Author Archives: Kristin Willis

Tech Support Scam Victims Receive Refunds from FTC

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Yesterday, the FTC announced on their website that they will be sending out refunds to those who were victimized by tech support scammers.

In a statement, they wrote, “The FTC, along with State of Connecticut and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, alleged that the perpetrators of the scheme, which operated under Click4Support and other names, used ads on search engines like Google and popups on websites. The ads and popups claimed to be from major tech companies such as Microsoft and Apple and tricked consumers into calling the defendants and buying tech support services that consumers did not need.”

This operation led to many users’ computers getting infected with viruses and malware. Many of the viruses look legit, as hackers tend to use the brand logos.

The refund total comes to over $1.7 Billion, and will be dispersed through checks or PayPal over the year. The FTC warns consumers that they will never ask you to pay any fee to cash your check. And if you are asked to do so to call Rust Consulting, Inc., at 1-877-389-4472.

Be sure you are handling computer viruses properly by downloading anti-virus software, which can detect and remove harmful trojans or malware. It is beneficial to have even if you’re not concerned about a potential threat. Norton and McAfee are well known anti-virus software subscriptions, available for you to purchase online.

Keeping your OS updated to the latest version is helpful as well, as it contains the protection and security needed.

If you are having security problems or any other issue with your computer and would like some assistance, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you from our staff at the Arvada Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Arvada, CO please call the local office at (720) 441-6460 or schedule an appointment at www.arvadacomputerrepairservice.com.

Live Tiles Getting the Boot on Windows 10

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Windows 10 users have claimed that the Live Tiles feature was one of the more useless ones to include in the current operating system.

However, there are rumors running around, saying that the Start Menu may be getting revamped. This also means that Live Tiles will quite possibly get the boot.

Live Tiles launched on the Windows 7 phone, and updated apps in real time. However, since Windows phones are now a thing of the past, Microsoft hasn’t updated Live Tiles on PCs. And doesn’t seem like there’s any plan to in the future.

If you have any Windows 10 questions, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you from our staff at the Scottsdale Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Scottsdale, AZ please call the local office at (480) 240-2960 or schedule an appointment at www.scottsdalecomputerrepairservice.net.

Windows 10 Update is Deleting Your Files

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Windows 10 seems to have had a tough beginning of 2020. Updates left and right are causing a plethora of issues for users, and this most recent problem isn’t any better.

February 11, 2020 KB4532693 update has been apparently removing files off of their PC’s, according to the Microsoft Community. This in turn has caused it to revert back to its default settings. Many have shared that after uninstalling the update and resetting, their PC continued to develop problems.

One user wrote, “This update KB4532693 caused all the data on my laptop to be erased. Even after uninstalling the update, the laptop would not successfully boot. Then “Resetting” the laptop to factory settings while choosing to keep all personal data erased everything. EVERYTHING.” 

To uninstall KB4532693, Windows Latest says to follow these steps:
  1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app. Update & Security and then on Windows Update.
  2. Click on the ‘View update history’ button and then on ‘Uninstall updates’.
  3. You can now select the update you want to uninstall and click the ‘Uninstall’ button.

If you’re unable to uninstall the patch from the Settings app, you can also remove it from the command line using the WUSA tool. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Open Windows Command prompt (cmd.exe).
  2. Run Command prompt as administrator
  3. Use the command wusa /uninstall /kb:4532693 /quiet

Not all PC’s were affected by this update. In fact, if you installed it and didn’t experience issues, there’s no need to do anything further. But if you have, make sure to use the steps above to correct it.

For inquiries with Microsoft updates, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Frisco Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.

End of Service for Version 1809

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If you have Windows 10 version 1809 on your PC, be sure to mark your calendars.

According to the Windows Support blog, version 1809 service will be expiring on May 12, 2020. “Every Windows product has a lifecycle,” Microsoft states. “The lifecycle begins when a product is released and ends when it’s no longer supported. Knowing key dates in this lifecycle helps you make informed decisions about when to update, upgrade or make other changes to your software.”

The editions who are affected by this are below:

For those utilizing the Enterprise and Education editions, service will end on May 11, 2021. Once the date has expired, Microsoft Support will encourage users to update their operating systems to the latest version of Windows 10. This is to assure your PC is getting the best security and performance.

If you are needing help with Microsoft issues, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you from our staff at the Plano Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Plano, TX please call the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Someone Hijacked Phorpiex botnet and Uninstalling Their Malware

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Late last month, security analysts recognized a hijack of the Phorpiex botnet.

Phorpiex Botnet is a 10 year old network that has spread malware and has affected computers all across the world. And if you have this particular malware on your computer, you may have found a pop-up message saying “Please install AntiVirus Software and update your computer!”

At first, security analysts thought it was a prank by the Phorpiex network. However, they soon realized that the malware was slowly dissipating from those affected.

Though there’s no definite explanation for this, some say that it’s possible another malware network hacked into the Phorpiex system so they would lose funds. Competition seems to heighten in the cyber-criminal world.

To avoid these, and other malware problems on your PC, make sure to keep your operating system up to date and have the latest anti-virus software installed.

If you are needing assistance with any malware issues, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you from our staff at the Arlington Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Arlington, TX please call the local office at (817) 756-6008.

Anti-Virus Software Shut Down After Selling Data

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The Anti-Virus Software company, Avast announced they are immediately terminating their Jumpshot operations. The reasoning behind it is due to the reveal of the company’s subsidary collecting and selling their browsing data to advertisers.

According to Vice, it explains that the, “Avast antivirus program installed on a person’s computer collects data, and that Jumpshot repackages it into various different products that are then sold to many of the largest companies in the world. Some past, present, and potential clients include Google, Yelp, Microsoft, McKinsey, Pepsi, Home Depot, Condé Nast, Intuit, and many others. Some clients paid millions of dollars for products that include a so-called “All Clicks Feed,” which can track user behavior, clicks, and movement across websites in highly precise detail.”

Protecting people is Avast’s top priority and must be embedded in everything we do in our business and in our products. Anything to the contrary is unacceptable.

For these reasons, I – together with our board of directors – have decided to terminate the Jumpshot data collection and wind down Jumpshot’s operations, with immediate effect.

Ondrej Vlcek, Avast CEO

Unfortunately, due to the nature and quick decision by the CEO, it was stated that hundreds of people who worked under Jumpshot will be out of the job, along with dozens of customers no longer receiving the service.

For security inquiries, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Frisco Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Database Misconfiguration, Microsoft Says – What This Means

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Yesterday, Ann Johnson, the Corporate Vice President of the Cybersecurity Solutions Group and Eric Doerr, the General Manager of the Microsoft Security Response Center shared a rather serious data breach on the Microsoft Security Response Center blog.

The database misconfiguration occurred between December 5th and December 31st, 2019, the blog post states. It also covered about 250 million conversational records between Microsoft support and customers from 2005 to 2019.

“Our investigation has determined that a change made to the database’s network security group on December 5, 2019 contained misconfigured security rules that enabled exposure of the data. Upon notification of the issue, engineers remediated the configuration on December 31, 2019 to restrict the database and prevent unauthorized access. This issue was specific to an internal database used for support case analytics and does not represent an exposure of our commercial cloud services.”

What does this mean for customers?

There was no shown malicious intent in this data breech. However, the Microsoft Security Response Center is taking every precaution necessary to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

If you are needing assistance with any Microsoft issues, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you from our staff at the Arlington Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Arlington, TX please call the local office at (817) 756-6008.

Windows 10 and Android are Cross-Pairing

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If you’re an Android AND a Windows 10 user, Microsoft has some good news for you. Since its departure with the Windows 10 phones, Microsoft has been working to refine the Android and iOS apps. Their main app, Your Phone app allows Android users to make phone calls on their PC, along with some other useful cross-device features.

According to Windows Latest, the newest feature they’re working on will permit “you to transfer files such as documents or even other contents from your Android device to Windows 10 or vice versa.”

There’s no release date for it just yet, but its believed that it’ll be out sooner rather than later. To download the Your Phone app, head over to the Microsoft Store and install it on your Android. Then link your phone to your PC.

For help updating, restoring or dealing with any Windows 10 issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Denver Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Denver, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

WordPad Getting Office Web App Feature

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Microsoft WordPad has been around since Windows 95. They haven’t done much in the realm of updating this particular app, considering its straightforward usage. WordPad was created to make easy text documents with little-to-no complexities.

However, according to Rafael Rivera on Twitter, “Microsoft WordPad is getting a new feature! An ad for Office web apps!” When you normally hear “feature”, you think of something new and exciting. This was quite the letdown.

The ad appears above the ruler, encouraging users to try Office, along with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for free online. And while some may not see the ad as being an issue, others find it rather annoying. It’s just another way that Microsoft is trying to get their users to buy more of their products. Smart marketing? Maybe. But it goes to show that free doesn’t always mean free. There’s always a cost.

Source: Rafael Rivera Twitter

If you have any Windows 10 issues, or have any questions, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Lakewood Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Lakewood, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Windows Calculator Getting an Upgrade

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Yesterday, Microsoft began the Windows 10 build 19546 for the Fast ring Insiders. This update will be correcting a handful of known issues, such as Task View and Outlook Search problems. But they’re also launching a beta version of an Indexer Diagnostics app. This app was designed, “to help enhance your understanding of the capabilities of search, as well as increase the troubleshooting ability and support for general Windows Search issues,” according to the Windows Blog. The big deal in this Windows 10 build, though, is the upgraded calculator.

Back in August of 2019, Windows updated their calculator by giving it the capability of allowing it to switch it to “Always on Top” mode. Now, build 19546 is showing Fast ring Insiders the new graphing feature.

“Today, we’re updating Windows Calculator for Insiders with a preview of our new graphing mode. Adding support for graphing is one of our top feature requests in Feedback Hub, and we’re excited to bring this feature to our users. Graphing capabilities are also essential for students who are beginning to explore linear algebra. With this feature, we hope to empower students to learn mathematics by improving their conceptual understanding and attitudes towards math.”

Brandon LeBlanc, Windows Insider Program

Note for Windows Insiders: The preview may carry bugs that can affect your device. To become part of the Windows Insiders Program and try out upcoming features before anyone else, sign up here!

If you are needing help with Microsoft issues, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you from our staff at the Plano Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Plano, TX please call the local office at (469) 299-9005.