Tips And Tools For Old Infected Computers

  I don't know how many times a customer comes in with an older windows xp computer and it is infected. They then want to know if the computer can be upgraded to at least windows 7 or 8 or 8.1 . Well the first thing to do is clean up the infections, because you may not be able to get into the system. The best course of action is to have a set of virus cleaning tools on a flash drive. I would recommend having, Combofix ( will not run on windows 8.1 ) , Free Malwarbytes, TDSSkiller , Eset Online Scanner Portable, Super Anti Spyware Portable, A-Squared Emergency Kit, Rogue Killer, Tweaking.com, Temp File Cleaner, Spybot 2.4 Portable, ADW Cleaner and Adware Removal Tool. These are all free off the internet and some can be gotten from Bleeping.com .


    If you can boot to the safe mode with networking create a temp folder called virus cleaners and copy all these programs to it. You can then run each of these rebooting when necessary. Once you are all done see if the computer will boot to the normal mode. The next step would be to go to the system and determine what processor is installed and how much memory is in the system. There are a few factors that are important. First how old is the computer and second how big a hard drive is in the computer. I feel that if the computer is three years old or more then I would not install windows 8 or windows 8.1 due to the older system not handling it properly. More than likely there will be no software drivers for this operating system at the manufacturers website. As far as windows 7 goes if there are only windows 7 32bit drivers  it can be done, but may run very slowly and not perform well.
  So my advise at this point is to point out to the customer that going to the newer operating system with the older system would not be a wise choice. I would add up the various costs to upgrade the older system if possible and then compare it to a newer system. Inform the customer that only the data can be transferred to the newer operating system. All software, printers, cameras and other devices would have to be reinstalled. I do not recommend using a program to pull licensee keys and use copied  or burned copies of the software due to this being illegal according to the oem license agreement. I have also seen where someone has volume license software and thinks they can install it on anybody's computer. The customer would have to purchase the software and they can install it on their computers. The data can be bulk copied over to the new system using a program such as unstoppable copier and then the data can be moved in to the proper locations. Data is usually Documents, Pictures, Music, Favorites, Email and Downloads. I have seen some technicians try and move one system to the other using the file and transfer wizard. I do not recommend this for two reasons. One the file and transfer wizard for windows xp was made for windows xp and not windows 7 or 8 or 8.1. The second reason is that this moves the application folders as well as others and I have seen many infections hide in these places. So effect you are just moving the infection from one system to the other. Besides I have seen too many times where the customer calls in and says this isn't working or I can't find something. Your better in the long run to do it fresh from the start and right the first time. Now you have happy customers that will come back and pass your business to other people. I believe we are here to help and satisfy the customer first and then satisfy the company.
  If you are looking for other books on computer viruses or repairing computers I have a link on the right of the posts to some of my other blogs that may help. Generally they are for either Amazon or Ebay. Both of them have many excellent books in a variety of categories that can help.
                   My Belief Is Honesty Is The Best Policy
          Thank You For Reading and Happy Holidays !!! 
 

  

Excellent Books For Repairing Your Desktop Or Laptop Computer

  At some point in time you may need to repair your Laptop or Desktop Computer. You have a couple of choices to make. One do I feel confidant in my self to determine what I need to repair it and can I get the parts necessary to repair my desktop computer. Well the answer is almost anyone can repair their desktop computer. There are many different Excellent Books available through Amazon and Ebay that will provide excellent information.  You can also check out the links I provide to the right of the posts to some of my other blogs. The information on them can help you in some repairs. A repair can be anything from testing, troubleshooting and replacing a component. A component can be anything from a motherboard, memory, hard drive, optical drive or a power supply. Of course there are other parts in a computer that can fail such as the plastic power button on the computer case.
 


   The other type of repair can be due to a infection from a virus. Today there are millions of different virus out causing all kinds of problems for the simple user at home to someone in a company. Some of these viruses can take down an entire company or just make it a miserable day for someone. There are case with some infections such as the cryptolocker or the cryptowall viruses that can and will cause the person to lose all their data. The best protection is have a current back up of your computer on an external hard drive or back up to the cloud with something such as carbonite. If you use an external hard drive do not leave it connected only when performing the back up. This way it may not become infected and you don't lose all your data. I do provide links to some of the tools that you can use to clean up infections on your computer. I would always make sure your data is backed up first.
  The repair is not really a repair, but it would be upgrading your computer. Upgrading your computer whether it is a desktop or a laptop is done to make it more efficient in one way or the other. Generally you will be looking for more space to fit programs or you may be trying to make the computer run faster. Everyone knows faster is better, of course until you crash the computer. Most upgrades fall in to one of three categories. The first would be upgrading memory, second would be upgrading to a larger faster hard drive and third would be upgrading to a newer operating system. The best advise I can give is to check out what the specification are on your computer. This way you can determine what components can go in your computer and how much it can handle. I have seen way to many times when someone purchases parts only to find out that they will not be able to be installed in the laptop or desktop.
  So I would check out the bookstore at this link and search for what ever technical book you are looking for. There are also ads that can be searched off to the right of the posts through Ebay to find other books as well that may help in repairing and upgrading your particular computer. Make sure you get all your information ready before you buy parts. This way you will not waste time having to return parts. If you do not want to do the repairing or upgrading check out your local service center. There are usually plenty of them around. My best advise is check out any reviews on the company or go to the computer store before purchasing. This way you can see first hand how things are handled and how the place of business treats you. Some store will try to sell you things you don't need or they may have a bad way of speaking to customers. I have seen many places of business where the sales people can be very sarcastic or treat you like you are stupid. My advise is walk away and never go back also let other people know so know one else will be treated improperly. Also get a tour of the company so you can see how the technicians are handling computers and components. For example are they practicing good esd protection while handling various components. Also make sure to check out various reviews on the internet for whatever company you may be thinking of taking your computer to.
  Well Thank You for reading and Happy Holidays !!!!!

Sharing A Good Repair Tool For Windows Operating Sysytems On Computers

 I posted this on one of my other blogs, so I thought I would share it here as well. Came across a good tool this weekend and I thought I would share it. It was found at tweaking.com and seems to work really well when windows has become corrupted from a virus, malware, spyware, adware or just a bad update from Microsoft. Instead of trying to reinstall windows vista, 8, 8 or 8.1 over themselves by running an in place upgrade, try this first. Go to tweaking.com and download the windows repair(all in one) tool. You can download and install it on a computer or you can download the portable version and put it on a flash drive. Just make sure that you run it in the safe mode with networking or perform a clean boot first. There are directions on the website for running a clean boot. I have had it correct various different problems due to corruption. Here is a link to the website http://www.tweaking.com/content/page/windows_repair_all_in_one.html .

Thank You for reading and I hope this is helpful.

A Good Tool For Repairing Computers

 Came across a good tool this weekend and I thought I would share it. It was found at tweaking.com and seems to work really well when windows has become corrupted from a virus, malware, spyware, adware or just a bad update from Microsoft. Instead of trying to reinstall windows vista, 8, 8 or 8.1 over themselves by running an in place upgrade, try this first. Go to tweaking.com and download the windows repair(all in one) tool. You can download and install it on a computer or you can download the portable version and put it on a flash drive. Just make sure that you run it in the safe mode with networking or perform a clean boot first. There are directions on the website for running a clean boot. I have had it correct various different problems due to corruption. Here is a link to the website http://www.tweaking.com/content/page/windows_repair_all_in_one.html .

 

Thank You for reading and I hope this is helpful.

Recycle That Old Desktop Computer, Laptop Computer And All Computer Equipment

  It is unbelievable how much electronic stuff we accumulate over the years. The recycle bin fills up pretty much every week. It is not always some kind of computer equipment either. I have seen televisions, microwaves, old gaming machines like a ps2 or a xbox. There are stereos, speakers, cell phones, cameras and more. These things usually are just broken and not worth much. It is so funny to see the other technicians hover around the recycle bin to see what was junked. I have seen occasions where a part was used in a new system build, which in my book is a no no. I have seen a plastic part used to repair a computer or laptop that someone brought in for repair. My feeling is that this recycled junk belongs to the people who own the recycle bin. I feel you are stealing from them and that in itself makes it wrong. If the customer gave it to you and said do with it what you want, then it is yours. But if the customer say recycle this or put it in the recycle bin it does not belong to the company where the recycle bin is located. Sorry just had to vent a little.
  So anyways don't keep all that old electronic equipment like the old 486 computer taking up space in your garage. Go and have it recycled properly. Do not just leave it at the end of your driveway on pick up day. Dispose of it properly and protect your environment. Just think after you get rid of it properly your better half is happy and now you have room to fill up some new electronic junk, just kidding. Unfortunately we are living in a throw away society. Things are really not being designed to be repaired. It is more a repair by replacement society. That is why my advise is to teach everyone how to take care of your Desktop Computer, Laptop, Printer or whatever electronic component you have. So remember RECYCLE, RECYCLE and RECYCLE properly.
  Thank You for reading.
  

My Favorite Antivirus Software Programs For 2015

 
   Once again as we get closer to 2015 customers are asking what is the best antivirus program out there today for your computer. The other question is what is the best antivirus program. They also ask which antivirus program will protect my computer from all infections. Unfortunately no virus software will protect your computer 100% . The virus writing people are very smart and very sneaky. They will find all the security issues and loopholes to ruin your day and get into your computer. Today we are seeing some really bad nasty computer viruses that are just wreaking havoc on customers computers resulting in the loss of all data. Data being Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos as well as anything that can be considered data.
  So far the top two virus infections are the CryptoWall and CryptoLocker infections. These nasty pc viruses will encrypt all the data on your computer so you either can not access it or for example if you open a document it looks like a bunch of gibberish. Lately I am seeing the system restore in windows either not work or there are only a couple of restore points that were there after the pc infection occurred. This causes a problem where a program called Shadow Explorer will not be able to unencrypt any of your data.
  So what is the best way to protect all your data. I would either save the data to the cloud with something like Carbonite. If you are saving it to a back up external hard drive I would not have the external hard drive connected to the computer all the time. I have had occasions where the back up external hard drive had the decrypt files on it, therefore resulting in it being useless. The only choice at this point is to wipe the hard drive out and reinstall your operating system, drivers, updates, printers and all other software.
  So then what is the best antivirus pc protection you may be asking. Well I prefer Avast Antivirus, AVG Antivirus, Kaspersky Antivirus and Norton 360 or Norton Internet Security. Bitdefender is also rated up high in the pc virus protection as well. I would also run Free Malwarebytes and Free Spybot, both of which are manual programs so you will have to run them. Check out my other posts for help on these computer infections. You can purchase the Antivirus Programs through my Amazon Store Below the posts.
  Thank You for reading and stay safe.   

Cleaning Poweliks Virus From Your Desktop Or Laptop Cpmputer

  Came across another interesting virus on a customers computer. It was having a problem when the customer connected it to their network it would cause other users to lose the connection. It was also causing everything to slow down on the network. I had run all the virus cleaning programs on the computer and everything seemed okay from it working on my repair bench. It was not running slowly and it was going on the internet just fine.
  The customer had the computer back and called to let me know it was having the same problem again. I put the computer back on the bench and called the customer to find out what was happening on their end. They informed me that they had their IT department remote into it and scanned the system. I called their IT department and found that they had found the powelinks virus. I had never seen this before on the bench. So I started checking the internet with Google.
  I finally found a website that had information about this virus.  Here is a link to the website for the information http://www.adlice.com/poweliks-removal-with-roguekiller/ .This virus apparently attacks the processes in windows by inserting dllhost.exe files. What it does is insert various files in the registry that cause a number of dllhost.exe files to run. What they said to do was run Norton Power Eraser, RogueKiller and Sophos Virus Cleaner. I downloaded the Norton Power Eraser and Sophos Virus Cleaners off the internet. The RogueKiller was downloaded from Bleeping.com and did not take very long to download it.
  First run the Norton Power Eraser and it will reboot the system. Next I ran the Sophos Virus Cleaner and then the RogueKiller program. It does an initial scan and then you run another scan. There are some tabs that you can click on to see if it found anything. It did find a number of infections in the registry and these were deleted. Rebooted the computer and reran all other scans. Rebooted into the normal mode and check the task manager. I did not see any of the dllhost.exe files any longer. It is best to let the customer connect this in their system to make sure all is running properly. Never go in the Registry and delete what you think is causing the problem. Just another sign of a shotgun technician. If it still has problems then I would recommend saving the data, wiping out the hard drive and reinstalling software fresh.
  Thank You for reading.

In Search Of Interesting Web Sites For Repairing Computers

  I am always searching the internet for interesting websites for repairing computers. I came across one that had a number of flowcharts to follow in the repair of a computer. I believe that these could become very helpful for the technician starting out or just the general person at home trying to repair his or her own computer. Why take the computer to a service shop only to pay a rather large repair price when you could do the same job for a lot less. Here is a link to the website I came across http://fixingmycomputer.com/ . I would say check it out and see if it helps.
 Another web site that has become extremely helpful in the cleaning up of viruses is Bleeping Computer and the link is http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ . They have alot of information on many different viruses and how to remove them. They have plenty of virus removal tools to download and use. There are many different web sites on the internet for repairing computers. The information can be for desktops and laptop. You can also find videos on youtube for repairing a particular laptop brand and model. My only advise is be aware  of the website if they want money or they try to install some kind of junk program like pc optimizer pro.
 There are also plenty of books available on computer repair. It is best to do some searching and determine what you may want.
  Thank You for reading. 

Current Virus Alerts November 2014

                       Here is some information on current viruses as of November 10 2014.
                          Threat Activity

• Recently Discovered
• Recently Updated
• 
  
• NameTypeDATRiskDate DiscoveredRDN/Spybot.worm.gen!8B27B3D37D52 Virus N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.dx!dgw!A7D84F8E51E0 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic StartPage!cb!6FB40B6D2480 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• FakeAV-M.bfr!2B26A4CB557B Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.dx!088B80533BA8 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.dx!dgw!088B80533BA8 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic PWS.y!bbs!6D7E1BE96EE8 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.bfr!3C31E3C00D5D Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/PWS-Zbot.gen.uo!A0D0FBB4D178 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/PWS-Zbot.uo!c!A0D0FBB4D178 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic BackDoor!5CB5C8957AEA Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Spybot.bfr!o!C8F52DC65BCE Virus N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.dx!dgw!0CC6886FA7ED Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.bfr!0734E7D6ACCE Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic PWS.y!bbs!8941287FD48C Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic PWS.y!bbs!CE3D4DD73165 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• Generic PUP.x!FFACC5F69420 Program N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic PUP.x!50B184ADC3DD Program N/A Low 11/10/2014
• Generic Dropper!1CC4045EA518 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.tfr!ee!D8A44A3C11B0 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.dx!dgw!E64773B8DD9C Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.bfr!hw!FC39149FD1AD Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• Generic PUP.x!E83AF0F8404F Program N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.dx!01BD75D017B7 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• Generic PUP.x!FFB36863CD4B Program N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic PUP.x!3A40CEEE9A64 Program N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic PUP.x!E83141D13B77 Program N/A Low 11/10/2014
• FakeAV-M.bfr!D20D822BB824 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic PWS.y!15725D8928B2 Trojan N/A Low 11/10/2014
• RDN/Generic.bfr!18E6548AB344 Program N/A Low 11/10/2014

  As of this date it seems as though the best free virus programs to clean up viruses are TDSSKILLER.exe, Combofix, Free Malwarebytes, A-Squared, ESET Online Scanner, Clam Win Portable, Spybot Portable and Adware Cleaner. These can all be gotten from Bleepingcomputer.com  here is a link to the website http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/. They do provide and excellent amount of information and help when it comes to virus cleaning. Just remember that all virus cleaning should be done in the safe mode. I generally set the computer to always start in the safe mode with networking. Just remember to set it back to normal boot when you are done. I also use a free program called Adware Removal to correct the web browsers that are corrupted by the infections.
  I would advise to check out some of my other posts for help.
  Remember to keep your antivirus software up to date. I would install Free Malwarebytes and Free Spybot on your computer to run when needed or at least once a week. As far as paid virus programs go I would use one of the following, Bitdefender, Kaspersky or paid Avast Antivurus. I am not as fond of Mcafee Antivirus as I used to be and the same goes for Norton Antivirus. They are okay, but they don't seem to be stopping as many viruses these days.
  Well that's all for now, so Thank You for reading.

Software For Testing A Solid State Hard Drive

  Usually I have not seen too many problems with solid state hard drives. Although that may not always be the case. I have seen some that seemed to be having problems. Early on we did not seem to have any tools to test them to verify if they were defective or failing. There are some tools out there that I have seen as of late for testing the solid state hard drive. I am sure more will come out as time goes on and solid state hard drives come down in price and become more popular.
  I looked around the internet and found a few different tools to test the solid state hard drives with. The first thing I would recommend is going to the manufacturer of the ssd hard drive itself. Some common brands are western digital, corsair, seagate etc.....  The second place I found was from Intel. Intel has a toolkit for testing the solid state hard drives. It can be found at this link https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=18455 . It looks like it may do a pretty through job of testing and giving good information. My advise before doing anything is to back up your data to another hard drive. You could use a program like acronis to clone the possible failing drive to a known good hard drive. Here is some information on it from Intel below.

Detailed Description


The Intel® Solid-State Drive Toolbox (Intel® SSD Toolbox) is drive management software that allows you to:



* View current drive information for Intel® Solid-State Drives (Intel® SSDs), including:
- Model number, capacity, and firmware version
- Drive health
- Estimated drive life remaining
- SMART attributes (also available for hard disk drives and non-Intel SSDs)
- Identify Device information (also available for hard disk drives and non-Intel SSDs)
* Optimize the performance of an Intel SSD using Trim functionality
* Optimize the performance of an Intel SSD in RAID 0 using Trim functionality Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) 11.0 or greater.
NOTE: Trim on RAID 0 is not supported on Windows 8* or Windows Server 2012
* Obtain proactive notifications of new Intel SSD Toolbox software versions for Windows 7 and Windows 8 systems
* Update the firmware on a supported Intel SSD
* Run quick and full diagnostic scans to test the read and write functionality of an Intel SSD
* Check and tune your system settings for optimal Intel SSD performance, power efficiency, and endurance
* View your system information and hardware configuration, such as central processing unit (CPU),
chipset, controller name, and driver versions
* Run Secure Erase on a secondary Intel SSD


  My best advise is to go to the intel website for further information. This software is only meant for certain solid state hard drives.
   
   Here is another link to some hard drive testing software that will also test solid state hard drives. Just be aware I did see advertisements on their webpage for file opener and download manager. These are known programs that sometimes come in with malware, spyware and adware. Here is a link to the websight http://hddscan.com/ .
  Once again I would check out the manufacturers websight first, because they will probably have some kind of software to test the solid state hard drive as well as others. Western Digital is a good example with their Data Life Guard Diagnostics software. This software will test most any hard drive. Here is a link to the website http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp .
  Thank You for reading and I hope this information is helpful.

Newest Version Of Malwarebytes 2.0.3

  I have just found that Malwarebytes came out with a new version. One of the newest features is that when it finishes scanning it gives a number for the infections found. If you have been using the previous versions you may have noticed that when you check the log file it show no numbers for the infections found. You can still delete all the infections found or put them in a quarantine. I generally choose to delete them, because what are you going to do with and infected file. Never the less I would look at the infected files before deleting just in case one was a text file that could be printed. These changes are for the Free Malwarebytes and the Paid Version of Malwarebytes.
 
Here is a list of things in the new version from malwarebytes.

  latest version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware: version 2.0.3 for consumers.
Here's the list of changes for this release:

New Features:
• Scans may now be set to run as lower priority processes to improve multi-tasking under Advanced Settings
• Added support for keyboard navigation of user interface
• Added support for JAWS and Windows Narrator screenreaders

Improvements:
• Malwarebytes Chameleon enhanced to be more effective against active malware infections in getting Malwarebytes Anti-Malware running
• Notification for outdated databases now configured to 7 days by default rather than 1 per user feedback
• All scans with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware now create an entry in protection logs
• Failed update checks are now logged in protection logs
• Updating Malwarebytes Anti-Malware should now function even when the Scan tab is awaiting action from the user
• Support for scanning encrypted drives improved when rootkit scanning is enabled
• Upgrading to new versions of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware should no longer prompt for a system restart

Issues Fixed:
• Google Chrome users should no longer experience Malwarebytes Anti-Malware getting stuck or hanging during heuristics scans with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
• Scans should no longer hang during filesystem objects scan on some systems
• Several crashes in Malwarebytes Anti-Malware fixed
• Runtime errors during installation or upgrade of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware should no longer occur
• Rootkit scanning should no longer flag sectors on non-system volumes as forged when those volumes are encrypted
• Rootkit scanning should now work properly on Bitlocker encrypted drives
• Scanning TruCrypt encrypted system volumes with rootkit scanning disabled no longer results in the filesystem not being scanned
• Issue with repairing rootkit infected drivers on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 fixed
• BSOD when using Driver Verifier software on a system running Malwarebytes Anti-Malware fixed
• BSOD when using Boxcryptor software fixed
• BSOD when using Malwarebytes Chameleon or self-protection in Malwarebytes Anti-Malware under certain conditions fixed
• Malwarebytes Anti-Malware should no longer crash when using the "Copy to Clipboard" function under certain circumstances
• Dashboard banner text should now reflect language changes in Malwarebytes Anti-Malware instantly
• Several issues with tray notifications fixed
• Display problems with some languages fixed
• Malware Exclusions and Web Exclusions should no longer display duplicate entries following database updates
• Occasional crash of MBAMService when upgrading from version 1.75 of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware should no longer occur
• Several issues with the right-click "Scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware” function fixed
• Several problems with access policies fixed
• Several UI performance issues fixed
• Several UI and user experience enhancements implemented
• More than one Malwarebytes Anti-Malware tray icon should no longer be displayed on system start under some circumstances
• Issue with Malicious Website Protection not enabling after install under some circumstances on Windows Vista fixed
• Minor display issues with tables within the UI fixed

  Thank You for reading. 

How To Remove The CryptoWall Virus And Get Your Data Back

  My first and foremost bit of information is to have good up to date Virus Protection. Okay now back to the subject at hand.  I had a friend recently whose computer had become encrypted from a virus. The name of the virus is called CryptoWall. This virus is transmitted through emails and is in the form of a attachment in a zip file. They generally are disguised as a pdf file. The pdf files that come through will be in the form of an invoice, bill, purchase order, complaint or some kind of a fake business transaction. It basically comes back to the saying if you don't know who it is or you did not ask for it DELETE IT and EMPTY THE DELETED FOLDER . I have seen some people save thousands of emails.
  This virus is one of the typical Ransomware viruses where they try to get you to send money to get the unlock key code. Most of the time you send the money and get nothing in return. What the person did was download a program called Shadow Explorer. It is a removal tool to export the encrypted files to preferably to an external hard drive.  It can be downloaded at this website link http://www.shadowexplorer.com/downloads.html . The best thing to do is use a clean empty hard drive to move all the folders and files you unencrypt to. You can also download a program called List C Wall. It will check the registry and list all the encrypted files. You should run this before you unencrypt your files. You can download the program at this link http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/listcwall/ . After you have determined all the files to unencrypt run the shadow explorer program and follow it through. This can be a long and tedious job, but be patient. I do not know of any av removal tools yet to just clean and unencrypt the whole computer system yet.
  Once you have finished unencrypting all the files you will need to clean all the viruses from the computer. If it is windows 8.1 do not run the combofix program, because it does not run on windows 8.1 yet. Other than that run all programs in the safe mode. I would use combofix, tdss killer, free malwarebytes, Super Anti Spyware Portable, Spybot Portable, Clamwin Portable, Eset Online Scanner, A-Squared, Bitdefender Free as a Portable Scanner, Norton Power Eraser and also Free Avast which can be run as a portable virus cleaner off a usb flash drive. These are all free virus removal tools from the internet. Basically you will be doing a manual virus removal of all infections in the system. When all files have been scanned, I would scan the unencrypted files and then delete the encrypted files. Then you can move the unencrypted files back. Make sure you have the unencrypted files saved before you perform the above virus cleaning. Once all files are back, check and make sure the system is working properly and open the various files with their associated program such as Microsoft word or excel. Here is a link to information on all this from bleeping.com http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/cryptowall-ransomware-information .
  Just remember that there are still problems with some of these viruses like cryptolocker, which still has no solution. The best thing you can do is back up your data to an external hard drive or to the cloud with carbonite. It is just a shame what people will do to get your money. So remember to always stay safe and protect your data. Also remember to back up all data to the cloud or an external hard drive and always have good virus protection.
  I would also say that I have seen some occasions when the data was not able to be unencrypted and gotten back. It depends on how it infected your computer.
  Thank You for reading and stay safe.

  This an update on my findings with the cryptowall virus. Some have said to delete certain dll files. Next run the system restore in windows or boot off a windows cd and run the system restore. Usually I find that either the system restore does not function or go back far enough. I also have only had one computer function properly after cleaning the system of infections. I have had systems where the cryptowall virus had been found in system files as well as other windows files. It is very possible that the system restore archive may have been infected. Restoring back to a different date may put the virus right back. It may seem okay for awhile and then start up again. I had one system where the computer had been in awhile ago and the system was clean. It seemed to be functioning properly and then became encrypted again. Either the customer infected the system again or the infection lay dormant and then started up again. It was always found that infections entered the system archive files and also the system information file. The system restore should be turned off and then restart the system. That way any infection will be gone. The system information file should be deleted, restart the system and the file is recreated.
  In any event you will be taking a chance at restoring the system to an earlier date. I would follow the shadow explorer and export the files to an external hard drive first. Next I would reformat the hard drive or write zeros to it. Then reinstall all software and move the data back in place. This may or may not work so always save your data. Alot depends on how far the infection went in the system. Just deleting certain files because you believe they are from the infection is foolish. Going by guessing makes you a shotgun technician. I would not go to that company for repair especially when they use the word GUESS.
  Thank You for reading again.

Help My Computer Runs For A Few Seconds And Shuts Off By Itself

  I don't know how many times someone brings in a computer and says it runs for a few moments and then it shuts off by itself. There are a few things to check first. Most of the time this happens because something is stopping the system from being cooled properly. The first step is to remove the side cover and inspect the inside of the computer. There are a couple of things I look for first. The most common problem is a build up of too much dust, cobwebs and bugs. Look at the microprocessor fan and heat sink. If they are packed with dust the heat sink can not dissipate the heat from the microprocessor. This will result in the motherboard shutting off the system to protect it from damage. You can use some computer air spray or it is better known as canned air to blow out the dust or you can use an air compressor. I myself use the air compressor, because the canned air does not always last. Just make sure to hold the cpu fan so it does not spin. If it spins too fast it could damage the fan and you will have to replace it. These are the best ways to clean dust from the computer. If you are not comfortable with doing the work yourself I would recommend taking the computer to a computer repair service. Some computer repair shops have an in shop fee as well as an on site service fee.

  The other fans to inspect are the fans in the power supply and any front, rear, side or top case fans. Sometimes you may have to remove the fans to clean the dust and dirt off the blades. I use a dampened q-tip to do this. You can use some cleaner like fantastic to clean off the blades. The second thing with any fan is to make sure it is spinning properly. If it spins too slowly or make a groaning noise it is time to replace it. Fans are not expensive and usually easy to replace. Front case fans may require removing the front case cover. Be careful because the plastic catches can be easy to break. If the the power supply fan is not spinning or making noise, the power supply will have to be replaced. Make sure to buy a new power supply with the same wattage or more wattage. Nowadays 500 Watts or more is normal.
  Another problem with fans not spinning are cables that are getting stuck in the fan blades. Just use some tie wraps and move the cables or wires away from the fans. A good system has good air flow to keep it cool and running properly. Removal of power supplies can be easy most of the time to replace. I have had some computer cases that required taking off the top cover and then the power supply can be taken out from the top. You can find good power supplies at your local computer store or pc service repair shop and prices are not usually too bad. I would recommend buying off the internet through Amazon or Ebay. One place on the internet I like is Newegg. They have always had good parts and good prices. I know of some computer store that buy from them at retail prices and then mark up the price again to make a profit. My advise is buy it yourself, replace it yourself, learn something and pass it on to someone else. Avoid the crooked people trying to get your money. I do have to say that there are some very good computer repair shops around that do provide very good computer repair services.
  If all the above repairs are not solving your problem, then something else is causing it. I would look at the motherboard and make sure the cpu heatsink is not loose or broken. Check the motherboard for any damaged components such as a capacitor that may be bulging or leaking. Make sure the sticks of memory are installed properly. Try removing them and reinstalling them. If none of them are causing the problem, then the hard drive may be defective or you may have gotten a virus, malware, spyware or adware. I have seen some infections lately that are causing problems like this. I would recommend download the hirens program. It is a zip file that can be installed on another computer. It will then create a file with an iso extension. Burn this image program to a cdr or dvd disk. You can also put it on a usb flash drive. Either way see if you can boot off of it. There are many programs to scan the hard drive for problems with the hard drive. You can scan and test the memory. I also copy the various programs for scanning for viruses such as malwarebytes, spybot, eset online scanner as well as others. Just copy to the root and run the program. Just remember to connect to the internet first, so you can update the programs. Hirens download zip file can be found at this link http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/  . There are other programs as well to scan and repair for technicians. There is the windows 7 PE or the Windows 8 PE disks that have good programs on them. Here is a link to a website with lots of information on them http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn293200.aspx or http://windowsmatters.com/2013/04/30/windows-8-based-pe-boot-disk-with-explorer-shell-and-all-my-favorite-apps/ .
  If all these troubleshooting methods do not solve the problem or the infection has gone to deep it may be time to replace the system depending on its age. You may have to clean the infections, save the data, wipe out the system and reinstall the operating system, drivers, updates and then move the data back in place. A lot depends on what virus or infection has gotten in the system. If it is one of the encrypting infections you may have lost the data. Some data from ransom encryption viruses can be saved by different programs. Check out bleeping.com for various solutions.
  Thank You for reading and I hope this information helps. Always remember to educate yourself in any way possible so you can save your money and buy more computers or hardware. Also keep you virus cleaning software up to date.

Study For Your A+ Certification

  If you are thinking of becoming a computer repair technician I would start studying for your A+ Certification as soon as possible. The A+ Certification is generally needed today if you want to work as a computer technician. Most good companies will require it. If you come across a company and they don't care if you have it chances are they won't be paying you proper wages. Believe me I know of such places and ones that promise you a good increase if you get the A+ Certification. You then pass the tests and they just keep blowing you off in the hopes that you will forget about it. My advise is if you are in this situation, find another job

  There are various places that are free on the internet where you can study tutorials online for no cost. The only cost involved is your time. There are also websites that provide videos or lectures on studying for your A+ Certification. Again all it costs you is your time to watch and listen. I have done various certifications on different products through out the years in my career. Some of the time it was studying the
material from Hewlett Packard and taking the test online. As far as the A+ Certification goes you study and then go and take the test at a specific location when you are ready. You can not take the test online at this time.
  There are plenty of excellent good books to study from before you go and take the test. Comp Tia A+ Certification is one of those good examples of an excellent book to buy to use to study for the test. You can always go with one of the A+ Certification for dummies books to study from. They are generally made easier to study from for the individual. I still have mine from a few years ago. Unfortunately in my position I was told that even if I got it I would not get any kind of a raise. I did find out that other individuals were getting raises for getting their A+ Certification. All I can say is nice company. You may guess what I am in the process of at this time.
  Some other advise would be that after you achieve your A+ Certification don't stop there. I would think of what other part of the field of computers you are interested in and go for it. Whether you are interested in security, networking of whatever you may want to pursue. Once again there are various different websites out there to study from for whatever your career path may be. All it takes is your time and some effort. One of my favorite websites to visit for studying is at this link http://www.professormesser.com/ .  Here is another website for excellent free training http://www.cbtnuggets.com/it-training-videos/course/comptia-a-plus-2012 . There are also plenty of websites where you can also take free A+ Certification tests to see if you are ready to pass the test.
  Well that is all for now. Thank You for reading.