HELP DESK
Q: I'm ashamed to say I got caught today. I have a rule (your advice) never to open a link sent to me but go to the web page. Well, I need to extend that to phone numbers. when I tried to log on to one of my emails today, a message popped up that there was a problem and to call an 800 number. I should have called AT&T right then but I called the number. The guy took control of my laptop and proceeded to tell me that I had been hacked, showed me all the problems I had and said he had to get Microsoft on the line. He kept saying "Oh my goodness."According to the "Microsoft" guy, there were any number of users on my computer with access to everything but for the small fee of $199 he would fix everything and install a protection package that would guarantee my computer would never be hacked again. Click went the phone, yank went the internet cable and off went the laptop. It's at Drive Guys in Jupiter right now being scrubbed and I'm using my old XP to change all my passwords. — Jesse Stiggins
A: Criminals use all the available ways that make sense for doing their jobs. And their job is to rip us off. So yes, the telephone, the Internet, old fashioned snail mail and all the rest. The problem keeps growing and I think that's because crimes like this are the most difficult for the police to handle (when the police try at all; after all it's hard to even know where the crook is in most of these cases). My theory? Go ahead and be paranoid. After all, they really are out to get you.
Help yourself.
I get emails from readers every day asking for help with a problem. And when I can help, I do. But there are times when there are too many emails for me to answer. After all, I’m a one-man operation with only occasional and ineffective help from Lucy the Beagle. The column runs in several newspapers and that generates quite a bit of reader email. So, too often, questions go unanswered.
Today we’ll talk about ways for you to help yourself – to diagnose and fix some common computer problems. But let’s start by weeding a few readers out. While the tips here are truly in the range of anyone, no matter how inexperienced, there are some people who seem capable of getting into a high-tech mess by just turning a computer on. You know who you are. And it’s no sin, we are still buddies. But even these simple tips may not be for you.
OK, let’s get started.
On and off
It’s so simple I should feel a bit of shame mentioning this. But many computer problems go away by themselves – it is like having a brief bout of the hiccups. So when trouble strikes your first move should be to shut the computer down. Let it sit a moment or two and then hit the power button. If the problem goes away don’t spend any time trying to figure what was wrong. And don’t engage in any fixing. Just be glad the problem is gone.
Restore me
I swear, Windows System Restore is a wondrous thing. You don’t need to know what’s wrong for Restore to return your computer to normal. Here’s how it works. Restore lets you return a glitchy computer to the way it was before the trouble started. Just fire up the built-in program and click on a calendar date from a time when the machine was running correctly. If you don’t know how Restore works, let Windows show you. Just type the words “system restore” into the Windows Help menu. It’ll guide you through the process. Does Restore always work? Nah. But, more times than not, it’ll turn a maverick computer into a tame one.
Send in the substitutes
Let’s say that every time you try to type, a bunch of gibberish appears on the screen. Sometimes when you hit the A key a single time multiple As appear on the screen. And random letters appear, too. But is the problem in the computer, or is it the keyboard? The easy way to find out is through substitution. Just plug in another keyboard. If the problem goes away, you diagnosed and even solved the problem. If it persists you’ve ruled out the keyboard. This simple system works with a multitude of devices – a computer mouse, monitor, printer and more. So keep some no longer needed accessories such as keyboards, monitors and the like around when you replace a computer.
Be simple-minded
Ask any good auto mechanic about this next tip: Look for the simplest and most logical cause first. What I’m saying is that when a car doesn’t run check to make sure it’s not out of gas before you overhaul the engine. And with computers, check the obvious first. Is everything plugged in correctly and are the connections good and tight. I remember working on my stepson’s computer years ago. He said the sound system had stopped working. I tried one thing and then another before I noticed that the volume for the speakers was turned down. I felt foolish but I also got a good reminder to check the obvious first.
None of this will turn you into a computer genius. On the other hand, by using these simple tips, you’ll often do a better job of fixing a computer than a computer genius.
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