Ask Leo!: General Computing

Is my ISP calling me to clear up my problems with Windows?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:20:04 -08:00

Perhaps you might be interested in this little anecdote.

Yesterday about noon, the telephone rang.

It was an Indian woman - the conversation is as I recall it ...

]]> What follows is one of the most brazen scam attempts I've seen in a while. Fortunately, the person reporting it had the right instincts and was able to avoid getting taken.

Let's look at the transcript provided, and I'll identify all of the warning signs with [notes] as we go.

What does "Notification of Limited Account Access" mean?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:32:13 -08:00

The phrase "Limited Account Access" is something we all see pretty regularly - unless our spam filter is really, really good. Spoofing a "Limited Account Access" notification is an extremely common approach used by scammers to trick you into giving them access to your PayPal account, or perhaps information that could be used for purposes of identity theft.

So, naturally, when I received that message for the hundredth time, I gave it very little notice.

Until, that is, I logged into my PayPal account.

How do I fix this problem uninstalling Microsoft Office 2010 (Beta)?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:54:11 -08:00

I tried to install Microsoft Office 2010 (Beta), for some reason it failed, it said that it rolled out the installation, but I can see the software on my hard drive, when I try to remove it with uninstaller it denies the access to it. Also, when I start Word document by clicking on .doc document it gives me an error as follows: "Click-2-Run Application Manager: Click-2-Run configuration failure"

How can I fix this?

]]> I don't know.

But the reason I'm addressing this question is that it's an important and cautionary tale. There's a reason things are called "Beta".

OK, I do have one simple answer that will indeed fix the problem, but since you're asking and not already doing it, you probably can't take the steps I'll recommend.

I have another answer that promises hope, but I'm guessing that's not available to you either.

And finally, I do have a few straws to grasp at, as well as a last resort.

How can I keep data on my laptop secure?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:00:00 -08:00

I travel a lot, and have sensitive data on the laptop I take with me that I need as part of my job. But I'm in fear of losing the laptop and that this data will fall into the wrong hands. What do you suggest?

]]> I know how you feel. I also have sensitive information on my laptop that I would prefer not to fall into the wrong hands. I can handle losing the laptop, but thinking about the data in the wrong hands ... well ... that would be bad.

I do have a solution that I've been using for several years now, and it turns out to be fairly easy, secure, and free.

How can I sign a digital document without needing to print it?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -08:00

I am often asked to return a signed and dated copy of a pdf contract. The only way I know to do this is to print it on paper, sign and date it and then re-scan it. Is there some way do this (to create a replica of my signature, the current date, and sometimes a printed version of my name) that doesn't require a scanner and printer and avoids the use of paper?

]]> It's possible, though sometimes it's not as easy as we might like.

But aside from the technical aspects of what you're attempting, the more practical aspect is simply this: it might not be valid to do so.

And honestly, when it is valid, it kinda scares me.