Category Archives: Computer Questions and Answers

Questions and answers on a broad range of computer related topics

New ‘NetFlix’ phishing scam

Posted on March 4, 2014 by quill

There is another variation on the bank account phishing scam – this time targetting NetFlix customers and with the potential for a lot of harm. A pop up screen or email claiming that your Netflix account has been suspended, with … Continue reading →

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Can I build a gaming computer for under $1000 (Feb. 2014 edition)

Posted on February 21, 2014 by quill

Feb. 2014 An exercise in budget computing is to build a computer that will give acceptable gaming performance for under $1000.  In the past year we have seen hard drive prices skyrocket, then come back down to near normal pricing, … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I add memory to an Apple Mac Pro tower?

Posted on January 27, 2014 by quill

There are three main generations of Mac Pro machines, each generation has particular RAM types and installation procedures The models from 2006 to early 2008 use FB-DIMMs with large heatsinks in 667 MHz and 800 MHz. These models have two … Continue reading →

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Don’t Click on the Fake Java Updater

Posted on December 17, 2013 by quill

It’s rearing its ugly head again – the fake Java Update sites are salting reputable websites with poisoned banner ads, which take you to a “Update your Java now” message. These pop up even if your Google Chrome settings are … Continue reading →

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Don’t fall for a parasite – watch your installers

Posted on May 3, 2013 by quill

Parasites … nobody wants them. But you almost certainly have at least one, in your computer.  Did you ever wonder how a Ask, Yahoo, AVG or other browser search toolbar suddenly appeared on your computer screen? Or why instead of … Continue reading →

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Q. Can I upgrade the CPU processor in my Desktop machine?

Posted on April 30, 2013 by quill

Maybe. And sometimes No. The first thing to know is what CPU socket your motherboard has.  You cannot put an Intel chip in an AMD socket or vice versa.  And within the processor brands, you have to exactly match the … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I remove Visual Bee or Conduit from my browser?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by quill

VisualBee or VB or Conduit Search are search “aids” for web browsers and a toolbar; but you should avoid these.  They are rogue search engine redirectors that are included with downloads of various shareware installers (you have to be careful … Continue reading →

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Zero Day Java Exploit – Disable Java Now

Posted on January 12, 2013 by quill

There is yet another series of malware out which exploits holes in the Oracle (Sun) Java language, including the most recent version (Java 7 Update 10) as of Jan 12 2013. Disable Java in your Web browser now. After the … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I get rid of ib.adnxs.com

Posted on October 13, 2012 by quill

ib.adnxs is browser redirect malware that installs into your browser, and sends your web searches to different sites instead of where you want to go. It will persistently popup its own addresses in your browser.  It will change your home … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I remove Scour Search from my browser?

Posted on October 3, 2012 by quill

Scour is a search “aid” for web browsers and a toolbar; it is a rogue search engine redirector that is included with downloads of various shareware installers (you know, the ones you have to be careful enough to unclick the “Install … Continue reading →

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Q. Can I get a good gaming laptop? For under $700?

Posted on September 19, 2012 by quill

First things first.  There is no such thing as a real gaming laptop – not if you mean a laptop machine that is portable, battery powered, and has game performance comparable to a desktop machine with a good graphic card … Continue reading →

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Q. Will my computer run games on the highest settings?

Posted on September 19, 2012 by quill

The answer is, it depends. It depends on the graphic card:  Gaming is 90% about the performance of the video card (GPU). As long as you have adequate RAM and a reasonably modern CPU, then the video card Graphic Processing … Continue reading →

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Q. What is Ethernet CAT5 cable?

Posted on September 7, 2012 by quill

Ethernet is the most popular standard for transmitting network signals from one computer to another. Ethernet can be carried on a variety of different media Cable types: Coaxial (10Base5) “thick” or “thinnet (10Base2)” which are largely obsolete, optical fiber, power line, … Continue reading →

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Q. Where can I get free TV shows and movies?

Posted on September 3, 2012 by quill

First, a word about copyright. Unless they are offered for free by the copyright holders, downloading commercial movies, music or programs for free is not legal. You can get TV free at lots of places on the Internet. First, check … Continue reading →

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Q. I am getting a FBI notice on my screen saying I have to pay?

Posted on August 30, 2012 by quill

This is a bogus FBI (or other organization) “ransomware” scam, which tries to scare you into paying a “fine” because they have allegedly done something illegal on their computer. If you don’t pay, the virus then locks your machine so … Continue reading →

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