Well, folks, there is another FaceBook scam going around right now, offering itself as an added button in FaceBook web pages.

As most of you know, FaceBook has a "Like" button that you can click on to tell somebody that you like something that they have posted on the web site, such as a photo or a comment.  Many users have asked for an additional "Dislike" button, so that they can express their disapproval of a particular post or a comment.  This new scam is taking advantage of that "missing button" in FaceBook.

According to Stan Schroeder's news article posted today on Yahoo News:

"if you see a status update containing the message "I just got the Dislike button, so now I can dislike all of your dumb posts lol!!" or "Get the official DISLIKE button now" followed by a link, you should know that it's another one of many scams that aim to extract your personal data.

If you click on the link, you'll land on an elaborate Facebook dislike button "install" page (note that if the dislike button were real, you wouldn't need to install it; Facebook would automatically add it to user profiles). If you follow the instructions, you'll be asked to give the app permission to run, after which you'll be asked to complete a survey,similar to the surveys found in many other scams we've seen recently."

So, please be extra careful whenever you are asked by FaceBook (or any other social networking site) to install additional software or follow a link they leads away from the main website.  That is exactly how these hackers and scammers try to lead you away from the relatively protected areas of the main site that you are visiting and then trick you into installing software that can steal your data and/or harm your computer.

Also, please remember to manually run a Windows Update on your computer from time to time in order to make sure that you have the most up-to-date versions of all of Microsoft's security updates and patches.

Let's be careful out there!

         -PJ

THE PROBLEM

Okay, so it's probably no big surprise to anybody to hear that computers and other electronic equipment are very sensitive to heat.  The recent heat wave that we have been experiencing has generated a flurry of emergency calls, primarily due to equipment being kept in closets or small rooms with little or no circulation. In particular, DSL and cable modems can easily go bad if they are kept in environments that exceed 85 degrees for extended periods of time.  Wireless routers and firewalls are also very easily damaged by heat build-up - even the more expensive ones.

The bottom line is that those tiny circuit boards inside the devices generate heat as a byproduct of the electricity flowing through them, and that heat needs to have some way of dissipating; that's why you will almost always find ventilation holes on the side of them.  The better ones will usually have a small built-in fan that will force air across the circuit board, but even then, if the room gets too hot they will still overheat and in many cases, sustain permanent damage.

THE SOLUTION

The best solution is to make sure that any space where you have equipment running is properly cooled and ventilated along with the rest of the building; this is particularly true of small cabinets and closed spaces.  A good short-term fix is simply to leave a door open so that air can move through the space, but eventually you will probably either want to provide air vents at the top and bottom of the door or a side wall so that hot air can flow out of the top and cool air gets pulled in from the bottom.  Placing a small fan that keeps the air circulating around can also help tremendously.  For larger server rooms, installing a small air conditioner with its own thermostat is highly recommended; after all, you're protecting thousands and thousands of dollars worth of equipment!  Besides, when the network goes down, all work comes to a complete standstill for most companies, which can be very expensive.

THE GOOD NEWS

The good news is that electronic equipment works great in cold weather.  In most cases, the colder the better!  So, if you want to save on heating costs during the winter, feel free to close the heating vents to that server room or closet and let it get as cold as it wants. 

So, while we all endure this extended heat wave and do our best to keep ourselves, our families and our pets cool and comfy, take a few minutes and make sure that you didn't forget about your electronic friends that can so easily be taken for granted.

       -PJ

There is yet another new scam e-mail making it's way through the Internet, based on the same trojan virus code that the recent fake "Facebook password reset" e-mail used to infect computers.  Victims will receive an e-mail that appears to come from Microsoft with a zipped (compressed) attachment that you are supposed to install to check your computer's hardware and software to make sure that it is compatible with Windows 7.  When you unzip and install the attachment, your computer becomes infected and gives the new software code control over your PC, potentially giving the scammers the ability to steal personal data or crash your system.

According to an article by Robert McMillan from PC World magazine: "Once a victim has installed the software, criminals can pretty much dowhatever they want on the PC, Cosoi said. That could mean installing akeylogger to steal banking credentials or even gaining full access tothe hacked system."

Users should be aware that Microsoft typically does not e-mail end users directly with software attachments, so if you ever receive a similar message, you should always go to Microsoft's web site directly and download the software yourself.  Microsoft does indeed offer a legitimate Windows 7 Compatibility Checker.  It is called the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and it can be downloaded from the following web page:  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en .

Let's be careful out there!

        -PJ

Well, the new shop is now open for business in Ruckersville, in the Boot'vil parking lot over by Subway.  We will offer all of the same services from the new location that we currently offer in Charlottesville, but in honor of the new location we are offering some special pricing for the month of April.

• $75 computer tune-up: Spyware removal, hard drive cleanup and complete system optimization

• $95 virus removal and tune-up: Virus and spyware removal, hard drive cleanup and complete system optimization

We will also make sure that you have up-to-date antivirus software installed, and if not we will help you to renew your subscription or to download and install free antivirus software from AVG. 

So, if you have a computer that just doesn't run the way it used to, or if you suspect that your computer has been infected with spyware or viruses, give us a call at (434) 985-2561 to schedule a Spring cleaning for it!

These specials are good for both locations until the end of April, so dig that computer out of the closet and give us a call.  We have already cleaned up several systems that were supposed to be "beyond repair", and for less than $100 we were able to get those computers running like new again.

We don't normally use our blog for advertising purposes, but we didn't want anybody to miss out on these grand opening specials.  Forward this message on to anybody who you think might want to take advantage of this special pricing.

Thanks!

         -PJ

Well, there is a new virus making it's way through Facebook today, and apparently it is spreading like wildfire.  The new infection is called "Koobface", and it tricks you into infecting your own computer with it by telling you that if you want to watch a certain video, you need to install an update for Flash player.  You will then be prompted to download and install a file named "flash_player.exe".  When you click on the link to install it, your computer becomes infected, and everybody on your Friends list will get sent the same message that you did, which is how the virus spreads.

According to the news article posted by PC World magazine:

"A clear eye for fraud will help you avoid this mess. You can usuallyspot phony e-mails by their titles. Kaspersky found the following: Paris Hilton Tosses Dwarf On The Street; Examiners Caught DownloadingGrades From The Internet; You must see it!!! LOL. My friend catched youon hidden cam; Is it really celebrity? Funny Moments."

Any time you click on a link to install a file from the Internet, you are basically telling your antivirus software that it is not an infected file and that you want to install it, so always be very careful whenever you get a message telling you that you need to download and install a particular file in order to access something on the Internet.

So now you've been warned.  

Let's be careful out there!

Happy surfing...

        -PJ

One of the questions that we hear all of the time is "I'm thinking of buying a new laptop computer.  What should I be looking for to make sure that I have everything that I need?"

The good news is that it's not nearly as complicated or confusing as it might seem.  Ten years ago, you really had to be careful about getting enough memory and a fast enough processor to run all of your applications, but hardware has advanced to the point that you can pretty much buy any name-brand laptop computer you find on sale and it should be able to run any standard home-user applications that you have.  The few exceptions would be high-end graphics programs (such as Adobe Illustrator or AutoCAD) or bleeding-edge games with high demand for graphics performance.  For those types of applications, you normally wouldn't want to run them on a laptop, anyway.  Those are better suited for a standard tower-style home computer that you can easily upgrade whenever you need to.

Assuming you don't have those special demands, here is what we would recommend for the typical home laptop user:

PROCESSOR: Just about any Intel Dual-Core processor should have plenty of horsepower to run your applications.  AMD also makes dual-core processors, and you would probably be fine with one of those as well, but I have always been partial to Intel because of issues with AMD processors way back when they first came out on the market.  Do yourself a favor and stay clear of Intel Celeron processors, though.  They may cost a little less, but they tend to be very slow compared to dual-core processors and it isn't a simple process to upgrade a CPU in a laptop!

MEMORY: Most new laptops are going to have a minimum of 2GB of memory, and many now come with 4GB standard.  That will be plenty to run multiple applications at the same time, as long as you're not running anything too memory intensive.

SCREEN SIZE: This is a matter of personal preference.  As a general rule, the smaller the screen is, the lighter the laptop will be, which makes it more portable.  That's great if you're going to be traveling a lot, but not so good if you're going to be using it at home all of the time and spending hours surfing the Internet, because the smaller screens are just too small to read easily.  A good middle-of-the-road option is a standard 15.6" screen, which gives you good visibility but is still small enough to travel when necessary.  If you're going to do a lot of traveling and also want to use your computer at home a lot, you might want to consider buying a $300 netbook with a 10" display for travel, and a separate home tower computer for home use.  Then you get the best of both worlds.  You should go to your local Best Buy or Staples to look at some of the different-sized laptops on display to get a feel for what you will like the most.

SCREEN GLARE: One option that many people overlook when purchasing a new laptop is the screen glare factor.  Sure, those super-sharp glossy screens look great at the store, especially when they are playing a DVD, but unless you are always going to be using the laptop in a dark room with the shades pulled down, you might want to consider buying a system with an anti-glare screen.  They still have a sharp image, but are not nearly as bad when it comes to background light reflecting off the screen into your eyes.  In fact, so far that has been one of the major complaints about the new iPads that Apple just released - too much glare.  When you're at the store checking out laptops, move the screen up and down and from side to side to see how much background light they reflect, then make your choice.  You'll be glad that you took the time!

HARD DRIVE SPACE: Most laptops are going to come with a minimum of 160GB of hard drive space, and many come with 250GB or more.  How much hard drive space you need really depends on what kind of data you're going to store on it.  If you use iTunes and have (or plan to have) tons and tons of songs, then you might want to think about getting a system with a bigger hard drive, or keeping your music on an external USB hard drive.  The same goes for photos.  With cameras now taking 5 or 10 megapixel pictures, you can fill up a hard drive pretty quickly if you are a photography buff.  Still, 250GB would be a good starting place, and you can always move some of the songs or photos off to an external drive later on down the road if you need to.

BATTERY LIFE: Battery life varies widely, depending on the power of the processor, the size and brightness of the screen and what applications you are running.  You can expect to get somewhere between 1.5 and 3 hours of battery life before you need to recharge, which is plenty for most people on a business trip; most places you can find an outlet to plug into, even in an airport.  However, if you want to be able to watch full-length DVDs while sitting on the beach (hopefully you have an anti-glare screen!) then you may want to purchase an extended-life battery, which can double your battery life in many cases.  If you buy a laptop at a local store, you probably will only have the option to get a standard battery, but if you order from somebody like Dell, you should get the choice for a 9-cell extended-life battery.

WHAT OPERATING SYSTEM? If you have read my blog on Windows 7, then you already know that I give it 2 thumbs up.  I prefer Windows 7 Professional, but if you're buying from a local store then your only choice will probably be Windows 7 Home Premium.  That should be fine for most users.  Some online stores are now trying to dump all of their Windows Vista systems dirt-cheap, but I would strongly recommend staying away from those laptops unless you're willing to immediately pay for an upgrade to Windows 7!

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!  For most people, buying a new laptop is a big deal.  You're probably going to be using the new laptop for at least the next 4 years, so why not do yourself a favor and read some of the customer reviews?  Most stores will have customer ratings posted on their web site for each particular model, including detailed reviews from people who have bought them.  This is a great place to find out about battery life, screen glare, speed, durability, etc.  You probably wouldn't buy a new car without doing a little research first, so why not do yourself a favor and read up on the different makes and models of laptop computers that are on the market?  And please try to stick to name-brand computers that have a good reputation.

That's about it!  If you have had a bad experience with a particular laptop, or a fantastic one, please take the time to post a quick comment on this blog page to let everybody else know about it.  We always value your feedback!

     -PJ

According to a news report just released by Reuters, there is a new spam going through the Internet that is directed at Facebook users.

From an excerpt of the article:

"Hackers have flooded the Internet with virus-tainted spam that targets Facebook's estimated 400 million users in an effort to steal banking passwords and gather other sensitive information.

The emails tell recipients that the passwords on their Facebook accounts have been reset, urging them to click on an attachment to obtain new login credentials, according to anti-virus software maker McAfee Inc.

If the attachment is opened, it downloads several types of malicious software, including a program that steals passwords, McAfee said on Wednesday."    Boston (Reuters)

To read the entire article, cut and paste this link into your web browser: 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_facebook_virus;_ylt=AvsVHLRgklV5EyfZZensaf9hr7sF;_ylu=X3oDMTJvbGV0aGFhBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTAwMzE4L3VzX2ZhY2Vib29rX3ZpcnVzBHBvcwMyNwRzZWMDeW5fcGFnaW5hdGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNuZXdwYXNzd29yZC0-

This one is particularly dangerous because the virus has the potential to steal your login credentials for online banking, credit card web sites and other financial information.

Let's be careful out there!

     -PJ

Well, they're back, again - those fake antivirus applications that pop up on your computer screen and tell you that your system is heavily infected with all kinds of viruses and spyware.  Well, I can't really say that "they're back", because they never really went away, but there have recently been a number of variations of this type of spyware working their way back through the Internet.

While this particular type of spyware scam will not necessarily render your computer unusable, the annoying pop-up screens will keeping coming back again and again, no matter which buttons you click.  Ultimately, they keep urging you to click on a link to remove the viruses, which takes you to a web site that claims that for $39 to $69 you can download software that will clean your system for you.  The problem, it's a scam.  The software that you pay for and download is just more spyware, and even if it stops the original warnings from popping up, your system is not clean and even worse, the new software is probably blocking your original antivirus program (assuming you have one) from working at all.

So how can you prevent all of this from happening in the first place?  First and foremeost, make sure that you have a current version of your antivirus software as well as the most recent virus definitions.  For example if you are running Norton Antivirus 2007 with current virus definitions, that is NOT the same as running Norton Antivirus 2010 with current definitions.  The virus scanning engine on the newer version is much more sophisticated when it comes to identifying and removing viruses and spyware.  The good news is that if you have a current subscription for antivirus definitions with most antivirus software packages, then you should be able to go to their web site and download the latest version of the software for free.  PJ Networks recommends Norton Antivirus and Norton 360 protection above the others, but TrendMicro, Kapersky and AVG are also pretty good products.  If you currently have no antivirus at all, you can go to www.avgfree.com and download a free version of their software that will do a pretty good job.  It's certainly better than having no protection at all!

What do you do if you've already been scammed?  If it has been within the past 90 days, and you used a good credit card to pay, then you should be able to call your credit card company and tell them that you want to initiate a chargeback on the transaction, and tell them that your computer guy told you that you have been scammed.  Not only should that eventually get your money back for you, but if the spammers get enough chargebacks against them, their credit card processor will revoke their ability to process any more credit cards!  Also, keep a sharp eye out for the next few months to make sure that no other suspicious charges show up on your credit card bill.

The next thing that you should do is see if you can update your real antivirus program and then run a complete scan of your system.  At this point it's probably too late for that to work, but you should at least try.  If you still can't get rid of the spyware, then you should take your computer to a professional in order to get it properly cleaned of all spyware and viruses.  We highly recommend PJ Networks, but if you don't use us, please take it somewhere to get it taken care of.  Otherwise, your system will still be infected, and the result will be a minimum of losing performance on your system, and in a worst case scenario your personal data may be stolen and sent out to the Internet.

Let's be careful out there!

     -PJ

PS - If you like these posts, please forward them on to other folks that you think would benefit from them, or tell them to go to blog.pj-networks.com and sign up for the blogs themselves...thanks!

For the past few years, many people have gone out of their way to avoid Microsoft Windows Vista - and with good reason. After several years of hype preceding the release of Windows Vista, a lot of people went out and purchased new computers with Vista preinstalled in order to "Experience the WOW!". Well, most of us were anything but "wowed" by it. A lot of home users managed to get by without too many issues, but speaking from personal experience, business computer users were disappointed, frustrated and generally unhappy with both the performance and stability of Windows Vista. It did not integrate well into Microsoft Active Directory domain environments, and even setting it up in a peer-to-peer workgroup environment was a struggle unless all of the systems were running Vista, as well.

Now that Windows 7 has arrived it's a whole new ball game. After using it myself for the past six months and also integrating it into a number of our clients' networks, I am happy to announce that Microsoft Windows 7 gets two big thumbs up from PJ Networks. Specifically, I am talking about Windows 7 Professional, but I have also spoken with a lot of home computer users running Windows 7 Home Premium, and on the whole everybody seems quite pleased with it. The main advantage that Windows 7 Professional has over the Home Premium version is that it allows you to install Windows XP Professional as a Virtual PC inside of Windows 7 at no extra cost. That's right - Microsoft will allow you to download and install a fully functional copy of Windows XP Professional and their own Virtual PC software, so you effectively can run two complete operating systems on the same computer. The biggest benefit is that if a program does not run properly in Windows 7, you can either install it onto your virtual Windows XP operating system, or you can run it directly out of Windows 7 in "Windows XP Compatibility Mode".

Windows 7 also runs much more efficiently than Windows Vista does, which means that you get more bang for your buck from your CPU and system memory. Essentially, Windows 7 Professional can run just about any application that Windows Vista and Windows XP can, while offering better security and better performance. And for home users there is another big advantage: you can go to your local computer store and purchase systems with Windows 7 right off the shelf!

So, if you've been thinking about replacing your aging Windows XP computer with a new system but were afraid of not being able to run some of your older applications, I encourage you to go ahead and take the plunge. Just spend a little extra (around $100) to get Windows 7 Professional so that you know that you won't get stuck with compatibility issues.

-PJ

We have recently had a number of clients report that they have been receiving suspicious e-mails from UPS claiming that there was a package addressed to them that could not be delivered, and the message contains a zip file attachment that is supposed to be opened. The e-mail requests that the recipient "Please print out the invoice copy attached and collect the package at our department. "

The zip file is infected! Please delete the message immediately if you receive it.

-PJ