Stormbringer's Thunder

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Hopefully, my experiences both before and after the crash may prove helpful to some folks. Here is what happened. In July 2020, I decided to replace my Windows 7 computer. That underrated eMachine was a workhorse, and I asked a lot by simultaneously running programs that were heavy on resources, and I ran some at the same time. It was showing its age, so I was proactive and replaced it with an Acer Aspire TC-885-UA92 Desktop. Pixabay / Gerd Altmann Not a bad price, and it had a DVD ROM. Yes, some of us still need those things. Don't be a tech snob. Gave it a bit more RAM, and I was off to the races. Important Computer Precautions Yeah, some race. I had to learn how to use Windows 10. Fortunately, I have experience with computers, including Windows all the way back to Win95 (not much with Vista, and I utterly detested Win8 on my wife's laptop). Since I already have a Microsoft account and know some of the basics of operating systems, getting online was n...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  For many years, Firefox was my main browser. It has several features that I were very useful to me. After my bad breakup with it , I ended up using a fork known as Waterfox. It has been pretty good, but is not my default browser and more like a utility that I use on occasion. Something I like in FFX and forks is the download indicators. Those in Chromium-based browsers irritate me. Except... Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos / Stuart Miles As stated before, I have the perspective of a Windows 10 user, so this article is unhelpful for users with mobile devices. While I use a smartphone, it's a derringer compared to my .44-40 desktop. When I do research and obtain information, I want the downloads on the big gun, not on the little thing where they are inconvenient to obtain. Many people like to hate Microsoft. I'll allow that they rush things to market before thorough testing (one reason I don't hurry to download new software releases right away), love money t...

Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it. — Gilbert K. Chesterton Buon giorno. No, my title is not talking about sneaky Basement Cat. Instead, I'm talking about a telephone call I received from an almost-victim. Fortunately, she made the right choices and did not get burned. She related her story to me so that I can sound yet another scam warning. And you know that I like exposing the scammers. This one reminds me of the XP Antivirus (and similar names) scams . That one gives you a fake pop-up, telling you that you have many viruses while it is scanning your computer. (The last time I saw this, they were using animated gif files to simulate scanning.) Often, the victim downloads the malware because they were tricked into it. In this case, the target receives a telephone call from someone claiming to represent Microsoft. The scammer (often reported to have an Indian accent) says that Microsoft has...

You know I'm frequently trying to provide a public service. Here's another one. This puppy just dropped into my personal Inbox. If you get this, don't click on anything, just delete it. It claims to give me an update to Windows XP and to Vista. If it was from Microsoft, well, my computer is registered, I get automatic updates, and they know full well what system I have. Why delete it? After a brief search, I found out it's a phishing scam (click for definition) , and I took out the active link: Free Update Windows XP,Vista 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 a...