How To Protect Yourself From Scammers

How To Protect Yourself From Scammers

Scammers are versatile in their tactics, posing as various entities, including banks, real estate agencies, utility companies, and even family members or government agencies. They often employ pressure tactics to create a false sense of urgency, leading to rushed decisions and financial losses. To safeguard your interests, it's essential to be vigilant and take proactive steps to prevent falling victim to scams. This article offers insights and tips on how to protect yourself from scammers.

Question Too-Good-To-Be-True Offers

Scammers often dangle tempting promises of high returns, low risk, and "golden" opportunities. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Take your time to ask questions, verify claims, and conduct due diligence before making any financial commitments. This cautious approach can help you avoid falling prey to fraudulent schemes.

Be Wary of "Grandparent Scams"

One common scam involves imposters claiming to be family members, especially grandparents, seeking financial help. If someone purports to be a family member, independently verify their identity by calling them directly. In cases where you suspect a family member needs assistance, reach out to them through a trusted phone number or in-person contact. Avoid responding to such pleas via email, social media, or text, and always consult with the person's parents before sending money to a potential scammer.

Guard Your Passwords and PINs

Your passwords and PINs are the keys to your online security. Never share them, even with close friends, family, or relatives. Keeping this information confidential is vital for safeguarding your financial and personal data.

Protect Against Phishing Emails

Phishing emails are a favored tool among scammers. Pay close attention to any email that appears as a bill or a security alert. Be cautious if you notice misspelled words, your name is absent, the links seem suspicious, or if you're asked to "verify" your account or personal information. In such cases, delete the email and promptly report it to the relevant authorities.

Implement Security Best Practices

• Be Cautious with Money Transfers: 
• Avoid sending money to individuals you don't know in real life, particularly through third-party services like Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App. 
• Refrain from using gift cards to settle bills; legitimate businesses do not request payment via gift cards.
• Ignore Unsolicited Messages: 
• Delete random texts and emails that ask you to click a link or provide personal information.
• Never click on links from untrusted sources.
• Regularly Monitor Your Accounts: 
• Stay vigilant by regularly monitoring your financial accounts. 
• Respond promptly to fraud alerts and report any unauthorized transactions.

Enable Multifactor Authentication

For added security, enable multifactor authentication (MFA) for your accounts whenever possible. MFA provides an extra layer of protection that can thwart account hacks or hijacks even if a malicious actor obtains your login information.

Understanding Fake Websites and How Scammers Exploit Them

Fake websites are tools scammers use to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information, downloading malware, or making purchases from non-existent products. Scammers often employ these websites as part of phishing attacks.

Recognizing fake websites is becoming increasingly challenging. To ensure you're not dealing with a fraudulent website, remain vigilant and apply the aforementioned protection measures. By staying informed and exercising caution, you can significantly reduce your vulnerability to scams and safeguard your online security.

In conclusion, being proactive, skeptical, and informed is the best defense against scammers. Protect your personal and financial information by following these guidelines, and remember that it's always better to be cautious than to fall victim to fraudulent schemes.

We Also Recommend Reading:

11 Ways To Spot Fake Website

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

 11 Ways To Spot a Fake Website

1. Check the domain name closely:
   The easiest way to tell that you’re on a fake website is when the domain name doesn’t match the official website of the company. For example, scammers often use domain names that are similar to, or even contain, the official URL within the fake domain name.
   
   
2. Look for a padlock symbol (but don’t trust it as a sole means of verification):
   All web browsers (such as Safari, Firefox, and Google Chrome) show whether a site has what’s called a “security certificate.” This certificate (also known as an SSL certificate) verifies that any information you send to the site can’t be intercepted by hackers.
   You can check if a site has a valid security certificate by looking for a padlock symbol by the URL in the address bar. (Again, make sure you’re on the correct page first.)
   
   
3. Use a website checker or safe browsing tools:
   A website checker helps you answer if a website is safe to visit. For example, it tells you if the site uses encryption to protect your data, along with the site’s level of verification certificate. There are some good free resources that you can use to check if a website is safe to use.
   
   
4. Look for poor spelling, design issues, and other red flags:
   Scammers move quickly and often don’t want to take too long to build fake websites (which could be identified as fraudulent and get taken down). Similar to scam emails and texts, phishing websites often include basic flaws and mistakes that legitimate companies wouldn’t miss.
   
   
5. Check the domain age (how long the site has been active):
   Fake websites rarely stay online for long. One way to tell if a website is real or fake is to check how long it’s been active by using the Whois Lookup domain tracker.
   Enter the website’s URL and you’ll be able to see details such as the owner’s organization name, country of registration, and domain age. It’s probably a fake website if the company claims to be registered in the United States, but their Whois Lookup query shows that they’re in another country."
   Alternatively, you can try to use the Wayback Machine to see archived versions of the website and determine if it’s been used for multiple purposes.
   
   
6. Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true:
   Scammers know you’re willing to set your suspicions aside for a good deal. When shopping online, don’t be fooled into trusting sketchy websites because you might save money. These fake shopping sites either steal your financial information or send you cheap knock-off versions of the items that you think you’re buying.
   A good rule of thumb is that if a site advertises prices that are all +50% off, you should take steps to confirm it’s not a fake website. For example, verify it with a website checker, look for spelling and grammar mistakes, and check the domain age and information against what’s listed.
   
   
7. Look for user reviews, and check for reports of scams:
   In an effort to look more legitimate, scammers often post fake reviews on their websites. But at the same time, real customers (who might have gotten scammed) can also write reviews warning you about their experiences. Read on- and off-site reviews for mentions of fraud, non-delivery, or even identity theft. While you’re checking reviews, see if anything feels off. Scammers often create fake bot accounts on review sites in order to build trust.
   If there aren’t any reviews on the site, you can run a Google search for “Is [website name/URL] real/a scam?” The Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker website is also a great place to check for negative reviews about a company.
   
   
8. Read the shipping and return policy:
   Official retailers have a dedicated webpage detailing their shipping and return policy. If the website you’re on doesn’t explain how to return an item, it’s a scam. The website should also include basic legal information, such as its terms and conditions, privacy policy, and data collection policy. If you can’t find this information, it’s likely not a legitimate company.
   
   
9. Scrutinize your payment options:
   Fake websites sometimes try to force you to pay for goods using non-reversible or non-traceable payment methods; such as gift cards, bank transfers, cryptocurrencies, or payment apps like Zelle, Cash App, and Venmo. Legitimate brands will always give you the option of paying with more traditional and safer methods; including credit and debit cards, PayPal, or “buy now, pay later” options, such as Klarna and Afterpay. When in doubt, contact the issuing organization for the trust mark to verify the company's legitimacy.
   
   
10. Run a virus scan if you experience numerous ads and pop-ups:
    Sometimes the goal of a fake website isn’t to steal your information, passwords, or money — but to infect your device with malware. Hackers create pop-ups and ad-riddled websites that can infect your phone or computer with viruses that let cybercriminals spy on you, scan your device for sensitive data, or lock your device until you pay a ransom. f you’ve been to a site like this recently, you need to make sure your device hasn’t been compromised.

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

Original Article/Source:

How To Identify Fake Websites: 11 Warning Signs
December 13, 2022

https://www.aura.com/learn/how-to-identify-fake-websites

Protect Your Comcast.net Email from Hijackers

How to Protect Your Comcast.net Email Account from Hijackers

If you use Comcast.net email, you may have heard of some cases where customers’ email accounts were hijacked by hackers. This can be a very frustrating and scary situation, as hackers can use your email account to scam your contacts, steal your personal information, or cause other damages.

In this blog article, I will explain how hackers can hijack your Comcast.net email account, what they can do with it, and how you can protect yourself from this threat.

How Hackers Can Hijack Your Comcast.net Email Account

There are different ways that hackers can gain access to your Comcast.net email account, but one of the most common methods is phishing. Phishing is when hackers send you fake emails or direct you to fake websites that look like they are from Comcast or other legitimate sources. They may ask you to enter your email address and password or click on a link or attachment that contains malware. If you fall for their tricks, they can capture your login credentials and use them to access your email account.

Another possible method that hackers can use to hijack your Comcast.net email account is through a data breach. A data breach is when hackers break into a database that contains sensitive information, such as email addresses and passwords. If the database belongs to Comcast or a third-party service that you use with your Comcast.net email account, hackers may be able to obtain your login credentials and use them to access your email account.

What Hackers Can Do With Your Comcast.net Email Account

Once hackers have access to your Comcast.net email account, they can do a lot of malicious things with it. Some of the common things that hackers can do are:

• Set up email redirection or auto-forwarding rules. This means that hackers can forward emails coming into your account to their own email account and continue their attack on those who are emailing you directly.
• Create a spoof email account that looks very similar to your actual email address but with a different domain name. For example, if your email address is johnsomeguy@comcast.net, hackers may create a spoof email address like johnsomeguy@outlook.com. They can then use the spoof email address to impersonate you and scam your contacts in various ways.
• Attempt to hijack and take over other various online accounts, as the hackers can now receive/redirect security and login authentication emails.
• Delete all contacts in your address book, storage folders in your email account, or incoming email messages. This can cause you to lose important data and communication.
• Send spam or malicious emails from your email account to other people. This can damage your reputation and expose others to potential harm.

How You Can Protect Yourself From This Threat

If you suspect that your Comcast.net email account has been hijacked by hackers, you should take immediate action to secure it and prevent further damage. Here are some steps that you can take:

• Change your password as soon as possible. Make sure that you use a strong password that does not use any common words or phrases. You can use a password manager or generator tool to help you create and remember a strong password.
• Check your email settings and rules. Look for any suspicious redirection or auto-forwarding rules that hackers may have set up and delete them. Also, check if hackers have changed any other settings, such as your signature, reply-to address, or recovery options.
• Scan your computer and devices for malware. Use reputable antivirus or anti-malware software to scan your computer and devices for any malware that hackers may have installed on them. Malware can compromise your security and allow hackers to access your email account or other accounts.
• Contact your contacts and inform them of the situation. Let them know that your email account has been hijacked and warn them not to open any emails or click on any links or attachments that they may have received from you recently. Also, ask them to report any suspicious emails that they may receive from the spoof email address that hackers may have created.
• Consider switching to a more secure email provider. Comcast.net email does not always offer some of the advanced security features that other email providers do, such as two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA is when you need to enter a code or use another device to verify your identity when you log in to your email account. This adds an extra layer of protection against hackers who may have stolen your password. You may want to switch to an email provider that offers 2FA or other security features.

I hope this blog article has helped you understand how hackers can hijack your Comcast.net email account, what they can do with it, and how you can protect yourself from this threat. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NW Computers
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

Gigabyte Motherboard BIOS Restore/Repair

If your Gigabyte Motherboard BIOS becomes corrupt or damaged, and the board has a "Dual BIOS", you can use one of the methods below to restore/switch from your damaged/corrupted BIOS over to the other/working BIOS.

Method 1:

1. Shut off your computer
2. Hold the power button until your computer starts and shuts down again
3. Press the power button again, your backup BIOS might now be loaded and the system may POST.

Method 2:

1. Shut off your computer
2. Hold power AND the reset button for about 10 sec, then release.
3. If this method works, your system will now boot into the backup BIOS now.

Method 3:

Only use this method if nothing else has worked!!! You could potentially permanently damage your motherboard when attempting this last method!

1. Make sure you have a speaker built into your motherboard, or you have one attached to your motherboard's front panel connection header.
2. You can short out pins 1 and 6 on the main BIOS chip by attaching a jumper to both pins (Pin #1 of the chip should be marked with a dot).
3. As you short the pins, press the power button while you are still holding the jumper on the pins. You might want to have a friend help with this process so you don't accidentally short any other pins on the BIOS chip.
4. Remove the jumper you're holding between pins 1 and 6 when you hear the POST beep.
5. The backup BIOS should now be loaded and the system should POST.

Once you get the system up and running again, re-flash the other BIOS so you have yet another, alternative working BIOS.

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

360.624.7379

Microsoft Word/Microsoft Office: Turn off Entire Word Automatic Selection

How To Turn off Automatic Word Selection In Microsoft Office; Microsoft Word, Outlook, etc.

1. Open Word, Excel, etc.
2. Go to File, Options, then Advanced.
3. Look for the option, "When selecting, automatically select the entire word" (it is enabled by default).
4. You disable the 'feature' by deselecting its checkbox.
5. Now Office will not automatically select the entire word when trying to select specific text!

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

360.624.7379

How to Create a Local Account When Setting up a NEW Windows 11 Computer

We figured out a way to create a local account on Windows 11 when you are installing a fresh OS or setting up a new system! With this trick, you can steer clear of the Microsoft account requirement for Windows 11!

The easiest way to set up Windows without a Microsoft account is using a "dummy account" that was set up for this exact purpose. You don’t need to open Command Prompt, run commands, or disable the internet connection here. It’s a tried-and-tested method, and it just works without any fuss.

The easiest way to set up Windows without a Microsoft account is using a "dummy account" that was set up for this exact purpose. You don’t need to open Command Prompt, run commands, or disable the internet connection here. It’s a tried-and-tested method, and it just works without any fuss.

Here’s how to go about it:

1. First, connect to the Wi-Fi and proceed with the Windows setup as normal. If you have a wired Ethernet connection, keep it connected.
2. When you reach the Microsoft sign-in screen, enter a@a.com under the email field and click on “Next”. Do not worry, it’s a locked dummy account used for bypassing the Microsoft account requirement.
3. On the next page, enter any password you like just to complete the steps. 
4. Now, click on “Sign in“.
5. Since it’s a locked account, Microsoft will straight away start setting up a local account for you. You will see an “Oops, something went wrong” error, and then you can create a local account on Windows 11. Simply click on “Next”.
6. Now you can now use Windows 11 without logging into a Microsoft account!

*UPDATE* 4-24-2024

The method listed above has been proving more and more ineffective in bypassing the mandatory requirement to set up a new Windows 11 computer, with a Microsoft account. But there's a simple trick for setting up a local account that involves issuing a command to keep Windows from requiring the Internet to install/set up and then cutting off the Internet at just the right time in the setup process. This works the same way whether you are doing a clean install of Windows 11 or following the OOBE process on a store-bought computer.

1. Follow the Windows 11 install process/setup process until you get to the "choose a country" screen:


(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

*Now's the time to cut off the Internet. However, before you do, you need to issue a command that prevents Windows 11 from forcing you to have an Internet connection.

2. Hit Shift + F10. A command prompt appears.

(Image credit: Future)

3. Type OOBE\BYPASSNRO to disable the Internet connection requirement.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

*The computer will reboot and return you to this screen.

4. Hit Shift + F10 again and this time Type ipconfig /release. Then hit Enter to disable the Internet. Alternatively you could also simply unplug the network cable if that's at all possible.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

5. Close the command prompt.

6. Continue with the installation, choosing the region. keyboard and second keyboard option.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

*A screen saying "Let's connect you to a network" appears, warning you that you need the Internet.

7. Click "I don't have Internet" to continue.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

8. Click Continue with limited setup.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

A new login screen appears asking "Who's going to use this device?"

9. Enter a username you want to use for your local account and click Next.

You are now setting up a local user account to be used, instead of being associated with a Microsoft Account!

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

360.624.7379

Create a Content Marketing Strategy for Your Business

Create a Content Marketing Strategy for Your Business

Did you know that content marketing generates three times more leads than traditional marketing and costs 62% less? Content marketing is a powerful way to attract, engage, and delight your target audience and turn them into loyal customers. But how do you create a content marketing strategy that works for your business? In this blog post, we’ll show you the steps to follow and the tools to use to create a successful content marketing strategy.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and ultimately drive profitable customer action. Content marketing can include blog posts, ebooks, videos, podcasts, infographics, webinars, case studies, newsletters, social media posts, and more. The goal is to provide useful information to your audience that helps them solve their problems or achieve their goals.

Why Do You Need a Content Marketing Strategy?

A content marketing strategy is a plan that outlines your goals, your audience, your content topics, your content formats, your content channels, your content calendar, and your content metrics. A content marketing strategy helps you:

• Define your purpose and value proposition. 
• Why are you creating content and what value do you offer to your audience?
• Identify and understand your target audience. 
• Who are they, what are their needs and challenges, and what are their preferences and behaviors?
• Create relevant and engaging content. 
• What topics will you cover, what formats will you use, and what tone and style will you adopt?
• Distribute and promote your content. 
• Where will you publish and share your content, and how will you reach and attract your audience?
• Measure and optimize your content. 
• How will you track and analyze your content performance, what metrics will you use, and how will you improve your results?

How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy in 5 Steps

Creating a content marketing strategy may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are five simple steps to follow:

1) Set Your Goals

The first step is to define what you want to achieve with your content marketing. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example:

• Increase website traffic by 50% in six months
• Generate 100 new leads per month from ebooks
• Boost email open rate by 10% in three months
• Grow social media followers by 20% in one year

Your goals should also align with your overall business objectives and support your customer journey.

2) Know Your Audience

The second step is to identify and understand who you are creating content for. You need to know who they are, what they want, what they need, what they care about, what they struggle with, and how they consume content. You can use tools such as buyer personas and customer journey maps to create detailed profiles of your ideal customers and map out their stages of awareness, consideration, and decision.

3) Choose Your Content Topics

The third step is to decide what topics you will cover in your content. You need to choose topics that are relevant to your audience’s needs and interests, as well as to your business goals and value proposition. You can use tools such as keyword research, competitor analysis, social media listening, surveys, and analytics to find out what topics are popular, trending, or in demand among your audience.

4) Choose Your Content Format(s)

The fourth step is to determine what formats you will use for your content. You need to choose formats that suit your topics, your goals, and your audience’s preferences. You can use tools such as Google Analytics, social media insights, email reports, and feedback forms to find out what formats perform best for your content. Some of the most common formats are:

• Blog posts: These are articles that provide information, tips, advice, opinions, or stories on a specific topic. They can help you drive traffic, generate leads, build authority, and educate your audience.
• Ebooks: These are long-form documents that offer in-depth knowledge, guidance, or solutions on a specific topic. They can help you generate leads, nurture prospects, showcase expertise, and establish trust.
• Videos: These are visual and audio recordings that demonstrate, explain, entertain, or inspire on a specific topic. They can help you increase engagement, boost awareness, build loyalty, and influence decisions.
• Podcasts: These are audio recordings that discuss, interview, teach, or share a specific topic. They can help you reach new audiences, create relationships, grow followers, and enhance credibility.
• Infographics: These are graphical representations that summarize, visualize, or compare data or information on a specific topic.

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

360.624.7379

Social Media Marketing: How To Get Started (Work In Progress)

Marketing/Social Media Marketing 101 (BASICS)

The goal of consistent social media postings is for potential customers to be able to find your content and thusly find the product/service that you are providing. Experimenting with hashtags, keywords, posting in social media groups, and a sub-Reddit, helps people find you when looking up related topics and interests!

Also, people like to see the behind-the-scenes of how stuff is made, produced, designed, and tested. Social media can give your customers (current and potential) a glimpse into what you're doing, how you make your product, and how your provided service is helping a customer. Social media can allow you to show people a more intimate and transparent look into what you do. That simple appreciation could turn into future business! If they see how dedicated you are, or they like your process and are impressed with how you do what you do, that all can generate business!

Plus it gives content for clients to be able to share with their friends! They see a post about something you've done, it reminds them of what you did for them, and they share that post with their friends/community!

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Have The Basics Covered

• Have professional artwork and/or logos made, along with a professional headshot if needed.
• Have a GOOD website. In this day in age, if your product doesn't have a good website, it can be the first impression a customer gets for your company. So you don't want "Just a website". Have a well-done website made for your product/service/company.
• Have a good first-page landing page
• Make sure to have an easy-to-find/get to About Us, Contact Form & Social Media links
• Have marketing material, business cards, a .Dot business card, etc ready to go.
• Try and have a few online payment methods set up so you can get paid no matter what:
• Venmo
• PayPal
• CashApp
• Square
• Stripe

Figure Out Your Target Audience

Age, Economic Status, Geographic location, Interests, Hobbies, etc.
But don't just think about the general public! Also, think about businesses that may be interested as well. Coffee shops, wineries, government entities, corporate/commercial clients, etc.
You obviously want to try to sell to the general public, but maybe consider businesses-to-business opportunities, consider local/state/federal government agencies, big corporations, etc.

HAVE GOOD Contact Info on ALL SITES/PLATFORMS

• Web Site Address
• Phone Number(s)
• Email Addresses
• Messaging Services like Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.
• A Linktr.ee Address
• This is VERY handy! You can list ALL of your website links under one, easy to remember Linktr.ee address!

Social Media for Pictures and Information

• Facebook
• Instagram

Use the MOBILE apps of each platform for the best posting experience. You can't do everything you can on Instagram then you can on its mobile device. Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter are different. But Tiktok, Instagram, and Snapchat are designed for mobile users and simple web access.

By using Instagram you can actually also share your post directly to Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter at the same time! The Instagram app allows you to share posts to multiple platforms!

Social Media for Video

• Tiktok
• Snapchat
• Youtube
• Twitch

For quick video content, you can also take advantage of Instagram Reels, Facebook Stories, YouTube Stories as well as TikTok, and Snapchat. These "quick video" media outlets are VERY popular right now and another way to be found in certain trends, hashtags, etc. The same hashtag principles that work for general posts on social media, also work for video-based social media services.

Streaming can also be an effective way to find/gain new customers! If you are interested in live streaming what you do, what you sell, what you make/create, etc, Twitch, Youtube Live, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, and TikTok Live, are GREAT outlets for live streaming media.

Research Trends

• Etsy
• Reddit
• Pinterest

This can be VERY helpful in your posts getting traction and popularity. If you see that Earth Day is trending? Do an Earth Day post. Is it "National Nurses Day"? Do a nursing-related post. 

This can work with Political topics, pop culture trends, etc. Knowing what's popular, and what people are following; that information can be priceless when strategizing what to post online!

Hashtags and Keywords

Search hashtags and certain keywords or interests/topics to see what hashtags and keywords are over-saturated, or topics that have little to no interactions. It is always worth a try to tag a post with a keyword with 17 million viewers, but your post will likely get lost in the sea of posts.
So try to find hashtags, keywords, groups, etc that have a good amount of followers but if you use a hashtag with 1 Billion followers, it could get "lost at sea".
Also by experimenting with different hashtags and keywords, etc you will also narrow down what works and what does not work.
When you find keywords, hashtags, etc that work for you, THEN you can use that information to start doing paid advertising

Research hashtags, keywords, interests, groups, subreddits, trending topics, etc to find your "Niche" markets to start your marking plan. This will evolve over time as you look for what works best for you and the posts you make.

Look up and try out different hashtags in your posts to see what kind of response you get from your posts. Don't go too crazy with the hashtags in your posts, however. I usually limit the number of hashtags that I use to 10 at MAX. I recommend using around 8.

Ideas On What To Post (Video, Text, or Picture):

• ALWAYS USE RESEARCHED HASHTAGS; ON ANY/ALL POSTS!
• Current world events
• Trending pop culture topics
• Behind the scenes of your product, service, etc.
• Highlight a product or service that you provide
• Your product or service in action!
• Giving back to the community? Post about it!
• Give free tips, give tutorials and how-to's, make product or service recommendations, etc. Anything that might be helpful but also related to your industry
• Highlight other local businesses that you like/use; maybe even cross-promote!
• Are you having a sale, running a special, or have an event coming up? Post about it!

Advertising/Paid Advertising

Once you have played around with keywords, hashtags, interests groups, etc you can take ALL of the information you have gained from your social media response on your posts, you can use that information to start doing targeted advertising.

Posting Tips:

• Don't expect one single post to hit a home run! I usually use the psychology rule that if you see something 3 times (and even better, seeing something 3 times on 3 different platforms) will help people to be more likely to remember your post. But if they see the same thing on different platforms, it can give it more legitimacy and importance.
• I always recommend posting specific hashtags for 3-4 weeks at a time to see what the ACTUAL response to your posts is from those hashtags.
• When you post, try to post quality pictures! Don't go overboard with filters and edits, provide good contact information in ALL of your posts, make sure to use good grammar and punctuation, etc.
• The Instagram mobile app can post to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr. You don't need to use all of those services, but at least get used to using posting to Instagram and Facebook, using the Instagram mobile app.
• Facebook groups, Reddit subreddits, etc can be good communities to interact with the community and be able to passively advertise yourself. Don't just join a group and start blasting what you do/sell! Interact with posts and if asked, or if it's brought up, or the timing seems right, refer nonchalantly to your business!

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

360.624.7379

Test Your Laptop Battery (Windows 10, Windows 11)

Easily test your Windows 10 or Windows 11 laptop's battery with a simple command using the built-in Microsoft Windows Powershell!

1. Open the Windows PowerShell by right-clicking on the Start menu icon and selecting "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" from the menu that appears.
• A pop-up window may ask for permission to make changes to your device; say yes.
2. The blue PowerShell command window will appear. 
3. In the window that opens up, enter:
   

   powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:\battery-report.html"

4. Press Enter to run the command.
5. PowerShell will then tell you the name of the generated battery life report HTML file and where it has been saved on your computer. 
• It should be located at the root of your C:\ drive.
6. You can now close the PowerShell window.
7. Next, open File Explorer and access the C: drive. 
8. There, you should find the battery life report saved as an HTML file called, "battery-report.html"
9. Double-click the file to open it in your default web browser.
10. In the report, find the Design Capacity and Full Charge Capacity of your laptop's battery.
11. Now, using a calculator on your phone or your computer, divide the Full Charge Capacity by the Design Capacity amounts.
12. If the result on your calculator is 0.80 or less, it may be time to replace your battery!

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

Epson Eco Tank Ink Fill

Epson EcoTank printers are great! The ink comes in bottles instead of cartridges, the ink doesn't dry up anywhere as easily, and the ink lasts foreeevvveeerr!! 

But what happens when you have to fill one (or more) of the ink tanks, but your printer still says you are out of ink/or your ink is still low?

Well, there happens to be a built-in feature that allows you to notify your Epson EcoTank printer that you have filled your ink! Here's how you can do it:

1. Press the "Home" button on the Epson printer's main display panel.
2. Using the arrow pad, "<-- OK -->" (Left, Right, Up, and Down arrows with an OK selection key), you want to scroll until you get to the "Settings" option.
3. In "Settings", you want to select "Maintenance" which is typically the first tab/page.
4. In the "Maintenance" menu, you want to scroll to and select "Fill Ink"
5. Next, you will be asked to select which ink tanks you have recently filled, and then you will be asked to confirm that they were in fact filled.
6. That's it!

Your ink level/status on the Printer as well as the Status Monitor software installed on your computer (if you have it installed) should now show your Printer's ink as being full! 

That's it!

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

 Xfinity, Comcast & Comcast Business 
Modem Port Forwarding

1. Login to your Xfinity/Comcast Modem by entering one of the two following IP addresses into a browser address bar:
1. 10.0.0.1 for residential customers.
2. 10.1.10.1 for Comcast Business customers.
   
   
2. The default logins for most Comcast/Xfinity modems are:
1. Username: cusadmin Password: highspeed
2. Username: admin Password: password
   
   
3. After you log in, if you are asked to change the default password, do so! That way no random people can try to gain access to your modem if they gain access to your wifi/network. Use a safe/secure password and make a note of that information for future use.
   
   
4. First off, you want to configure the Firewall in your modem to either be set to Custom or if you can, turn it off completely if possible.
   
   
5. After turning off the Firewall, go to "Connected Devices".
   
   
6. Reserve the IP address (set a static IP) for the device that you are port forwarding to.
   
   
7. Click on the "Advanced" tab, and you can then set up any/all port forwarding rules as needed to your statically assigned device!
   

Xfinity/Residential Modem Firewall:

Comcast Business Modem Firewall:

• To make sure you have in fact opened the needed ports successfully, you first need to figure out your public IP address. You can visit www.whatismyip.com and get your Public IP address.

• Next, visit www.yougetsignal.com's Open Port testing site and make sure the ports you have opened/forwarded are indeed working!

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

Windows 11 Local Security Authority Protection Is Off & Won't Turn Back On!?

If you have a Windows 11 computer and find that your Local Security Authority protection is turned off, and Windows won't turn it back on, no matter how many times you restart the system. There is a simple registry edit you can make to get things working again!

Hold down the Windows key on your keyboard + R at the same time, this brings up the Run dialog box. Type regedit and hit enter to bring up the registry editor. 

Inside the registry editor, in the list on the left side, navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

Once there, right-click anywhere on the list on the right side to bring up the context menu. Select New>DWORD (32-bit). Make sure you don't click QWORD (64-bit) by accident. If you're seeing a list that says "Modify" and some other options, left-click anywhere on the white space in the list to deselect whatever is selected there and right-click again.

Now name the new entry "RunAsPPLBoot", then right-click the "RunAsPPLBoot" entry and click Modify. The "Value" box should already be highlighted, enter 2 and click OK. Close the registry editor without modifying anything else, and restart your computer.

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

Apple ID; Can't Sign-In On Older Devices

Have you ever gotten an older Apple device (iPad, iPod, etc) and when you tried to set it up, and try to log in with your Apple ID information, you get an error message along the lines of; "This Apple ID cannot be used on this device. This Apple ID can only be used with devices running iOS version 15 or newer."

Turns out your Apple ID account has a "Recovery contact" setup/associated with your account just in case you ever get locked out. Well, that feature is unfortunately a modern iOS feature, and if enabled you will get the previous error when you try to sign in to an old Apple device with that associated Apple ID!

So what is the fix?

Remove the recovery contact(s) from your account! That's it!
Once you do that, you will then be able to login to older Apple devices using your Apple ID information.

Pacific Northwest Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

360.624.7379

Our Favorite Mac Apps

Here is a basic list of some Mac OS applications that we use and recommend! Leave a comment below if you have a program that you use/love and would like to recommend it! 

Web Browsers

Brave Browser - 3x faster than Chrome. Better protection from Google and Big Tech. Built with your privacy in mind!

Vivaldi - Not sure what browser to use? Vivaldi allows you to use features from various different browsers, including their add-ons! Get unrivaled customization options and built-in browser features for better performance, productivity, and privacy.

Choosy - Choosy can prompt you to select from the browsers on your Mac, or just the ones that are running, so you can decide which browser is right for a particular link.

OpenIn - OpenIn is a native application for Intel and Apple Silicon architecture and allows you to choose what happens when you click on a web link or an email link, and even open specific programs for certain file types! OpenIn can even modify file open requests, and send the application a request to open a parent folder instead of the file. Plus much more!

BitWarden - Secure cloud syncing lets you access your sensitive information from anywhere on any device. Protect your online data using a password manager you can trust. Bitwarden conducts regular third-party security audits and is compliant with GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA, Privacy Shield, and CCPA standards.

System Utilities

Download and install current, or previous versions, of Mac OSX operating systems: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683

Macs Fan Control - Mac OS application for real-time monitoring of fan speeds and temperatures. With this app, you can monitor your temperatures, and fan speeds, and help you solve overheating problems like those found on a MacBook Pro. Solve fan noise problems such as those caused by HDD replacement in iMacs and fan speed issues after various aftermarket parts replacements. 

Hot - Hot is a macOS menu bar application that displays the CPU speed limit due to thermal issues.

Stats - Mac OS system monitoring software.

Onyx - OnyX is a multifunction utility that you can use to verify the structure of the system files; run miscellaneous maintenance and cleaning tasks; configure parameters in the Finder, Dock, Safari, and some Apple applications; delete caches; remove certain problematic folders and files; rebuild various databases and indexes; and more.

Mac Cleaner Pro - Professional tools for Mac cleanup. Keep your Mac always fast, clean, and organized!

GmsartControl - GSmartControl is a graphical user interface for smartctl (from smartmontools package), which is a tool for querying and controlling SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data on modern hard disk and solid-state drives. It allows you to inspect the drive's SMART data to determine its health, as well as run various tests on it.

DriveDX - Advanced hard drive health diagnostics, drive health monitoring, and hard drive health testing software.

Disk Inventory X - Disk Inventory X is a disk usage utility for Mac OS X. It shows the sizes of files and folders in a special graphical way called "treemaps".

coconutBattery - With coconutBattery you're always aware of your current battery health. It shows you live information about your battery such as how often it was charged and how is the current maximum capacity in relation to the original capacity your battery had when it left the factory.

Security

Malwarebytes AntiMalware (MBAM) - Say hello to smarter, safer protection for all your family's devices. Specifically designed to catch malware on Mac, MalwareByte's threat intelligence & proven technology let you rest easy, knowing that we’re finding and crushing threats that other antivirus software missed. The best part, we do it all without hogging your system’s resources or spamming you with annoying notifications. Finally, cybersecurity that is smart enough for your Mac.

ClamXAV - Whether you’re a home user, business user, or education user, ClamXAV provides effective malware protection on a single Mac or an entire network. ClamAV is one of the oldest Unix AntiVirus programs around.

Clario - Modern protection from more modern threats! Protect your Apple Computer and digital identity from viruses, unsecured Wi-Fi, ID theft, or hacking; in real time. 100% Detection rate!

General Programs

Caffeine - Caffeine is a tiny program that puts an icon in the right side of your menubar. Click it to prevent your Mac from automatically going to sleep, dimming the screen, or starting screen savers.

VNC - Securely access and manage any device, from anywhere!

Sublime Text - Text editing, done right!

The Unarchiver - The Unarchiver is the only app you need to open RAR on Mac. It’s times more powerful than the native macOS utility and supports infinitely more archive formats.

Keka - Mac OS file archiver.

PDF Expert - PDF Expert is a uniquely fast, reliable, and easy-to-use PDF software. PDF Expert packs powerful features into a well-designed and intuitive interface. Effortlessly breeze through any type of PDF-related task!

Software Removal Tools

AppCleaner -  AppCleaner is a small application that allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps.
Installing an application distributes many files throughout your System using the space of your Hard Drive unnecessarily. AppCleaner finds all these small files and safely deletes them.

TrashMe - Your Mac is full of files that you consider to be junk because they are too old, too big, or useless to you: incomplete downloads, Windows files, old screen captures… In addition, macOS creates many large files like app caches, system updates, log reports or Xcode files. When space is precious, you can use TrashMe to remove all these files and recover many gigabytes!

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

*Last Updated ~ August 28th, 2023*

Failing CPU AIO Water Cooling Loops

So for a few months now I have been seeing a WAVE of failing CPU AIO loops coming into the shop. A CPU AIO (all-in-one) is a pre-packaged device that will liquid-cool your CPU. It's a CPU water-cooling solution, that can be easily installed into a system without having to heat/bend tubing, install/test fittings, etc. The AIO combines the water block, radiator, tubes, fans, fittings, and pump into an all-in-one (AIO) package.

At first, most of the failing CPU AIO loops I was seeing, were related to iBuyPower systems using their own self-branded water-cooling loops. More recently, however, I am starting to see other CPU AIO loops, from other brands, failing as well. What gives? Why are these loops dying all of a sudden?

That's when it hit me; they all had one particular characteristic in common. 

I noticed that instead of the pump for the AIO being a part of the assembly that is directly attached to the CPU, the pump was actually installed in the RADIATOR!?!

But why would the pump for AIO be in the radiator and not on top of the CPU itself!? 
Having the pump directly on the CPU itself is the most efficient method for moving hot liquid away from the CPU! So what gives?!

Well after doing some research, I have found that the Danish company Asetek, actually developed and owns the patent(s) on what would be considered a modern-day CPU AIO water cooling loop. So when you see CPU AIO loops from Corsair, CoolerMaster, etc. The fundamental loop design is actually licensed from Asetek! Manufacturers may make some modifications, make some improvements, add some features, and add their own brand to the product. But that's it!
The core functions and design of a modern "CPU AIO Water Cooling Loop" are all patented by Asetek.

So what can manufacturers do to increase their profits and not have to pay Asetek any licensing fees??

Well, some manufacturers are deciding to switch to a different design of CPU AIO water cooling loop altogether. Not because it's more efficient, but likely just to avoid licensing feed. So by moving to a design where the main components have been moved around (more specifically the pump) manufacturers don't have to license the AIO functionality from Asetek, and more profits are to be had.

Brilliant! *shakes head in disappointment*

Because of this little money-making move? I am now seeing custom computers that are using these radiator-pump-based CPU AIO loops, and they are clogging/dying left and right. 
So when you are buying a custom-ordered system from a manufacturer, try to pay close attention to the design of the CPU AIO Loop they are using/installing, and make sure the pump used in the loop is located on the CPU itself, and not in the radiator. Even if you have to pay a little more for an upgraded AIO CPU water cooler... It will be worth it in the long run.

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NW Computers
www.pacificnwcomputers.com
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

Find Your Microsoft BitLocker Recovery Key

So your Windows Computer just recently completed some Windows Updates, or maybe you changed some system settings. But NOW all of a sudden, your Windows computer is asking for a "BitLocker Recovery key" to be able to start your computer!
But you have no idea what BitLocker is, what BitLocker does, nor do you know what to do!

"BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature that integrates with the Windows operating system and addresses the threats of data theft or exposure from lost, stolen, or inappropriately decommissioned computers."

Which is all fine and dandy if you purposefully set it up, and saved the recovery key information. The BitLocker disk encryption keeps your data safe in the event your computer is lost or stolen. But, more often than not, folks don't even realize that BitLocker is even turned on, and thusly do NOT have any recovery methods ready to go if they were to get locked out!

If your system is asking you for your BitLocker recovery key, the following information may help you locate your recovery key. 

There are several places where your recovery key may be, depending on the choice that was made when activating BitLocker.  If you purposefully turned on BitLocker hard drive encryption, you may have printed out the security key that was created.   Or you may have saved that BitLocker Recovery key information to a USB thumb drive and thusly created a "Recovery USB Key". If so, just use the appropriate recovery method that you have created/saved, to get back into your system!

If you don't have any kind of Recovery Key information backed up or saved, the easiest way to find your BitLocker recovery key is through the Microsoft account you were using on that computer! Your Microsoft account is typically tied to your everyday email address, plus a password that was set up.

So all you need to do is use another computer or a tablet, or even your cell phone, and sign in to your Microsoft account to find your recovery key. This is the most likely place to find your recovery key! 

You can do this by visiting, https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

If you are NOT able to find any sort of recovery key, you would be looking at having to reinstall the Windows Operating System to get the system functional again. But, since the hard drive is encrypted, data backup nor data recovery would be possible.

If we can be of any assistance with this type of problem or issue, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific Northwest Computers
360.624.7379
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers