Everyday Tips from the ComputerMom 
  June 2020
 
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With things slowly opening up, I hope this newsletter finds you and your family well. I have started to do more house call visits, wearing a mask and gloves, in addition to my ongoing drop-off and remote services.

There was a major AOL outage in May, so my first article details troubleshooting steps if your email suddenly stops working. Next, a guide to the most popular internet browsers. And finally, learn how to recognize scams at Google's new ScamSpotter website.

Stay well!

Regards,

Julie Marto 
 
PS - Remote support has been a lifesaver, and I'm pleased to have been able to assist so many of you safely and effectively. I'm now remotely supporting PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets, and I can often log in and solve your problem the same day you call!
Diagnosing email problems

Last week  AOL had a major outage, and I got several calls from clients who were unable to send or receive email. It's not uncommon for websites to have outages -sometimes something goes wrong with their systems, and there's nothing to be done but to wait until they resolve the problem. However, when AOL, Google, Comcast, or other email providers go down, it can cause an unexplained disruption with cryptic error messages. So, if something goes wrong and you are not getting your email, how do you know if it's you or if it's them? Here are some steps to try:
  • Make sure your internet connection is working. It seems elementary to say it, but your email won't come in if you are not connected to the internet. So try browsing the web, doing a Google search, or going to a different site. If you can't get anywhere, the problem is your internet connection, not your email. Try restarting your router, even if other devices in your household are able to connect. If you have already restarted your router, and other devices can connect, give me a call and I can troubleshoot the problem. If none of your devices can connect, call your internet service provider.
  • Did you recently change your email password?  Or perhaps you turned on two factor authentication. If you did, you probably need to update the settings in your email program, like Outlook, Windows Mail, or Apple Mail, or on your phone or tablet. If that's what's going on, give me a call and I can schedule a house call or help you with a remote session.
  • Can you get your email by going directly to the server? If your internet is working, you should try going directly to AOL.com, Gmail.com, or whoever is providing your email. If you know your password but can't log in to the site, assume they are having problems, and try again in an hour or two. You can also check to see if other people are having issues by visiting a site like DownDetector that reports outages at major sites.
So, let's say that your internet is working fine, you haven't changed your log-in information, and you can get your email on your phone, or by going directly to the server. But all of a sudden your email program, like Apple Mail or Outlook, starts asking for your password and not sending or receiving mail. This is most likely a server problem as well, even though it doesn't look like it. Don't change any of your settings or re-enter your password - just try waiting a few hours to see if it resolves itself. I can tell you that in 90% of the cases it will. If it doesn't resolve itself in a few hours, give me a call and I will check to make sure all your settings are correct.  
Internet Browsers
If the internet is the information superhighway, your browser is the car you use to drive to your destination. All browsers provide basically the same functions, but, just like cars, some are faster than others, or offer different features. 

All computers come with at least one browser built in. PCs come with  Edge and  Internet Explorer. Macs come with  Safari. Many people also download and add at least one additional browser, usually either Google's  Chrome or Mozilla's  Firefox, although there are other niche players to choose from. It's a good idea to have more than one browser, as sometimes websites work better with one than another. 

I'm sure you have noticed that if you search for a pair of shoes, you subsequently get bombarded with shoe ads. All browsers make money for their parent company the same way - though partnerships with advertisers. So, no matter which browser you use, by using the web itself you give up a certain measure of privacy. 

Apart from advising people to stop using Internet Explorer, I don't really have a browser preference - whatever works for you is fine. Here's a rundown of the major browsers, with some ideas about why you might pick one over the other. Make sure you turn on images in this email, so you can see the icons for each one.


"New" Edge, based on the Chromium engine, Microsoft introduced this in January 2020 and has been rolling it out through automatic updates. It's been very well received, and is a good choice for people using Windows 10. It can also be installed on pretty much any platform, including Android, iPhones and iPads, and Macs. Although it is Microsoft specific, it will also run Chrome add-ins and extensions.

Safari, Apple's built in browser, is a good choice if you use iCloud to keep all your settings in sync. Most importantly, if you are using iCloud Keychain as a password manager, Safari will automatically load your strong passwords across your Apple devices. Safari is no longer supported in the Windows environment, so it's really an Apple only product.

Firefox differentiates itself by offering more security and privacy features than other browsers. Although they also generate revenue through advertising links and partnerships, Firefox blocks certain types of tracking by default. Firefox users might have recently seen a pop-up message about encrypted DNS. This is an additional privacy feature, and is perfectly safe to turn on.

Chrome - the world's most popular browser, Google's Chrome is fast and functional and works hard to integrate any Google services you use. However, as the Google empire continues to expand, there are people who worry about Chrome and your personal web data. I actually use Chrome as my 'daily driver", and feel they provide adequate privacy protection, but I have also customized many Google privacy settings.


"Old" Edge - Microsoft introduced this browser with Windows 10, to replace Internet Explorer. Built from the ground up, it launched missing a lot of functionality people were accustomed to using in browser, and never really caught on in popularity. It's currently being phased out in favor of the new Edge. 

Internet Explorer - Originally part of Windows 95, Internet Explorer should really no longer be used, as it's older architecture isn't up to today's security standards and is vulnerable to hackers. However, Microsoft still includes it in Windows 10, and some older websites require it. If you are still using Internet Explorer as your daily driver, it's important you switch to one of the other options available to you.

ScamSpotter

You're not the only one bored at home - the scammers are stuck there too, and they've responding by ramping up their efforts to separate you from your money.  Google recently published  a new website to help people recognize how scammers work, and it's very simple and easy to follow

Please pass this link on to anybody you think might be at risk - it's much safer for us all to be armed with a good idea of what to look for!