Steve the IT Tech Guy

Command To Disable Automatic Repair On Windows 10

Client PC will start the Automatic Repair on boot, fails and then restarts and does it again.

From this link describes how to stop the automatic repair. Basically you need to a elevated command prompt and type the following:

bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled No

Reboot and then it might give you a blue screen of death but with info that might narrow it down to what the cause of it is. In my case after running ADWCleaner it started the auto repair. Stopped the auto repair and the screen pointed to a corrupt or missing AVG file.

Found out how to remove it and started up OK.

Firefox better than Chrome

I have used Firefox since version 1. Was not a big fan of Internet Explorer. When I had major issues of IE in XP and 7 and could not fix but Firefox was fine I really switch. What I really like of Firefox is its customize and its great add-ons. When IE was the dominating browser I still used FF. When Chrome is now the dominating browser I still use FF. I have used IE,FF,Chrome,Edge,Opera and Safari. I have not truly ran each for a long time other than IE and FF BUT what I feel and like and rely on in FF. Chrome may be the dominating browser but there is something with it I don’t like. One of the major issues with Chrome is the memory hog with many tabs. Chrome tries to make it more stable with separate memory tabs but for a PC with limited memory will not work. It may be more reliability with if one page crashes it does not affect the others BUT over the several years of being on the Internet I have rarely had pages crash. Sure in the early years they were more prevalent but lately they are fine. I don’t go to bad sites and I use ESET for Any AV and usually blocks bad sites.

There are many sites that debate what is the best browser. Here is one that prefer FF over Chrome from Lifehacker

Amendment:

Again I still use FF over any browser. I have used Edge (better security over IE but crappy in compatibility). Chrome I just hate the interface. Maybe I have not reviewed it more but how the favorites,add in, etc sucks compared to FF. I use to complain how Chrome was a memory hog but lately I see FF taking close to a gig of mem on start. Sorry I use 16GB PCs for most of my sites so I don’t care and NEVER had an issue with FF taking lots of memory.

Amendment2:

So I lately searched a Firefox vs Chrome. Here is another comparison. Firefox is second. Not bad for a NON PROFIT browser. Again I like FF for the customization. Extremely large add-ons AND one of the greatest assets is privatization from the largest search engine who knows everything you do!!

Chkdsk Uses All Available Memory

For Windows 7 and 2008R2 (Have not checked on Windows 10). When you run chkdsk /r on a drive it will use all the available memory. Thats fine if you are running Windows 7 and thats the only app you need running but on a Windows 2008R2 server and you need to run a chkdsk while others are accessing the server this can be a pain. I found on the web that if you have 8GB or more memory then running the 32bit version of chkdsk will limit its use to less than 4GB. The 32-Bit version of chkdsk is found in the following location:

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\chkdsk.exe

Run this and it will help the memory hog!

Smartwatch Review

I just want to say that I am no expert on smartphone watches. This is my review of what I have used and see what is out there.

So the first thing in buying a smartwatch is basically what phone you have. If you have an iPhone then you have to get an IOS phone compatible. If its an Android phone then you need to get an Android compatible watch. Some of the watches are compatible with both platforms. They are limited.

So I have an iPhone. I have started because I started with the Apple platform before. Got ipods etc before an iPhone. When my kids, wife, and I started using the iPhone I started and likely will never change to Android.

I am a tech guy that deals with all iPhones, Android phones, Blackberry phones. The main thing that I like iPhones over all the others as a tech person is I know where all the settings are!!! Android like to change locations for settings for say email config etc. It is a nightmare on finding certain locations of where everything is. For the iPhone I basically go to settings and go from there.

The major benefit for Android is that they are very customized. The major disadvantage is they are custom to vulnerable for spyware/virus.

The major for IOS is they are very common knowable and more secure with their scrutiny of apps. The disadvantage is they are not custom able and very formation (which for someone that needs to check/change settings is an advantage).

I started out with a flip phone. Then a sort of smart phone Nokia. I then went to Blackberry because of the keyboard and convenience. When the iPhone came out the major thing that changed my mine was the browser. Before the iPhone the browser was crap on any phone before this. The iPhone was very close to true websites. Getting use to a none keyboard and going to a screen keyboard took sometime but was not that bad. When iPhone introduced apps and good apps it was a no brainer. iPhone was really first (One of the only first for Apple to produce something first. Mostly repeat and do better (hello ipod).

Back to the watches. I started off with a Pebble. Why? Because my reason for a smartwatch was to notify emails, SMS etc. I did not care if I could start a conversion with the watch. Don’t really care about health monitoring. I attach my phone with a clip to my belt. I maybe old fashion I don’t know but the reason I do is if I have a pocket that I put my phone in (pant, shirt etc) I am afraid it would drop or get squished.

A notification on my wrist is so much faster and (safer) than grabbing my phone from a clip on my belt and trying to look at it to see if its junk mail or a true emergency.

So that the Pebble obsolete (wish it was not. The true first pioneer companies that started the smartwatch) is over (Fitbit a good company on there own BUT started a smart watch MUCH more expensive ) bought them out it has not been the same.

My last Pebble I bought ($250) I lost. Went on amazon.ca and found the same watch for $79. So I got it. Never looked back.

So now there is a new company that if/when my existing Pebble smartwatch gives up the ghost I will very consider ( If they are still around!!!)

Its called Weloop. Here is the following link.

The watch reminds me of Pebble with the simplicity and battery life. The largest factor for this smartwatch is its $150 to buy AND THE BATTERY LIFE IS 30 DAYS!!!!. My Pebble will get 4-5 days. The iWatch will get 2 days if you are lucky and don’t use it!!!!

AMENDMENT:

Looking farther found this one called Amazfit. Has great battery life (30+ days) and is less then $110 CDN!!. The Pebble now is $240 and is not supported and only has a 4-7 day battery life.

HP LaserJet 401 Printing Issues With Windows 10

Client upgraded PCs to new with Windows 10. Issue is the ones with an HP LaserJet 401 printers the driver installed fine and it would print fine. After shutdown and with printer down and then start it up again it would not print. It would also load the built in USB driver disk from the Printer. (The cause of the problem). To fix this go into Device Manager (Right Click This PC. Select properties then Device Manager). Under DVD/CD-ROM drives you will see HP Smart Install USB Device. Right click and select update driver. Specify to search automatically. It will then download the update from MS (which basically disables it) and then restart the PC. You should be able to print again.

Sending Outlook Email Body Of Message Is Blank

Have a client running Office 365 with Outlook 2016 and when sending an email the body of the email is blank when the recipient gets the email.

Searched online and the following post fixed my problem.

Basically the fix is below:

Open regedit

Locate the key – Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\{version number}\Outlook\Preferences

create a DWORD (32bit) called DisableTNEF

enter a value of 1

Exit regedit and send a test email and your problems will be resolved!

I Use Dropbox And Why

I have tried most cloud data service. Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive are the 3 major ones. I am sure there are many others that I have tried and not tried but I like to use something that is popular and compatible. Dropbox is one of the oldest and one of the most compatible ones. At the start Dropbox is supported on almost everything. When Dropbox got hacked I was worried so I tried the others. Google and OneDrive are a very popular because of the eco system. If you are MS person (like I am) and you want to use say online Office then this would be the right choice. Much like if you are into Google apps and want to access data then Google Drive would be the right choice. Again I use Gmail and it can be handy. The major issue of why I use Dropbox for a majority of my data that I need to access between my PC and my phone is password protection!! I have commented to MS on when password protected files like .xls files to access from OneDrive. Hello you created Excel and OneDrive but you don’t support password files in OneDrive from the phone???? I just checked and they seem to support password files but the speed to open a file from my phone was extremely slow!! So I tried Google Drive on the same issue. The opening files seems very fast BUT they can’t open password protected files on the phone!!

This is where 3rd party apps are better than the big guys. Really drives me crazy. I am a MS guy. Why? Well 98% of my clients use MS and need to use MS to be able to run the MS apps. If you run Autocad, Sage 50, PCLaw, Accpac you need a Windows PC.

What do you use for cloud data service and why?

Why Outlook Is The Best Email App

I have dealt with many email applications over 25+ years. I use Gmail for personal email from the days when you had to get invite for it. I love Gmail for a lot of thing. Before that it was Eudora!! Best personal email ever before online email. I have used Outlook Express , etc. BUT for business it has been Outlook. I have used Outlook since its beginning of Outlook 97. I even have used MS sharing email before Exchange. Outlook is the email of choice for all my clients and for most of the business world. The email,calendar ,contacts is the heart of the app. Me and some of my clients live with the share of contacts. There is something with Outlook that has nothing with other similar apps.

Go Outlook!!

ASUS

The company ASUS is one of the greatest computer component I love. I ONLY use ASUS motherboards for my PCs and my low end servers. Why? Over the last 27+ years I have dealt with PCs and mostly the ones I have built are with ASUS Motherboards. They may be a bit more money (but not much for better MB) I believe I have had 4 faulty motherboards over 27 years (not including lightning strikes) 4 OVER 1000’s of motherboards!!. There are a 10+ year old motherboard no matter the manufacture it will likely fail BUT I find the ASUS MB hardly EVER FAIL. There has been times that I had to use other motherboards. ASrock. (the lower version of ASUS) seem to fail early. Gigabyte. The second MB manufacturer that I (at the time) thought were a second replacement. NOT!!!. There were a 2 month time I had a hard time getting an ASUS MB. So for my clients I got a Gigabit MB. Out of the 10 Gigabyte MBs I installed 5 DIED!! within 2 years!! Never would have done this with an ASUS motherboard.

Routers. I use D-link lower routers but most under $50 routers they fail within 3 years. The ASUS routers that I install Tomato Shibby Firmware last for years!. I usually get the ASUS video cards over other manufacturer.

For my preference is ASUS for MB. ASUS for mid routers. ASUS for laptops better than Acer.

For home phones, TVs, etc I find Panasonic as a great product.

For the pronunciation of ASUS I ALWAYS say ” A SUS” Why? Well the creator named ASUS after Pegasus. How do pronounce the last part of pegasus. NOT A SOOS!!

That is my two cents. How does anyone else feel about ASUS!!

Cloning Backup Solutions

I have been using cloning software for a long time. There are 3 cloning software I use on a regular basis.

The first one is one of the oldest cloning software. Ghost. It is lately developed from Symantec. I am not sure if its up to date or still supported. I list it as the first one I have used AND its the one that if the others don’t work I will use. It will allow to copy a failing drive to a new drive. There is no guaranty that the new drive will boot but it should copy the drive. It all depends on how bad the failing drive is.

If I need to just copy to a new drive for a quick backup or going to a larger drive (as long as the drive is not failing) I use Acronis True Image.

It does a decent job of cloning as long as the source drive is not that much damage. I use a boot CD or USB drive to do the copy.

The third option depends on the client. I like Casper. Its a software that will clone the drive while running the OS. I have used this on a number of clients that have Windows Servers that use this as one of the backup options to clone the drive in case a catastrophe happens and I need to boot from a good clone drive. I also normally have a Windows Server Backup (Built in to the OS) just in case I have to restore to a different supported hardware.

I also use Casper as an option to clone several PCs in a new upgrade installations with the same hardware. Really easy to use and implement.

Steve the IT Tech Guy

About This Site

Categories

Links

Tech Links

TWIT.TV