Why Windows Update is Important

Windows update is a service provided my Microsoft that will constantly check your computer to ensure you have the latest updates downloaded and installed on your system. Most computers that have Windows Update enabled will have it check once a day and install updates a time of their choosing. Windows Update will make various updates to system files and other core components of Windows such as Internet Explorer. They are constantly sending updates to your computer because even though the Windows operating system is on the shelf and you can buy it, they still find security loop holes and other errors caused by the system files, so Microsoft will release an update to fix these issues. Occasionally with each operating system, Microsoft will release what is known as a service pack. A service pack is a group of updates which are typically deemed most important. These updates are important to keeping your system safe because with out them, your system would have security vulnerabilities that could be exploited to infect your system with a virus and compromise your data and security.

How do I enable Windows Update?

To activate Windows Update, open up your control panel and look for Windows Update or Security Center. Through either of these settings you can then enable Windows Update and choose how you would like Microsoft to update your system. If your Windows Update is disabled and you are having trouble getting it activated and working, our friendly technicians would be glad to assist you, just start a chat by clicking one of our chat buttons on our site or calling us toll free at (866)960-0592.

What About Program Update Alerts, are they Important?

Yes, program updates are very important, not keeping a program up to date on your computer can allow security vulnerabilities which can lead to virus infections and other issues. Lately viruses have been infecting computers by using a vulnerability in Java and Adobe Reader to infect your system with viruses. Now this does not mean you should uninstall those programs, because you use them everyday when surfing the internet or viewing a file. A common thing I see users do it uninstall programs they don’t think they use, and this can cause issues, because there are a lot of programs you use on a day to day basis such as flash, java, adobe products, and others programs to surf the internet and run programs, so the next time a program ask you to update, it is probably a smart idea to do so.

One of the most common issues with Microsoft Exchange Outlook is the inability to open your email client at all, due to what is known as a PST utility file error message. Do not automatically assume that this is because of a problem with your local computer. PST corruptions happen on an Exchange server generally—and not on individual workstations. However, that doesn’t mean that this problem is any less severe; it is actually more severe because it is likely affecting many users. It needs to be promptly remedied; if not, you and your associates risk losing all contacts, settings, e-mails and calendars.

Without the Outlook.pst file it’s very simple: Exchange Outlook will cease to work. What’s worse is that a corrupted PST file on an Exchange server may be caused by a virus, and is capable of propagating itself throughout your network. Furthermore, if your PST utility has been corrupted by an outage or internal network flaw, it is strongly advised that you have the problem analyzed and repaired by a professional.
We are a company who can typically repair this problem in just 30 minutes. Here are several things that could indicate a corrupt PST utility file:

• If you’ve recently had a power outage, and one of your computers was affected (that Outlook up-and-running), this could be the problem.
• If Outlook is loading up very slowly.
• A corrupted network device could also be the culprit. Since the PST resides on a server, the problem can easily spread through your network via NIC’s, routers, hubs, connections and so forth.
• If Outlook gives you an error message saying that it is “unable to open/display folder”.
• If you see a “ISTORX32.DLL error when you initiate Outlook.
• If and when you initiate the Detect and Repair option and you get a “1931” error, this means that essential patches (security updates) cannot get through—the result is that your whole server becomes vulnerable.
• If you receive a 0×80040119 error.

Those are some of the common indicators that people experience when the PST is corrupted. Support Nerds employs professional with several years of experience analyzing, diagnosing and fixing Microsoft and servers and workstations. Support Nerds can ordinarily diagnose and fully repair an Outlook.pst file corruption, as well as most other technical server problems in 30-45 minutes or less.

Support Nerds places certified technicians that have the very latest software tools at their disposal. Our standard prices to fix things such as corrupted PST files and repair any damaged hardware or software are also very competitive; compare us with anyone. We work with individual consumers, small-to-medium companies and large enterprise businesses. We will work on your problem for as long as it takes, and your total satisfaction is our goal.

Support Nerds was recently interviewed on WBKO about the issues faced by many small businesses in light of the McAfee Bug. Kyle Springer explained how many small businesses across the nation are left dealing with the McAfee bug on their own.

View the Story on WBKO’s website: http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/91877854.html

or Read Below:

Your anti-virus software may have glitched your computer and you may not even know it.

On Wednesday, a faulty program by the McAfee software caused PC problems all across the country, including Kentucky.

But a least one computer expert says for some, the problem may last a few more days.

“You would just be sitting here and your internet would disappear, your PC would slow down and you wouldn’t know why,” explained Kyle Springer, CEO for Support Nerds, of Bowling Green.

It’s a problem that’s kept Springer busy since Wednesday.

“It’s just been ramping up since,” he said. “It will probably go through the weekend because some people probably still don’t know what the problem is with their PC.”

Springer is the head of a Bowling Green company called Support Nerds.

He says his company has taken 30 to 40 calls a day regarding a glitch stemming from the anti-virus software, McAfee.

“Somewhere in their programming they had messed up and completed what’s called a ‘false positive,’ where it actually deleted a Windows file and disables your internet,” he said.

The glitch struck government offices, schools and even some hospitals across the country.

And while according to McAfee, the problem only affected corporate customers, Springer says it’s been the small businesses that continue to suffer.

“They don’t have an IT department, so when they have these issues it’s just as if they’re at home,” he said. “They don’t have an IT person to go to and they don’t know what the problem is, so business is down and they’re losing money.”

Other computer repair shops we spoke to say they haven’t seen many problems from the glitch.

They add that they do tell their customers just to avoid McAfee software all together because of problems.

McAfee has posted fixes to the problem on its website.

Now your more then welcome to try these methods, but I am telling you, they are time consuming and in most cases, will just put you further out of your pocket. The reason being is today’s malware infects into system files and requires a human with knowledge of how they work to be able to completely remove the viruses. Also, when you take the benefit of having a trained technician who is specialized in virus removal look at your system, we will be able to manually fix a lot of problems that programs never notice, such as slow start up times and other common issues.

The difference between a Operating System CD and Recovery CD?

Operating System CD

An operating system CD is a CD that contains the installations files for installing your operating system rather it be windows XP, Vista, or 7. This is the best CD to have for emergency situations because Support Nerds Technicians are able to walk you through a system repair keeping all your personal documents in tact such as pictures, and office documents. Today most PC’s are shipping with the OS on the hard drive which will also pose quite a few issues to most customers of Support Nerds.

Recovery CD

A recovery CD and recovery CD’s placed on a separate hard drive partition are a pain to work with. Mainly for the reason that instead of being able to repair the OS, they only give you the option to restore your computer to the day you bought it meaning a loss of all your personal documents such as your pictures. This is not an option for most users because losing their personal pictures would be horrible. We can only hope that the major PC carriers will change this process and start providing OEM installation CD’s again.

How to Keep your Personal Documents when You only Have a Recovery CD

Support Nerds has developed a Live Recovery CD that enables us to boot your PC off of our custom built operating system on our recovery CD, which we then can upload all your personal documents to our secure servers then perform a recovery and put your personal documents on your PC so you experience 0% data loss.

If you are having this issue and do not want to lose your personal documents in the process of fixing your computer, start a chat with a Support Nerds Tech, or call us toll free at (866)960-0592 and we can assist and ensure all your data is safe.

• One Time Fee of $25
• Lifetime License and Updates
• Active Malware Scanning
• IP Snooping Protection

So don’t risk getting infected on your new computers. Instead, purchase MalwareBytes for your protection or even purchase it as a second layer of protection if your computer came with a free anti-virus subscription.

The Proof is in the Pudding

During the past year, customers who came to us for virus removal and purchased MalwareBytes have stayed virus free. Of those who purchased, less than 2% came back for virus removal.

Optimal Performance - Speed
Firefox is programmed with a powerful JavaScript engine that improves your browsing speed tremendously.  Unlike with Internet Explorer, you won’t experience the annoying delays loading new pages. If you use Internet Explorer, you are wasting lots of time waiting for pages to load.  Additionally, Firefox defends against unwanted Active X scripts. These scripts make your browsing environment  open to viruses, and greatly slow your browsing performance.

Tabbed Browsing
Firefox has a something called “tabbed browsing,” which simplifies the task of switching from window to another. Firefox loads multiple websites into a single window by using tabs. You can switch between these sites with ease by simply clicking on one of the tabs. It is a convenient and easy way to manage multiple open web pages that will save you tons of time and will eliminate the need to use the Windows taskbar repeatedly to switch between websites.

Pop-up Ad Blocker
Firefox has a unique option in the browser settings which allow you to block all of those annoying pop up ad’s you get while browsing. Firefox has a built in defense system that fights against those unwanted pop up ads and animated image advertisements. After installation, Simply click Tools->Options->Content and select “Block Pop-up Windows.”  You will never have to worry about those annoying pop up ads again. Firefox also allows you to remove annoying image advertisements.  Simply right click on the image and select “block images from this server.”

Firefox Plugins & Extensions
Plugins can help your overall browsing experience. Plugins typically help with special functions. Whether it is viewing a particular graphic format, or playing a specific video file(multimedia), Plugins are quick and easy to download, and they are incorporated directly into Firefox. Extensions are add-on updates you can download that improve a current plugin or web setting you already have installed. Plugins and Extenstions are available at the Firefox website.

Improved Security & Protection against Spyware & Malware
Chances are, if you are using I.E. or any other web browser, you have experienced the pains of dealing with spyware and malware. All of these problems usually originate from a website you are browsing. Firefox is specially designed to combat the newest and most intrusive types of computer viruses. Unlike Internet explorer, Firefox doesn’t automatically allow intrusive ads that breed spyware and malware viruses. To learn more about malware & spyware and why they are detrimental to your browsing experience, click here.

Privacy – Knowing that your browsing experience is yours alone.
Firefox has 3 simple options: Remember History, Never Remember History, or custom settings. They are built directly into the browser under “tools.”  With custom settings, you can manually select whether you want certain information stored, while other information is cleared. It allows you to accept or reject cookies from websites.  A “cookie,” is basically a settings file for any given website.  One use of cookies is to store your login information so that a webpage login form will be auto-filled when you return to the page.  Sometimes it is better to clear cookies if, for example, you share your computer with friends or family.  Firefox makes it simple to customize your browsing environment leaving it up to you what you share with other people who use your computer.

Easy Installation
You don’t have to be a know-it-all to install Firefox. Installation and setup are very quick and easy. The process is straight forward and takes no more then a few minutes. Additionally, you can import all of the settings from your current browser (i.e. favorites, bookmarks), and have them directly imported to Mozilla. Firefox also supports multiple languages, in case you’d like to browse in another language.

Understanding the Types of Viruses

There are various types of viruses, and different classifications of each, to better understand the different types of viruses, visit our blog post about Virus Types.

Understanding the File System

The system files are stored in your “C:/Windows/” folder.  These are the core files that drive your operating system. Viruses have begun to embed themselves within these files so that it makes it hard for the anti-virus community to remove them. These viruses are known as root kit viruses. These are the most difficult viruses to remove and typically require a hands on approach from an expert who has had years of experience in dealing with viruses and the file system.

What is the Registry?

The easiest way to understand the registry is to imagine it to be a storage center for important things used to run your operating system. It stores settings that are critical to the programs that run on your computer. Some of the items contained in the registry are the start up items for your PC, information about the programs that are installed as well as user preferences. Under no circumstance should anyone attempt to edit their registry unless they are 100% sure of what they are doing. You should not attempt to edit the registry unless you are an advanced windows user and even then only if you know what the effect of the edit will be.  Incorrectly editing the registry could result in the your system becoming inoperable.

So How do I get Rid of this Virus Safely?

You have a several options if you think you have been infected by a virus. You can type in the symptoms you are experiencing into any search engine. This will yield a list of articles and forum posts from people who have had symptoms similar to yours. You then go through each article and forum post until you find information that most closely resembles your exact symptoms.  Once you do that you continue reading to find a solution in the article or forum post. Once you find the instructions for removal you follow the steps outlined to remove the virus. This may or may not fix your issue. If not, you start over. Another option is to download more anti-virus software. This may or may not be effective because there are new viruses released daily and there is no anti-virus program that can protect you 100%.  Another choice is to take your computer to a local repair store. However, this is costly, typically in the $150 range, inconvenient and most of all it’s unnecessary. We think the best solution is to have an online expert remove the virus for you by remotely logging into your computer. You can come to Support Nerds and get it resolved by one of our U.S. Based Certified Experts. We perform virus removal and other services starting at $49.95 with a 100% No Fix, No Pay Guarantee!

Tools that are run from the “Run” Command

If you go to Start>Run, you will see a window pop up with a text box. Using this window and text box you can type in the following commands to bring up system settings:

• taskmgr
  Task Manager will display all running processes of a PC, this is a good place to look if you have a program that wont close and want to close it using the administrator settings.
• services.msc
  This will bring up a window that will display all running services on your system and details about them
• msconfig
  MSConfig displays start up items and information and settings for booting you computer.

Using Safe Mode to Access Your Computer

You can also use Windows Safe Mode to access your PC which means that it will load the core system files needed to minimally run the operating system. This can be done by pressing F8 over and over as soon you turn on the computer. You can visit our “How to Boot Up in Safe Mode” to understand Safe Mode better.

Are You in Need of Computer Repair or Virus Removal?

If you need PC Support or think you might be infected by viruses, spy ware, or malware,  feel free to visit our site at http://www.supportnerds.com and chat for free with a U.S. Based Certified Expert who will diagnose your problem and can perform a virus removal, typically in under 1 hour with out you ever leaving the comforts of home.

Start a Live Chat Now With a U.S. Based Certified Expert!

So How Does a Human Touch Differ?

Our U.S. Based Support Experts are trained to combat against the latest computer viruses. With Support Nerds, you aren’t just paying that one-time fee for a program that might go out of date or be insufficient when removing viruses or malware. With Support Nerds, you are receiving a guarantee that our expert will resolve your issue.  Support Nerds is proud to serve our customers with true human interaction, courtesy of our Certified U.S. Based Experts. The benefits of working one on one with our live support go beyond the typical quick fix solution you find in most programs and involves a deep thorough look into your system to ensure its safety.

Benefits of Human Repair

Years of Experience
Our Experts have years of experience specializing in whatever issue your PC is having enabling us to pin point the problem and ensure that the problem is completely resolved. Programs don’t always check everything and are not always sufficient in scanning or repairing a system.

Guaranteed Repair
We offer a 100% No Fix, No Pay Guarantee with every service we provide. Most programs you purchase on the internet do not give this guarantee because they know they are not 100% effective in solving your PC issues. We rely on our U.S. Based Certified Experts to resolve your issue and leave you 100% satisfied.

Friendly Service
With a program, you will run the file, and it will give back results of issues found but not fully explain what the issues are, how they occurred, or how they will be removed. With our friendly service, our experts will explain to you exactly what they are doing so you understand the process and become more educated about computers to help prevent further issues.

While many of the competitive anti-virus programs online may seem legitimate, many do not offer the incentive of a money back guarantee, as well as a U.S. Certified technician that understands the way anti spyware and virus removal technology works. Over and Over, customers buy malware removal programs that offer no money back guarantee, and they are left losing big bucks when that software simply does not work efficiently, or goes out of date.

Are You in Need of Computer Repair or Virus Removal?

If you need PC Support or think you might be infected by viruses, spy ware, or malware, feel free to visit our site at http://www.supportnerds.com and chat for free with a U.S. Based Certified Expert who will diagnose your problem and can perform a virus removal, typically in under 1 hour with out you ever leaving the comforts of home.

Start a Live Chat Now With a U.S. Based Certified Expert!