Windows 10 Disaster Recovery

I've recently made a disturbing discovery regarding Windows 10 disaster recovery. It is not a straight forward process anymore and would probably require the likes of myself or technical administrator to fix and you can't revert back to your older Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 installation.

If you find that your computer is suffering errors or is not performing as well as it used to, it probably needs to be recovered, and it will require a few more steps than some of the simpler methods that used to be available.

In my case, I have a gaming laptop that was performing poorly recently and some of the drivers and applications weren't executing properly and giving errors. I did not have a computer virus but that would be another good reason to re-format and re-install Windows. Most brand named computers and pre-built workstations, have a Backup and Disaster Recovery option. A portion of the hard drive is reserved to save the Backup and Recovery feature for re-installing Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 depending on your system. You are able to access this Recovery option during the boot-up sequence when the computer is turned on and can select it before Windows loads. The recovery option is usually selectable by pressing one of the corresponding 'F' function keys at the top of the keyboard.

If you went ahead and upgraded from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to the free Windows 10, that previously mentioned Windows 7 or 8.1 Backup/Recovery partition actually gets destroyed when you fully install Windows 10. There will be no reverting back to the older operating system at all. You'll have to do a clean re-install of Windows 10 or have someone do it for you. It is no longer a simple press of one of the 'F' Function keys to select the Recovery option at boot-up. 
Here are some articles to help you re-install Windows 10 in case you want to take on the task yourself. 

How To Create Bootable Windows 10 USB Flash Drive [Guide]
Download Windows 10 Pro ISO File Without Product Key From Microsoft
How To Clean Install Windows 10 On Your PC The Right Way [Guide]

If you used Windows 10 free upgrade option, you won’t get a unique product key. Your license will be tied to the hardware you upgraded Windows 10 on, not your Microsoft account. Clean installs will activate automatically as long as they are done on the same hardware.

If you changed the hardware, you will need to call Microsoft support, inform them about the change to get your copy activated.

If you find yourself in this situation and are in the Vancouver area, contact me for consultation. http://www.phreshnewmedia.com

Ultimate PC Configuration - Fall 2015

Here's an expert enthusiast configuration for an Extreme Performance Gaming PC with some of the most current and best rated hardware components:

Computer case:
Corsair Graphite Series 780T
=   $ 235.00

Power supply:
Corsair Platinum HX750i Modular Power Supply
=   $ 180.00

Motherboard:
Asus Sabertooth X99
=  $ 425.00

Processor:
Intel Core i7-5960X Processor Extreme Edition
=    $ 1430.00

Memory:
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB DDR4 2400MHz
=    $ 310.00

Video card:
ASUS GeForce GTX 980 Ti Strix 1317MHz superclock
=   $ 930.00

Storage:
Samsung 850 EVO Series 2TB Solid State Drive
=   $ 1000.00

Monitor:
Asus MG279Q 27inch monitor with 144hz refresh rate
=  $ 750.00

Secure Your Internet Browsing Using Mozilla Firefox

As a follow-up to my previous blog entry about Internet Privacy I'm going to focus on securing your internet browsing using Mozilla Firefox. It is my second most favorite browser preferred and I'll tell you how to optimize it for a secure web browsing experience.

Open Firefox --> click on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner to open the settings menu.

--> click on "Options" --> click on the "Privacy" tab
--> under Tracking select the first option 'Tell sites that I do not want to be tracked'
--> under History select "Never remember history"
--> click "OK" button

The next part involves installing third party extensions to further protect your browser. These features aren't automatically built in so we have to add them in. The two extensions I recommend are these:
     1.) AdBlock Plus - helps by blocking intrusive advertisments and annoying pop-ups.
     2.) AdBlock for Youtube - same as above but specifically for the Youtube video website

--> if you are viewing this in Firefox, you can click the links above to instantly be taken to the page where you can choose to install them in Firefox.  

Once AdBlock is installed, it will show a small red stop sign icon with ABP in the center of it. The AdBlock Plus icon can be found at the top-right corner of the Firefox window. A convenient feature with AdBlock Plus is that it can show you how many unsolicited advertisements it currently stops by actively showing a number on it's red icon. This feature can be turned off byclicking on the small arrow on the right-side of the ABP icon and selecting different settings, but I actually like to see the numbers just to see how intrusive some websites really are.

Windows 10 & Privacy Settings

Windows 10 is here and over 50 million people have already upgraded from their previous operating system.

As with everything, there are always Pro's and Con's. There are features you will like and features that you won't. I've had just over three weeks of using Windows 10 and have made a few notes. Here's a short list of what is good and bad about Windows 10.

Pros:
     * It's completely free
     * It is very fast and very reliable and is comparable to Windows 7 or Windows XP
     * It finally brought back the sorely missed "Start" menu as the Windows button
     * It can stream Xbox One to your computer screen so you can use it remotely within a home
     * It has a built-in game recording feature so that you can capture your gameplay
     * It has a very fast internet browser called "Edge" formerly known as Internet Explorer

Cons:
     * It's a big download at more than 6GB so make sure you have a good internet connection
     * You can't easily find the control panel. Right-click the Window (Start) button to find it
     * Streaming and connecting to the Xbox One requires you to be logged into your Live ID and forces you to use a Live ID login for that particular computer
     * Edge is fast but only if you let it invade your privacy. Instead I only use Google Chrome.
     * and the biggest flaw of Windows 10 is Privacy, or the lack thereof

Windows 10 will completely and totally spy on your actvity and invade your privacy unless you change the default privacy settings to off. By default, Microsoft enables all kinds of features to monitor activities on the computer most likely for data mining purposes.


How to change the Windows 10 Privacy Options:

--> click the start button or Windows button, which is the small windows icon in the bottom-left corner. --> click "Settings"
--> click on the "Privacy" icon which looks like lock symbol.
--> instead of me telling you how to go through each setting individually, just turn everything to off. That's right, EVERYTHING OFF!


While that doesn't completely stop Windows 10 from calling home or sending data directly to Microsoft, it will prevent a large majority of applications and background processes from transmitting your activity and information.

Secure Your Internet Browsing Using Google Chrome

Privacy. That's the biggest, most important thing that you want to protect while you are online. Protect yourselves from, intrusive advertisements, harmful applications, browser hijacks, and unsolicited emails. There is no perfect method but there are steps you can take to increase your security.

Securing your internet browser is one of the best ways to protect your online presence. There's many ways to secure your browsing depending on which browser you use.

I'm going to focus on Google Chrome. It is my preferred web browser at the moment and I'll tell you how to optimize it for the most secure web browsing experience.

Open Google Chrome --> click on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner to open the settings menu.

--> click on "Settings" --> scroll to the bottom and click "Show advanced settings"
--> under Privacy put a check box in the last box "Send a 'Do Not Track' request with your browsing traffic"


The next part involves installing third party extensions to further protect your browser. These features aren't automatically built in so we have to add them in. The three extensions I recommend are these:
     1.) AdBlock - helps by blocking intrusive advertisments and annoying pop-ups.
     2.) AdBlock for Youtube - same as above but specifically for the Youtube video website
     3.) Clear history - clears out your browsing history as soon as you close the Chrome window.

--> next look over to the top-left side of the window and click on "Extensions" under the Chrome heading.
--> scroll to the very bottom and click "Get more extensions"
--> here you can manually search for the extensions listed above or if you want them right away without looking, here are the direct links.
     1.) AdBlock
     2.) AdBlock for Youtube
     3.) Clear history

Once AdBlock is installed in Chrome, it will show a small red stop sign icon with a small white hand in the center of it. The AdBlock icon can be found at the top-right corner of the Chrome window. A convenient feature with AdBlock is that it can show you how many unsolicited advertisements it currently stops by actively showing a number on it's red icon. This feature can be turned off by right clicking on it and choosing different settings, but I actually like to see the numbers just to see how intrusive some websites really are.


You can even go a step further and enable Chrome's Incognito mode. Incognito mode increases your privacy even more and helps to mask and stealth your online browsing from websites collecting your information. Enable it by pressing the keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + N.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge - Annoying Security Notifications And How To Disable Them Without Rooting

I recently upgraded from a Samsung Galaxy S3 to a Galaxy S6 Edge. The S3 was an awesome phone and the S6 Edge is just a newer sexier form of it.

If you are like me though and find that there were way too many Security Notifications and want to disable them, I found a solution. These annoying Notifications seem to pop-up every few minutes even though you aren't doing much with your phone.

I did a tonne of research on the web by looking through various forums and comments sections and experimenting on the phone on my own and I actually found a safe and easy way to do it. Some people list that the only way to permanently get rid of the Security Notices involved Rooting your phone, which voids the warranty. You don't need to Root your phone if you follow my steps.

Here's how you can do it in a few simple steps:

 - Open the Play Store and search for the app named "Package Disabler" by OSPolice
- there is a free version or there is a paid premium version.
- download and install it. I chose the premium version and only paid about $1.60 CAD
- open it, it will give you the option to disable a number of packages to prevent them from even starting on your phone.
- put a check mark beside the following items:

     * BBC Agent
     * com.sec.enterprise.knox.attestation
     * KLMS Agent
     * KNOX
     * KNOX
     * KNOX II
     * KNOX SetupWizardClient
     * SecurityLogAgent

- once the checkmarks are beside those packages, the text should turn red meaning they've been disabled. Return back to what you were doing with your phone and enjoy!

That's it! Let me know if that works for you or if you have any comments.

HDMI to PC Image Quality and Colour Fix

Have you ever hooked up your PC to your HDTV only to discover that the colours look "washed out" and blurry and terrible? Text on websites and documents look blurred or distorted and the colors on graphics look like they have too much contrast applied to them. I have found a fix for this but only if your graphics card is Nvidia based like mine. Mine is a GeForce GTX680 for example.

Some people might not realize that their colours are being downgraded and won't even know that the quality can be increased.

A simple way to tell if you are experiencing the limited colours problem is to do this: first go to the Nvidia control panel and choose to change the resolution.
Right-click an empty space on the desktop, and select "NVIDIA Control Panel" with the green icon.
If your selected resolution falls under 'PC' then you are probably seeing the full colour range and probably do not need to change anything. However, if your selected resolution falls under the 'Ultra HD, HD, SD' category then you are definitely seeing limited colours by default.

The way to fix this is by creating a customized resolution by first clicking the "Customize" button. In that window click the "Create Custom Resolution" button. Enter your desired resolution (usually 1920 horizontal by 1080 vertical) but increase the refresh rate by 1hz increments and then press the "Test" button. I was able to test up to 65Hz successfully but your results may vary. I wouldn't recommend going higher than 65Hz.
When you press the "Test" button, the screen may go black for a moment but will flash and display the screen again if it is successful. A message will display that the test was successful and prompt you to save the settings and a 15 second timer counts down to either save or revert.
If it is not successful, your monitor or TV will tell you something along the lines that your monitor is not capable of that selected resolution, and then after about 30 seconds will revert back to the previous screen.

Your new 'custom' resolution will appear in a new category called 'Custom' at the top and selecting this resolution will eliminate the limited colours issue.

Some games default to 60hz. If that's the case, you will revert back to limited colours in game. A fix for that is to run full-screen borderless window. Here is a link to a program that will help you with that. (http://westechsolutions.net/sites/WindowedBorderlessGaming/)