computer

Tue
12
Apr
John Lister's picture

Researchers Claim to Unlock Ransomware Encryption

One of the nastiest ransomware variants may have been defeated. Two security researchers have reportedly figured out a way to recover access to an encrypted computer without paying an extortion fee. Most forms of ransomware involve infecting a ... victim's computer and then individually encrypts files. That leaves the victim able to run Windows, but unable to access any of their data. The Petya variant is more dangerous as it encrypts the hard drive's master file table. That's a database which has the details of every files on a computer, including those for Windows itself. If the master ... (view more)

Mon
28
Mar
Dennis Faas's picture

How to: Run 16-bit Programs on Windows 10 64-bit

Infopackets Reader 'Colin' writes: " Dear Dennis, I have Windows 10 64-bit and when I try and run an old Visual Basic software program, it says 'This app cannot run on your PC'. I believe the Visual Basic program uses 16-bit architecture. So the ... question is, how can I run 16-bit programs on Windows 10 64-bit? " My response: The simple answer is that you cannot run 16-bit applications on 64-bit Windows directly , including Windows 10 64-bit. The same holds true when trying to run 16-bit applications on Windows 7 64-bit or Windows 8 64-bit. That said, there are workarounds to the problem. ... (view more)

Fri
25
Mar
Dennis Faas's picture

Explained: Do I need a VPN? Are VPNs Safe for Online Banking?

Infopackets Reader Janie T. writes: " Dear Dennis, I wanted to know if I should use a VPN (virtual private network) to connect to my bank website. A service I came across called saferweb.com claims that they will encrypt my connection, but I don't ... know if they can be trusted or not. What do you think? PS: I love your daily infopackets letters - they are very informative. " My response: This is a good question. When visiting saferweb.com I noted the following statements on their site: "Safer Web gives you an extra layer of security against Internet hackers. By hiding your IP, we keep your ... (view more)

Fri
04
Mar
Dennis Faas's picture

3 Ways to Install Windows 10 using an .ISO File (with or without a DVD Burner)

Infopackets Reader Perry F. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have two laptops with Windows 7 that I would like to upgrade to Windows 10. From what I understand, I can use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to download Windows 10 in an .ISO file format. When ... that is done downloading, I would then burn the .ISO disc image file onto a DVD, then use the DVD to install Windows 10 onto my machines. The problem however is that I don't have a DVD drive on either laptop - so how can I use the .ISO format to install Windows 10? " My response: In a nutshell, an ISO file is an exact copy of an entire CD or DVD, ... (view more)

Mon
29
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

Explained: System Restore vs System Recovery, and When to Use It

Infopackets Reader Fred L. writes: " Dear Dennis, I own an HP computer with Windows 7 and many of my programs keep crashing for no apparent reason. One of the biggest problems I have is that Windows Explorer crashes, then my desktop is reset; this ... happens over and over again, making it impossible to use the computer. I've scanned for viruses and malware and nothing as turned up. As such, I would like to reset the computer to factory settings and wipe out the entire hard drive, similar to when I first purchased the computer. There is something called HP Recovery Manager, but I don't fully ... (view more)

Fri
19
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

Explained: Why You Can't Copy / Restore the Program Files Folder

Infopackets Reader Guy P. writes: " Dear Dennis, A few days ago I turned my PC on and instead of booting into Windows, it went directly into Windows Startup Repair. It scanned the drive but then reported that 'Startup Repair cannot repair this ... computer automatically'. I restarted the system and tried to boot Windows normally, but again it went into the Startup Repair, and with the same results. I backed up my system previously from within Windows but there was no way for me to restore the backup (since the backup program runs inside of Windows). Long story short, I decided to format my hard ... (view more)

Wed
10
Feb
John Lister's picture

Windows 10 Phones Home to 50+ Microsoft IP Addresses

Windows 10 "phones home" thousands of times each day even with the most restrictive privacy settings, according to a newly published article. While the precise figures are in question, it highlights ongoing concerns about Microsoft monitoring. The ... experiment was carried out by a message board poster using the somewhat unlikely name of CheesesCrust. He decided to find out exactly what happens if Windows 10 is run with all tracking supposedly disabled. (Source: voat.co ) To do this, he used a virtual machine tool on a laptop to simulate installing Windows on a completely new machine. ... (view more)

Fri
29
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

How to: Convert Quattro Pro files (and more) to Excel Format

Infopackets Reader Howard R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have some really old family Quattro Pro spreadsheets from 1994-98. I would like to be able to view these spreadsheets on my Windows 10 system, and if possible, convert the Quattro Pro files to ... Excel files. The Quattro Pro files are using the .WB1 file extension. While the current version of Open Office can read .WB2 files, it won't read these .WB1 files. Do you know of a program that can read and convert the .WB1 files to Excel? I look forward to hearing from you. " My response: After researching Howard's question, I suggested he try ... (view more)

Wed
30
Dec
John Lister's picture

MS Defends Windows 10 Policy to Copy Hard Drive Keys

Microsoft has confirmed it automatically uploads Windows 10 disk encryption keys to its servers. The company says it was a deliberate decision based on weighing up the worst case scenarios. The encryption key in question is not related to logging ... into and running Windows itself. Instead its an encryption of the entire hard drive of the device running Windows 10. This means that if somebody physically steals your computer, they can't make any sense of the data, even if it's been copied to another device (using a disk image backup, for example). Encryption Key Would Help Computer Thieves ... (view more)

Fri
25
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

How to Fix: Cannot Attach Files to Reply in Outlook 2016

Infopackets Reader Steven B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a small issue, and hope you have some insight. I am using Outlook 2016; when I respond to an email, I can no longer attach a file to my email reply. This seems to have happened all the ... sudden, whereas previously it worked without any problems. I have tried to drag and drop a file into the email, and have also clicked on the Attach File icon (paper clip) button without any luck. The strange thing is that this issue only affects my email replies - but not when I compose a new email. I have searched online the Internet but can't find ... (view more)

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