have watched Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel. Well, what you may have not known is that Elk City's own Joel Taylor was featured on the show last season with his storm chasing partner Reed Timmer.

They have some new pictures up on their website of their new storm chasing vehicle, the TVN Dominator.

You can find more pictures on their website TornadoVideos.net.

Sign up to get emails when they are on a chase. You can watch live streaming video of the chase.

AVG Update

2009-03-31T20:28:00.002-05:00

AVG AntiVirus 8.5 has been released. What is available in AVG 8.5?

Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware
Protection against viruses, spyware, adware and Trojans

LinkScanner Active Surf-Shield
Protects in real time against poisoned web pages while you're surfing

LinkScanner Search-Shield
Real-time safety ratings for all search results in Google, Yahoo and MSN/Live search

AVG Security Toolbar
Easy access to LinkScanner tools, built-in search capability

Download AVG 8.5 Now

Marc Crow Computer Repairs

How did my computer get infected?

No Surprise Computer Repairs

The Complete Guide to Updating to iOS 5

The Complete Guide to Updating to iOS 5

Update your Mac or PC

iOS 5 update

iCloud

iOS device set up

R.I.P Steve Jobs

Why Hackers Write Computer Viruses

The Hobbyists

The Criminals

The Spies

Used Desktop & Laptop for sale

Facebook + Skype

Tornado Disaster Relief

Questions

Vacation Time

The Verizon iPhone

Holiday

I will be out off the office December 23rd - 26th next week (and Jason will be too). Happy Holidays from Marc Crow Computer Repairs & 4 Runner Logo & Design. Oh, and January is Marc Crow Computer Repairs 2nd year in business. Expect an exciting announcement sometime soon.

KEYB Best in the West 2010

MONDAY!!!

Free Virus Scanner

Second Opinion Malware Scanner

Why A Second Opinion?

Laptop Repairs

Best of the West

What do I do with my old computer?

No Wait Repairs

Own Your Space

Anti-virus programs

Honesty.

Find me on Facebook

4 Runner Logo & Design.

AT&T Issues AGAIN!

iPhone 4 Review

iPhone 4

iOS 4 for iPhone

iPhone 4

Update on 3G in Western Oklahoma story.

OKC area hail storm pics & video from 5/16/2010

3G in Western OK.

Microsoft Office 2010

Tornado Season Again

AT&T Issues today

Apple iPad Case Review

iPad keyboard dock review

iPad Q&A

Apple iPad Review

Busy Next Week.

Xbox 360 & PS3 Repairs in Elk City

Google's Fiber Network

Photoshop CS5 Sneek Peak

Apple iPad

18 Firefox Add-Ons that Help You Save Money

Microsoft Security Essentials

Topeka , Kansas name change.

Google Fiber for Communities

Put your computer to good use while you sleep

Power Flickers

Winter Storm January 2010 in pictures.

Winter Storm January 2010

HP Pavilion dv2000/dv6000/dv9000 & Compaq Presario V3000/V6000 series Laptops

Phone Issues

Did You Know: Social Media

Holiday Season

Back to work.

Online Backup Solutions

Laptop Reliablility

Thanksgiving Holiday

Microsoft Security Essentials

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

For the iPhone users

A Day Too Late

The Master List of New Windows 7 Shortcuts

Just bought my first Mac!

McAfee, Inc. Names Jessica Biel the Most Dangerous Celebrity in Cyberspace

Free Microsoft Software, for software developers.

I will be out off the office December 23rd - 26th next week (and Jason will be too). Happy Holidays from Marc Crow Computer Repairs & 4 Runner Logo & Design.
Oh, and January is Marc Crow Computer Repairs 2nd year in business. Expect an exciting announcement sometime soon.