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!

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

Data Privacy & Data Security In Today's Digital Age

How to Become as "Invisible" as Possible In Today's Cyberage

I have been getting a lot more questions from customers lately with regard to online data privacy and data security.
"How can I keep my online accounts more secure?"
"I would like to surf the internet as anonymously and as privately as possible. How can I do that?
"I found some personal information online, and would like it removed! How do I do that?"

So I decided to write a post covering the basics of online privacy, how to improve your safety and security when online, and how to get personal data removed from the internet (if at all possible).

Had a Data Breach or Experienced a Computer/Network Hack or Attack?! Here's What To Do!

What To Do If You Have a Data Breach or Experience a Computer/Network Hack or Attack!

Despite your efforts to control access, track assets and create secure procedures for your network, online accounts, and computer systems. Data breaches, Server Attacks, Network Attacks, Account Hi-Jacks, you name it! It can happen, and it does happen. Knowing what to do if you suspect or actually have a problem can make the difference between a minor inconvenience, and a disaster that interrupts your ability to do business! The following steps can help you recover after a breach or hacking incident. The faster you can recover, the sooner you can get back to business!

Enable Modern Authentication for Office 2013 & Outlook 2013(On PC)

Enable Modern Authentication for Outlook 2013

A common problem that I have been coming across lately is that since Microsoft increased the security for their Office 365 email services back in August 2022, I have been getting a lot of customers whose Outlook 2013 software will consistently ask for (but will not accept) the user's email account password. This problem is due to the fact that even though Office 2013 does support Modern Authentication, it's actually OFF by default!
Well, I finally found Windows registry modification instructions direct from Microsoft that ACTUALLY work! Applying these Registry modifications to your computer will activate Modern Authentication for your Office and Outlook 2013 software!
You will need to make some registry modifications, however... So back up your system's Registry information BEFORE making ANY modifications! 

Proceed at your own risk!

Method #1

Microsoft Office 2013 installed on a Microsoft Windows computer, does support Modern Authentication. But it needs to be enabled; as it is turned off by default! It was a more advanced security feature that was not as widely used at the time. 

To turn on the Modern Authentication feature, you will need to configure the following registry keys:

1. Open "Registry Editor"
2. Navigate to the Registry Keys below.
3. Create a new "DWORD (32bit Value)" for each entry listed below.
4. After creating each new "DWORD (32bit Value)", double-click the "DWORD" entry you just created and change its "Value" to 1.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Exchange\
Key Type: DWORD (32bit Value)
Value Name: AlwaysUseMSOAuthForAutoDiscover
Value: 1

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common\Identity\
Key Type: DWORD (32bit Value)
Value Name: EnableADAL
Value: 1 

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common\Identity\
Key Type: DWORD (32bit Value)
Value Name: Version
Value: 1

Method #2

1. Make sure that Outlook and any other Office software applications are closed.
2. Open up the "Notepad" application; specifically Notepad! Do not use Word or Wordpad, etc.
3. Copy and paste the following text into Notepad:
   
   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   
   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Exchange] "AlwaysUseMSOAuthForAutoDiscover"=dword:00000001
   
   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common]
    
   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common\Identity] "EnableADAL"=dword:00000001
   "Version"=dword:00000001
   
   
4. Save the file with the file extension ".reg" instead of ".txt" in a location that's easy for you to find. For example, C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Desktop\Office2013_Enable_ModernAuth.reg.
5. Open File Explorer (formerly known as Windows Explorer), browse to the location of the ".reg" file you just saved, and then double-click it.
6. In the User Account Control dialog that appears next, click Yes to allow the app to make changes to your device.
7. In the Registry Editor warning dialog that appears next, click Yes to accept the changes.
8. Next, you will need to sign out of your user account and sign back in for the change to take effect. You may even want to just restart your computer.

That's it! 
The next time you open Outlook, you should get the modern authentication login pop-up where you can enter your email account login information, and your Outlook email should work again!

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

Taken from:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/security-and-compliance/enable-modern-authentication?view=o365-worldwide

Recommended PC Apps, Programs, Tools & Utilities! *UPDATED*

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

We will update this list as much as possible! 

Get Cash Back On Spending & Increase Your Credit Score!

Here are a few tips to help put some of your hard-earned money back into your bank account and wallet, and ALSO increase your Credit Scores!

1. I highly recommend using the website NerdWallet to find good credit cards, banks, loans, retirement plan ideas, etc. I have been using this website for YEARS and is such an excellent resource to better spend AND save your money!
   
   
2. Use cash back store cards for companies like the Amazon Store Card. It's not a full fledge credit card, so you can ONLY use it at that specified retailer. With Amazon specifically, you will get 5% back on all that you spend/buy (this does not apply to financed purchases, however). It's an over-glorified version of the espresso stand punch card. I typically get around $1000 back every year just by funneling payments through store cards like this!
   
   
3. If you drive a lot, go out to eat a lot, etc. Get a credit card that gives you cash back on those purchases. I personally love my Costco Visa card as you get cash back on Gas, Food, Costco Purchases, and a lot more. Another example, I have an American Express card that I use just for my cell phone bill and also gas, because I get 5% cash back on those payments through Amex as well. With Costco, I get around $500 back every year; with Amex about $100.
   
   
4. If you have money saved and just sitting in a regular old bank savings account, think of putting that into a ROTH IRA or a Certified Deposit; or even a high-interest (and thusly high balance) savings account. Something where your money can sit AND earn interest as it just sits; there are other options as well. But the premise is to earn money as your savings just sit. *Roth IRAs are complicated but you can typically remove what you have personally invested without penalty.
   
   
5. People with credit scores in the 800s use less than 5% of their available credit. So if you had a $8,000 credit line, you use only $400 at a time. While people with scores from 701 to 750 have 27% credit utilization. So don't go maxing out your cards!! Responsible purchasing, on-time bill payments, and low credit usage will get your scores up FAST and HIGH!
   
   
6. If you create an account with each of the Major Credit Bureaus, they sometimes have a "spending scanner" available on the user's account page. This "spending scanner" can scan your bank accounts for purchases that can be applied to your credit score! I jumped my score through Experian by 10 points just by using their "purchase history spending scanner"! But, only do this if you feel comfortable letting these companies access and scan your bank accounts... Is a Better Credit Score Worth Exposing Your Bank Data?
   
   
7. Lastly, and MOST importantly, set up weekly automatic bill pay through your bank or through your card account for any/all of the cards that you have set up. That way you don't get hit with a big ol' bill at the end of the month, or accidentally spend more than you have.

These are just a few tricks that I use to better spend and save my money, and I just wanted to share some of what I have learned. Hopefully, it's not a bunch of "I already know that" kind of stuff...
Hopefully, you found at least 1 thing useful from this post  

Feel free to comment/share any other tips and tricks you might have!

IT Advocacy Services - We Can Be Your Technology Advocate!

What Is an IT Advocate?

An IT advocate is an individual who supports and advises clients with their IT product/service needs, as well as any other technology-related needs. Not everyone has, needs, or can afford a CTO or a dedicated System Administrator to help with, and represent, their business. But now, you can hire Pacific Northwest Computers to represent your company in those roles, if and when that need ever arises! 

The IT Advocating Services that Pacific Northwest Computers Provides, Include:

• Liaison Responsibilities

• Investigate, Document & Resolve Product or Service Issues With Vendors/Providers

• Refer & Consult Clients on Recommended & Needed Technology Products/Services

• Conflict Resolution & Mediation with Vendors/Suppliers/Etc.

• Crisis Management & Crisis Prevention/Response

• Malware Attack Investigation, Documentation & System Improvements

• Data Breach Investigation, Documentation & System Improvements

• Data Loss Disaster Assistance, Policy Development & Data Loss Prevention System Development

• Information Technology Professional Witness for Legal/Court Cases

• Help Set Up Appointments for Needed Services or Support From Vendors/Providers

• Warranty Exchange/RMA Support

• Termination of Service(s) Support (Software Vendors, Services, Etc)

• General IT/Technical Advising

• HIPPA Consultation

• Technical Documentation Services

• Reading & Understanding Technical Documentation 

• Reading & Understanding Service/Setup Material & Instructions

• Implementing Needed Technical Procedures for Products & Services

• "On-Demand" IT Administrator/CTO Services: 

• Develop policies and procedures

• Recommend the use of technology to enhance products and services for a client's internal operations, as well as their customer's experience.

Jon Pienkowski

Pacific Northwest Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

360.624.7379

Xbox Elite and PS4 Controller PC Gaming Issue - Keyboard Keeps Popping Up!

When gaming on a PC with a Xbox, Xbox Elite, or PS4 controller, a virtual keyboard opens when pressing the left stick!

A virtual keyboard that pops up when clicking the left stick on an Xbox controller (or even a Playstation Controller), is specifically related to a Steam App gaming feature called "Big Picture Mode".  Somehow this feature can get triggered outside of Steam if it just happens to be running in the background, and it can affect other controllers/games as well.

Here is how to fix the issue!

1. Go into "Settings" in the Steam App
2. Click on "Controller" near the bottom
3. Next, you want to click on, and open, "Desktop Configuration" settings
4. When the settings window opens, you will see the left stick has the "Show Keyboard" setting mapped to it
5. Click where it says "Show Keyboard" in the Left Thumbstick mappings list
6. At the bottom of the mapping window that opens up, click where it says "Remove"
7. Then close the "Desktop Configuration" settings window
8. Close out of settings all together
9. That should remove the problem permanently for you!

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

Microsoft Surface Random "Kernel Power" Shutdown

Microsoft Surface & Surface Pro
"Kernel Power" Shut Down Bug

Here are a few ways you can fix the random "Kernel Power" shutdown issue that some Microsoft Surface and Surface Pro systems can have. 
The issue seems to be tied to the Intel Graphics/Display driver and/or the associated Intel Graphics Command Center software settings.

Option 1: Update the display drivers to the latest version (from Intel, not Microsoft):

• Download and install the latest display drivers from Intel:
  https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19344/intel-graphics-windows-dch-drivers.html

Option 2: Disable the "Panel Self Refresh" option in the Intel Graphics Command Center:

• Install the Intel Graphics Command Center from the Microsoft Store. 
• Open up the Intel Graphics Command Center software after it has been installed
• Go to System > Power and look for "Panel Self Refresh"
• Turn it off for both "On Battery" and "Plugged In"

Option 3: Change the display drivers to the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter:

• Open the Device Manager.
• Expand "Display Adapters".
• Right-click on "Intel(R) Iris(R) Plus Graphics" and select "Update driver".
• Choose "Browse my computer for driver software".
• Choose "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer".
• Select "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter" and click Next to install the drivers.

 

Option 4: Remove "Modern Standby" features and create a new (non-balanced) power plan:

• Open the Registry Editor and navigate to: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power".
• Change the "CsEnabled" value from '1' to '0'. 
• Click OK and restart the Surface Pro.
• If you do not see the "CsEnabled" subkey, create it by right-clicking on "Power", selecting "New", and then click "DWORD (32-bit) Value" and typing "CsEnabled" as the value name, and then press Enter.
• Now you should be able to change the "CsEnabled" value from '1' to '0'. 
• Click OK and restart the Surface Pro!

One or all of these tricks might be needed to correct the Kernel Power shutdown bug. But I have gotten the problem fixed for clients by using one, or all, of the tricks listed above!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific Northwest Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers
360-624-7379

Fix the "Virus Scan Failed" download error in Google Chrome, and the "Couldn't Download Virus Scan Failed" error in Microsoft Edge

1. Locate the following registry subkeys:
   \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments
2. If you do not see the "Attachments" subkey, create it by right-clicking on "Policies", selecting "New", then clicking "Key", and then typing "Attachments" as the key name.
3. Right-click "Attachments", select "New", and then click "DWORD (32-bit) Value".
4. Type "ScanWithAntiVirus" as the value name, and then press Enter.
5. Right-click the new "ScanWithAntiVirus" DWORD value, and then click "Modify".
6. In the "Value data" box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Exit the Registry Editor.
8. Restart your computer, and then log back into Windows to have the registry change take effect!

The download error(s) should be now resolved in both Google Chrome and Microsft Edge!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific Northwest Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com
www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers
360-624-7379