Results from Unemployment Give Away

Over the years I’ve offered special discounts or have used the proceeds from WinPatrol to help when I could.  One common benefactor of our support have been veterans.  My favorite special event was Veterans Day in 2008. BillP Studios donated over $2000 to our local Honor Flight Network helping to cover the costs for WII veterans a chance to visit their memorial in Washington DC.

This month I decided to give away WinPatrol PLUS to unemployed job seekers hoping they could spent more time seeking and less time trying to resolve computer problems.  Click here for more details.

I knew this give away would be different but I have been overwhelmed by the reactions. The mail I’ve received from current WinPatrol fans has been very positive and it makes me proud.  The comments included in the requests from unemployed job seeker however caught me by surprise. While everyone is grateful and happy receiving free software reading between the lines I can tell how truly desperate and beat down many people feel.

I can tell from our comments that many are in serious desperate situations.

“Thanks so much for providing this !! I have been unemployed for over a year now and the job market just doesn't seem to be getting any better “

From Jeff

“Right now I must worry more about keeping the lights on..... but mark my words: I won't forget this kindness and will pay you in full when I am able to do so.

It just makes a person feel better knowing that someone out there cares about others.”

Bless you !!!”

I am pleased that folks were proud enough to participate and accept our free offer. Most everyone was able to produce some proof of the frustration they’ve experienced trying to find work.

Sorry I wasn’t able to provide a free code to everyone who havesuffered financial problems but this special was aimed at unemployed job seekers. I’m sure we’ll come up with other specials in the future for those in real need.

This offer is still good but only during the month of August so if you haven’t, act now to take advantage of this free give-away.

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Free Security for People Looking for Work

(Scotia, NY) WinPatrol Supports Unemployed Job Seekers
It’s no secret that the unemployment numbers around the world are at an amazing high. At least once a week I receive a plea from someone who is unemployed asking for a discounted upgrade to WinPatrol PLUS.

For someone looking for a new job, a computer is a must have tool. Unfortunately, they’re also the targets of scam artists who take advantage of folks who need help the most.

In response to the need to protect and help the unemployed I’m giving away our $29.95 single user license with all the benefits of our standard WinPatrol PLUS upgrade.  As a computer professional I’ve been blessed never to be without work but these days unemployment can happen to anyone. Visiting new web sites is a time when WinPatrol PLUS is needed the most. I’d much rather have someone using their time to find that perfect job instead of fixing computer problems.

All that’s required is to scan in or provide a screen capture proof you have recently received unemployment benefits or other reasonable proof of unemployment. Sorry, but you can’t just Email support@winpatrol.com and say “I’m unemployed, give me a code”. Some evidence is required but our give away is even available to our friends outside the U.S.  Requests will be will be processed within 24-48 hours.

Here’s an example of what New York State provides to those receiving benefits and the kind of proof acceptable.

I’ve blurred out the name on this example but when you send proof you should just blur out your social security number or other private information I wouldn’t need. Send your proof to support@winpatrol.com or mail to
BillP Studios
32 Sunnyside Rd.
Scotia, NY 12302
Include your name and Email address printed clearly in your request. Your information will of course be considered confidential.

For now, this is a limited offer available until the end of August 2010.  If you know someone who is unemployed but could use WinPatrol PLUS send them here to http://bitsfrombill.com. I challenge other software companies to do the same.

 

* A screen capture using Windows is possible by pressing the Alt key + the PrtSc key. A image of the current window will be stored in the Windows clipboard.  You can then open your favorite paint or photo program and “paste” into a new document.  Edit out your SS# if it’s visible and attach the file to an Email to support@WinPatrol.com

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What My Wife Loves About Windows 7

My wife Cindi is a typical computer user who knows how to do what she needs and no more. She has no interest in how it all works but she expects her computer to work in a consistent manner. She enjoys learning new features but only if it’s related to her daily activities and/or makes life easier.

When her new ThinkPad came earlier this year I worried that she wouldn’t welcome the changes.  I don’t know about other geek husbands out there but “anything” that doesn’t work right on Cindi’s computer is my fault. :)

So I was nervous when I upgraded Cindi from her Windows XP machine to a brand new Windows 7 interface. To my surprise and delight the conversion was successful and Cindi has been very happy with Windows 7.

Network Discovery
The first new treat she discovered using Windows 7 was the quick detection of our wireless network. In the past, Cindi’s laptop would boot up and while it appeared to be ready it was my fault when she couldn’t get online.  The engineers at Microsoft made this feature a priority and they nailed it.  Cindi can now check for new baby photos on Facebook  before her first sip of coffee.

 

System Tray Management
While we’re looking at the Windows 7 system tray I can tell you about another new feature that makes her happy.  Note the little up arrow that now contains all the icons that used to mess up  the system tray. This keeps the Windows system tray much neater and more manageable. Considering all the great new features in Windows 7 it seems silly to just talk about system tray issues. Truth is task bar icons have always been a major annoyance to PC users.

 

Show Desktop
There’s one feature that I use all the time and only writing this article did Cindi finally understand one of the mysteries of Windows 7. In the very bottom right hand corner is a small box doesn’t appear to have a purpose. Under the Windows 7 interface this plain little box is the “Show Desktop” feature. This is a great feature and while it was available under Windows XP, it wasn’t widely used. The implementation as a little square has confused many but once they find out how it works everyone loves it. So, if you’re one of those people who wonder why sometimes all your windows disappear, it’s because your mouse hovered over this little box.

File Search Filter
One of single most important tasks that non-computer experts have dealt with is “Where the heck did I put that file”?  Teaching users how to locate and open a file is the difference between a computer user and someone who uses a computer.

Windows has a standard Open File dialog available to developers and it is used by most applications including Windows Explorer and Word. This provides a fairly consistent interface. Windows 7 Open dialog now includes great enhancements aimed and making finding that file easier.

In my example below Cindi was looking for a document she needed for her work with Scotia Rotary.  Typing in the word “Rotary” instantly displayed a number of recent documents related to Rotary.  In addition, one of the other new Win7 features displays text thumbnails helping her find the exact document she wanted.

Home Group
What’s even nicer about Windows 7 is that Cindi doesn’t need to know which folder her file is located in. Using Windows Home Groups her computer combines her old “My Documents” folder with other folders that have been assigned to her using the Windows 7 Home Groups.  Some of her folders are located on our home network.

Many years ago I listened to Bill Gates discuss how the future of Windows would be a “Document Concentric” system instead of focusing on loading programs. I argued the point strongly but there is the possibility I may have been wrong.  :)

Speed
One of the features that makes Cindi happiest is the performance of her new Windows 7 laptop. While having a newer machine doesn’t hurt, her Lenovo ThinkPad is “Windows 7 aware” and takes advantage of its new architecture. I’ve written before how Windows 7 has improved handling of multicore processors. I’m also an advocate of the more expensive solid state hard drives and Windows 7 knows how to make the most utilizing her primary drive which is small but has no moving parts

Power Management
One of the welcome benefits of her new laptop is enhanced battery life. Windows 7 allowed me to configure her laptop for outstanding usage when not plugged. The power management not only saves on batter life Cindi no longer complains that her laptop is burning her legs.

 

I’ve left out so many other great new Windows features but my point was to show how Windows 7 provides instant improvements to non-computer experts. My biggest surprise is that all these new features are being utilized with a minimal learning curve. I still occasionally get blamed when some applications misbehave but Windows 7 has been a joy.

So obviously, I no longer recommend you order new computers with Windows XP. I also recommend if you’ve been using Vista stop now and order Windows 7 as soon as possible. Your time is important and Windows 7 is a worthwhile investment.

My Pick
Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade 

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National ID System Replaced by Facebook

I’m always writing about privacy and my recommendations on protecting your personal information. The success of social networks like Facebook has proven that most people really don’t care about privacy. The same people who may have signed a petition against a National ID number now share their info willingly with applications on Facebook.

On July 26th, 2006, the American Civil Liberties Union released a brilliant video on how our sensitive information may be used in the future. I’m certain I laughed my ass off the first time I saw it. Little did I know how close to reality it might be in just a few years. It seemed like a joke at the time but watching it now I have a completely different opinion. Instead of fearing a government, we should watch out for the companies who have partnered with Facebook.

 

Click to View National ID Video

The purpose of this video was to help the ALCU in their fight against a National ID system.  While it was designed to be a warning, this video can now be used as an example for creating a great social application interface.

I’m as guilty as many sharing my information although I do have my limits. Unless there’s a good reason I won’t be broadcasting my location especially when we’re on vacation. I won’t accept invitations that allow unknown companies free access to information I think I’m sharing with just my friends. As the owner of WinPatrol, so much of my information is public that it’s hardly worth worrying about.  Ironically, having multiple sources know my information can even be useful.

How about you? Have your thoughts changed since you first viewed this video years ago?  Does it create fear or does it inspire you to create a new product that might utilize a users available information?

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Why Rob Cheng Hates His Apple iPod

Twice a month I write an article for the folks at PC Pitstop.  Their bi-monthly newsletter includes tips and wisdom from other tech experts that makes it a must read. Click here to subscribe.

In this weeks newsletter, PC Pitstop’s president Rob Cheng opened up a hornets net when he gave his five reasons why he hates his iPod. You can read his comments at http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2010/07/02/5-reasons-i-hate-my-ipod/? but I’ll share my favorite.

“Although we like to believe that Apple invented the MP3 player, it is simply not true. When I began working at Gateway in 1991, our #1 graphics card was made by a company called Diamond Graphics. I quickly became friends with the CEO and Director of Marketing. We had some good times together. Later, they introduced in the late 90's, the industries first MP3 player, the Diamond Rio. Even way back then, it was a run away success.”

Rob continues to describe how the Recording Industry Association of America sued Diamond and how Diamond went out of business. The rest is history and eventually the “iPod” became a term synonymous with a portable digital music player.

As an early adopter I had one and still have it. It doesn’t hold many songs and I have to use scotch tape to hold the battery door closed but it works! So here’s what the father of the iPod looks like. 

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Remove Your Anti-Virus Security Software

What happens when you have four different security programs installed on a computer? It’s a lot like watching a slow turtle crossing the street. You sit, you wait, you stare and most of the time there’s a crash before it’s over.

I frequently have friends drop off their laptops along with the comment and the question, “It runs REALLY slow, do I have a virus?”.

Case Study: Bob’s Laptop
This week’s computer maintenance task was typical. There was no malware, trojan horse, key logger, virus or even rootkit on Bob’s laptop. So why did it take 10 minutes to boot and run so slow?  Turns out there were four, yes four different security suites installed. 

One of them was McAfee which had expired last year but was still running five different services. I suspect it came pre-installed when he purchased the computer two years ago. Even after running the uninstaller, I still had to manually remove more McAfee programs including a reminder service just in case Bob changed his mind in the future.

Next I started to remove the Anti-Virus packages which also hadn’t been updated in the last six months.  First I removed Window Defender from Microsoft. I’ll elaborate more below but the newer Microsoft Security Essentials from Microsoft does what Defender did and much more.

When I removed CA Internet Security I immediately noticed a different in computer performance.  I don’t mean to imply CA was the problem but at least we were down to a single Anti-Virus Suite. It still wasn’t as fast as I’d like but it was a vast improvement to be down to a single suite hooked into the Window kernel.

The last suite to remove was Symantec’s Norton 360. I’m not a big fan of Norton but there are some folks at Symantec who I respect for their support. They’ve become legendary in the industry but this creates a level of trust that makes some users blind to using their software properly.  Well known security packages like Norton and McAfee create a false sense of security. Users bypass learning how to properly use the product and they fail to configure the software. They often miss out on updated signature files designed to catch new threats.

I had a personal experience of this over confidence from the mayor of my home town Village of Scotia.  Once a week his computer sends me an Email with an link that I obviously shouldn’t click on. When I reported this, his response was “I’m sure my Norton will take care of it”.  The mass mailer bot using his address book continues even as I was preparing this article.

Clicking on the link will take users to a page that appears to be an advertisement for Canadian drugs. Unfortunately,clicking the wrong click to escape and the ad will make an attempt to infect the next person helping to spread the malware.

I finally removed all the security programs from Bob’s computer and it ran fast enough for me to provide some regular maintenance steps needed to speed things up like deleting temp files, defrag his disk, and I used WinPatrol to remove all the crap that didn’t need to be auto starting every time he rebooted.

So What’s the Answer? 
First  (no surprise) I installed WinPatrol which works and plays well with others but shouldn’t be used alone. WinPatrol works differently than Anti-Virus scanners and so it doesn’t compete for the internal Windows kernel interface commonly used by security suites 

I also configured Bob’s Window Updates so files would be downloaded automatically but installed at Bob’s discretion. Keeping your system updated is critical. Unless there’s a special threat I do continue to recommend installing Windows updates 5-10 days following their release.

So what was my choice for Bob’s main security program?  (Drum roll please)
The answer this week is the free Microsoft Security Essentials. It may be actually be unpopular to praise products by Microsoft but the Redmond based company has devoted serious resources towards making your security a priority. On July 15th, the Microsoft Antimalware Team will release a new generation of their antimalware engine.

You can click the icon above and check out Microsoft Security Essentials but first go to the Remove programs applet in the Windows Control Panel and get rid of the multiple security packages that you no longer use. Even if you don’t use them, they’re using you.

For additional help removing old useless security suites you’ll find a list at the Security Garden, AntiVirus Product Removal Tools. Thanks to Corrine for her comment.

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Legal Software More Annoying than Most Viruses

Do you remember programs from Gator, MyWaySearch, Net.Net or 180Solutions? Are there still programs running on your computer that you really don’t want? 

You’re not alone! Most annoying programs now come from legitimate companies who know they’re not really adding value but do it to make share holders happy. There’s always been competition by companies to get their programs installed on the greatest number of computers.  When you notice your computer keeps getting slower you can blame it on these programs.  At least when AOL shipped out millions of CD’s you had the choice of installing it or not

I created my WinPatrol program to alert me if new programs are being added to the Windows startup procedure. Originally this popular feature was designed to prevent spyware from infecting your system. Now, the biggest problem doesn’t come from spyware or viruses, it comes from well known companies like Apple, Adobe, Google and even Microsoft. These programs have limited value but provide increased visibility and profit for software companies. Totally unrelated companies are encouraged(paid) to install these programs and receive a cash bounty if they can get you to install them. Sometimes it’s done without your knowledge, sometimes it because you don’t carefully read the purpose of every check box during setup.

In the past it was common for WinPatrol fans to report programs which were malicious, designed to steal data, monitor key strokes or create pop up ads. Sadly, the most common complaints I see now are for programs from legitimate companies.

Google continues to top the list of companies wanting to make sure you have their toolbar and updates of anything else they feel you need, like it or not. A large number of companies are paid to install the Google Toolbar via programs like Adobe Flash,  Cyberlink PowerDVD, IrfanView, PC Tools Spyware Doctor, Threatfire, RealPlayer, ZoneAlarm and more. The fact WinPatrol users are requesting Info on GoogleUpdater implies they have no clue how it was installed on their system.

Google Updater isn’t the only program that our users don’t understand why they have it. Continued below is a current, “Where the hell did I get this from, and how can I get rid of it” list.  I’ve made the top ten hot links so you can click and see an example of some of the extra value provided by WinPatrol PLUS.

	Program Request		Company Name
1	GOOGLEUPDATER.EXE		GOOGLE INC.
2	ADOBEARM.EXE		ADOBE SYSTEMS
3	JUSCHED.EXE		SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
4	READER_SL.EXE		ADOBE SYSTEMS
5	MDNSRESPONDER.EXE		APPLE INC.
6	WMPNSCFG.EXE		MICROSOFT CORPORATION
7	ITUNESHELPER.EXE		APPLE INC.
8	REALSCHED.EXE		REALNETWORKS, INC.
9	QTTASK.EXE		APPLE INC.
10	APPLEMOBILEDEVICESERVICE.EXE		APPLE INC.
11	CTFMON.EXE		MICROSOFT CORPORATION
12	IGFXTRAY.EXE		INTEL CORPORATION
13	IGFXPERS.EXE		INTEL CORPORATION
14	NVCPL.DLL		NVIDIA CORPORATION
15	MSFEEDSSYNC.EXE		MICROSOFT CORPORATION
16	SMSS.EXE		MICROSOFT CORPORATION
17	CLISTART.EXE		ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES
18	NWIZ.EXE		NVIDIA CORPORATION
19	ISUSPM.EXE		MACROVISION CORPORATION
20	MSASCUI.EXE		MICROSOFT CORPORATION
21	HKCMD.EXE		INTEL CORPORATION
22	HIDSERV.DLL		MICROSOFT CORPORATION
23	SIDEBAR.EXE		MICROSOFT CORPORATION
24	DUMPREP 0 -K		MICROSOFT CORPORATION
25	MSNMSGR.EXE		MICROSOFT CORPORATION

Not long ago our top requests were programs that served up spyware or adware like those below. Some free sample links below may not contain updated PLUS Info. Have you been around enough to remember these annoying infiltrations?

Common Name	Program Detected by WinPatrol
MyWebSearch.com Hijacker	MYBAR/MYWAY.DLL, MWSSRCAS.DLL, MWSOEMON.DLL
New.net	NEWDOTNET.DLL
WinTools	WTOOLSA.EXE, WTOOLSB.DLL, WTOOLSS.DLL
XUpiterSpyware - OrbitExplorer	toolbar.dll
eXact Advertising	NVMS.DLL, MSCB.DLL, MSBE.DLL
Internet Optimizer	nem21*.dll - nem220.dll
Gator / Claria	CMESYS.exe, GMT.exe, GAIN_Tickler*.exe
PowerREGISTER	POWERREG SCHEDULER.EXE
Uploader-R	TSM2.EXE
WinAd by TwistedHumor	Winad.exe, WinAdTools.exe Winclt.exe, WinTaskAd.exe
Intercosmos Media Group	SEARCHRELEVANCY.DLL
Addictive Technologies	ATPARTNERS.DLL
WhenU.com	VVSN.exe / Save.exe
180Solutions	MSBB.EXE
LocalNRD - Trandponder - Mindset Interactive	LOCALNRD.DLL
Neo Toolbar - Traffic Syndicate	TBPS.EXE, btein.dll, stoolsbar.dll
Bridge Search Page Hijacker	BRIDGE.DLL
W32 Supernova Worm	SYSUPD.EXE
eUniverse / Keen Value	WUpdater.exe, INCFINDFBO.DLL, PERFECTNAVBHO.DLL
CommonName Toolbar	CNBABE.exe, CNBABE.DLL

 

If you’d like to learn more check out the Calendar of Updates “Installers Hall of Shame” at

http://www.calendarofupdates.com/updates/index.php?showtopic=16109. You’ll be amazed at how common this business practice as become.  This topic already has almost 300 comments to there’s a lot to read.

Meanwhile, download WinPatrol and easily clean up your startup programs. Upgrade a specially priced WinPatrol PLUS now for recent information on these annoying programs. WinPatrol works well along side any of the popular AV and security programs on the market.

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