The Digital Divide is Growing (Thanks AT&T)

February 18, 2018 by doctordave

Most people know, I’m a strong advocate for bridging the digital divide. That’s why I work with great organizations like Connecting For Good that help make sure everyone has equal access to technology. While there are problems in Kansas City and Lawrence, this report shows AT&T is making it worse.

What that link states is things we’ve seen for a while: richer areas get better internet at the expense of lower-income areas. This is precisely what we’ve seen in Lawrence, KS. The west-side of town gets the latest internet advances, including Google-like speeds. Meanwhile, our clients in the Eastern and Northern parts of Lawrence see the quality of their internet decline. We have some clients on AT&T DSL that get speeds below that of our average mobile phone. AT&T declines to invest in keeping up the technologies. Some clients try to switch to MIDCO, but the nature of that technology makes it difficult to get in some multi-family dwellings.

What can we do about it? First, let AT&T know they should invest more in all of Lawrence. Second, be sure to let the FTC and FCC know of your disappointment. Finally, and you guessed it, I’m going to suggest the City of Lawrence assist by supporting municipal broadband.

Photo by JeepersMedia

How to Get Net Neutrality and Internet Privacy Back In Lawrence

February 11, 2018 by doctordave

Late in 2017, the FCC made a major change as to how the internet works in the United States. Instead of treating it like a utility, whereby you can’t discriminate based on usage, internet service providers (ISPs) now have the right to limit your usage or charge extra for some sites. They can also use your private information for marketing purposes. There’s a fix though: it’s our city commission.

Seattle is leading this charge. They are using the same franchise authority that the City Of Lawrence has to create its standard. The FCC gave local communities the authority, through franchise agreements, to enforce local rules. Look at the back of your cable bill-it’s right there.

In Lawrence, the city doesn’t use this power very often. They renew contracts without many questions of debate. That’s a shame. We ultimately politicians to blame for slow or unreliable internet Now we can add to that list privacy and accessibility.

I recommend contacting members of the Lawrence City Commission and let them know you want Lawrence ISPs to follow community standards rather than those set by the Federal Government.

Photo by Free Press Pics –

Local Tech Support Scam Victim On the Hook for $10,000

November 26, 2017 by doctordave

Until we got the third call in one week for this scam, I couldn’t believe it was true. Sadly one client was taken for almost $10,000. She needs to take out a loan so that she can pay her living expenses. How this all came about is interesting, but more important, anyone who’s been a previous victim of a tech support scam could be scammed again.

This scam actually started months ago. It starts with someone who has been taken in by a previous tech support scam. I’ve written about it before, but in a nutshell a scammer convinces you to pay to fix a fake problem on your computer. It’s usually a yearly cost of anywhere between $250 and $800. They’ll keep asking for more money until you stop.

Re Victimizing the Victim

The new wrinkle is the scammers call the client back and apologize. Yup. They own up to it being a scam and offer a refund. Cool! At this point the victim is caught off guard. Then instead of just refunding the money on the victim’s credit card, the scammer needs bank information. They’ll offer to remotely connect to the computer to help out. That’s not the scam though. The goal is to obtain banking information to transfer the money in. Sounds good so far right?

Here’s the scam: they claim to have transferred too much. Maybe it was an error, maybe it was the exchange rate, but they get the victim to believe they need to refund about $10,000. If you refuse, they’ll call the police and try to freeze your account. They’ll insist on this. To fix the problem, they need gift cards. This tactic is a variation of a fake check and advance fee scam.

How the Money Got Lost

In fact, the scammers never sent the money. They won’t do anything to your bank account. However, they’ve scared the victim at this point. The victim is led to believe they’re stealing money from the kind scammers who tried to refund the money. The scammers tell the victim to take out the $10,000 in cash from the bank. Then they’re instructed to buy gift cards to places like Target or Wal-mart. All the victim needs to do is read the numbers to the scammer over the phone and that will act as a refund. Except of course for some reason the scammer will probably say the cards don’t work. They’ll want more money. The scam stops when the victim runs out of money.

Our most recent client was saved because her mobile phone ran out of power. The scammers stayed on the phone with her the entire time, threatening to lock her account if she hung up. So she went from the bank, then to Target, and then to Walmart all while the scammers were on the phone.

Financial Protection Policies Failed

Department stores and banks are instructed to ask people questions when making such a large withdrawal. Our client wasn’t asked at the bank. They just let her take out the $10,000. She’s never made a cash withdrawal at the bank. I’ve later found out the bank apologized for not following procedures. Although they won’t take responsibility, they’ll let her take out a loan to restore the money. Translation: they’ll make money off her loss instead of being responsible. Sickening.

Target asked her why she wanted a $10,000 gift card. Store policy says they can only create gift cards up to $3,000. Target did ask, and she said they were for grandchildren. The problem is sending gift cards to grandchildren is a type of scam department stores are warned against. Here’s a great story about how Target followed policy and saved victims from the scam. Two of our victims this week were stopped by Wal-Mart or Target from buying gift cards. However, again one was not and is out the $10,000.

Unfortunately our client was not covered by insurance for the loss. Some clients have been able to use their insurance as victims of tech support scams. In all cases, the Lawrence Police department refused to take a report. That directly contradicts statements made by the LPD in this article. When I was a victim of credit card theft, they refused to take a report as well. I was told that I couldn’t confirm the theft was local.

Here’s what everyone needs to know about this type of scam.

Computer owners

(whether someone calls you or you call them based on message on your computer or phone)

Never allow someone to remote control your computer that you don’t know, regardless of the circumstance. The only exception is us of course, but we will never initiate a call to you and always give you the option for an on-site computer repair. If you’re unsure, check with us.

Never give out passwords or other identifying information to people you don’t know. If you’re unsure, check with us. This includes stuff like your birthday, mother’s maiden name, and social security number.

Nothing is urgent. Your computer won’t self-destruct or lock if you fail to take action immediately. Give us a call first.

Banks and Department Store Employees

Please follow your policies. Realize these scams happen right here in #LFK. Ask people point blank “Are you being told to send this money by a company?” Train yourself and your staff on common scams

Scammers

Get a real job. Use your skills to help people instead of steal from people.

As a reminder, please gives us a call if you’re unsure about a message on your computer. We’ll help you at no charge over the phone. Whatever you do, don’t allow someone to control your computer and do stuff to it unless you’ve properly vetted them.

Photo by Tax Credits

Why we Don’t do iPhone Repairs: Another Reason

July 23, 2017 by doctordave

We’ve never done iPhone or other mobile device repairs and probably never will. There are a ton of reasons, but here’s a new one. Apple has prevented third parties from repairing the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

This article explains the reasons, but the nutshell is the Apple Retail store needs to configure the phone after replacement. Apple’s done this before with the home button.

The primary reason though we don’t repair iPhones is mobile devices require proprietary parts. Unlike a computer that needs a standard hard drive, most phone parts are specific to your phone. If we ordered parts, they’d be knock-offs. Too many mobile device shops have told me they have trouble getting quality parts.

If we can’t stand behind our work, we’re not going to fix your device. Since the parts market for mobile devices is questionable, we’d rather step aside. Large shops that deal in a ton of volume usually have the relationships to get the best parts. Other than that, getting your iPhone fixed by Apple is the best bet. You know the parts are genuine and Apple stands behind their work.

For Lawrence, that’s who we recommend for iPhone repair. Clients consistently have the best experience at the Apple Retail stores in Leawood, KS and Kansas City, MO on the Plaza.

Photo by magerleagues

We’re The Best of Lawrence For Computer Repair!

June 25, 2017 by doctordave

Last week I got quite a thrill! Our company, DoctorDave Computer Repair, won the Best of Lawrence contest. From the pictures people took of me there, I was pretty excited. Here’s me in the more calm state.

Many people were surprised I was excited. After all, I was opposed to the contest last year. Things change, most notably the Journal-World is no longer locally owned. I wrote about my meeting with them. Since they addressed the privacy and business concerns, it was now a fun contest to be a part of.

I still don’t like using the term “voted” or “chosen.” This wasn’t a scientific poll or election. It was a contest. It’s more like being picked the King of Prom rather than Student Council president (I was neither in school). People were allowed to put in an entry each day, so that’s hardly a vote. Also, according to the Journal-World, 25% of votes were from outside of Lawrence.

It’s still fun though!

Truly, I’m humbled by the time people took to fill out entries so that way I won the contest. Sure, it’s a bit of bragging rights. Does that mean we’re better than everyone else? No. Does it mean we’re the most liked? Maybe. We have the most dedicated fans, and that’s what really excites me!

Regardless of a company’s placement on the list, it’s an honor to be nominated. When you pick “Best of Lawrence” they don’t let you mark “second best.” I’m pleased that throughout the contest it was small, local businesses that placed well. That means people see the value of choosing to do business with a company that is part of the community, instead of just working here. National chains are great and they employ local people and pay taxes just like locally-owned businesses. The difference with small business is we have more of a stake in the local community. If a location in a chain doesn’t do well, they just close the location. They don’t have to work with the community they leave behind.

I’m also excited that participants didn’t see computer repair as a commodity item, they see it as a valuable service to have an opinion on. They could have skipped the category (I skipped a bunch), but they didn’t.

That’s the real winner here, three years running people in Lawrence are fans of computer repair. Considering they need to vote on the computer, it’s probably an important service to have an opinion on.

Thank you again for voting us Best of Lawrence!

Should You Worry About the Repeal of FCC Privacy Protections?

April 3, 2017 by doctordave

This past week, lots of clients in Lawrence have asked DoctorDave Computer Repair about the privacy of their internet connection. They’re asking if they should get a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or another method of protection. Our short answer is “not much has changed”, but we’re always for privacy.

When you cut through the ad-selling media hype (ironic!), these changes are all about ads. Right now, companies like Facebook and Google give you free stuff. In exchange for that free stuff, you see ads paid for by advertisers. That’s their business model.

I’m not ashamed to say we benefit from that model. We sell ads on both Facebook and Google. Those companies let us hyper-target our ads. We’re not advertising computer repair to the world – just Lawrence, Topeka and Kansas City. We can go so far as advertising to older clients, with Macs, who went to KU, and probably voted for a particular candidate. Anything you search for or click on becomes part of your ad profile. As a business owner, I prefer that model over placing an ad in a newspaper or a billboard that gets seen by people we’re not interested in helping with their computers.

Thus, on that level, it seems weird that Google as a search engine company can sell targeted ads but Google as an Internet Service Provider can’t. Amazon can suggest products based on your browsing history, but AT&T can’t? It’s the same browser and same computer.

Don’t get me wrong. We’re huge advocates of privacy. We’d gladly place a billboard on 23rd street saying “Call us for Lawrence computer repair” to advertise our services instead of targeted ads. However, that’s not the way the world works right now. I’d love to see privacy protections put in place and even sharper restrictions against tracking and advertising. We take the privacy of our client information seriously here.

So back to the question..should you worry? I’d say you shouldn’t be any more worried today than you were before October of 2016 when these rules were first adopted. If you’re concerned about your privacy, the first thing to do is to stop giving companies like Facebook and Google information about you. If you use a VPN to get to Facebook, you’re not doing much more for your privacy. VPNs can also cause glitches and slow downs in your browsing experience.

We’ll set up a VPN for you, and we’ve already started doing more of these for clients. We just want you to know it’s not going to advance the ball much further for your privacy. You’re still being tracked by the websites you go to and the companies you do business with. For example, switching to DuckDuckGo for searches instead of a Google is a huge step forward for your privacy. Using a private mail server (election politics aside) keeps third parties like Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft from seeing your stuff. A VPN is part of a comprehensive strategy to create a more private internet experience regardless of FCC or FTC protections. Instead of spending money with us, consider giving that money to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. They lobby on behalf of internet privacy daily.

Photos by hyku, cambodia4kidsorg

We Help Contribute to The Sales Tax Numbers

January 30, 2017 by doctordave

The Journal-World recently that Lawrence had the “best tax growth in the state.” While much of this was due to construction, I’m glad we played a small part in that.

I’m proud to say we collect sales tax on behalf of the state. Not every business, especially in the computer repair industry, does that. We’re professionals and proud of it. We use Kansas’s destination based sales tax model to look up how much we’re supposed to charge. Each month I go in and post a report to the Department of Revenue and return the money we collected from our clients. Much like other aspects of my business, it’s the right thing to do.

I know we’re not the cheapest in town for computer repair. However, I think we’re the best and the reviews back that statement up. New clients tell me all the time that the person who they used before didn’t charge them sales tax. It happens so often, I have a template on how to respond to that. That previous computer repair company was required to collect sales tax. In theory, they might have absorbed that cost (coffee shops do that), but it’s unlikely. Most people who do this part time don’t collect sales tax. When clients pay cash, some companies won’t “charge” sales tax. I put “charge” in quotes because you’re not charging the customer. You’re collecting money on behalf of the state. Kansas is charging, you’re just collecting that on their behalf. When you work with us, we clearly mark on the receipt how much sales tax we’re collecting

When you use a service that doesn’t collect sales tax, you’re hurting your community. Taxes are there for a reason. Moreover, when you use a company that doesn’t collect tax you’re dealing with a business that isn’t fully honest with the state. Is that the type of business you want working on your computer?

Our Policy Towards Password Resets and Password Recovery

January 17, 2017 by doctordave

One popular question we get at DoctorDave Computer Repair in Lawrence and Kansas City is “Can you recover my password?” Many times it’s an innocent problem, but we always play it safe.

Photo by IntelFreePress – http://flic.kr/p/dxdmTX

Why Do You Get Locked Out of Your Computer?

The most common reason is plain forgetfulness. You haven’t used it in a few months and you just forgot the password. Sometimes it’s a glitch in the computer. Maybe your keyboard isn’t working or Windows has a virus. We even see when you change your password on your iPhone; it changes your Mac’s password.

What If You Need Access, But Don’t Have the Password

Just because you own the computer, doesn’t mean you’re the main user. You could have given the computer to the kids or your employees. If you need something on the computer, those people might not give you the password. Ouch! Unfortunately, we’ll often have to deal with the computer of a person who passed away. Our client needs access to close out the owner’s affairs.

What We Need For Password Resets

We treat all clients equally. No matter how trustworthy you seem, we need your name to match the username on the computer. If they’re the same, we’ll use the methods we have to remove the password. If the names don’t match, then we’ll need a few more things:

1.) A receipt for the computer that matches your name. If it’s obvious you own the computer we can stop asking other questions.For example, if you bought it for your child, and we’re resetting that child’s account. If it is a business computer, then we need an email from the company that you’re authorized to reset the password.

2.) If the computer owner passed away, we need a document that lists you as the executor of the estate.

3.) If it’s for someone of diminished mental capacity (an elderly parent for example), then we need Power of Attorney.

Why Are We So Difficult?

We’re ethically hacking into a computer, so we have to be careful. The obvious reason we hesitate is we don’t want to help a thief. It’s not always that. A spouse wants us to see what the husband or wife is doing on the computer. An employee might want to see what is on the boss’s computer. We’ve encountered both those situations in the past.

Most people who are asking us to reset a password for legal reasons are happy to meet our guidelines. Some clients thank us for asking this information. After all, they want to make sure their stuff is secure.

When a client gives us grief or is offensive on the phone, we call the police. If “something doesn’t seem right,” we call the police. Most of the time the concern is a false alarm. The laptop isn’t reported as stolen, so we proceed based on our guidelines. One time we called and in fact, the computer was stolen, and we gave the contact info to the police. Due to privacy, they couldn’t tell us the details, beyond that the computer made it back to the rightful owner.

That one incident made it worth the hurdles we give everyone for a password reset.

Should You Install Windows 10? No!

June 12, 2016 by doctordave

When Windows 10 came out, we advised clients to wait on the upgrade. The product was new and Windows 10 had lots of glitches. Microsoft fixed a bunch of these problems and Windows 10 is now reliable. That doesn’t mean you should upgrade your Windows 8 or Windows 7 computer to Windows 10.

T.Dallas / Shutterstock.com

Why Shouldn’t I?

We tend to hear mostly about the problems with Windows 10, so we’re basing our opinion on issues client tell us. We’re almost always able to resolve these problems, but that comes at a cost to the customer. That free upgrade turns out to cost money if you need us to fix your computer.

What Type of Problems Should I Expect?

The most common problems we see are related to email. Your sunflower.com email stops working. The Windows 10 setup needs a little tweaking. Microsoft might push its own email program or your old program forgets the password.

Photo by Aaron Escobar

Microsoft also promotes the new Edge browser instead of Internet Explorer. Edge looks different and doesn’t work in all situations. Windows 10 might push you to Edge instead of Firefox or Chrome. We fix this all the time, but it’s annoying to a customer.

Older printers and scanners don’t always work in Windows 10. Sometimes it needs reconfiguration but other times it just won’t do it. We spend the most time with clients in this area. That free upgrade now requires a paid purchase of a new printer.

Finally, we have a catch-all category of incompatibility or glitches. Most of the time Windows 7 or 8 had an underlying problem that Windows 10 made worse.

What If I Upgraded to Windows 10 Already? Should I Go Back?

Microsoft gives you 30 days to try out Windows 10. If you don’t like it, you can go back to Windows 7 or 8. We advise against that. We see just as many glitches moving forward to Windows 10 as we do going back. If Windows 10 is working, leave it alone. There isn’t a need to go back. We can fix those Windows 10 problems for you. If we can’t, then that is the time to go back.

If you don’t like something in Windows 10, we can usually offer some suggestions of tweaks and optimizations.

Learning a New Operating System

Windows 10 is a big jump from Windows 7. Windows 8 is a minor jump from Windows 7. Clients tell us that it is frustrating trying to learn something new. Fortunately, our local library offers free online learning through Lynda.com and offers some great books on the subject. If you’ve moved to Windows 10, I recommend trying some of the free learning options.

I Have to Decide by July 29th, Right?

Yes, if you want to get it free, you’ll need to do this by July 29th. After that, you’ll have to pay for the upgrade. This should be your deciding factor.

If your computer is working, I suggest leaving it alone. If your computer didn’t come with Windows 10, it is probably at least a year old. Computers last on average 3-5 years. Once the hard drive goes out, clients decide it’s more cost-effective to replace a system rather than repair it. Your new computer is going to come with Windows 10, so Microsoft made that decision easier.

If you’re concerned Microsoft will discontinue support for Windows 7, you’re right, they will. Currently, they set the date to January 14, 2020. Your computer will probably fail before then.

What If I Want to Upgrade?

Go for it. You’ll eventually get a computer with Windows 10, so you might want to learn it now. You should be backing up your data anyway, but just in case, do a full backup beforehand. We can help with the backups.

Then run a quick malware scan to make sure nothing will get in the way of the upgrade, then upgrade away. I suggest doing this on a Sunday night. That way you won’t be distracted and you can always call support the next morning if you have problems. Assume you’ll have problems so don’t do this before a deadline, especially a deadline that needs something printed.

How Can You Help Me, Dave?

Our App in the app store

We can help you through every step of the process, usually for free. Use our free DoctorDave app to send us an email, or just do it the old-fashioned way by calling us. If it requires a service call, we can schedule it right then. We can fix your printer issues, your email issues, and move you back to an earlier version of Windows if need be.