Windows 7 "Black Screen of Death" Attributed to Malware

In October, Microsoft released its latest generation of operating system: Windows 7.

Users of previous versions of Windows may be familiar with the nicknamed "blue screen of death" that occurs from a hardware or driver failure. Since the Windows 7 release, users have reported a mysterious "black screen of death" that cripples its access. Though unlike its blue predecessor, the "black screen" is the symptom of a much-less serious issue.

This new phenomenon occurs just after the user login screen and displays a solid black screen instead of loading the desktop. It was originally attributed to a flaw in Microsoft's own security update and had been reported to affect Windows 2000, NT, Vista, and XP as well.

The good news is that this is no longer found to be true.

Microsoft quickly investigated the claims made by the software firm Prevx that had submitted the report and determined that none of the changes made by their November security update could have produced that kind of issue. Prevx has since retracted their claims and publicly apologized for their mistake. They stated that their conclusion may have been too hasty and that the challenge of identifying the cause of the issue was difficult.

The current diagnosis is that the "black screen" is caused by malware; most likely Daonol. Daonol is a trojan that affects network traffic. It steals FTP information, blocks security websites, disables access to certain system functions, and redirects web searches to sites containing more infectious malware.

Millions of Windows 7 users that may be affected by the "black screen" may be forced to re-install the operating system from scratch. Microsoft suggest that in preventing future infection from similar malware, users should use strong firewall and anti-virus software, as well as installing the latest Windows updates whenever they're available.

Microsoft also welcomes its users to contact their customer service lines, should they experience concerns for their own Windows PC.

Prevx is working on a less-extreme fix for users to resolve the issue. So far, they've developed a fix that has been successful, though it does not yet work for all systems. They claim with confidence that if users have only started experiencing the "black screen" since mid-November or after running any system security software (including Prevx), their current solution is likely to work.

To expand on their current understanding of the "black screen" phenomenon, a Prevx representative stated that the software firm has found at least ten different scenarios that might create that kind of effect. In fact, they believe that this issue has actually been around for years.

Triangle Laptops also offers its assistance in resolving the issue. Removing malware and viruses is part of our reputable laptop repair service. We also perform installation for operating systems, including the new Windows 7. For questions or a free quote, feel free to contact us via email or call toll free 1-877-456-7869.

Back-To-School Checklist for Laptops

The new school year is upon us! With the fall semester just about to start, it's important to make sure that you or your student are well equipped for handling all their schoolwork.

To make sure you have everything you need to be prepared, we've put together a list of tips to maximize your gear:


NETBOOKS

Netbooks are the hottest new tool for portable computing. They're ideal for students because of their petite, travel-friendly size, economic prices, and easy mobile web access. While they're not as powerful as most desktop or laptop computers, they pack just enough power to dedicate to schoolwork and basic web-based communication.

Whichever model of netbook you plan to buy, you'll need to make sure that you have all the right netbook accessories. Using a slim, external DVD drive is essential for installing all the necessary software that you or your student may need for school projects. Netbooks lack any kind of optical disc drive, so it's good idea if you need to read or backup any data to a CD or DVD. You may also want to pick up a spare netbook AC adapter, to make sure that your netbook can be fully charged no matter where you go.


LAPTOP BATTERIES
& AC ADAPTERS

Notebook PCs need love just as much as netbooks. If you're frequently on the move, keep a spare laptop battery handy to double your mobile computer work time. And just in case of an emergency, pack a spare laptop AC adapter to make sure that you're laptop is powered up and your work time goes on, uninterrupted.


SECURITY CABLES

Keeping your laptop or netbook secure is crucial to keep from falling into the hands of thieves. Most laptops and netbooks come equipped with slots to connect a Kensington notebook security cable lock. These laptop cable locks will keep your notebook or netbook firmly tethered so that they don't sprout wings and fly away. Laptops are expensive enough to replace, but imagine losing any irreplaceable schoolwork that might be stored inside!


BACK-UP!

Hardware failure, viruses, theft... No matter how you lose your data, it could cost you hours, days, or even weeks worth of work! Back up your data routinely; preferably every day. You can use a USB thumb drive (2GB or more) or an external DVD burner for backing up smaller files or projects, or you can use a larger external hard drive for larger tasks. Remember, though, it's only a back-up if you have more than one copy!


WIRELESS CARDS

Public WiFi access is increasing, with free wireless web access becoming available in most restaurants and other local businesses. However, not every laptop comes with wireless hardware built in. If your laptop doesn't have a laptop wireless card, you should definitely get one. With wireless accessibility, your laptop can truly be mobile, connecting to local wireless networks and WiFi hotspots.

Staying connected is becoming more and more critical for school to keep in touch with teachers, fellow students, and other online resources.


DOCKING STATIONS

If you want to get the most out of your laptop, you can use a laptop port replicator or docking station to expand the functionality of the laptop while working at home.

A laptop itself is excellent for mobile computing, but when you return home to your desk, it's nice to be able to view your work on a larger monitor and hear music through full-sized speakers. A port replicator can get your laptop working like a desktop, allowing it to connect to just about any computer accessory.


TRAVEL BAGS

While carrying around your laptop, you want to make sure that it has as much protection as possible. Most people use laptop travel bags (which are great), but they stand out like a beacon through the eyes of thieves. Your best bet is to use a backpack to blend in with the crowd, but make sure it has extra padding to protect your laptop. Many new backpacks are designed with special compartments for storing laptops or netbooks, so picking up one of those is definitely recommended.


GAMING

Naturally you'll want to have some fun with your laptop or netbook. Any computer you own for the purpose of school or business should be considered a tool first and a toy well below that. But there's always that rule of all work and no play...

To provide some extra comfort in your game time, we offer the PlayStation-to-PC USB adapter. This little gadget will let you connect any PSone or PS2 controller or accessory to your PC. It's compatible with any desktop, laptop, or notebook computer with an available USB 2.0 port. It's great for any joystick-enabled PC games or ports of classic games found on download services like Steam.


With all this kit on hand, you should be ready to make the grade! Of course, if you're ever in need of repair or upgrade service for your netbook or notebook PC, Triangle Laptops offers it's fantastic laptop repair service in order to keep your computer up and running! For more information, please visit the Triangle Laptops homepage or call 1-919-620-6886.

Laptop Travel Tips for Your Summer Vacation

Summer is upon us! Kids are getting out of school and it’s time to think about how we’re going to spend our vacation time.

Of course, we can’t escape completely—we live in an age where we can still bring our computers with us wherever we go to stay current with work and keep in touch with friends. Better still: Blog about your adventures! Portable laptops and netbook PCs have made it too convenient (though not necessarily in a bad way) to bring our desktop environment with us on summer trips.

That being a given, there are some important things to keep in mind in order to keep your laptop and precious data safe while traveling. Here are some summer laptop tips:


TAKE A SPARE BATTERY AND AC ADAPTER

There’s nothing more essential to a laptop than keeping it powered up. Remember to bring along your laptop’s AC adapter so that you can plug into any nearby outlet, wherever you might be staying. Also be sure that you have the right power cords and international power adapters if you’re vacationing to countries with different power plugs. It’s also a clever idea to keep a spare AC adapter around: One for home and one for travel.

Of course, for true portability, the laptop battery frees us from the tether of a power cord. Especially if you’re booting up inside planes, trains, and automobiles. The average battery is built to last just a few hours. For extra long trips and emergencies, keep an extra battery handy!


USE A TRAVEL BAG

You’ll need a place to store your laptop, adapter, batteries, and whatever other gadgets you carry with you. A laptop travel bag holds your laptop accessories all in one convenient place, wrapped in protective padding to prevent damage.

However, most experts will agree that it’s wise to use travel bags other than a traditional laptop bag. When a thief sees a laptop bag, they know exactly what’s inside; almost as if you’ve stuck a “Steal me!” sign on your computer. Instead, use a well padded backpack or messenger bag. Since they’re more common, they’re less likely to be stolen.


SECURE YOUR LAPTOP

While you and your family are out seeing the sights, you should secure your laptop in case of a break in. A laptop security lock and cable will fasten your notebook so that the bad guys can’t make off with it.

In the event that your laptop still gets stolen, you’ll also need to protect your data. A laptop only costs a few hundred dollars to replace; the private data that criminals can pull from your laptop can cost you thousands! Password protect as much software as you can. It may be a hassle at times, but it could very well save you.

There’s also the option of using a USB security key. These devices look similar to USB thumb drives and are very reasonably priced. Most of these security keys use software that will keep your laptop’s data encrypted or limit access unless they’re connected to the laptop while running. Fancy ones have features like thumb print scanners to insure that you and only you are the one accessing your personal computer.


REMEMBER ALL CABLES AND ADAPTERS

If you plan on looking over the photos on your digital camera while on your trip, you’ll need to be able to get those files from your camera to your laptop. To pull the files from the camera’s memory card, there are a wide variety of flash card readers that will do the trick, but that’s unnecessary weight to be carrying around. The most convenient method is connecting the digital camera directly to the laptop and reading the files from there. Most digital cameras are equipped with a mini-USB port to connect to any PC.

Keep a couple mini-USB cables stashed in your laptop travel bag, depending on how many gadgets you bring along with you. Mini-USB is a near-universal connection for plugging portable electronic devices to a PC. You can even use them to charge your cell phone or video games, like the Sony PSP, in case you’d like to leave their bulky AC adapters at home!


USE A WIRELESS PLAN FROM YOUR MOBILE PROVIDER

It’s possible to find free wireless hotspots while you’re on vacation, but who wants to drive around searching for one when you could be relaxing by the pool? You can sign up for a data plan through your mobile phone service for your own secured connection. Most services are able to provide connection speeds as fast as broadband!


PORTABLE PC ON A USB DRIVE

There’s always the crazy alternative: Leave the laptop at home! If you’re visiting family or anywhere else that already has an accessible computer with an internet connection, you can still carry your own software, settings, and files with the use of a simple USB flash drive.

There are hundreds of free portable applications that can easily be installed on a USB flash drive that will allow you to check your email, edit pictures, and even balance your check book wherever you go! They’re very effective for their size and you should be able to pack all you need in a USB drive no larger than 2GB.

It’s easy to find portable, stand-alone applications online, but the easiest way is to install the PortableApps Suite onto the USB drive. It comes with several popular applications and you can add as many as you want from their software library. Best of all, they’re all free!


With these tips, you'll earn yourself some peace of mind with your laptop by your side. After all, you should relax...you're on vacation!

8 Easy Laptop Security Tips

There are few things scarier than having your laptop stolen or compromised. Most of us rely on our notebook PCs as the keystone of our professions. There are always people out there that would like nothing more than to steal your private data.

Here are some handy tips for beefing up your laptop's security so that you can rest easy about your crucial data...

1. Back up your data and do it often! Invest in an external hard drive to copy your files to each night. Thumb drives are great for smaller documents. Some people back up their files on to recordable CDs or DVDs to store at home or office. You can also sign up for off-sight back-up services that will let you upload your data to a secure location. These services are great in the event of a fire or traveling.
   
   


2. Disable the infrared sensor, if your laptop has one. Bad guys can access your laptop remotely through it.
   
   


3. Don't trust WiFi! Wireless internet connection is a fantastic convenience, but free WiFi hotspots allow anyone on that network to access your laptop. This includes website passwords, unencrypted email... All the private information you need to keep private!
   
   


4. Rename your Windows "Administrator" account. Many hackers go right for that account once they can get into your machine. You can even create a bogus "Administrator" login and a few extra redundant accounts to throw them off the trail.
   
   


5. Use a docking station for your home or office. This will lock down the laptop to a more secure location, in case visitors or staff get a case of sticky fingers. It also gives you a place to charge your battery and back up your data when you're not traveling.
   
   


6. Use a complicated password. The best type of password is a completely random mess of numbers, letters, and symbols. But if you need to use words for a mnemonic, replace some of the letters with similar numbers. For example: "p4s5w0rd".
   
   


7. Don't save passwords or use automatic logins for websites on your laptop. If someone were to get their hands on your laptop, they'd have instant access to all those important accounts. Anywhere from your FaceBook to your online banking!
   
   


8. Finally, use encryption whenever possible. There are loads of software and USB devices out there that will help keep your data encrypted and secure.

Keeping your data secure will save you loads of time and money. With these simple tips, you should be able to sleep easy knowing that your vital data is safe.

Have any tips of your own? Add them to the comments! We'd love to hear any ideas that we might have missed!