Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Anniversary Update

August 23, 2016 by Kenneth Crespo

Microsoft released the much anticipated Anniversary Update to Windows 10 on August 2nd, 2016. The update would be available for automatic download through Windows Update or manually through their Microsoft website. Microsoft promised to address concerns that were made when it originally launched Windows 10 last year.

Here are some of the big features that were released in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update:

Cortona becomes a lot smarter, gains new features and becomes almost mandatory
Windows 10 can now interact with your Windows or Android Phone
More Desktop and Apps are now available in the Windows Store
More themes are added into Windows including a Dark Theme
Microsoft Edge internet browser can now support browser extensions
Windows Hello lets you unlock your PC with compatible devices
Wifi-Sense Password feature is now gone
Windows Defender Can Provide Additional Protection If You Use Another Antivirus
The Start Menu has been redesigned
The Lock Screen has Improved
Battery Options become more powerful
You can now further tweak when to reboot your computer with Windows 10 updates

As you can see Microsoft has really added a lot of great features and most importantly has tightened up the security of the system. Although at first the reviews of Windows 10 were very mixed, they have gained much more positive marks as Microsoft has added to it.

The most important features Microsoft has added or fixed have been the Wifi Sense password feature which would previously allow other users that connected to your home wifi network to have your password in their computer automatically. This feature has since been addressed. Another feature that has help is improving the lock screen, which now removes your e-mail for privacy concerns so that prying eyes cannot know it.

The list of features is long, but the results are positive. If you haven’t already upgraded to the latest Anniversary update and would like to do so please go here and download it: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12387/windows-10-update-history

Please be sure that before applying such a big update that you have a backup of your data to be on the safe side.

Windows 10 Will No Longer Be Free After July 29, 2016

May 19, 2016 by Kenneth Crespo

Microsoft recently announced on May 5th that Windows 10 will no longer be Free after July 29, 2016. There had been rumors that Microsoft was planning on extending the date but as of right now that is no longer the case.

What does that mean for you? Simple. If you are still currently running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 you have the decision to upgrade until the deadline has reached. Once you have successfully upgraded to Windows 10 the license is yours for the lifetime at no cost. If you choose to upgrade after July 29th, the cost of Windows 10 will be $119 for the Home Edition. The cost of the Professional edition will be $199.

I do recommend that if you are currently running your computers in a business environment that require certain software to be run that you do not upgrade to Windows 10. This is especially true if the business is in the medical field. Currently Windows 10 is not HIPAA compliant nor do many software applications work with it. If you are currently running Windows 8.1 and using the computer for casual or non-business use, an upgrade to Windows 10 would be more suitable.

Windows 10 has come a long way since it last launched. Microsoft has continued to make improvements on speed, reliability and adding more features. Before performing an upgrade or re-installation, please make sure to properly back up your data. Although most upgrades occur with no problems you don’t want to take the chance.

Should you require some assistance or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The Best Place to Find Free 3rd Party Software

March 10, 2016 by Kenneth Crespo

It can be fun getting a new computer, until you realize that much of the software that you had on your old computer is not installed on the new one. You don’t need to dread spending hours installing each little piece of software, laboriously clicking through stupid little install wizards, nor do you need to fear mucking up your new system with “barnacle-ware” – extra pieces of software (toolbars, optimizers and sometimes even malware – which is sometimes attached to legitimate software downloads. There is a better way – Ninite.com

Ninite is a central place where you can download many of the most popular free 3rd party (aka non-Microsoft) pieces of software like Firefox, Skype, Google Chrome, iTunes, OpenOffice, Dropbox and Evernote. They have made it very convenient to choose and download just the software you want; simply click to check the box next to each software title in which you are interested, then click on the big green “Get Installer” button at the bottom. You will then be prompted to either Save or Run the installer. Choose Run. You may also be prompted with a User Account Control Message, choose Yes to start the process. The download will perform a “silent install” of each program, meaning you don’t have to choose any options or click countless “Next” boxes. When it is complete, all of the chosen software titles will be installed and ready to run on your computer.

It’s important to note that Ninite installs the most up-to-date version of each piece of software. That is critical, as hackers tend to write exploits for not only out-of-date Microsoft software, but also out-of-date 3rd party software that most people have on their computers, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and Java. Also, if one of the software titles you’ve chosen is already installed on your computer, Ninite will check to see whether or not it is the most recent version. If it is, then it will skip that installation & tell you that it’s up to date. If it’s not then Ninite will update it. Therefore, Ninite is not only a great, easy way to install software on your computer, but also a great way to keep it current.

Ninite is free for home users and it does not use any form of pop-ups or advertising during the download process, which assures us that it is not only safe, but it’s also annoyance-free. So, if you are in need of great 3rd Party software for your computer, skip the hunt and navigate over to www.ninite.com. You will be glad you did.

Simplify your Start Menu in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10

January 26, 2016 by Kenneth Crespo

Windows XP was the most successful operating system Microsoft ever made. Windows 7 was sure to follow after launching in 2009. One thing that was missing when Windows 8 came out was the Start Menu. After various complaints for consumers and enthusiasts Microsoft relented and brought it back with Windows 10. Even then the Start Menu can be bloated with tiles and other settings that you aren’t quite familiar with. This is where Startisback comes into the equation. They have created a software that gives a Start menu just like Windows 7 and works flawlessly with Windows 8 and 10. I have personally used and recommended this software to many clients with no issues for the past two years. Making it a staple of my tool kit.

You can try this software out for 30 days, no risk obligation. The website is www.startisback.com

Should you decide to purchase the software the cost is a one time fee for $2.99 , if you own 2 PCs then the cost is only $4.99

Start is back menu key

Protecting Your Computer: What is Managed Anti-virus?

November 23, 2015 by Kenneth Crespo

Your life is on your computer. Well, not really. However, much of your most important data: family photos, music collections, important documents are stored on one or more computers in your home. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to be aware of how to protect yourself from the many things which may threaten the security of your data. Over the next few articles we will look at several facets of home computer data security and what you can do to decrease the amount of risk to your important data.

One of the biggest threats to your data, of course, is malicious software (otherwise known as malware) being inadvertently installed on your computer. “Malware” is a catch-all description of any software running on your computer that threatens to corrupt your data, steal your data, slow down your system or even completely disable access to your system. It has become so easy to infect a computer these days that a quality security product – one that includes both antivirus and anti spyware protection – is essential.

Most users know that having a good antivirus program installed and running on their computers is a necessity. However, it can be difficult to determine what constitutes a “good” program. Is the software made by one of the big vendors, such as McAfee or Norton better simply because it’s more recognizable? Is the software better just because you paid an annual subscription fee? Here are a few things to note about antivirus products on the market today:

There is no one product which will make your computer bulletproof and totally insusceptible to malware infection. The amount of malicious software being created on a daily basis is too great for any one program to conceivably catch everything.
All of the major antivirus software vendors share information with each other. If one company discovers a new infection in the wild and creates a signature to detect it and/or a process to remove it, they will share that with other companies, fully expecting that those other companies will do the same. This is the only way for these companies to keep up with the flood of malware which exists on the internet today.
An antivirus product should be used as one element in a layered security plan. There are many things that you can and must do to protect your data. Running a decent antivirus program on your computer is just one of them.
The Next Level of Security: Managed Antivirus

Crespo IT Solutions recently began offering a Managed Antivirus solution to our customers. When a software vendor sells you an antivirus product, they are doing just that: selling you a product. They have little concern or control over whether or not the product is installed correctly, is working correctly, or it is regularly updating to prevent infection. They may provide limited support during the period of your product subscription, but this may or may not be helpful to you. What makes a Managed Antivirus offering different is that it is a service, not simply a product. While we use a quality antivirus product to provide this service, we are not simply selling you another piece of software. Our Managed Antivirus solution includes:

Quality antivirus and anti-malware software which will work to prevent malicious software from being introduced into your computing environment.
24/7 Monitoring to ensure that virus definitions are up to date and that the software is running properly.
Mitigation if the software does detect anything on your system, including examination of results in quarantine, deletion of malware and initiating additional scanning when necessary.

We are able to do all of the above remotely, in the background on customer computers without affecting your productivity. It’s like having a set of professional eyes watching your computer for you, making sure that your system is protected. Our Managed Antivirus solution is also affordable – you can purchase it by itself or bundle it with our Maintenance Plans. Please contact us, if you would be interested in protecting your computer or computers with our Managed Antivirus.

Hard drives (HDD) vs Solid State drives (SSD): Which one is right for you?

October 31, 2015 by Kenneth Crespo

Both hard drives and solid state drives are devices used for storing your data; such as photos, music and software. While they do the same thing, there are pros and cons for each one due to the nature in which they store data.

Hard Drives

The main advantage of a hard drive is storage capacity, you can often find a hard drive with a storage capacity of several terabytes (you can store roughly 200 movies on a terabyte hard drive). Inside each hard drive, is lots of spinning parts and it is the speed of these spinning parts that determine how quick your computer can open your files such as pictures, word documents and music.

However, as a hard drive fills up with data, files can become scattered across the hard drive. This can result in a sluggish feel to the device you are using.

Solid State Drives (SSD)

Solid state drives are built for speed. They do this by storing the data on them using a motionless technology, meaning there are no moving parts. This means the data can be accessed almost instantly. They are also ideal for laptop users as hard drives can be easily damaged if you move your laptop while still powered on. They also use less power than traditional hard drives meaning your battery lasts a lot longer.

The downside to Solid States Drives is the cost. They are a little more expensive compared to traditional hard drives. If you are not using all of your existing drive space, then seriously consider swapping it for an Solid State Drive. It is much faster compared to traditional drives, and you can use your existing hard drive, as a external drive, for backups, so it does not go to waste.

So which one should I choose?

The bottleneck on most computers comes from the hard drive, so if you are looking at speeding up and improving the performance of your computer, and have less than 200GB of data you want to keep, it’s worth upgrading to an Solid State Drive. However, if you have a lot of data and want to keep costs down, a traditional hard drive would be okay though.

Consider this though, if you have a desktop or laptop a couple years old and are really looking for a speed boost the part to upgrade is your hard drive. Solid State drives can easily breathe new life into your computer and give you over 10 times the speed; saving you the trouble and cost of replacing the machine.

Interested in upgrading to an SSD? Fill out our Contact Form or give us a Call. We will be glad to help!

PUPs – Cute name with a disastrous result

September 30, 2015 by Kenneth Crespo

You may have heard of PUPs or seen it on an invoice from us under virus removal. If you’ve ever wondered what a PUP is, here it is: PUP stands for Potentially Unwanted Program, and is considered a form of malware. While they are not quite the same thing as standard viruses, they’re still not a good thing–and as we often say, once a baddie gets in the door, they often weaken it for more “friends” later. This is not a good thing.
PUPs are those programs that scoot in almost completely unannounced through downloads, usually as software bundles. Once installed, they will usually start harassing users aggressively about one thing or another: your memory is low, you have outdated drivers that need to be fixed immediately, your system is insecure, etc. etc. (and as you might have guessed, these are all false and they want money to “fix” said problems). They may also start hijacking your browser to give you funny search engines, ads galore, and redirect you to websites you didn’t ask for. Sadly, even Macs are no longer immune from this problem.

PUPs can be hard to catch before the fact, and even harder to remove after the fact, so I have a couple of recommendations to keep these things off your system. Our Managed Antivirus service, which is part of our Total Care maintenance program, does a great job at keeping the PuPs from infecting your computer. Finally, we highly recommend installing a little program called Unchecky. This small program runs in the background, making sure that nothing tries to slip in when you’re installing something downloaded from the internet. It does a great job, and it’s free!

You Need a Backup Solution

September 14, 2015 by Kenneth Crespo

In the famous words of Joni Mitchell, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” Unfortunately for many home computer customers, not having a reliable data backup solution is a painful lesson to learn. As we all become increasingly dependent on our digital files, having a copy, or multiple copies, of those files is a crucial element of keeping your data safe. The data on your computer or mobile device can disappear in an instant – succumbing to accidental deletion, corruption, malware encryption or theft. The best way to prepare for a data disaster event is to make sure that you have a workable, reliable and verifiable backup solution in place.

A Workable Backup Solution

The first thing that you need to do when considering backing up your data is to find a solution which works for you. People use their computing devices differently, and therefore a backup solution should work with your computing experience. Are you the type of person who prefers to control exactly when you backup your data or would you rather “set it and forget it”? Do you prefer having your data close by, say on an external hard drive, or would you rather have it available 24/7 via the Internet? Does your data reside on just one computer or on multiple devices? Answers to these questions will help you decide on the best backup solution for your situation.

4 Key Elements that Every Backup Scheme Should Have

Your backup needs to be automatic. Life is too busy for most of us to consistently remember to start backing up our data. Most backup software and services, though, can be scheduled to start automatically. Some programs even backup instantly every time a file is added or changed. Don’t let it be your job to remember to plug in a storage device or to kick off a backup routine. Let your chosen solution take care of that work for you.

Your backup should be verifiable. Many people have a backup plan in place, but unfortunately not many have a restore plan in place. If you are not sure whether or not you can successfully recover the files that you have supposedly backed up, then you don’t have a backup plan! Part of your backup routine needs to be periodic testing to make sure your backups are valid. This may be doing something as simple as restoring one of your files or folders to an alternate location on your computer. If you can regularly successfully restore files from your backup when you don’t necessarily need them, then chances are better that you will be able to restore them when you do need them.

Your backup should Include versioning. It may not be enough to have just one copy of each of your files. As many who have been hit by the Cryptolocker infection have discovered, backup solutions which don’t keep multiple copies of files as they are changed are susceptible to being overwritten by malware. Therefore, it is important that your backup solution allows you to restore copies of your files from various points in time in the past.

Your backup should be secure. Do you keep thousands of dollars under your mattress because you feel it’s more secure than keeping your money in a bank? Many people follow a similar strategy when it comes to protecting their data. Don’t assume that your data is secure just because you have a copy of it on an external hard drive attached to your computer. Hard drives can fail at any moment, can be stolen or can fall victim to a virus or a power surge. However, cloud-based backup solutions are, for the most part, much more secure than onsite backups. Most offsite backup solution providers keep their customers’ data in tier 1 data facilities with multiple levels of security controls, encryption, environmental protection and co-location. It is safe to say that your data is better protected in one of these “data banks” than under the proverbial mattress in your home.

Backup Solutions that We Recommend

Crespo IT Solutions has two different backup solutions that we recommend. We offer two solutions because each of them is able to cater to the different backup needs of our customers. The first solution that we offer is Backblaze. This backup company has been in the business longer than most of the others, and it has a reputation for simple, affordable backup services for residential customers. Backblaze’s user interface is very easy to understand, and customers are able to determine whether or not their data is secure just by looking at the file names on their computers. Backblaze also gives you the option to backup to an external hard drive as well so you have a local copy on your PC as well as one on the cloud online. Backblaze offers unlimited backup for your home computer for just for just $5 per month per computer. You can also pay $50 per year and get 2 months free.

The second backup solution that we offer is CrashPlan which offers both local backup and complete system recovery as well as storage of your most critical files locally and in the cloud. While the cost is just a little more than Backblaze, CrashPlan allows you to protect multiple computers under the same plan and share backups with a family member or friend. Therefore, if you are a household with 1-5 computers, this backup solution would probably work better for you and would be cheaper in the long run than Backblaze. Furthermore, CrashPlan is monitored regularly. That is, we will take on the responsibility of making sure that your devices are being backed up and that your data is able to be restored when needed. The cost for Crashplan ranges from $5.99 for 1 PC or $59.99 per year. When you add the Family Plan which can cover anywhere from 2-10 Computers it is only $13.99 per month or $149.99 for an annual subscription. CrashPlan just like Backblaze offer Unlimited Data Backup and they meant it! You do not have to worry about how much data you have. CrashPlan will back it up to its’ online servers along with your external hard drive if you choose to do so. I have personally used Crashplan on my computers for 3 years with no issues and I highly recommend it.

Both of these backup solutions provide automatic, scheduled backups to a secured data center, easy restoration procedures, versioning and 24×7 access to your files from anywhere via the internet. They also have iPhone Applications that allow you to view your files where you are.

Making sure that your data is backed up securely is not a difficult task in today’s world. However, it does take a bit of planning and initiative on the front end. However, when a data disaster strikes, you will be glad and grateful that you have a solution in place.

Crespo IT Solutions is here to help. Allow us to help recommend the best option for your needs and set it up Remotely for you. We can get this done quick and easy for you while you watch. We also the offer the option to monitor your backups when your Sign Up for our Protection Plan.

What You Need in a Home Wireless Router

August 18, 2015 by Kenneth Crespo

A wireless router is quickly becoming one of the most critical pieces of electronic equipment in most homes. Serving as a virtual gateway to both the home network and the internet, we have become increasingly more dependent upon this device than ever before. Whereas just a few years ago the only things connected to a router were one, or perhaps 2 computers, in many homes today we have gaming consoles, smart phones, tablets, printers, smart TV’s and streaming media devices (e.g. Roku, Apple TV, etc.), appliances, as well as laptop and desktop computers all requiring access to the internet. An older router can become a bottleneck as all of these devices compete for bandwidth. If your router is more than a few years old, you may want to consider replacing your device with one which will better serve your home networking needs.

What is a router and why do I need one?

Quite simply a router allows information from devices on one network (e.g. your home network) to connect to devices on another network (e.g. the internet), either via wires (Ethernet cable) or wireless. A home router may be a separate piece of equipment from the modem (the appliance which actually connects you to the internet), or the router and modem may be combined into one unit. If you have multiple devices which need to access each other or the internet, you need a router.

Your First Consideration: Should I Buy or Rent my router?

Many folks choose to use whatever piece of equipment that is supplied by their Internet Service Provider (ISP). What they may not be aware of, though, is that there is usually a monthly charge of between $8.00-10.00 to “rent” this device. While that might not seem like a lot of money, over time those monthly charges accumulate and supersede the actual value of the device many times over. The good thing about this arrangement is that if the modem/router exhibits problems or stops working, customers can usually get a replacement at no charge. However, most home modems and routers have fairly basic settings, do not offer the latest features and cannot always be configured the way that the customers may prefer. Therefore, it may be a good idea for home users to purchase their own equipment. Routers, like many other electronic gadgets, have come down in price significantly over the past few years. However, it can be a little intimidating for many folks to know just what to buy, especially since routers range in price from $40.00-$250.00. Let’s take a look at the differences.

Breaking down the specs:

Single Band or dual band – Remember that routers are basically small radio transmitters and receivers. Most routers broadcast on either one or two frequencies: 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz. Older routers (802.11b/g standard) only use 2.4 Ghz band. Routers utilizing the N wireless standard can broadcast on both bands (sometimes called mixed mode). While many wireless devices, including things like baby monitors and garage door openers, can cause signal interference on the 2.4 Ghz band, it does offer greater coverage than the 5 Ghz band. Newer routers which use the 802.11ac standard only use the 5 Ghz.

Wireless standards: b/g, n, ac – The oldest wireless standard in common use today is the b/g standard. Most new devices (bought within the past 3-4 years), utilize the N standard. The ac standard has come out within the past year, though not all equipment (phones, computers, tablets, etc.) are using this standard yet. While this alphabet soup of standards can be confusing, just remember that the more recent standards offer better performance (faster data throughput, more devices communicating simultaneously) and greater coverage (i.e. you can be further away from the router and still connect.)

Mbps: The speed at which data travels over the network via the wireless signal is called Megabits per second. Older routers which utilize the b/g standard typically provided 54 Mbps throughput. However, this could be less the further away you are from the router. The newer standards, N and ac, are advertising 150 Mbps, 300 Mbps or even higher. However, whether or not you actually get these speeds will depend on whether or not the router and the wireless device you are using (phone, laptop, etc.) are both operating on this standard. That is, if you may have a fast, new router, but if you have older wireless equipment on the other end, the connection will not be any faster.

Security standards – All new routers being sold today have WPA2 wireless encryption. This enables home users to “lock down” their wireless networks so that only users who have the password to the router can connect to the network.

Extras:

Many of the differences in prices for routers are due to the extra bells and whistles that they offer. The higher-priced ones, of course, usually offer more features or provide greater coverage and performance. Many routers today actually allow two separate networks – a regular internal home network in which all of the devices (computers, printers, etc.) are permitted to “talk” to each other, and a guest network (with a separate password) which only grants users access to the internet. It can be helpful to offer guest network access to visitors in your home who only need internet access for a short time. Some routers include USB ports into which you can plug a flash drive or external hard drive. Router configuration settings can be saved to these removable devices and they can also be configured to share the storage space across the network. Likewise, some routers offer slots for SD cards (commonly used in cameras, phones, tablets, computers, etc.) to make sharing data on the network a little easier. For those who need their wireless network to cover a large area, such as two floors in a home, some routers offer a bridge mode which essentially allows them to re-broadcast the signal from another router, thereby extending the range of the wireless network.

Though router manufacturers have attempted to make setting up a new router less complicated, it can still be intimidating for many home users to navigate all of the various settings and connections. If you need some assistance to get the most out of your home router, or if you are thinking of upgrading your device and need some guidance, please contact us.

Protect Your Electronics During the Summer Storms

August 9, 2015 by Kenneth Crespo

Did you know that Florida is one of the lightning capitals of the United States? While this makes for some impressive light shows from time to time, lightning, power surges and power fluctuations can wreak havoc on sensitive electronics, including computers, modems, routers, televisions, DVD players and DVR devices.

One of the best ways to protect these devices is by investing in and using Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS, for short). A UPS device will provide a constant, clean stream of electricity to your electronics, regardless of power fluctuations in your home. Further, a UPS device also has a battery backup system which can keep your electronics running for a short time (15-30 minutes, depending on what you have plugged into the UPS). In the event of a power outage, a UPS connected to your computer can automatically initiate a regular computer shut down when the battery backup system on the UPS runs low. This will prevent data loss or hard drive failure which can occur when the power to your computer is cut off suddenly, such as what happens when the power unexpectedly goes out.

Typical UPS devices designed for home computers and electronics cost an average of about $50-80 and can be purchased from home electronics stores or places like Office Depot, Walmart, Best Buy or online at Amazon. They are well worth the investment, considering the price of replacing said electronics in the event that they are destroyed by an electrical anomaly.

One final note – power strips DO NOT provide the same level of protection that a UPS does, even those power strips which claim to offer surge protection or surge suppression. While they are cheaper than the price of a UPS, these cannot be depended upon to protect your computer and other equipment. Power Surge protectors help to suppress the amount the amount of electricity coming from your outlet, but can not fully protect your devices. Invest in a good UPS. During the next major electrical storm, you will be glad you did!