Tag Archives: Operating System

Some Windows 10 Updates Are Optional

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Microsoft is constantly busy keeping their Windows 10 operating system up to date with the latest and greatest features. Many of these updates include a handful of security features and improvements, necessary to protect your personal information. However, some of their updates are optional.

Optional updates can be quite handy to acquire for the best kind of experience. However, they’re not always needed for the vitality of your computer. And while they sometimes improve the software, they can also lead to detrimental issues.

Last year, a Windows 10 update released with optional drivers updates. However, according to Tech Radar, these updates had been, “pushed to certain devices that are not registered with Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program.” In fact, they’re outdated.

If installed, these updated have the potential of affecting the functionality of the computer’s hardware. So if you are questioning whether or not you should be installing any optional updates, reach out to your local computer repair service for the best advice.

If you have any operating system update 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 by 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.

What is Linux and Why is it Popular?

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Everyone knows about the Windows and Mac operating systems, as they are the most commonly used on computers. And while Linux has been heard of, not many people comprehend what all their operating system does.

So here’s the scoop:

Linux is an open-source OS. Open-source means that someone can change and monitor the system. This allows users, particularly programmers to directly access its operations and add or remove desired features, along with creating what they need. Security is a benefit, allowing the user to fix errors without requesting authorization.

“Should you have a problem on a Linux system, finding a solution online is much easier than on Windows or Mac. Instead of submitting support tickets and waiting days for a reply, there are many online forums — notably askubuntu.com —  providing support. Answers are quicker and more personalized. The Linux community as a whole has a great understanding of Linux, it is difficult to encounter a problem that can’t be solved.”

Source: Red and Black
Point of View

Linux at its core is very simplistic and barebones. It doesn’t assume anything about the way the machine will or will not be used. This leaves the user a LOT of freedom to install what they want, how they want. That’s why it makes a good platform for servers. Server installs don’t even have a GUI (like windows with a mouse and icons and such). It’s all command line.

Not having a GUI running on top of everything keeps the hardware running at optimal speeds without wasting resources on things we don’t need running on there. It’s also incredibly stable and will run darn near indefinitely (baring any hardware failures) without ever breaking or failing.

Should you make the switch?

If you prefer to have more freedom and control over your operating system, Linux might be a great idea to look into. Those interested in computer programming would also benefit from working through this operating system.

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 by our staff at the Green Valley Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Green Valley, AZ please call the local office at (520) 526-9940.

Reinstalling your Operating System

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Sometimes, when all other attempts at troubleshooting your software issues have been depleted, your very last attempt may have to be reinstalling your operating system, or OS.

Reinstalling should be last resort, as it removes any, and all, data from your C drive. The C drive is your primary hard drive that stores your operating system, along with other files.

Clean Slate

Remember that completely uninstalling and reinstalling comes in the form of a clean slate – which means everything gets deleted. Do not forget to back up your files by going to the Start menu and typing in Backup Settings. From there, you can use Windows 10 feature, Back up using File History and use another drive to store anything you want on there.

According to Microsoft Support, here are a few ways you can reinstall Windows 10:

“There are three options that allow you to reset your PC. If you’ve tried just about everything else and your PC still isn’t running well, resetting it might fix the problem.

  • Option 1: Select Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Recovery. Under Reset this PC, select Get started. Open Recovery settings.
  • Option 2: Restart your PC to get to the sign-in screen, then press and hold down the Shift key while you select the Power  icon > Restart in the lower-right corner of the screen. After your computer restarts, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
  • Option 3: Select Start , then press and hold down the Shift key while you select the Power  icon > Restart to restart your computer into Recovery Mode. After your computer restarts, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
  • Any of these three options will get you started, but once you’re in the process, follow the steps as they are presented to you. If none of the preceding three options work, you can use installation media to resinstall Windows 10.
Use installation media to reinstall Windows 10
  • If your PC won’t start at all, you can use installation media to do a clean install of Windows 10. Go to the Microsoft software download website, download the media creation tool, then use it to create installation media on a DVD or USB drive. 
  • From there, see Reinstall Windows 10 for more detailed steps.”

If you have any questions regarding operating systems, 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 Phoenix Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Phoenix, AZ please call our local office at (602) 445-9862.

What it Means When Your Computer Freezes

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If your computer freezes, it could be a software or a hardware problem.

When devices are frozen, it means the windows on the screen have stopped responding. Everything has become at a stand-still. This can be quite frustrating to users, especially when working remotely or finishing up daily online schooling.

The easiest remedy comes as simply restarting your computer. Sometimes, that may not help. Here are a few reasons why your PC freezes up:

Software Issues

Updating any and all software is crucial to keeping your PC running smoothly. If your operating system is out-of-date, this could cause frozen windows. Make certain all applications are legitimate. Any malware can also hinder its performance.

Your Windows OS, or any other operating system you have installed, may be corrupted. If that’s the case, uninstall them, and re-install. We wrote a blog post recently about an unsupported Windows 11 OS that could spell disaster if downloaded and installed.

“With their exciting news, rumors have spread to allow users to download the unfinished, not-yet-announced Windows 11. The build leaked overseas, and Microsoft has expressed to users not to do so. On top of that, hackers have been busy taking advantage of this opportunity.”

Hardware Issues

Defective hardware can create malfunctions to the performance. Overheating can potentially disturb the quality of a PC. Fans are designed to keep them cool. All devices require ease of airflow to keep the fans running properly.

Also, any recent installations of components need to be considered a likely culprit. Try removing them to see if that’s the issue.

For any Windows operating system 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 by our staff at The Woodlands Computer Repair Service. If you need better SEO or computer repair in Arvada, CO please call or text the local office at (281) 860-2550.

The Shake Feature on Windows OS

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This handy feature is called Aero Shake.

If your display is cluttered with windows, remove the clutter by grasping the top of the window you want and “shaking” it on the screen to collapse all the others. You may use Aero Shake to reduce other windows on your PC by shaking the one you want to fixate on. Here’s how to turn it on, since by default, Aero Shake is turned off:

  1. Open Settings, and click on System.
  2. Click on Multitasking on the left.
  3. Turn On or Off Title bar window shake for what you want.

Just FYI: When you use Aero Shake to reduce all unnecessary windows, you lose access to the other windows. They will reappear on your screen after you utilize Aero Shake to bring them back into view. Want to bring them back? Shake it again, and the windows will return.

For inquiries with Windows OS features, 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.

Let’s Discuss Open Source

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What is it good for?

Plain and simply, let’s put it this way: Because its design is publicly accessible, open source refers to anything that anyone may alter and share.

It is software that has the source code available for anyone to view, alter, and improve. Anyone who wishes to edit or enhance the code has complete access to the source code. Any changes, however, should be made available to other people as well.

While some users prefer open source software because they have more authority over it, this could also cause major issues.

According to TechRadar, last week, the Jenkins project learned that one of their outdated Confluence servers had been compromised. This was by the newly publicized remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability.

Jenkins is a well-known open source program that aids in the automation of some aspects of software development.

Recently a proof-of-concept exploit code for the Confluence vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2021-26084, became public, and it didn’t take long for threat actors to begin scanning and exploiting vulnerable instances of the popular collaboration platform, for nefarious purposes like installing cryptominers.

Source: TechRadar

Synopsys, a technology business responsible for the open source security management system, Black Duck stated that 84% of codebases contain an open source vulnerability.

Just remember, open sourced software can become vulnerable if you are not controlling it.

For help with any computer 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.

Hackers Exploit OS Bugs

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When updates become available, bugs and vulnerabilities follow behind. These, while nuisances, are usually quickly handled and fixed by the development teams. The time in between, however, is an opportunity for hackers to steal information.

For example, back in August 2020 Cyberscoop shared a blog post, explaining that hackers can exploit bugs:

“The bugs are in a software product known as Citrix Endpoint Management or XenMobile, which allows clients to remotely connect to corporate networks with their mobile devices. Exploiting one of the bugs could let a hacker steal domain account credentials for a corporate network, according to Andrey Medov, a security researcher at Positive Technologies, which found the flaw during a security audit for a client. From there, an attacker could target other company resources like corporate mail and web applications.” 

These flaws in computer technology cost companies millions of dollars. According to Capita.com, the recovery cost last year of a data breach was $3.86 million. So software development teams have to work fast to shorten the vulnerability window for hackers.

If you are having issues with your PC, 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.

iOS 13.7 opts-in COVID Notifications

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iPhone users can now opt-in to COVID notifications on their phone.

Tuesday, Apple pushed out the iOS 13.7 update, including additional assistance in the new COVID-19 tracking system. What’s wonderful about this feature is there’s no app download needed to access the information.

According to the software update, “System availability depends on support from your local public health authority.” Several iPhone users have shared concerns about the company stealing data or other personal information.

However, Apple states, “Your iPhone is not collecting or sharing exposure notification data with anyone. If you turn on Exposure Notifications, information related to your exposures can only be shared with your permission.”

Source: Apple

Simply go to Settings, scroll down and you’ll find Exposure Notifications. From there, you have the option of turning it on, along with receiving Availability Alerts. In order to use Availability Alerts, you will have to have Location Services turned on.

You can go to Apple’s COVID tracking website to learn more information.

For help with any Apple 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.

iPad Gets its own OS

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At WWDC 2019 earlier this month, Apple announced that iPad was getting its own operating system. Branching off from the original iOS, the company is attempting at making an even better and more unique experience for iPad users.

Apple includes on their website that this new iPadOS can give you, “multiwindow experiences, add full drawing experiences for Apple Pencil, and contribute fonts for systemwide use.” This can benefit those who can easily multitask and quickly maneuver from app to app. This OS will also improve the iPads’ performance on the internet, extending the web app efficiency.

But to top it all off, the iPadOS will be able to handle external drives. This supports not only the brand new iPad Pro coming out soon, but also previous iPads! The OS will be available for beta testers by the end of this month, and open for the public by the Fall season. Keep a look out!

For help with any Apple brand products, 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.