Your|I.T. is proud to announce that it has become an authorized reseller of the Google Apps™ suite of communication and collaboration tools.

Our focus has always been to provide businesses with affordable access to game-changing technology, and Google Apps is just that. With the ability to work from anywhere and collaborate like never before, businesses of all sizes now have the ability to drastically increase their productivity.

Google Apps brings simple, powerful communication and collaboration tools to organizations of any size – all hosted by Google to streamline setup, minimize maintenance, and reduce IT costs.  With Gmail (including Google email security, powered by Postini), Google Calendar, and integrated IM, users can stay connected and work together with ease. And, using Google Docs and Google Sites, which include word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and website creation tools, they can share files and collaborate in real-time, keeping versions organized and available wherever and whenever users work.

We’re obviously very excited about the opportunities Google Apps presents for business owners. If you’re interested in seeing how your business can be better served, contact us today!

 The launch of Windows 8 is the beginning of a new era at Microsoft – Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft

Your computer is about to get it’s most dramatic makeover since 1995. Ever since Microsoft released it’s updated Windows operating system in that same year we’ve seen little visual change. There have been numerous tweaks of colors and icons, but the fundamentals have remained unchanged. The Start Menu. The desktop icons. The Control Panel. We’ve learned how to use it. Even Apple’s computers share many of the similarities. Move some toolbars around and give them different names and you have Mac OS X. But Windows 8 (launching on October 26th, 2012)… I don’t even know where to begin.

Let’s start by trying to understand what Windows 8 aims to be:

Our goal in Windows 8 is to redefine people’s expectations of their PC. - Jensen Harris, Microsoft

Why on earth Microsoft would set that as a goal for the most well known piece of software in the world I don’t know, but they achieved it (unfortunately). I’ll tell you know, Windows 8 is a schizophrenic operating system that can’t decide if it’s a desktop or a laptop or a tablet or a phone. And it’s terrible.

Things that were once simple in Windows have now become convoluted. Need to change a setting? Easy enough! Just go to the settings section (if you can find it) in the new Windows 8 interface… or was that particular setting still nestled in the old Control Panel? No problem, just click the Start button and select… on never mind, the Start Menu doesn’t exist anymore. Now we have Windows tiles. While this can be useful on a tablet or phone, on a desktop or traditional laptop it fails miserably. The goal was to make it easy to pin your most used apps in a quick-access area, but there’s no easy way to see a list of all installed programs.

The new Windows “Start” menu:

Another fundamental change is how we navigate between programs (or apps if you want to use the new lingo). Since Windows is now divided into 2 entirely separate work-spaces (Windows 8 and the Desktop) there’s no more easy use of the taskbar to see your open programs. While all programs opened on the desktop side are represented, those open in the Windows 8 side (previously called Metro) are not represented in the taskbar but rather on the left-hand side of the screen via a “hot-button”. To see those, you must move your cursor to the top-left corner of your screen then slowly scroll down the left-hand side to see them pop-up.

Let me stop for a moment and let your mid rest. I have a feeling your either completely lost or starting to feel a bit whoozy. Welcome to Windows 8.

There will be plenty of discussion regarding Windows 8 in the coming weeks and months, some will love it, some will be indifferent, many (I think) will loathe it. I’m posting below several links to other reviews if you care to research further, but I want to let you know what we’re doing here at Your|I.T. to help.

1. All of our YourPC custom PC’s and Dell business systems will come loaded with Windows 7 indefinitely unless otherwise requested.
2. Windows 7 downgrades are available. In some situations we can do this for very little money. In other instances it could cost as much as $200. Pricing depends on where/when you buy your new computer and what license of Windows 8 comes installed on it.
3. Our technicians are ready to help you with Windows 8. We’ve been using Windows 8 internally now for over 6 months and are ready to help you setup a new computer, move over your files, or come to your house for some on-site training. Just call and tell us what you need.

We’d love to get your feedback. Do you have questions? Have you used Windows 8 yet? Sound off in the comments below!!

Windows 8 Reviews Around the Web:

• CNet
• NBC News
• SlashGear
• Maximum PC
• All Things D

Here’s how we break it down:

1. IE is busted.
2. Switch to Google Chrome.
3. The end.

If you’re interested in more of the details PC World can break it down for you.

So what does this mean for you?

1. Start updating your antivirus software, and continue to do so every few hours for the next few days. Residential customers on YourIT@Home and business on our monthly management needn’t do any manual updates as we will perform those every hour on your behalf.
2. Be overly cautious when opening emails. One likely scenario would be to infect a computer and begin to send SPAM. Even if you know the sender, ask yourself if this is the type of message they normally send. Don’t be afraid to call or reply asking for them to confirm the validity of the message.
3. Stay away from strange websites. Hackers commonly use Google and other search engines to lead unsuspecting users to infected web pages. Even popular websites such as CNN.com have previously been infected, proving that there’s no place off-limits for hackers. Your best defense is knowledge. If you’re browsing a page and see a suspicious pop-up or security alert close the page and get out of those windows IMMEDIATELY by clicking the close button in the top right of the window. You can also install the Web of Trust tool to help you gauge whether or not a site is safe. Please note that no tool or service is 100% all the time, this is just a tool to assist you in making smart choices. You can learn more about Web of Trust and download it here.
4. Finally, visit Java.com to check for updates. Some reports state that there won’t be a fix until October, but given all the recent publicity this threat has received, I imagine they’ll have no choice but to get right on it. Check everyday (yes, it’s that serious). Again, users on our monthly maintenance plans don’t need to check for updates as we’ll push those out as soon as they’re released.

UPDATE:
Java has released an emergency, out-of-cycle-update to address these issues. Head over to http://www.java.com/en/ to download the latest update.

We were delighted to recently have the chance to write a guest blog post for our friend, Shawn Roberts (an Oklahoma City business lawyer). Here’s a brief excerpt and a link to the entire post.

Let’s get this out of the way right now. You need antivirus software. It doesn’t matter if you use Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. You had better be running some security software. Regardless of how secure the various computer makers claim their software to be, there are viruses for every OS in existence and you need protection. In addition to protecting yourself, antivirus software acts is a vaccine for others. Can you imagine the implications if you inadvertently forward an infected email message to a client or colleague?

Read More

I generally do a quick scan and see what looks like it should be there and what should not be there.

What should be there? Programs you have paid for or knowingly downloaded.

What shouldn’t be there? Spyware programs!

You can easily tell a spyware program by 2 things.
1.) the word “search” is in the name of the program
2.) the program is very small in size (under 1 mb usually)

If you want to delete those little buggers, you can. Just a reminder that sometimes a removal of those spyware will take you to an internet site and require a download of a tool to uninstall it. Generally that is the safest way to go, follow the spyware instructions. Back in the day it was hard to remove the spyware, but today it’s a bit easier.

Sometimes the computer will require a reboot after removing. Make sure you watch for that window or option in a window because you may want to wait to reboot until you are done.

TIP…many “coupon” saving websites will download a tool, so if you’re a coupon maniac, you may want to remember that those coupons you are cyber clipping is maybe adding spyware. Most people hate it when I remove that coupon tool, but it’s really best for your computer.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule one of our annual check ups, call us! (405) 367-9090

So you get the “blue screen” or “blue screen of death,” what do you do now?

If you call someone, you may get this answer, “It’s your hard drive”

Or is it…

I’ve troubleshooted many of these errors. Sometimes simple troubleshooting is all you need to do.

First I would start by turning off your computer.
Then unplug all your cords including monitor
Let the computer sit for 20 minutes

After 20 minutes, only plug in the ac/dc for the computer and monitor and turn it back on.

If it turns on and goes to the Windows start up screen, you may have a bad keyboard, mouse or USB external port issue.

Once it comes back on, if all seems ok…turn it back off.

Plug back in the keyboard and mouse. Turn it on again.

If it blue screens, it’s more than likely your mouse or USB port. If the end of your mouse has a circular end, it’s probably not the issue. If it has a 1/2″ thin metal end, it’s a USB mouse and could be the issue. Try another mouse if you have one.

If your computer turns on fine again, then test your USB plug-ins. (camera, webcam, printer, etc)

If then all seems ok, go in and back up your information/data right away.

Again….if anything at this point fails, it could be a hard drive issue. I don’t always think it’s a bad drive if it blue screens. Sometimes your computer just has a bump in the road and needs to be “reset”. The troubleshooting tricks above often help figure out what may be causing the issue.

USB ports can fail if you plug in a camera or another “external device” meaning…printers, cameras, webcams, etc.

Are you getting a blue screen and not sure what to do?

Give us a call at (405) 367-9090 and let us help you!

If you have a Mac and you are experiencing any of these problems, a tune-up may be just the thing to get your computer running at top speed again. The good news is we do Mac tune-ups and virus removals! If you’d like our help keeping your Mac healthy, give us a call at (405) 367-9090 we’ll get an appointment set up for you.

Tip #1, if it’s raining out, save often.

Tip #2, if it’s storming out, turn off your computer.

Tip #3, if it’s thundering out, turn off your computer and unplug it from the wall/electric source.

Tip #4, To avoid doing 1, 2 and 3, consider getting one of these babies. Not only do they save your computer from a meltdown, but keep your computer running during the storm. Plug your modem into it and you are still surfing away while lighting is going on. It’s pretty cool to see the first time you are running on a battery during a storm. It’s like a candle almost haha.

They run about $80, sold at most electronic stores.

Now… a computer should not be plugged into one of these…

These are useless. Sure, they are good for getting more power, but do nothing for you in regards to saving you computer during a storm. And I bet most of you have your computer plugged into one right now.

If you can’t afford the $80 price tag on the big power back up, you can consider a cheaper model sold at most Lowe’s, Target, Walmart type stores. These run about $20.

If you need help with figuring out all of your cords and would like a home visit, give us a call and we’ll schedule an appointment. If you have had your power destroy your computer and you want your data back, we can help with that, too of course. Or better yet, let’s set up online back up today!

In December of 2010, Gawker Media (the company that owns LifeHacker and several of the internet’s most visited blogs) was hacked, and all their user information was stolen. Names, passwords, email addresses, all stolen by hackers. In the following days, they prompted their users to now only change the password on their site, but all ANY OTHER WEBSITES THEY USED THE SAME PASSWORD ON. They knew that most web users have a tendency to use the same password over, and over, and over again.

So here’s a very simple tip that will help you to not only ensure you have different passwords, but that can also remember them.

1. Start with a strong core password. 8 characters long, including both upper and lowercase letters, and at least 2 numbers. My example for this article will be PopeYe65. Your core password is critical to the “being able to remember your password” part so memorize it! It can be whatever you want, but I encourage you to be creative with your use of capitalization and number placement.
2. As you create passwords on new websites you visit, you simply use your new core password and add the first letter of that website to the front (or end). For example. If I were creating a new account on Amazon.com, my new password for that site would be: APopeYe65. If I were creating an account at Facebook, it would be FPopeYe65. It’s as simple as that! You take the name of the website A for Amazon, F for Facebook, etc… and add that letter to your core password!
3. As you visit websites that you already use, go to your account information and update your password to ensure continuity and security across the entire web.

Your new password would take 20,000 years to crack using current technology. That’s a little better than 5 minutes, right?