Multiple Virus Attacks Daily

We have seen a huge increase in the number of spam emails we receive. Most are harmless but annoying spam but a good few contain a virus attached in a .ZIP file. These emails pretend to be from UPS mail delivery companies and ask to unzip and run the attached file to claim undelivered postal item. However, NEVER, NEVER run or install anything sent in an email.

New Nokia e72 Looks The Business

Here at Cheltenham Computer Specialists, we've used a number of phones, PDAs and smart phones. One of the newest to be used is the now aging Nokia e71 which is proving to be a huge success as it is the perfect mobile business tool with plenty of apps, good connectivity options, InfraRed, BlueTooth, WLAN, USB and all manner of other connection options. You can set up multiple email accounts via POP3 or Excchange's "push mail". There is really too much to mention but something is being discovered about its abilities everyday; the latest of which is that it has a barcode reader !!!!! The new Nokia e72 however, looks to improve on this already great product.

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How To Create Secure Passwords

Most of us now use Internet banking, buy from websites such as Amazon and have email accounts with the likes of Hotmail or Gmail. All of these need a password but you must understand that passwords need to be as difficult to guess by someone else as possible. This will prevent the chances of someone gaining access to your accounts and either taking money from your account or using your identity to cause fraud. There are a number of things to consider when creating a password......

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Manage Your Emails

Email management is something many people do not think about. Most people accept all emails and forget about them once they've been read meaning their inbox gets larger and larger.... and larger.

Even deleting them doesn't really help because deleting them just moves them into a deleted folder.

Large email accounts ( if kept on your computer or laptop ) can slow your computer and cause problems which can take a long time to resolve.

One issue we resolved recently was a business user who was using Outlook 2000. They called us to tell us their email had suddenly stopped working and they thought it was because they'd reached a certain limit.

This turned out to be true. Outlook 2000 doesn't like to go over 2 Gb of data and if you go over that limit, the central email file ( called a PST file ) becomes corrupt and the emails are no longer accessible. Good old Microsoft knows about this issue but provided a measly scan programme which attempts to do something but almost always fails. Also, Outlook 2000 no longer has support from Microsoft as they now focus on Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007 which are set to allow PST file sizes of 20 Gb by default. This can, in theory, be larger but 20 Gb is the stable limit recommended.

This meant we had to take a copy of the PST file and take it away to use with our specialist recovery software which rebuilds the PST file and allows you to open it in Outlook 2003 or 2007 where you can then clean out unwanted emails.

It's all very time consuming when this happens and can prevent you or your business sending out or receiving in, emails.

What Can You Do ?

There are a number of things you can do:

1. Delete all unwanted emails from your Inbox and Sent Items, but then, empty your deleted items folder. Sent Items, Drafts, Deleted Items all count towards your limit.

2. Archive older emails if you don't want to delete them. Archiving creates a separate PST file.

Don't forget, attachments are getting larger. Friends like to send photos etc and all these attachments take up space. When you receive a large attachment, save the attached files and then delete the email.

Increase in Virus / Trojan Attacks

Here at Cheltenham Computer Specialists, we've noticed an increase in emails we're being sent with .zip file attachments containing Trojans or Viruses. Of course, our trusted anti-virus programme catches them each time but it's good to be aware that emails which might look acceptable, could contain nasty viruses or spyware.

What we noticed about these emails was that they were coming from different email addresses; all of which were "regular" email addresses and not something like johnxyz098734@hotmail.com . This told us that what was happening was that this virus / trojan was getting into people's computers, accessing their email accounts and then using their email accounts to send out the virus / trojan thus allowing it to grow exponentially. ie one computer effected sends out an email to 20 people. 20 people get it and each person sends out another 20 emails ( ie 400 in total ) and so on.

So, what can you do?

Firstly, make sure you have a good quality anti-virus installed. Avoid free ones if you can. They can be good but not as good as paid for versions. Then, make sure your anti-virus programme is updated. This can usually be done by setting an update schedule to run daily or weekly, with daily being optimal.

Install one or two Anti-Spyware programmes such as Ad-Aware or Malwarebytes. These can be paid for versions or free versions. In this case, the two free ones we've mentioned should be fine and there is little need to get a paid for version. You can download them here.

When you receive an email from someone, check the attachment if there is one. If you were expecting the email and the attachment, it's probably safe, but if you weren't expecting it, be careful. Maybe contact that person first to check whether they had sent it.

If you don't know the person and were not expecting it, we suggest you act with caution. Make sure your anti-virus is up to date and running before opening it.

What To Watch Out For

Attachments that end in .doc .xls .jpg .jpeg..gif .ppt and .pdf are generally considered "safe".
Attachments ending in .zip or .rar need caution because they can disguise what really lurks beneath. They can be OK because they help reduce large files for easier sending in an email but they can also conceal items listed below.
Attachments ending in .exe .bat or .src really need to be deleted. it's just not worth the risk unless you know, 100%, that they are safe.

Remote Access To Your PC

We have come across a great solution for accessing your PC from any Internet connected computer.

A company called ValueClick International Limited, has come up with a brilliant way of allowing you to remotely access your computer(s) from another computer - anywhere in the world. The system is called Go To My Pc and all you need do is set up an account, download a small programme onto your PC, set up some security questions and then leave your computer switched on and connected to the Internet.

If you are away from your home and can't get back quickly, then find any computer with Internet access, log into your account, enter the security questions you set earlier and you can then access your computer as if sitting in front of it.

The system is very secure, fast and perfect for small to medium sized businesses wanting to give employees remote access to their work. It's also excellent for people who work from home and who don't have IT networks with servers and so on. Imagine going to a meeting and forgetting some work, presentations or important information. Well, that wouldn't matter with remote access to your work PC. Just get on another computer, log into your account and download the information you need. Simple !

If you want to have a trial account, then sign up for a free trial period at: Free Trial.

Windows 7 - Huge Savings

Amazon.co.uk is knocking 59% off the RRP for Windows 7 if you order in advance. It usually retails for around 212 GBP but you can snap it up for 89 GBP if you order in advance.
Please note. this info was correct as of the 15th July, 2009. For current prices, please check the amazon.co.uk website as we cannot be held responsible for any changes in the price since we wrote this article.

Michael Jackson Emails

We have received a number of reports from unsuspecting clients who have received suspicious emails with subject lines referring to Michael Jackson and remembering him. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that these emails contain attachments which will infect your computer with a virus or worm.

There are a number of these emails doing the rounds, so what we recommend is vigilance. Just be careful if receiving such emails and make sure you know who sent it. If you are not sure, ignore the email or delete it.

"Conficker" Worm Infects 10 Million Computers

It has taken just 4 days to infect 6.5 million Windows PC users and it is being described as "amazing" due to the speed in which it can infect PCs.
The worm, which is similar to a virus or malware, is also known as "Conficker" and it uses your computer to connect to a server which then downloads more malware onto your computer.

Microsoft has recommended that Windows users install the emergency update, then run the January edition of the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) to scrub the worm from compromised computers.

Seagates 1.5Tb Hard Drive Freezes

Seagate's 1.5TB Barracuda 7200.11 hard drive, has been drawing complaints that the drive has been freezing up during data transfers. Apparently, this issue is due to a firmware problem as doesn't just effect that drive. Some other hard drives have been effected by this issue too.
To see whether your hard drive might be at risk, please visit the Seagate Support Forum
The problem seems to occur on computers running Linux, MAC OS X and Windows Vista.

Microsoft Releases Windows 7 For Beta Testing

Since all the bad press about Vista, Windows 7 (the next operating system from Microsoft) has been fast tracked and is now available for download as a beta version for testing purposes. Windows 7 strips out much of the bloat that comes with Vista and reduces the UAC (User Access Control) function that has annoyed so many people. UAC is still part of Windows 7 but it's much less prominent and a lot less annoying.
Download the Windows 7 Beta

Computer Keyboards Dirtier Than Toilet Seats

The consumer watchdog Which? has reported that of 33 keyboards it tested for bacteria at a London office, 4 were considered a potential health hazard, one had 150 times the recommended limit for bacteria which was also 5 times dirtier than a toilet seat which was tested at the same time.
Moral of the story: always give you hands a wash after using someone else's keyboard.