CrossCreek Computer Services, LLC

12/29/2023

Do you have Temu installed on your phone? If so, please read this article.

Temu's problems go beyond cheap merchandise. The Chinese shopping app spies on you as you shop. Here's what you need to know.

12/26/2023

When will support for Windows 10 end? For home users running the latest version of Windows 10 Home Edition or the Pro version, the currently stated date for end of support is October 14, 2025. After this date Windows will no longer be updated which means no security or feature updates.

Currently Microsoft is planning on offering updates after the October 2025 date for a subscription fee. Price not currently known.

What about windows 11? Currently Microsoft has some pretty strict hardware requirements that must be met before a system can run windows 11. If these requirements are maintained experts predict that 240 million computer systems will be replaced in the next 5 years. Systems that don’t meet minimum hardware requirements to run Windows 11.

There are ways to by-pass these hardware requirements and run Windows 11 on older systems but it’s possible that Microsoft could include in an update a script or small program that would disable the system.

Just an FYI post to share some industry information. If I can help you with any computer or networking issues please reach out. I’m here to serve.

08/29/2022

Be Aware. Today I received a very real looking text message that was allegedly from the U.S. Postal service. The message included a link to a URL where I was asked to enter my email address, mailing address and other info. The website was extremely real and legitimate looking. But the tracking number looked fake. So, I first went to the USPS website by way of a search and entered the tracking number; did not work. This of course threw up other flags. There were other signs as well that this is a fake.

So I performed a search on the domain name usplocatpresent.cmm (for this post deliberately typed .cmm so it would not be live). Interestingly enough the search revealed the domain name was registered to a company in Singapore. FB won’t let me present the company name. It can be seen on one of the attached pictures. And it was registered just yesterday. Thank goodness for my years in the IT world.

05/01/2022

Please Please be aware! The bad guys are at it again. Major campaign to encrypt your files. Once encrypted the only way to get your files back is to pay the ransom. Let me help you make a backup of your entire system and important files. Then if you are encrypted the recovery is fairly simple.

The tech blog BleepingComputer.com is warning users that a fake Windows 10 upgrade circulating since April 8 can infect their computers with the Magniber ransomware.

12/12/2021

This is a very interesting article about storage drives for your system and in particular hard drives. If you still have a mechanical hard drive in your system I urge you to replace it with a solid state drive. The process is fairly simple. I can perform the task for you or any shop should be able to do so, but they will charge you more than I would.

Like all electronic devices, PCs don't last forever, and the parts inside them will eventually fail. While it's easy to replace a broken device, the same can't...

06/03/2021

PSA – PLEASE READ - Having worked in the IT world for more than 21 years and taken many classes on IT security I want to bring this to your attention. Please do not participate in any of the fun little posts as illustrated in the graphic presented below.

It is social engineering designed to gather information about you potentially for nefarious activities. Open the picture and carefully look at each box, including the last one which is typical of a site where you would be asked to select security questions. Your answers to these little games are also providing answers or strong hints to answers to these security questions.

02/01/2021

Great information here. Take a look.

Some of us can be a little too diligent when dealing with email or text spam—because whatever you do, you shouldn’t click “unsubscribe” links or text “stop” in reply, as they literally mean “subscribe” and “please, go on” to illicit spammers.

01/18/2021

https://www.techspot.com/news/88307-windows-10-bug-can-corrupt-hard-drive-opening.html

Earlier this week, security researchers discovered a bug in Windows 10 that will corrupt the hard drive by merely opening a folder, clicking a shortcut, or by...

11/28/2020

A lot of people today are concerned about the tech industry invading our privacy. One of the ways they do this is by tracking our search requests on search engines such as Google and Yahoo. They build a profile about you and over time can tell a great deal about you based on your search requests.

Ever wonder why all of a sudden you see a pop-up ad for widgets after you’ve researched widgets just a while ago. It’s because you are being tracked. The fact that you are interested in widgets is being marketed to widget suppliers; that’s one of the ways search engines make their money.

I’ve come across a search engine that I really like. This engine protects your privacy. I have no financial interest in this company. Check ‘em out -

Startpage.com delivers online tools that help you to stay in control of your personal information and protect your online privacy.

11/21/2019

Please be aware. This is becoming more and more prevalent.

Researchers from Trustwave’s SpiderLabs discovered the spam emails, which come with an 'Install Latest Microsoft Windows Update now!' or 'Critical Microsoft Windows Update!’ subject line. Microsoft, of course, doesn’t send out Windows updates through email.

11/01/2019

I've received an email very similar to the one presented below at 3 of my email addresses. This is absolutely a hoax. I have no idea what may happen if you would click on the highlighted link. Please be aware.