WizYo Sytes Net Tech Support
What a great place to share :) Here you will find flashes of brilliance caught for all the world to enjoy. .. Actually, these are brief articles describing how I fixed a problem. Every day, I find information online that helps me solve a mystery. So this is me giving back to the community. Thanks for stopping by.. and don't forget to tell your friends!

Why does Microsoft make it so darn difficult to configure a simple PC?

I mean really, we have been playing this game for a good 20+ years and the stupid software still won't load properly. And can someone explain to me why versions have to change so often and why interfaces have to play musical chairs? No one of any importance likes change. Anyone who asks for the "latest" version of anything should simply be deported.

Here I am trying to install Microsoft Office 2013. After three failed "simple" installs, I have finally opted for downloading the "ISO" CD image. Even though it shows up as an "IMG" file, it still works the same. Just be careful and don't accidentally click the virtual CD drive a second time. Ouch! No repair available seems to work.

Now we're in the process of uninstalling this beast. Poor little Word and Excel won't open, and Internet Explorer just opens up a blank page because the goofy Office software has it locked up.

Not suprising that Google Chrome works just fine. It sure is nice to have a piece of software that just does what it's supposed to do without being morphed into the collective pudding of software purgatory.


 

 

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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
(11) comments

64-bit Windows 7 Driver for IBM 6400 Printer

Don't fall for the scammers who advertise drivers for this configuration. Every single one that I "Googled" turned up to be some type of spyware-virus-garbage.

Set the printer to Epson Emulation by stepping through the menu on the printer. Select Emulation Configuration and then Ascii Printer Emulation first.

Manually select the driver for Epson DFX-5000 on your Windows 7 64-bit system.

This worked for me after fumbling with the config for several hours. Good luck!

 

( Win7 Proprinter III XL IBM 6400-010 )

Thursday, November 29, 2012
(2) comments

HP Restore Plus! fail

Performing a full factory restore on an HP Compaq 8100 Elite Convertible Minitower (Product No. LA008UT#ABA) failed miserably when the restore utility continually prompted for me to "remove the CD and press OK to continue" I ran through the entire process twice, but it never went on to the next step of actually setting up the system. After taking the PC in for further service, I discovered which CDs actually worked well enough to complete the project.

  • HP Restore Plus · Start with this DVD for restore (Disk 1 of 3) · DVD Kit 593724-L21
  • Operating System DVD · Windows 7 Professional Service Pack 1 (Disk 2 of 3) · DVD Kit 646917-B21
  • Language Pack Media · Windows 7 Recovery Media for Windows 7 Products (Disk 3 of 3) · Media Kit 646922-B21
After loading the DVDs, the system takes several minutes to complete the process of restoration. Eventually, a wizard appears that continues with configuring the system.

I'm not planning on testing the first restore disk that was used. The customer has two similar systems with similar recovery disk sets. I used the set that came with one PC, but when it failed, used the set from the other PC. We are lucky this worked. If anyone else is having trouble with the recovery process, check to see if you are using the same disk that gave me trouble. Its ID is: DVD Kit 593724-B27

 

 

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Friday, October 05, 2012
(4) comments

Google data mining via Street View

As with most things in the media these days, I don't believe it exactly as described by others.

Google "Street View" cars collect private data should read Google "Street View" cars collect public data. (Private -vs- Public)

Apparently, the cars were recording unsecured WiFi data that was (and still is) freely available for them (and others) to receive. If you have no password on your WiFi, then it's your data we're talking about.

Unless you are using cables (or "hard wires") to connect all of your computer equipment, you are probably using WiFi. The most popular WiFi (or "wireless") technology being used is of specification 802.11 and is further classified by the notations a/b/g/n. These technologies have a specified range of at least 300 feet outdoors. This is no secret and is generally promoted on the outside of an unopened package along with other product features.

"What does all this mean?" you might ask.
Well, quite simply, if you plug up one of these radios and don't set a password, you are broadcasting your information publicly and out to anyone up to 300 feet or more away from you. You are also providing free internet access. Access that can be abused and that can result in legal action against you resulting in a lot of headache and in some cases fines of tens of thousands of dollars (fo real!).

"What can I do?" you might ask.
Set a password on your WiFi. That's it. Amazing I know. It's as simple as locking your front door. If the door is locked, no one can simply "walk right in".

"Locks are for honest people"
If I were to come across a locked door, I would not go through it. Some people, however, do not respect locks (or privacy for that matter). Just as a criminal will bypass a lock, a criminal hacker can bypass security measures. This doesn't mean you should "give up" and not lock your doors. It means you should make sure your windows are locked too and maybe get a security system. Valuable data networks should be treated with similar respect. Many companies actually pay for intentional hack attempts by "intrusion prevention service" groups who try breaking into their networks several times each year just to prove that a criminal would also fail to gain access.

To sum it up, I feel that the only reason anyone cares that Google gathered this data is because they feel that some money can be made through lawsuits. You don't do private things out in your front yard, you do them in your LOCKED area (home, bathroom, bedroom, etc.). Google drove around with a recorder turned on. They picked up some stuff. Big deal. Your neighbors are doing the same thing. Everyone has a smart phone. Everyone is taking pictures. Everyone is accessing free WiFi. Not everyone can keep a secret. Your house may be on another map somewhere that shows you have open WiFi (yes, there are actual data warehouses and maps of these). The people looking at the map may not be interested in marketing Google services. They could be looking to skim some of your free WiFi or maybe even want to camp out waiting for bank account information or other sensitive data.

We should thank Google for reminding some of us to lock our doors.
 

 

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Sunday, May 27, 2012
(1) comments

down with Carbon barons !!

Human Achievement Hour

 

 

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Saturday, March 31, 2012
(0) comments

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