Mac Self-Service System Configuration: How-To

Apple Self-Service
System Configuration: How-To

System Configuration may be required at the end of your repair. System Configuration is a postrepair software tool that completes the repair for genuine Apple parts. System Configuration has a number of purposes that vary based on the part replaced. Refer to the Introduction section of the model you’re repairing for a complete list of details.

Before initiating System Configuration, ensure that the Mac is running the latest version of macOS. You’ll have one attempt to complete System Configuration. If the attempt is interrupted, canceled, or encounters an error, the Mac will display a message instructing you to contact the Self-Service Repair Store team for assistance.

If you don’t want to update the Mac to the latest version of macOS or need assistance initiating the System Configuration process, contact the Self Service Repair Store team.
Initiate System Configuration

Important: If the Mac automatically starts up to diagnostics mode, skip to step 6.

If you use Ethernet to connect the Mac to the internet, plug the Ethernet cable into the Mac before turning on the computer. If you use Wi-Fi, you'll connect the Mac to the internet during step 5, after the computer starts up to diagnostics mode.

1. Press and hold the power button on the Mac to turn on the computer. On laptop computers that have Touch ID, press and hold the Touch ID button.
2. Continue to hold the power button or Touch ID button as the Mac turns on and loads startup options. Release the power button when “Loading startup options...” appears on the screen.
3. When the startup options screen appears, press and hold Command (⌘)-D on the keyboard to put the computer into diagnostics mode.
4. If you're using Wi-Fi to connect the Mac to the internet, choose the network from the Wi-Fi menu in the upper right corner of the diagnostics mode screen.
   Note: The Wi-Fi menu may take a few seconds to appear. This is normal behavior.
5. A list of languages will appear on the diagnostics mode screen. Choose your preferred language and click "OK."
6. When the Diagnostics & Repair screen appears, click “I agree“ to begin System Configuration.
   Important: If you replaced the lid angle sensor on a laptop, skip to step 9.
7. If System Configuration is successful, the Mac will display a message that says, “Suite completed. Restarting to Diagnostics Mode.”
8. Important: If you encounter an error, contact the Self-Service Repair Store team for assistance.
   Complete steps 9 through 14 only if you replaced the lid angle sensor on a laptop.
9. When the Action Required alert window appears on the screen, click "Continue." Then immediately close the display.
10. Keep the display closed for 20 seconds.
    
    
    Caution: If the display isn’t fully closed during the System Configuration process, 
    you’ll need to install another new lid angle sensor.
    
    
11. Open the display when you hear the startup chime or after waiting 20 seconds.
12. If System Configuration is successful, the Mac will display a message that says, “Suite completed. Restarting to Diagnostics Mode."
13. The Mac will automatically restart to diagnostics mode. Then choose Restart from the Apple menu.
14. After the Mac restarts again, confirm that you can put it to sleep by closing the display. The Mac should sleep when the display is almost completely closed.
• Important: If you encounter an error, or the Mac doesn't sleep when expected or wakes unexpectedly, contact the Self Service Repair Store team for assistance.

Restore the Mac Before Initiating System Configuration

You may need to restore the Mac before initiating System Configuration for the following reasons:

• If you replaced the logic board and the replacement logic board isn't running the latest version of macOS.
• If you replaced the logic board or SSD modules on a Mac Pro or Mac Studio.

To restore the Mac you will need the following:

• Another Mac running macOS Sonoma (14.1 or later) or another Mac using the latest version of Apple Configurator.
• Internet access
• A USB-C charge cable. The USB-C cable must support both power and data. Don’t use Thunderbolt cables.

Follow these steps to restore the Mac:

1. Choose one of the following methods to restore the repaired Mac, then continue to step 2:
• Restore the repaired Mac with another Mac running macOS Sonoma (14.1) or later.
• Restore the repaired Mac with another Mac running macOS Sonoma (14.1) or later using Apple Configurator.
• If you replace the logic board, the Mac will start up in diagnostics mode.
• If you replace SSD modules, the Mac will start up to Setup Assistant. Shut down the Mac before continuing.
2. Follow the steps above to Initiate System Configuration
• Important: If you encounter an error, contact the Self-Service Repair Store team for assistance.
3. The Mac will automatically restart to diagnostics mode. Then choose Restart from the Apple menu.
4. After the Mac restarts, follow the onscreen instructions to activate the Mac.

Published Date: May 08, 2024

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*

Mac Battery/Power Management System Calibration

Calibrating The Battery/Power Management System of a Mac Is Easy To Do!

On a new Apple computer, or after a new battery is installed...

Step 1 – Charge The Battery To 100%

• Shut down the computer and then connect the power adapter.
• Keep the computer plugged in until the light on the power connector turns green indicating a 100% charge.

Step 2 – Charge Two More Hours

• After the battery is 100% charged, keep the power adapter plugged into the computer for an additional 2+ hours. 
• The computer can be powered up and used during this time.

Step 3 – Temporarily Change the Energy Saver Settings

• If the computer is off, you'll need to turn it on.
• In OS X System Preferences click on the Energy Saver preferences.
• In the Energy Saver / Battery preferences:
• Set the "Turn display off after:" slider to "Never"
• Various Mac models may have two sliders for "computer sleep" and "display sleep". If you have two sliders, simply slide both to the right to set them to "Never"
• UNCHECK "Put hard disks to sleep when possible"
• UNCHECK "Slightly dim the display while on battery power"
• Note: The location/existence of certain settings may shift or vary depending on your computer model or OS version.
• In the Energy Saver / Power Adapter preferences:
• Set the "Turn display off after:" slider to "Never"
• Various Mac models may have two sliders for "computer sleep" and "display sleep". If you have two sliders, simply slide both to the right to set them to "Never"
• CHECK "Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off"
• Note: this setting may or may not be available depending on your model or OS version.
• UNCHECK "Put hard disks to sleep when possible"
• Note: The location/existence of certain settings may shift or vary depending on your computer model or OS version.

Step 5 – Unplug And Drain The Battery

• Unplug the power adapter.
• Leave the computer on until it automatically shuts down.
• You can use the computer during this step, but don't put the computer through heavy use to deplete the battery faster. Steady, even usage is better for power system calibration.

Step 6 – Leave It Off And Unplugged

• After the computer has automatically shut down, leave it shut down for at least 5 hours or overnight. 
• This will ensure the battery is completely drained of energy.

Step 7 – Charge To 100% Again

• Plug the computer back in until the battery is 100% charged.
• While plugged in, the computer can be used.
• This is also a good time to go back and select your desired Energy Saver preferences.

AND THAT'S IT!

After this essential calibration, the new battery will be able to achieve its fullest charge and reach its full lifespan, and the system will display an accurate battery level. You can also reuse these steps to recalibrate the power management system every few months if desired.

Original/Source:
https://www.newertech.com/batteries/power-calibration-guide/#read

Run macOS in Windows via Virtual Machine!

With a few downloads, a hand full of steps to follow, you can have a Virtual Apple computer running on your Windows PC. That's right! Your eyes are not deceiving you. You can create a macOS virtual machine using VMware Workstation Player! Have access to the apps, tools, programs that you love about your Apple computer, all on your Windows PC!! No "hackintosh" required.

The link for the tutorial is below and will require you to download and install several programs as well as modify a config file using NotePad. Nothing crazy, but there are quiet a few steps involved. So read carefully and pay close attention to each step.

Link: Run macOS High Sierra OSX via Virtual Machine on a Windows PC!

**A few quick notes regarding this guide!**

• VMware Virtual Workstation Player us up to version 14. However the needed "unlocker" utility that makes VMware Workstation Player compatible with OSX is ONLY compatible with copies of Version 12 VMware Virtual Workstation Player. So DO NOT download the newest version of VMware Virtual Workstation Player; only use copies of version 12.
• You DO NOT need an ISO or currently OSX installation media. The tutorial has a link to have to download the Intel version of the Mac OSX virtual machine. This virtual machine is provided courtesy of the excellent fellows at Techsvidrewer.

Thank you PCSteps.com for creating such an easy to follow and thorough setup/install guide!!

Pacific Northwest Computers

www.pnwcomputers.com

OSX Finder Crash Loop - FIX

PROBLEM: Your Mac’s finder is stuck in a crash loop Other apps work but your finder crashes and re-crashes indefinitely; even when the system is restarted. Other user accounts may work just fine and even a newly created account will work just fine. Permissions repair through the OSX DiskUtility doesn’t help either.

1. Start with another user account or create a temporary administrator account. 
2. Download and install PathFinder (search via Google) for all users. 
3. Pin the PathFinder icon to your dock. 
4. Log on with with your usual name and, with Pathfinder, move files that are in your Desktop folder, over to another directory. 
5. No more Finder crash! 

Pacific Northwest Computers 

www.pnwcomputers.com 

360-624-7379

PNW Computers' Favorite Mac Apps

PNW Computers' Favorite FREE Mac Apps

VideoLan ~ VLC for Mac

VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols.

Titanium Software ~ OnyX
OnyX is a multifunction utility for OS X which you can use to verify the start up disk and the structure of its system files, to run miscellaneous tasks of cleaning and system maintenance, to configure some hidden parameters of many of Apple’s applications, and more.

Titanium Software ~ Maintenance
Maintenance is a system maintenance and cleaning utility for OS X which you can use to run miscellaneous tasks of system maintenance: repair permissions, run periodic scripts, rebuild the databases, delete Application, Font and System cache, and more.

Derlien Software ~ Disk Inventory X
Disk Inventory X is a disk usage utility for Mac OS X 10.3 (and later). It shows the sizes of files and folders in a special graphical way called "treemaps".
If you've ever wondered where all your disk space has gone, Disk Inventory X will help you to answer this question.

smcFanControl
smcFanControl is MUST HAVE for keeping your Mac running cool. smcFanControl lets the user set the minimum speed of the built in fans; so you can increase your minimum fan speed to make your Intel Mac run cooler. However in order not to damage your machines smcFanControl doesn't let you set a minimum speed to a value below Apple's defaults.

ClamXav
ClamXav is a free malware scanner for Mac OS X. It uses the very popular ClamAV open source antivirus engine as a back end and has the ability to detect both Windows and Mac threats.
ClamXav can be setup up as passive or active: scan only the files you tell it to or your entire hard drive, whichever you prefer; you can also choose to activate Sentry to monitor your hard drive and scan new files as they arrive.

CCleaner

CCleaner is the number-one tool for cleaning your Mac. It protects your privacy online and makes your computer faster and more secure. Easy to use and a small fast download.

FreeMacSoft ~ AppCleaner
AppCleaner is a small application which allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps.
Installing an application distributes many files throughout your System using space of your Hard Drive unnecessarily.
AppCleaner finds all these small files and safely deletes them.
Simply drop an application onto the AppCleaner window. It will find for the related files and you can delete them by clicking the delete button.

CoconutBattery

With coconutBattery you are always aware of your current battery health. It shows you live information about the battery in your Mac and iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) including:

• Age of your Mac, iOS device and battery
• How often the battery was charged
• Your battery health (capacity in relation to the original capacity your battery had when it left the factory) and much more...

gfxCardStatus
gfxCardStatus is an unobtrusive menu bar app for OS X that allows MacBook Pro users to see which apps are affecting their battery life by using the more power-hungry graphics.

Unarchiver

The Unarchiver is a much more capable replacement for "Archive Utility.app", the built-in archive unpacker program on Mac OS X. The Unarchiver is designed to handle many more formats than Archive Utility, and to better fit in with the design of the Finder. It can also handle file names in foreign character sets, created with non-English versions of other operating systems. I personally find it useful for opening Japanese archives, but it should handle many other languages just as well.

Monolingual

Monolingual is a program for removing unnecessary language resources from OS X, in order to reclaim several hundred megabytes of disk space. It requires a 64-bit capable Intel-based Mac and at least OS X 10.10 (Yosemite).

Hanynet ~ NoobProof (or WaterRoof) Firewall Software

NoobProof is a very easy tool. When you start it the first time you have a service list and you can choose to "allow" or "deny" connections to those services. So you have only to decide which service to allow, and then check "Activate NoobProof". You can also add selective "allow" and "deny", and you can delete or add new custom services in service list.

WaterRoof is a very complex and powerful tool, which allows you to configure almost every aspect and option of "ipfw". And more, you can list/manage active connections or network files, do graphics log analysis, configure your mac as a router with bandwidth management with tasteful rules and tons of other options. You need a good knowledge of "what a firewall is", and you should also have at least a basic ipfw knowledge.

TeamViewer - QuickSupport Remote Access Software
*What PNW Computers uses for remote support!

TeamViewer is the All-In-One Software for Remote Support and Online Meetings.
Remote control any computer or Mac over the Internet within seconds or use TeamViewer for online meetings. 

If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to get in touch!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NorthWest Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com
360-624-7379

PNW Computers' Links And Recommended Software

PNW Computers' Links And Recommended Software

A basic list of software, tools, and utilities that we use and recommend!

We will update this list as much as possible! 

UPDATED LIST! CLICK HERE!!

Tools and Utilities:

• Hirens All-In-On Boot CD - Great utility CD with TONS of diagnostic software; HD manufacturers included!
  http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/
• BleachBit - When your computer is getting full, BleachBit quickly frees disk space. When your information is only your business, BleachBit guards your privacy. With BleachBit you can free cache, delete cookies, clear Internet history, shred temporary files, delete logs, and discard junk you didn't know was there!
  https://www.bleachbit.org/
• GParted - GParted is a free partition manager that enables you to resize, copy, and move partitions without data loss. Some repair capabilities as well.
  http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php
• Memtest86 - MemTest86 is a free, thorough, stand-alone memory test for x86 architecture computers.
  http://www.memtest86.com/
• Offline NT Password & Registry Editor - This is a utility to reset the password of any user that has a valid local account on your Windows System.
  http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/
• HFSExplorer - HFSExplorer is an application that can read Mac-formatted hard disks and disk images. It can read the file systems HFS (Mac OS Standard), HFS+ (Mac OS Extended), and HFSX (Mac OS Extended with case-sensitive file names), including most .dmg disk images created on a Mac, including zlib / bzip2 compressed images and AES-128 encrypted images
  http://www.catacombae.org/hfsx.html 
• IsoBuster - IsoBuster is actually a CD/DVD and BD/HD DVD data recovery software that can interpret, open, and extract various CD/DVD/Blu-ray disk image files, including DMG.
  http://www.isobuster.com/download.php
• Revo Uninstaller Free - Revo Uninstaller lists the installed programs and components for all current users. With a choice of views, as well as a context menu, information on program components is available: program properties, their registry entries, and links to the manufacturer's website, for a start. The "Search" option finds installed applications just by typing the first few letters of their name. Revo Uninstaller Free scans for "leftovers" with advanced algorithms that are precise, fast, and very effective in searching for leftover Windows Services, Drivers, File associations, Shell Extensions, COM components, Windows Installer components, program settings, and more!
  http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html
• MyDefrag - MyDefrag (formerly JKDefrag) is a disk defragmenter and optimizer for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/2008/X64. Completely automatic and very easy to use, fast, low overhead, with several optimization strategies, and can handle floppies, USB disks, memory sticks, and anything else that looks like a disk to Windows.
  http://www.mydefrag.com/Manual-DownloadAndInstall.html
• CUTEpdf Writer - Create PDF documents on the fly for Free! Portable Document Format (PDF) is the de facto standard for the secure and reliable distribution and exchange of electronic documents and forms around the world. CutePDF Writer (formerly CutePDF Printer) is the free version of commercial PDF creation software. CutePDF Writer installs itself as a "printer subsystem". This enables virtually any Windows applications (must be able to print) to create professional quality PDF documents - with just a push of a button! ALL FOR FREE!
  http://www.cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/writer.asp
• VideoLAN VLC Media Player - VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols without external codecs or programs. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network.
  http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
• Sumatra PDF Viewer - Sumatra PDF is a slim, free, open-source PDF reader for Windows. Sumatra has a very minimalistic design and is nowhere NEAR the security risk that Adobe Reader can be. Simplicity has a higher priority than a lot of features with Sumatra. It's small, secure, and starts up very fast.
  http://blog.kowalczyk.info/software/sumatrapdf/download-free-pdf-viewer.html
• Piriform Recuva - Accidentally deleted an important file? Lost something important when your computer crashed? No problem! Recuva recovers files deleted from your Windows computer, Recycle Bin, digital camera card, or MP3 player. And it's free!
  http://www.piriform.com/recuva

Security Software:

• Microsoft Security Essentials - FREE Antivirus software from Microsoft.
  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download
• Bitdefender Free - FREE Antivirus software from the folks at BitDefender!
  http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html
• Avast! FREE - FREE Antivirus software from Avast.
  https://www.avast.com/index
• Malware Byte's Antimalware - Excellent all-around "Anit-malware" program.
  http://www.filehippo.com/download_malwarebytes_anti_malware/
• Spybot Search & Destroy - The Swiss Army Knife of Security. Malware Removal, System Repair, and Optimization; must have in our opinion.
  http://www.safer-networking.org/spybots-own-mirror-1/
  **NOTE! During the installation of Spybot, a feature called "Tea-Timer" will attempt to install and run. DO NOT INSTALL or ARM THIS FEATURE! It can be very intrusive and create conflicts with other security software you may have installed.
• ADW Cleaner - AdwCleaner is a program that searches for and deletes Adware, Toolbars, Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP), and browser Hijackers from your computer. By using AdwCleaner you can easily remove many of these types of programs for a better user experience on your computer and while browsing the web.
  http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
• JRT (Junk Removal Tool) - Junkware Removal Tool is a security utility that searches for and removes common adware, toolbars, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) from your computer. A common tactic among freeware publishers is to offer their products for free but bundle them with PUPs in order to earn revenue. This tool will help you remove these types of programs.
  http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/junkware-removal-tool/
• UnHackMe - UnHackMe allows you to detect and remove a new generation of Trojan programs - invisible Trojans. UnHackMe is a very useful security utility for your operating system.
  http://www.greatis.com/unhackme/
• RKill - Automated malware disabling software! Allows you to set the stage for effective virus scanning and more efficiently find and remove viruses from your computer.
  http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/rkill/
• Windows Defender Offline Scanner - CD-Based Virus Removal Utility from Microsoft!
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/security/archive/2012/09/19/microsoft-s-free-security-tools-windows-defender-offline.aspx
• Trend Micro's HijackThis - HijackThis inspects your computer's browser and operating system settings to generate a log file of the current state of your computer. Using HijackThis you can selectively remove unwanted settings and files from your computer.
http://free.antivirus.com/hijackthis/
*Because the settings identified in a HijackThis log file can belong to both legitimate software and unwanted malware, it is important to use extreme caution when choosing to remove anything using HijackThis.
• TDSKiller - Kaspersky Lab has developed the TDSKiller utility that allows EFFECTIVE removal of rootkits.
  http://support.kaspersky.com/5350?el=88446

What is a rootkit!? A rootkit is a program or a program kit that hides the presence of malware (or itself) in a system. A rootkit for a Windows systems is a program that penetrates into the system and intercepts the system functions; Windows API. It can effectively hide its presence by intercepting and modifying low-level API functions. Moreover it can hide the presence of particular processes, folders, files and registry keys. Some rootkits install their own drivers and services in the system and they also remain “invisible".  

Software Sites:

• Filehippo.com - Great site that hosts TONS of updates and software titles; anything you can think of really.
• Ninite.com - Great "update-all-at-once" site that lets you install/update multiple programs without dealing with individual installers, prompts, etc. One download, one install; as many programs as you like!

Let us know of any issues with inks!

Updated 11/1/2013
pnwcomputers@gmail.com

Top 5 Myths Computer Repair Customers Believe About “Going Apple”

There seems to be a perceived consensus among a segment of my customer base that believes going Mac would solve all their ills, save them money, and provide numerous other benefits. While there are situations where Macs are justified, the steamrolling in the media by the Apple-centric movement to iEverything helps fuel a majority of this misconception surrounding the Apple brand...

Top 5 Myths Computer Repair Customers Believe About “Going Apple” - Technibble.com

New Computer Software To Have & Use: 101 *INCLUDING VIRUS CLEAN-UP HOW-TO!!

With all the software that is out there for surfing the web and for security, it can be kind of confusing which programs you should or should NOT use. Maybe you have a brand new computer that you need to setup. Or you are looking to get your current system spruced and/or re-secured. Or maybe you are looking to overhaul your system's software completely! Here are some of my recommended software programs that I personally like, use and recommend. As well as a basic "How-To" to help get you going on running virus scans and to assist with tuning up your computer!

Google’s Chrome Web Browser: 

The Web is all about innovation, and Chrome sets the pace with dozens of new features to deliver a faster, more secure and customizable Web browsing experience for all! Google Chrome raises the bar for security. The new malware and phishing protection helps protect from viruses, worms, trojans and spyware to keep people safe while surfing on the Web.

Microsoft’s Microsoft Security Essentials:

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Microsoft Security Essentials is a free and effective antivirus that is easy to use, and is always kept up to date. So you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple. Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions or long computer wait times.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (MBAM):

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is a high performance anti-malware application that thoroughly removes even the most advanced malware and spyware. With one of the fastest, most effective quick scans and malware removal capabilities on the market, this program is the perfect addition to your PC's defenses. The full version of the product includes a number of key features, including the ability to schedule updates and scans and most importantly, a real-time malware protection module that blocks malicious processes before they even start.

Safer Networking’s Spybot Search & Destroy:

Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behavior to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you haven't intentionally installed, if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been "hijacked" (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don't see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging. Spybot-S&D is also absolutely free.
**NOTE! During the installation of this program, a feature called "Tea-Timer" will attempt to install and run. DO NOT INSTALL or ARM THIS FEATURE! It can be very intrusive and create conflicts with other security software you may have installed.

Trend Micro's HijackThis:

HijackThis inspects your computers browser and operating system settings to generate a log file of the current state of your computer. Using HijackThis you can selectively remove unwanted settings and files from your computer. Because the settings identified in a HijackThis log file can belong to both legitimate software and unwanted malware, it is important to use extreme caution when choosing to removing anything using HijackThis.

Piriform's CCleaner:

CCleaner is a free PC optimization tool. It combines a system cleaner that removes unused and temporary files from your system and also a fully featured registry cleaner! CCleaner allows Windows to run faster, more efficiently and gives you more hard disk space. The best part is that it's Small, Fast and Free!

VSRevo Group's Revo Uninstaller Free:

Revo Uninstaller free lists the installed programs and components for all and current user. With a choice of views, as well as a context menu, information on program components is available: program properties, their registry entries and links to manufacturer's web site, for a start. The "Search" option finds installed applications just by typing the first few letters of their name. Revo Uninstaller Free scans for "leftovers" with advanced algorithms that are precise, fast and very effective in searching for leftover Windows Services, Drivers, File associations, Shell Extensions, COM components, Windows Installer components, program settings and more!

MyDefrag:

MyDefrag (formerly JKDefrag) is a disk defragmenter and optimizer for Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/2008/X64. Completely automatic and very easy to use, fast, low overhead, with several optimization strategies, and can handle floppies, USB disks, memory sticks, and anything else that looks like a disk to Windows. Why use this defragger instead of the standard Windows defragger? 

• Much faster. 
• Totally automatic, extremely easy to use.
• Optimized for daily use.
• Disk optimization, several strategies.
• Directories are moved to the beginning of the disk.
• Reclaims MFT reserved space after disk-full.
• Maintains free spaces for temporary files.
• Can defragment very full harddisks.
• Can defragment very large files.
• Can defragment individual directories and files.
• Can be run automatically with the Windows Scheduler.
• Can be used from the commandline.
• Can be used as a screen saver.
• Can be run from cdrom or memory stick.
• Sources available, can be customized.

Piriform Recuva:

Accidentally deleted an important file? Lost something important when your computer crashed? No problem! Recuva recovers files deleted from your Windows computer, Recycle Bin, digital camera card, or MP3 player. And it's free!

CUTEpdf Writer:

Create PDF documents on the fly — for Free! Portable Document Format (PDF) is the de facto standard for the secure and reliable distribution and exchange of electronic documents and forms around the world. CutePDF Writer (formerly CutePDF Printer) is the free version of commercial PDF creation software. CutePDF Writer installs itself as a "printer subsystem". This enables virtually any Windows applications (must be able to print) to create professional quality PDF documents - with just a push of a button! ALL FOR FREE!

VideoLAN VLC Media Player:

VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols without external codec or program. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network.

VLC Media Player can play:

• MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 / DivX files from a hard disk, a CD-ROM drive, and so on
• DVDs, VCDs, and Audio CDs.
• From satellite cards (DVB-S).
• Network streams: UDP/RTP Unicast, UDP/RTP Multicast, HTTP, RTSP, MMS, etc.
• From acquisition or encoding cards (on GNU/Linux and Windows only).

Sumatra PDF Viewer:

Sumatra PDF is a slim, free, open-source PDF reader for Windows. Sumatra has a very minimalistic design and is no where NEAR the security risk that Adobe Reader can be. Simplicity has a higher priority than a lot of features with Sumatra. It's small, secure and starts up very fast.


Google's Picasa Picture Manager & Editor:
Picasa is software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures (even ones you forgot you had) and sorts them into visual albums organized by date with folder names you will recognize. You can drag and drop to arrange your albums and make labels to create new groups. Picasa makes sure your pictures are always organized. Picasa also makes advanced editing simple by putting one-click fixes and powerful effects at your fingertips. And Picasa makes it a snap to share your pictures, you can email, print photos home, make gift CDs, instantly share your images and albums, and even post pictures on your own blog.

 Now here are some basic instructions on how to use the security programs we recommended above!

1. Double click on a security program’s icon; MS Security Essentials, Spybot, MBAM, etc...
2. Locates the program’s “Update” button and update the software;
3. You may need to click ok a few times but this process takes only a minute to download and install updates on a high-speed internet connection.
4. Once the program has been updated, select “Scan Now” or “Check for Problems” and run a system scan.
5. If you are given the option to run Quick or Full scan; always run the Full scan. This process can take an hour to a couple of hours to complete and will slow down the computer if you decide to use the computer as it scans.
6. Once the program says it’s completed its scan, delete or quarantine any and all findings; if the malware can’t be removed, contact Pacific NorthWest Computers ASAP!

• Run full scans with theyour security software every 2 weeks if you can; at-least once a month. All the security software is 100% free but can also bee purchased. During updates, these programs may pop up an ad for a purchasable version of themselves. But don’t be alarmed! Just simply click an available “later” or “ok” button or just close the box with its upper right "X" button.

• Use CCleaner to help with the “junk file cleanup” that needs to be routinely cleared for security and performance purposes. To do this, just find and double click the CCleaner icon and then simply click “Run Cleaner”. When it says it’s completed, you’re all done!

• Use MyDefrag to help keep the files on your hard drive organized as well as help to keep your computer and hard drive running the best that it can! At least once a month run a "System Disk Monthly" de-fragmentation on your "C:\" drive. If you have external hard drives, you can run a "Data Disk Monthly" de-fragmentation on those drives as well to help maintain optimal read/write performance. Also, there area Daily and Weekly defragmentions you can run for both types of hard drives as well.