Bay City Computers

10/30/2026

I am being publicly attacked for my stand that TPM 2.0 is necessary for computer security.
The sheer volume of people accusing me of not knowing what I am talking about....
"If you bypass TPM 2.0 requirements to install modern operating systems like Windows 11, Microsoft does not guarantee security patches or future feature updates."
I dunno. "...does not guarantee security patches" seems pretty straightforward to me.

10/29/2026

I referred to TPM 2.0 as an important part of Windows 11 security.
Because it's all the rage, I'll let AI explain TPM 2.0...
"TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) is a foundational, critical component of modern computer security because it shifts protection from vulnerable software layers down to isolated, tamper-resistant hardware."
Or in many cases, an isolated, tamper-resistant piece of firmware.
But "foundational", and "critical" do a good job explaining how important it is.
I'm not sure about you, but I'd kind of want that in a computer I was going to use online.

10/29/2026

I tend to keep current on news from the old California homestead.
Ready for this? A new "luxury" apartment building is opening in Fresno.
A 2br apparment in said building is being listed for $3750 a month.
And remember, it's not like Fresno is a fantastic place. It's not the Bay Area, or LA. It's Fresno. Fresno, regularly making lists of the worst places to live in California. $3750 for a 2br apartment.
That's nuts.

10/26/2026

Y'know, I love our place here in Bay City.
Back in California, I had a 16 mile commute each way. We did not live in an area where that took 3 hours, but it still took 40 minutes out of my life 6 days a week for a decade.
We move here, and the house is attached to the store. 16 miles is now literally six steps.
Yesterday I went "down" to the store.
On the hobby side, I put a box of sports cards in order and posted a few to eBay. One sold pretty quick. Sweet.
On the computer side, I built a new gaming computer, and while I was doing that, I received a call. A customer wanted to bring in two PC's.
OK.
He told me #1 had "a bad CPU", and that can be kind of pricey, so he wanted me to work on #2 first.
He left, and I went to work. #1 was a MUCH newer computer than #2, so I started with it. Plugged her in, turned her on and the message on the screen said he had a bad CPU COOLER. That's much different and cheaper than a dead CPU.
Replaced his AIO water cooler with a new heatsink and fan. Boom. Done.
On to #2. Plug her in and she's dead. No lights, no power, nothing.
Disconnect his power supply and plug my test power supply in.
Fires right up.
Upon booting I discover that the computer is a i5 7th gen.
That's no bueno.
I called my customer. He came over to pick up #1. We talked and he's replacing computer two with a hybrid. We are going to reuse his case, graphics card and SSD, and otherwise build him a new computer (CPU, motherboard, RAM, a newer faster SSD, and a replacement power supply).
Thus ended my "day off".
And I'm only able to do that because my store is attached to my house.

10/22/2026

A couple of y'all gave me a shoutout in a Pinconning FB group, when someone asked for help.
I can't find the original post to thank you personally, but thank you.
She's taken care of, and back up and running.
Thank you, again. Y'all rock.

10/22/2026

Putting an SSD in your computer that only has a mechanical drive is the BEST way to speed up your system.
But there is a second part of that.... it only works if your operating system is installed on the SSD,
If you leave the OS on the mechanical, you get no benefit other than more storage.
(and yes, there's a reason I'm passing this info along. A very nice lady thought installing an SSD in her system alone would make it faster. Now she knows. You do too. And be nice in the comments or I'll delete them)

10/17/2026

Her name is Martha Wash, and she originally received no credit for C+C Music Factory's Gonna Make You Sweat.
So she made herself known.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

10/15/2026

What police agency has requested information from the Flock cameras at the University of North Carolina - Charlotte the most?
Why it's the Houston, Tx. police department. Of course.

Records show out-of-state police departments are searching the coll...

10/13/2026

"Hackers raised the temperature of refrigerators and freezers at hundreds of French supermarkets to as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit overnight into Monday, causing fires and spoiling food.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said that a “large-scale” attack was “affecting connected refrigerators in several major food retailers across France,” leading to food losses and fires."

Yes, I run a computer business.
Maybe that's the reason I can not fathom why anyone would want a refrigerator connected to the net. So you can make sure the temperature is correct while sitting at a desk? Really?
Did these people not watch the first episode of Battlestar Galactica?
There's a lesson to be learned there.
Seriously.