Here are notes, Web links, and videos from our meetings:
Subject/Title
Meeting & Date
Restoring Data From External Hard Drives and External SSDs:
External hard drives and external SSDs fail faster than internal ones because of the horrible "USB-to-SATA" and "USB to ***" controller boards that are placed inside them.
For external hard drives that have "USB-to-SATA" controller boards, you can take advantage of this by "shucking" the entombed internal hard drive or SSD and using a separate USB-to-SATA adapter to extract data from the embeded hard drive, as explained at https://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/windhardsig/harddrives/external/recovering-ext-drives.pdf
Maintaining and Repairing Hard Drives for "Windows.." Computers:
When confronted with hard drive problems, you should perform low-risk, less invasive procedures first,
followed by increasingly aggressive, higher risk procedures.
As you perform these increasingly invasive procedures, you will either repair the hard drive
and return it to service or at some point you might decide that it is beyond economical repair:
If the above procedures fail to restore the hard drive and the hard drive has data
that you or the end-user deem worth spending one to five thousand dollars to recover, you can obtain professional data recovery assistance which is the most expensive option for recovering data files from a failed hard drives.
This data recovery option involves the shipping of the hard drive to a clean room operation
where they open it up, read each platter in specialized equipment.
Then they use their proprietary computers to reconstruct the data files on the hard drive.
Then they ship the recovered data back to you on external hard drives or DVD-R discs.
See: Surviving a home data disaster: How Shirley got her files back and Driversavers is a cleanroom service for recovering data from failed hard drives Our Tucson Computer Society member Harry Elver can can provide you with the "Drivesavers" services
at a discount!
See also http://www.repairtucsoncomputer.com/data-recovery-tucson/data-recovery-tucson.html and http://www.datarecovery.net/ and Arizona Data Recovery
Radical "Surgery" to Extend the Life of Failed Hard Drives:
If you are unable to recover the data files from a failed hard drive and it's platters are still spinning,
you can sometimes use "Disk Management" in "Windows" to create partitions
to "block out" the bad sections of the hard drive,
in order to extend the userful life of the hard drive. See Perform Radical Surgery on a Hard Drive in Order to Extend Its Useful Service Life
You can dispense wih the complexity of dual-booting by installing Linux on an extenal USB hard drive or an extenal USB SSD. Then, if you set USB drives to have a higher boot priority relative to the existing Windows hard drive, you computer will boot up into Linux whenever the USB drive that has Linux installed in it is attahed to a USB port of the computer
as explained at
http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/linuxsig/boot-up-options/Linux-boot-up-Win-PC.pdf:
Malware often "hides" in hidden files and folders so please make sure that your computer is displaying hidden files and file extensions by following our procedure in how how-to document called "Some Simple Techniques For Making 'Windows..' Easier To Use"
at http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/win/easier/win-easier1.pdf
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
09-19-2022
USING YOUR WINDOWS.. OR LINUX COMPUTER, YOU CAN TAKE CONTROL OF AN ANDROID CELL PHONE Using two no-cost software apps, an Android cell phone will show up in a
Windows 11 or 10 computer or in a Linux computer as a window that looks exactly like the screen of the Android phone. From this window, you can make and receive phone calls and text messages and operate all of the apps that are inside the cell phone:
USING ZOOM'S "TAKE CONTROL" OR "MICROSOFT'S "QUICK ASSIST" OR MICROSOFT'S "REMOTE ASSISTANCE" TO HELP SOMEONE WITH THEIR "WINDOWS.." COMPUTER
You can use your Zoom's "Take Control" feature or Microsoft's "Quick Assist" or Microsoft's "Remote Assistance" app to help a Windows.. computer user without being physically present at their home or business.
--For information on Zoom's "Take Control" feature
please see
http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/software/remote-assistance/Zoom-remote-control.pdf
General Meeting of the
Pikes Peak Computer Application Society
of
Colorado Springs, CO
on
06-04-2022
and
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
11-15-2021
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
04-18-2022
Dr. Ron Brown presented on the "Virtual Reality for Seniors" at the General Meeting of the Tucson Computer Society on March 21, 2022.
A YouTube video of this presentation is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bcij3TuqzY
George Harding presented on the "Consumer Electronics Show 2022" at the General Meeting of the Tucson Computer Society on March 21, 2022.
A YouTube video of this presentation is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbTfUpk61p0
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
03-21-2022
Andres Onate, Ph.D. of the University of Arizona presented on the "Economy of China" at the Computer Pros SIG of the Tucson Computer Society on March 17, 2022.
A YouTube video of this presentation is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqwajvHNXkM
Computer Pros SIG
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
03-17-2022
You can tether an Android cell phone to another device so that it provides Internet access
for the other device if your Android cell phone has a data plan, a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi router,
or both a data plan AND a Wi-Fi connection to a Wi-Fi router.
You can only tether an "iPhone" cell phone that has a "data plan"
to provide Internet connectivity for a computer, tablet, or another cell phone.
If you "iPhone" does not have a "data plan" and it only connects to the Internet by means of Wi-Fi to a wireless router or a "hotspot",
you cannot tether it to provide Internet connectivity for a computer, tablet, or another cell phone.
Vertical Service Codes:
"Vertical service codes" have various functions such as:
--suppress the display of your phone number at the caller ID device or cell phone of the called party
--determine the radio frequencies that your cell phone is transmitting and receiving at.
See
http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/cell-phones/vertical-service-codes.pdf
Cell Phone Problems:
When the call center agent of a cell phone carrier configures your new cell phone, they can misconfigure it and turn your shiny new cell phone into a useless brick.
Therefore, you need to run a few tests of any cell phone that has been recently configured by a cell phone carrier.
See
http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/cell-phones/cell-phone-problems.pdf
Microsoft's bundled "Your Phone" app running inside Windows 11 and Windows 10 lets you use a Windows 11 or 10 computer to completely control an Android cell phone that has the "Your Phone
Companion" app running inside it. The entire screen of your Android cell phone is displayed in the monitor of the Windows 10 computer.
This useful feaature only works between Android cell phones and Windows.. computers.
It does not work between iPhones and Windows.. computers.
******************
In a Windows 10 computer, "Your Phone" is a bundled Windows 11 and 10 app.
A "sister app" called "Your Phone Companion" is available in most Android cell phones. **************
In most non-Samsung Android cell phones, you will find a "Your Phone Companion" app in the Apps screens.
If you do not find it in a non-Samsung Android cell phone, you can install it from the Google "Play Store" where it is listed as "Your Phone Companion" when you search for it.
**************
In recent models of Samsung cell phones, you use the bundled "Link to Windows" app to run and control the bundled "Your Phone Companion" app.
However, in recent models of Samsung cell phones, the "Your Phone" is not shown in the Apps screens, even though the bundled "Your Phone" app is installed into recent models of Samsung at the factory during the manufacturing process.
In recent models of Samsung cell phones, "Link to Windows" and "Your Phone" both show up in the Apps list in Settings where they show up as separate apps.
In a Samsung cell phone, "Link to Windows" only shows up in the "Quick Settings" screens:
To get into the Quick Settings screens of a Samsung cell phone, swipe down twice from the top of the screen.
Apparently, in recent models of Samsung cell phones, "Link to Windows" is a bundled, mandatory, and unremovable "front end" "graphical user interface" for controlling the "Your Phone" app which is also a bundled, mandatory, and unremovable but "stealth" app.
**************
Microsoft's information about "Your Phone"
is available at
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/make-and-receive-phone-calls-from-your-pc-21564230-abf6-f2bb-c7b7-1b15570662f5
**************
Regardless of whether you have Samsung Android cell phone or a non-Samsung Android cell phone, the procedure for fixing a non-working "Your Phone" connection between an Android cell phone and a Windows 10 computer
is available at https://www.guidingtech.com/fix-windows-10-your-phone-app-not-working-issue/
Using a USB Webcam and various free
and not-free software apps in a "Windows..",
Mac, or Linux computer is the lowest-cost
way for you to have a motion detection
security system that records video and sound
and optionally can notify you via email or text messages:
See http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/webcams/Apps-for-USB-Webcams.pdf
The "uninstaller" wizards that are bundled with most "Desktop apps" and "Windows Apps"
leave all sorts of junk in both your Registry of "Windows.." and on your C: hard drive: To do a really clean uninstall of a "desktop app" or a "Windows app"
in a "Windows.." computer,
use the free "Revo Uninstaller Portable" program.
See http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/uninstaller/RevoUninstallerPortable.pdf
Use multiple routers to protect your home or small business network
against the security vulnerabilities of "Internet of Things" ("IoT") devices: For a level of security that is better than a single router, use three routers as follows:
Router 1 = "Border router" connects to the Internet provider.
Router 2 = "IoT router" is used to connect to cloud-connected security cameras, cloud-connected motion detection devices, smart refrigerators, smart TVs, video doorbells, smart thermostats, cloud-based voice-operated assistants, etc.
The YouTube video of Ron Brown's informative presentation on "Making faster Internet speed with your Modem and Router"
can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7ZZtcWIsVs
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
01-17-2022
If you install a fresh copy of "Windows 11"
into a computer with a motherboard that does not already have a digital license
for the exact edition of "Windows 11" that you have just installed,
you can usually activate your fresh copy of "Windows 10" by using an available activation key
from a corresponding purchased copy of "Windows 7", "Windows 8", "Windows 8.1", "Windows 10", or "Windows 11".
The "uninstaller" wizards that are bundled with most "Desktop apps"
(that "Programs and Features" in the Control Panel utilizes to remove software)
leave all sorts of junk in both your Registry of "Windows.." and on your C: hard drive: To do a really clean uninstall of a "desktop app" or a "Universal Windows Platform app"
in a "Windows.." computer,
use the free "Revo Uninstaller Portable" program.
See http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/uninstaller/RevoUninstallerPortable.pdf
General Meeting of the
Regal Mesa Technology Users Group
on
12-16-2021
and
Computer Pros SIG of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
12-18-2019
To avoid paying for "Microsoft Office..", you can use free office software "suites".
For ease of use and compatibility with "Microsoft Office.." file formats, "SoftMaker FreeOffice" is the best.
For "bells and whistles" features, "LibreOffice" is the best and it is bundled in with most distros of Linux.
However, "LibreOffice" is not as compatible with "Microsoft Office.." file formats as "FreeOffice".
For our detailed how-to advice,
please see
http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/software/office/alt-office-suites.pdf
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
11-15-2021
A YouTube video of my presentation of the below presentation slides to the Dayton Microcomputer Association on June 12, 2021
is available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLDHo_weBhY
Using the free "Speedtest.net" apps or Website to measure Internet Speeds
To Remediate Bottlenecks In Your Local Network:
Your broadband Internet download and upload speeds will usually be much slower than the speeds
at which the network devices on your local network run at.
However, many home and business networks have old, tired network components that bottleneck
your actual Internet speeds below what the Internet provider is providing at the broadband modem
which is actually available at the Internet "point of entry" .
To prevent the components of your local network (routers, switches, powerline links, etc.)
from bottlenecking the Internet bandwidth that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides you,
measure the Internet bandwidth speeds and the local area network speeds at various locations in your Local Area Network (LAN)
as described in http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/networks/bottlenecks/bottlenecks.pdf
Computer Pros SIG
Meeting
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
12-18-2020
and
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
07-28-2018
and
Windows 10/
Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
08-01-2018
"MX Linux" has risen to the top in "Interest Level" according to "Distrowatch.com":
"MX Linux" is a "mid-weight" distribution("distro") that runs faster and is much easier to configure and use relative to the other popular "distros" of Linux.
See http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/linuxsig/MX-Linux/MX-Linux-basics.pdf
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
01-18-2021
WIPING "WINDOWS.." HARD DRIVES TO PREPARE THEM FOR DONATION OR GIFTING
is available at
http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/harddrives/wipe-free-space/hard-drive-wiping.pdf:
If you want to give away a computer and/or it's hard drive,
you have a choice of whether to give away the hard drive with the computer.
If you decide to give away the hard drive with the computer, you have to decide if you want to give away the legal copy of Windows.. on the hard drive.
If you want to give away the legal copy of Windows.. that is on a hard drive,
then you also need to remove your data files and photos and then "wipe free space" on the hard drive to make sure that the recipient of the computer
cannot recover any data files are lurking in the "free space" of the hard drive.
The "uninstaller" wizards that are bundled with most "Desktop apps"
(that "Programs and Features" in the Control Panel utilizes to remove software)
leave all sorts of junk in both your Registry of "Windows.." and on your C: hard drive: To do a really clean uninstall of a "desktop app" or a "Universal Windows Platform app"
in a "Windows.." computer,
use the free "Revo Uninstaller Portable" program.
See http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/uninstaller/RevoUninstallerPortable.pdf
If you use a purchased a "Windows 10 product key" to activate a newly-installed or upgraded copy of "Windows 10", you will still have a "Digital License".
If you use a Windows 7 or 8 or 8.1 product key to activate a newly-installed or upgraded copy of "Windows 10", you get also get a "Digital License".
If you link your Microsoft Account to your Windows account, you get the ability to use the "Activation Troubleshooter" in "Windows 10" to activate after changing out your computer's motherboard.
However, you then have to log into "Windows 10" with your "Microsoft Account".
If you go back to logging into "Windows 10" with a "Local Account", you lose your ability to use the "Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter" to change your computer's motherboard.
The activation process for "Windows 10.." differs depending on the "Product Key Channel" that a specific copy of "Windows 10.." is sold from.
For the end-user of a "Windows 10.." computer, their are three possible "Product Key Channels": Retail channel, OEM_DM channel
(= "Original Equipment Manufacturer_Direct to Manufacturer")
and OEM_COA_NSLP channel
(="Original Equipment Manufacturer_Certificate of Authenticity_Non-System Locked Pre-installation" = "OEM System Builder")
For details on how each one of these "channels" result in an activated "instance" of "Windows 10",
see http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/win10/activation/win10-channels.pdf
where we explain that the 25-character "Activation Keys" that are stored in the Registry in "Windows 10.." are of no actual use to the user of a "Windows 10.." computer.
For organizations that buy lots of copies of "Windows..", there are two volume licensing channels: "Volume_MAK" channel (= "Multiple Activation Key")
and "Volume_KMS" channel (="Key Management Services")
USING "VMWARE WORKSTATION PLAYER" TO RUN A FREE, TIME-LIMITED COPY OF "WINDOWS 10.." IN A "VIRTUAL MACHINE" INSIDE THE FREE "VMWARE WORKSTATION PLAYER" PROGRAM INSIDE A REAL "WINDOWS.." COMPUTER:
"Windows 10", "Windows 8.1", and "Windows 7" computers have many sound-enabled devices that automatically re-configure themselves as "default" when you do not want them to do so. Our explanation of how you can tame this "beast"
is available at
http://www.aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/win/easier
/win-sound.pdf
General Meeting
of the
Madison PC Users Group on
02-10-2021
and
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society on
09-06-2017
Extending USB 2, USB 3, and USB C with active extension cables:
Active USB extension cables have chipsets at the equipment end and sometimes in the middle of the cable.
These chipsets clean up and regenerate the digital USB signals to prevent errors from occuring.
If you have USB 3 devices such as
USB 3 Webcams
USB 3 flash drives
USB 3 Ethernet adapters
USB 3 over-the-air TV tuners
or
cell phones that act like USB Ethernet adapters for tethering,
do not connect them to active USB 2 cables.
USB 3 devices will often cause active USB 2 extension cables to overheat.
Instead, connect USB 3 devices to active USB 3 extension cables.
See
http://aztcs/meeting_notes/winhardsig/USB3/USB-extending.pdf
USB 3 extension cables work fine for extending USB 2 devices
such as USB keyboards, USB mice, USB Webcams, USB 2 flash drives, USB 2 external hard drives,
and USB 2 external hard drive enclosures with a standardized total cable length of 5 meters
written into the USB 2 standards and a standardized total cable length of 3 meters (9.8 feet)
that was originally written into the USB 2 standards.
However, for USB 3 external hard drives, USB 3 external hard drive enclosures, and other USB 3 devices, you will have to determine if a specific USB 3 device
works with a specific total length of USB 3 extension cable
and a specific USB 3 port on your computer or USB 3 hub.
To do so, you can use the free "USBTreeView" program to view the stablity and signalling rate of a specific USB 3 external hard drive or a specific USB 3 hard drive enclosure.
To download "USBTreeView", go to the bottom of the Web page at http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtreeview_e.html
"USBTreeView" is especially useful for detecting problems with USB 3 ports and USB 3 devices:
When you have a USB 3 device attached to a USB 3 port and the port type changes from "3.0" to "2.0"
or a USB 3 device disappears from view entirely, a failure of the attached USB 3 devices,
or the connecting USB 3 cable or the USB 3 port is imminent.
You can determined which of these three items is about to fail by substituting with a "known good" USB 3 port,
a "known good" (or shorter) USB 3 cable, or a "known good" USB 3 device.
Using the free "Speedtest.net" apps or Website to measure Internet Speeds
To Remediate Bottlenecks In Your Local Network:
Your broadband Internet download and upload speeds will usually be much slower than the speeds
at which the network devices on your local network run at.
However, many home and business networks have old, tired network components that bottleneck
your actual Internet speeds below what the Internet provider is providing at the broadband modem
which is actually available at the Internet "point of entry" .
To prevent the components of your local network (routers, switches, powerline links, etc.)
from bottlenecking the Internet bandwidth that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides you,
measure the Internet bandwidth speeds and the local area network speeds at various locations in your Local Area Network (LAN)
as described in http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/networks/bottlenecks/bottlenecks.pdf
Computer Pros SIG
Meeting
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
12-18-2020
and
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
07-28-2018
and
Windows 10/
Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
08-01-2018
"Google accounts" and YouTube "..channels":
To make the most effective use of a YouTube channel,
you need to know the relationships between "Google accounts", Google "Brand accounts",
and the two types of YouTube "channels".
See http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/Google/Google&YouTube.pdf
In "Windows 10..", Microsoft has gradually "deprecated" the ability for you to use "netplwiz" or "control userpasswords2" or "regedit" to make "Windows 10." log in automatically.
At the present time, the only reliable way to make "Windows 10.." log in in automatically during a power-on bootup or a restart is to use Microsoft's "Autologon" utility
which can be obtained at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autologon
The "uninstaller" wizards that are bundled with most "Desktop apps"
(that "Programs and Features" in the Control Panel utilizes to remove software)
leave all sorts of junk in both your Registry of "Windows.." and on your C: hard drive: To do a really clean uninstall of a "desktop app" or a "Universal Windows Platform app"
in a "Windows.." computer,
use the free "Revo Uninstaller Portable" program.
See http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/uninstaller/RevoUninstallerPortable.pdf
You can use the free "Macrium Reflect Free" program to make "hard drive backup images"
which can then be used at a future time to do "bare metal restores" of the internal hard hard drive of a Windows.. computer
Our step-by-step instructions
are available at
http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/software/utils/MacriumReflectFree.pdf
Window 10 / Hardware SIG Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
04-23-2019
USB-C ports started showing up in computers about 4 years ago.
A "USB-C" port is an ovoid rectangle that is about one quarter the size
of a USB 3 Type A port.
However, it is actually a USB 2 port, a USB 3.1 port, a Thunderbolt 3 port, an HDMI port, an audio port,
a Displayport port, a charging-only port or any combination of the previously-listed port types.
The exact capabilities of any specific USB-C port in any specific computer that you buy
will be determined by the manufacturer of the computer.
These wonderful new features or horrible complexities (depending on your point of view) are explained at
http://www.aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/USB3/USB-C.pdf
USB-C's "Audio Adapter Accessory Mode":
USB-C's "Audio Adapter Accessory Mode" allows USB-C ports to accept audio signals
from wired headsets that have TRS plugs or a TRRS plug
when an "Audio Adapter Accessory Mode" converter is used to connect the TRS/TRRS plug(s) of the analog headset to the host's USB-C port.
This capability is used on some of the less-expensive Android cell phones.
This analog signal mode for USB-C is explained at
http://www.aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/USB3/USB-C-AudioAdapterAccMode.pdf
Thunderbolt 3 devices are not always plug-and-play:
You sometimes have to fire up the "Thunderbolt" app in a computer
and click on a problematic "Thunderbolt" device to turn it on.
If you do not know this, you might get the impression that a newly-inserted Thunderbolt 3 device is defective.
For step-by-step instructions on how to jump-start a problematic Thunderbolt 3 device, please see http://www.aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/USB3/Thunderbolt3fix.pdf
BACKGROUND CHECKS USING THE INTERNET
is available at
http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/background-checks/background-checks.pdf:
The Web of the Internet is now a wonderful way to do background research on people.
However the various Web sites that do these checks are fraught with attempts to trick
you into spending more money than you had planned to spend!
Many of the background-checking services on the Web block your access to them
by using either aggressive pop-up ads and/or "pay walls",
For some of these Web sites, you can block their pop-up ads and some of their "pay walls"
by using the free pop-up and ad blocker in the "Opera" Web browser.
Our step-by-step instructions for installing the "Opera" Web browser and activating it's free pop-up and ad blocker
are located at http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/background-checks/Opera-install.pdf:
General Meeting
of Wisconsin All-computer Users Club
of
Milwaukee
on
07-2-2020
and
Windows 10 / Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
11-21-2019
We have discovered that you can build a much more reliable "external hard drive"
by buying and the assembling the following parts, which are sold separately.
If you "home brew" your own external hard drives, you will also save money
relative to the cost of buying either an external hard drive enclosure or buying an external hard drive.
Here are the parts that you need to buy:
An internal SATA hard drive,
a fan assembly that bolts onto the internal SATA hard drive,
and
a SATA-to-USB 3.x adapter.
Our how-to instructions for "growing your own" external hard drives
or external hard drive enclosures
can be found at
http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/harddrives/external/external-hard-drives.pdf
When they break, most external USB hard drives can be repaired or recovered from
if you follow the brilliant technical advice
at https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6121
If you purchase or build an external USB or SATA or eSATA hard drive:
you can use the same external USB hard drive in two ways at the same time: First, you can use free software to store "backup drive images" on the external hard drive
and secondly, you can use the external USB hard drive to store important data files in their regular native format.
Using the free "Speedtest.net" apps or Website to measure Internet Speeds
To Remediate Bottlenecks In Your Local Network:
Your broadband Internet download and upload speeds will usually be much slower
than the speeds at which the network devices on your local network run at.
However, many home and business networks have old, tired network components that bottleneck your actual Internet speeds below what the Internet provider is providing
at the broadband modem at the Internet "point of entry" .
To prevent the components of your local network (routers, switches, powerline links, etc.) from bottlenecking the Internet bandwidth that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides you,
measure the Internet bandwidth speeds and the local area network speeds at various locations in your Local Area Network (LAN)
as described in http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/networks/bottlenecks/bottlenecks.pdf
Getting into the UEFI (formerly called BIOS) configuration screens in "Windows 10":
Two ways to get into the UEFI configuration screens in "Windows 10":
METHOD ONE:
Use the computer manufacturer's proprietary key sequence during the power up of the computer.
METHOD TWO:
Use the buttons inside the "Settings" function inside "Windows 10.." as follows:
Use the left mouse button to click on the "Start button".
The "Start Menu" will show up.
Click on the "Settings" icon. (It looks like a gear wheel.)
Click on "Update & Security".
Click on "Recovery".
Click on "Advanced startup".
Click on the "Restart now" button.
Click on "Troubleshoot--Reset your PC or see advanced options".
Click on "Advanced options".
Click on "UEFI Firmware Settings".
Click on "Restart".
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
07-28-2018
and
Windows 10/
Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
08-01-2018
Free Online Training for "Windows.." Computers:
Hundreds of hours of free training and technical advice can be obtained online
with an Internet-connected "Windows" computer. The online training is almost as
good as training in a traditional classroom setting. Most computer users get the
best training experience by combining instructor-led classroom training and
online self-directed training since the two modes of training reinforce each other.
To access our categorized folders of training hyperlinks,
please follow the instructions at http://aztcs.apcug.org/training/training.pdf
for access our
archive which is actually located at https://www.box.com/shared/ff0p9m41h0
Free Online Training for Apple "MacOS" Computers:
Dozens of hours of free training and technical advice can be obtained online
with an Internet-connected "MacOS" computer. The online training is almost as
good as training in a traditional classroom setting. Most computer users get the
best training experience by combining instructor-led classroom training and
online self-directed training since the two modes of training reinforce each other.
See http://aztcs.apcug.org/apple/apple.htm
Most power supplies in Windows and Linux desktop computers conform to
or are close to adhering to Intel's ATX and ATX 12V standards. For our advice on replacing ATX.. power supplies,
see http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/ATX/ATX-PS.pdf
To check out suspicious buttons and hyperlinks at Web sites and in email
to see the URL that the button or hyperlink is trying to take you to.
You might have to turn on the bottom status bar
and/or maximize the browser or email Window in order to see the bottom status bar.
Use the "Task Manager" in "Windows.." to close down a stuck or suspicious browser display
by either
pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc
or
right-clicking on unused space on the Task Bar and then selecting "Task Manager".
Use the "Force Quit" function in MacOS by pressing
Command + Option + Esc
in MacOS to close down a stuck or suspicious browser display.
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society on
09-06-2017
and
04-05-2017
The computer industry's "elegant solution" to secure remote access is called "Virtual Private Network" (VPN).
Almost every medium-to-large sized company, government entity, and not-for-profit institution including educational institutions uses privately-created and privately-hosted VPNs to provide employees, students, and contractors with remote access to their internal and cloud-based computer resources.
VPNs were originally intended to provide secure remote access into local area network resources such as servers, printers, and mainframes.
This technology has been adapted for private computer users as "VPN services":
"VPN services" give you an extra measure of security by protecting you from the more common hacks such as "man in the middle" spying, "Evil Twin" wireless access points, and WiFi over-the-air recordings with free tools such as "WireShark".
"VPN services" reduce most of the risk of using public Internet access by encrypting the near end of the Internet connection-- where you first connect to a public Internet service.
However, with the exception of the VPN that is part of the "Opera 40" Web browser, all "VPN services" reduce data throughput relative to what a "raw" Internet connection is capable of.
The terms "VPNs" and "VPN Services" are often used interchangeably so you have to figure out from the context in which these terms are used to determine whether someone means
the original VPN (which is a secure remote connection into a Local Area Network" or a "VPN Service" (which is a secure remote connection into the Internet which uses a local area network as an intermediary).
Web Sites For Testing Virtual Private Network Services:
Sometimes you can use free VPN services as a temporary workaround for download and upload slowdowns in broadband Internet access:
For example, Comcast cable modem Internet in the Tucson area was very slow on Friday August 9, 2013 through Saturday August 10
with download and upload speeds so slow that they are unmeasurable. When we used the free version of "Hotspot Shield" VPN , we obtained usable Internet download speeds
above 20 Megabits per second and upload speeds above 1.5 Megabits per second (via our Comcast cable modems located in Tucson).
Windows 10/
Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
05-03-2017
and
10-05-2016
and
06-05-2013
and
Meeting of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
09-24-2016
and
09-27-2014
Getting into the UEFI configuration screens in "Windows 10":
Use the left mouse button to click on the "Start button".
The "Start Menu" will show up.
Click on the "Settings" icon. (It looks like a gear wheel.)
Click on "Update & security".
Click on "Recovery".
Click on "Restart now". (It is in the "Advanced startup" section.)
Clock on the Troubleshoot" button.
Click on the "Advanced options" button.
Click on "UEFI Firmware Settings" button.
Click on the "Restart" button.
iView's "Digital Converter Box" (model 3200STB) is an ATSC tuner that sells for approximately $30.
To use it as a television set, you have to attach it to the following additional equipment:
An over-the-air VHF/UHF antenna,
a computer monitor that has a HDMI jack,
and a pair of computer speakers.
For details, see http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/add-ons/TV/iView_tuner.pdf
Meetings
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
04-30-2016
and
03-26-2016
and
Windows 8.1 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
10-02-2013
USB 3 extension cables work fine for extending USB 2 devices
such as USB keyboards, USB mice, USB Webcams, USB 2 flash drives, USB 2 external hard drives, and USB 2 external hard drive enclosures.
However, for USB 3 external hard drives and USB 3 external hard drive enclosures, you will have to determine if a specific model works with a USB 3 extersion cable.
To do so, you can use the free "USBTreeView" program to view the stablity and signalling rate of a specific USB 3 external hard drive or a specific USB 3 hard drive enclosure.
To download "USBTreeView", go to the bottom of the Web page at
Then read the rest of the Web page for instructions on using this useful software utility. "USBTreeView" is especially useful for detecting problems with USB 3 ports
and USB 3 devices.
General Meetings
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
10-19-2015
and on
09-21-2015
and
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
and
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
07-25-2015
and
Windows 10/ Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
09-02-2015
Malware often "hides" in hidden files and folders so please make sure that your computer is displaying hidden files and file extensions by following our procedure in how how-to document called "Some Simple Techniques For Making 'Windows..' Easier To Use"
at http://aztcs.apcug.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/win/easier/win-easier1.pdf
Temporary Workarounds For Accessing Inaccessible Web Sites With A Web Browser:
Sometimes you can use free or not-free
Virtual Private Network (VPN) services
to tunnel around your broadband Internet provider's router throttling, blockages
and slowdowns.
Here in Tucson, Arizona, when our Comcast Cable broadband has slowdowns in their Pima, Arizona router node,
we have a 50 percent chance of partially restoring our download and upload speeds by using the free version of "Hotspot Shield" to tunnel past this occasionally-problematic router node.
Sometimes when a Website is inaccessible with a Web browser, we can temporarily access it using the Web site's IP address instead of its regular URL address, as described in our "how-to" document entitled Workarounds For Temporary DNS Failures On The World Wide Web.
Windows 8/
Hardware SIG
on
08-07-2013
and Virtual Technology Conference 8
of
APCUG
on
08-03-2013
and
General Meeting
on 06-17-2013
and
Windows 8/ Hardware
SIG
on 06-05-2013
