When is it time to buy a new computer?

This week, we had a few walk-in customers with really old laptops; one being eight years old!

I am a fan of new technology and I love having cool gadgets and  fast gaming machines, so upgrading for me seems to be a never-ending process. But from a customer's point of view, when is it a good time to upgrade?

There are a few factors to consider when making this decision:

1. What do you use the computer for?

If you use the computer for business and the speed of the computer is necessary for getting your job done, it may be an indicator that it is time to upgrade if it is too slow.

If you are using it for just surfing the web and checking email, it may not be worth getting an upgrade. 

2. Can it be upgraded at a resonable cost?

If the computer is not that old and you do not want to spend the money on a new one, you can always make some changes to the hardware. More Ram, a faster hard drive, and a better video card and three ways to speed up a system that are not too expensive and can give you the performance boost you need.

3. Operating system?

Which OS are you using? There are some that are known for being system hogs (yes, Vista, I am looking at you) and others that while they may not have all the fancy gizmos, work faster.

In addition, when was the last time that you reinstalled your OS or did a clean up of the programs that aren't used often? 

One last OS thing I always look at is the start up menu.  What programs auto-start when you boot up your computer - do you need them all?

For me, it comes down to this, do you want to invest the time and money into an older computer? If the answer is no then it's time for a new toy!

Have a great weekend!

Kristen Hewes - Hardware Technician

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

A Clean Computer Is A Happy Computer

This week's blog is about dirt. I have taken on a project at work that involves server maintenance for a transportation service. This means that the servers are in some crazy places, sometimes in tiny rooms tucked away in a subway station or in bus stations all over the city.

I enjoy the traveling and getting to see parts of the city that I wouldn't normally travel to. Anyway, I have spent a lot of time covered in break dust and all manner of stuff.  After seeing this for a couple of weeks and seeing just how far the dust from the trains can travel and still end up inside a computer, I just would like to remind you all to open up those cases and take a look inside, because a clean computer is a happy computer!

So break out those cans of air and give those computers a good clean out.

Kristen Hewes - Hardware Technician

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

Emulating Local Printing on a Network

Most network administrators and technicians are familiar with mapping a printer from a server.  This is the most typical and efficient way of sharing printers on a network.  However, many applications, especially legacy applications, only work with a local, non-network printer.  Some applications may also require the printer have a specific name, which won't work with network printers as you cannot rename them.  There are a few ways to get around these problems, if an application requires it.

The first, and most straightforward, is simply to manually create a local printer port which actually redirects to the server hosting the printer.  This can be done through the Add Printer Wizard on any version of Windows by simply selecting "Local Printer" and adding a new Local Printer Port.  The name of the port is \\servername\printername.

However, this process requires manually installing the printer on each computer, which can be time consuming and difficult to manage if you're trying to deploy the printer to several machines.

Installing a local printer via script can be done, using the PrintUIEntry function found in Windows XP and onward.  The basic command is:

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b <printername> /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf /r <portname> /m <drivername> /u

This will install the printer with the specified name, port, and driver.  However, this script assumes the port name specified already exists, so the port must be created first.  There are two ways to do this.  For computers with old LPT parallel ports, you can map LPT1 to a network location and then specifiy LPT1 in the script.  The script would look something like this:

net use LPT1 \\servername\printername /persistent:yes

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b <printername> /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf /r LPT1 /m <drivername> /u

Unfortunately, this will not work if there are no parallel ports on the target computer, as then LPT1 does not exist.  In that case, we need to create a new Local Port on the machines the way we did above in the manual scenario, but this time we need to do it via script.  The best way to do this is by adding a registry entry to the target machine, which creates the port. Then we restart the spooler on the target machine so it recognizes the new port.  The basic script would look like this:

net stop spooler

reg ADD "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Ports" /v \\servername\printername /t REG_SZ /f

net start spooler

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b <printername> /f %windir%\inf\ntprint.inf /r \\servername\printername /m <drivername> /u

The catch with this scenario is that we must have elevated privileges to run this script on Windows Vista or Windows 7.  Otherwise, we will not be allowed to add any info to the registry or restart services via script.

One last method uses new technology released with Windows 2008, call Group Policy Preferences.  GPP allows an administrator to control almost anything they like on the target machines, including adding local printers to an entire domain.  The sets are essentially the same as the manual process above, except done through the GPP interface.  Once configured, GPP will execute on each machine as it starts up on the domain, ensuring the printer is added appropriately.  This is the cleanest and simplest method, but requires Windows 2008 domain controllers and also requires Windows 7 clients.  For Windows Vista or Windows XP, the GPP extensions will first need to be deployed and installed.  However, this is the simplest and most reliable method, once GPP is deployed and working on the network.

There are many solutions to the problem of local printing emulation on a network.  Exactly which method is right for each network depends on many factors and choosing the wrong method can result in extensive headaches and buggy deployment.  Proper research and preparation is necessary before committing to any solution.

Brian St. Marie - Sr. Systems Engineer

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

Windows Restore Virus

This week, I ran into a very intense virus called Windows Restore. It tries to make you think that there is a problem with everything from hardware to software applications on your PC. The reason it was so difficult to remove was the fact that it hides all your icons and stops your IE from being operational.

From past experiences, I know that it looks for certain software like Malwarebytes or ComboFix and disables them. If you do need anti-malware to run, your best bet is to rename it to something different like 123456. This will trick the virus and usually let you install your virus/malware removal programs. Below is a list of manual keys in the registry to look at when trying to remove this virus. Also, remember to go into folder options and show all files and folders.

Malicious Files Added by Windows Restore Virus :
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Restore\Windows Restore.lnk
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Restore\Uninstall Windows restore.lnk
%AppData%\Microsoft\[random].exe
%UserProfile%\Desktop\Windows Restore.lnk
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Restore\

Windows Restore Registry Entries:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Download “CheckExeSignatures” = ‘no’
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main “Use FormSuggest” = ‘yes’
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings “WarnonBadCertRecving” = ‘0′
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System “DisableTaskMgr” = ‘1′
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “[random].exe”
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “[random]”
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policie \Associations “LowRiskFileTypes” = ‘{hq:/s`s:/ogn:/uyu:/dyd:/c`u:/bnl:/ble:/sdf:/lrh:/iul:/iulm:/fhg:/clq:/kqf:/`wh:/lqf:/lqdf:/lnw:/lq2:/l2t:/v`w:/rbs:’
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments “SaveZoneInformation” = ‘1′

Dennis Foote – System Engineer

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

The Flash

This week, I had a laptop come in that was tiny, an itsy bitsy thing, and it was still classed as a commercial laptop. Well, it was getting a fan error but was still booting up.  I went to the manufacturer's website and checked it out.  I found a service advisory note from them claiming that this was a bios error and could be fixed with a bios flash.. Easy enough!

I downloaded the fixed bios and flashed it.  And, all was right with the world - or was it?

It turns out that the fix was not a fix and the customer came back in with the same error.  I checked the bios myself to make sure that it was the right one, and it was. So, the flash was not a super hero, and did not save the day.

Time to order a fan!!!

Have a great weekend!

Kristen Hewes - Hardware Technician

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

Hiren's Boot Disk

The importance of having a good boot disk seems to be a no brainer. Through the years, technicians have relied on boot disks to get PCs set up or back in working condition.  Over the last year, I have thrown all disks out except one.  And, it is needed almost every day. 

Back in the day, it would have been an ultimate boot disk.  I have replaced it with Hiren’s boot disk.  I find Hiren’s to have a dream list of programs that can smoothly turn the tides on some of the most stubborn PCs.  If you have not heard of Hiren’s, I suggest looking into it either on Google or via their website.   I find Hiren’s to have the largest collection of and most up-to-date software.  Hiren’s also has a mini Win XP mode to boot into with a lot of programs that are able to run with a GUI interface.  This makes it much easier to make heads or tails out of menus, options and help files.

Dennis Foote - Systems Engineer

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

Temporary Printer Fixes

Recently, I was at a customer's site working on a multi-function color laser printer.  Its image drum unit life had dropped to zero percent, which stops the printer from running. The printer was the only one in the customer's department and it was critical to have a printer up and running.  As a temporary fix, I reset the printer and tricked it into believing a new drum unit was installed.  The printer is up and running with no guarantee on print quality. The customer is very happy and we are waiting for the new drum unit order to come in. This goes against the printer manufacture's specifications.  As far as they are concerned, it should never be done, but it will not hurt the printer and it helped the customer out at a critical time.

Another customer had a plotter that went down because its carriage drive belt went south and started to fall apart. A fiber string from the carriage drive belt had wrapped around the carriage belt drive pulley. Normally, I would leave the plotter as is, order a carriage drive belt, and wait for it to come in. The customer asked if there was anything I could do to get the plotter up and running in the meantime.  I was able to work the carriage belt fiber string off from the carriage belt drive pulley and cleaned it. I also doctored the carriage drive belt and removed all hanging  fiber strings. This temporary fix is against the manufacture's specifications on how to handle this call, but it will not hurt the plotter and has helped the customer in a bind.

Joe Churma - Hardware Technician

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

A Computer Trackpoint

This week, I came across an issue with a trackpoint for a laptop. The laptop itself had some problems and the system board and the keyboard had to be replaced.

Once that was done, the new problem appeared.  The trackpoint and its buttons did not work! Well, first off, I tried the connections, but there was no problem there.  I then went to the software side and checked the BIOS, but strike number two!  I moved on to the laptop's drivers.  When I looked at the control program, the area to enable the trackpoint was darkened and there was no way to activate it from there.

So, I took the computer apart again and tried a different keyboard, a different system board, and still nothing. Time to hit up the experts, so I gave the laptop's manufacturer's technical support a call.  After the obligatory computer generated menu system got me through to a real person, I explained the situation.  I answered all of their questions on hardware and software and went through all the things I had done to solve the problem.

On their suggestion, I tried running a Linux live disk to see if that recognized it - still to no avail. At this point I had been on the phone with them for quite a while, and was told "We have no idea what could be causing this.  Can you send the laptop to us?"  I can and may have to, but first I plan to execute a fresh reinstall of Windows on the laptop.  I am waiting for the recovery disks to come in and I will see what that does.

I checked out the laptop manufacturer's online forums and see that others have had this issue with no answers from the manufacturer.   I don't expect their technical support representatives to know everything, but I must admit it was nice knowing that I had not missed anything and they were as stumped as I was.

I will update this next week if I get an answer.

Have a great weekend!

Kristen Hewes - Hardware Technician

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

Making the Most of Mobile Broadband

As the internet continues to become more and more of a necessity for business, the ability to connect to the internet becomes increasingly critical to keeping your business running.  Many companies have remote works, sales forces which travel, or other employees who need to work from the road.  The challenge is keeping them connected and in touch with the rest of the company.

Thankfully, mobile broadband internet is becoming increasingly useful and cost effective.  Many people have smart phones with data connections, which allow them to check their email or other company resources while on the go.  However, getting a laptop to work this way is more of a challenge.  Often, employees use hotel wireless connections or free hotspots in coffee shops or other locations.  Increasingly, employees are subscribing to mobile broadband services, which allow them to have a mobile broadband connection anywhere there is cell service available.

The downside to this technology has been that 3G speeds are nowhere near comparable to the typical wifi speeds most people are used to when using a laptop.  It can frequently be 1/10th or even less the speed you would get if you were to use a normal wifi connection.  Oftentimes, this is only enough for the most basic work to be done and limits how productive an employee can be when out of the office.

However, new 4G technologies are now hitting the market and are available in many cities across the country.  With 4G mobile broadband connections, speeds are significantly better and more on par with the type of speed many users may be used to from using their home internet connections.  The best part of 4G is the cost is nearly *the same* as older 3G mobile broadband plans, but provides speeds 4-20 times faster.  While not as fast as what they may have in the office, it is vastly better than 3G technology and greatly increases access to resources and productivity from anywhere you can reach a 4G signal.

If you're based in Boston, you're in luck, as 4G technology is becoming a big industry here.  The current leader is Clear with their WiMAX 4G technology.  Clear has also partnered with Sprint, which allows Sprint to offer 4G services to their client base, rebranded as Sprint equipment.  The other carriers are not too far behind with offering their 4G services, mainly based on LTE technology; T-mobile does currently offer service and AT&T and Verizon are not far behind.  However, it's our feeling here at Terminal, that Clear is the most well established network in Boston, as they have been working on their network for far longer than the other technologies.  This is why we chose to partner with Clear, allowing us to offer their technological advantage to our clients and helping them get the most from new 4G services.

If you have a mobile workforce and are interested in getting them to be more productive and more accessible, Contact Us today and we can go over all the benefits and advantages of 4G technology with you.

Brian St. Marie – Sr. Systems Engineer

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

Outlook Import Wizard

Converting Windows Mail to Microsoft Outlook is easy to do with the Outlook Import Wizard.  I had a client that was on Outlook Express which changed over to Windows Mail in Windows Vista and Windows 7. They had a lot of email, contacts, and calendar events that needed to be converted into Outlook. I found the Outlook Import Wizard makes it much easier to convert EML files to a PST file.  ELM files can be found in C:\Users\{your user account name}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\Local Folders\account.oeaccount file. You can find the conversion tool by just doing a search in Google. I encourage people to make the switch to Outlook if they are planning on purchasing MS office or have already purchased it and are not yet utilizing the Outlook program.

Dennis Foote - Systems Engineer

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

Speed up an older computer

I just wanted to pop in today and talk a bit about speed. We had a laptop in last week that was slow and the customer wanted it back to the way it was.

Well, the laptop was older and it was starting to show.  It took forever to boot up and even once it did it still took forever to do anything.

The first thing I noticed was that they were running Windows 7.  There was no way that the computer came with that, and the sticker on the side told me so. =)

I took a look at the system specs and saw that they had 756mb of ram ( - I don't know who put that in).  So, I suggested bumping it up to 2gigs, and, boy, did that help!  Then, I took a look at the startup menu and stopped a bunch of things from starting on boot up, and I finished with a disk defragmentation.

While not the fastest machine, the difference was noticable right away and the customer was very happy with the results.

All the best.

Kristen Hewes - Hardware Technician

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!

Network Printers

I replaced a tray #2 paper pickup assembly in a laser jet network printer at a customer’s site. This required splitting the printer in two. After completing the replacement, the diagnostics ran OK. The customer IT analyst had the user send print jobs to the printer. The printer would print one form, but the second form instead of going to Tray #2 for plain paper or Tray #3 for letter head, would ask the for the form to be loaded into Tray #1.

I tried to reset configuration parameters, pulled off the covers, and reseated cables to PCB’s – all NG! The user we were using to send online test print jobs to the printer left for a meeting with one of her customers. The IT analyst then asked a second user to send print jobs to the printer. The online test for print jobs from the second user ran OK, as did tests from two other users. 

The first user’s software driver for the printer suddenly became corrupted and sent both myself and the customer's IT analyst down the yellow brick road chasing a ghost. What are the odds that a software driver would go corrupt for a printer that just had a major repair done to it?  One would believe that the odds are so small that you would believe that it would not happen. But yes, it can happen!

When you work on a network printer, always check it with multiple computers before determining if you have any problems with it even after a major repair. What turned into a two-hour ghost chase could have been avoided by testing the network printer on multiple computers in a half hour or less.

Joe Churma - Hardware Technician

Give Us a Call 617-731-6319 and Ask a Professional IT Support Technician Any Questions You May Have!