Archive for February, 2009
What You Need to Know About Viruses
Note: This article is based on a series of articles originally published by Microsoft.
What is a virus? According to Microsoft computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation. A virus might corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your e-mail program to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on your hard disk. Viruses are most easily spread by attachments in e-mail messages or instant messaging messages. That is why it is essential that you never open e-mail attachments unless you know who it’s from and you are expecting it. Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Viruses also spread through downloads on the Internet. They can be hidden in illicit software or other files or programs you might download.
How can you prevent computer viruses? Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100 percent. You can continue to improve your computer’s security and decrease the possibility of infection by using a firewall, keeping your system up-to-date, maintaining a current antivirus software subscription, and following a few best practices. Because no security method is guaranteed, it’s important to back up critical files on a regular basis before you encounter a virus or other problems.
Steps to help avoid viruses:
- Use an Internet firewall
Note: Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP2 has a firewall already built-in and turned on by default. - Visit Microsoft Update and turn on automatic updating.
Note: If you’ve installed the most recent version of Microsoft Office, Automatic Updates will also update your Office programs. If you have an earlier version of Office, use Office Update. - Subscribe to industry standard antivirus software and keep it current.
- Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you don’t know.
- Avoid opening an e-mail attachment from someone you know, unless you know exactly what the attachment is. The sender may be unaware that it contains a virus.
What about spyware? Although spyware programs are different from viruses, some can behave like viruses and pose similar and other risks. To help protect against spyware, use antispyware software such as Windows Defender. Windows Defender comes with Windows Vista. If you use Windows XP SP2, you can download Windows Defender for no charge.
How do you know if you are infected? After you open and run an infected program or attachment on your computer, you might not realize that you’ve introduced a virus until you notice something isn’t quite right.
Here are a few primary indicators that your computer might be infected:
- Your computer runs more slowly than normal
- Your computer stops responding or locks up often
- Your computer crashes and restarts every few minutes
- Your computer restarts on its own and then fails to run normally
- Applications on your computer don’t work correctly
- Disks or disk drives are inaccessible
- You can’t print correctly
- You see unusual error messages
- You see distorted menus and dialog boxes
These are common signs of infection-but they might also indicate hardware or software problems that have nothing to do with a virus.
How do I remove a virus from my computer? Even for an expert, removing a virus from a computer can be a daunting task without the help of tools designed for the job. Some viruses and other unwanted software (including spyware) are even designed to reinstall themselves after they have been detected and removed. Fortunately, by updating your computer and using free, trial-period, or low-cost antivirus tools, you can help permanently remove (and prevent) unwanted software.
Steps to help remove a virus:
- Visit Microsoft Update and install the latest updates.
- If you currently use antivirus software, visit the manufacturer’s Web site, update your software, and then perform a thorough scan of your computer. If you don’t use antivirus software, subscribe to a service and scan your computer immediately.
- Download, install, and run the Malicious Software Removal Tool. Note that this tool does not prevent viruses from infecting your system; it helps to remove existing viruses.
Why didn’t my antivirus software work?
It’s crucial to keep your antivirus software current with the latest updates (usually called definition files) that help the tool identify and remove the latest threats. In addition, not all antivirus tools are the same; if you find that the one you use isn’t working to your satisfaction, you should do some research and try an alternative.
Note: What you might think is a virus could actually be spyware. Download and install Windows Defender or other antispyware software to see if that fixes the problem. Windows Defender comes with Windows Vista. If you use Windows XP SP2, you can download Windows Defender for no charge.
How do I install updates and antivirus software if I can’t use my computer?
It might be difficult to download tools or update your computer if your computer has a virus. In this case, use a friend’s or other computer to download the tools to a disk, or get support from Microsoft.
Summary
The best offense is a good defense. To help avoid viruses, it’s essential that you keep your computer current with the latest updates and antivirus tools, stay informed about recent threats, and that you follow a few basic rules when you surf the Internet, download files, and open attachments. Once a virus is on your computer, its type or the method it used to get there is not as important as removing it and preventing further infection.
Best Free Downloads and Must-have Apps
There may be no such thing as a free lunch but there sure are a bunch of great free apps. Why spend lots of dough? You’ll be amazed how powerful and important some of these free applications are.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
(http://get.adobe.com/reader/)
If you have figured out a way to do business without this application please let me in on the secret. This is the must-have of must-haves. Not that is does any special tricks but it is THE app for sending and receiving printable documents across platforms and around the world.
Google Earth
(http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html)
A virtual globe, map, and geographic information program lets you see the world, or your house, from a satellite and from your front yard. This amazing program is mesmerizing and has probably cost the economy billions of dollars in wasted workers’ time.
OpenOffice
(http://download.openoffice.org/)
This is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. You can even open and save Word and Excel documents. If you don’t need all the bells and whistles why spend the money on Microsoft Office when you can do all the important stuff for free.
FileZilla
(http://filezilla-project.org/download.php)
If you know what FTP means then you are likely familiar with FileZilla. Send mulriple files files “to-and-fro” among multiple folders and Web sites. FTP doesn’t get any easier.
AVG Antivirus
(http://free.avg.com/download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition)
This is not my favorite antivirus but it is my favorite free antivirus. If you are in need of antivirus for personal use this is your best bet. The free version will remain free but you can upgrade to a full featured paid version.
Microsoft PhotoStory
(http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx)
Create exciting video stories by adding panning and zooming effects to your pictures. You can use Photo Story to record narration for your pictures, add titles and background music to your story. You can even share your story in a variety of ways with this professional quality program.
MS Office 2007 Save as PDF
(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F1FC413C-6D89-4F15-991B-63B07BA5F2E5&displaylang=en)
This is not a stand-alone program but a Microsoft Office 2007 add-on. It is so important it just had to make the list. Rather than purchasing Adobe Acrobat, you can use any of eight 2007 Microsoft Office programs to export and save to the Adobe Acrobat PDF format. It also allows you to send files as e-mail attachments in the PDF format.
Windows Live Family Safety
(http://download.live.com/familysafety)
You decide how your kids experience the Internet. You can limit searches, block or allow websites, decide who your kids can communicate with when they’re using Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail, or Spaces and monitor what websites they’re visiting. Note: If the software is not installed on each PC, the safety settings cannot be enforced.
Picasa
(http://picasa.google.com/)
Manage your photos in one place, and find photos you forgot you had. Eliminate scratches & blemishes, fix red-eye, crop and more. Turn photos into movies, collages, and slideshows. Upload seamlessly to Picasa Web Albums to share with friends, family & the world.
Skype
(http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/)
Make free voice and video calls to anyone else on Skype. This is excellent free video conferencing software. If you make phone calls to non-users there is a small fee.
TrueSpace
(http://www.caligari.com/download/trials.asp?Cate=DTrials)
A full-featured 3D authoring package that will let you model, texture, light, animate and render 3D content. You can make 3D content for traditional images and movies, as well as for online shared spaces, and for Virtual Earth.
Internet Explorer (IE) Tips & Tricks
Here are a few tips for Internet Explorer users. If you have additional tips please add a comment and we will add them to this article.
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Full screen – the F11 key toggles on and off the full-screen mode.
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Reload the page (refreshe) – F5.
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Telephone number search – Enter the number in the address line.
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Searching from the address line – type go, find or ? followed by a word or phrase.
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Saving Web site shortcuts – drag the icon at the beginning of the address to your desktop.
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Change address line search default engine – go to Tools > Internet Options > General tab > Search section > Settings button.
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In IE 7 open multiple tabs on start – to Tools > Internet Options > General tab > Home Page section > in box enter addresses one per line.
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In IE 7 see all open tabs on one screen – click on the “Quick Tab” (first small tab on left).
Other Shortcuts in IE and Windows Explorer:
Ctrl + B -> Organize favorites/bookmarks
Ctrl + D -> Bookmarks current Web page
Ctrl + E -> Open search frame (IE only)
Ctrl + F -> Opens Find box to find on that Web page
Ctrl + H -> Display history list
Ctrl + I -> Open favorites frame (IE only)
Ctrl + I -> Displays info about current Web page (Netscape only)
Ctrl + L -> Opens Open dialog box (IE only)
Ctrl + M -> Opens e-mail window (Netscape only)
Ctrl + N -> To open in a new window
Ctrl + O -> Open address/location box (Netscape only)
Ctrl + P -> To print current page or active frame
Ctrl + R -> Refresh/reload
Ctrl + S -> Save as (Netscape only)
Ctrl + U -> Displays HTML code for Web page (Netscape only)
Ctrl + W -> Closes Web browser
Alt + F -> Goes to the next match with the Find box
Alt + <F4> -> Close current window
Alt + <home> -> Goes to browser’s home page (IE only)
Alt + <left arrow> -> Back
Alt + <right arrow> -> Forward
Alt + Tab -> Switches between open windows
Tab -> Move from link to link on a Web page
Alt + Tab -> Moves from frame to frame on a Web page (IE only)
Backspace -> Moves from frame to frame on Web page (Netscape)
Alt + Ctrl + Tab -> Move back from frame to frame on a Web page
esc -> Stop loading
<F1> -> Opens help screen
<F4> -> Highlights contents of address box (IE only)
<F5> -> Refresh/reload (IE only)
<F10> -> Activate menu bar
<F11> -> Toggles full screen view (IE only)
Ctrl + esc -> Pops up Start Menu
Ctrl + A -> Highlight/select all
Ctrl + C -> Copy
Ctrl + X -> Cut
Ctrl + V -> Paste
Ctrl + ] -> Increase display font size (Netscape only)
Ctrl + [ -> Decrease display font size (Netscape only)
Alt + Tab -> Switch between open windows
Double click title bar -> Shrink or expand that window
windows (key) -> Brings up Start menu
windows + D -> Toggles to minimize or restore all open windows
windows + E -> Opens Windows Explorer
windows + F -> Brings up Find: All Files box to search computer
Client Care – What I Learned from Starbucks
Recently I have been reading the book “The Starbucks Experience” by Joseph Michelli. I find the Starbucks story particularly compelling due to the seeming impossibility of their ambition: sell a product that is already ubiquitous for four times the price. Insanity! Yet not only have they succeeded but they have rewritten the playbook in the process. If you are in the service industry, which I am, Starbucks is a model. We are “selling” an experience. Customers will not only pay for the right experience but they will be loyal to it. Starbucks achieved this by indoctrinating their “partners” (employees) in this simple client care philosophy:
Connect, Discover, Respond
“Let’s face it, whose going to pay four dollars for a cup of coffee?” Me. The first time I saw the European motif of Starbucks I knew this was no ordinary coffee shop. A bartender (barista) fixed my drink to my exact specs, after asking my name, and everyone seemed so happy to be working there. I thought to myself, “I could see myself coming here often.” There was a buzz about the place that was contagious and I caught it. This is part of what is meant by the Starbucks experience. All partners are trained on the initial contact: the smiling, “What can we make for you today?” It would seem silly if it weren’t so sincere. Corporate Starbucks understands that the initial contact must lead to a connection rather than just a transaction. Using people’s names is a mammoth stroke of genius. Who would think something so simple would be so important? Not only remembering the person’s name but remembering their favorite drink – pure gold! From a customer’s perspective this is a valuable connection. It means someone thinks enough of me to remember me, “I am important to them.” Who doesn’t like going somewhere that makes you feel appreciated?
Okay let’s say you walk into a Starbucks and you don’t know what you want. Try this: tell the partner you would like to try several different types of coffees. You know what will happen. Now order the coffee in a very peculiar combination; with a specific amount of sugar, at a certain temperature, low-fat milk, etc. Come back several more times, order the same drink, and during the visit tell the same Starbucks partner a little bit about yourself. Now watch what happens. Each time you visit, that partner will greet you by name, ask you about your exact drink, and inquire about something you mentioned or something they noticed about you. A typical visit for me goes something like this: “Hey Scott, how are you? That will be a grande three Splenda latte right? So how is the computer biz?” Taking the time and getting to know a little bit about me turns a Starbucks into “My Starbucks.”
Responding to a customer’s specific needs (stage three) is often exemplified when things do not go exactly as planned. “This drink is not to my liking.” After apologizing the barista gladly makes another for you free of charge. “I spilled my drink,” another freebee. No questions, no haggling, no problems. “Which coffee maker should I buy?” After asking several questions the Starbucks partner directs you to the best fit. Can you ever remember having a problem with a Starbucks employee, ever? This culture makes doing business a pleasure. The three step “Connect, Discover, Respond” method is a masterstroke. I am going to strive to apply it in my client relationships, with a focus on the connection rather than the transaction, on the relationship rather than on the bottom line, on the experience.
Opportinities for IT in Stimulus
The much debated $787 billion stimulus package is officially called the “American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009.” Among its many provisions is one very interesting opportunity for Health-IT professionals. An estimated $19+ billion dollars will be invested in health information technology infrastructure so doctors and hospitals will adopt and use certified electronic health records within the next decade. Here is a quote from the bill:
“HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Funding for Health Information Technology (IT) through Medicare and Medicaid Incentives. This bill promotes the use of health information technology (health IT), such as electronic health records, by: requiring the government to take a leadership role to develop standards by 2010 that allow for the nationwide electronic exchange and use of health information to improve quality and coordination of care; investing $19 billion in health information technology infrastructure and Medicare and Medicaid incentives to encourage doctors, hospitals, and other providers to use health IT to electronically exchange patients’ health information; and strengthening Federal privacy and security law to protect identifiable health information from misuse as the health care sector increases use of health IT. If the bill is enacted, approximately 90% of doctors and 70% of hospitals would adopt and use certified electronic health records within the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. In turn, that would save the government more than $12 billion (through reduced spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs) and generate additional savings throughout the health sector through improvements in quality of care, care coordination, and reductions in medical errors and duplicative care. The estimated net cost of this provision is $17.2 billion; in addition, $2 billion for affiliated grants and loans is available through discretionary funding.”
About Dr. Ware, Inc. – provide, protect, promote
Dr. Ware’s mission statement is:
“Providing and protecting the information systems our clients rely on to promote their businesses and add value to their customers.”
Dr. Ware takes a diagnostic approach to client care. We start with a check-up of your vital business systems. Once identified we weight them by relevance and chart how to best use technology to support these systems. It really is all about the flow of information to have quick, reliable, and accurate information when we need it, in the way we want it. The right information is also prepared for public consumption to support your marketing online and in the “real world.” The technology should be natural to the processes. When it comes to information systems we subscribe to the 3 P’s – provide, protect, promote.
Provide. Once the flow of information is charted to match your business processes then the systems to support those processes must be designed, developed, and deployed. Often this involves centralizing the data, providing a consistent desktop experience, and training staff to adopt new practices for greater efficiency and effectiveness.
Protect. Centralized data allows for greater security and standardization. Updates, antivirus, spam/hacker prevention, backups, etc., all managed within one planned environment. Preventing data loss and protecting proprietary information are vital to your business.
Promote. The Worldwide Web can seem like the Wild Wild West when it comes to launching a Web site and other online ventures. Search engine placement, social media, email newsletters, shopping carts, blogs, galleries, and the list goes on and on. What is best for your business? Which strategy will bring real results? How do you track online traffic and build an Internet audience? You need to know what works and how to get the best return on your investment.
This is what Dr. Ware does. Isn’t it about time for your free business check-up? Please contact us for more information.
Does your business need a server?
If your office has more than two computers the answer may be, “yes.” If you’re being slammed by spam, want to share your calendar, or would like to access your office desktop remotely, the answer is definitely, “yes!” These are just a few examples of the many benefits of centralizing your data and controlling access, antivirus, and security over a network. For the price of a decent desktop a server just makes good business sense.
A secure network protects against unauthorized users, filters out spam, blocks virus threats, and prevents data loss. One central location for data increases productivity, maintains standards, and maximizes your software investment while sharing printers, faxes, and Internet access reduces costs and promotes productivity. An office network fosters teamwork through collaborative calendars, tasks, and contacts, creating a more professional environment.
Among the most important reasons for deploying a server on your network is the ability to access facts you need in real time so your team can respond to customers’ needs more quickly and accurately. If you are operating your business without a server now is the time to act. Let us know how we can help.