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| Everyday Tips from the ComputerMom |
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Wow, February sure went fast! I can't believe it's March already, but looking out the window it seems like it's still January. Here's hoping that the "lamb" part of March starts soon!
I'm happy to report that many of you took my Windows XP end of support warning seriously. I helped many of you find new systems and transfer your data over, but I also did some Windows 7 upgrades, and even found a few of you with Vista licences that could be installed to extend the life of your systems. Remember, if you are still using Windows XP you need to consider it an "off-line only" computer after April 8th.
By the way, I would like to thank those of you who have forwarded my newsletter to others - I truly appreciate the support!
Regards,
Julie Marto
508-359-8176
www.thecomputermom.com
www.facebook.com/thecomputermom
P.S. Don't forget to check out my Facebook page for more articles and interesting links! |
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Attention iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Mac Users - Security Updates Needed!
You may have heard in the news last week that a major security flaw was exposed in the Apple environment and patches were issued to correct it. The security flaw allows hackers to steal your private information if you are using your device on a shared network, such as the public wireless used at places like Starbucks, airports or hotels.
The patches will only correct the problem if you actually install them, so please update your systems now! If you have an iPad, iPhone, or iPod, click here for instructions to check for updates.
If you have a Mac with Lion, Mountain Lion, or Mavericks operating systems, click on this link for patching instructions. If you have an older Mac, please read on! |
 Mac Users - Get your free upgrade now!
OK Mac users, this one is for you! In researching the patching information in the previous article it came to my attention that Apple is quietly ending support for Snow Leopard, its four year old operating system, and Lion won't be far behind. They haven't released any patches for Snow Leopard since last September, and patching for Lion has been very sparse.
However, unlike Microsoft, Apple has made their latest operating system, Mavericks, available as a free upgrade through the Apple Store for anybody with a Mac running Snow Leopard or newer. (Unfortunately if your old Mac is running an even older version of the operating system, you are out of luck and it's time to buy a new system). Click here for instructions to check which version of the Mac OS you are running - if it's not Mavericks I would recommend you get the free upgrade! |
Hard Drive Health Part II - Windows 8 Recovery 
Some of you may remember I devoted an issue to hard drive health about a year ago. Unfortunately I have been seeing a major influx of relatively new laptops with failed hard drives. I believe this is due to quality issues related to flooding in Thailand in 2011, which shut down many of the hard drive factories. Regardless, it's a shame to see a laptop that is only a few months out of warranty with a failed drive. As it often takes a long time for a hard drive to fail, if you have a system approaching the end of warranty it's a good idea to run a diagnostics test to check drive health - you may as well have the manufacturer pay to replace it instead of you!
Anybody who has a Windows 8 system will have noticed that it wasn't shipped with any software at all. Instead of recovery disks, all Windows 8 systems come with a hidden restore partition on the hard drive, with options to refresh, reset, or restore the operating system. Unfortunately, if the hard drive fails the restore partition may fail as well.
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