Network Speed Test
If you have Windows 8.1 or 10 this is a great (and free) app from Microsoft to test how fast your internet connection really is.
Quite often I hear from my clients that their High Speed Internet isn't really high speed since it's so slow to open web pages. Running this test will show your actual download and upload rate which you can then compare to what your internet provider says you should be getting. Sometimes web pages can load slow because your computer just might be slow or because the web site you are visiting is having some issues of their own. Before you call your internet provider run this test a few times and then you'll have some real ammunition if the number are off.
Download it from the Windows Store at:
Network Speed Test (https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9wzdncrfhx52)
Microsoft Office 2016 is Here
A new version of Microsoft Office is coming out today so don't be concerned if suddenly Word and Excel looks a little different.
Starting today Microsoft will start updating Office 2013 to Office 2016 if you have Office 365. This update is included with your annual Office 365 subscription so there will be no additional cost to you. The update will be rolled out slowly and everyone should have the new version by the end of the month.
If you can't wait for Office to be automatically updated you can request Office to immediately check for an update - view the short video below on to how to do this.
If you want to learn everything is there is to know about Office 2016 take a look at the official Microsoft Office website. There are also great tutorials on their site if you want to give yourself even more expertise with Office 2016.
Windows 10 Web Browsers - Edge or Internet Explorer
The most common confusion people have is with the new web browser called Microsoft Edge. This is set as the default web browser, but it is missing the favorites bar and it doesn't automatically carry over your favorites. I like it, but others are more comfortable with Internet Explorer or have specific needs for add-ons like LastPass, which I everyday. Therefore I have to use both Edge and Internet Explorer even though I prefer Edge. Fortunately support for add-ons will be added to Edge before the end of the year.
In the meantime, if you want to continue to use Internet Explorer instead of, or in addition to, Edge take a look at the video below to see how to set up Edge with the favorites bar and import favorites as well as how to add Internet Explorer to the taskbar.
Can't Save Items in Windows 10 - Solved!
While my installation of Windows 10 went flawlessly from Windows 8 I did encounter one problem today which would only cause issues for a small number of users. I have two hard drives (well, one hard drive that is partitioned to look like two). Drive C: and Drive D: I use drive D: to keep all my documents, OneDrive,pictures, etc. and my C: drive is just for programs. When I went to save something to my D: drive I was given an error message that I did not have permission to save anything to that drive. Yikes! I suppose something changed during the upgrade that caused the D drive to be off limits. After looking around and experimenting with a few things I found that it was a problem with how Windows gives permission for access to certain folders.
Basically I needed to remove all the Inherited rules for the Administrator and then add the Administrator back in with full access. This is all very difficult to explain but I did find a helpful YouTube video (see below) that explains it. Really it's only the first half of the video that need to watch in order to fix the problem.
This is all rather confusing, especially if you aren't familiar with how this all works but at least if you encounter the same problem I hope this helps.
Windows 10 Is Here!
Yes, Windows 10 has finally arrived and by all accounts it is something that should be installed. Usually when a new Windows comes out there is a lot of negativity, but in this case every tech review I've read so far has been impressed with Windows 10. I've been using it for about 6 months on an underpowered Windows 7 laptop and it's been performing great. I decided not to write a review since there are so many out there, but if you want to read a good in-depth review check out Paul Thurrott's Windows 10 Review.
Not everyone is going to be getting Windows 10 today since Microsoft is rolling it out over the next few weeks. Those who are most compatible will be getting it first. One question I've been getting a lot is, "How do I know when I can install Windows 10?". If you already clicked on the Window icon by your clock (bottom right of your screen) and pre-registered all you have to do is wait until you get a message saying your computer is ready (see the image below), then you are all set to go.
You're Good to Go!
Microsoft Rebrands Xbox Music to Groove
I've written about music streaming services in the past and my favorite has always been Xbox Music. Even though it's a great service and it's been around for years (no, Apple did not just invent music streaming) no one has heard of it or if they have they think that you need an Xbox to use it.
Microsoft officially announced today that it's renaming Xbox Music to Groove. Microsoft has also secured the domain GrooveMusic.com (which just takes you to a Microsoft page for Groove right now). For now the regular site music.xbox.com is still where you can stream music with your subscription. Now that they have solved the problem of confusion with owning an Xbox I hope that they now solve the problem of nobody knowing about this great service and do more to advertise it.
Which WiFi is better - 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz?
People who have a new Rogers WiFi modem or those who purchase their own WiFi router often see that they have a choice of connecting by 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Quite often this will show up on your WiFi choices as yournetwork-2G or yournetwork-5G. The most common thing to think would be that 5 is better than 2 so obviously you'd choose 5. Unfortunately it's not that easy. There are several advantages to both of these, but to make things simple here are two rules of thumb to decide which one to use:
2.4 GHz moves data slightly slower, but it reaches further so you get a better signal the further way you are
5.0 GHz moves more data faster, but does not reach as far as 2.4GHz
Basically, if you are just doing the regular web surfing and checking email then 2.4 GHz would be the best since you wouldn't notice any speed difference and you get the best range. If you are doing something very data intensive like streaming movies or music, downloading large files or playing games online then 5.0 GHz would be better, but you will have to be closer to your router to get the best results.
Not Everyone Will Get Windows 10 on July 29th
In a blog post on the Windows site today it was mentioned that Windows 10 will START to be released in waves on the 29th of July. It appears that those currently in the Insiders Preview (ie. Beta) program will receive the update first and then those who have already registered for the free upgrade. Even then it will start with those that are the most compatible to run Windows 10. Those who are less compatible will be delayed slightly until there is an update to make you more compatible or you'll be given a choice to find an alternative solution for your issue (replace hardware or software) or to hold off on the upgrade to Windows 10.
With over a billion computers eligible to be upgraded Microsoft looks to be making a wise decision to slowly roll out this major upgrade.
Xbox One Backwards Compatibility
For those who don't follow these types of things, today was the beginning of E3 - the biggest gaming conference of the year. Each year the big players make major announcements about their game and consoles. This morning was Microsoft's presentation. While there was the usual game announcements and some cool hardware previews (new Xbox One controller called the Elite and a great HoloLense demonstration), the biggest news was that the Xbox One will soon be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games.
When the Xbox One first came out the biggest complaints I read were that people were not going to spend another $500 for a new game console that they couldn't even play all their old games on. Some people have hundreds of games costing thousands of dollars so you could see their point. Today's announcement, while still not 100% clear, alleviates this problem. Not all games will be available to play right away when the update is released later this year, but more and more games should be added to the list of 360 games playable on the One.
The update for this is supposed to be out later this year and those, like myself, who are part of the Xbox One preview program some games should start working today. I'll post an update when and if any of my 360 games work on the One.
This is big news for the Xbox One and I'd be surprised if the Xbox 360 will be available this time next year if Microsoft has indeed cleared this major concern of Xbox gamers.
UPDATE: here is a list of the current backwards compatible titles - this should be updateto as games are added http://www.xbox.com/en-CA/xbox-one/backward-compatibility
How to manage passwords
Many of my clients complain about how many passwords they have or need for everything they need to do online. The two most common scenarios I run into are that the same password is being used for everything or they just don't remember the password at all since their web browser has it saved and it they just automatically log in. Neither of these scenarios are good! Having one password means that if someone gets it then they have access to all your accounts (although it does make my job easier sometimes) or you are locked into your one PC with all the passwords and you constantly have to reset your password if you forget it or get a new PC.
The best thing is to have a different password for every website. This can become complicated for people with a lot of passwords and usually leads to the paper notebook with various handwritten website names, usernames, and passwords of which most are out of date, indecipherable or just plain wrong.
I have, literally, hundreds of passwords for both myself and my clients. I needed a way to be able to quickly and safely access all my passwords. To do this I've used a combination of software (LastPass) and hardware (YubiKey). Please keep in mind that you can just use LastPass as a great password manager. I also use a YubiKey to add to the security, as I'll explain later.
The Last Password you'll ever need!
LastPass is my favourite password manager for two reasons - it can be accessed from any computer and it's very secure (as long as you have a secure password for it). First thing you have to do is set up a LastPass account - the usual username and password. Make sure you have a very secure password because, as the website says, this is the last password you'll need since it will store all your passwords in one place. Next you need to download the LastPass app to your computer and that installs itself to your web browser. Once you do, LastPass will ask for the username and password you set up. Next, if you have passwords stored on your web browser, it will ask if you want to import these - say yes! From now on LastPass will automatically fill in your username and password for all those sites you go to that ask for login details. Going forward, any new websites you set up accounts for LastPass will ask if you want to store that information.
In addition to this, LastPass can also generate passwords for you that are much more secure than anything you could dream up. For example - tz^Q2WKvh$Nc. This is not normally a password you or I would use since it's pretty much impossible to remember, but now that LastPass is managing the filling in of your passwords then it doesn't matter.
Another helpful feature is that LastPass will scan through all your passwords and give you rating as to how secure you are by finding the same passwords across your different accounts. This should inspire you to go and change your password at many websites.
Finally for a whopping $12 a year you can have access to the LastPass app on your phone. I use this as a way to look up passwords when I'm not on my own computer.
For myself, and many of my clients, LastPass has become indispensable.
As I mentioned above, LastPass can be used on it's own and it's a fantastic way to keep all your passwords organized and more secure. For myself I've added an extra layer of protection - something called a YubiKey from Yubico.
The YubiKey is a small, inexpensive ($31 CDN) device that plugs into any USB port and is universally recognized as keyboard so no installation is required. The YubiKey can be used many ways by those with high security needs, the simple way I use it is in conjunction with LastPass. When I log into LastPass I first log in with my username and password and then I'm asked to log in with my YubiKey. By pressing the gold circle (or on the smaller version touching the exposed end) it enters in a pre-configured 128-bit encrypted password that I'd previously registered with LastPass & Yubico. When using my smartphone I have another higher-end YubiKey that has an NFC chip built in so that when I log into LastPass from my phone it asks for my password and then it asks for my YubiKey which I just have to press up against the back of my phone.
With this second step of security someone could have access to my username and password, but they wouldn't be able to access my account without physically having my YubiKey to enter in that 128-bit encrypted password.
While nothing is 100% safe, with these two types of security I'm doing all I can to secure all my online information. And to be honest, who really cares that much about my information to try to break both my password and the 128-bit key on the YubiKey? But at least I'm doing all I can to keep my online presence secure and so can you by using just one of these security devices and not even spending a dime.
Let Google Help Choose Your Phone
One of the hardest parts about getting an Android/Google phone is that there are many, many, many choices out there. To help you decide Google has set up a questionnaire that will help you decide which phone is best for you and your needs. I took the survey and it was pretty accurate to what I currently have (the Nexus 5, which is no longer available so it wasn't a choice).
This is a US based survey so the last question will be the option to choose your carrier - obviously these carriers aren't in Canada, but you are given the option to skip this question.
Check it out at https://www.android.com/phones/whichphone/#/
Google Photos Free Backup Service
My biggest fear for my clients is any loss of information on their computers, especially photos. These days people are using their smartphones more and more as their main camera with little or no backup of these important files. Ideally these should be backed up on a very regular basis in case of loss of device, accidental deletion or, if saved to your PC, hard drive failure. There are many ways to do this - save to DVD, USB stick and external hard drive. These are all great, but they are are also susceptible to failure and they require you to consciously make the effort to back them up. I highly recommend a paid-for online service to back up all your data (photos, files, etc.) using something like Carbonite.com but if you just want to make sure your photos are saved you can use free services such as Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, or Google Photos.
Microsoft OneDrive: this is a great solution since it's one of the few services that will work across all computer and smartphone platforms (iOS, Windows Phone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows, Mac OSX). You receive 15GB for free and another 15GB if you use your smartphone to backup your photos for a total of 30GB. If you purchase Office 365 you get unlimited storage for all your files.
iCloud: this is the most limited since it doesn't work on all platforms and you only get 5GB free.
Google Photos: recently Google announced that it was offering free unlimited storage for all your photos up to 16MB in size, which is much less than what most people are taking pictures with on their smartphones or even point-and-shoot cameras. Google Photos will work with Android and iOS smartphones by downloading the app from the respective app stores and with PC's by using the desktop app.
With all these services you are not only backing up all your photos you are also able to access all your photos from your devices - desktop and/or PC.
Regardless of what, if any, backup service you currently use I would recommend that you also use Google Photos to back up your photos. It doesn't cost you anything and it even if you use another online service it never hurts to have another backup of all your precious memories. Personally, I am now using Carbonite, Microsoft OneDrive and Google Photos.
Windows 10 Arrives July 29th, 2015
Microsoft has officially announced the release date for Windows 10 - July 29th, 2015. Users of Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. This offer expires in one year (July 2016).
To read all about Windows 10 you can go to the official Windows Blog announcement.
In order for you to get your free copy you first have to register to receive it. This will be done by a notification in your task bar (bottom left of your screen by the clock). Just click on the icon, click on Reserve your free upgrade, and fill in your email address. When Windows 10 is released you will be notified via email and your computer will be ready for the installation of the update. See the pictures below.
Windows 10 Just to be Windows?
Last week at a the Microsoft Ignite conference there was more talk that the upcoming Windows 10 (due this summer) would be the last Windows. This doesn't mean there won't be any more Windows, but that Windows will be continuously updated and improved instead of the current practice of releasing a new Windows every three years. With this policy change there will no longer be a need for a numbering system - it will just be Windows.
Another reason for a naming change like this would be that Windows 10 is not just for computers. The same software will also run on Smartphones, tablets, and Microsoft's Xbox so there would be no reason to have to differentiate between Windows for PC, Windows for phone, etc.
I'm looking forward to the day when I no longer have to ask "Which version of Windows are you using?" and everything and everyone one is just on Windows.
Twitch.tv May Have Been Hacked
Twitch has done the right thing by disabling all current login passwords and have disconnected any linked Youtube or Twitter accounts. You can see their announcement at http://blog.twitch.tv/.
The bigger problem is if you are one of those people that use the same username and password for multiple accounts. Those people need to change all their passwords for those accounts as well just in case the perpetrators try accessing your other accounts.
Once again I encourage everyone to start using unique passwords and a password manager like LastPass.com. For more details regarding online security check out my "Apple Hacked? Change Your Password!" post.
FYI, I have a Twitch account and thankfully I followed my own advice and used a unique password like "&V^A2FgE".
Most Under Rated Music Service - Xbox Music
While there are many streaming services (Spotify, Rdio, Google Music, etc - Apple still hasn't released a streaming service.) the one I always felt was the most under rated is Microsoft's Xbox Music Pass. Contrary to it's name you do not need to have an Xbox to subscribe to Xbox Music. In fact Xbox music will work on any device - PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, Android phones and, of course, an Xbox console. For $10 a month or $100 a year you get access to millions of songs that you can stream or even download to your mobile device. Quite often before a long road trip I'll create a playlist on my phone and then download all the tracks so I'm not sucking up valuable mobile bandwidth on the road.
Just yesterday Xbox released a new feature where you can sync your entire music catalog (up to 50,000 tracks) to Microsoft's OneDrive which will then sync with Xbox Music. This is regardless of whether you have a subscription or not. If you already have a subscription you can fill some holes that may exist in the Xbox Music catalog (ie. The Beatles). For those of you who may already have an extensive catalog or don't want to shell out the monthly fee this new service now means you can upload all your songs to your OneDrive Music folder and you will have access to your collection from every device you have. For those of you who don't already know, OneDrive is Microsoft's free online storage service (check out my previous blog post here for more details). OneDrive normally has 15GB free, but when you get Music Pass that is increased by 100GB for free. For more details you can visit the Microsoft Page on this.
I have subscribed to Xbox Music for years and use it almost everyday. It's an under rated service you should check out.
Rogers Shomi Extending Free Service Term
"You were one of the first to try shomi, and to say thanks, we're giving you 2 more years! Keep on streaming the hottest binge-worthy TV shows and all the can't-miss movies you want, anytime, anywhere on any device. Your current Rogers internet plan includes a subscription to shomi through March 31, 2017"
Windows 10 Coming This Summer
Microsoft announced yesterday that Windows 10, which was due to be released in the fall, is now going to be released this summer. Remember, Windows 10 is a free upgrade for all current Windows 7 and 8.1 users during the first year of release. You can read the entire press release here.
Microsoft Office Now Free for Most Canadian Students
Ransomware - How to Protect Yourself
To avoid this there are two things that can be done - safe computing practices and backing up your files.
Safe Computing Practices
I've written about tips on safe computing practices previously and these can help you avoid the possibility of getting this nasty piece of malware, but to summarize here are a few quick tips:- don't open suspicious emails
- be careful where you surf
- make sure you have an up-to-date anti-virus. I use the free, and very good, Microsoft Security Essentials. This is built into Windows 8 as Windows Defender
- an anti-malware program like Malwarebytes can add another layer of safety
- most importantly, and what I suspect the people in the CBC story were doing, do not download illegal files (movies, music, books). If something that normally costs money and you can get it for free then the risk of it being infected greatly increases - nothing is free! This is how the criminals make their money - pull you in with something free and then reap the rewards when their free file gets your computer infected.
Backing Up Your Files
Even if you are doing all the safe computing practices there is no guarantee that you won't get infected. The most important thing you can do is back up your files. There are two backup methods: 1. external hard drive or USB drive, and; 2. Cloud backup.External Drive
Cloud Backup
In regards to Ransomware hitting you the same problem that exists with external hard drives exists with cloud backup - your encrypted, and now useless, files are backed up. The other problem is that unless you have the time disconnect your internet and turn off your cloud backup there is no way to stop the encrypted files from being backed up. Fortunately, with online backup there is a work around for this - Version History. Version history is a feature that keeps many previous saved versions of your files. The examples below show how, with OneDrive, you can access your version history by right-clicking on your file.
It may be a time consuming task, but at least with Version History you could restore all your files by choosing to restore not the current version (which would be encrypted) but the previous version which would not be encrypted. I had hoped that Carbonite offered a solution where you could simply do a complete backup from a previous day or two. I've written them to ask if this is possible and will update this post when I hear back (see update below).
Conclusion
UPDATE: I have heard back from Carbonite with good news!
"Although we don't have a way to do a blanket restore of all files from a specific time period you can restore previous versions of individual files. If you are ever hit with a CryptoLocker virus then we do have a tool available that will purge any encrypted files from your back up so you will be in luck with Carbonite."
So with Carbonite you can contact them directly and they have a tool on their end that will fix the problem. Another reason to use Carbonite.