Bryans Blog

Refresh, Reset, Restore.

Refresh your PC without affecting your files.
Use this option if your PC isn’t performing as well as it once did, and you don’t know why, you can refresh your
PC without deleting any of your personal files or changing your settings.

There are a couple caveats of course.
If you upgraded your PC from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 and your PC has a Windows 8 recovery partition (usually Dell
and HP have a recovery partition), refreshing your PC will restore Windows 8. You’ll need to upgrade to Windows
8.1 after the refresh has finished.

Also Apps you installed from websites and DVDs will be removed. Apps that came with your PC and apps you installed
from the Windows Store will be reinstalled. Windows puts a list of removed apps on your desktop after refreshing your PC.

Remove everything and reinstall Windows (reset)
If you want to recycle your PC, give it away, or start over with it, you can reset it completely.

Again if you upgraded your PC from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 and your PC has a Windows 8 recovery partition,
resetting your PC will restore Windows 8. You’ll need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 after the reset has finished.

Also be aware that all of your personal files will be deleted and your settings will be reset. All apps that you
installed will be removed. Only apps that came with your PC will be reinstalled.

Restore your PC to an earlier point in time.
If you think an app or driver that you recently installed caused problems with your PC, you can restore Windows
back to an earlier point in time, called a restore point. System Restore doesn’t change your personal files, but
it might remove recently installed apps and drivers.

Note:
System Restore isn’t available for Windows RT 8.1. (Most Tablet PC’s have the RT version installed)

 Windows automatically creates a restore point when you install desktop apps and new Windows updates, if the last
restore point is older than 7 days. You can also create a restore point manually at any time.

If you have any system questions or concerns, contact the CCS Retail Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Windows 8.2 Update

Excerpted from FoxNews

Although the update to Windows 8, now known as Windows 8.1 did bring back the Start Button, and as mentioned it did not bring back the traditional Start Button that shows all your installed apps in an organized little window in the bottom left corner of your screen.  The new Start Button did bring you to a whole new page with all apps organized in a tile like interface.

The next update to Windows 8, rumored to be called Windows 8.2 is supposed to change that, once again.
As reported by FoxNews

"Microsoft will reportedly bring back its dearly departed Start menu to Windows 8.2, a change that will come as welcome news for many desktop users who feel isolated by some of the changes the company has made to its signature operating system.

And now Paul Thurrott at Windows IT Pro has written in greater detail about how Microsoft’s vision for Windows 8.2 is all about making desktop fans happy again… and it goes way beyond bringing back the Start menu."

Paul Thurrott thinks that Microsofts new Windows OS team has finally dropped the ‘my way or the highway’ attitude that caused the stir up with Windows 8.

Many people like the stability and speed that Windows 8 brought to the table (or Tablet/Desktop), but what people did not like, was how Microsoft did not take into account all the Desktop users that still use a keyboard and mouse to interact with their PC and how it would affect traditional PC users.  As you know, the new UI called Metro, uses a Tile based approach which is great for Touchscreen devices, but leaves a bad taste for many desktop users.

Besides possibly bringing back the traditional Start Button that we all know and love, Windows 8.2 should take that a step further.  Just how far we will have to wait and see.

While the changes might not be coming as quickly as some would like — Thurrott thinks we won’t see Windows 8.2 until well into 2014 — Metro haters can take solace that the company is listening to their concerns.

For system questions and concerns, contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Excerpted from BusinessNewsDaily.

Last week, I brought up 4 areas where small businesses may lack in security and how to help tighten it up, especially during the holiday season.  Here are 4 more way to help protect your customers, business and sanity.

1. Not enforcing an employee security policy

Few small businesses enforce security policies on their employees. In any business, employees are likely storing customer data, whether they are aware of it or not. A stolen laptop, lost smartphone or even a prying eye can lead to the wrong people obtaining your IP or customer data without your knowledge. Create a policy, if you do not have one currently, and enforce it on all employees.

2. Ignoring staff education

Whether your staff comes to you with a strong security background or is forced to "learn on the fly," a lack of training can lead to avoidable incidents. No matter their prior knowledge, make sure your IT staff receives training about the products they work with, and be sure to provide time and financial resources to help keep them up to date. Personnel training can provide a large return on investment (ROI) and help avoid incidents that could damage your business and reputation.  A little knowledge can a long way.

3. Using the same passwords again and again

Every company, small or large, should strive to have some guidelines and standard operating procedures around the use — and reuse — of passwords. In order to mitigate the risk of successful password guessing and cracking in their environment, employees should be aware of the issues that may stem from the use and reuse of weak passwords. Put a password manager such as Last Pass, Keepass or Roboform in place to generate random passwords for each new account that is created and to keep track of each password.  Change passwords for critical resources every 90-180 days (PCI compliance requires every 90 days), and enforce rules of complexity such as a minimum number of characters and alphanumeric requirements.

4. Letting just anyone on your network

Clients, vendors and other visitors may request access, but allowing non-secured personal or third-party computers to connect to your local area network (LAN) can be a big mistake. Make sure any and every computer on your network is secure; you never know if a client’s laptop is carrying a virus.

This is probably one of the more important areas.  Clients and Vendors may "plug-in" to many different networks with varying security. At the very least, make sure they have adequate, up to date protection before allowing them access to your network. All it takes is one infected device to take down and infect an entire network.

If you have any system security questions or concerns, contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Excerpted from FoxBusiness News

Security is an important part of any business now a days, large or small.  If your network is breached, the additional costs, and a tarnished reputation may be difficult to remedy, and customer trust is tough to regain once personal information has been compromised.

Nobody is perfect, but here are a few ways to help you protect your business, customers, and integrity

1. Ignoring blind spots

In small businesses, technical expertise is generally not deep. Rather, the folks in charge of protecting data are often performing other job functions in the company. If your staff lacks expertise in a given area, it is important to invest in regular security-health checks with subject matter experts to ensure each solution you have in place continues to remain optimally configured and operating at peak performance.

2. Thinking your size makes you immune

Many small companies believe their size means they are immune to break-ins, IP theft or other issues; they may feel only bigger organizations will be targeted. This leads to a piecemeal security portfolio put together with cheap point solutions, freeware and no way to consolidate the information. Don’t think it won’t happen to you; always make precautions and take threats seriously.

3. Not checking your work

Just as a writer’s work is reviewed by an editor, your work may benefit from a second perspective. In one instance, an administrator at an oil and gas company manually input a policy that included a typo. This left a huge hole, which was open and susceptible to attack. Having your work reviewed by a second set of eyes, be it from a colleague or a consultant, can help avoid simple errors and help protect your business.

4. Viewing compliance as a "checkbox"

PCI, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and other regulations are not just points to cross off your list. To get out ahead of audit findings, implement industry best practices such as those set forth by the Center for Internet Security (CIS), the SANS Institute or even Microsoft Hardening Guidelines. Nothing ruins your week like tracking down lost data or a root cause, so embrace a security mindset and view it as a responsibility, not a chore.

More helpful tips next week in part 2

For system questions and concerns, contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Disaster Recovery 101

With most new PC’s, whether from a popular name brand like Dell or HP, or your local repair shop, you will receive all the disks (or ability to create them) that will be needed to re-install everything, the OS, the apps, and the drivers.  If you must create these tools instead, I recommend this is one of the first things to do after you update your PC.

When CCS provides the new equipment, ALL media and documentation that belongs with the equipment is given to the customer.  This media should be put in a safe place in case for re-install in the event of a crash or an update gone bad.

Having the media readily available can reduce turn around time on a re-staged PC by hours.  Not having any of the media could also mean having to re-buy products such as MS Office or any other licensed software, before re-installation.  Most products need a product key that is part of the packing protecting the media.

If this media is lost or needs to be replace, it should be done immediately and once received put in a safe place.

If you need help replacing lost media, call the CCS Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Preparing For On-Site Visits

As you know, CCS can come on-site to install, review, move, ad change your IT infrastructure by appointment. If you do decide to have CCS come on-site, being prepared is important to keep costs down and allow efficient use of our time.

Installing Equipment.
To be prepared for an on-site install, it is best to have the area ready.  All store fixtures should be moved, there should be a power outlet nearby, and data cabling should be done in advance and labeled by the installer. If cabling needs to be run through conduit, most installers will leave a line to "fish" the new cabling through.  It is recommended that you have CCS come by to review the area to make any adjustments in fixtures or cabling routing BEFORE the intended install date.

Server Access/New User accounts.
If your server is managed by an outside IT company, inform them of our pending visit.  We can coordinate with them to be on-site or available as well.  This is important because if we have to wait for users to be created or IP addresses to be assigned, this can waste valuable time and money.  If your company polices dictate a chain of command to get a new user created or permissions assigned, this should be done ahead of time.

Let Store Managers Know.
Most companies have store managers and assistants to help run their business.  If CCS will be coming on-site and you will not be there, let someone know.  It is never good for CCS to come on-site and the store manager or assistant is not ready for the work to be done.  I try to include store managers in the loop of emails so they can be prepared for whatever task CCS has been asked to do.  It can also be beneficial to get their input, placing that new or extra register in the desired location.  Placement choices could make other daily tasks take longer to complete.  They may have some other issues that could be looked at after all planned tasks have been completed.

If you have any system questions or concerns, contact the CCS Retail Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Dial up Fallback Credit Card Authorization

Most businesses today use the Internet to process their Credit Card transactions.  Its fast, efficient, and reliable.  But what do you do, if your Internet service goes out?  I was speaking to a customer today, that said that they gather all of the customers information, use the old "knuckle buster" method to get an imprint of the card and manually re-input the transactions when the Internet is backup.  They also mentioned that it took about 30 minutes to complete about a handful of transactions.  Not very good use time if you ask me.

Even though Internet service has become much more reliable and resilient, there still may be times where it goes down for an extended period of time. This can be caused by storms, road work, or an accident

NCR CounterPoint supports the use of modems and your existing phone line to continue to be able to process credit card transactions even if your Internet service is down.

If you know that your service is going to be down, there is even a way to force the system to use the modem directly, instead of waiting for the system to "fallback" and use the modem.

This function can also be used for situations where an Internet connection will not be available but a phone line will.  For example, a sidewalk sale, vendor fair and the like.  It can also be used with Offline ticket entry if need be.

For information on compatible hardware and setup of a fallback modem, contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Some Under The Hood Changes

Help & Tips app that will be pinned to the Start screen by default and will offer a tutorial covering five or so of the most common things a new user needs to know about Windows 8 interface. “If there’s any regret we had” about the initial launch of Windows 8, said Microsoft’s Jensen Harris, “it’s that we didn’t help orient people.” Some OEMs (Dell and HP, for example) have created their own tutorial apps to fill this gap. The official version is overdue and welcome.

The Windows 8 Music app was quite confusing.  The Windows 8.1 version looks completely different, beginning with the home page. The three main links on that home page allow you to quickly play music from your collection (local or online) or play streaming music by tapping the Radio link (similar to the current Smart DJ feature). The third link, Explore, takes you to the Xbox Store, where you can search and shop. The display of the collection is neat, crisp, and modern.

New Apps
The collection of new apps are mostly utilities: Calculator is an obvious addition. It includes the standard and scientific views.

Alarms is another checklist item, with timer, stopwatch, and countdown functions.

Reading List is a great addition. If you’ve ever used Instapaper or Pocket or another “read it later” app, you have a rough idea of this app’s basic purpose. Unlike Instapaper, however, you aren’t restricted to web pages. You can save a link to piece of content from any app on the device, using the Windows 8 Share charm. Your personal Reading List can consist of links to web pages, email messages, snippets from the Finance and Travel apps, tweets, and so on.

Health and Fitness aggregates information about diet and exercise with tools to help you track calories and workout schedules.

Food and Drink covers recipes and cooking. Its key feature is a hands-free mode that lets you use a tablet in the kitchen without getting your greasy hands on the touchscreen. In this app you “turn pages” by making a swiping gesture in front of the web-cam.

File Explorer

In Windows 8, Microsoft gave its desktop file-management utility a new name (it’s now File Explorer instead of Windows Explorer) and added an Office-style ribbon. Windows 8.1 makes a couple of significant additional changes.The most obvious change is in the navigation bar on the left side of File Explorer. In place of the Computer node is a new link titled This PC. Under that link you’ll find shortcuts to the data folders in your user profile, as well as to local drives. SkyDrive gets its own top-level link as well.

Microsoft’s powerful but arcane Libraries feature is no longer spotlighted in the Windows 8.1 version of File Explorer. The Libraries node is gone from the navigation pane, and the default libraries aren’t created when you set up a new user profile, although you can create custom libraries if you want.

I’m still liking the new interface and Windows 8.1 overall.  I would still recommend a more familiar Start Button app if you are having trouble navigating the new Metro Interface.

In my opinion, Windows 8.1 is still not ready for the business environment, unless the software you use is supported, I would recommend keeping it at home.

For system questions and concerns, contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Windows 8.1 – Part 2

I have been using the new Windows 8.1.  I have found and made some personalized changes but there really is not too much of a difference from 8.0 for me.  I did add the Windows Start button back, and I set the system to boot directly to Desktop Mode, which was one of the changes made in the 8.1 update.

Some other things they added are that instead of using the Start Menu (Metro UI Style), you can set all your programs that would normal be in the Start Menu into an alphabetized, categorized, or other different grouping types to make them easier to find.

One feature of Windows 8 (as well as 8.1) is the Search ability.  For instance, say you’re looking for a program that is installed and can not seem to find it.  Don’t worry, Windows Search function is on the job.  From the Start Screen, just start typing part of the name of the application you are trying to find (this also works with documents and pictures too). A list will show up on the right side of your screen, with everything that Search has found containing your Search phrase.  It even breaks them down into different categories like Applications, Files, Web, etc… Overall a fairly handy tool for finding just about anything on your PC.

Next week, we will try to dive under the hood to see what we can find different/changed/new in the Windows 8.1 update.

If you have any questions or concerns, call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Windows 8.1  – The Big Update

As you guys know I recently updated my PC to Windows 8.  So far I like it.  It has taken a bit to get used to the new interface, look, and many other other changes that have come with the upgrade.  For the most part it has been fairly stable.

As most of you have probably been hearing, Windows 8.1 has been released to the public stating 10/17/2013.  As I have mentioned before, being on the bleeding edge is not necessarily the best idea, especially on a business mission critical system.  So I have taken the plunge for you and installed Microsoft latest update to Windows 8.1

I was pretty used to the Windows 8 look and feel; the lack of a start button; the Metro UI; the many other changes in Windows Explorer; and folder layouts,  Windows 8.1 did not really change too much of that. They have added some of what I like to call "quick access" buttons to different areas of the screen.  They have also added back a start button, but it is not what you think it is.  All it does, is send you back to the Metro UI, the same as pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.

There are some other changes as well, but since I have only been using 8.1 for a few hours now, I have yet to find them all.  I will update you in the next few weeks on what I have found, what I like and don’t like about the new update.

If you have any system questions or concerns, please call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan