We check this blog on a regular basis but may not be able to answer all questions as quickly as we would like. You may also email us or visit our main website for service questions. www.ohno.co.nz
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Post your computer questions here!
Please post any computer issues / problems / questions you may have right here , and OhNo! or some of our other visitors may have a great solution for you!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Top Tips to keep your computer safe and virus free.
Keeping your PC running smoothly and free from the multitude of virus , mal-ware , spy ware and Trojan attacks out there can be tricky. But from our experience many of the attacks could be prevented by following our top tips for trouble free computing .
This blog is aimed at the users of Microsoft's Windows XP , and Vista however the basic ideas can certainly be adapted and applied to other operating systems such as Mac OS X and the various Linux flavors.
The Windows operating system is targeted by the mal-ware authors largely due to its popularity and some would argue , due to its less than stellar inbuilt security protocols which to be fair have been upgraded with the release of Windows Vista.
Don't be fooled there is no such thing as a completely safe computer but if you follow smart online computing practices you can avoid most of the common virus and mal-ware attacks.
Tip one:
Ensure you have all the latest operating system updates and service packs.
If you are running Windows XP or Windows Vista then you can download the update packs and service packs from:
http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us
By doing this on a regular basis you can block some of the exploits and security holes which many of the online attacker use to gain access to your computer.
Tip two:
Enable your firewall in Windows XP or install a 3rd party firewall .
Windows XP and Vista include a basic firewall which is certainly better than nothing.
A firewalls job is to block potentially dangerous internet traffic from reaching your machine and prevent unauthorized access to and from your computer.
Here is a good simple explantion here http://www.howstuffworks.com/firewall.htm
To enable your firewall in Windows XP and Vista here visit this site:
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Configuring+Windows+Firewall
Tip Three:
By all means install a good commerical or freeware virus scanner and keep its virus definitions up to date but don't assume it will catch ever virus / spyware / trojan and variant out there.
Its a great idea to have a good virus scanner and / or internet security package installed but from our experience just one virus scanning application is not enough anymore.
Run both a virus scanner , along with a spyware / malware scanner. Using this approach you will add an extra layer of protection. What one program misses the other should catch.
Here are some useful links to start with:
This blog is aimed at the users of Microsoft's Windows XP , and Vista however the basic ideas can certainly be adapted and applied to other operating systems such as Mac OS X and the various Linux flavors.
The Windows operating system is targeted by the mal-ware authors largely due to its popularity and some would argue , due to its less than stellar inbuilt security protocols which to be fair have been upgraded with the release of Windows Vista.
Don't be fooled there is no such thing as a completely safe computer but if you follow smart online computing practices you can avoid most of the common virus and mal-ware attacks.
Tip one:
Ensure you have all the latest operating system updates and service packs.
If you are running Windows XP or Windows Vista then you can download the update packs and service packs from:
http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us
By doing this on a regular basis you can block some of the exploits and security holes which many of the online attacker use to gain access to your computer.
Tip two:
Enable your firewall in Windows XP or install a 3rd party firewall .
Windows XP and Vista include a basic firewall which is certainly better than nothing.
A firewalls job is to block potentially dangerous internet traffic from reaching your machine and prevent unauthorized access to and from your computer.
Here is a good simple explantion here http://www.howstuffworks.com/firewall.htm
To enable your firewall in Windows XP and Vista here visit this site:
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Configuring+Windows+Firewall
Tip Three:
By all means install a good commerical or freeware virus scanner and keep its virus definitions up to date but don't assume it will catch ever virus / spyware / trojan and variant out there.
Its a great idea to have a good virus scanner and / or internet security package installed but from our experience just one virus scanning application is not enough anymore.
Run both a virus scanner , along with a spyware / malware scanner. Using this approach you will add an extra layer of protection. What one program misses the other should catch.
Here are some useful links to start with:
- Spy bot search and destroy http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html
- Avast! virus cleaner http://www.avast.com/eng/down_cleaner.html
- Trend House Call online virus scanner http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
Tip Four:
If you must use a file sharing program then scan every file you download with an up to date virus scanner AND and up to date spyware scanner.
Many times mal-ware code is packed or embedded into a seemingly innocent file , once the file is clicked the 'payload' or mal-ware code is extracted invisibly onto your machine and will perform what ever evil task its designed to do from this point.
The program you downloaded may function just fine , however you have no idea with nasty files have hitched along for the ride.
Our best advice is to avoid downloading software from untrusted sites.
Tip Five:
Be very careful and wary of any email attachments you may receive.
Always scan the attachments and be extra careful if you do not recognize the person who is sending you the file.
In the past many people where tricked into clicking the downloaded attachment because of cleverly named files such as 'ILOVEYOU.exe' for example.
Don't fall for this old but still popular tactic. Scan all attachments and delete anything that looks suspicious.
We hope you gained something from our blog. Remember to follow up this information with your own research as this is not intended to be a complete tutorial and reflects the experiences and opinions of our professional team here at OhNo!.
As always we offer FREE quotes and advice for any and all computer problems.
Gakken Analog Synth Kit from Japan.
As some of you may know im an avid collector ( and player ) of analog and retro synthesizers and drum machines. Basically anything old that has a lot of knobs and switches and makes noise.
On my travels I came apon this amazing little synth kit made by a Japanese book publishing company called Gakken. They produce books on a certain topic with a kit set attached.
In this case the topic is synthesizers and it includes this amazing mono ( one note at a time) analog synth.
It comes semi-built you simply screw it all together , install batteries and your away!.
Amazingly full sound and it has a filter input to allow the filtering of other instruments and can be modded ( features added ) that include MIDI inputs and much more.
I have a couple of these synths for sale and should anyone want one contact me at markduff@ohno.co.nz
Here is a great blog with information about messing around with this synth
and to add MIDI
The price will depend on exchange rate and the freight cost as they are sourced from Japan.
However to cover my time and costs you would be looking at around $180 NZD including basic postage from Japan or about $15-20 NZD more if you required EMS courier with insurance.
Note: These synth kits are produced for a limited time and are not produced again as far as I am aware. So if you want one please get in touch.
Mark.
OhNo! Restructuring almost done!
As you may know , our company has undergone a major restructuring including the design of a brand new website , new price structure , new products.
We should be ready to provide service again mid January 2009.
In the meantime if you visit http://www.ohno.co.nz/ you will see a FREE email support form for any problems you may be having. This is a totally free service.
We can however still provide great prices on hardware upgrades. On-site and off-site service is suspended until we are full operational.
Thanks for your patience.
Mark
We should be ready to provide service again mid January 2009.
In the meantime if you visit http://www.ohno.co.nz/ you will see a FREE email support form for any problems you may be having. This is a totally free service.
We can however still provide great prices on hardware upgrades. On-site and off-site service is suspended until we are full operational.
Thanks for your patience.
Mark
Welcome to the OhNo! Christchurch New Zealand Blog!
Welcome to the OhNo! Offical Blog!
Just a quick overview of who we are.
OhNo! Mobile Computer Repairs , are a Christchurch New Zealand based PC and MAC repair company that offer a range of services to the region.
- On-site and off-site repairs of all kinds.
- PC and MAC upgrades and hardware , software.
- Web design , hosting Adobe Flash design and programming.
- Too much to list visit our website for complete service details http://www.ohno.co.nz/
This blog is designed for our current customers and future customers to post questions on computer related topics.
Questions and computer tips for other users is most welcome.
Yours sincerely.
Mark Duff
OhNo! Mobile Computer Repairs.
Christchurch ,New Zealand
web: www.ohno.co.nz
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