Tech Friday: CCleaner marked a PUA by Microsoft Defender

| August 7, 2020

It is always concerning to use and recommended a software product for years and to hear negative news on the software from a reputable antivirus. Last month, Microsoft Defender marked the “crap cleaner” known as CCleaner as PUA (Potentially Unwanted Software) likely due to the “PC cleaning software’s bundling unwanted add-on and annoyance software. The […]

My thoughts on the Coronavirus COVID-19 and investing

| March 7, 2020

I’ve purposely put off posting anything to MyDesultoryBlog as the worldwide spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (#COVID19) began. Partially since it is challenging to separate the unfounded fears and panic from the real threat since the reporting varies based on news sources (Information from China is particularly questionable but western media sources aren’t all […]

The Chinese Coronavirus. What you might want to know.

| January 29, 2020

Read an outstanding article in the WSJ this past week as the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues to spread and take lives. It is currently a China-based virus that likely stems from bats that mutate and spread through other mammals. Efforts are being made in China to prevent spreading within their country, but with travel and […]

Tech Friday: Be sure old CCleaner versions are removed

| October 27, 2017

Just seeing Windows Defender "alerting" me to a backdoor threat on my Lenovo Yoga notebook computer is enough to make me move to a more expensive Apple MacBook Pro the next upgrade cycle. I knew about the Crap Cleaner (aka: CCleaner) vulnerability but had hoped a removal and upgrade by the software maker/distributor would have […]

Policies need to change to stop Ebola and protect U.S. citizens

| October 15, 2014

WSJ’s “Ebola’s Deadly Reach” map of locations I understand our government’s reluctance to over react to the deadly Ebola virus, but disagree with the lack of precautions being taken to prevent the spread by those traveling from Western Africa to the United States … particularly by air. Commonsense dictates that we expect too much from […]

Ebola: How serious is it in the U.S. and what should we do?

| October 9, 2014

Reality … as of yesterday … is that the long studied Ebola (EBOV or the related strain Marburg virus) is now a killer in the U.S. Hopefully those having contact with the first U.S. death, Liberian Thomas Duncan, are quarantined and that the infectious virus is being contained to the Dallas area. After a couple […]

Tech Friday: Checking for Heartbleed safe sites

| April 18, 2014

No doubt you’ve heard about the latest vulnerability on the Internet known as the Heartbleed bug, but like most web users are pretty much helpless to do anything about it. You can change your passwords, run protection and antivirus software, but until the HTTPS sites correct their SSL sites … you’re spinning your wheels. For […]

Reminder: Check on your virus protection and update it!

| December 30, 2013

Offering up a reminder to those running Windows (or any OS really) without or with ”OUTDATED” virus protection — questionable links, website and emails are plentiful. Most of them, from what I have read, still target the Microsoft Windows users, but we should assume most popular operating systems are at risk as well. Do your […]

Use caution with email links and check your anti-virus software

| October 10, 2012

Knowing that email links can be dangerous isn’t always enough to prevent even a relatively experience Internet user from occasionally being suckered into clicking embedded links in emails. It happened to me yesterday morning with a bogus Skype Voicemail notification (below). Emails can seem legitimate and be over looked if you’re not paying close attention […]

Making Your Own Insect Repellant

| July 30, 2012

With a recent 2012 report that we have a case of West Nile Virus close to home here in Ohio, this “how-to make insect repellant” post from The Boat Galley is timely. Check out the full article here or some of the article below. Store the mix in a dark plastic bottle so it won’t […]

Avast! Antivirus, Revo Uninstaller and my WordPress install

| December 21, 2011

I’ve been happily using Avast! as my virus scanner for the last couple years … and have been off and on satisfied for over a decade. The company updates always get me concerned knowing that the free version could become as bloated as are many others (paid versions aren’t immune either). Thankfully the most recent […]

Belated Tech Friday Google account and Gmail security advice

| June 11, 2011

Planned on making this a Tech Friday post, but Saturday will have to do. I’ve been talking with a few people who have adopted Gmail as their primary email and semi-forget about security issues. It is increasingly a problem as evident by the concern over government officials email accounts possibly being accessed. Although most of […]

I have a bone to pick with Avast antivirus software

| August 15, 2010

I’ve used the same antivirus software on my PC for over a decade and have been pleased with how the company has supported updates and discreet reminder in both the free version and low priced home protection. Unfortunately things have changed for me, after struggling with an upgrade to the 5.0 update, I shifted back […]

American Express marketing USB gadget – Safe?

| May 3, 2010

American Express continues their rich and creative advertising using USB technology  computer technology to entice card members and ‘would be’ card members to apply for one of their credit cards. I started to ponder the safety of popping the little fold out USB plug into a waiting computer … wondering just who made the card […]

Guide to Speeding Up Your Windows PC’s Startup – Lifehacker

| December 29, 2009

Reposting something that might be helpful for those looking to gain a bit of speed back from their aging Windows based computer. The aging problem seems to happen to computers just as it does to people. — You just hit the power button your PC, and now you’ve got enough time to brew a fresh […]

Windows 7 OS arrived today

| October 23, 2009

The copies of Microsoft’s new computer OS  Windows 7  arrived today! I’m not planning to update anytime soon as I’m  currently running  Win 7 RC on both of my PCs.  (they should operate until 2010)  I’m certainly not planning to ruin this weekend by stripping the computer and re-installing all my software (the scheduled colonoscopy […]

Running Windows 7 Beta and am surprisingly happy

| February 4, 2009

After downloading the .iso and creating a Microsoft Windows 7 Beta installation DVD last month, I’ve been ‘on-again off-again’ while contemplating taking a chance on a Microsoft Beta OS replacement for my Gateway notebook computer. Finally after hearing the positive reviews (compared to Vista), and the fact that the cut off day to download and […]

Good answers for tired geeks from Lifehacker.com

| December 26, 2008

Often times those who are ‘somewhat’ computer literate dread the holidays with family for reason other than “they are family.” How many receive the annual (or semi-annual) questions a post over at Lifehacker offers assistance about? “It takes forever to start up.” “I keep getting a pop-up saying I need to pay for my antivirus […]

The iPhone predicament: To hack or not to hack

| September 29, 2007

Those ‘sexy’ iPhones are a pretty attractive (and expensive) toys/tools to be hacking, but according to users around the world they have been modified with software to operate with ‘unauthorized carriers’ around the world. (link) In the U.S., AT&T is the only network authorized by Apple … but hacks and other unsupported programs are being […]

Tech Friday Tip: “What’s this hiberfil.sys?”

| December 15, 2006

I see a theme coming — maybe a ‘tech tip Friday? After posting the comment on how to save YouTube files yesterday, I received enough emails to suggest that at least a few readers liked what they read. One of the emails asked answer another question and I told him I would address it today. […]

Beware of Lumbriculus variegatus

| January 27, 2006

Lumbriculus what???? There is a rapidly spreading computer virus call “blackworm” which is beginning to spread quickly through internet email infecting PCs around the world. So far security experts estimate some 300+ thousand computers are already infected and that many more have receive emails containing the virus. What makes this virus a bit more concerning […]

Spam

| May 24, 2005

The information below is from Deb Shinder, MCSE, MVP (Security). She is a technology consultant that we have used to secure our servers and email. I found her information worthy of inclusion on my blog and hope it will help others. Does spam threaten your network’s security? Certainly if dozens of salespeople came to your […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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