Last January, Microsoft announced the date they will end Windows 7 support - January 14, 2020.  For the large businesses still using Windows 7, Microsoft is offering a pricey  subscription based extended support for Pro and Enterprise users. Home users, the majority of you, will no longer get security updates, even if you are willing to pay for them.

Without security updates, it will no longer be safe to use Windows 7 on the internet. If you are still using Windows 7, you have about 9 months to move to Windows 10, and Microsoft will provide you with  a nag screen to remind you. The big question is, should you upgrade your current system, or should you buy a new one. 

How to tell if you are still on Windows 7 - I get asked this more often than you would think. Simply look in the lower left of your screen. If you see a round start button like the one illustrating this article, you are using Windows 7. If there is a "Windows key" shaped start button, you are already using Windows 10 and you are all set.

Upgrade benefits - The biggest benefits here are cost and convenience. Almost  every system that can run Windows 7 can run Windows 10 successfully. Although the free upgrade period ended years ago, Microsoft has quietly never turned off the ability to upgrade for free. Windows 10 officially costs $119.00, but I have never had to buy it for a single upgrade client. 

If you choose to upgrade, it's also a great time to add a solid state drive (SSD) to your system. I know I have been pushing them, but only because everybody who gets one is so thoroughly pleased with the results.

Assuming that Microsoft continues to activate Windows 10 upgrades for free, the price to have me upgrade your system is my  flat rate drop off fee of $150, plus the optional cost of an SSD, which run between $75 and $125, depending on the size of the drive.

Generally I offer a 24 hour turnaround for Windows 10 upgrades, even with the SSD add-on. If that's the way you choose to go, just give me a call and we can schedule it at the time that's most convenient for you.

New system benefits - The biggest benefit of replacing your old computer is that you get a modern new system, faster and more powerful than your old one. Especially if you use a laptop, your old system  may just be tired, outdated, have broken keys, hinges, or a battery that won't charge, and be ready for replacement. In that case, start budgeting for a new computer by the end of the year. I'm happy to help you pick a new system, and migrate your data from the old one to the new.

Regardless of whether you upgrade your old system or replace it with a new one, understand that this is a necessary move. Windows 7 was released in 2009, and it's reasonable that Microsoft no longer wishes to support it. Windows 10 is a superior and more secure operating system.

If you have any questions about your system and what is best for you, please feel free to give me a call!  

I see more malware on Macs than on PCs these days, and the most common route to infection appears to be fake Adobe Flash Player updates. 

Adobe Flash Player is a small browser plug-in that allows certain types of media, mostly games and videos, to run in browsers. Since it works with many different types of programs, it has always been a potential security risk. Because of that, newer and safer technologies have been developed, and Flash is actually on its way out. Adobe has announced end of support in 2020, and there are fewer and fewer sites that use it. On all major browsers, Flash is blocked by default, and you have to enable it for each site that requires it.

Currently, Apple includes Flash in Safari, and automatically updates it via routine security patches. If you are using one of the three latest versions of MacOS, your Flash should already be the latest version. If it is not, Safari will not allow Flash sites to run.

Google Chrome also includes Flash as part of the browser, and also automatically updates it to the latest version. Even if you are not on the latest release of MacOS, you should be able to access sites that need Flash by using Chrome.

Even though you no longer need to manually update Flash, pop-ups asking to update Flash have been around almost as long as the internet, so most people just assume any Flash update pop-up is legit and attempt to install it. Malware writers know this, and so they take legitimate Flash updates, attach their spyware and viruses to them, then create what look like real Flash update pop-ups to try to trick you into installing their spyware. Don't fall for it! If you see a Flash Update pop-up, just leave the site. If you find you can't leave the site easily, follow these steps to  force quit your browser.

If you have installed a fake Flash update, and have malware on your Mac, I can clean it off for you and get things back to normal, usually in a single one hour appointment. Please give me a call!

AOL Verizon/Outlook Bug

As if you AOL Verizon folks haven't had enough problems, last month I heard from several of you who had mysteriously lost all of your email storage folders.

The problem occurs for Verizon.net email users who pick up their mail using Outlook, although it also affected a few people using IOS mail. Every client with the problem had multiple personal folders in email, and all of sudden Outlook showed just the Inbox, Outbox, Sent, Drafts and Deleted folders. 

If this happens to you, rest easy, as there is a simple fix. Log on to AOL, and you will see that all of your personal folders are still there - they just aren't showing up in Outlook. The fix is to rename all of your folders at AOL - just adding a 1 to the name of each folder is enough. Then shut down Outlook, turn it on again, and your folders should be back!