How To: Optimize Windows Background Apps

Applications Running in the Background

We usually don't give much thought when it comes to background applications. That is until our Zoom meeting goes glitchy or we receive a error.

A background task is any program activity that has been registered with the system to run without the app being open. Windows runs these apps for notification purposes.

Reducing background tasks reduces processor load. Reducing processor load equates to a cooler running processor. A cooler running processor is..... well.... you get the hint.   

You can select which apps/tasks can be turned off. Simply click on the Start Menu.

In the Search bar type Background Apps and click Open.

 Next, select which Background apps you want to discontinue running. 

Which apps should you keep running? Well..... it's recommended to keep Settings, any Printing Apps, Microsoft Store, and of course Windows Security turned on. 

Any other apps you could turn off to reduce processor time/load.

 

Originally posted Oct, 23, 2020

How to: Using Remote Desktop Software

If you're needing technical support or assistance for a computer issue, and the tech is just too far away to be in person, often they will (or should) offer remote technical support.

Remote support is where you allow the technician access to your computer via a secure internet connection. 
The tech can then examine, diagnose and resolve your issue without having to drive to your home or business. 

Sometimes it's an easier way to go for both the customer and the tech. 

WARNING: DO not simply give remote access to any person on the phone.

Use caution and ensure you personally know the technician or person who you are talking to.

Most certified technicians are bonded and professional. 

Pay attention to the screen and what the technician or person is doing.
Scams exist where a "tech" (usually with a heavy Indian accent) will cold call you informing you that your computer has a dangerous virus and needs to be removed remotely. Be very leary of these type calls and do NOT allow remote access. Here's an example of one which occurred:
Technical support scam 

There are about a dozen remote desktop programs available with various access protocols. Some, like LogMeIn and GoToMyPC utilize a web based platform. Others such as TightVNC and TurboVNC use the Virtual Network Computing/RFB protocol.

Some programs are compatible with Windows only. Others can be used within Linux and OSX as well.

I've found that one of the best remote programs out there is Teamviewer. 

TeamViewer has a great user interface and is easy to navigate. 

The on-screen menus are out of the way, yet accessible.

An excellent screen-sharing and file-transfer app that can be used for business collaborations is available. There are two different versions. A licensed paid version for business and a private personal version free for noncorporate use, it gives users precisely the tools they need to share screens securely, send files with a minimum of hassle, control access rights, and even flip which user has control.

It's a secure connection and access is made by the user providing an access code and password.

I highly recommended it.

This article orig posted  02/01/20

Physical security and tracking - laptops

A laptop is stolen every 53 seconds in the United States. To put that in perspective, one out of every ten laptops will be lost or stolen. 

So how do you prevent your device from joining these horrifying statistics? Beyond keeping your portable gadgets under your constant supervision, there are a few simple tools you can use.

Cables

Almost all laptops now have an industry-standard security slot. Cables that hook into that slot can anchor the laptop to a table or desk. The average cost for one is $35 to $50. The real benefit of these locks is in shared or well-trafficked spaces like dorm rooms or cubicles where a stealthy thief could slip an untethered laptop into a bag in just seconds. Cables don't provide 100% fool proof security, as the cable can be cut, but they work more of a deterrent.

As tablets become more popular, there are cases that lock onto the tablet and then hook into these standard laptop cables for similar protection.

Alarms

Another option is a laptop alarm which are about the size of a deck of cards. It attaches to the laptop and plugs into the USB port. If you need to leave your device for a few minutes (or hours) you can arm the alarm. Then, if someone tries to move it, a loud piercing alarm goes off, so loudly obnoxious that a thief would abandon his attempt in a hurry.The only problem I see is that one could just plug the USB.

Tracking Programs
If your laptop has been stolen, you can track it's location using tracking software.
Lojack costs about $40 a year, there is a free version of Prey available.
Find My iPhone offers free tracking services for iPhones, iPods, iPads, Macs and PC laptops. Lookout provides a free tracking program for Android devices. These programs will let you clear your device data remotely so that the thief can't raid your information to steal your identity.

Data Back-Up
One important note: think about the value of your data. For most people, it's worth more than the device itself. Backing it up means that all the hours of work won't be lost along with your hardware. Automatic backup programs like Carbonite or Mozy cost about $60 a year and, in combination with a physical back up of media (purchased music), they can fully protect the time, information, and media on your device.

orig posted on 9/6/2012

What Are NVMe Drives, and Should You Buy One?

The biggest upgrade you can make to your old PC is faster storage. 

Back in 2016, I wrote in an earlier blog about Advantages of SSD over HDD. Since that entry the storage technology has advanced in leaps and bounds. We went from Mechanical Hard Drive storage to Solid State Drives to NVMe (Non Volatile Memory Express)

"Non-Volatile" means the storage isn't erased when your computer reboots, while "Express" refers to the fact that the data travels over the PCI Express (PCIe) interface on your computer's motherboard.

By attaching the storage directly onto the motherboard you've increased the data access speed bypassing PCI and USB data limits.

NVMe drives are much,much faster than the SATA drives that have been around for years.

Lets check out a comparison: 

SATA SSD:
One of the fastest SATA SSDs---the Samsung 870 EVO---tops out at read and write speeds of about 560MBps. Nothing really to write home about here.

NVMe Drives:
The speed of these drives are dependent on the PCIe slot it uses. 

The maximum speed for an NVMe PCIe 3.0 (aka Gen 3) SSD is up to 3,500MB per second, while a NVMe PCIe 4.0 (aka Gen 4) SSD can hit up to 7,500MB per second.

Because of the bandwidth used, these little sticks are perfect for gaming and video editing.
NVMe drives come in a couple of different form factors. The most common of these is the m.2 stick, shown above. You can compare them to the size of a stick of gum.

 

The're 22 mm wide and can be 30, 42, 60, 80 or 100mm long. These sticks are thin enough to lay flat on a motherboard, so they're perfect for small form factor computers and laptops.

 

Installing a NVMe drive is very simple but keep in mind that some SATA SSDs use this same form factor, so you'll want to pay close attention and make sure you don't mistakenly buy the slower drive. The Samsung 970 EVO is an example of an m.2 NVMe drive.

If you have the extra cash and the motherboard has the m.2 slot available, I'd recommend getting a NVMe drive. This will upgrade the performance of your PC and blow past the 600Mbps of the old SATA limits.

How To: Resolving Printer Issues

 

I have a love/hate relationship with technology.

I love the next coolest gadget, but I find that sometimes these things have minds of their own.

Take printers for example. A printer can be a dependable machine making copies, scanning to your PC and printing one day, and the next day you end up getting an error. And you didn't even touch it!

What exactly does 'Error 11' mean on that HP printer mean? And if the paper is out, why doesn't it just tell me that!?? (This is the hate portion of the relationship)
Figuring out the issue is half the battle, the other is trying to figure out a solution to get it working properly.

Here are a few troubleshooting steps to resolve printer issues.
1. Check your printer error lights; Most manufactures nowadays have lights on the front panel that indicate what the issue is. You may have to refer to the manual to determine what lights mean what. If you no longer have the manual you may have to go online and search the manufactures website to download the PDF version.

2. Clear the printer queue; Often the holdup in being unable to print is previous documents in the printer queue which failed to print. Documents are printed in the order the Queue receives them. It's much like a traffic jam. If the front car doesn't move, no other cars go forward either.

     a. Click the Start Menu, and in the Search Bar type "Printers & Scanners'
     b. Select and click on your printer, and click 'Open Print Queue' - if there are documents listed, click the menu 'Printer' and click 'Cancel All Documents' 

3. Run the troubleshooter; Windows provides excellent troubleshooter programs for situations like this. 
     a. Under Settings, 'Printers & Scanners', click on your printer. 
     b. Click 'Run the Troubleshooter'. 
This is an automated process which goes thru certain steps. It checks the connection to the printer (wireless or USB), that Windows is communicating to the printer, stops and restarts the printer spooler (a small application that manages documents being printed), checks the network and others steps involved.

These three steps alone should get your printer back up and running. But is that's not the case you may need to reinstall the printer software and drivers.