CyberDoc AZ

02/11/2023

I think there's enough room in my portrait to insert a server rack. Or two. Right?

02/14/2022

It wasn't more than 5 years ago that you could get this kind of computer performance for around $800-$900. Part of the increase in cost is the solid state drive, but most of the rest is processes within the company that need to adjust to the economy we all have to live in. It'll be interesting to see if computers go back to the high water mark of $4000 where they debuted in the early 1980s.

02/09/2022

A wise man once said, a stitch in time saves nine. In the world of computers, (or cars), noticing that there’s a problem happening can save you a lot of money down the road.
Remote monitoring and management can provide alerts to your network administrator allowing them to pro-actively address computer faults before they impact your business. In addition to reports, the program also updates Windows patching and has a dedicated antivirus solution to insulate the computer from wild software on the internet.
Note that Windows typically patches on the second Tuesday of the month – or if you’re a bit of a daredevil, you can also choose to patch manually. The reason why this is daring, is because Microsoft releases patches for installation continuously – but only PUSHES them on the second Tuesday. This means you’ll be able to report to Microsoft what happened to YOUR computer when you manually installed the patch. This is called “Beta” testing.
RMM will hold onto the patches until they have been peer reviewed – and if any patches are still dangerous, they will be held indefinitely.
The program also allows your tech to remotely gain access to the computer with your permission, similar to “gotomypc” and “logmein” and as an added bonus, users gain access to the Splashtop Business program which allows users to remotely connect to their computer.

01/20/2022

VMWare is giving Vets a chance at a free course to learn their software. You should have a minimum skill set in computers, and understand what Virtual Machines are, and how they are used.

You can send me an IM/DM in order to get the skinny, and I'll forward the e-mail on to you. Better be quick if you're interested.

You are receiving this email because you have been selected to be part of the Reboot with VMware classes. These classes provide you with a pathway to getting certified as a VMware Certified Professional in datacenter virtualization. In order to get you registered, I need you to fill out the registration form below. Please fill out all the sections on the form completely and be sure to attach a photo of your DD 214. You can even use your phone to complete the form and upload a picture of your DD 214 directly from it. Please also review the attached information sheet.

01/12/2022

Today's post is relatively laid back.

Microsoft has updated some patches for your computer that break the VPN functionality. This won't affect anyone who isn't remotely connecting to work, or using a VPN service, such as NordVPN. If you're one of those folks though, you'll want to roll the patch back.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/new-windows-kb5009543-kb5009566-updates-break-l2tp-vpn-connections/?fbclid=IwAR1Qudg533wqDWCVL5TT8IEt4OA2me23NuRH8POHheQBmMsDHBFaYnqAIbk

Windows 10 users and administrators report problems making L2TP VPN connections after installing the recent Windows 10 KB5009543 and Windows 11 KB5009566 cumulative updates.

12/30/2021

Today I serviced a user who had unwittingly upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11, and as a consequence, the Realtek audio driver stopped working so he had no sound. There was no remediation available (the updated driver for Windows 11 was not available from the manufacturer yet).

You will see these problems crop up for you too if you decide to do an upgrade, or as may be the case, unintentionally upgrading to the new operating system. Microsoft did the Windows 7 to Windows 10 upgrade during the summer of 2017, and this caused the same problems back then – one of them required a complete rebuild since his video stopped working as a result.

I do not recommend upgrading your computer to Windows 11 at this time because of the drivers problem, as well as other issues which are cropping up with early adopters. You have a 10 day window to roll back to a previous operating system, so don’t dawdle around – make sure that all of your computer’s programs and drivers are working, or ask me or another IT professional to look at it for you. After the window expires, you’ll have to make do, or do a complete rebuild to the previous operating system.

Why does Microsoft do this? Probably to push early adoption on you, even though it may not be what you were looking for. After all, they can hardly sell their new OS if no one needs it. At least with Apple, when they provide an update to their operating system, it safely locks out older machines which aren’t able to use it effectively.

12/21/2021

You know what’s really irritating about Comcast/Cox broadband cable? And it doesn’t matter if it’s fiber, or business, or whatever package you’re being sold:

Those irritating days when the internet connection is bad because of “reasons.”

You need another choice – you need a backup quarterback. What do?

You have the option of running a second ISP (such as ATT, or someone else), and then connecting both of them to your network with a Unifi USG router which can be set to balancing the load (which can double the internet speed), and in the worst case, provides you with a reliable, secondary internet connection if one of the lines is compromised.

Another, option is to install a Velo Cloud router. This amazingly expensive device aggregates your ISP lines together, so that even if one of them decides to pack it in for the business day, the others will still hold up. You’re on the hook for the price of the service and as many ISP’s as you want to have, but in exchange:

Your internet is silly fast. You can lose your main internet connection and NOT CARE about it. I recommend that you look up Unifi USG and Velo Cloud and see if this might be a solution you would be interested in – because, you can save money by not having secondary internet – but you lose money with the lost connectivity, essential Business Russian Roulette.

12/17/2021

Right now, Cyberdoc (and myself), are recommending against upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11 due to several "features" which are causing problems for early adopters. We review the situation every Tuesday morning during our company meeting and other woes of Windows 11 are brought up so we can gnaw on them.

Microsoft is making it easy for users with new computers to upgrade to Windows 11 by providing a button to do so in their Windows Update window, and as a notification from the operating system when you turn your computer on. Additionally, the "revert to Windows 10" is only 7 days instead of 30, so if you actually do decide to try it out, it may be a one way trip.

You can also purchase a new computer with Windows 11, but tellingly, our vendor, Dell computers is NOT selling Windows 11 computers yet.

12/14/2021

I don't think that the Information Technology consultant should be all doom and gloom for their clients. It's very important to be aware of the vulnerabilities in your network, and to keep them minimized and mitigate problems - but the client just wants to work, and not have the hassle of 2FA, Microsoft authenticator, passwords, PINs and other paraphernalia to keep them safe despite themselves. We say, "Please do not re-use the same password for your financial service as you do for your email." And if anything, your email password should be locked up tight, since if the attacker can hack your e-mail, then all of your services can be "reset" and entered at will. Whooops. I just gloomed up Christmas for everyone. My bad.

12/03/2021

Text "Shopping" to 480-535-0531 and get complimentary computer shopping help from myself. I know computers, and you know your budget.

12/03/2021

Recently we found out that Microsoft won't let you roll back Windows 11 (to Windows 10) after 10 days. Prior to this, the roll back window had been 30 days. It's an arbitrary number either way since the person who wrote the operating system put that code in there. Theoretically, you could roll it back at any point in time, since the old OS always remains on the computer.

Recently, it's been discussed that Microsoft is trying to prevent users from downloading and installing the Chrome browser, claiming that Edge is the newest biggest thing. If you didn't know - Chrome is the predecessor to Edge. They are quite similar.

11/30/2021

Conditions Treated by Upper Cervical Chiropractic
There are many medical conditions treated by upper cervical chiropractic care. The most common are:

Neck pain
Back pain
Headaches and migraines
Post-concussion syndrome
Vertigo and Meniere’s disease
Fibromyalgia and fatigue
Autoimmune disease
Blood pressure
TMJ disorders
Sleep disturbances
Trouble breathing
Muscle weakness
Poor posture
Sciatica
-Anxiety/Panic attacks-

Dr. Cameron Call with Horizon Chiropractic Center can set you on your new path in life.
(Dr. Cam is a business associate of Cyberdoc AZ, and I recommend his care for your well-being)