Stan’s Komputer Korner

Stan’s Komputer Korner

Many folks are concerned about using free WiFi to connect to the Internet. Your information is not encrypted, so with a few simple tools, other folks can see what you are doing. This means they can grab your passwords. One fairly easy way to fix this is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). There are a lot of companies that offer it now. ExpressVPN has the highest rating, but it runs $10 a month. I have Ivacy. I got a pretty good price for it for a year.

The procedure is to start your VPN and then use your browser or email program. When you start it, it makes an encrypted 2 way communication to their servers, then you use the Internet. You need a fairly good signal for it to work. Your Internet use is hidden. Your browser history on your machine is probably not hidden.

Some folks have been getting emails that look like they are coming from the Virginia State Police stating that you have a ticket that must be paid. This is a scam – do not reply.

I have been using Ccleaner for quite a while. It was recently purchased by Avast. The first issue by them was contaminated with malware. The version with the problem is 5.33. Go to Filehippo.com to download a later version. You can open Ccleaner and click on update. I prefer not to do this because there are 3 things you can click on and only one is the one without ads and lots of other extras. Hover your mouse over the buttons and look at where It is actually taking you. Adclick is not a good one.

Did you know you can send texts from your computer? The format is phone number no spaces or dashes and vtext.com. [e-mail] This one is Verizon. My phone plan charges me 20 cents for each incoming or outgoing text. I am already paying an enormous amount for one smartphone, a flip phone and a home landline. I prefer not to pay them more, so I discourage folks from texting me. The reply will look like [e-mail]. This means I might be able to avoid text charges using email from my phone. Other Internet providers may use a different form. There is a limit of characters of probably 144.

One of our members has put together a very detailed document on protecting your computer from almost everything. This includes hacking, virus protection, malware and much more. It is 120 pages in PDF format. I gives a very detailed graphic description of how to install several programs. It also tells you how to get the most out of the free versions. The free versions must be updated and run manually. It would be expensive to install all the paid versions, but they run automatically (updates and scans). Please send me an email at [e-mail] to request it. Preferred title would be PC Maintenance PDF.

If you are running Microsoft 365 on an Apple device, be aware that the latest upgrade to the latest IOS, is not compatible. It is a known problem and they are working on it.

There is a significant improvement coming out in October for Windows Defender. Things folks have been asking for and security updates. Among these are Windows Defender Application Guard and Antivirus. These probably should not be your only protection. You should make sure that your current virus does not conflict with the new upgrades. One way to slow down your computer is to have your virus programs fighting with each other. Microsoft Edge – the Windows Explorer replacement in Windows 10 is also getting upgrades. Because of these and many other Windows 10 upgrades, it is time to think about upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10.