How to get a virus, have your identity stolen or have spyware installed on your computer

Some of our clients have been receiving emails, like the sample below. When you read the email it appears to have come from Microsoft, in regards to MSN.

Many of us belong to an MSN Group or use MSN Messenger so we think the email is legit.

We don't want to receive any of these emails so we click the Unsubscribe link. Seems safe enough.

You wouldn't feel as safe if you knew where the Unsubscribe Link leads

Here is a cut and paste from one of these emails:

About this mailing:

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MSN Featured Offers. Microsoft respects your privacy. If you do not wish to receive this MSN Featured Offers e-mail, please click the "Unsubscribe" link below. This will not unsubscribe you from e-mail communications from third-party advertisers that may appear in MSN Feature Offers. This shall not constitute an offer by MSN. MSN shall not be responsible or liable for the advertisers' content nor any of the goods or service advertised. Prices and item availability subject to change without notice.

Unsubscribe More Newsletters Privacy

Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

Now lets look at the links: (We have disabled the links for your protection)
Unsubscribe takes you to www.ujxnny.cn
More Newsletters takes you to www.ujxnny.cn
Privacy takes you to www.upjowz.cn

It would be a safe guess that Microsoft does not sponsor either of these websites.

If you are not 100% sure where a link takes you don't click it. Remember, it is difficult to tell who an email is really from.

Good Local Buys: Aldi 17 April Catalog External Hard Drive

Aldi is offering a 1TB external hard drive. That's a thousand gigabytes. The price is good at $299.00.

Thats a lot of storage space and would be great to use for Backups.

We have not used any Freecom products, but they, generally, get good reviews from happy customers.

For automatic backups you have to install the software that comes with the drive. We would suggest that Mango Computer Tuition clients contact us before installing the software.

The proper software, properly installed will go along way towards protecting your system and making backups easy.

CD - DVD Security

If you are doing some spring cleaning and tossing old CDs or DVDs, give a thought to security. Some of those disc could contain personal, business or financial data that you rather not have floating around.

Some suggested security measures:

• Incinerate them (if this is OK with local, state and federal laws).
• Buy and use a CD shredder (similar to a paper shredder).
• Cut them into bits with a pair of heavy shears.
• At the very least scratch them up real bad.

"The beauty of digital media is it is so easy to duplicate. The curse of digital media is it so easy to duplicate"

Software Test - Diskeeper 2008

We are currently investigating and testing Diskeeper 2008 Software

Diskeeper is a Disk Defragmenter Utility. It is considered, by many, to be the best in its class.

Microsoft Windows uses a stripped down version of the software in their Window's Disk Defragmenter Tool.

The software offers many features not found in the free Windows version. Including the ability to automatically defrag in the background. It just does it better, quicker and faster.

This necessary chore is now performed automatically for you. No more waiting hours for the system to free up.

We will be testing Diskeeper 2008 over the next 2 weeks and will report the results of the test when the test is complete.

TPG Broadband

If you are tired of seeing extra download charges on your broadband bill you might want to check TPG out.

TPG has plans starting at $29.95 per month with the higher speed plans starting at $49.95 per month.

The download allowance is generous, but more importantly, if you exceed your limit you do not get charged more. No surprise bills at the end of the month. They simply slow your speed until the end of the month.

We find the $49.95 plan to be adequate for most people. That gives you download speeds of up to 1500 with a download limit of 18GB split 8GB during peak hours and 10GB at off peak hours.

There is a start up fee and no free modem, but in the long run their plans should save you some money. To sweeten the pie the contract is only six months.

We have no problem recommending TPG to our customers.
For more information click here for TPG's website

We are dealers for TPG. We have been affilated with Internet companies that paid us more, but we feel that TPG is the better product for our customers.

Disaster Recovery

It is not a question of if!
It is a question of when will you have a computer disaster
Hard Drive Malfunction
Corrupt Windows File
Corrupt Systems File
Spyware or Virus Makes Your Computer to Fail

You can now have protection that is similar to that enjoyed by large companies with dedicated IT departments.

Acronis True Image
Available in both home and professional editions

Acronis True Image 11 Home is intended for use at home and in a small to medium business It is a tool that enables you to protect and recover data on your PC. Its easy-to-use wizards walk you through the steps required to protect and recover your data and system information. It can save you from having to reinstall your operating system and other programs, along with preserving your data

Mango Computer Tuition has been using Acronis for over 3 years and we are pleased with the results.
For more information see Mango Computer Tuition Recommended Software

Windows Vista Service Pack 1

Service Pack 1 as been released.

Our advice, overly cautious, as always is to wait before chasing it down. We will be installing it and testing it on our test computer and report the results here. If it presents itself as an automatic update, allow it to install and don't worry.

The reports are varied but it should make the Vista Experience more enjoyable.