Ventura County's PC Whisperer

1. Open from the lock screen Windows 8 opens on its lock screen, which looks pretty but unfortunately displays no clues about what to do next. It's all very straightforward, though. Just tap the space bar, spin the mouse wheel or swipe upwards on a touch screen to reveal a regular login screen with the user name you created during installation. Enter your password to begin. 2. Handle basic navigation Windows 8's interface is all colour ful tiles and touch-friendly apps. And if you're using a tablet then it'll all be very straightforward: just swipe left or right to scroll the screen, and tap any tile of interest. On a regular desktop, though, you might alternatively spin the mouse wheel to scroll backwards and forwards. And you can also use the keyboard. Press the Home or End keys to jump from one end of your Start screen to the other, for instance, then use the cursor keys to select a particular tile, tapping Enter to select it. Press the Windows key t

Don’t leave your personal and private information exposed to Search Engines and strangers through your Facebook account. Our Personal Technology Experts® are trained in securing your information and will make sure that you can enjoy social networking without sharing with the wrong people.  The last thing you want is to become victim to online identity theft. We can help you safe-guard your Facebook account right now! Myservices include: Running a test to identify your personal information that may be already exposed Configuring your privacy settings for your Facebook account Preventing the over-sharing of your information with work colleagues Shielding your information from accidental sharing by other Facebook users "Disconnecting" your email from your social profile to avoid phishing attacks Preventing your personal information from being exposed on search engines, including Google Securing your pictures, wall posts, and family information from strangers Train

As a general rule, people who use their computer occasionally (5 hours/week or less) should be backing up their data on at least a weekly basis. If you use your computer more frequently, however (more than 10 hours/week), backing up daily is probably a good idea. Another variable is the type of data you store on your computer. Obviously, the more important it is to you, the more important backing it up becomes. There are many ways to backup data on your computer - the least effective of which is having the only backup location on your actual hard drive. Instead, use external hardware such as an external hard drive, CD's, or a memory stick. Online backup is another option. This requires the use of an Internet-based data backup storage service.

Watch out for fake virus alerts! Rogue security software, also known as "scareware," is software that appears to be beneficial from a security perspective but provides limited or no security, generates erroneous or misleading alerts, or attempts to lure users into participating in fraudulent transactions. Here's what to do if you think you might have rogue security software on your computer: 1) Scan your computer. Use your antivirus software or do a free scan with the Microsoft Safety Scanner. The safety scanner checks for and removes viruses, eliminates junk on your hard drive, and improves your PC's performance. Give me a call @ 805.512.1290 3) Check your accounts. If you think you might have entered sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or passwords into a pop-up window or at a rogue security software site, you should monitor your associated accounts.