Piccone IT Consulting

Google Chrome

2009-07-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

Google released their web browser, Chrome, about a year ago to provide users with a better way of exploring the web. Their browser makes it easy to search the internet, keep in touch with friends, check email, and do anything else you want effortlessly. Google now has plans to release a new operating system called Google Chrome OS to compete with Microsoft. Their new OS will be primarily for netbooks and desktops and will most like be some form of a linux distribution. You can read more by clicking on the following link: Google Chrome OS. Check back to see our updates on the progress Google is making with their OS and possible release dates for downloads.

New Malware Attack on Outlook and Outlook Express

2009-07-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

SC Magazine recently reported on a new malware attack masquerading as a critical update for Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.

The malware delivers a trojan called “ZBot,” which is a program that steals your login information (user name and password).

SC Magazine says the message a user will receive is: “This update is critical and provides you with the latest version of Microsoft Outlook/Outlook Express and offers the highest levels of stability and security.” The user will be directed to go to the Microsoft Update Center -- BUT the link provided doesn’t take you there!!

If the link in the email is used, a trojan named “ZBot” or “Zeus” will be downloaded. Within the instructions of the malware is a list of websites for the trojan to monitor, such as Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, Bank of America, and Wachovia. If a user visits one of these sites, the trojan will log a user’s keystrokes to obtain login credentials (user name and password), along with credit card or other sensitive information. It saves the information and then sends the file back to the attacker's server.

Windows 7 is coming

2009-06-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Windows 7 will be available starting on October 22, 2009. After conducting some beta tests on Windows 7 we are pleased at the progress Microsoft has made. The install was easy and it appears a lot of the bugs and weaknesses in Vista have been addressed. We look forward to the release of Windows 7 later this year. Check back for more info on Windows 7.

Microsoft is offering a discount on Windows 7 upgrades. Click on the link for more info:

http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Windows-Windows-7/category/102

How to Repair a Windows XP Installation

2009-06-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

Repairing an installation of Windows XP can fix severl seriouse errors. You typically won't lose any files when you do a repair but you can lose settings and you will have to reinstally any updates that are available. To repair Windows XP you need to do the following steps:

Insert your Windows XP CD into your computer and reboot. If prompted to, press a key in order to boot into the CD.

Press Enter when the Setup Welcome Screen Appears

When the Windows License page appears, press F8 to agree.

If setup finds a previous installation of Windows XP, it will prompt you to repair the installtion by pressing 'R".

Press "R" to start the repair process and setup will reinstall the important Windows components.

Windows XP Won't Start or Boot Up

2009-06-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

There are times when Windows XP decides to stop booting up. What do you do? There are several techniques you can use to get your computer operational again. If your computer hangs or freezes during the start up procedure it may be an issue with hardware or software that was recently installed or it may be a corrupt file. If you just installed a new piece of hardware, check to make sure it was installed properly. If the computer doesn't start up, try removing the hardware to determine if the new hardware is cause of the problem. If it doesn't seem to be a hardware problem, try restarting the computer and accessing the Windows Advanced Options menu which will allow you to boot into safe mode, the last known good configuration, or boot normally (there are a few other options but these are the main ones to focus on). To access the Advanced Options menu restart the computer and after the screen blinks for the first time, usually after flashing the bios screen, press F8 to access the boot options menu. The options menu should pop up and allow you to choose how you would like the system to boot up.

If you don't see the menu above, reboot your system and try hitting F8 again. Select Last Known Good Configuration and hit Enter. The computer will try to boot up using settings that have worked previously. If the computer does not boot up after choosing this option, reboot the system and go back into the Advanced Options menu. This time choose Safe Mode.

If the computer boots up into Safe Mode, trying uninstalling any software you recently installed. Reboot the computer and have it try and start normally. If you are still have problems you may want to try and repair the windows installation. (You will your Windows XP CD to complete the repair). For instructions on repairing the installation you can check out our post How to repair a Windows XP installation