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There are many factors that affect the speed of your computer. If you find yourself getting extremely frustrated with the (what seems like) long hours to simply log on to your email, then we have some tips for you to try.
1. Reboot Your Computer
A reboot is when a working computer system is restarting. Try not to do a “cold” reboot, when you would unplug the power or physically press the power button, because it could cause some damage. If possible, do a “warm” reboot by choosing the turn off or restart option in the start menu. In either situation, please do not actually kick your computer.
2. Close Background Programs
Open your Task Manager to see what programs are running in the background and close them if they are not necessary. If there is an antivirus scanner or spyware protection program running, then wait for the scan to complete before you close the program.
3. Delete Temp Files
Temporary files are stored on the hard drive as a computer runs programs, but it can also take up space. Use the Windows Disk Cleanup utility to delete temporary files.
4. Free Hard Drive Space
Check to see that you have at least 200-500 MB of free hard drive space. Click on either Computer or This PC on the desktop to see a small percentage bar of how much disk space is being used on your hard drive. If you need more space, it might be time to delete all those blurry photos from vacation last summer.
5. Bad, Corrupted, or Fragmented Hard Drive
Run ScanDisk to verify there is nothing physically wrong with the hard drive, or Defrag to ensure data is arranged on the hard drive in the most efficient way.
6. Scan for Malware
Spyware and malware can slow down a computer. Even if an antivirus scanner is installed on the computer, it is recommended you run an additional malware scan, such as the free version of Malwarebytes.
7. Scan for Viruses
If your computer is infected with a virus, it can cause your computer to run very slow. If you do not have an antivirus program installed, it is highly recommended you purchase one.
We install Avast Security on most devices infected with viruses that are brought in to the Computer Doctor, and have found that program to be the most efficient.
If you do believe you have a virus, we encourage you to bring your computer to us; we are the onlydoctor in the Bangor Area to get rid of these types of viruses.
8. Update Windows and Internet Browsers
Make sure you have the latest Windows updates installed on your computer by checking online.
If your computer is especially slow on the internet, make sure all browser plugins are up-to-date.
In Internet Explorer and Firefox, browser plugins are called add-ons. In the menu bar, select Tools > Add-ons. A list should pop up of the currently installed add-ons or plugins.
In Google Chrome, plugins are called extensions. Click on the wrench in the upper right-hand corner of the browser, and navigate to Tools > Extensions. You should see a list of the currently installed extensions.
Make sure all plugins are up to date, and try to disable any that you don’t use often.
9. Upgrade Memory
If you have had your computer for more than 2 years, you may need more memory, or RAM. At the Computer Doctor, we can increase your computer’s RAM quickly and easily.
10. Clean Out the Dust
If your computer is overheating, the processor speed will automatically be reduced to help compensate for the heat. Dust, dirt, and hard constrict proper airflow inside your computer. If you have a computer case on, make sure it is clean and the fans are not obstructed.
11. It’s Time to Buy a New One
If your computer is more than 5 years old, simply the age could be slowing it down. Newer software programs are optimized for newer computers, and older computers are not able to perform as well.
At the Computer Doctor, we can assist you in all your computer needs. If your computer is frustratingly slow and you have seriously considered hitting it with a hammer…
Please don’t!
Just bring it down to us and we’ll get it back up to speed!
We’re located at 50 Main Road North in Hampden, Maine. Across the street from the Circle K in the same building as Rivertown Family Eye Care. You can call us anytime at (207) 862-7019. If you mention this article, you will receive 10% off any service until November 7!
It’s that time of the year again, and no matter what holiday or tradition you choose to observe (or even if you choose to observe nothing), it’s not unusual to spend time with friends and family, share good food, exchange gifts, and go out of your freaking mind in the process. The retail push that bombards us from September onward – a double entendre appropriately labeled ‘Christmas Creep’ – is a minefield of spam that sheds any dignity as it comes at us in many forms. Store displays, television ads, printed fliers, and of course, endless email messages, are merely directives from retailers informing us that while we’ve been good all year, they fully expect us to go deep into debt come December 25th.
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Call it Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you prefer, this time of the year will test even the strongest of us, leaving nothing but a quivering mass of jelly by the time it’s all over – a likely reason why so many people voluntarily pickle themselves on New Year’s Eve. If that wasn’t bad enough, it’s made worse by the sobering realization that, like retailers, scammers are out in full force this holiday season, preying on people who are so inundated with the stress and flurry of activity that they often can’t tell the difference between a legitimate email and a spam message.
Spammers are opportunists. They use human weakness to their benefit, exploiting people and capitalizing on the things that make us vulnerable. We see these exploits all the time, but no time of the year is more dangerous than right now. Brian Krebs writes, “Malware purveyors and spammers are blasting these missives by the millions each day in a bid to trick people into giving up control over their computers and identities.” He’s talking specifically about ‘order confirmation’ emails, and while those among us who live for security can spot these things from a mile away, remember that most people aren’t attuned to the tactics of scammers, and they’re not naturally skeptical.
The order confirmation is particularly wily, and you have to admire it for what it is. Emails are blasted out to mailing lists, well-crafted messages designed to look like the real deal. Scammers choose retailers that trick people into believing it. Walmart, Amazon, Target, Costco, and so-on. These scams work because the general public is trying to deal with the flurry of activity and stress that come with the holiday season. Krebs points out that seasonal scams are “a perennial scourge of the holidays, mainly because the methods they employ are reliably successful. Crooks understand that it’s easier to catch would-be victims off-guard during the holidays. This goes even for people who generally know better than to click on links and attachments in emails that spoof trusted brands and retailers, because this is a time of year when many people are intensely focused on making sure their online orders arrive before Dec. 25.”
Krebs says that, according to security firm Malcovery, order confirmation scams typically began around American Thanksgiving in late November. Thanksgiving is the symbolic and de facto beginning of the retail feeding frenzy that engrosses people during the holiday season. The order confirmation scams, according to Malcovery, “use both booby-trapped links and attached files in a bid to infect recipients’ Windows PCs with the malware that powers the Asprox spam botnet.” Asprox is a Trojan that harvests credentials from infected machines, turning the host into a zombie and committing Asprox malware attacks. “The malware also deploys a scanning module that forces hacked PCs to scan websites for vulnerabilities that can be used to hack the sites and foist malware on visitors to that site.”
Keep in mind that this is just one of the many exploits that scammers utilize to compromise unwitting users. But it’s worth detailing because of it’s particularly nasty implications. People order online, and with each passing year, more people are realizing the benefits of staying home and making purchases in front of the warm glow of the computer monitor. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has always been the biggest retail day in the United States, and while it’s recently taken off in other countries as well, this year saw a drop in Black Friday sales, while Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) has shown marked increases, 15.7% over last year, according to one report. More online purchases means more likelihood that spam order confirmations will reach unwitting users who are ready, willing, and able to click those malicious links.
To add insult to injury spammers are compromising email accounts as well as social media in the guise of sharing holiday photos. Recently we saw a customer whose mail was compromised via a phisihing attempt claiming a friend had wanted to share images on dropbox. Subsequently the contents of their email address book was used as fodder to spread the dropbox scam and as a final kick in the pants her webmail address book was deleted.
When it comes to email, be cautiously pessimistic before you click on anything… To all you scammers and spammers lost in the interweb of broken dreams you helped create, we share this warm holiday greeting.
For years we have been recommending leaving AOL and Yahoo behind, initially do to their poor spam control and the abundance of ads they subject you to. We also see many yahoo email accounts being hacked and AOL is not much better. Lets face it if you have an AOL email address your are officially 2000 and late…
The horrifying and yes horrifying is the right word, outcome of this inundation of ads by these providers is the lack of policing of the content, now the worst virus for home and business users alike is spreading like wildfire.
CryptoWall V2.0 now uses poisoned ads on dozens of major sites like Yahoo, AOL and Match.com to infect networks. Malicious ads are nothing new in themselves, but second-gen ransomware using them is worrisome
Reports show that the sites themselves were not compromised; rather, the advertising networks upon which they relied for dynamic content were inadvertently serving malware. This means a so-called drive-by-download where the user does not have to click on anything. Up to now, CryptoWall was spread via spam with infected email attachments and download links sent by the Cutwail botnet.
The website visitors hit by this malvertising are people who run unpatched versions of Adobe Flash. The poisoned ads silently ‘pull in’ malicious exploits from the FlashPack Exploit Kit, hence the “drive-by-downloads”.
According to security researchers at Dell SecureWorks, more than 830,000 victims worldwide have been infected with ransomware, a 25% increase in infections since late August when there were 625,000 victims.
The first ransom usually has a deadline of 4-7 days and demands about $500. Even the bad guys understand it’s not always easy to get your hands on Bitcoins quickly. But when this first deadline is not made, the ransom doubles to roughly $1,000, depending on Bitcoin exchange rates.
Counting the ransom payments to CryptoWall’s Bitcoin addresses, Proofpoint estimates that the attackers make $25,000 per day. Recent data taken directly from the CryptoWall ransom payment server shows since August 2014 an additional 205,000 new victims have been claimed.
Want to know how well your practice or business is protected from todays’ and tomorrows’ ever evolving threats?
Let us provide your small business with a comprehensive security and threat assessment and get your security holes patched and vulnerable software updated.
Additionally we can install our CryptoInoculator software to help stop this virus before it infects your home or business network and causes irreparable damage to your pictures, documents, spreadsheets etc.
The last thing most people think about when they unpack there shiny new Windows’s computer is… “Man, I really need to get a great security package on this computer before I start using it on the internet”. The fact is most people fly through all the initial prompts during setup and end up agreeing to everything in a mad dash to the desktop, and yes there really is a desktop in Windows 8!
I mention antivirus software because we have been seeing a recent trend of Windows 8 viral infections. While the actual virus that cripples the machine varies in each case, the one unifying thread is the fact that their Norton Antivirus 30 day trial had expired within the last 7 day.
One problem with the bundled antivirus is that it will disable the native (poorly rated) Windows Defender. That leaves folks wide open for malware infections.
If you are plagued with pop ups, stymied by internet searches brining lousy results and being redirected to the last places you want to be, chances are you may have a malware problem. Many times Computer Doctor can remotely connect to your computer clean the infection, optimize and tweak the performance of the computer, clean out the garbage software, fix the issues with your web browsers and install a new antivirus solution without the computer ever leaving your home or office.
Cryptolocker continues to spread havoc on unprepared and unprotected computer systems throughout the world. Thousands of business and residential users are either losing their data or paying a ransom to retrieve their files. To update where we are some five weeks from our last report, the virus continues to evolve. While the evolution of viral infections is not unheard of, the mutations usually come in the form of copy cats, the copy cats change the file slightly to avoid detection and often change the user interface along with creating different ransom destinations. What differs with Cryptolocker is the fact that the virus infection is treated as a business. The secret to the scam succeeding is that they have to actually provide the decryption service or no one would ever pay. Without the decryption the business plan falls apart. This is a much more sophisticated attack that is making them millions.
The evolution comes in maximizing the chance that the victims will pay up. Here are things that can sabotage their scheme and how they deal with them.
If your computer is infected and your data files encrypted here is how things go. After encryption you are presented with a desktop wallpaper that looks similar to this.
cryptolocker wallpaper
Things that can go wrong at this stage are:
Your antivirus program can remove the virus. While this sounds good, in this situation it is just the opposite. Your files are still encrypted and your pathway to be able to pay the ransom has been deleted.
You try and do a system restore or otherwise alter the system state of the computer to remove the virus. This has the same result as number one.
The program states you have 72 hours to pay by either Bitcoins or Western Union Moneypack. Both of these forms allow the recipient to remain anonymous. If the 72 hours has passed and you do not make payment they claim that the key needed to decrypted your files will be deleted.
As the developers saw potential “loss in sales” do to these variables they added some additional features to their extortion program.
There is a link on the desktop wallpaper to make payment as well as to download a new copy of the virus should you find yourself encrypted but uninfected do to scenarios 1. or 2.
While it is a contradiction to their stated policy of deleting the key after 72 hours. they have graciously provided a new “service” whereby you upload on of your encrypted files and the system will scour their database to find the missing key to allow you to decrypt your files. Naturally for providing such a level of customer service their will be an increase in the ransom from $300 to $2000. Ouch!
In the last five weeks their have been some developments in how we try to prevent disaster from striking.
The first course of action is a cold back up, identify the key data files that need to be saved and back them up to an external source that can be detached from the system.
Next make sure that all your systems are thoroughly patched and updated, now more than ever is a great time to move away from Windows XP systems which will reach end of life next year, to a Windows 7 or 8 system which offers much greater security.
Education! Everyone in your home or company needs to be keenly aware of potential scams, bogus emails, unsafe surfing habits and what to look for to stop an infection before it can open a door for crypto locker.
Malware protection, make sure you have adequate protection against virus and spyware. Free programs at this point are not cutting it. Not only must you have active antivirus but the definitions need to be updated and the protection modules need to be enabled.
Traditional virus programs as of this writing are hit or miss. The nature of crypto locker is to dupe you into installing it. In this scenario it by passes many of the current security programs.
Computer Doctor of Hampden has helped support the development of a specific software program that closes a big hole and has the potential to stop cryptolocker and many other malicious programs in their tracks. What makes this software different is that it prevents the malware from being able to install itself. We own the rights to brand and distribute the software and have kept the price point very low to give you a fighting chance should this malware strike you, your family or your business.
Crypto Inoculator creates over 200 group policy rules that block crypto locker from installing. The system requires installation and configuration by one of our technicians, this allows software that is desirable to continue to work, and to ensure that there are no active infections currently on your system. After the virus check, the process of whitelisting takes a few minutes and the whole procedure can be done via remote connection to our office in Hampden. The software runs daily updates and can be configured to send you or one of our technicians an email if the crypto inoculator blocks a file. This notification will give us insight into what has caused the security breech and how to avoid it in the future. Computer Doctor of Hampden offers unparalleled, secure, remote service done locally.
This changes everything in my book. At Computer Doctor we deal with all types of Virus infections everyday, this one demands proactive measures or many will lose their documents and pictures permanently. Scared? You should be, and here is why. Ransomware takes control of your computer, denies you access and demands payment to resolve the issue. Two examples are the Rogue antivirus programs which masquerade themselves as an Antivirus program and demand payment to remove the infection, of course the program itself is the infection and when you pay your credit card information can be hijacked and the infection stays. The other example is the FBI or Moneypack Virus. This also locks your computer and states that you have violated a number of federal regulations and demands payment to unlock your computer. These can be very real looking and I have dealt with a number of people who have “freaked out” when they saw this. We see these infections every week and have a number of strategies to restore your computer and keep your data intact.
The Cryptolocker is a horse of a different color. The infection encrypts your files so you can no longer access them. These file types include but are not limited to: 3fr, accdb, ai, arw, bay, cdr, cer, cr2, crt, crw, dbf, dcr, der, dng, doc, docm, docx, dwg, dxf, dxg, eps, erf, indd, jpe, jpg, kdc, mdb, mdf, mef, mrw, nef, nrw, odb, odm, odp, ods, odt, orf, p12, p7b, p7c, pdd, pef, pem, pfx, ppt, pptm, pptx, psd, pst, ptx, r3d, raf, raw, rtf, rw2, rwl, srf, srw, wb2, wpd, wps, xlk, xls, xlsb, xlsm, xlsx
The only way as of now to unlock the files is to pay. There is no way at this point to get around the encryption, it is a powerful tool and when used against you there is no way unlock your files. Game over, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Yikes!
So how do you deal with it when it happens, at this point there are no simple solutions. If the files are encrypted it is too late, the virus will start a timer giving you X amount of time to complete the payment and get the key, If you do a system restore you will lose the chance to retrieve the encryption code and your files are locked forever. In some cases there are some decryption tools that may or may not help.
Frankly this is sickening, I hope this does not get as rampant as other infections because the potential is there for catastrophic damage to business systems and the personal memories we hold dear being placed in jeopardy.
Here is a segment done by our friends @ TWIT that spells it out :
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Email is still huge entrance for many viral infections, recently particular client of ours recently opened the email, and clicked the download attachment link because the client was actually expecting files to be sent via email to him. It’s an especially dangerous situation in a business atmosphere, where the majority of the work is being completed on computers.
One client who became infected stated an email arrived claiming a file being was enclosed via Xerox file transfer, which most likely does not exist, or is not widely available to the public. This is the first sign of trouble, never click a link in an email that is vague, or is delivered via an “outside” third party with no personal name attached to it. Be wary of emails containing claiming to contain tracking information, reports have stated that UPS,FEDEX and DHL were named in bogus email containing cryptolocker in the message. If this occurs in your email, delete it immediately. Don’t be duped by bogus emails, be careful of all emails, even ones from people you know. File attachments are still the number one source of email based virus infections, read and think twice before you open any email attachment. We have also heard of emails that contain pdf files and are described as customer service messages or reports. Clearly this is targeting the business sector who has deeper pockets and a greater potential of revenue loss from data loss. This is one of many ways the virus is finding it’s way into your system.
The only way to protect your data is via a cold back up. An external drive needs to be connected and all files that need to be safe should be copied onto the drive and then the drive disconnected from the machine. Unless this is done there is no way to be 100% sure that your data is safe. Online back up programs can copy and replace your known good files with the encrypted ones, you won’t know the damage is done until you try to open them and how often do you open older documents and pictures, the encryption process is hidden until complete and then the ransom appears. These infections can run rampant through a network and encrypt files on your server and jump to other workstations. A nightmare!
There are variants to every virus, some of these can be hoax’s and not encrypt anything, some will work as planned and by paying you will be sent a key. The worst situation is your files will be encrypted and you pay and don’t receive the key.
Here is our current recommendation:
Purchase an external hard drive and back up all your files ASAP, if you need help contact us and we can take care of this for you.
Make sure your operating system is up to date and all web players and software packages are updated, java,adobe flash, etc.
Make sure your antivirus program is updated and actively scanning your system.
Make sure you have a firewall installed.
Think before you click a web link or open an email.
For business users, how are you protecting your data and do your employees have the access to infect your network by accident.
If you see the cryptolocker icon appear on your desktop, do not ignore it! Disconnect the computer from your network first and then call a professional for help and guidance. We will update the blog with more information as it becomes available. Please call or email with questions. Back up now, this is not to be ignored!
The adage ” there is no free lunch” rings true on the internet even more than you can imagine. We are continually bombarded with opportunities to allow our personal privacy to be invaded. At our business Computer Doctor of Hampden, we see everyday the toll adware and spyware takes on computer systems. If you are a casual web surfer you may not notice how your internet experience gets slowly modified as more of these programs get installed. Tool bar ad-ons are a prime example of how adware starts.
So what is going on? If we start at the top these programs expose you to advertising, specific ads from specific advertisers using an ad campaign tailored to this spyware program. If you find yourself noticing that your search results have changed, grab another computer and search for the same keywords. Your adware infected computer will bring up a ton of paid results and even the organic ones will be skewed. On an infected machine things usually start to worsen quickly. Another by-product we see @ Computer Doctor is what is termed a browser hijacker. The result of hijacking is that every search is redirected to specific pages, some of these will be loosely based on what you were searching for others will be a repository for all the nasty bits the net provides, clicking through this mess will ultimately infect your computer with more malicious software and your problems begin to snowball from there.
Here is a short video explaining more about adware. Thanks to Lana @ identitiytheftmanifesto.
The point we are trying to make is, read before you click! Freeware is not free and can often be a costly mistake. The freedom of the internet is what makes it the most valuable hub of information ever created, at the same time we need to be mindful that for every gem we find, we wade through more malicious crap that is becoming increasingly crafty, it invades our privacy, capture our information and expose us to more garbage… Questions? Drop us a line doc@hampdencomputer.com
This is a scam that won’t quit. It looks real enough and has some people opening their wallets and checking with the police. At Computer Doctor of Hampden we deal with computer virus infections everyday. The FBI Virus or Moneypack Virus is another example of ransomeware, typically ransomeware is disguised as a fake antivirus program, this rotten piece of code would start a fake scan saying that you had numerous virus infections and for a fee this program would activate and remove the infections. This scanner was itself the infection and not only would they take your payment, your credit card number would be stolen and a nightmare of trying to stop false charges would begin.
The FBI Virus claims that they have been monitoring your moves on the internet and you have downloaded illegal files and your computer has been locked. If you don’t pay, your computer will stay frozen and legal proceeding will be brought against you. They make in look convincing, some even pop open your webcam to snap a picture.
As you guessed this is also a scam, the virus itself continues to morph and take on characteristics of a rootkit infection. Nasty stuff… If you need help feel free to contact us @207-862-7019 we know how to get this off your system and will evaluate your security and tune up your computer at the same time.
If many of your files have randomly disappeared, don’t panic! First off, there is a good chance your files are still there. A variation of the rogue antivirus programs that have been plaguing Windows and now Mac operating systems is playing hide and seek with your data. The tough part is when people can’t see their files, they assume all is lost and subsequently reformat their drive and reinstall their operating system in order to have a functional computer again. Before you take that drastic step, which will destroy your data call us at Computer Doctor of Maine and we will diagnose the problem and secure your data, then remove the virus for you. You can also bring your computer to have us install anti-virus software to protect your data.
In addition to protecting from viruses and malware, we can help you set up a backup plan for your data, in case you lose it. There are many ways to implement a successful disaster plan to recover from hardware failure, loss, or software corruption. Don’t roll the dice with your files, your hard drive could fail, making it difficult to restore the information from your hard drive.
A tale of three tablets. Ok I admit it, I am a technophile. If finances allowed I would be knee deep in every gadget I could get my mitts on. One of the benefits ...
We have begun to see more Windows 8 devices come in for repair. A common question we are asked is if we can make Windows 8 act more like Windows 7. Windows 8 is s...
1. Reboot Your Computer
8. Update Windows and Internet Browsers
creates over 200 group policy rules that block crypto locker from installing. The system requires installation and configuration by one of our technicians, this allows software that is desirable to continue to work, and to ensure that there are no active infections currently on your system. After the virus check, the process of whitelisting takes a few minutes and the whole procedure can be done via remote connection to our office in Hampden. The software runs daily updates and can be configured to send you or one of our technicians an email if the crypto inoculator blocks a file. This notification will give us insight into what has caused the security breech and how to avoid it in the future. Computer Doctor of Hampden offers unparalleled, secure, remote service done locally.
