Orlando Computer Repair Services Blog | BITS

In October of 2009 I purchased a Dell Latitude E6400. As a tech I did my homework checking the specs (CPU, FSB, HDD speed, etc…) and user reviews. Little did I know that underneath the hood was a heating issue that paralyzes the system for hours at a time. Imagine being close to finishing a project up and all your programs come to a grinding halt. This is problem I faced after spending cash money for a brand new laptop.

I isolated the problem to video usage. Any video intensive application (flash video, DVD playback, slingplayer, etc…) would increase my laptops CPU usage to 100% after about 20mins of viewing. The processor usage wouldn’t drop until the computer had been sitting for at least an hour. I tried updating drivers, updating bios, and also making the switch from vista to windows 7. After I updated my machine to windows 7 and still had the issue I thought for sure all my money went down the toilet, but in a last ditch effort I ran some more utilities and read some more forums and determined the root cause of the problem. The graphics chip (GPU) was over heating causing my CPU to down clock between 500MHz and 800MHz.

I read forums about all the failed attempts to fix the overheating issue that causes 100% CPU usage. Some replaced the heat sinks, some replaced internal fans, some tried to wait on dell to develop a bios update to fix heating tables. None of these fixed the issue. After deep thought it occurred to me we have an overheating issue why not add an external fan. I went and picked up a simple laptop fan and eliminated the overheating issues. I have two 20” monitors connected to my e-port docking station and this solved my all my problems. Now I love my laptop and it works great.

The ATT Tilt 2 is a great phone for business users or those who want to break free from the constrains of the Apple IPhone. I have owned the models of HTC slide out keyboard phones (8525, 8925, and the Original Tilt) so I was pretty fired up about buying the Tilt 2 with Windows Mobile 6.5. Once I opened the box and started using my Tilt 2 my excitement slowly burnt out. I powered the phone on an noticed it was full of AT&T bloatware that needed to be removed, no tethering, today screens that needed customizing, and not to mention my AT&T Tilt 2 was freezing every time I tried to do anything with email messages. After a couple of days I slowly started to think spending $300 on this device was not such a great decision. Once time allowed I began finding fixes to my issues and fell in love all over again. I have outlined solutions to all my problems below so you don’t have to spend the hours and days I did searching for them.

Removing 45MB of AT&T Tilt2 Bloatware
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=UninstallingTilt2Software

TouchFlo Internet Tab Set Internet Search Default to Google
Change “HKCU\Software\HTC\Manila\InternetSearchUrl” to “http://www.google.com/m/search?q=%s”

Change Tilt 2 Internet Tab from AT&T Webpage
http://www.fuzemobility.com/how-to-change-the-default-page-on-the-internet-tab/

I had to add extra icons to set default browser to Internet Explorer (Opera wouldn’t load Bank of America Mobile Site)
http://www.fuzemobility.com/add-an-application-short-cut-to-the-internet-tab-2/
My “InternetPortal-en-US.xml” file
icon for bofa mobile
icon for fandango mobile

If you use the default WM 6.5 today screen download “Home Screen Customizer” to remove unneeded items from today screen.

Setup Configure Tethering Tilt 2
I changed HKLM\Comm\InternetSharing\Settings\ForceCellConnec tion to “MEdia Net”

Tilt 2 tmail.exe Freezing when Texting, emailing, or downloading headers
I have 5 email accounts setup on my phone. When my settings were set to download all message headers and attachments for all my accounts my email would freeze just about every time I opened a message. Although I wasn’t downloading the full messages or attachments it had a hard time keeping up with all the data. To solve the problem I changed the settings to download all my messages and attachments less than 256K from only my main email account. For all my other email accounts I only downloaded message headers within the last 24hrs with no attachments. Since I made this change my tilt2 has not frozen on me at all. I guess it was having a problem indexing the tons of messages in all my email boxes.

Hope this helps

Internet Explorer (IE) has been plagued with vulnerabilities since the beginning of its existence. It’s not that IE is a “bad” browser, it’s just that it is the most used browser around the world. This high usage percentage makes it the logical target for those who make all sorts of malware. This malware can cause your system to slow down, have popups, or even crash.

Since these vulnerabilities exist, you will get better performance, better security, and better expandability by choosing Firefox.

Firefox is a browser made by Mozilla that not only loads pages faster and has better security, it also allows you to customize it. There are themes that allow you customize the look of Firefox and add-ons that allow you to add functionality to it. The add-ons can be anything from allowing you to play music in the background of your browser to viewing the weather. Obviously this is appealing to most users since browsing the internet with the same old browser can get a little bit tedious. Adding a bit of variety to it can decrease the tedium.

Unfortunately, there is one drawback to using Firefox: Not all websites are compatible with the way it displays the webpages. Sometimes pages will appear distorted or perhaps leave out all media on the page. This can be a little bit frustrating, but is easily remedied by an add-on called IE-tab. IE-tab allows IE to run inside of Firefox, thus allowing a website that cannot be displayed correctly by  Firefox to be displayed by Internet Explorer.

I’m not saying that Firefox will be the best browser from now until the end of time because that would just be foolish. There will most likely come a time where Firefox also develops vulnerabilities of its own. Having millions of users use the same browser will continue to shift the emphasis from IE to Firefox, but that won’t happen for quite a long time.

Do you have a video or data DVD you need to make a DVD copy of? Making a DVD copy can be an unwanted chore. Having to know things such as dual layer DVDs cannot be copied directly to a single-layer DVD disc. Dual layer DVDs have twice the amount of video, audio, or data than a single layer DVD. Luckily, there is a great program called DVD Shrink. DVD Shrink will help with this dilemma.

DVD Shrink allows you to compress the video on the dual layer DVD to fit onto a traditional DVD. The best part is that you can’t notice the loss of quality resulting from the video and audio compression. It’s also very simple to use which makes this program your go to program for DVD copying.

First you load up the program and wait for the initial scanning of the disc.

After this point, you will notice that there are options to choose to remove parts of the DVD such as menus, various languages, etc… to reduce the amount of compression needed. It’s really not necessary to do this, but feel free to play with these settings as you like.

At the top of the screen, you will notice a “back-up” button. Press this button once you are ready to make the copy of the DVD.

After you press backup you might get a screen about RCE protection. Either choose your region or leave RCE as is.

After this screen you will get one about the Target Device. If you don’t have Nero installed, you will have the option to just create an ISO to burn later. Click “ok” and let run. If you had Nero it will copy DVD directly to your blank disc, if not then you will have an ISO that you need to burn with other DVD burning software.

To download DVD Shrink visit BITS Orlando Computer Repair Resource page http://www.bitsinconline.com/resources.

If your company conducts business outside of the United States the topic of international calling rates has come up. Most businesses owners fear looking at a phone bill after making or receiving Intl calls. There are simple solutions to manage or even eliminating the cost of Intl calling. Below are evaluations of two effective services that can be used to make or receive calls on your landline telephone or mobile device Blackberry, Windows Mobile, iPhone, or Google chrome android.

Skype is by far the best means to make international calls. Skype provides the ability to make calls to anyone on the Skype network for free; all you need is a Skype account and an internet connection. Skype users can also make calls to non-Skype telephone numbers, which will reduce the cost of per minute talk time drastically compared to using telephone companies. Skype also has hand handled phones that allows users to make calls using a WIFI connection, eliminating the need of using a computer to make calls. Skype software can be loaded onto iPhones and Windows Mobile phones which allow Skype users the ability to make free Skype to Skype calls or call non-Skype numbers through their account using their mobile device. Currently Blackberry devices do not support the Skype software.

Vonage World is a great service for calling abroad, but lacks many of the features of Skype. Vonage World allows users to call 60 countries for free. The only catch is most of these counties you can only call landlines and are charged for calling cell phones. Users can make calls on Vonage by using a regular phone without the need of a computer or special software. The per minute cost of calling internationally remains completive with Skype and beats telephone company rates. Vonage lacks the ability to make Vonage to Vonage calls for free. Vonage World works on Blackberry mobile devices unlike Skype software and also works on the iPhone. Currently there’s no way to share minutes between your Vonage mobile account and Vonage telephone line.

If you are looking to make international calls for the lowest rate Skype will be your best choice. Due to the need to use Skype software or devices to make calls it does take a little technical understanding to make and receive calls. If you need to make or receive landline calls from one of the 60 countries included in Vonage World service Vonage will be a better choice, because no technical knowledge is needed. Simply pickup a telephone and dial the number.

Some people have this misconception that when you buy a computer, you need to buy the one with the fastest processor, most memory, largest hard drive, and most expensive video card. This might be the case for some, but it’s not always necessary to have a fully functional computer that will last for years to come.

GAMERS

Modern-day computer games don’t need an outrageously fast processor to run smoothly. If you’re going to purchase a new computer or upgrade your current computer for gaming, invest in computer memory and a good video card to increase video performance. When purchasing a video card, keep in mind the human brain can only process about 30 frames per second. Buying a video card that can produce 40 or 50 frames per second may result in overspending and produce unnoticeable changes in performance.

STUDENTS

Laptops tend to be a better purchase for students because of their portability and versatility. When purchasing a laptop, the goal is to choose the features you need without going over budget or sacrificing lifespan. The truth is off-the-shelf laptops are going to have the recommended specifications (memory, hard drive space, DVD-Burner, WIFI, etc…) with the ability to run any office suite or educational software thrown at it for at least 3 to 5 years. That being said, three optional upgrades that will have a direct impact on performance and set your laptop apart from others are: the amount of processor cache, hard drive speed (RPMs), and battery life.

BUSINESS ELITE

The needs of business users are similar to the needs of students. You don’t need the fastest processor, or excessive amounts of memory to handle business applications. The version of operating system needed for business users differs from the student or home version due to the necessity of connecting to an office network. Business users should always consult their IT director before making purchases.

RESEARCHERS / GRAPHICS DESIGNERS / MATHEMATICIANS

If you’re doing research or computations, the faster you can process the data, the better. Your processor cache, processor clock speed, and hard drive speed (RPMs) need to be as fast as you can afford. This will allow data to be gathered and processed quickly. Graphics designers and video editors have an additional need of a good video card.

In short, when purchasing a computer, the amount of processor cache and hard drive speed will have the most direct impact on performance, and if you’re planning to use your computer for intense graphical applications invest in a good video card.

Is your computer running slow? Do you have pop-ups? Web browser not going to websites you request? Here are two programs that’ll help things out. First is CCleaner. http://www.ccleaner.com/

CCleaner Screenshot

This program goes through your computer and cleans out all the temporary files that are left behind by some programs that run on your computer, as well as internet cache. You may be thinking, “Isn’t that what ‘Disk Cleanup’ does?” Well this program does everything Disk Cleanup does and then some.

Second, there is Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Screenshot of Malwarebytes

This program is the one that will take care of your pop-ups. Most pop-ups are caused by something other than a virus. “Spyware,” “Adware,” or “Malware” cause pop-ups and compromises the security of your computer. To combat this run Malwarebytes at least once a week to be sure there is no malicious content on your computer. Before running a scan remember to manually update it via the update tab. Simply click the update tab and then click the “Check for Updates” button. Once the update is finished, return to the Scanner tab and press the Scan button.

Malware (Viruses, Spyware, Adware) has evolved over the years from an amateur hobby to a professional profitable business focused on fraud and theft. In 2008, 83 million identities were exposed according to PrivacyRights.org. The amount of new malicious content rose to 1.6 million in 2008, a 460% increase from 2007 according to Symantec. The makers of malware have developed aggressive strategies to invade your systems leading to costly computer repair. Have you developed a defense to counter?

Below are four different methods to keep malicious content from infecting your computers.

Deep packet inspection w/ firewall – According to Symantec, by the end of 2008 over 5,000 websites per day were created with malicious content which can be installed on computers without any user intervention. Deep packet inspection defends your network against these attacks and others by dissecting and examining data packets as they travel through your network. During examination, the content inside the packet is scanned for malicious content and information is extracted, such as the computer it’s destined for and where it originated from. This is helpful because malicious content will be blocked and reports will inform you of which computers are requesting unauthorized content.

Sonicwall’s TZ models will work for small businesses.

Managed Email Monitoring – 1 out of 140 emails have malicious content, and 80% of email is considered spam according to Symantec. Managed email service providers eliminate 99% of spam and malicious threats. Managed email services filter mail for all email accounts and eliminate virtually all threats.

MXLogic will work for small businesses.

Corporate AntiVirus Software – Antivirus programs protect from costly computer repair created by malicious content that may have slipped through the network or loaded from some type of media (cd, flash drive, floppy, etc.). Most business owners understand the importance of installing antivirus software but don’t understand the importance of purchasing the corporate edition as opposed to the store bought home version. The corporate version is preferred because it uses less computer resources, provides a centralized location to mange antivirus applications installed on workstations, reports intrusions, downloads and pushes virus definitions to workstations, and manages license renewal.

Norton 11.0 will work for small businesses.

Employee policies – The best defense won’t work if you take the enemies’ hands and lead them to your command center and give them complete access. Setting clear guidelines for Internet and computer usage is critical to keeping malicious content off your computers. Windows group policies can be used to stop users from breaking computer policies, and deep packet inspection can be used to stop users from breaking Internet policies.

The best way to counter malicious content is to take an aggressive, proactive approach. Viruses will attempt to penetrate your computers and network.

Are you ready?