Bryans Blog

If you, or your workplace, are still using Windows XP, it’s time to move on.

Microsoft will officially end support for the 2001-vintage platform on April 8, 2014, just shy of a year from now.

That means no more service packs, no more updates and, most importantly, no more security patches.
Windows users generally receive periodic updates from Microsoft via its Windows Update service. These fixes often patch
irregular behavior in the operating system.

More importantly, they plug vital flaws in the OS’s security, preventing hackers and exploiters from running roughshod over
private PCs. In just over a year, this service will cease for Windows XP, marking the effective end of the software’s 13-
year run.

Windows 7 is a great upgrade from XP, it has tools that will allow you to run older software seemlessly.

If you need help reviewing your system and software, call the CCS Retail Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

In all the years I’ve been in the IT industry, I see 2 issues that seem to pop up time and time again, that seem to be the
culprit of slow PC’s.

The first is Viruses, Malware, and Spyware.
These malicious programs run in the background secretly gaining access to passwords and websites and popping up adds in
your browser.  Although no Anti-Virus/Malware/Spyware program is perfect, they do a pretty good job of keeping these things
off your system.  Remember that a running program, whether you can see it or not is using resources that could be used for
other things you do on your PC. So with these programs running, it will cause your PC to be slow even though nothing
“looks” to be running.  CCS recommends installing and keeping up to date Anti-Virus/Spyware/Malware software on ALL your
PC’s. And remember Spyware is different from a Virus as is malware different, so having both an Anti-Virus and Anti-
Malware/Spyware software is important.  Also keep in mind that you are going to get what you pay for.  Although there are
plenty of good free software on the Internet, due your research to see what will work best for you.

The other speed killer is registry errors.
Every time you (or your kids) load a program, game, or file, your PC’s software registry is updated with new instructions
needed to operate that item. However, when the item is removed, these instructions usually remain on your PC. Every time
you run your computer it tries to execute these instructions but, because the related program can’t be found, it causes a
registry error. Your PC is doing a lot more work than it should be, and the result is a significantly slower computer.
I am not a big fan of registry cleaners/fixers but as with Anti-Virus software, you get what you pay for when it comes
software.  If the software you install is not developed and tested properly, when you go to uninstall it, it may leave
traces in your registry causing a slow down if you do install alot of different software.  Even paid for software can do
this.  That is why I recommend doing research BEFORE installing any software.  Read reviews, both the good and bad, see what
others have to say and decide if it is something you want to try.

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

-Bryan

Excerpted from ExtremeTech Ezine

In a previous blog, I talked about Windows 8 and how there is no longer a “Start” button in Desktop Mode.  I have also read
a few tech articles on how people are complaining about it.  Well don’t fret, I also mentioned in my blog that there are a
few very good “Start Button” replacements some even better than Microsofts own Windows 7 Start menu, that bring back the
Start button and make your PC look and feel just like Windows 7 did.

Here are a few Start Button replacement apps:

StartIsBack – ($3 or a free 30 daytrial)

If you want a Start menu replacement that looks exactly like Windows 7, StartIsBack is for you. You get the same Start menu
orb icon, the same search box, the same jump lists, and — for better or worse — even the same Aero transparency!
StartIsBack even detects if your system needs to restart to apply some patches; it really is just like the Windows 7 Start
menu.

Where StartIsBack diverges from the Windows 7 Start menu, though, is configurability: StartIsBack is fully customizable,
and includes a handful of useful Windows 8-specific features, too. You can configure which hot corners are enabled, make
your PC jump straight to the Desktop when it first boots up, and configure a key combo to show the Windows 8 Start screen
(Win+Ctrl by default). If Start menu and taskbar transparency aren’t your thing, StartIsBack lets you disable it — and you
can change the Start button orb icon, too.

Pokki – (Free)

Where StartIsBack tries to replicate the Windows of yesteryear, Pokki (free) is very much its own beast — and as much as I
love the Windows 7 Start menu, I have to admit that Pokki is probably even better. It utilizes a neat “pinning” system that
isn’t unlike the home screen of your smartphone or tablet (though I would argue that the Windows taskbar/superbar still
does a better job). You can also add widgets to Pokki, such as Gmail or Facebook, which display your latest email or status
updates.

By default, Pokki will configure your Windows 8 system to boot straight to the Desktop — and there is an option that will
just completely disable the hot corners, if you so desire. (Remember, Win+C pops open the Charms menu, if you need.)

StartMenu8 (Free)

If you want the Windows 7 Start menu look-and-feel, but you’re not prepared to fork out a few dollars for StartIsBack or
Start8, StartMenu8 is a solid alternative. While the interface won’t win any prizes — it feels a lot like the early Linux
apps that ruthlessly ripped off Windows — you get a fair amount of configurability, and a handful of Windows 8-specific
toggles that are very useful.

By default, StartMenu8 will skip the Windows 8 Start screen and go straight to the Desktop, and disable Windows 8′s hot
corners. There’s also the option to disable the sidebar, if you really don’t ever want to see Windows 8 ever again. The
StartMenu8 button icon can be altered, and you can add and remove which links appear up the right side of the Start menu.
Overall, StartMenu8 looks and feels a bit clunky — and, incidentally, watch out for some “bundleware” during the
installation process.

Classic Shell (free, Open Source)

Classic Shell is free, open-source donationware that gives you the option of a classic (Windows 98ish), Windows XP, or
Vista/7 Start menu. At its most basic, it puts a Start button back on your taskbar — but as always with third-party
utilities, it has a ton of other features and settings that you can tweak to your heart’s content (in Classic Shell’s case,
there’s probably too many tweakable settings). There is apparently an option for Classic Shell to boot straight to Desktop,
but I couldn’t find it.

One strong point of Classic Shell is that it successfully rebinds your Start key, so that the Start menu pops up instead of
the new Metro Start screen. Hitting the Start key from Metro pops up Classic Shell, too. Other Start menu replacements
don’t usually cope quite so well.

Start8 ($5, free 30 day trial)

Finally, a commercial offering that will set you back $5: Start8. Start8 is very similar to Classic Shell or StartMenu8,
but it’s just a little bit smoother. Start8′s configuration interface is much easier to use (and easier on the eyes), and
the actual Start menu feels much more like a contiguous part of Windows.

Start8 has a curious option where you can actually have the Metro Start screen pop up as a menu, rather than full-screen.
This is kinda neat, though you’re probably better off sticking to the normal Windows 7-style Start menu replacement.
Like Pokki, Start8 can disable your hot corners and boot directly to Desktop. Start8 also has a bunch of configuration
options for how the Start key interacts with Desktop and Metro, which can be useful if you’re looking for a very specific
functionality.

Personally, I have tried all these (there are many more out there, but this is a good start) and I find both Classic Shell
and Pokki have plenty of options to satisfy me and of course they are free.

So if you are ready to give up on Windows 8, give one of these a try, it just might change your mind!!

-Bryan

NCR CounterPoint (CPSQL) has the ability to send receipts, PO’s, Reports, and just about anything that can be printed.
CPMobile, NCR CounterPoint’s mobile solution can also send receipts via email right from your device.  This is not an out-
of-the-box configuration and some setup is required.

First you will need to know your email server IP or host name.  You will also need to know what port (default is 25) and if
your server uses a secure SSL connection.  You will also need a username and password of a valid account on the email
server.  I usually recommend a separate account used just for the purpose of sending information from CounterPoint.

Another good idea would be to setup a Gmail or Outloook.com account for this purpose, you may also want to include a “Do
Not Reply” or “this account is unmonitored” so you don’t get a bunch of reply emails, although this could also be used for
feedback if you choose.

If you are using your own or hosted email server, be sure to allow your CounterPoint Server to “Relay” from your email server.  This
seems to be the most common issue when setting up emailing receipts and other information from NCR CounterPoint.

If you would like help setting up your system to send email receipts or PO’s, have the information I mentioned above on
hand of have your IT person give CCS a call to help with the setup.

-Bryan

Cloud Storage And Apps

It seems the new rage is cloud storage and apps.  Google has them, Microsoft has them as I’m sure there are plenty others out there.  But is it right for you or your business?

Although Internet connectivity and reliability may not be something you have to think about anymore, there are times when the Internet is not available for what ever reason.  If you are using or thinking of switching to using Internet apps and storage, you have to ask yourself what you would do if you could not access the apps or files that are stored/used on the the Internet.

For example, just last weekend, Microsoft’s platform for apps was unavailable.  Would you be able to continue to conduct business if you couldn’t access your apps or files?  Do you have a backup plan? Do your employees know what to do?

Using Internet apps/storage for home maybe the best. In my opinion, if you cant get by without the Internet to do business, then Internet apps are not for you.  Stay with the tried and true apps that are physically installed on your PC.  It also never hurts to have a backup plan in case you have computer problems, and of course a system backup.

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

-Bryan

IE 10 Download

Listening to the news this morning, I heard that Microsoft is releasing Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 computers.  What this means is that if you have Automatic Updates turned on, you will soon receive an update that will upgrade your current Internet Explorer (Version 9 by default) to version 10.

If you would like to get it before hand, it is available for download at Microsoft’s download site (Do a Google search for IE10 download). There are some new features added and Microsoft claims that it is about 20% faster loading pages than IE9.

Most of the differences are "under the hood" but there has also been features added to protect your privacy. From reviews I’ve read its one of the best, but the user still has to do his/her part.

If you are already using Windows 8, you already have IE10, 2 actually, the "Windows 8 app" and the desktop version which is what most people are used to.  The Windows 8 app does lack some functionality that returns by using the desktop version, like right-clicking and a full Favorites menu, in both the Windows 7 and 8 versions, Microsoft also adhered more to Internet standards as well as adding HTML5 support, "built-in" Adobe features which were plug-ins before and is a little more "touch centric".

If you have not given IE a try in while, it may be worth giving it a test drive, even if you don’t use it as your default browser, you may want to install it for the extra security it does add.

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

-Bryan

Excerpt From NBCNews.com

Charge Card Surcharges
 

Charge a fee to use your credit card? It’s legal for merchants to do that, or is it barred by state law. Ten states already ban such surcharges – California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida,  Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas – and more may join the list. The legislatures in 11 other states are currently considering bills that would prevent these so-called “check out” fees. Lawmakers in Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont and Tennessee are responding to a rule change that took place late last month. A similar bill will soon be introduced in West Virginia.

Visa and MasterCard agreed to let merchants add a surcharge to credit card transactions as part of the settlement agreement in an antitrust lawsuit brought by retailers. Until Jan. 27, both Visa and MasterCard had prohibited merchants from charging the customer for the cost of processing that credit card transaction.

The settlement does not affect Visa or MasterCard debit cards. American Express still prohibits a surcharge on any of its cards. New Jersey Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus) said he introduced a bill to ban surcharging because it would hit consumers in the pocketbook. “The amount of the surcharge may seem minuscule on paper, but in the family budget 1.5 to 3 percent could add up to a shorter grocery list or less to spend on gas,” he said in a statement. In Utah, Sen. Curtis Bramble (R-Provo) is sponsoring a bill that would prohibit surcharges on any type of “financial transaction card” which would include debit cards. Major retailers are not expected to tack on a credit card surcharge, at least not any time in the immediate future. Wal-Mart, Target, Sears and Home Depot told NBC News they have no plans to add a credit card surcharge. But just the possibility has spurred some lawmakers into action.

“It’s a waste of the legislative process,” said Mallory Duncan, senior vice president of the National Retail Federation. “They could take steps to bring greater competition into the marketplace by prohibiting the price fixing of the hidden swipe fees merchants pay to process credit card transactions.”

Trish Wexler, spokesperson for the Electronic Payments Coalition, whose members include Visa and MasterCard Worldwide, told NBC News it has not taken a position on the issue.

“No one knows how checkout fees will work their way through the system,” Wexler said in an email statement, “but the settlement provides sufficient consumer protections while the process plays
out.”

What about disclosures?

The advocacy group Consumer Action has published a booklet on credit card checkout fees. It warns shoppers to be on the lookout for these fees and advises them to express their dissatisfaction.

“Customers shouldn’t stand for it,” said Ruth Susswein Consumer Action’s deputy director of national priorities. “Our advice is to tell them you don’t like the fee and this makes you want to take your business elsewhere.”

The new rules from Visa and MasterCard require retailers who apply a credit card surcharge to post a notice at the store’s entrance. The exact percentage of the surcharge does not need to be disclosed until the point of sale. The customer receipt must list the amount of the surcharge.

Online stores with a surcharge will not be required to have a notice on the home page. They only need to alert shoppers about this when they reach the page where credit cards are first mentioned. In most cases, that means the final step of checkout when the purchase is being completed.

Not the end of this story

The settlement that allows merchants to impose a credit card surcharge is only preliminary. The court has yet to issue its final ruling in this case. That’s expected later this year. Once that happens, various retailers and business groups plan to challenge the settlement. That could drag into late 2014.

The possibility that the settlement could be modified will probably keep most businesses of any size from instituting credit card fees for the time being.

-Bryan

Windows 8 Shortcut keys

With the removal of the "Start" Button in Windows 8, here is a list of 15 shortcut keys that will help you maneuver through the OS.

1. Windows Key + C: Displays Charms menu. – The Charms menu is where the Settings options are brought up.  There are other "Charms" but this menu can also be brought up by moving your mouse to the top right corner of any screen.

2. Windows Key + X: Brings up a menu of advanced system options, including Windows Control

Panel, Command Prompt, Task Manager and File Explorer.

3. Windows Key + I: Displays the Settings menu for the current app. For example, if you’re in
Internet Explorer 10, this key shows Internet options. If you’re on the Start menu, it shows
general OS settings.

4. Windows Key + Q: Brings up the apps search menu that allows you to search your list of
installed programs.

5. Windows Key + D: Activates desktop mode.

6. Windows Key + Tab: Brings up the Task Switcher and toggles between Windows 8-style apps.

7. Windows Key + H: Brings up Share menu for the current app. For example, hitting Windows Key +

H in Bing Maps, lets you email or share map information on social networks.

8. Windows Key + M: Opens desktop mode and minimizes all windows.

9. Windows Key + W: Opens universal search menu and sets it to search settings.

10. Windows Key + F: Opens universal search menu and sets it to search files.

11. Windows Key + R: Opens Run menu where you can launch programs by typing in their executable
file names.

12. Windows Key + E: Opens File Explorer to the “My Computer” view which shows all your drives.

13. Windows Key +Number Key (1-9): Switch to desktop mode and make the Nth application on the
task bar active where N is the number key you hit and 1 is the furthest taskbar icon to the
left.

14. Windows Key + . (period key): Docks the current Windows 8-style application to the right or
left, depending on how many times you hit it.

15. Windows Key + Z: Brings up app menu, which shows contextual options for the active app.

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

Also check out the CCS Amazon Market Place for technical and non-technical items of reference, entertainment, collectibles, and exercise equipment.  You can find it here.

-Bryan
 

Excerpted From PCWorld

Windows 8 may not be the easiest operating system to use, but no one can accuse it of being stingy. If you poke deep inside the new OS, you’ll find a generous assortment of software tools, many of which make third-party utilities redundant. One built-in tool helps you calibrate your PC’s display. Another helps you investigate system-stability problems. And yet another lets you record on-screen actions to create tutorials for Windows applications. All of these utilities are free and come preloaded in Windows 8, with no hidden add-on costs. (You should be aware, though, that the Hyper-V virtual machine manager requires Windows 8 Pro or Enterprise, not the standard version of Windows 8.)

And here they are

Windows reliability history
In the Windows 8 Start screen, type reliability, click Settings, and then select View Reliability History. You’ll go to the Windows desktop, and a window with a timeline will appear.

Reliability Monitor doesn’t just report problems. It also keeps track of when you’ve installed or updated applications and drivers, so you can pinpoint exact dates and use that knowledge for troubleshooting and system repair. For example, once you know the precise date of a troublesome driver installation, you can roll back your machine via Windows System Restore to a date before that driver started wreaking havoc.

DirectX diagnostics
While I’m on the topic of troubleshooting, let’s take a look at the DirectX Diagnostic Tool,
also known as DXDiag. In previous versions of Windows, DXDiag was installed whenever you
installed DirectX, which usually occurred when you installed a game. But now that DirectX is
part and parcel of the Windows 8 operating system, DXDiag is included from the get-go.

DXDiag pops up a wealth of useful information for evaluating DirectX problems. Under the Display
tab, you’ll see the installed GPU, the display interface (DVI, HDMI, or the like), your graphics
memory allotment, and so on. The Sound tab gives you information related to the audio device and
drivers. DXDiag offers a deeper level of detail than you might find in Device Manager, and it’s
all specific to DirectX-capable devices.

Display calibration
 Out of the box, your PC monitor is usually too bright, and the colors are typically
over-saturated. That may not be an issue if all you do is spreadsheet work, but if you’re editing
photos or video, or even just watching movies, you’ll want to fine-tune the colors for accuracy.

Sure, you could spend $60 or more for color-calibration software and hardware, and that might be
money well spent if you’re a graphics professional or a movie buff who’s finicky about faithful
color reproduction. But the color-calibration tool built into Windows can give you most of what
you need, and you don’t have to shell out the cash for additional software

Application steps capture
Through Steps Recorder you can capture screenshots with every action you perform: each mouse
click, key press, and so on. If you’re typing in a text editor (such as Microsoft Word), only
the complete text will be shown, not every keystroke. After you stop the recording, you can
review what you’ve captured and do simple edits. The tool saves the whole affair in a .zip file,
but saves the actual content as an MHTML (Mime HTML) file, which combines different types of
content into a single HTML file.

Steps Recorder is no replacement for a sophisticated screen-capture tool such as Camtasia, but
it’s useful for quick-and-dirty tutorials when you need to communicate a small set of simple,
discrete Windows actions.

Task scheduling
Task Scheduler is just what it sounds like: It helps you set schedules for running specific
Windows applications. A typical example might be when you want to schedule a backup to run.
However, Task Scheduler also lets you create complex scripts of tasks, which can run in order
and at particular times.

For example, Microsoft uses Task Scheduler to set up the daily upload of information on how you
use Windows to the Windows Experience team. You run Task Scheduler by typing Schedule, selecting
Settings, and then clicking Schedule Tasks.

Some third parties misuse Task Scheduler to load and run apps on startup, when simply tapping
into the Start-up folder might be a better approach. So even if you don’t plan on ever creating a
task script, it’s worthwhile to visit Task Scheduler on occasion to see what applications may
have touched it.

Virtual machine creation and management
The Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise versions include the Hyper-V virtual machine manager that was
originally built into Windows Server. However, it isn’t installed by default. If you want to use
Hyper-V, go to the Control Panel, click Programs, and select Turn Windows Features on or off.
Choose Hyper-V and click the OK button. After Hyper-V is installed, you’ll need to reboot the
PC.You end up with two applications: Hyper-V (the virtual machine manager that runs the VM
software) and the Hyper-V Manager, where you create or remove virtual machines and .VHD (virtual
hard drive) files. Once you’ve created a VM, you can install any OS you want, including Windows
3.1 through Windows 8, Linux, BSD, and others.

Note that the Windows 8 version leaves out a few features built into the server version,
including GPU vitalization (no 3D acceleration in Windows 8 VMs) and some exotic networking
features (such as fibre channel support). If you were a user of the Windows XP Mode feature in
Windows 7, which used the older Windows Virtual PC, then Hyper-V can fill in the gap. However,
unlike with XP Mode, you’ll need a valid Windows XP license key to install Windows XP into a
virtual machine.

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

-Bryan

Windows * "Live Tiles"

The best way to explain "Live Tiles" would be to compare it to a "Widget" on your smartphone.  You know, how the icon updates itself depending on the app itself.  For instance, your email app may show a number or part of the email you just received, or Facebooks Widget may show status updates of your friends.

Live Tiles "live" on the new Metro start menu, they do not show on the Desktop (which by the way is a "Live Tile" in itself on the Start menu.  There are about 10 default Tiles that show up after installing Windows 8, like email, calendar, people (your ,contact list), among others.

There is also a "Windows Store" much like the Apple Store or Googles "Play" store with apps specifically designed for Windows 8 desktops, along with apps for the Windows phone. The Windows Store works in much the same way as the other two mentioned,
there are categories, free and paid apps, reviews by other users.  There are some very interesting apps like one for the Chef at home, it displays a different recipe on the Tile each day, a simple click on the Tile opens up to the recipe and ingredients.  Anther thing you will notice about Tiles is that there is no "X" in the corner to close the app.  To close the app its as simple as dragging it down with either your finger (if you have a touchscreen) or by "grabbing" it with a your mouse and dragging it down (similar to dragging and dropping), you can also switch between the Start Screen and the Desktop with a single button, the Windows Key on your keyboard does this.

There are many short-cut keys available also.  We will talk about that in another blog.  For now, I’m very happy with Windows 8.  To me it seems like a face-lift to Windows 7 and in my opinion a good one.

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