Infopackets Reader Bob G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am running Windows 10. Last week my system attempted to perform a major upgrade (to version 1803, April Creators Update), but the update failed and it rolled back to version 1709 (Fall Creators ... Update). Now when I try and sign into Windows 10, it says: 'Preparing Windows', then it says ' We can't sign into your account . This problem can often be fixed by signing out of your account and then signing back in. If you don't sign out now, any files you create or changes you make will be lost'. I then get a notification near the clock that says ' ... (view more)
Featured Articles
Researchers say key physical infrastructure that keeps the Internet working could be underwater within 15 years. They say the effects of climate change over the next century will have an impact on the equipment sooner than later. The researchers, ... from the Universities of Oregon and Wisconsin, explored the risks to US-based infrastructure including both the cables that carry Internet data and the key 'nodes' in the network such as colocation centers. These facilities not only route Internet data, but also house the computers where many websites are physically stored. Major website often rent ... (view more)
Google is updating the Chrome browser to give it better defenses against major security threats. It comes at the price of reduced performance and a larger memory footprint. The changes are to address two security bugs labeled Meltdown and Spectre by ... researchers. They take advantage of a flaw in almost every computer processor built since 1995, which is (as of this day) 100% of all computers, tablets, smartphones, laptops - and anything else that uses a processor. The flaw is in regard to a processor feature, which is designed to speed up a computer's response time. It works by using spare ... (view more)
A German court has ruled that Facebook accounts can be inherited. It's the latest attempt to solve the problem of what happens to online data after somebody dies. The ruling came from the Federal Court of Justice, Germany's highest court, and ended ... a six-year legal process. It began with the death of a 15-year-old who died when she was hit by a train. Her parents asked Facebook to give them access to her account, meaning they could see the contents of private message exchanges. They said they wanted to find any clues as to whether the death was suicide or an accident. As well as giving the ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Bob T. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thank you for your Windows 10 article on How to Fix: Computer Name Won't Resolve on Network (April Update) . I tried the fix and it works great - the computers on my local network can see each other. ... However, when I use OpenVPN to connect to my remote server, the server's computer name still does not resolve, whereas before it did before the Windows 10 April Creators Update. You mentioned there is an additional fix for OpenVPN with the April Creators Update in order to get the computer names to resolve. Can you please help? " My response: I am ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Steve J. writes: " Dear Dennis, Last week two of my systems (one a PC, the other a laptop) upgraded to Windows 10 version 1803, otherwise known as the 'April Creators Update' version of Windows 10. Ever since then, I can't access ... my laptop from my PC, though my PC can see the laptop. If I try and access either one directly, Windows 10 says it can't find the computer. Also my remote desktop protocol (RDP) no longer works. Researching ' network unc path april creators update broken ' in Google reveals that this is an incredibly widespread issue. Can you please help? " My ... (view more)
Facebook is testing new tools to stop people being fooled by bogus messages. Meanwhile it's subsidiary "Whatsapp" is working on ways to stop hoaxes and other false information. The Facebook trial is for a series of tools relating to the direct ... messaging elements of the service, which includes messages through the website itself and via the dedicated "Messenger" app for mobile devices. The tools are aimed at messages which come from people or organizations the user hasn't previously communicated with, which carry a higher risk of being bogus than from genuine contacts. The ... (view more)
Researchers have warned that smart home technology could be used to aid domestic abuse. They've put together resources for people who could be threatened by abusive partners or former partners. The list comes from University College London and ... follows a New York Times article detailing some of the way domestic abusers have turned smart home tech into a tool to further their abuse. One example is a former partner taking account of a security loophole to continue to access a smart doorbell. That meant they could not only watch video of the partner leaving or returning from the house and monitor ... (view more)
Facebook removed a post with sections of the Declaration of Independence because it was "hate speech." It's not clear if the screw-up was a human error or a failure of an automated filter. The post came from Texas newspaper the Liberty County ... Vindicator, which posted the Declaration of Independence as a series of scheduled posts to mark July 4th. One of the posts was flagged and removed by Facebook while it was still in the scheduled queue, yet to go live. The newspaper received a message saying the deletion was because the post "goes against our standards on hate speech." Indians Reference ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Shirley S. writes: " Dear Dennis, Recently my Firefox upgraded to version 61 and now when I open a new tab, I see 'Top Sites', 'Recommended by Pocket', and 'Highlights'. I find this intrusive because the Highlights section ... displays sites or web searches I've previously visited or searched for. Previously I had Firefox set to open a blank tab but no longer works. I have looked through Firefox preferences but I don't see an option for a blank tab. Can you help? " My response: I am in the same boat as you - I don't like seeing my previous activity, nor "web suggestions" ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Allan J. writes: " Dear Dennis, I own a website that is hosted through GoDaddy.com; I signed up for a 5 year contract ($600) which covers my hosting and registrar fees. I own a smartphone, a PC, and a laptop for my work and am ... attempting to sync my email across the devices so that I can view all my messages, regardless of which device I use. I've tried setting this up myself, but my emails automatically download onto one of the three devices at random, and nothing gets synced. When I checked my computer, some emails have been downloaded throughout the day, while other ... (view more)
Google has confirmed that third parties may be able to read your Google email (Gmail) messages. The resulting controversy comes from a lack of clarity over its permission settings. The issue isn't about Google itself reading email messages. ... Previously, Google servers would scan email messages for keywords, then use targeted advertisements based on those keyboards whenever users logged into Gmail to read their emails. However, Google has dropped this policy last year and instead bases its ads on other information, such as Google web searches and YouTube viewing. The latest controversy relates ... (view more)
Samsung phone owners say they were shocked to discover photos from their phone were being sent to random contacts. An update to SMS text messaging appears to have caused the bug. One user says the entire contents of his photo gallery was sent to his ... girlfriend's phone via text message. His own phone had no record of the messages being sent and the first he heard of it was when his girlfriend asked him what was happening. Other users report similar issues, with no obvious pattern as to who received the images other than being in their contacts list. Reports suggest the problem is with the ... (view more)
Google has invested $22 million in a company that makes software for bare-bones smartphones. As part of the deal, it hopes to bring some of its key apps to the budget handsets. The investment is in an operating system named KaiOS. It's based on an ... open source system that was developed by Mozilla, the makers of the Firefox browser, before being abandoned. Originally Mozilla had hoped to make a phone for as little as $25. Cheap Handsets Get More Attractive KaiOS is specifically designed for "feature phones." That's a term with a loose definition, but generally refers to very basic ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Gord F. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have heard from the media and some friends that I should reboot my router due to Russian malware that is infecting routers. I have done some research on the subject and the story made headlines ... back around May 29, 2018, followed by more updates to suggest that the VPNFilter Router Malware is much worse than originally thought. I have checked and mine does not seem to be on the list of affected routers. What should I do now? " My response: From what I understand, the VPNFilter Router Malware affects routers made by Cisco and Linksys, MikroTik ... (view more)
A home security camera user was shocked to receive video from another user when she used a mobile app. The manufacturers say it's a one-off incident caused by human error. According to the BBC, Louisa Lewis has used her security camera since ... December. The set-up means that when the camera's motion sensor is triggered, it makes a recording and sends an alert to her mobile phone, complete with a clip. (Source: bbc.co.uk ) However, last week she began receiving clips from another family's camera instead. After a string of alerts, she contacted the manufacturers. They later stopped the clips ... (view more)
A security firm says efforts to make the Internet truly global could make scams easier. It also says a program for registering domain names in numerous languages can be abused for scam purposes. The issue involves the Internationalized Domain Name ... (IDN) system. This builds on the original Domain Name System (DNS) that helps 'translate' a web site name (such as www.infopackets.com ) into an IP address. These numbers then identify the location of the server, which then allows communication between the server and client machines (such as a web browser) to take place. The basic Domain Name System ... (view more)
Google is to mark Android apps to show they originated in the Google Play store. It's described as a security measure that could be particularly helpful in places with unreliable data connections. The change is to APK files, which stands for ... "Android PacKage"; these are files used to install an Android application on an Android device. Whenever you download an app from the Google Play store, it's always an APK file which is installed. However, the format is also the same if the app were to be downloaded from a third party website. Google is adding security metadata to all APKs ... (view more)
Apple has been fined US $6.6 million after remotely disabling iPhones that had been repaired independently. Regulators ruled it was wrong to claim the phone owners have violated their repair warranties. The ruling came in a court case brought by the ... Australian Competitor and Consumer Commission. It's similar to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) but with a more emphasis on protecting consumer rights. The case stemmed from a 2016 software update that disabled "unidentified" touch sensors, a part of the phone screen. With the sensor disabled, it became impossible to use the phone as it ... (view more)
An IBM computer has out-argued a debating champion according to an audience vote. It did so despite not having an Internet connection to look up facts during the debate. The demonstration wasn't designed to test how much the computer "knew," but ... rather it's ability to form arguments, listen to an opponent's case, and then respond to it. The computer system, dubbed "Project Debater", took on Noa Ovadia, who was crowned national debating champion in Israel in 2016. The pair debated two topics: whether to have more publicly funded exploration of space and whether to put more money into ... (view more)
iPhones will now automatically share precise location details with 911 operators during emergency calls. It's part of an overhaul of the emergency phone system for the mobile age. The change will come in iOS12, the next edition of the Apple ... operating system, which will be released this fall. It means that by default the location is transmitted when the phone makes an emergency call. Apple says the data collected and shared in this process will only ever be used for emergencies. (Source: theverge.com ) Precise Location Uses Multiple Sources It builds on a 2015 Apple feature called Hybridized ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Steve G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just read your article on How to Fix: Computer / Network Infected with Ransomware (10 Steps) and it was incredibly informative. I hope I never get infected with ransomware! That said, I have seen ... software products and services advertised online claiming they can prevent ransomware, but the information is often obscure. I feel like I am none the wiser. Even searching Google for ' how to prevent ransomware ' points to a very short article on Norton's website, which then links to Norton Antivirus. In your previous article, you said Norton didn ... (view more)
Samsung looks set to release a phone with a giant foldable screen. But rumors of the price are varying wildly. Reports suggest that the phone will fold out a little like a book. When open, the screen will be more than seven inches across, meaning it ... resembles a small tablet computer. When folded, the device will be the size of an ordinary smartphone and, although a little thicker than most phones, should fit easily in a pocket. The idea is that the design would dramatically change what's viable with a phone. For example, working on document editing would be much more bearable for the user. It ... (view more)
A consumer group is demanding compensation for users who've spent time and money fixing computer problems caused by Windows 10. It also wants updates and tech support to be improved. The call comes from "Which?", an independent organization in the ... United Kingdom that's similar to the US Consumer Reports group. It's brought up Windows 10 in the past: two years ago it revealed that more than 1,000 of its members had complained about the system. Now Which? says it's continuing to receive complaints and carried out a survey of members. It questioned more than 1,100 members who use ... (view more)
Microsoft staff will no longer answer questions about Windows 7 and 8.1 in support forums. It's also keeping quiet about several other hardware and software products. The products concerned are already mostly into Microsoft's "extended support", ... rather than "mainstream support" periods. That means Microsoft is no longer adding new features to the software, handling warranty claims, or offering free support through online tools or phone lines. Instead, it merely issues patches for security problems and bugs. While Microsoft no longer offered direct help services for the ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Robert S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a network of computers I use for accounting purposes. Suddenly, many of my desktop icons started appearing to have strange names, such as ... '1HjgN1BdTZE3OIqorcj2E5b6CXIE=gdFae89IWgo0RrVfPbCHt851oogccs.ssimpotashka[at]gmail.com'. When I try to open these files, Windows warns me the file may be malicious. When I look in my Documents folder, I see more files similarly named to the one I just mentioned. Some of my .PDF files won't even open. On the desktop there is a text document that says ' HOW TO DECRYPT YOUR FILES.TXT ' - when I open ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Georges A. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have an old HP Laserjet 1200 series printer (from 2001). This printer has worked great over the years, however I can't seem to get my new Windows 10 PC to recognize the printer. If I look in ... Device Manager, the printer isn't under the correct heading - it shows up under 'usb device'. If I go to Control Panel -> Devices and Printers, I see the HP Laserjet 1200 series printer listed, but if I right click to try and print a test page, that option isn't available. Also when I try and print something from MS Word, the printer does not show ... (view more)
Google could face a fine of billions of dollars over alleged anti-competitive behavior. It disputes the claims and says they don't take proper account of the role of Apple. The fine would come from the European Union, which oversees competition ... across 28 countries. It's expected to rule against Google in the biggest of three investigations into the company. All three investigations relate to a basic principle of EU competition law: it's generally OK for a company to dominate a market, and it's generally OK for a company to carry out anti-competitive behavior, but the combination of the two is ... (view more)
A Canadian woman has been fined for looking at an Apple smartwatch while at traffic lights. The court ruled it should be treated the same as checking a smartphone screen. Victoria Ambrose was fined $400 CAD (just over $300 USD) for breaking local ... laws on distracted driving. A police officer noticed that she failed to move when the lights turned green and was instead looking at her watch, only moving when the officer shone a light at the car. (Source: bbc.co.uk ) She did not dispute that report, but said that she looked at the watch solely to check the time. She said it may have looked as if ... (view more)
Google's Chrome browser may soon support biometric logins to websites such as fingerprints. It follows on from Firefox becoming the first major browser to support biometric logins just a few weeks ago. Both browsers are supporting "WebAuthn," a web ... standard for authenticating logins without passwords. While it's a big step, it's only half the journey as the standard also has to be supported by the websites in question. (Source: digitaltrends.com ) The standard has been jointly developed by two key groups. The World Wide Web Consortium is the main body that develops standards for ... (view more)
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I can help! Send me a message on the bottom left of the screen (using the Zopim Chat button), or click my picture to read more about how I can fix your computer over the Internet. Optionally you can read all about my credentials, here.