Thor's Archive
Have you ever wondered how computers in schools and libraries withstand daily onslaughts from random users, while the average 12-year old can corrupt, infect, and muck up just about everything in a family computer in mere minutes?
Most organizations like schools and Internet cafes use the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit to preserve a public computer’s security, settings, and files. With the Shared Computer Toolkit on the job, a simple reboot of the computer can erase what would normally be a nightmarish scenario, restoring the computer to its pre-use state in a blink of an eye.
If you are looking for a simple, free way to limit a child time on your computer, restrict certain programs from being run, or just reverse the abuse your home computer will endure at the next family get-together, the Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP might just be the silver bullet you are looking for.
The Shared Computer Toolkit can be used on any PC running any version of Windows XP. Although the toolkit does not come pre-installed with Windows XP, you can download it at no cost from Microsoft’s website at www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sharedaccess. Before you can download the toolkit, you will need to pass Genuine Windows Validation to ensure your copy of Windows XP is legitimate.
Downloading and Installing the Toolkit
Installing the toolkit is a multi-step process that involves installing an additional utility. In addition, the toolkit uses scripting to install itself on your computer. If you use an antivirus program such as Norton Antivirus (www.symantec.com, $39.99) the toolkit’s installation scripts might generate script warnings even if your antivirus software is turned off. If you receive any script warnings from your antivirus software while installing the toolkit, select the option that will allow the script to run.
When you download the toolkit from the Microsoft website, save it to a convenient place, like your Windows desktop. Once it is downloaded, double click on the toolkit installer to begin the installation process. The first screen of the toolkit requires you to install the UPHClean MSI utility on your computer. This is a free utility that ensures all of the profiles on your computer are intact and working properly.
There is a button on the screen that will take you directly to the download page for this utility. Download and install the utility on your computer before clicking the Next button in the toolkit setup screen.
After you have installed the utility, you will be returned to the toolkit setup window. When you click “Next” in the setup screen, it may report that the installation was interrupted and that no changes were made to your computer. If this happens, exit the Setup program and double click on the toolkit installer you saved on your desktop initially to restart the process. Once you have completed the installation, the Getting Started window should open automatically.
Setting up the Shared Computer Toolkit
The setup process for the toolkit is organized into 8 steps. The Getting Started window will automatically open to Step 1. You can skip around thorough the steps and complete them in any order, but we will list them here in their numerical order.
Step 1. Prepare the Disk for Windows Disk Protection.
Windows Disk Protection is a major component of the toolkit. This is the feature that allows you to take a trusted image of your computer’s hard drive, and roll back any program installations, remove saved files, or restore system files that other users might have deleted in your absence.
Unfortunately, this is also the most difficult component of the shared toolkit to setup. Microsoft requires you to use a hard disk partitioning utility such as Norton Partition Magic 8 (www.symantec.com, $69.99) to prepare your hard drive.
If you do not have experience repartitioning your hard drive, we strongly recommend you seek the assistance of a computer technician. Making a mistake during this process can erase your entire hard drive. If you do not have the software or the knowledge required to complete Step 1, skip it for now and proceed to Step 2.
Step 2. Select Computer Security Settings.
This step in the toolkit setup process is extremely useful for customizing the way Windows will look and behave when a user logs into the computer. With a few simple check boxes you can easily protect the Windows folders, customize what options appear in the Start menu, and remove specific accounts from the Welcome screen when the computer is first turned on.
Microsoft recommends that you check all items in Step 2 if the general public will be using your computer. Some of the items may require you to restart your PC before they take effect.
Step 3. Create a Public Account for Shared Access.
You don’t want people logging into your administrator profile if the computer is going to be used by multiple people. To protect your documents and computer security, you should protect your administrator account with a strong password that includes numbers and letters. The toolkit provides you a shortcut in step 3 to open the Open User Accounts Control Panel, where you can modify your account password if you wish, as well as create a Public account that does not have a password for others to use.
With the User Accounts control panel open the, left click on Create a new account, and then name that account Public. Left click on the Next button and then place a dot next to the Limited account type and left click the Create Account button. After the account is created, close the User Accounts control panel window to return to the Getting Started guide.
Step 4. Configure the Public User Profile.
Next you need to log out of your administrator account and log in to the Public account you just created. To do this, left click on the Start button, left click on log off, and then left click on Switch User (Note that the Getting Started guide instructs you to log off completely. This closes the guide and requires extra steps later. You can save time by simply switching to the Public account without logging completely out of your administrator account.)
The log in process may take a few seconds before the desktop appears while Windows sets up the new account. Once it loads, take a moment to set the desktop wallpaper, configure the desktop icons, and make any other changes to the visual elements you want your public users to see.
If you have multiple printers hooked up to your computer or network, select which one should be the default printer for this profile. Once you have completed your customizations, log out of the Public profile (do not switch users this time) and then left click on your administrator account to get back to the toolkit setup guide.
Step 5. Restrict and Lock the Public User Profile
This step locks in the customizations you just made to the Public profile and gives you very precise control over what a user is allowed to do, and what a user is prohibited from doing.
Left click on the “Open User Restrictions” button, and then left click on the “Select a Profile” button and then left click on the “Public” profile. Under the General Settings section, you can specify the home page you would like Internet Explorer to use each time it is opened.
You can also set the number of minutes a user is allowed to be logged into the profile before they are automatically logged off. You can use this setting to limit the amount of time an individual spends on the computer, or you can use it to automatically log the user off if they are idle for a long period (i.e. they walk away from the computer and don’t come back).
Check the “Lock this Profile” box to make your earlier customizations permanent. The Restart at Logoff checkbox is useful if you completed Step 1 of the setup. If this box is checked, the computer will restart after a user is forced to log off. With Windows Disk Protection enabled, this would restore the computer completely to its pre-use image.
The check boxes below the General Settings box allow you to set specific restrictions on what options are available in the Start Menu, limit access to sensitive Windows functions like the search feature or the registry editor, and prevent the user from running programs that you did not specifically install (such as a program from a CD or USB drive).
Once your changes are complete, left click the Apply button to save them, and then left click the OK button.
Step 6. Test the Public Profile.
This is a safety check to ensure that the options you selected in Step 5 were successfully applied. If you want to test your work, you can left click on Start, left click on Log Off, and then left click on Switch Users and select the Public profile. You should notice that the items you selected in Step 5 are restricted as you instructed.
Step 7. Turn on windows Disk Protection.
If you were able to complete Step 1 in the setup process, turning on Disk Locking will cause the public account to be completely reset to your prefect pre-use image every time a user restarts the PC. If you did not complete Step 1, do not bother turning this on.
Step 8. You’re Done! Learn More About the Toolkit
This is more of a conclusion than an actual setup step. You can click on the shortcut to read the Shared Computer Toolkit Handbook if you want to learn more about how the toolkit can protect your PC.
Now that you have completed the toolkit setup, your system is secured for use by multiple individuals. You can continue to use your computer as you always have in the past by entering your administrator password when the computer starts up. But when the family comes over for the next big holiday, they will be forced to use the Public profile, and your computer will be safe from just about anything they can throw at it.
With the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit on the job, you can rest at ease knowing that you computer is just as safe from a teenager’s activities as a computer managed by an information technology professional.
One of the things that made Schrock Innovations a leader in the local computer repair market over the past 10 years was the company's ability to communicate with its customers in a personal and meaningful way.
Schrock Innovations has hired Alison "Ali" Clausen to occupy a new position as Communication Coordinator that will help ensure the company continues to lead its competition with every customer interaction.
Schrock has grown considerably since the late 1990's and consultants have told me that it is inevitable that our levels of customer contact and service will have to go down for the company to grow to the next level.
When I started Schrock there were very intelligent business minds who told me what I was attempting to do was impossible, and with the help of some of the most talented and dedicated technicians in Lincoln, we proved them wrong. I refuse to believe that we can't do it again.
Ali is a Lincoln, Nebraska native and recently graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Interactive Digital Media.
Alison's specialties include mastery of standard marketing tools, as well as a deep understanding of the latest trends in digital media communication and communication systems design.
In plain English, Ali will be the person that ensures that Schrock is providing the levels of service that our customers expect every day and in every interaction. Ali's skills will bolster our email, SMS messaging, social networking, and regular old telephone communication systems to meet the challenges of a growing company in the 21st century.
Your task is not a small one, Ali! Welcome aboard!
If you are trying to squeeze every ounce of speed from your Vista computer while you wait for Windows 7, there are a few tweaks you can use to get things moving a little more quickly.
Microsoft put a lot of thought and effort into reducing time required to boot Windows Vista by reworking its boot sequence. The result is an operating system that gets you to your desktop faster than ever so you can start working within seconds – not minutes – of pressing your power button.
Even though Vista is designed to boot faster than Windows XP, many of the same XP tweaks can be used to shave precious seconds off of Vista’s startup time while adding a little zip to its day-to day performance.
Using MSCONFIG to Speed Boot-up
One of the easiest ways to decrease the amount of time required to start your Windows Vista computer is to prevent unneeded programs from starting up when your computer boots.
You might be amazed to find that even a brand new computer starts many programs that you probably do not need in your startup routine. To check and see what your computer is loading when it starts up, left click on the Start button and then type MSCONFIG and press enter on your keyboard.
After clicking the continue button on the Vista User Account Control warning, the System Configuration Screen should open. You will notice there is a start-up tab in the series of tabs across the top of the window. Left click on the Start-up Tab and you will see a list of every program that starts when your computer starts. This will include your antivirus, instant messengers, pre-loaders, and a number of other applications.
To the left of each item in the start-up list is a box with a check in it. Browse through the list first and take note of anything that you don’t think belongs in the list. For each item that you don’t need at start-up, simply uncheck the box to the left of the item.
Left click on the Apply button and then left click on the OK button to close the utility when you are done selecting applications. You will now be asked to reboot the system, and you should do so. Pay close attention as the computer reboots and note any problems or odd behavior as the system boots up. If nothing unusual is noted, and all of your critical applications like antivirus and anti-spyware programs load, you can reasonably assume that the items you unchecked did not have any adverse effects on your PC.
If on the other hand, your computer starts spitting out error messages or programs are not loading like they used to, simply go back into the MSCONFIG utility and re-check items one by one, rebooting each time, until the problems are all gone.
It can be a time consuming process to get all of the unnecessary items removed from your startup, but once you have this area of your computer cleaned up, your boot time can decrease by as much as 15%.
Use ReadyBoost to Give Your Computer an Adrenaline Shot
One of Windows Vista's handiest new features is the ability to use a USB flash drive or a flash memory card like the one you would use in your digital camera to temporarily boost your computer's available system memory.
If you have installed Vista on a computer with limited memory, or are about to do some particularly memory intensive activities such as editing a digital image or making a movie, Vista's ReadyBoost is just what the doctor ordered.
ReadyBoost will allow you to use that spare flash drive or memory card to augment your computer's RAM memory on a temporary basis. Vista manages the items it stores on the memory card so your computer does not come crashing down around you if the card or flash drive is suddenly removed.
But before you start digging through your book bag for that old 64MB flash drive you got three years ago, don’t bother. ReadyBoost will only work with newer USB Flash drives and flash cards labeled "enhanced for ReadyBoost". As a general rule, ReadyBoost will typically work with cards/drives larger than 256 MB or cards/drives made after 2006.
In fact, the faster the speed of your USB drive or memory card, the better the performance enhancement will be on your computer. Microsoft recommends that you only augment your system’s memory by 25% using ReadyBoost. For example, if you gave 1 GB of memory, the ReadyBoost benefit is capped at 256 MB.
To enable ReadyBoost, insert your USB flash drive or flash memory card into your card reader. Once it has been installed by Vista, left click on your Start menu and left click on “Computer.”
Right click on the icon for the drive you just inserted and left click on Properties. You should see a ReadyBoost tab in the series of tabs on the top of the window. Left click on the ReadyBoost tab and check the “Use This Device” box. If this box is not available, your device is not compatible with ReadyBoost and can not be used to augment your computer’s memory.
Once you have selected “Use This Device,” slide the slider all the way to the right to maximize the amount of space on the flash memory card/drive that will be allotted to ReadyBoost. Left click on Apply and then on OK.
If you want to stop using ReadyBoost, remove your memory card from the computer. Also, note that ReadyBoost formats your flash device for use the first time around, so make certain you don’t have any important data on the drive before you begin.
Vista Performance Mode
If you are strictly looking for performance out of your Windows Vista-based system, you can speed things up a bit by turning off much of Vista’s eye candy.
While stripping Vista down to its barest of visual assets will give you a performance boost, don’t expect it to do as much as it did for Windows XP. Much of the Windows Vista Aero graphics enhancements rely on your video processor and not your CPU to make things look nice.
To switch your Vista-based system into performance mode, left click on the start menu and then right click on the “Computer” selection. Next, left click on properties. Now the System control panel should open and you should see a selection in the left pane called “Advanced System Settings.”
Left click on the Advanced System Settings link and then click continue on the security pop up that appears. Now the System Properties window should open, and you should be able to left click on the “Advanced” tab. In the performance section left click on the settings button and then place a dot in the selection for “Adjust for Best Performance.”
After you click Apply and OK, your computer will go dim for a few seconds while Windows applies the changes. Once applied, your Windows installation will not have any of the font smoothing, fancy graphic gradients, or any of the Aero Graphics functionality enabled. You could see a 10% performance improvement alone from this change if you don’t mind the bland interface.
If you want some degree of compromise rather than the all-or-nothing approach, on the “Adjust for Best Performance” page you can select any combination of visual features to enable or disable. For example, much of the Aero graphics are processed by your video card and not your CPU, therefore you can have the fancy window trim AND the performance boost. Experiment to find out what combination works best for your computer.
Defragment Your Hard Drive Frequently
Windows Vista is set to automatically Defragment your hard drive every Wednesday at 1:00 AM. If your computer is turned off at night, your hard drive might not get the maintenance it needs.
Because Windows Vista uses much more memory that Windows XP does, the hard drives on computers with 1 GB of RAM memory or less will get a pretty good workout as Vista swaps virtual memory data in and out of the page file.
Defragmenting your hard drive frequently ensures that Vista can find information as quickly as possible, and reduce wear and tear on your hard drive. Defragmenting frequently can reduce boot times, shut down times, and hesitations while opening and closing files and applications.
While the Windows Vista disk defragmenter can run regardless of what files or programs are open, it is best to run the defragmenter overnight or some other time when you will not be using the computer. To Defragment your hard drive, left click on the Start menu and left click on the “All Programs” selection. Next, left click on the System Tools folder and finally on Disk Defragmenter.
After you have clicked “continue” on the security warning that pops up, left click on the “Defragment Now” button. If Wednesday at 1:00 AM is not a good time for your computer to do a scheduled defrag you can also modify its defragmentation schedule by left clicking on the “Modify Schedule” button and changing the values in the drop down menus.
Even though Vista was engineered to be a speedy sprinter out of the gates, with some careful tweaking you can improve your system’s boot time as well as its all around performance. Tweaking your computer’s performance settings and staying on top of important maintenance tasks will help ensure you have the best possible experience from your Windows Vista Operating System.
I think it is safe to say that we are all living in a pivotal time in American history for a number of reasons. Right now we are experiencing the biggest changes in the behavior of the US Government since the birth of the progressive movement in the early 20th century brought us a new social contract (i.e. Social Security, the New Deal, etc..)
Today there are hundreds of Tea Parties taking place all over the country to protest government taxation and how the federal government spends the funds it takes in (or lately borrows from China).
I initially was planning on writing a post today about the Tea Parties and why they are going to be a significant event that our children will read about in their high school text books - not because they will be pivotal in their own right, but because they are marking the beginning of a grassroots reversal against the progressive movement that has brought us to this point.
When Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated no one really realized that that single spark was all that was needed to ignite the powder keg that was World War I. I have no doubt that these Tea Parties are a spark in the consciousness of the American people. The question is will that spark ignite anything?
What was the Original Role of the Federal Government?
All of the power that the Federal Government holds sprouts from the US Constitution. Without that document, the United States would not exist. Here are some quick facts about your US Constitution that you may or may not know:
- The purpose of the Constitution is to LIMIT what the Government can do - not outline what citizens are allowed to do
- Anything that is not explicitly covered in the Constitution falls to the States' Governments to legislate
- Judges have interpreted the Constitution over time to cover various situations - For example, the "right to privacy" is not in the Constitution. It was created by a judicial interpretation of what the founders "intended".
- Generations of judges have used previous interpretations to justify new interpretations - For example, abortion is legal today in the United States in part because of the "right to privacy".
- Test your knowledge of the US Constitution in a quick quiz
Children are taught in school that the Constitution is a "living document" that evolves with circumstances that surround it. They are taught that the brilliance of the Constitution is that it was generic enough that it could be stretched and pulled to cover a variety of scenarios that were unimaginable to our founding fathers.
I believe that our schools are teaching a lie.
The brilliance of the Constitution has nothing to do with interpretation. Its brilliance has everything to do with the fact that it LIMITS what the government can do. These limits prevent the government from weaving itself into the lives of its citizens to the point where a person's ability to succeed, thrive, and enjoy happiness guarantees freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness through LIMITING how the Federal Government can interact with the citizenry.
What Does the Federal Government Do Now that it Shouldn't Do?
The Constitution outlines that the role of the Federal Government is to provide for the common defense of the states, and protect the life, liberty, and the right of its citizens to persue happiness. Here is a quick list of things that the Federal Government does now that have no direct root in the Constitution whatsoever:
- Mortgage Loans
- Student Loans
- Corporate Bailouts
- Social Security
- Prescription Drug Programs
- Heath Insurance
- Judicial Review
- The Federal Reserve Bank
- Social Engineering With the Tax Code (Wealth Redistribution)
In this small list alone, the Federal Government manages to intervene in the lives of just about every American at some point. I am not saying that these programs were created with ill intentions. I am simply stating tha there is no basis in the Constitution for these programs whatsoever. They are purely "government creep" into our lives that in many cases needs to be reversed before it gets worse.
What Can You Do?
The next time a crisis hits, you have a problem in your personal life, or you look to a program don't look to the Federal Government for a solution. Know that when you do look to the Federal Government there are always strings attached.
Some of the nations largest banks were "surprised" when the Obama administration announced that if a bank takes bailout money, the government has the right to run certain aspects of that bank. So the banks are now rushing to pay back the money, but the Government won't take it back because it says they are still "too sick".
Once you go Fed its VERY tough to go back. Call your congressman and Senators when you see the Federal government creeping deeper into your life and tell them to stop. Vote for candidates who promise to reduce the size, scope, and power of the federal government - not just reduce taxes.
Last, but not least, take care of your families and do what you need to do to secure a future for your children. America is great because each of its citizens works to make a better life for themselves and their children. When we all do that, America thrives. Happy Tax freedom day and be sure to check out Fox News' coverage of the tea parties across the nation!
Yesterday I posted about Schrock Innovation's Ultimate Upgrade Sale and a few readers have asked me to shoot a video of the computer to show off some of the components that were used.
I have been crazy busy the past few days, so I have not even had the chance to edit any of the HOURS of video from the construction of the new Service Center yet. Nevertheless, here is the next best thing:
This is the commercial that will start airing today on Channel 10/11 in Lincoln about the special. This is the first time we have ever used television to promote a specific offer, so it should be interesting to see how it goes. What do you think of the spot?
I hope everyone had a happy and safe Easter! On Saturday's Compute This Radio Show I launched the Ultimate Upgrade Computer Sale at Schrock Innovations.
For those of you new to my blog, the Ultimate Upgrade sale is a special offer that we make only once each year. During the sale you can trade in your old, tired computer tower for a brand new Modular Computer from Schrock for only $449!
Next to our annual Holiday sale, this is the most popular computer offering we have all year. Our customers love the Ultimate Upgrade because they get a $700 computer for only $449 by trading in their old system.
We don't use any of your old parts in the construction of your new PC, and we can even transfer your data from your old PC to your new one.
Here are the specifications on this year's system:
- AMD Athlon X2 Dual Core Processor
- 2 GB High Speed RAM Memory
- 500 GB SATA3 Hard Drive
- Multilayer DVD +/- RW Drive (burns CDs and DVDs)
- 6-in-1 Multi Card Reader (for your digital camera memory cards)
- Windows Vista Home Premium
- One Year Schrock Innovations Parts and Labor Warranty
Anyone purchasing the Ultimate Upgrade before April 25th will receive a free memory upgrade to 4 GB!
This sale will be running for the next 21 days or so. If your computer is slowing down, breaking down, freezing up, or just taking up valuable space in the garage, this is your opportunity to get it recycled for free and get into a new Modular PC.
Its days like today that I am so proud to be an American. The US Navy provided an Easter miracle of sorts today when it freed Captain Richard Phillips from a handful of Somali pirates with three successful sniper head shots.
Congratulations to the Captain's family and crew members. Not only did this crew successful foil the initial pirate attack, the cool head of the captain got everyone out of the situation alive who wanted to get out alive.
It is too bad that three people had to die to resolve this situation, but this is a perfect illustration that real evil does exist in our world, and sometimes that evil can't be negotiated into changing its ways.
At this very moment the latest spyware threat may be silently slicing through your computer’s anti-virus defenses, infecting your PC with pop-up ads or monitoring programs designed to steal your passwords and other sensitive information.
With thousands of spyware threats on the web, it is important that you know how to detect and remove these pests from your PC. Over the past few years spyware removal has gone from a technical nightmare to a simple, automated process thanks to the multitude of anti-spyware security applications in the marketplace today.
But before you decide to purchase an off-the-shelf product to secure your PC, you might be surprised to know that there are some free, easy-to-use programs available on the Internet that will remove these pests from your computer.
While there are many programs available to remove spyware with ease, there are two applications in particular that stand out in the crowd as safe, secure programs to clean any hidden spyware from your PC.
Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware (www.lavasoft.com) and Spybot Search and Destroy (www.spybot.info) are both excellent, free applications for removing spyware from your PC. While each application accomplishes similar goals, they are slightly different in how they update, scan for threats, and remove them. This article will show you step-by-step how to install each application and use it to remove any spyware that may be sneaking around on your hard drive.
Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware
More than 231 million users have downloaded Lavasoft’s free Ad-Aware anti-spyware program to clean spyware from their PCs. Ad-Aware runs on all versions of Windows from Windows 98 through Windows Vista Ultimate. It is also completely compatible with all major anti-virus applications and can be used in conjunction with other spyware programs you might be using.
You can download Ad-Aware free of charge by visiting www.lavasoft.com and clicking on the download link. You will then be redirected to www.download.com to obtain the free download.
Once you have downloaded the installation file to your computer, open it to begin the installation process. The installation wizard is fairly straight forward, requiring you to accept the terms of use before you continue. When you reach the final installation screen and click the finish button, the Ad-Aware help file will open, an update will automatically occur (if you are connected to the Internet) and then a system scan will begin.
The time required for the full system scan will vary based on the size of your hard drive and the number of files stored on it. Once the scan completes, you will have the opportunity to click the “next” button to see what Ad-Aware found on your computer.
The scan results screen is by far the most complicated screen in Ad-Aware. Each infection that was found on your computer has an associated checkbox to its left. The results screen allows you to check which items to remove and which to leave alone. All check boxes are blank by default, but we recommend that novice users check all of the boxes in order to remove all existing threats detected during the scan.
Once you have checked the items that you want to have removed from your computer, you can left click “Next” to begin the automated removal process. Ad-Aware will begin removing the infections and will display a progress bar to indicate how much work remains to clean your PC.
After the progress bar reaches 100%, you will either be returned to the original Ad-Aware “start a scan” screen or you may receive a dialogue box informing you that some infections could not be removed. The box will ask you if you would like these infections removed the next time your PC is rebooted. We recommend you select yes, and then immediately reboot your PC.
After you reboot, Ad-Aware will load automatically and you will need to run another full scan. The process you went through with the first scan repeats, and a new results screen is displayed. Since nothing but Ad-Aware is running on your computer, the program should be able to remove the majority of stubborn infections. After the removal is complete and you exit the Ad-Aware program, your system will continue to boot normally.
The free version of the Ad-Aware does not offer real time protection, so spyware threats are removed only when you run a manual scan. Lavasoft has a commercial version of Ad-Aware that does offer real-time detection and removal available on their website starting at $26.95.
Spybot Search and Destroy
Spybot Search and Destroy (www.spybot.info) is a pioneer in the anti-spyware field. Although their free software has fewer downloads than Ad-Aware, it does have a different interface that some users may find slightly easier to use.
While Spybot Search and Destroy runs on all versions of Windows from Windows 98 through Windows Vista Ultimate, users installing Norton Antivirus may be asked to remove Spybot citing compatibility issues. Our tests indicated that reinstalling Spybot after installing Norton Antivirus had no ill effects on either application.
Spybot also has a wizard interface that makes installing and configuring the application easy for first time users. After you download the installation file form the Spybot website and run it, you will see the familiar “next” buttons. You will be required to accept the terms of use, and then the installation will continue.
Once the installation completes, Spybot should automatically open to its configuration wizard. This wizard will allow you to back up your Windows registry, check for and download updates, and install them.
With any anti-spyware application the updates are the most important single component in your protection. We strongly recommend that you do not skip the update download process.
After you have made your registry backup and click “next,” you can click on the “Check for Updates” box in the configuration wizard. A new Spybot window will appear showing you the latest updates available for download. The Spybot updates interface is more complex than the Ad-Aware interface, so it is important that you check each box to the left of each update to ensure you have everything you need to complete a scan of you PC. After checking all of the boxes, click on the Download Updates button to retrieve the updates.
After the updates have downloaded and installed successfully, click the “finish” button to automatically launch Spybot Search and Destroy. When the program launched, left click on the “Check for Problems” button and the scan will begin. Items that are discovered will appear in red in the results window as the scan progresses.
It has been our experience that Spybot scans complete more quickly than Ad-Aware scans, primarily because Ad-Aware scans the entire hard drive by default, and Spybot Search and Destroy elects to scan the common places Spyware hangs out in your computer by default.
Once the scan is complete, you will able to remove the items that Spybot Search and Destroy discovered. Unlike Ad-Aware, items in Spybot are automatically checked for you, so you do not have to check each item to select it for removal. Simply click the “Fix Selected Problems” button to remove the detected spyware from your PC.
As with Ad-Aware, there will be times that Spybot Search and Destroy is unable to remove a particular infection without rebooting the computer first. If you receive a message about the need to remove an item after reboot, click yes and reboot your computer.
Spybot will load before anything else does and will automatically initiate a scan. When the scan completes, simply click the “Fix Selected Problems” button to repair the infection.
Spybot is a 100% free program, and there are no commercial versions available that offer increased functionality. With that said, the makers of Spybot accept donations from satisfied customers on their website and encourage you to “pay what you think the program is worth.” There is no real-time protection available in Spybot Search and Destroy.
Other Newcomers:
Schrock Innovations has been making use of two newcomers to the spyware removal industry - Super Antispyware and Malwarebytes.
Some advanced spyware infections are now detecting and disabling the more mainstream removal programs like Ad-Aware. Using one of these new (and completely free) applications can free your computer so other more mainstream applications can run.
With tens of thousands of existing spyware infections on the web today and new ones popping up by the hour, it is more important than ever that you take the steps necessary to protect your PC against online assaults.
Luckily, free tools like Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy are there to offer affordable protection that effectively removes almost all spyware infections with little or no technical knowledge required.
Over the past two months I have made some posts talking about Ty Tymkovich and Corporate Acquisitions Group. Corporate Acquisitions Group finds investors for businesses and I listed one of my companies with him just over a year ago.
Corporate Acquisitions Group has a simple service guarantee: If they don't introduce you to a qualified investor within one year, you get the cost of your valuation back. My valuation was about $7,500 and I am happy to report that Ty and his company stand behind their guarantee. My valuation refund will be mailed Monday morning and I should have it no later than Wednesday.
UPDATE 7/16/09: Ty only sent me 1/2 of what he owed me. Two subsequent deadlines for the second half payment were missed. I have been contacted by two individuals who won binding arbitration agreements against Ty, but still have not received their money. I also received a copy of a document that revoked Ty's brokers license and requires the payment of a $6,500 fine to have it reinstated. Given the past history of failure to pay myself as well as others, as well as the fact that Ty is no longer licensed as a broker, I removed my business listings with Corporate Acquisitions Group as of 7/14/2009.
I am leaving my listing with Corporate Acquisitions Group because I believe that as the economy improves, Ty and his team are the people I want brokering my business.
You should know that I have contacted every single person who has posted a comment on my blog with something nasty to say about Ty or his company. I asked all of them to provide me a copy of a letter, an email, even notes from a phone call to document their claims. Not a single person did.
It has also been popular to try and associate Ty with a group of people who are under an investigation by the Secret Service for perpetrating some kind of fraud with a service guarantee that is similar to the one Ty offers. I can now report to you from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE that Ty is an honest businessman and there is no credible connection between him and these other people that always seem to come up in the comments section.
If anything more develops, I will keep you posted. Also from this point I *will be comment scrubbing on this post*
The non-event that was the Conficker virus sparked a ton of media attention on April 1. In one afternoon two TV crews visited the new Schrock Innovations Computer Repair Service Center in Lincoln, NE to talk about the virus.
I was also interviewed by the 1240 AM KFOR newsroom on March 31st.
In both interviews I predicted that the virus would be a non-event, but that the bot network left behind could be leveraged at a later date for just about anything.
Channel 10/11 ran a lengthened report on their website, and this is the video of that report used with permission. I did have to edit this video a bit to keep one of our local competitors happy.
While computer hardware prices have plummeted over the past few years, the cost of many popular software programs has soared to all-time highs. But you may not need to open your wallet to get the benefits offered by many high-end software suites.
In fact, a savvy consumer could save as much as $2,000 by selecting comparable open-source programs instead of buying the name-brand titles.
Open-source is a term that refers to software applications that are created by individuals or teams of individuals and distributed freely on the Internet. While open source software is similar to freeware, it differs in that the license allows others to freely add or modify the program to make it better.
I have found that there are hundreds of open-source programs available on the Internet, so for comparison purposes I selected four that appeared to compete directly with fee-based software titles. In this post I will examine open-source counterparts to Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Audition, and Microsoft Publisher to find out if they really measure up.
Challenger #1 – Open Office 2.0 vs. Microsoft Office ($399.99 Retail)
Open Office, available at www.openoffice.org, is an open-source productivity suite that was designed to compete directly with Microsoft Office Professional. It includes a word processor (compare to Word), a spreadsheet component (compare to Excel), and a presentation suite (compare to PowerPoint).
Downloading the 93 MB Open Office installer took a few minutes over a high-speed connection, but is significantly smaller than the multi-CD installation of Microsoft Office Professional. The installer asked us if we wanted to open all office documents with Open Office, but did not default the options. They even included a line that explains that you probably do not want to associate your Microsoft Office files with Open Office it you are just trying the product out.
Open Office Writer. The word processor in the Open Office suite is called Writer. At first glance, Writer looks nearly identical to Word, which makes the program easy to grasp for long-time Microsoft Word users.
Pros: The position of menu options and toolbar buttons closely resembles its Microsoft counterpart, and all toolbar buttons are clean and representative of their respective functions.
Just like Word, Writer is equipped with a real time spell checker that underlines misspelled words and provides a right-click interface to make suggested corrections. The open-source word processor also has all of the drawing features offered by Word.
Cons: When saving a document in Writer, it defaults the document type to a .odt file. These files will not open directly in Word, so if you are planning on sharing documents with others who do not have Open Office installed, you will need to select the “Save As” option from the File menu and select a Microsoft Word format from the drop down list.
Also, Writer does not have the grammar checking options that come standard with Word. Students using Writer in an academic environment may lose a few more grammar points on their term papers than their Microsoft-equipped friends.
Open Office Calc. The spreadsheet component in the Open Office suite is called Calc. Like Writer, Calc is closely styled after Microsoft’s Excel.
Pros: Calc recognizes almost all Microsoft Excel formulas, making it a viable alternative for the casual or small-business spreadsheet user who needs to plan an event or do some light accounting work.
If you print to PDF frequently you will find Calc’s direct support for PDF printing handy. The File menu contains a simple “print to PDF” command that allows you to create PDF documents without the need for Adobe Acrobat Professional or other related products.
Cons: If you email spreadsheets back and forth regularly to others you may find it a little annoying that you can not open a “read-only” spreadsheet without saving it first. If someone sends you a Calc spreadsheet as an attachment, you must first save it somewhere (like your desktop) and open it from there yourself.
Also, advanced Excel users may become frustrated with Calc’s lack of support for some advanced spread sheet commands and functions. If you are using Excel as a replacement for QuickBooks in your business, Calc may not be for you.
Open Office Impress. Open Office’s answer to Microsoft’s PowerPoint is called Impress. When you open Impress for the first time you are greeted with a clean wizard interface to help you start your presentation or open an existing presentation.
Pros: Impress allows you to open presentations created in Microsoft PowerPoint, make changes to the presentation and then re-save it again. This is a handy feature for the cash-strapped student who needs to view a professor’s classroom notes or create a presentation but can’t afford PowerPoint.
Cons: While Impress is great for opening and modifying existing presentations, it showed itself to be the least stable component of the Open Office suite in our tests. Each time we attempted to create a new presentation and add a background effect with the handy wizard, Impress crashed completely. We made two identical attempts with the same result.
In addition, PowerPoint users who are used to a wide variety of background selections for presentation slides will be disappointed with the meager choice of two backgrounds that come by default in Impress.
Conclusions: Open office 2.0 is a viable alternative for the budget conscious user who is familiar with Microsoft Office. Recent updates included with version 2.0 make the suite feel comfortable to the Microsoft Office user. Unless you are a high-octane Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint user, Open Office can save you nearly $400.
Challenger #2 – GimpShop vs. Adobe Photoshop CS2 ($649.00 Retail)
Over the past 10 years Adobe Photoshop has been elevated as the holy grail of photographic manipulation software by professionals and amateurs alike. While there are many low-cost alternatives to Photoshop, few offer the brushes, features, and capabilities that Photoshop lovers have come to rely on.
With that said, open-source developers are hot on Adobe’s heels with the latest version of Gimpshop (available at www.plasticbugs.com). Gimpshop is the latest variant of the GIMP open-source image manipulation program. Gimpshop puts a Photoshop-like interface on the old GIMP application to help Photoshop users feel more comfortable using the open-source program.
Pros: The download and installation sequence for Gimpshop was pretty straightforward and fast – less than 2 minutes form download to use. We found it fairly simple to open a picture, make basic photographic changes to its elements, resize it and save it again.
Cons: Gimpshop’s toolbars and buttons are similarly oriented to those in Photoshop, but the images in the buttons do differ significantly from those in Photoshop. For example, it took us a minute or two to find the crop button because it looks like a knife in Gimpshop. Needless to say, there is a slight learning curve to Gimpshop, even for those familiar with graphic editing software.
Another major difference that will throw long-time Photoshop users a curve ball is the double menu structure. Clicking on the “File” command in the top left corner only reveals an ‘Exit” option. The usual open, save, and save as functions are located in a second-tier file menu.
Conclusions: Gimpshop is a good alternative for the casual home photographer, but may not satisfy the demands of the professional or aspiring professional photographer. If you are just trying your hand at the craft, we would recommend giving Gimpshop a try. It will save you the $650.00 for Photoshop CS2 until you know you need the horsepower.
Challenger #3 – Scribus vs. Microsoft Publisher ($169.00 Retail)
The desire to create and print home made banners, greeting cards, signs, newsletters and brochures dates back to the days of the Apple IIe computer. Desktop publishing software has come a long way since then, and one of the industry leaders is Microsoft Publisher.
Until recently there was not an open-source alternative to Microsoft Publisher. Scribus (available at www.scribus.net) is a little known newcomer on the open-source scene that offers Publisher-like desktop and template publishing.
Unfortunately, installing Scribus reminded us of assembling a bicycle on Christmas night. The software is still considered beta, and there are different installation instructions based on your version of Windows. We had to install a secondary piece of open-source software to ensure Scribus would be able to print properly. There were also warnings about problems with custom fonts and a promise that code improvements are being made daily.
Pros: We were immediately impressed with the sleek look of the loading screen as the program made an initial cache of our fonts and prepared to run. Once it loaded completely, we were greeted by a thorough wizard to assist us in developing a new publication.
It was also very handy to have a single button in the toolbar that allowed us to save our publication as a PDF file without the need for any additional third-party software.
We also got a kick out of playing with the calendar script that allowed us to create single month or multi-month calendar with custom layouts above the fold and the standard boxed days below. This would be a very handy tool for the amateur photographer who wanted to make a custom calendar at home using personal photos.
Cons: We can not stress enough what a hurdle it was to get Scribus installed. The instructions were thorough and accurate, and if they are followed precisely, the program will install just fine. But how often does anyone thoroughly read the instructions before installing a program?
Another drawback is the severe shortage of templates to select from. There were only five templates available as compared to the hundreds of templates available in Publisher 2003. While some may prefer to create their own publication from scratch, sometimes having an example to work from can be helpful.
We mentioned that we liked the calendar creation script that comes with the Scribus package, however placing an image on the top fold of the calendar might be a challenge for the novice user. Unlike Publisher, photos and images can not be easily adjusted by clicking on a corner and dragging the frame to the desired size. In Scribus, images must be sized before they are imported. Also it is interesting to note that while Scribus supports GIMP for editing photos on the fly, it does not support Gimpshop.
Conclusions: While Scribus has potential, it is not ready for prime-time yet. The installation difficulty coupled with a lack of templates makes Scribus a challenge to use effectively. In this case we recommend using the fee-based software, Microsoft Publisher for $169.99.
Challenger #4 – Audacity vs. Adobe Audition ($350.00 Retail)
While Windows XP comes with Windows Movie Maker for basic movie editing, users who want to mix or edit their audio files need third party software to do so.
Adobe recently purchased Cool Edit Pro 2.0 from Syntrillion Software and renamed it Adobe Audition. We were very interested to see if there was any open-source software that could come close to matching this long-time audio powerhouse.
The only real contender in the open-source community we could find was a program called Audacity (available at http://audacity.sourceforge.net). The program installed smoothly and launch in about the same amount of time as Adobe Audition did.
Pros: Audacity allows multi-track recording from multiple input sources and is jam-packed with effects like cross fading, noise reduction, and echo. Importing existing audio from .mp3 format was very easy, and the audio quality of playback was superb.
Like Audition’s wave edit feature, Audacity allows you to zoom in on a particular snippet of audio within a track for up-close editing. A simple “zoom out” command returns the user to the original track view. Once the audio is perfectly polished, it can be saved in mp3, wav, or the programs proprietary .aup format.
Cons: Audacity requires the user to select “add a new track” from the Project menu each time the project demand an additional track. By comparison, Adobe Audition has a large number of empty tracks that are open by default, saving the user a few mouse clicks here and there. There is no keyboard shortcut to add a new track in Audacity, and to the audio professional it will seem unnecessarily laborious to require 2 mouse clicks to add a new track.
Conclusions: We were very impressed with the simplicity and intuitive operation Audacity offered. In many ways, it was easier to use than Adobe Audition with is multitude of bells and whistles.
We would feel extremely comfortable recommending Audacity to our readers as it will probably meet your audio recording, mixing, and production needs while sparing the $349 you would have spent on Adobe Audition. Even advanced recording buffs should find Audacity an asset in any home recording studio.
As we mentioned before, there are literally hundreds of different open-source programs available on the Internet covering just about any purpose you can image. While many still have some room for improvement, our review found that in many cases these free applications are viable enough to save a user hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in unnecessary software purchases.
Before you make your next high-dollar software purchase you might want to do a quick search for an open-source alternative. In many cases, your wallet will thank you!
Over the past few days there has been a lot of concern about the Conficker virus that is expected to strike on April 1, 2009. Callers to my radio show asked me if they should be concerned, and my answer was pretty straight forward.
If the following describes you, you should be relatively safe from the Conficker virus:
- You have a genuine (not illegal) copy of Windows
- You have up-to-date Antivirus Software from a company like Symantec (not free antivirus from your ISP or Free AVG)
- You are current with your Windows Updates
- You can get to the website www.symantec.com
With that said, there are also important details about this infection that you should know to help keep your friends and relatives safe as well.
The Conficker virus was first detected in November of 2008, and Microsoft released a patch to address the issue then. As long as you have this patch, your computer will not be impacted by Conficker.
The majority of the current infections appear to be in China, Brazil, Russia, India, and Argentina, all counties with rampant software piracy problems.
The reason the media has focused on an April 1 attack deadline is because no one knows what Conficker will do once it is activated in those countries.
Because the Internet is a global instrument, it is possible that computers in those countries might be able to attack websites or systems in the U.S. to create DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks that could slow online traffic opr prevent you from viewing some websites for a short period.
My personal guess on COnficker is that a whole lot of nothing will happen on April 1, with a possible follow up attack on April 2nd when no one ius expecting it. Now there's an April fools joke!
A few months back I wrote a post about why a recession is the perfect opportunity to use the assets you have to position yourself against your small business competition. I also encouraged my readers to make a plan based on your businesses strengths and not the strengths of their competitors.
If you are successful in gaining market share during slow economic times, that market share is coming directly from your competitors.
There is no doubt that recessions can be stressful on businesses, and if you are soaking up market share form your competitors their ability to pay their bills on time will be effected.
That is why I use Dunn and Bradstreet to keep an eye on my direct competitors for me.
Whenever the competition is late with their bills or their Paydex (business credit) score drops, that is an indication that they are experiencing financial stress.
Today I received an alert on one of my local competitors that I am not going to name here. The point of this post is that if you conduct your business operations from a position of strength, you can then use indicators like these to see which of your competitors are being displaced by your activities.
The difference between computing bliss and a blue-screen tragedy can be as simple as a bad driver, a new piece of hardware, or the latest software update.
Windows users fall victim to any number of blue screen error messages that can transform a once powerful computer into a helpless doorstop. Fortunately, many of the most common hardware errors can be diagnosed and resolved with little more than a quick web search and some troubleshooting skills.
In this post, we will address some of the most common Windows blue screen errors, tell you what causes them and how you can resolve them yourself.
Preparation
Before you can troubleshoot a blue screen error message, you have to be able to see it. Windows XP is configured by default to automatically restart in the event that a blue screen error message occurs.
By disabling this feature, it will leave the error message on your screen where you can read it and gather important information that will help you resolve the problem properly.
To disable the automatic restart feature, right click on My Computer and left click on Properties. Next left click on the Advanced tab and then left click on the settings button under the Startup and Recovery category.
Now you should see a checkbox that says “Automatically restart.” Make certain that box is NOT checked, then click Apply and Ok to close the window.
Blue Screen Error #1 – Stop 0x00000050 Page_Fault_in_Nonpaged_Area
Cause: This error occurs when Windows cannot retrieve something it has stored in memory within your computer. Windows is saying it stored information in container A within your PC, but when it went back for it, the information was missing. Windows does not know what to do, so you get an error.
Solution: This problem is almost always caused by faulty system memory, a defective hard drive, or a bad video card. In some cases it can also be related to outdated video card software drivers.
To narrow down the culprits, download and run a free RAM memory diagnostic program such as Memtest86 (www.memtest86.com). It is best to let the memory test run several times to allow the memory to warm up as it would in a normal computing environment.
If your memory tests ok, look at the hard drive next. You can test the surface of your hard drive by booting from your Windows XP installation disk (if you did not get a Windows XP CD with your computer, you can download a free boot disk creator from Microsoft’s support website at http://support.microsoft.com).
Insert your Windows CD (or first boot disk) into your computer and restart the system. When the message “press any key to boot from CD” appears, press a key and wait for the disk to load. Next press r to load the recovery console, and then press the enter key to log into your computer as an administrator. At the command prompt, type “chkdsk /p” (without the quotes) to run a quick scan of your hard drive.
If after the scan completes you see the words “one or more problems were discovered” then you need to run a second command to fix the problems. Type in “chkdsk /r” to run a more thorough scan and repair routine.
This could take a significant amount of time, depending on the size of your hard drive. Allow the scan to complete and do not restart your PC until it does.
You should once again see the message indicating that problems were discovered and repaired. Next run a second “chkdsk /p” to see if the hard drive tests clean. If the problems persist on your drive, it is time to replace the hard drive or seek the services of a qualified computer repair service center. If no errors are reported, your hard drive is probably not the cause of the problem.
The next stop in the troubleshooting chain is the video card. You can download and run the free Video Card Stability Test program (http://freestone-group.com) to make certain everything is in tip top shape there as well.
If all of your hardware tests OK, then the problem is most likely the result of an out of date video driver. Most video cards are ATI (www.ati.com) or Nvidia (www.nvidia.com) and both companies offer recent drivers free of charge if needed.
Blue Screen Error #2 – Stop 0x0000000A IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Cause: A process running on your computer is attempting to access an area in the computer’s memory that it does not have permission to access. Since permission is denied, the process doesn’t know what to do, and you end up looking at a blue screen of death.
Solution: Sometimes the error message provides very useful clues such as a driver file or a device class such as video hard or hard drive controller. If it does, note the information and do a quick web search to find out if someone has resolved this problem in the past.
Most of the time this error is caused by outdated device driver software for a new piece of hardware or software (like a virus scanner) that has recently been installed. If you have recently installed any new hardware or software, remove it to see if the problem is resolved.
If there is no file name or device class in the error message, then you may have to do some digging to figure out what went wrong. Reboot your computer (if it will reboot) and right click on My computer, and left click on Manage.
This will open the Computer Management Window. In the left pane there is an option called Event Viewer. Left click on Event Viewer and then left click on System in the right pane.
This will show you a list of every event that occurred in your system for the past few days. You are only concerned with any that have a red and white error symbol on the left. These symbols indicate that something that was supposed to happen did not work properly.
You may also notice that the date and time of the error is recorded. Look for an error that occurred at about the same date and time that your computer crashed. You will find valuable information here that will help you search for a resolution.
If there is an error that corresponds with your crash, double click on it to open it and then enter the error message into a search engine and see if anyone else has successfully resolved the problem in the past.
In a worst case scenario, no event was available in the Event Viewer, no clues were offered in the error message and you have not made any changes to your computer recently.
These are the most frustrating situations because the only way to resolve them is by trial and error. Remove any non-essential hardware from your computer. This includes printers, scanners, digital cameras, iPods, or any other device that you can spare.
If the problem is resolved, then you know it is one of the pieces of hardware you disconnected that is causing the problem. Go to the manufacturer’s website for each of the devices and make certain you have the most recent software installed for each.
Reconnect each device one at a time until the problem returns (if it returns). Eventually you will narrow the problem to one specific piece of equipment or device driver.
If disconnecting all of your external components does not offer any improvement, the same methodology can be used for the components inside your computer. Remove any non-essential cards, drives, and accessories to see if they might be the cause. It may take some time, but eventually you will track the issue to its root.
The availability of support documents and forums on the Internet has made the task of troubleshooting complex errors easier than ever. The next time you have a blue screen error, take a stab at resolving it yourself before you call in your tech guru. Chances are he or she will use the same troubleshooting methods mentioned here and you might just save yourself a few dollars by doing it yourself!
What Are Drivers and Are they Up to Date?
Every hardware device in your computer needs a little help getting its job done right. Drivers are small pieces of software that act like instruction manuals for your hardware. They tell your devices what they are supposed to do, and how to interact with your operating system.
Having outdated or incorrect drivers installed for your hardware can lead to unexpected errors, crashes, or generally poor performance. Unfortunately, unless you are experiencing a problem there is not a giant red flag that waives when your device drivers are incorrect or outdated.
However, you can take a few simple steps to ensure you have the latest correct drivers installed for your hardware without having to go on the Easter egg hunt of the century. Windows XP and Vista make driver checking somewhat easier through the use of Microsoft Update (formerly called Windows Update).
To use Microsoft Update, connect your computer to the Internet and then left click on Start and left click on All Programs. You will see the Microsoft Update option at the top of the menu. Left click on the Microsoft Update option and a new Internet Explorer window will open (note that you MUST use Internet Explorer to access Microsoft Update).
There will be two options on this screen – Express and Custom. Left click on the Custom button and wait a few moments while Microsoft determines what updates are available for your computer.
Once Microsoft Update is done scanning your computer, you will notice that all updates are organized into three categories on the left side of the screen. Driver updates will all be contained under the last category called “Hardware, Optional”.
Typically it is good to download and install all of these optional drivers. Left click on the Hardware, Optional category and check the boxes next to each driver update. Once all have been checked, left click on the “Review and install updates” link. Next click on the “Download Updates” button and agree to any of the end user license agreements that may appear. You will most likely need to restart your computer after the installation is complete.
The only time you need to be careful with Microsoft Update is when it asks you to update a video card driver. In the past, users have reported that Microsoft has installed improper video card driver updates through the Microsoft Update center. For video driver updates it is best to go directly to the website for your computer or video card to check for the latest drivers.
Schrock Innovations Web Development Team has been busy the past few days testing our clients' website to make certain they will display properly in IE8. In the coming weeks, IE 8 will be pushed to every Windows XP and Vista user through Windows Update.
If your website is not compliant, it could look awful in the new browser, and your company's image could be slighted in the eyes of millions of web surfers world-wide (IE is still the most widely used browser by far).
So what do you need to do to see if your website is impacted? Follow these steps below to check your website and then take steps to correct the problem.
Step 1. Test Your Website:
Download and install IE 8 to your computer. You can locate the version that is right for you on the Internet Explorer website.
Step 2. Open Your Website With IE8
Using IE8, navigate to your website. If the site appears to display normally, you should be fine. If your website's elements don't line up properly, you should try using IE in compatibility mode to see if the problem is resolved.
You might have noticed a new icon just at the end of the address bar that looks like a piece of paper torn in half.
Click on the icon to activate compatibility mode. If your website now displays properly, you need to have your website tweaked to work normally in IE8.
Step 3. Call Schrock Innovations 866-496-8772
Schrock Innovations is one of Nebraska's leading web development companies. We understand that small businesses did not budget for an unexpected website tweak, and we are doing what we can to help.
Through the end of April Schrock is offering new web development customers 50% off of our normal rates to get their websites into IE8 shape.
Call us at 866-496-8772 for a free, no obligation quote.
It might surprise you to find that the data that appears to be so neatly organized inside files and folders on your computer is actually more jumbled than a bucket full of Scrabble letters.
While a computer’s hard drive is very precise in remembering where it has stored your data, it does tend to store it in some strange places from time to time.
Unlike a neatly organized filing cabinet, your computer breaks up large files into smaller file fragments tailored to fill the first available free spaces on your hard drive.
This process of saving file fragments in the first available slot on your hard drive forces your computer to work harder to read an entire file from start to finish. Because the computer must work harder to read a particular file or program, it takes more time to complete even a simple task like sending an email. Organizing these scattered file fragments into one continuous file on your hard drive is called defragmenting.
To better understand the concept, imagine picking up today’s newspaper and reading a front page article. After a few paragraphs you are asked to turn to another page to continue reading the story.
It takes you some time to open the paper, turn to the proper page, and find the story to continue reading. Now imagine that you are required to move to a different page after each paragraph of the story. It would take a lot more time to read the fragmented story than it would have if the story was printed on a single page.
The same concept applies to your hard drive. It takes time for the mechanical components of your hard drive to skip all over your drive and locate all of the fragments of a single file. Over time, hard drives can become so fragmented that they begin to boot slower that they used to or seem sluggish when performing common tasks.
Regularly defragmenting your hard drive will take all of the file fragments that are scattered about your drive and organize them into complete files. Since you hard drive can now read the fragments as one continuous file, your computer will perform faster than it did in its fragmented state.
How Do I Defragment My Hard Drive?
Windows XP comes with a defragmentation tool appropriately called Disk Defragmenter. The Windows Disk Defragmenter can only defragment files that are not in use. Although you can continue to work as your computer is defragmenting its hard drive, you will get a more complete defragmentation if you do not have programs or files open during the defragmentation process.
To get an even more thorough defragmentation you can reboot your computer into Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key when your computer is booting before the Windows XP splash screen appears. This prevents any applications from loading when your computer boots, including your antivirus and firewall software. With no programs or files open, the utility is free to defragment every file on the drive with the exception of certain Windows files that are in use.
Once you have closed any unnecessary programs or files, you can access the Disk Defragmenter by left clicking on Start, then on All Programs, then on Accessories, then on System tools, and finally on Disk Defragmenter.
When the Disk Defragmenter Utility opens you will need to left click on the drive you wish to defragment (if you have more than one hard drive). Once you have selected the drive you wish to defragment, you will be presented with two options: Analyze or Defragment.
The Analyze button creates two informational graphs that can help you determine how badly fragmented the files on your hard drive have become. The first graph shows the number of fragmented versus non-fragmented files. Files that cannot be defragmented are represented by different colors. The second graph will show the expected level of file fragmentation should you decide to defragment the drive.
If you choose to analyze your drive before defragmenting it, Windows will give you its suggestion as to whether you should or should not defragment the drive.
The Defragment button simply begins work on organizing your file fragments into continuous files. Smaller fragments are shifted into free areas of the drive and slowly sorted and resaved as continuous files.
The amount of time required to complete the defragmentation process will vary based on the size of the hard drive, available free space, amount of data stored on the drive, speed of the drive, and the level of file fragmentation. Frequently defragmenting a hard drive will reduce the amount of time required to perform subsequent defragmentations.
Once the defragmentation process is complete, you can exit the Disk Defragmenter utility by left clicking on the red X in the top right corner of the window. If you performed your defragmentation in Safe Mode, you will need to restart your computer to put it back into normal mode again.
Depending on the amount of fragmentation on your drive, the performance improvement you experience will vary. However, a recent study by Diskeeper Corporation (www.diskeeper.com) found that a brand new computer with a fresh installation of Windows XP can boot 27% faster after running a basic disk defragmentation. If a brand new computer can reap the benefits of a defragmentation out of the box, it stands to reason that your system could as well.
Sidebar #1 – The Great Debate – How often should one defrag? Why do people’s opinions differ?
If defragging your computer results in a performance increase, it would seem to make sense that frequently defragmenting your computer would keep it in top form at all time. But exactly how often should you defragment your hard drive?
This question is often hotly debated because the answer is relative to what you use your computer for. Any computer use (even just turning on your computer and turning it off again) creates a degree of file fragmentation.
To know how often you should defragment your hard drive, you first need to know what kind of a computer user you are. Most computer users can be sorted into three categories: Minimal Users, Moderate Users, and Advanced Users.
Minimal Users
A Minimal User is defined as a computer user who only uses a computer for a certain fixed task such as typing a letter or playing solitaire. Most often a minimal user does not use Email or the Internet, and is on their computer less than a few hours a week.
Minimal users should defragment their computers once each month at a minimum. While additional defragmentations will not hurt the drive, the performance gained through the process does not justify the time or effort.
Moderate Users
A Moderate User is defined as a computer user who uses their computer on a daily basis for Internet, Email, word processing or other productivity tasks. Digital photography activity, music downloading, and frequently adding and removing programs can lead to significant file fragmentation in a short period of time. A home office user would easily fit into this category.
Moderate Users should defragment their computers once each week at a minimum. The temporary Internet files that are stored, and subsequently deleted can lead to significant file fragmentation. In addition, desktop publishing applications or other productivity tools tend to create significantly large temporary files that are frequently modified and then deleted once the application is closed. The holes left behind by these deleted files are known as free space fragmentation.
Advanced Users
An Advanced User is defined as a computer user who uses their computer for a number of hours each day for intense activities. The activities can include high-end video gaming, video or audio editing, advanced photo manipulation, and software development.
Advanced Users should defragment their drives daily or every other day. The typical Advanced User activities create enormous temporary files that are almost constantly modified before eventually being deleted. In addition, the massive audio or video files that are created by these users tend to be broken up and stored in every available nook and cranny on the drive. Advanced Users who do not defragment their drives frequently will see rapid and dramatic reductions in performance as a result of file fragmentation.
Sidebar #2 – Talk about 3rd Party Defraggers – Recommendations?
Even though Windows XP comes with its own Disk Defragmentation Utility, it does have its limitations. If you want to get the most thorough defragmentation of your drive that is possible, you may need to download and install a third-party defragmentation utility.
One of the Disk Defragmenter’s greatest drawbacks is that it cannot defragment files that are in use. While there would be little performance gain from defragmenting most of Windows’ system files, defragmenting your Windows page file can make a world of difference on a computer that is short on memory for the workload it is enduring.
When a Windows-based computer is booted, it creates a page file that is used as extra RAM memory in the event that your computer runs out of physical memory. This page file is increased when the need for additional memory arises, but typically does not shrink back down once the need for extra memory has passed.
As your page file grows, it becomes fragmented and can contribute to sluggish PC operation. The Windows Disk Defragmenter cannot defragment this file because it is always in use by Windows, so a third party defragmentation utility is needed to address this, and other similar Windows system files.
Microsoft has a free page file defragmentation utility on their website called PageDefrag that was originally developed by Mark Russinovich. The utility will defragment your Windows XP page file after a simple restart of your computer. You can download this utility at: http://microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals. Note that this utility is not compatible with Windows Vista.
If you are looking for a complete solution that defragments everything that can possibly be defragmented on a drive, then Diskeeper’s Diskeeper software (www.diskeeper.com, $29.99) is a perfect solution.
The company offers a free 30-day trial download from their website that allows you to test the product on your computer before you purchase it. Diskeeper will defragment your normal files and folders, as well as your page file and many areas the Windows Disk Defragmenter Utility will not touch.
In addition to its thorough drive defragmentation options, the software provides a wealth of graphs that help you understand the current fragmentation status of your hard drive. Diskeeper is fully compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Microsoft's long-awaited Internet Explorer version 8 is complete and will be released this morning via at 11 A.M. CST as well as the Internet Explorer 8 Website and thousands of websites will be instantly broken by the new browser.
Everything about IE8 is pretty much run of the mill with a couple exceptions. IE8 will conform to standards set by other browsers such as Mozilla's Firefox. As a result, websites that were coded to work exclusively on previous versions of IE may not display correctly in IE8.
If you own a website that is not displaying correctly in IE8, Schrock Innovations offers a special program where our web design staff can bring your website into compliance at a discounted hourly rate. Contact Schrock Innovations for more information on the program.
To help counter the compatibility situation, Microsoft is offering users a downloadable Compatibility List of sites which automatically default to the older versions of Internet Explorer 7 to properly display the older websites. in order to lessen compatibility problems with IE 8.
Microsoft is planning to push IE 8 to users via its automatic updating mechanisms, but has yet to set a date as to when it will do so. In the interim, downloading the IE 8 code from Microsoft’s Web site will be the way interested users can obtain the latest release of the Microsoft browser.
Microsoft also plans to bundle IE 8 with Windows 7 when that operating system is launched, most likely later this year.
UPDATE 8-8-09: Ty did respond to my letter ad he did send me a refund check for 1/2 of the amount he owed to me. After two additional missed deadlines, he has yet to mail me the second half of the refund that was due in 2008. There are multiple others who are owed refunds as well - some of which have supplied me with recorded phone calls with Ty. In these recordings Ty agrees that he will pay the refund (as he did in email messages to me) and then fails to do so because, as he freely admits, he does not have the money.
The main reason I signed with CAG was because Ty said he was regulated by the State of Colorado Board of Real Estate and at the time his story checked out. Recently I learned that Ty is a convicted felon who lied on his broker's application to obtain his brokers license. His license has since been revoked. I have no reason to believe I will ever see the rest of my money from Ty Tymkovich.
Some of you might remember that I wrote a post about a business I was trying to find an investor for through Corporate Acquisitions Group. The one year anniversary of that business listing is coming up on the 25th of March, and my agreement with Corporate Acquisitions Group states that if they can not find an investor for me, they will refund the $7,500 cost of the initial business valuation that was performed.
The agreement states:
Corporate Acquisitions Group will introduce a qualified buyer or investor that is interested in purchasing the above named company at a fair market value or Corporate Acquisitions Group will refund the dollar amount listed above.
My initial post generated a little controversy, as well as some strange phone calls and emails from people who claim that Corporate Acquisitions Group never paid them a refund, and some truly negative comments from readers about the company's owner, Ty Tymkovich himself.
It is important to note that I have asked those who contacted me to provide copies of letters they claim to have received, but they will not. I have asked to see copies of the Service Agreement they signed, as I did, and they can't produce one. This is the Internet and anyone can write ANYTHING. I have made the decision to find the reality in this situation myself and promise to share it with all of my readers.
With that said, I am not just being a hopeful fool. I believe that Ty Tymkovich and Corporate Acquisitions Group will refund the $7,500 business valuation in accordance with our agreement because I have taken the time to actually call Ty and speak to him about what is being said.
I have actually taken the time to call the regulatory board that grants Ty a broker's license in Colorado. Every FACTUAL thing I check tells me Corporate Acquisitions Group is on the up-and-up. (Real Estate brokers need to be bonded, and you don't get bonded if you break your contracts)
As I promised in the first post, I am sending a letter today to Corporate Acquisitions Group requesting a valuation refund in accordance with our agreement. I will keep a careful record of what happens and will report the outcome here as well.
There are a lot of very negative things bouncing around on blogs online about this company and its owner, and I have not been able to confirm a single one of them despite DILIGENT efforts.
What a company does is much more influential than what they SAY they will do, so hang tight for a month and I will let all of you know how it comes out.
Some of my friends have questioned the wisdom of expanding Schrock Innovations and hiring so many new people when the news on the economy is so dire.
I am by nature an optimist - often to a fault. But I believe that this recession is going to be the single greatest thing to ever happen to my company and here is why.
- Inflation is coming - fast. Now is the time to buy everything. The Obama spending spree (whether justified or not) will have to be paid back - and that bill will come due soon. Your dollar is as strong as it will ever be in the next 20 years, so spend them now to get the things you need to scale up your business and beat tomorrow's inflation.
- Build Your Staff Now. People are losing their jobs now and the happy-go-lucky days of landing a $25 an hour job with no degree are gone for now. As a business owner this is an opportunity to thank you staff with less valuable, but more frequent rewards.
Your people are your biggest asset, so make sure they stay where you want them - in your employment!
- Grow Explosively. This is seemingly counter intuitive, but right now everyone expects everyone else to be on the ropes. If you can create a real situation that allows you to grow explosively your competition is likely to stand by and watch rather than react.
When the economy gets better you will be in a dominant position. Now is the time for people of courage to act!
- Remember to Give Back. This is not a post designed to hammer the Obama administration (although you should know how I feel about the guy by now), but it is a fact that tax deductions for charitable contributions are going to be reduced, and that means people will give less to charities that are doing important work. Find a way to give something back to your community in these tough times and you will build relati0nships and networking contacts that will serve you well for years to come.
For many people (especially those in places like Michigan) this recession is very real and very scary. But even in places as troubled as Michigan this recession is creating opportunities.
The business leaders of tomorrow will be the ones who see those opportunities and position themselves to take advantage of historic times.
As Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel would say, never waste a good crisis. (Sorry Obama lovers... I had to get one more dig in there)
Hiring computer technicians is always hard for Schrock Innovations. Many PC repair shops can simply look for a person with good tech skills, but at Schrock we have to find a person with great tech skills, good people skills, and most importantly a dedication to customer service.
After nearly three weeks of searching, we found the person we needed in Jon Popek.
Jon was working for the University of Nebraska, Lincoln before we hired him as a full-time service technician. Jon is one of those guys who can fix just about anything.
He works on PCs and Macs. He can fix your computer, or he can fix your car. He is a naturally gifted problem solver and that will serve him well at Schrock.
But Jon is more than just a technician. I have had the chance to watch him on the Schrock Desk for a few days and he is amazing on the phones too. He is extremely patient, calm, and aware of his customer's perceptions. This is a skill that simply can't be taught.
If Jon senses that a customer is frustrated, confused, or just overwhelmed Jon resets the situation help the customer feel at ease while still solving the problem. That kind of service is priceless.
There is always a trial period where we "test out" a new employee to make sure they are right for Schrock and that Schrock is right for them. During this period I am looking at the candidates skill set and ability to make decisions in the interests of our customers.
Last Friday Jon called me after the Service Center closed. We were still recovering from the massive Maintenance Checkup Sale we held, and some of our customers who took advantage of the sale have been 4-5 days without their computers due to the unexpected volume we had.
Jon had spent the majority of the day fielding status check phone calls from customers who wanted an update on their computers. Even with our wireless bluetooth headsets, doing 20 status check calls an hour kills your productivity.
Eventually the situation became a self-fulfilling prophecy as lower productivity leads to slower completions which leads to more calls, etc...
Jon was calling to ask me if he could come in two hours early the next day to work uninterrupted before the phones started ringing. I was impressed by his initiative and told him I would also come in two hours early to help him.
Together we dropped about 12 computers in 2 hours, leading to satisfied customers and fewer phone calls. Jon instinctively knew what a consultant had warned me about when we expanded our hours.
I was told to watch our for productivity drops as sometimes longer hours actually result in less work getting done. Because of Jon's efforts our next schedule will take advantage of the 2 "Golden Hours" in the morning whenever our turn around times are longer than two business days.
Jon, we are all very happy to have you and we look forward to learning form you in many ways in the future. Now on a side note... It's really time to trim the teddy bear. You know what I mean!
We have been busy at Schrock Innovations repairing click-jacking victims who have become infected with the latest fake-alert variant called AV 360. These fake antivirus programs infect your computer and tell you that to fix your PC you need to pay them $50 for a fully functional version of their program.
This stuff is infecting people running McAfee, Norton Antivirus and Internet Security, AVG, Avast, and numerous other widely used programs (NOT Norton 360 - more on that later). I wanted to take a moment to describe what click jacking is, how you get infected with Antivirus 360, and what you can do to prevent it.
What is Click Jacking?
A person is "Click Jacked" when they go to a web page that appears to be legitimate (like an online game website or a stock trading website) and click on something that looks legitimate.
Once the user clicks, the click is rerouted to a illegitimate source that infects the user's computer. The person using the computer never knows anything has happened until it is too late. A more technical description of click jacking can be read here.
How Do You Get Infected with AV360?
After you have been "click jacked" your computer is told to download a virus to your hard drive. In many cases your antivirus software will be disabled and destroyed by the virus, which will then itsself mascarade as a legitimate antivirus program. It will ask you to use your credit card to buy a license for the software online so it can "clean" your computer.
AV360 is the latest in a long line of "fake alert" infections that included Internet Antivirus 2009 for example. These infections also prevent the installation of almost all widely used antivirus and malware removal programs, which means once you are infected it can be difficult to get clean again without the assistance of a technician.
How the Attackers Find You
Each of these infections have a life cycle, and that is why the malware authors continually release new version of the software to infect you. This is the bullet-list life cycle that they use to find you and infect your computer:
- The malware authors create the fake alert malware program (the virus)
- They then create thousands of legitimate websites with useful information all centered around a popular search term (what people are searching for in Google)
- All at once they release the legitimate websites they created on the web and they are added to the search engines' indexes
- Over time, tactics are used to push the suspect websites to the top of the search results
- Once they have all or most of the top 10 results for a search term, the content is changed to click jack visitors
- Visitors are infected
- Over time, the pages are located and are rendered ineffective by antivirus software or anti-phishing filters
- The infection dies off and the cycle begins again with a new name and new websites
Why Do These People Do This?
The main goal of the fake-alert schemes are to trick people into spending $50-$100 to buy the fake antivirus program. I have not heard of any credit card fraud associated with the numbers that are collected in this process, but I certainly wouldn't trust them myself.
A secondary goal is to build a network of computers that can be used to attack other computers (a botnet). All of the users that are tricked into buying the program think they are now safely protected. In the mean time, the malware authors now have unfettered access to their PCs and can use them for any number of nefarious purposes.
In the past botnets have been used to:
- Attack foreign governments (Russia attacked Georgia with a botnet before their land invasion)
- Make money with pop-up windows
- Attack and disable websites (DDoS Attacks)
- Backdoor other infections into the computer
- Steal vital information like passwords, credit card numbers, or Social Security account numbers
How Can I Protect Myself From Click Jacking?
At Schrock Innovations we recommend and install Norton 360 exclusively now.
We don't get paid anything by Symantec to recommend their software, but because we warranty every installation we perform we recommend software that works. If we install antivirus software on your computer and you get infected, Schrock is obliged to remove your infection at no additional cost to you.
As you might imagine we don't want warranty service calls for virus removals, so we recommend the one program we have seen that can actually get the job done right - Norton 360.
Its been almost two weeks since my last post, and it is not for want of post topic ideas. Despite all of our efforts to spread the PC Maintenance Checkup Sale volume over a three week period, once again we had our rear ends handed to us - in a good way.
We have learned over the past couple years that we need to take steps to keep our turnaround times as low as possible during this sale. We emailed all of our existing customers a week before the sale launched asking them to come in early to "beat the rush." The next day we had a 40-60 computer queue and our turnaround times immediately went to three days (we try to keep it to same day or next day whenever possible).
Mid-week I posted an announcement to this blog, and our rolling queue shot up to over 100 units, pushing our turnaround times to 4 days with all of my staff working 20 hours of overtime a week.
Then on Saturday we had our Grand Opening at the new Lincoln Computer Repair Service Center. With a live radio remote, free food from Red Robin, door prizes, and the Maintenance Checkup Sale, our rolling queue jumped to an unsustainable 250 computers. We "activated" 10 more of our dormant bench spots to push our bench capacity to 36 units, but there was nothing more we could do. We just had to work through the queue.
Lily started suggesting customers schedule a free pickup or drop-off for the week of March 23rd for customers who could not wait 5 days to get their computers back. That helped stem the tide of incoming units, and allowed us to start catching up.
At this moment we still have more than 180 computers in our Lincoln Service Center from the sale and are still quoting 4-day turnaround.
While it is awesome that we have such a positive response to our Maintenance Checkup sale (probably because it is a crazy good value at $14.99), I still loathe 5 day turn around times for any of our customers.
We only do the MC Sale twice a year, so between now and then I am going to task Schrock's development team to produce an internal tool for us that will automate as much of the process as possible. We have to get turn around times down to 3 days at the maximum or we risk damaging our reputation as Lincoln's computer service leader.
Schrock Innovations will be holding our first Preventative Maintenance Checkup Sale of 2009 this weekend to promote the grand opening of our new Computer Repair Service Center on the corner of 27th and Pine Lake Road.
Although we are "officially" launching the sale on this weekend's Compute This radio show, you are invited to bring your PC in now and beat the inevitable rush!
A PC Maintenance Checkup is a complete head-to-toe examination of a computer that takes between 8 and 12 hours of bench time to complete. Our Maintenance Checkup is normally a great deal at its usual price of $60, but for next week only we will be discounting that price to an amazing $14.99.
During a PC Maintenance Checkup our trained technicians will:
- Scan your computer's memory (Vital for Vista users)
- Blow dust and debris out of cooling fans
- Check fan rotation speeds and cooling effectiveness
- Ensure your installed Antivirus is effective and updated
- Test all drives
- Check hard drive for masked bad sectors
- Clean computer exterior if needed
- Repair errors in the Windows Registry
- Perform an advanced hard drive cleaning
- Install critical system support software
- Scan for and removes malware
- Scan for viruses and Trojans
Even accomplished PC users should see the value in this offer at an amazing $14.99 price!
In 2008 we had more than 200 computers come though our old Lincoln Service Center in a mere 2 weeks. No mater how many late nights we work, it doesn't take a mathemiticain to figure out our turn around times are going to stack up as the week rolls on.
Beat the rush and bring your PC in today before the sale is broadcast on the radio this weekend!
There are Wordpress plugins out there to pull popular posts to your sidebar, but what if you have posts in a category that you want to MAKE popular by featuring them? I looked high and low and could not find anything that did what I needed, so I had it created for me.
The new Post Emphasis WordPress Plugin pulls posts form specified categories on your blog into your sidebar as links to featured posts. Because the plugin is tied to your categories and not to specific posts, as you update important categories, the plugin makes sure your site-wide sidebar is updated with the latest links.
Now that the kinks are worked out, I am making this plugin openly available to anyone who wants to use it. Click here to download the Post Emphasis Plugin.
The plugin was coded by Rohan Shenoy. I found Rohan by posting a request for a plugin coder on the Digital Point Forums. He did an amazing job, and had the final revision to me in hours.
Linking to posts in categories you want to promote helps draw readers deeper into your blog's content which reduces bounce rate, increases page views, and leads to more return readership.
Let me know if you have any questions about the plugin or suggestions as to how it could be improved.
The Midlands Business Journal ran a special technology section on the 13th and I was interviewed for the article on green technology.
It was an opportune time for them to interview me on the subject because I was in the midst of replacing a ton of Schrock Innovations' outdated tech equipment with modern, more energy efficient gear.
I was one of three local technology experts quoted in the article - Jason Black of MSI System Integrators, and the Vice President of IT from Creighton University, Brian Young also contributed
They mostly quoted me about the energy and cost savings of replacing whatever CRTs you may still have with LCD flat panels. I made the point that consumers won't see much savings on their electrical bill but businesses with a number of monitors will definitely see a cost savings.
Check out the article or subscribe today!
Fox News posted an article yesterday about Facebook changing its terms of service.
Facebook always claimed the rights to any content you place on the Facebook website, including the right to use the content to promote third party products or services. The change they tried to slip in under the radar states that even if you terminate your Facebook account they can still use the content you uploaded in the past.
In effect, if you ever upload it to Facebook, you can never take it down.
For most people this isn't a big deal, but how would you feel if your child's picture showed up on FaceBook promoting a product or service?
We are still getting settled into our new computer repair service center, but we allowed a camera crew to come in and do a little filming for a commercial we are running to promote our new location.
We moved about 2 blocks from where we were before, but our new facility is the dramatic upgrade that we needed to maintain our service levels over the next 5-10 years.
We are still waiting on some super-spiffy wall art and a couple of displays Kim is picking up from IKEA in Minnesota this weekend, but once we have that we should be at 100%
Our grand opening is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of the 28th, and we have some amazing specials in the pipeline :-)
Last month Schrock Innovations screwed up badly repairing a customer's computer. Our customer had a Sony notebook and Best Buy said it would take 2 weeks for a warranty repair. The customer was going to Spain in a few days and needed the notebook. They brought it in to us for a speedy repair and in our zeal to provide a superior service experience, we fell flat on our faces.
There are only two ways for businesses to survive an economy in recession. They can lower service levels and hunker down for the economic storm or they can raise your service standards and position themselves to take customers from their cowering competition.
The way your company handles difficult situations is more important than anything else if you are working to take customers from your competitors. Here is what we did wrong, why the laptop did not make it on the plane to Spain, and why we ended up buying our customer a whole new Sony notebook on our dime. How would your company have handled this situation?
The Situation:
Alan brought his daughter's computer in to Schrock because he needed it fixed fast. Her Sony notebook was less than a year old and she had been saving for months to buy it. The fan quit working, and the computer was overheating as a result. Best Buy needed 2 weeks to send the unit away for repair, but her flight to Spain left in a few days.
We ordered the replacement fan, had it next day shipped to our service center, and then one of our notebook technicians started installing it - except it wouldn't work. They sent us the wrong fan, and it required more power that the notebook was providing. We knew she wanted the notebook for her flight, so we rewired the power source to temporarily ramp up power to the fan.
We had done this for customers in a pinch before with no negative side effects, but this time it didn't go so well. The modification blasted the notebook's audio and made the video spotty at best. The damage was permanent.
We now had 12 hours to figure something out before her flight.
The Decision:
My techs were exhausted and they had done all they could. I personally looked at the unit and came to the same diagnosis. I was angry at myself for making the wrong call and telling my techs to modify the unit. I was frustrated with the situation. I was not looking forward to the phone call I knew I had to make.
I looked up from the notebook and Barb, Eric, Doug and Mike were all looking at me. I took a deep breath and said quietly we have to do the right thing here. We have to buy her a new notebook. THis had never happened in Schrock's history before. I directed Mike to find replacement components to have a quote ready if the customer decided to repair the unit. I asked Eric to find me the EXACT same model and get me a price and shipping time quote - to Spain.
More Problems:
Mike came back to me about an hour later. The replacement motherboard we needed was out of stock everywhere. He had even checked e-Bay.
Then Eric reported back that Sony has discontinued her notebook. It is no longer available from anyone that he could find. They had replaced it with a newer model that looked almost the same, but with an Apple-like Mac Book copycat keyboard.
I gathered all of the numbers together and settled in for the call.
The Phone Call:
Alan was understandable upset. He reinforced that they had never asked us to modify the notebook. His daughter was in tears because the notebook she had worked so long to save for was destroyed.
I told Alan about my plan to replace the unit and he was a little skeptical. We went over every feature one by one so he could be comfortable in knowing we were not replacing his daughter's notebook with an inferior model.
She departed for Spain, and Alan told us to go ahead with the order.
The New Notebook:
We rush shipped the new notebook to our Service canter rather than straight to Spain. The thought occurred to us that she probably did not have her original program disks with her in Spain, and sending her a notebook with no software on it wouldn't be much of a help.
Eric cloned her old hard drive to the new one and then repaired her Vista installation. The result was a new notebook with old data and programs that worked perfectly. We boxed it securely and shipped it to Spain at our cost.
The Lesson Learned:
There were a lot of lessons to be learned form this experience, but the biggest lesson of all was summed up nicely in a note that Alan sent to us after his daughter had her new notebook in hand. Here is what he wrote:
Thor,
I received an international call from my daughter, Laura, early this morning. After the laptop had been shipped to Spain, there had been further delays caused by custom hassles and the payment of import taxes. But it was finally delivered to her today.
There are many aspects of this lengthy ordeal that have been exasperating and infuriating. But I am not writing to complain about the laundry list of things that went wrong. I want to thank you for the things you personally did to make things right.
I had a dull ache in my stomach the night before Laura left for Spain when she got her laptop back and discovered the jerry-rigged fan installation had damaged her audio and messed up her monitor. I had a gut feeling right then and there that her laptop had been permanently damaged. However, I calmed Laura down and reassured her that everything would be okay and we'd get her 'fixed-as-good-as-new' laptop shipped to her ASAP. But truth be told, I really didn't believe my own words. I suspected I would be going back and forth for weeks with your company debating over whether or not her laptop was truly 'fixed' while my daughter remained overseas without her much-needed computer. You and I both know that this would have been the case with many computer companies.
They say a person's true character is revealed during times of trouble and adversity. Clearly, you are a stand-up guy, Thor. I admire the way you took full responsibility for what happened to Laura's computer and did what you could to make things right as best you could. Your actions speak volumes about the type of person you are as well as the type of company you run.
Best wishes and take care,
Alan
Buying a customer a whole new nbotobook is a tough pill to swallow anytime, let alone when you are working to make every dime count in a controlled expansion. But the valuable lesson here is that customer service is based in actions and not words. All of the expansion plans in the world don't matter a bit if you lose sight of what makes good service - even in a bad situation.
Lincoln, Nebraska is the 7th best metropolitan economy in the country right now. That is a good thing for Nest Furniture, because with their poor customer service I wouldn't be surprised if they are still around next year.
Maybe the owner was having a bad day. Maybe his dog died. Maybe he had a fight with his wife just before we came in. The point of this post is that NONE OF THAT MATTERS. Small businesses need to understand that the quality of their service - especially in an industry as competitive as furniture - is what separates failure from success.
Here is the situation my wife and I encountered at Nest Furniture today as we tried to give them $500 for a pair of tables for our new service center. Needless to say, our order has been canceled and we will not be back again. How would you have handled this one?
Bad Service Personified
Schrock Innovations is building a new computer repair service center in Lincoln, NE. We found some unique display tables for laptops at a local odds-and-ends store called Nest Furniture.
My wife Kim placed two metal tables on hold in January for a total of $500. We didn't have a truck with us that day, so I offered to send in a check if they would hold the tables until early February when we open the new location.
The owner gave me a ticket for the tables marked with free delivery to our new location and C.O.D. terms. Seeing the C.O.D. terms, I did not send a check (because C.O.D. means Cash on Delivery and they were delivering them in early February)
My wife and I stopped in today to let them know we are ready to take delivery of the tables. The owner told me that he had canceled our order because he had not received a check in January. I was a little surprised and reminded him that our ticket said C.O.D.
I figured we had a misunderstanding, and it wasn't a big deal since he still had the tables and I still wanted them. So I asked him to deliver them to our new address on Monday so they would be ready for our Tuesday opening.
Just Hand Over the Money
The owner's tone changed, he cocked his head and said no, "I'll tell you what. You bring me a check and then we will deliver them."
I was a little taken aback by his tone, but I figured it was understandable since he thought we had promised him a check once and then didn't follow through. I did not have a company check book with me at that moment, so I asked him again if he would mind delivering them on Monday and I could give him a check when he dropped them off.
At that his face grimaced, he took a stern tone and told me since we had screwed him over once he was not going to do anything until we brought him money. "You just bring a check in on Monday and then we will deliver them when we have time."
This situation falls into the "you had to be there" category because the tension was thick enough to see hanging in the air. I felt myself getting angry, so I decided there was nothing to do until Monday anyway, so I turned to leave.
The Email Response
Tonight I sent Nest Furniture this email:
After the way my wife and I were treated in your store this afternoon, we are canceling our order for the two metal tables we wanted. We will be ordering the tables from IKEA, like we did with the rest of our furniture.
I understand that there was a miscommunication - you thought I was sending a check for the tables, and I saw COD on our ticket and assumed you wanted cash on delivery. Either way, you still had the tables today and I still wanted them. There was no need to treat my wife and I like we were some kind of scam artists trying to steal two metal tables from you.
I don't carry a ledger checkbook with me, and when I build an $830,000 service center I don't just whip my credit card out to buy things. Everything is done with a purchase order so it can be tracked.
I don't know if something bad happened to you right before we came in, but anytime two customers who WANT to spend money in your store leave cursing your name, that is not a good thing for business.
I was further offended because that very morning I gave your business a 5 minute commercial during our Compute This radio show about how Nest was the place to go to find one-of-a-kind furniture pieces. Over 20,000 people heard that spot in Lincoln, and probably a few hundred more on the internet through Twitter and Facebook. I was upset because I had lent your operation the credibility of my reputation.
I don't want anything from you. No apology, no discounts, no tables - that is not what this is about. I just want to let you know how your attitude today lost you $500, a ton of positive goodwill, and an active friend in the local business community.
One of the reasons that Schrock Innovations has grown so much more quickly than other computer repair companies in our market is because we know that creating satisfied customers means everything. The customer's satisfaction is what matters - without it nothing else can happen.
There are always situations that are beyond salvaging, but this was not one of them. The way Nest is doing business may fly on the West Coast, but the owner has a lot to learn about doing business in Nebraska.
Charity Adams appeared on the set of Top Affiliate Challenge to help contestants find WebJamAds programs that matched their traffic.
While she was on the set, Charity reconnected with her love to help people in person. Shortly after the conclusion of the show she took a position marketing for the Good Samaritan Society. She seemed to be on a good path until recently.
Now Charity is behind bars, and some might even think this is a good thing.
Actually, it is for a really good cause. Charity has been able to raise quite a bit of money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association from her personal contacts, but she needs some help with her online efforts.
The MDA funds cutting edge research to help kids who suffer from the crippling disease. They are a research leader in the field, and almost every dollar goes to fund cutting edge research and treatments.
Her goal is to raise $1,600 to "bail her out." I made an online contribution last night to get her started. If you have the time to help, any contribution is welcome. Will you help?