Dear Geek,

I’m constantly getting pop-ups notifying me of updates.  I find it annoying to install them, as it takes time out of my day.  Do I have to install them?  

Signed,

Updated

Dear Updated,

Hackers use known vulnerabilities in OSs (Operating Systems) as loopholes to get into computer systems.  Many of the updates sent out by the OS manufacturers (ie Microsoft) that are marked “critical” are security-related.  This means that the update ‘patches’ a known flaw in the OS.  Because the updates could be fixing a vulnerability that a hacker has found, it’s a good idea to install the updates in the “Recommended” section.  At the very least, you should make certain to keep “Windows Update” active, so you’ll at least know about updates available to fix these OS loopholes.  Another reason to install updates is that they can sometimes add or improve features.  Microsoft also uses Windows Update to keep its software titles, such as Microsoft Office, up-to-date.  You can even allow Windows to automatically install updates, so you won’t need to do any manual work to install the updates.  Instead, you’ll just be alerted that Windows has installed the updates.

Technology by Design provides a monthly service for both workstations (computers) and servers, which automatically installs any updates required for your OS (Operating System) or 3rd party software without any disruption to your day.  Technology by Design provides updates for over 100 3rd-party software programs, such as Skype, iTunes, Flash, Java, Adobe Reader, Picasa, Spybot, DropBox, TeamViewer.  Depending on the package you choose, you could also receive a lower hourly service rate, quicker emergency response times, phone and remote support sessions, virus removal, optimizations (an electronic cleaning out of your computer to make it work its best), spyware monitoring and removal, an Executive Summary Report, a regular Review and Planning Meeting, and many other benefits.  What does this mean to you?  Depending on the package you choose, you could save up to (and above!) $2570/year for a computer, or $4640/year for a server!  That’s money that stays in your pocket!  If you add our Backup and Disaster Recovery package, the savings are incalculable.  To find out more on how Technology by Design can save your business money, call Earl at 204-800-3167.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Dear Geek,

My printer suddenly stopped working.  I’m not sure if my printer’s calved, or if it’s a problem with my computer.  How can I tell?

Signed,

Calving

Dear Calving,

When you need a printer and it calves on you, it can put you into panic mode.  Especially since most people do all their editing on-screen, and wait to print until the last minute!

1.  The first step to solving this riddle, is to print a test page directly on the printer.  You can print an internal test page on most newer printers, by navigating through the menu system on the digital display (usually found under “Utilities”).

If your printer has this option, and you are unable to print the test page, the printer may be broken.  Then it’s either time to contact the manufacturer (if it’s under warrantee), or buy a new one.

2.  If you are able to print a test page, open up Windows’ “Printer dialog box” and print a test page from there.  This will tell you if there is a problem with communication between the computer and printer.  In Windows 7:  Click “Start”, select “Control Panel”, choose “Hardware And Sound”, and click “Printer”.  Right-click the specific printer that’s giving you problems, and click “Properties”.  Choose the “General” tab, and select “Print Test Page”.  In Windows 8:  Move the cursor to “Charms” bar, select “Search”, and click “Control Panel”.  Navigate the drop-down menu and select “View Device and Printers”.  Right-click the specific printer, and select “Printer Properties”, and click “Print Test Page”.

If the printer prints a test page, it indicates that the application (program) that you initially tried to print from, may be configured to use a different printer than you set up in Windows.

3.  If you change the printer in the specific program, and the printer still doesn’t respond, open up the “print queue dialog box”  that appears in the “Windows System Tray (located in the bottom right), to see if Windows can provide some reason for the problem.  It may tell you that a previous print job may paused, and preventing your job from printing.  Right-click the print job, select “Cancel Print Job” until your test print is at the top of the queue.  If the document fails to print, Windows should generate an error message (eg. “Windows Cannot Connect To The Printer”), which may help you determine the the cause of the problem.

4.  If the test page won’t print, it’s likely that, for some reason, you computer and printer are both working, but aren’t communicating with each other.  Check your cables or wireless connection.

5.  Last ditch effort:  Uninstall, then re-install, the printer in order to fix the problem.  Hopefully you still have the printer installation disks.  If not, you can usually go online to the manufacturer’s website and find the install software there.

Happy Printing!

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Dear Geek,

I recently noticed that when I go to send emails from Outlook, my Facebook photo shows.  I sometimes use this email account for my small business, and don’t want my picture showing.  How can I stop the photo from showing in my emails.

Signed,

Seeking Anonymity 

Dear Anonymous,

Outlook.com can link into some social media accounts, specifically Facebook and Twitter.  Once connected, Outlook.com will use your profile picture from the social networking account to help people identify you in emails.  Assuming that your Facebook privacy settings allow it, Microsoft allows Facebook users on Outlook.com to send you friend requests.  Outlook.com strictly follows the Privacy controls on Facebook and Twitter to determine whether others will see your public social networking info in the ‘People’ pane.

If you would prefer to keep your public and private life separate – you can disallow Outlook.com to connect with your social networks.  You can manually change the third-party network settings in Outlook.  To do so:  1.  Sign into your Outlook.com account.  2.  Select “Settings” (gear icon in the upper right corner), and select “More Mail Settings”.  3.  Scroll down to “Reading email” and select “Content From Third-party Networks”.  4.  Under “Showing Public Content”, select “Don’t Show Public Content From Third-party Networks”.

If you want to alter your Facebook Privacy settings, you’ll need to log into Facebook and do the following:  1.  Go to the “Privacy Settings” page.  2.  Click “Edit Settings” (next to “How You Connect”).  3.  Locate “Who Can Look You Up Using The Email Address Or Phone Number You Provided”.  4.  Select “Friends Of Friends” (or just “Friends”), and click “Done”.

If you do the steps above, this should keep Outlook.com from accessing your Facebook or other information.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Dear Geek,

My Windows 7 doesn’t have Hearts, nor Solitaire.  I’ve tried to get it from people, the executable, but I click it and it doesn’t work.  And yes, my Windows 7 is original.

Signed,

Heart-less 

Dear Heartless,

In the “Start” menu search bar, type “Turn Windows features on or off”, then click the first result.  A pop-up will appear, check the box next to the “Games” folder, then click “Ok”.

Now when you open the “Start” menu there should be a “Games” button in the right-hand column.  There should be lots of games there, including your missing Hearts and Solitaire.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Dear Geek,

At my kids’ urging, I finally replaced my old monitor.  You know, the one that looks like Storm Trooper’s helmet…  Anyways, my new monitor supports HDMI, VGA, and DVI inputs.  What do these mean, and is one better than the other?

Signed,

No Longer A Star Wars Fan 

Dear Fan,

First, a question…do you drive a Beetle and listen to Nirvana on your 12-disc CD changer?  Secondly, for your kids’ sake, congrats on the upgrade!  And third, you can’t fool us – if you’re comparing your monitor to a storm trooper, you are a die-hard Star Wars fan.

The biggest reason that monitors have all these inputs, is because the computer industry, in spite of it’s advances in the past 30 years, has not yet come up with a standard for cables.

Here’s the quick and easy tutorial on these inputs:

DVI (Digital Visual Interface):  For the most part, all DVI cables work with uncompressed digital video.  This means that the picture quality is not dependent on the quality of your cable.  You either get a signal, or you don’t.  DVI cables also only carry video, so if your monitor has built-in speakers, you’ll need separate wires for those.

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface):  HDMI has quickly grown in popularity, thanks to it’s compatibility with newer tvs, and it’s compact size.  HDMI, is transmits uncompressed data (see explanation under DVI).  However, HDMI also carries audio, which is great if your monitor has built-in speakers.

VGA (Video Graphics Array):  VGA is probably the closest the computer industry came to a cable standard.  VGA cables carries audio and video.  However, video quality directly responds to cable quality, and more-so on higher resolutions.  So video quality can vary depending on the brand of cable.

Long story short:  HDMI and DVI cables support a higher resolution.  HDMI and VGA carry both audio and video, while DVI only carries video.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!