52 search results for "yellow dot"

Browser – “New” Microsoft Edge (Sep 2020)

Testing the “New” Microsoft Edge Web Browser

Technology Tips – Published September 2020 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

If you are not familiar with “Edge” it is the replacement web browser for the venerable but outdated and somewhat insecure browser – Internet Explorer. Yes, Internet Explorer remains on Windows 10 computers for those rare compatibility situations but you should not be using it routinely. The first iteration of “Edge” in 2015 was a ho hum affair. It never developed wide acceptance as most consumers gravitated toward using Chrome. In early 2020 Microsoft released the new version of “Edge” based on the Chromium engine, the same one that Chrome uses.

It was recently downloaded to me via Windows Update but you can also download it from Microsoft at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge. It’s a free add-on to Windows 10 and is also available free for Windows 7 and 8 PC’s. You should see a download button in the center of the page after you enter the above address into your Chrome or Firefox browser. The new “Edge” file will be downloaded into your Downloads folder. Double click
“MicrosoftEdgeSetup.exe” to install “Edge”.

The setup procedure is fairly easy. Once it’s installed you’ll be presented with a few screens to get you going. If you are presently a Chrome user choose “Import from Google Chrome”. When clicking “More import options” you’ll see a window showing all of the import items available. Choose all of them to import all of the Chrome settings then click “Confirm”. Next is the setup for new tabs. You’ll see “Inspirational”, “Informational” and “Focused”. In my opinion it’s a bit overblown as “Inspirational” and “Informational” merely adds a background picture to the two windows. “Focused” just eliminates a background picture. Next, is the choice to sync your data to other devices when you are signed in to your Microsoft account. Toggle the switch to “No” if no syncing is for you. The last setup screen allows you personalize advertising sent to you, courtesy of “Edge”. You might want to set the switch to “No”.

Clicking the 3 horizontal dots at the upper right takes you to a menu of items. Scroll down near the bottom and click Settings. On the left, under “Privacy and services”, turn on “Tracking prevention” and click “Strict”. Click “On startup” and choose the setting of your home page when you start up “Edge”. “Site permissions” are preset so for almost everyone there’s nothing to change. However, it’s best to review them for your needs. Clicking “Default browser” allows you to set “Edge” as the browser that, for example, will start when you click a web site link in an email or attachment. Clicking “About Microsoft Edge” will allow you to update “Edge” if necessary. You can review other settings not mentioned above as needed.

So how does “Edge” compare to Chrome? In my testing, very favorably. Since they both are based on Chromium the use of memory is about the same. Firefox uses a bit more memory than Edge or Chrome. So which is fastest? “Edge” comes out on top by a slight measure over Chrome. Firefox was faster on some sites but slower on others by a second or less.

Give “Edge” a try – you may like it.

Utility Company Scam

A Security Scam by Sally Shabaker

PECO Energy in Pennsylvania has received numerous complaints from customers who received phone calls from people claiming to be PECO employees. The callers tell them that they are hundreds of dollars behind on their bills and at risk for having their service cut off. “This type of scam is usually done during peak seasons,” says Marc. “Now is a prime time for electric company scams, because of the need we all have for air-conditioning.”

The scammer tells the customer that the fastest way to avoid having their service turned off would be to go to Walgreens or CVS and buy a prepaid Green Dot Visa debit card, because that would be the same as cash. Once they have the card, they are to call the scammer back and provide them with the information on the debit card.

Here are some tips to avoid this type of scam. Any caller requiring payment via debit card is a huge sign that you are being taken in. Another sign to look for is if the call-back number to provide the card information has a 718 area code, which is for parts of New York City, far outside the range of PECO. The AARP also warns people to beware of calls from the 876 area code, which is often used by scammers from outside the county. Never give any credit card or bank account info to anyone who calls you directly. Hang up and call PECO back on the number listed on their website or on your bill. Ask anyone who contacts you in this manner to provide you with information to confirm they actually know who they’re calling. They should be able to tell you your full account number, the amount and date of your last payment and the exact amount due.

Bench Warrant Scam

A Security Scam by Sally Shabaker

This scam is prevalent now in various part of Chester County where residents are targeted by bogus phone calls and threatened with arrest by Deputy Sheriffs on a bench warrant for failing to report for jury service in Chester County Court. Sometimes the caller ID is faked so that it appears the call actually comes from a sheriff’s office number. Other times, the caller simply overwhelms the targeted victim by using official sounding rank and titles from the so-call “Warrant Department.” To avoid the threat of a bench warrant being served, the person answering the phone is told to go to a convenience store or pharmacy to purchase pre-paid greendot MoneyPak cards in amounts ranging from $300 to $1500, and then call the scammer back with the MoneyPak card numbers.

Be aware. The Chester County Court does not require anyone to purchase any kind of monetary device to avoid arrest. Contact between the court and jurors is made through the U.S. Mail, and any phone contact by real court officials will not include requests for social security numbers, credit card numbers or any other kind of sensitive information.

If you receive a call requesting money, notify the Jury Services Office (610-344-6174) or the Chester County Sheriff (610-344-6855.)

“It is now possible for devious people to manipulate caller IDs, so don’t accept at face value that the call is actually coming from the number on the caller ID,” Marc says. “Just because you think it’s safe, you can never be sure it is reliable.” In addition, Marc advises people not to answer a call if they don’t recognize the caller ID.

Is your PC Hacked? (Aug 2024)

Technology Tips – Published August 2024 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

 

I certainly hope it is not hacked but how can you be reasonably assured it is free from unseen or unknown malware. Malware is a general term for any program that takes partial or total unwanted control of your computer. Some malware is obvious by displaying strange messages on the screen. What I’m concerned with is malware that can run silently in the background. It requires no user interaction but it is silently recording your keystrokes. So, you can say goodbye to protection of your passwords. Of course, your passwords are encrypted while in storage on your computer so you are protected, to a point. However, when you type your password to log in to your bank, investments, or other sensitive sites, your keystrokes can be copied if you have a certain type of malware infection.

There is not one legitimate anti-virus company that can say they offer 100% protection against malware. If they do detect something and successfully block it then you “should” be fine. Now let’s analyze this situation. First, do you feel 100% comfortable with this response? You shouldn’t. This requires a response on your part. Your anti-virus may have done its job but how did they accomplish the task at hand. Did they block it upon installation of the malware or did they block later on after it ran on your computer. Its best to have an alternate tool (program) to use in case of a known infection. In fact, its even better to run a second program frequently to ensure your computer is free of malware. Yes, you can scan your computer with your anti-virus but remember it will be no better than its blocking capability and it can offer only a single opinion.

As a second opinion, the Malwarebytes company does a good job in providing a high level of detection and removal of malware from your computer. This free program can be downloaded here: https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/thankyou. Another free program from Malwarebytes is ADWCleaner. You can download it here: https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/adwcleaner.

Some things to be aware of in addition to the above, is your computer running slowly or is it crashing requiring frequent reboots? Also, look for strange pop-ups, or removal of your favorite search engine (Google, Bing). Just be aware of anything unusual. Don’t see anything unusual? That’s what a sophisticated malware creator loves to hear. They write a higher-level code to do the job they want without you having any idea that anything is wrong. What a world we live in!

When you download Malwarebytes (Free) it should be present in your Downloads folder as MBSetup.exe. Double click it. Click Install. Skip the offer to install Browser Guard. When Malwarebytes opens, in the Real-Time Protection category, click the 3 vertical dots then click Settings just below it. Turn off the 5 switches in the Real-Time Protection. This is part of an advanced 14-day protection trial. It has been known to interfere with anti-virus programs and it is not necessary to have it running to perform a scan or even afterwards. Next, click Dashboard in the upper left and click Scan to detect any malware. When running a scan, the program will first update itself, then at the end it will produce a report showing anything it found. It will deactivate any active malware it finds. A secondary cleanup in Detection History (Quarantine) may be necessary to remove deactivated components.

Having a second or even a third malware cleanup tool is mandatory in this day and age. In addition, having something besides your anti-virus will possibly save you downtime and expense.

 

Vishing & Quishing (July 2024)

Technology Tips – Published July 2024 in the Guide and Digest

by Don Trauger – Kennett

 

No, they are not new languages but are two new types of security threats that you may face with your computer. I haven’t seen any like these two so they may not be widely exploited.

Vishing can be described as a computer threat that combines both “voice” and “phishing” to obtain sensitive data such as bank account information, credit card details, or passwords. Like many other scams, vishing falls under the heading of social engineering. Calls can come to your cell phone or computer. Examples of calls can come purportedly from your bank or Microsoft. Neither your bank nor Microsoft operate this way with their customers. In the same type of fraud are fake police officer demands that say to hand over your valuables to them for safe keeping. This one is particularly aimed at us older folks.

Quishing is relatively new and uses QR codes to spirit you off to their fake website so they can obtain your private data. A QR code is typically a square filled with dots. A picture taken of it with your cell phone will display a link to click to take you to their fraudulent site. Computers and cell phones can be set up to “sync” with each other and makes Quishing insidious to this fraudulent technique that will infect both devices. Cell phones don’t protect very well using QR codes that produce a link to a fake website. If you get to the site and log in, they capture your login details. At that point they now can send malware to both devices.

Protect against Vishing:

  • Make a note of the caller’s phone number and Web address, then do a Google search to verify the information. Since a call of this nature is often fake, be highly aware of the fact it probably is.
  • Do not give out any personal or financial information over the phone unless you have verified the caller’s identity and you are sure it’s a legitimate enquiry.
  • Remember you are now acting as the anti-virus program that usually protects the computer. If the computer has been hacked so has your antivirus program!

Protection against Quishing:

  • Be careful when scanning QR codes, especially if they come from an unknown or questionable source. If the message seems strange to you, it probably is so don’t proceed any further without verifying.
  • Do a Google search of the URL (Web address) to which the QR code leads before entering any personal information. Reputable sites use encrypted connections (https).
  • Activate multi-factor authentication for your online accounts. This provides an extra layer of security because even if the fraudsters get hold of your login details, they will still need the second or third authentication factor to log in on your behalf.

Conclusion

Both Vishing and Quishing are serious threats that cybercriminals skillfully use to gain access to your personal and financial data. By being aware of the specific tactics and warning signs associated with these scams and taking appropriate protective measures, you can effectively defend yourself.

Always be vigilant, avoid giving out sensitive information, whether over the phone or by carelessly scanning QR codes, and take the time to check the credibility of sources. Your security and the protection of your data should always come first.

Credit card hacked (Dec 2021)

Technology Tips – Published December 2021 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

 

Topic: Has Your Credit Card Information Been Leaked to the Web?

That’s a scary thought but hackers look for available credit card information to possibly exploit your accounts. It may happen in various ways, but a breach of a website where you previously conducted business may expose your personal information. If one of your accounts is hacked, you can be the victim of fraudulent transactions, identity theft, illegal fund transfers, or other illegal activities. If you use the same password and username for your bank account and your credit card, your bank funds can be depleted in a few seconds. If the hackers change the password for your bank or credit card, you’ll be locked out of your accounts. It’s a very ugly situation.

The Microsoft Edge browser contains a feature called Password Monitor that will scan the Web using your username and password information that you have saved in the browser when you visit a website. It won’t work if you don’t save your logon information using the Edge browser. To make use of this feature, when using Edge, a small window will pop up that offers to save your information when logging into your account on a website. Once you save your information it will be encrypted on your computer then scanned when you go on the Web using Edge.

Setting up this feature is easy. Open the Microsoft Edge browser. All Windows 10 users will have this browser as it was downloaded as part of a Windows Update. One requirement for Password Monitor to work properly is that you must be signed into your Microsoft account. To check to see if you are signed in, click the Personal icon (Headshot icon) at the top right of the Edge window. It will show your Microsoft account. Remember, a Microsoft account can be any valid email account from any Internet provider, such as Gmail, Yahoo, Comcast and almost any other provider. Click Manage profile settings, if necessary, to set up a profile that will create the Microsoft account. Click Add profile at top right of window. If you don’t see that Personal icon, click the 3 horizontal dots at the top right and scroll down and click Settings. It will open to Profiles. If you already have a Microsoft account, it will show under Personal at the top of the window. If not click Add profile.

Once you have verified that you have a Microsoft account, click Passwords in center of the window. Scroll down to Show alerts when passwords are found in an online leak. Just to the right, click the button to turn on Password Monitor. The button should be blue when turned on. Below the button click the right arrow. Click Scan now to perform an instant scan of your saved passwords. The results will show in a minute or two depending on the number of saved entries. Below, is a list of all your saved credentials. In addition, Microsoft has written detailed information about Password Monitor. Click Learn more, near the blue button.

One other setting to check is at the top of the Passwords window. Make sure the button for Offer to save passwords is turned on.

HMNG Events

⇦ Return to Nature Main Page

“That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.” –Aldo Leopold

SAVE the DATES

Put these on your calendar (and email HMNatureComm@HMHOA.com to register)!

2024 Events

All events in Wooldridge Hall unless otherwise indicated or altered due to Covid conditions.

June 20

4 to 6 PM

Summer Solstice Happy Hour

Join us at the Native Plant Gardens for happy hour among our beautiful blossoms, see old friends & make new ones. And The Elderberries will be back by popular demand to entertain us & encourage us to sing along!

Bring your own beverage and chair and snacks to share if you like.  Don’t forget your sun hat!

June 26

7 PM

Our Return to the Moon

Dennis O’Leary of Eaton, our in-house expert, will describe what we learned from the Apollo missions, how the Moon formed, why we only see one face of the Moon, why we see the Moon’s phases, and our plans to return humans to the surface of the Moon.

August 27

7 PM

Photo credits: Top, C. McCormick; Bottom, A. Grumet
  

Glory of Goldenrods

With their stunning yellow flowers, goldenrods are one of the hallmark plants of autumn. But they do more than delight the eye. From bees and wasps to caterpillars and butterflies, goldenrods support hundreds of insects and deserve a place in your garden. Join us to learn how goldenrod can add beauty and biodiversity to any landscape!

Samantha Nestory is the engagement manager and naturalist at Stoneleigh: a natural garden in Villanova. Her background includes work with Sarver Ecological, an ecological consulting firm, and Morris Arboretum and an MS in Entomology from the University of Delaware. She is passionate about native plants, ecological gardening and insect conservation and strongly committed to educating the public about these important issues.

 

Bitdefender Free Antivirus (Sept 2017)

 

Technology Tips – Published September 2017 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

 

It’s been since December 2013 that I’ve written about Bitdefender Free Antivirus. A lot has changed in this venerable free program. It sports a new interface and it’s updated from the cloud. It’s now compatible with Windows 10 according to their web site information. This has been debated by me and others who have run the older version on Windows 10 without any problems.

 

The new version features on-demand and on-access scanning with powerful scan engines that ensure detection and removal of all malware from viruses, worms and Trojans to ransomware, zero-day exploits, rootkits and spyware.

The “Advanced Threat Detection” uses an innovative technique called behavioral detection to closely monitor your active apps. When it detects anything suspicious, it takes instant action. Bitdefender Free has an “Anti-Phishing” component that blocks websites that masquerade as trustworthy in order to steal financial data such as passwords or credit card numbers. The “Anti-Fraud” module uses an advanced filtering system that warns you whenever you visit websites that may try to scam you such as casinos, porn sites, money loan schemes and others. All this adds up for you to consider replacing your present version (1.0.21.1109) if you have it, and downloading and installing this newest version. You can get it here: https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html.

Remember to uninstall any other antivirus program before installing Bitdefender Free. To uninstall, click the Start button (lower left corner of the screen) click Settings (2 icons above the Start button) click Apps then click your anti virus program followed by Uninstall. If you don’t see Apps you have an earlier version of Windows 10. Instead, right click the Start button and click Control Panel and click “Uninstall a program” under Programs or Programs and Features. Locate your old anti virus program and uninstall it. NOTE: Bitdefender will uninstall previous versions of Bitdefender Free during the installation of the new version.

After downloadiing, the file will be found in your Downloads folder. Click File Explorer (the yellow folder on the Task Bar at bottom of screen) then open the Downloads folder. Double click “Bitdefender_online.exe” to start the installation. Follow any screen prompts and restart the computer when shown. After the restart, note the Bitdefender icon on the Task Bar that shows a form to log-in to your previous Bitdefender account or create a new one for first time users. You must complete the form to make Bitdefender work properly. Also, after the restart, there should be another Bitdefender icon on the Task Bar. Click to open it and click the Install button. After completing the installation, click the sign-in button. Previous users will be signed in automatically. New users must check their email for an email from Bitdefender that will need to be confirmed for the new account.

Finally, Bitdefender updates automatically but does not scan automatically. You must open the program to do a manual scan. There’s only one other setting to change. Open Bitdefender, click the gear (settings) at the top, click “Account Info” and turn off “Display notifications with special offers”.

We will discuss Bitdefender at our PC Club meeting on September 19 at 7 PM upstairs in the Community Center. There also will be time for any Windows questions too.

Printer Trouble Shooting #2

 

The printer attached to your computer rarely, if ever, requires maintenance except for clearing an occasional paper jam or replacing the paper and ink cartridges. For an electro-mechanical device that’s fairly amazing. However, a printer can stop in the middle of printing, print strange characters or produce unwanted multiple blank sheets of paper. So, what to do? If the printer is producing multiple sheets of paper and is more or less out of control, turn off the power to the printer. This stops the problem momentarily. Now, let’s address the source of the problem. On the Desktop screen click the Start button, click the Control Panel, and click Printers & Faxes or Devices & Printers. In the window that opens, you should see an icon for your printer model. Double click the icon. For Windows XP a window will open with the model of your printer displayed at the top of the window. For Windows 7 click “See what’s printing”. Displayed in the window are any documents waiting to be printed or are currently “printing”. In the top menu, click on “Printer” and another sub-menu window appears. Click “Cancel all Documents”, and then answer Yes to confirm and close the window. This will remove all pending print jobs from being printed and clear the printer queue for future printing. Wait 20 – 30 seconds for the task to complete. You can confirm this by watching the printer icon in lower right corner of the screen disappear. Shut down the computer, turn the printer back on, restart the computer, and reprint your document.

 

Some printers exhibit a problem in which it fails to print anything from the computer. You can test the printer by doing the following: Right click your printer’s icon, left click Properties or Printer Properties, and click “Print Test Page”. This should print a single page of documentation, along with red, green, yellow, and blue colors in the flying Microsoft Windows flag. This procedure tests only the printer, the printer software, and the Windows operating system. Not included in this test are any programs that utilize the printer. To see if your program is properly “connected” to your printer, open your program, hold down the Ctrl key and press the “P” key. This should display the Print window with your printer shown in the Name: field. If it doesn’t show your printer, select it by clicking the down arrow to the right of the field. If you make a change, then OK the window.

 

If the non-printing problem continues check the USB cable connection between the printer and the computer. You can also try to unplug the cable momentarily from either the computer or the printer and plug it back in. This forces the USB printer circuitry to reinitialize the connection. If the problem continues, power down the printer and the computer. Turn the power back on to the printer, allow it initialize, and then turn on the computer.

 

If printing difficulties remain, it may be necessary to reinstall the printer software. You can also visit your printer manufacturer’s Web site (HP, Dell, etc.) for support information about your model computer and printer.

 

The PC Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM upstairs in the Ardmore room of the Community Center. Beginners are welcome.

 

Note: Remember to visit our newly designed Web site at www.hersheysmill.org to discover information about our community. Past Tech Tips articles can be found by double clicking Resources and scrolling down the page.

Monthly Computer Maintenance

Don Trauger – Kennett

Microsoft’s Disk Cleanup utility manages to do the required cleanup. However, there are other utility programs that are designed to
improve upon what Microsoft offers. I recommend downloading and installing CCleaner. This program is free. Open Internet Explorer and
go to www.filehippo.com. CCleaner will be found under “Popular Software”. Click it and in the next window click the big green arrow
on the right. If you see a yellow Information bar pop up under the Toolbar, click it, then click on “Download File” in the menu.
Click “Save” and direct the download to your Desktop. Do this by clicking the down arrow in the Save in: field. Select Desktop and
when the Save in: field shows Desktop, click the “Save” button. When the download completes, click the “Close” button, then close
Internet Explorer. The CCleaner download should now be on your Desktop. Look for an icon that says ccsetupxxx.exe. Double click it
then click the “Run” button to install CCleaner. Vista and Windows 7 users will see an additional security prompt. Answer Yes to continue.
Follow the screen prompts and be sure to remove any checks, if you see any, opting to add toolbars to Internet Explorer during the
installation. At the last window click the “Finish” button. CCleaner should start automatically. After installation delete the CCleaner
download file (ccsetupxxx.exe). The x’s represent any number.

If CCleaner doesn’t start, click the new CCleaner icon on the Desktop to open the program. The program comes properly configured so there
is no need to make further changes. When the program opens click the “Analyze” button. This will indicate the number of MB’s of unneeded junk
files that can be safely erased. Then click the “Run Cleaner” button. Follow the screen prompt to rid your system of the junk files. Next click
the “Registry” button. Click the “Scan for Issues” button. After the screen says 100% click the “Fix selected issues” button. The next pop-up
window asks to backup the changes. I find it’s not necessary so you can click No. Then click “Fix all selected issues” click OK then Close. For
best results click the “Registry” button again to run it a second time then close CCleaner.

Now that you have installed and have run CCleaner, the next tool to run is Microsoft’s Disk Cleanup located in System Tools. Click the
“Start” button, move the mouse to All Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and click Disk Cleanup. Click the OK button and wait
for the scan to complete. Then, place a check next to all the listed items. You may have to scroll down to see the complete list. Click OK
and answer Yes to the next prompt asking if you want to perform these actions. Wait for the cleanup to complete. To finish the maintenance,
click Disk Defragmenter, also in System Tools. For Windows XP users highlight your hard drive (C:) and click the “Defragment” button. This
will take time. For Vista users, uncheck “Run on a schedule” then click the “Defragment now” button. Choose the (C:) drive, OK the window,
and wait until it completes. For Windows 7 users click “Configure Schedule” and remove the check next to “Run on a schedule” and OK the window.
Choose the (C:) drive then click “Defragment disk”.

It’s best to do all maintenance manually so you can verify it’s been completed properly. Most importantly, this maintenance must be done at
least on a monthly basis to maintain your computer. If you don’t do this maintenance then you can expect have a slow computer and one that is
prone to crashes.

Help in maintaining your computer is available at the PC Club meetings. We meet the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM upstairs in
the Ardmore room of the Community Center.


To get answers to your questions about computers, please come to the PC Club meeting. The computer club
meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in Hershey’s Mill Community Center.