What's New Exciting Changes for 2014 (Please Read)- We are making some significant changes in 2014.  All of the details are on our website here. Closed for Christmas - We will be closing at noon on 24 December 2013 for Christmas and New Year and will not reopen until 2 January 2014.  We will be available for emergency support only during this time. Stay up-to-date with our Facebook Page, Support Center and email list-  Like us on Facebook, bookmark the Support Center and join the mailing list (the subscribe link is at the top left) to get near-real-time updates on the latest in technology.  If you haven't been getting our monthly emails (if this is the first that you got in a while), take a moment to re-subscribe to our mailing list. Buyer Beware, scammers will be out…

We've mentioned it time and again before, but Microsoft is officially killing off Windows XP (and a slew of other older products) on 8 April of 2014.  There are plenty of details in the earlier article here if you're interested.  This article though is for the folks that have Windows XP on good hardware and they don't want to replace their current computer and they don't want to pony up for an upgrade to Windows 7 (or Windows 8).  If this is you, grab a cup of coffe and let's talk a little about penguins.   Linux is a free, Unix-like operating system that will run on computers that currently run Microsoft Windows.  

We've mentioned it time and again before, but Microsoft is officially killing off Windows XP (and a slew of other older products) on 8 April of 2014.  There are plenty of details in the earlier article here if you're interested.  This article though is for the folks that have Windows XP on good hardware and they don't want to replace their current computer and they don't want to pony up for an upgrade to Windows 7 (or Windows 8).  If this is you, grab a cup of coffe and let's talk a little about penguins.   Linux is a free, Unix-like operating system that will run on computers that currently run Microsoft Windows.  

Just wanted to let you know that we are seeing the fake Windows support call scam making the rounds again.  Below is a link to the Microsoft article on the issue but the short story is, if you get an unsolicited call from someone offering to 'fix' your computer for you and they just need for you to give them remote access to your computer, it is likely a scam.  Hang up.  Be forewarned and spread the word, we've seen several of these in the past week. Tech Support Scams : What you need to know  

Microsoft is ending support for Windows XP on 8 April 2014.  If you still use Windows XP, it's important that you know what's happening and what your options are. On 8 April 2014, Microsoft will release the final update(s) for Microsoft Windows XP.  The tech industry has worked hard to tell people that this is happening but hasn't done a good job of answering the question "What does this mean for me, the end user?".  I'm going to do a quick recap of what is happening and then attempt to answer the important question of what the end of XP means to you. First, a quick recap.  Windows XP was launched in October of 2001, now 12 years ago.  Microsoft provides patches and updates to Windows XP in it's monthly…

What's New We're Hiring - Do you know someone that's looking for a career in technology that may have what it takes to work at Cyber Tech Cafe?  If so, send them our way.  We are currently looking for a Systems Support Specialist and have a full job description and application online.   Stay up-to-date with our Facebook Page, Support Center and email list- Technology moves fast and often new threats and attacks are atthe forefront of that movement, with everything else basically evolving around it.  Like us on Facebook, bookmark the Support Center and join the mailing list (the subscribe link is at the top left) to get near-real-time updates on the latest in technology. Buyer Beware, scammers will be out in force this holiday season - The holiday season is upon us.…

We had a hardware failure overnight in our primary mail server and, at the moment, email is down.  We are working to get the new server online now and restore backups but, in the interim, all inbound email will be queued and will not be delivered.  Once the new server is online, email will be delivered but this will likely be much later today.  If you need to reach us in the interim, please call the office direct at 770.386.8900.  You can also open new tickets or check the status on existing tickets online at the helpdesk at http://helpdesk.cybertechcafe.net .  

Don't get Scammed.   You're sitting at your computer and, from out of nowhere, you either get a phone call or a pop-up message saying that the person on the other end of the phone or chat session is from Microsoft / Google / Some other well known company and they have found a problem with your computer.  They are very professional, very courteous and offer to fix the problem at no charge if they can have remote access to your computer.  It seems strange but, after all, they're from Microsoft / Google / Some other well known company, so it must be legit.  You hesitate but, ultimately, you relent and grant access.  It only takes a moment to realize that something horrible has just happened.   Moral of the story,…

The CryptoLocker ransomware is back with a vengence.  If you have data, you're a potential victim.   CryptoLocker is a nasty piece of ransomware that, once it infects your computer, begins to systematically encrypt every file that you have write access to.  Thistypically includes files stored on your local hard drive, on external hard drives (like the USB backup drives that are very popular) and shared network drives.  Once the damage is done, the malware demands a ransom in exchange for the key to decrypt the files so that you can have access to them again.  It uses very strong (2048 bit) encryption and, to my knowlege, has not been broken yet.  What's more, as the command and control servers are taken down, some users have paid the ransom but been…

What's New Tech News - Not a lot going on in tech news other than we're still seeing a lot of the FBI / DHS / <insert random scary sounding acronym here> virus as a result of drive by downloads.  As always, keep an eye on our Facebook Page and support center for up-to-date news and info. Updates Microsoft - According to the Advanced Notification, there are 8 bulletins this month including 4 critical and 4 important.  All of the 4 critical bulletins address remote code vulnerabilities and affect Windows (all 4), Internet Explorer and .NET.  The remaining 4 important bulletins address problems with Windows, Windows Server, Office and Silverlight, 3 of which are remote code execution vulnerabilities. Microsoft releases regular updates the second Tuesday of each month, often referred to as 'Patch…