Now that winter is over with our next season is what I like to call Storm Season.  This is the time of year when we get some violent storms.  Although we get some bad storms during winter I’m talking about storms that produce lightning and power outages or power surges.

During this time of year it’s most important to protect your computer with a good surge protector.  Most power bars will have some kind of surge protection but they’re not enough to protect your computer.  The kind of surge protector you should have should be rated for a minimum of 2600 Joules.  Keep in mind the higher the Joules the better the protection.  A good surge protector will cost approximately $40.00 on up.  Think of it this way:  you just spent close to $1000 on your new computer system, why not spend the extra money and get a good surge protector?

The other type of protection you could get is called a UPS or Uninterruptible Power Supply or commonly known as Battery Backup.  These units will give you anywhere from 3 minutes to 65 minutes of battery backup to properly shut your system down.  If you live in an area where you get brown outs (where the power drops but doesn’t go out) then the battery backup system can help to regulate the power, so it doesn’t affect your computer.

What size of UPS do you need?  That depends on your system and how many watts your system is using.  The average computer system could get away with a 550va UPS which would give you about 4 minutes to shut your system down properly.  I would recommend that you get a 650va or higher UPS as that would give you better protection and a longer run time.

So if you take my advice and purchase a good surge protector or UPS and the next storm hits then you should have peace of mind knowing that your investment in your computer should be protected.

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me at Scott’s Computer Emporium 519-802-2721 or email me at scott@computeremporium.ca

Known as the Microsoft Scam or virus/spyware scam, many people are receiving phone calls from a company or companies sometimes claiming to be from Microsoft.  They will inform the person that their computer is badly infected with viruses or spyware and that they can tell because they tracked your IP address.  The company goes on to say that they need to fix your computer right away or you will lose everything.  They proceed by getting you to download software or visit a website that would allow them access to your computer.  If you allow that to happen then they have you.  The cost for such access turn’s out to be around $150 to $200.  The company in question does a few things in your computer to appear as if they’re fixing your virus infestation. In all cases that is not what they are doing, instead they are gathering your personal information including passwords, credit card information, etc. As you know this can and will lead to identity theft.

First of all Microsoft would never call anyone up out of the blue like that so don’t waste your time with them just hang up.  I’ve included a YouTube video for you to watch on this subject.

Related articles

• OPP warn of computer scam (windsorstar.com)

How To Tell If You Have A Legal Copy Of Windows

We all like a good deal now and then especially when it comes to expensive software.  That’s why most people turn to software piracy.  Software piracy is the unauthorized copying of software. Most retail programs are licensed for use at just one computer site or for use by only one user at any time. By buying the software, you become a licensed user rather than an owner. You are allowed to make copies of the program for backup purposes, but it is against the law to give copies to friends and colleagues.  Often people and some computer repair shops will try to sell you Microsoft Windows Operating Systems such as Windows 7, at a greatly reduced price.   This is where you must stop and ask yourself is this a legal copy of this software.

So how do you tell if it’s a legal copy of the software?  Microsoft affixes a sticker to each piece of software they sell.  This sticker is called a COA or Certificate Of Authenticity.  A COA is not a software license – it is a visual identifier that assists in determining whether or not the Microsoft software you are running is genuine. However, without it, you will not have a legal license to run Microsoft software.  It must also be noted that it is illegal to sell just the COA without the software it authenticates.  Examples of COAs and previous versions can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/howtotel

If you receive offers for COAs as stand-alone items, be aware that these offers are highly suspect and can put you at risk. To fall victim to stand-alone COAs offers means that you may have wasted valuable money and you will not have a legal license to run the software. The best way for you to protect yourself is to purchase software from a familiar, reputable reseller. The Anti-Counterfeiting Act of 2003 makes it a criminal offense for dishonest resellers to distribute stand-alone COA labels.

Software piracy results in lost wages, lost jobs, and unfair competition.  You can help stop this illegal and harmful activity by knowing how to spot and avoid illegal software.  Reporting suspected violations when you encounter them, can have a positive impact on the fight against piracy.  There are three ways to report someone suspected of software piracy:

1:  By Email at piracy@microsoft.com

2:  Call the Microsoft Anti-Piracy Hotline at (800) RU-LEGIT

3:  Fill out an online reporting form

Microsoft takes all leads seriously and will investigate, although they can not tell you the outcome of your lead.

I hope this will help someone to identify illegal software and give you resources to do something about it.  Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns or visit my website at www.computeremporium.ca

Resources:

http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/reporting/default.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/howtotell/

Definitions of Spam and Scam:

Spam – E-mail spam, also known as junk e-mail or unsolicited bulk e-mail (UBE), is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by e-mail. Definitions of spam usually include the aspects that e-mail is unsolicited and sent in bulk.  E-mail spam has steadily grown since the early 1990s. Botnets, networks of virus-infected computers, are used to send about 80% of spam.  more…

In today’s busy lifestyle we often neglect our computers until there is a problem with them.  Like homes or cars, our computers require regular maintenance to prevent future problems.  Today, I will be talking about how you can clean the inside of your computer because over heating which is one of the most common causes of computer failure. By taking these steps you will give your computer a longer life span.  I recommend you do this at least once every 3 to 6 months and possible every 2 to 3 months if you  smoke or have pets.  laptops of course are different and should be cleaned by a professional.  It does require the laptop to be taken apart in most cases in order to remove all the dust that has built up.  more…