Google is not the internet…. neither is AOL, Bing, Yahoo, etc.  In all seriousness, this is meant to be a basic HOW-TO on using a browser.  Many people think that when they double click on the little blue “E” or the “Fox Fire” or the “Colored Ball thingy” and see Google or another web search on their home page immediately associate this with how to get around on the web.  “Close, but no cigar!”

How we use our browser is rather important and can cost you if use it incorrectly.  So, let’s get started on some basics of browsers.  When you double-click on the “Blue E” that is Internet Explorer (from Microsoft).  When you double click on the “Fox Fire” it is actually FireFox (from Mozilla).  When you double click on the “Colored Ball Thingy” that is Chrome (from Google).  For my Mac friends, when you click on the “Compass” you are using Safari (from Apple).  These are all called “browsers.”  Think of it like this, if you want to open a .doc file (document file) you can use Microsoft Word, Open Office, Word Perfect, Word Pad, etc… The files on the internet need a way to be “opened” and viewed.  That is what a browser does, it “opens” files on the internet so you can see the website.  So, say when you open Internet Explorer and you see “Google” you have just “opened” the Google website using Internet Explorer.  Let’s look at that page:  (if you can’t read it, click on the image to make it bigger)

If you type the website name you want to go to, for example www.fastlanepc.com into the Google search box, you are not going to that site but “searching” for it.  If you want to go there, type the website name (known as a “URL”) into the box at the top of the browser.  If you don’t know the website name, then you can type in the name of the subject you want to search for in the Google search box under the Google logo in the middle of your screen.  For example, search for “FastLane Technologies Colorado Springs” and you find our site listed.  Here is why it can cost you money…. say you need tech support for an Epson Printer and you decide to search for “Epson Printer Support” and you get a list of things on your search results after you click “Google Search” button.  You will get advertisements in the list also, some on the side and mostly the first couple of search results at the top of the screen.  If you click on an advertisement instead of the real Epson Printer Support site, you can be lured into a business that is there to scam you.  Granted, it could be a legitimate business that will support you but it will not be the free support you get with your new printer.

Google is the largest internet or web search provider.  There are others that do the same function.  Most popular are Google, Bing, Yahoo, AltaVista, Excite, Lycos, AOL Search, Ask, etc.  They all have programs called Tool Bars that will sit on your browser to make it quicker to access their sites but they are legitimate spyware and I do not recommend them.  The other issue with Tool Bars is that you could have several of them loaded on your browser and it will majorly slow down your connection speed because all of them are talking to the server sending back information to the “mother ship.”

There is a difference between the internet and web.  The internet is the connection of all the computers in the world that connected together and you connect to them over your Internet Service Provider (ISP), locally Comcast or Qwest (now Centurylink).  The web or World Wide Web (where we get www from) is a massive collection of web pages that are stored on computers all over the world.  The website you are reading now is being held in Colorado Springs, Colorado on a server that we pay to use.  The www.fastlanepc.com is the address or URL to the server location so you can see this site.  Here are two great links on browser basics that go deeper into some basic functions and terms if you need more help:

Internet 101: Beginners Cheat Sheet Reference Guide:
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/internet101/tp/Internet-Beginners-Quick-Reference-Guide.htm

Senior’s Guide To Computers:
http://www.seniorsguidetocomputers.com/

Personally I don’t get angry very often, but something that happened to one of our customters recently has just chapped me!  So, we’ll tell you a little story:

You are sitting at home, hanging out at your favorite website (www.fastlanepc.com) reading some awesome articles when right in the middle of a great story, your phone rings.  You answer only to hear someone with a thick Indian accent telling you that your computer is infected with viruses and problems.  They insist that your computer is sending their servers errors and they must be fixed.  They instruct you to press the “Windows Key” plus “R” and type in “eventvwr” and press ”Enter” to see this:

They assure you that all of those “Errors” are being sent to their server and this is “PROOF” that your computer is infected!  Well, you start to FREAK OUT and wonder why your favorite computer guy hasn’t done his job?!?!  The “technician” lets you know that by letting them work on your computer you will get a 15 year or lifetime warranty for $399.00 and they will help you 24×7.  Well this is an excellent deal!  You let them look at your computer by logging into your computer from India and they start doing some commands and screens that you have never seen come up and they are just wowing you!  (In reality, they are pulling up random windows and typing in random commands that do nothing that have to do with errors or viruses.)

When they are done with the “slight-of-hand” work, they insist on “selling” you a lifetime subscription to an antivirus that is included in the price:  Microsoft Security Essentials or AVG.  (Both are free!)  They will ask you to use your credit card to purchase this great deal on their secure website!  You feel like something was done but WHAT?  So, you call us!

YOU HAVE JUST BEEN SCAMMED!  There is a couple of scamming companies that we have run into recently that have called us and our customers.  The scammer company that called us was “the Technical Department” of my “Windows Computer” called Global IT at www.globalpcprotection.com.  The number they called us from on the caller ID was: 999-910-0328.  This number is a called a “spoof” or fake phone number commonly used by telemarketers and other scammers attempting to be legit so you are not sure who it is.  The numbers this company can be reached at are: 718-593-4198 or 646-867-3751.  Another number that our customers have claimed from a similar company was 253-802-0308.  We found a great website documenting everything the scammer did.  He is a computer tech has a computer science degree (a fellow computer geek) and he recorded the whole (6+ hours) of the scam to expose what they are doing to an unsuspecting customer.  We’ve had several complaints about this scammer.  If you want to check out the whole scam recorded, check out his site at: http://hackedgadgets.com/2011/10/27/hacked-gadgets-has-fun-with-computer-scammer-called-global-it/ (1+ hour of video) and the second part is (my favorite) where he calls the “technician” out on his scam: http://hackedgadgets.com/2011/11/23/hacked-gadgets-corners-scammers-called-global-it-and-global-pc-protection-part-2/ (6+ hours of video).

Second company that we have had to deal with was a company that our customer called for tech support, thought they were getting HP Support, was Bit Resolve of www.bitresolve.com.  The technician did not help our customer fix the printer issue, but did the same scam.  They showed our customer the “Event Viewer” screen scaring them into purchasing a warranty to fix the problem.  They remoted into the computer and installed Microsoft Security Essentials saying there was no anti-virus installed.  (The customer had a good, paid anti-virus clearly running with the icon displayed in the system tray!)  They charged the customer $99 for the anti-virus and $49 for the service somehow totaling $149 giving the customer the “Gold Plan.”  The customer called us wanting an explanation.  We called Bit Resolve and demanded a refund for our customer and let them know that they just scammed a sweet, 80 year old widow!  We told them that we are contacting the credit card issuer to stop payment and take action against this scam.  They quickly resolved the issue for our customer by refunding the transaction.  This is the scam that made me write this article.  There are a lot more people out there in this same situation and this needs to be exposed!

Bottom line, BE CAREFUL!  Microsoft or any other company claiming that you are having error messages or reports coming from your computer to them is just a scam and is not true.  No company can track viruses back to your computer.  The only legitimate company that could say that your computer is doing this is your Internet Service Provider (ISP) like Comcast or Qwest (not Centurylink).  They would never charge you to “fix” this issue either.  If you need help or think you have been scammed, call us today and we can help you!  719-494-7043 or email us at support@fastlanepc.com!

Parallax is an interdimensional platforming and puzzle-solving game. The goal in each level is to reach the exit by travelling between two overlapping dimensions through rifts. Parallax challenges the player to think beyond the spatial boundaries of traditional platformers.

We are often asked what is the best anti-virus.  We can do this two ways:  Long version and Short version.

Long Version:

According to Wikipedia:

Antivirus or anti-virus software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including but not limited to computer viruses, computer worm, trojan horses, spyware and adware.

Simply put, it is a program this is designed to practically scan every file incoming and outgoing to and from your computer.  We know that Apple touts that you don’t need an anti-virus, well, they put on their site you should use some sort of anti-virus program on their systems.  The Mac OS comes with a minimal version of a free anti-virus called ClamAV.  Mac has bragged for so long they don’t get viruses, but now they are getting them.  Window Vista and 7 get less than 2% of all traditional virus infections.  Here’s the simplest explanation from experience.  Mac’s get less viruses because they are only impacting the computer market in the by about 6%, where Windows machines are hitting 90% world wide.  Now, think about this… I’m a hacker and I want your data and your money.   Will I:  A) “Go for the 6% market share globally” or B) “Go for the 90% and increase my chances of getting what I want?”  Hmmm…. think about it, don’t take too long!  Seriously, the hackers want the bigger share of the pie.  So, one trend that is becoming an issue is the fact that Mac OS sales have hit over 10% market share in the U.S. and the Mac computers cost almost three times the purchase price of a Windows PC.  The hackers are now seeing this as a better chance of stealing from those they consider wealthy since they can afford the more costly computer.  Malware, phishing, viruses (yes, there will be an explanation), and other trickery to separate you and your cash is on the rise for the Mac computers.  Traditional viruses, as was mentioned earlier about Windows Vista and 7, are not limited to just “catching” one in passing.  Mac supporters say that “trojans” don’t count as a virus because you have to download something to get it.  Well, in the shop, customers don’t care about semantics, they just want their computer cleaned and working right.  We service Macs and PCs for hardware, software, and malware removal.  In our opinion, no matter how you got the virus, it is still a virus.  So, the best anti-virus is the one that will help you to catch the accidental downloads.  Also, a big part of the protection is keeping your computer up to date from the OS updater whether it is a Mac or PC.

Short Version:

Any computer; Mac, PC, Android, Linux, or whatever “out of the box” are virus free and are very secure!  The problem is when you start using your shiny new computer.  The blame is put on the computer when it is the user.  The best anti-virus is YOU.  Be smart.  Don’t be quick to jump on the “Free” software.  Do your homework and see if anyone else has given it high reviews.  Google search for “[your product] virus” or replace virus with ‘malware’ or ‘spyware’ or ‘trojan.’   You would be surprised how an innocent download of a “Free” screensaver just infected your shiny new PC!  Keep away from the naughty sites, porn, drugs, illegal software hacks, and any other sites that promote this behavior.  Just think for a second and realize that if they are offering maliciously intended information or products, they themselves are not there to “help” you.  They will rip you off in a heartbeat.  Stay smart and if you don’t know where to get legit stuff, call or email us and we can help!

Anti-Virus software we recommend: Sophos Anti-Virus Free for the Mac and Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows.

If you are interested on what is the best Anti-Virus Suite, Leif Glass from AnyPCService.com has a great blog article: Internet Security Suite.

Google announced it will be offering a music service that seems to be getting some hype.  Some early reports say that the music store will allow music sharing.  They have released a video explaining what the service is going to look like: check it out here. You can request an invite to the music store (Music Beta) to try it out.  The site states:

Music Beta is a new service from Google that gives you instant access to your personal music collection without the hassle of wires or syncing. Add your music collection and listen on the web or any compatible Android device.

The service seems rather enticing.  Here is their full features list on the “About” page.  Google seems to dominate everything they put their hands to, or at a minimum make a dent in the industry.  With Zune marketplace trying to make an impact, will Microsoft bail?  Will Apple’s  iTunes Store finally have real competition?

All of our customers get a free “ToolBox!”  We are going to show you how to make your own FastLane Technologies’ ToolBox!  What’s in our “ToolBox!”?  Well here is the list:

1.   An anti-virus:  We use Microsoft Security Essentials.  Why?  Because it is the highest rated FREE Anti-Virus and it is also made by the maker of your operating system (Windows), Microsoft.  Our favorite reasons: it does it’s job quietly, very few false viruses, and doesn’t slow down your computer.

2.   An anti-malware: We use MalwareByte’s.  Why?  The software is easy to use and does a great job for FREE to cleanup and remove malware.  Most software does some basic cleaning, but even on the Quick Scan, most baddies are removed with a simple interface.  Our favorite reasons: it does a great job and it reminds you to update the software when you start the program!

3.   An anti-spyware: We actually use two; SuperAntiSpyware and SpyBot Search & Destroy.  Well, to be clear, we actually use SuperAntiSpyware to scan and remove spyware (and it does a good job on malware too!).  SpyBot Search & Destroy we like for the preventative side.  It has a feature called “Immunization” where it tells your browser (Internet Explorer or Firefox) to avoid some sites that have malicious intent.  Both are FREE and do a great job!  Our favorite reasons: SpyBot is good at removing some older spyware that some of the newer programs forget about and SuperAntiSpyware paid version can almost replace your anti-virus software!

4.   A registry cleaner:  We use CCleaner.  Now, it is debatable whether or not a registry cleaning actually does anything, especially in Windows Vista and 7.  We use it because we have seen some performance issues resolved with this simple tool.  Now, word of caution: MAKE THE BACKUP!  In our experience we have seen some older programs get broken from a mistaken problem that was repaired.  Simply double-clicking on the backup file will put everything right back like it was.  Our favorite reasons: Piriform, the maker of the software, has some great utilities for free that have been tested thoroughly and are used in our business.  Everything they make works great.

5.   A clean up utility: We use Glary Utilities.  It does have a registry cleaner, but it also cleans up system files, too.  Our favorite reason: It is fast and pretty dang thorough for a little FREE utility.

6. A shortcut to your Windows Updater.  The updates come pretty regularly from Microsoft, but sometimes you don’t get all of them.  This is something that should be done to make sure hardware and other software from Microsoft is updated also.  Keeping your system up to date will optimize your experience of Windows.  To add this shortcut, use the instructions below.

Now, the systems we have been discussing here are running Windows Vista or Windows 7.  If your system is Windows XP we add one more program:

• A file defragmenter: We use Defraggler.  The Defrag that comes with Windows XP is ok, but this one is nice because you can schedule it to run automatically.  This is also from the makers of CCleaner, Piriform.  Windows 7 and Vista do not need a defragmenter because they already have one installed and it runs all the time in the background.  Just a side note, deframenting does not “fix” your computer only helps with your system performance.

The next step to creating your very own FastLane Technologies ToolBox! is to create a folder on your desktop to keep all these goodies in.  Simply right-click on your desktop anywhere there is a free space and then go to “New” and then click “Folder.”  Next you name the folder “ToolBox!” and press enter.  Drag and drop all of your new tools into the folder.  Some tools do not create an icon shortcut so you will have to find them in the Start menu.  Go to the program in the start menu and simply right-click on the program.  You will go to “Send to” and click on “Desktop Shortcut.”  Now you can complete your ToolBox! list.  For a final flair, right click on the ToolBox! folder and click on “Properties” and then click on the “Customize” tab.  From there click the “Change Icon” button and select a different look other than the boring folder icon.  Click “Ok” and “Ok” and you are done!  We choose the “Run” icon because we like it to look like it is fast at FastLane!  You need to run these tools as much as you use your computer.  Simply put: if you use it a lot, once a month.  If you use it very little, every six months will be fine.  The Windows Update is the only exception that should be checked at least once a month.  That’s it!  You are now in the FastLane Technologies ToolBox! Club.

We are still available to help you:

Contact Us Now

Due to some issues with our advertiser, we had to redesign our site.  Well, we learned some very valuable lessons on what search engines are looking for.  Summed up in one word: CONTENT!  We plan on giving away free tips and tricks for the do-it-yourselfers and some news as to what is going on in the tech industry.  Feel free to leave your comments to the posts and it will encourage us to leave more information that you can use.