Issue 11

POST

Welcome to POST by ResTech Solutions

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Every week we will bring you new content covering recent events and news related to technology, Microsoft, Apple, Google, tips & tricks, useful information, and more! To read the full articles in our newsletters you can either click on the image or article headline. We've had a great response each week to our newsletter and we've been hard at work to bring you even more great information this week. Please let us know what you've enjoyed thus far about our newsletter. To see past issues click on the archives link above.

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Why the name POST? In the world of computers POST stands for Power On Self Test. This is the action computers take when they are first powered on to check their basic functionality prior to loading the operating system. We decided to take this same concept and to provide you with useful technology information at the beginning of your week to help get you started. POST is also a term associated with news as well and we felt this was an appropriate and fitting name.

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News

The Latest Windows Update Is Causing Some PCs to Crash

Image from MUO

Have you recently been having printing issues? Your recent issues may be related to a recent update pushed out by Microsoft. Check out the linked article for more information on this specific update, what is affected, and how to remove it.

Some may ask how you can prevent the problematic updates from getting installed in the first place. In short we may not know how an update will react once it is released to the public regardless of how much internal testing Microsoft has performed. There are too many variables to test for and some, like this, may be unexpected. Even though there is always the potential for these issues it is still best to allow updates to be installed when they are released. Many times these updates contain important security updates to help keep your system secure and to patch discovered flaws.

If you have any questions or need assistance with this update please reach out and we will be happy to help.

Four new hacking groups have joined an ongoing offensive against Microsoft’s email servers

Image from MIT Technology Review

A new hack involving Microsoft was recently discovered. This time Microsoft's email servers are the targets of the attack. This opens up a big hole for businesses that use these email servers.

When these issues are discovered a security patch is developed and released. This is why it is critical that all businesses keep up to data with system updates. This is also another wake up call to be ever vigilant and have network monitoring. Once a hacker gets into a system they nearly always spread out over the network to get into other systems and access more data.

Please be aware at all times as to what is occurring in the cyber space. Smaller businesses and organizations may not be high value targets but they are ultimately the most vulnerable.

Cyber Security

The 8 Most Common Tricks Used to Hack Passwords

Image from MUO

There are many ways a password can be compromised and these are listed out in the linked article. So how do you protect yourself and your passwords? There are a few ways to do this and the best is using a combination of the following:

Educate yourself on these methods and how to defend against them
Create a unique password for every account/login you use
Make every password a complex password and use multiple symbols
Use a password manager to help keep track of your passwords so they are not written down where someone could easily get them
Use multifactor authentication where it is available

If you need any assistance with managing your passwords please reach out and we will be happy to help.

Move over, SolarWinds: 30,000 orgs’ email hacked via Microsoft Exchange Server flaws

Image from The Verge

This article contains more information about the attack on Microsoft Exchange servers. We have a related article in the news section of this week's newsletter.

The good news is if your business is using Exchange Online, such as Microsoft 365, then you were not affected. This exploit is only on self-hosted servers running Exchange Server 2013, 2016, or 2019. Please ensure you are regularly running and applying updates to all your systems. If you are running a self-hosted instance of Microsoft's Exchange Server then you should also consider checking your whole network as a precaution, especially if you believe your server was compromised.

Please reach out if you need any assistance.

Microsoft: We've found three more pieces of malware used by the SolarWinds attackers

Check out the linked article for additional information related to the SolarWinds attack.

Windows

5 Windows PC Maintenance Mistakes That Can Break Your Computer

Image from MUO

Just like your car your Windows PC needs regular maintenance to keep it working at its best. It is also important to know how far to go and when to stop in order to prevent damage to your system. We've previously covered how to clean and maintain your system. This article covers some of the things that, if done, can potentially cause harm or even destroy your system.

Some of these items get into more advanced maintenance tasks and if you need to make modifications, such as in the system registry, they should be done with caution.

Apple

Don't buy these Apple products: March 2021 edition

Image from Apple

If you are in the market for some new Apple hardware then check out this article for current recommendations on current hardware and the potential for forthcoming upgrades. Apple regularly releases new hardware on an annual basis but not all products are updated on an annual basis.

Now that Apple is making its own processors for its computers we can reasonably expect many of these systems to get upgraded. It may be best to wait until the second generation of these new processors, likely to be called M2. The current generation is called M1.

Other items such as the Homepod has been discontinued. The Homepod has been phased out as Apple is now focusing solely on the Homepod mini.

As a reminder always do some research before buying to know if there are any forthcoming changes that may be worth waiting for. Maybe you may want the newer model or want to wait for the current model to drop in price.

Google

12 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do in Google Chrome

Image from Google

Are you a regular user of Google Chrome? Do you know many of Chrome's useful features? Whether you are a regular user of Chrome or not there is a good chance Chrome has some tricks up its sleeves you will find very useful. This linked article is just scratching the surface of Chrome's features but these may be some of the most useful features currently available.

Chrome 89 Is Faster and Uses Less Memory

Image from PCMag

Chrome 89 is addressing two of the bigger issues with Chrome: Speed and Memory usage. We've known for a while, and we covered and a previous issue, that Chrome can use up a lot of your system's memory. With Chrome 89 you should see an improvement due to Chrome's reduced memory usage. Chrome should update automatically and you may see a prompt to relaunch to apply the update if Chrome was open when the update was downloaded.

5G/Internet/Wi-Fi

Why Are Carriers Telling Us to Turn Off 5G?

Image from PCMag

If you are having performance issues with 5G and your phone's battery there may be more to it than you realize. 5G today is still in its infancy and is essentially 1st generation tech. There are inefficiencies and older technologies still in use.

Performance will improve as the network infrastructure and protocols for 5G are improved along with the modems used in the phones. Until then you may still have a better experience over 4G/LTE.

FAQ of the Week

Why Is My PC Always Trying to Open a File When It Boots?

Image from Lifehacker

Each week we will address a frequently asked question. This week we are looking at why files or applications may be loading when a computer boots.

Many applications will try to run when the computer boots. These applications usually apply this setting when they are installed and sometimes there is not an option to disable this during install and sometimes not at all. Other applications have an option in their settings to disable this behavior.

Why would you want something to load when the computer first boots? It could be an application you use frequently and want it to be ready to go. It could also be something necessary like your anti-virus protection.

Sometimes programs will add themselves to this list when it is not necessary or they are making the boot process take longer and need to be removed. There is usually a way to control what runs at startup or remove what is in the startup list. Check out the linked article for information on how to manage the startup items on your PC.