Issue 13

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.

Yes, we are a day late getting this week's issue out to you. Why? We've hired a new employee and took time to get him started. We hope you will all have a chance to meet him soon. Until then we will leave you with this week's issue.

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.

If you have suggestions about topics you are interested in or would like more information on any of the articles presented in our newsletters you can fill out our Content Request form to let us know what you would like to know.

Reply to this email to let us know what you liked. Please forward this newsletter to anyone who needs this information.

The best thank you that you can give us is by sending us referrals. It means so much to receive a referral. We look forward to having you with us every week! Let's POST and get started with this issue.

Cyber Security

How to Find Out if Your Password Has Been Stolen

Image from PCMag

Data breaches have become a regular occurrence. How do you know if your passwords, data, accounts, etc. have been compromised? You need to be monitoring your accounts and your information. There are many ways to do this. Use a password manager that will notify you about compromised accounts. Sign up for dark web monitoring and ID protection. This linked article has links to several useful resources to check/monitor your accounts as well as information on what to do if you've been hacked.

If you need help with finding a service to monitor your information please reach out and we will be happy to help.

Microsoft

Microsoft's 'Find My Device' is the PC management tool you didn't know you needed

Image from PCWorld

Many users are familiar with the find my device features for mobile phone. Did you know there is a similar feature for your Windows PCs and associated devices? There is and it can do more than just locate your device. We highly recommend taking advantage of this feature and setting it up if you have not done so. This article will give you information on the feature and what it can do.

If you need any assistance with the Find My Device feature please reach out and we will be happy to help.

What is a PC? PC stands for Personal Computer and can refer to a desktop or laptop computer.

Windows

Windows 10 printer glitches: Microsoft issues second out-of-band patch

We previously reported on the Windows update that caused printing issues for some Windows users. This article is an update on that issue. If you were affected by this update Microsoft released another patch for your system. Please ensure your install the patch via Windows Update on your system. Please reach out if you need any help with the patch or updates.

Windows 10 is getting new File Explorer icons as part of a visual overhaul

Image from The Verge

As promised here is another update about the upcoming Windows 10 visual overhaul. We are now getting a look at the changes to some of the File Explorer icons. We will continue to provide updates as they are released.

Tips & Tricks

Make Sure Your Browser's Read-It-Later Tool Isn't Oversharing

Image from Lifehacker

Are you using your browser's read it later feature? If you are and you are also wanting to ensure your saved links are private then you need to review the feature's settings to ensure your saved links aren't actually being publicly shared. You should also review any service before using to see how it handles your data. While this may not necessarily be a serious issue it could be depending on the nature of the content you are saving. Always be aware of how your information is handled and stored. Make a habit of reviewing privacy settings for any app or service you use.

If you have concerns with the privacy settings of your various apps and services or need help to manage the settings we can help. We offer ongoing privacy checks as part of our Managed Services plan.

How to Silence a Noisy Laptop Fan: 7 Things You Can Do

Image from MUO

It is very common for laptop fans to become loud every once in a while. There is not a lot of airflow inside laptops do to the confined space. This lack of space and limited airflow will cause many of the components to get warm. When the components begin to get too warm the fan will turn on or work harder (why it can get louder) to keeps things relatively cool. There could be other reasons why the fan gets loud. Check out the linked article for information on how to address many of these situations. If you need any help please reach out and we will be glad to assist.

How to Find Your Local and External IP Address

Image from Lifehacker

What is an IP Address? Here is a definition from TechTerms.

What is it important to know this information? An IP address is how one device can connect to and communicate with another on a network. Say you need to connect a printer to your computer over the network so you can print. You will need to know the printer's IP address in order to establish a connection. Many times when you are working with a tech on a support call they may ask for your computer's IP address so they can remote in and help troubleshoot your issue.

The local IP address is the address assigned on your local network and the external IP address is essentially your public address. Check out the linked article for more information.

How to Flush Your DNS Cache

Image from PCMag

What is DNS? Here is a definition from TechTerms.

What is Cache? Here is a definition from TechTerms.

When you type a website into your address bar—like PCMag.com—your computer doesn't actually know where to go on its own. Instead, it looks that address up on a Domain Name System (DNS) server, which matches it with an IP address for your computer to visit.

Think of it like looking up a number or address in a phone book. There may be times when the information changed and you need to update this stored information. This is when you will flush the DNS Cache. Check out the linked article for information on flushing the cache.

Useful Information

Glitterbomb Trap Catches Phone Scammer

This video details how a device originally designed to catch package thieves ended up helping to expose a phone scam. This scam was getting people to pull out cash from their bank account and then ship it to the scammers. This is an eye opening video and I recommend taking the 23 minutes to watch it. This video provides great insight into how these scams work. I hope you will take away something from this video and will be able to recognize a similar situation if you or someone you know ends up in one. We sincerely hope this never happens to you but it is important to be aware and prepared.

FAQ of the Week

How to Partition a Hard Drive

Image from PCMag

Each week we will address a frequently asked question. This week we are looking at how to partition a hard drive.

What is a partition. Here is a definition from TechTerms.

Why would you want to partition your hard drive? There are many reasons why. You could need a recovery partition to restore the system if it becomes corrupted or needs a refresh. You may want a place to backup files. You may also need to do this because your computer only has one drive and you are unable to add a second drive to it. Check out the linked article for instruction on how to partition the drive. If you need help we are available to assist, please reach out.