Harbor Secure Computers

03/31/2026

Macrium reflect is a very good tool, I like its bakcup policies and while I don't like the yearly subscription, if I had to have one that would be it.

Teamviewer is another program that I use that has a yearly subscription of 600.00....but it is well worth it to do remote work for seniors. I could go less but there is an issue of security with some of the other apps, although I may wind up doing a server to host rustdesk if necessary.

Macrium reflect would be my preferred backup of choice from what I've seen next to just microsoft backup. It has a son-father-grandfather backup scheme where it backups up the whole thing once a month, backs up major things weekly and backs up smaller things daily. A very good model if you have the drive for it.

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03/31/2026

One of the key programs that is being used to hack into computers is a computer program called screenconnect.exe which is a legitimate program being used for nefarious purposes.

This will be the basis of an attack that will be used to install programs through the app store on windows that will enable crooks to access your machine.

to check whether or not your computer has such a program, right click on the taskbar along the bottom of your screen(usually) and choose task manager. you may have to click more details to get the processes tab to show.

click on the processes tab and click on the word NAME until it shows an arrow pointing up.....this will sort the list by name in alphabetical order. Go down the list and look for screenconnect.exe....this program as a rule should not be on your computer. if it is call me at 3602093843.

We are seeing a LOT of hacks right now so make sure your email is locked down by a unique password at the very least. Stay safe!

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02/19/2026

Passcape is the Password reset program I use to remove passwords from laptops and computers. It has been reliable for years. I paid 140.00 for this and its worth its weight in gold. I cannot tell you how many systems I have fixed with this.

https://www.passcape.com

Your standard version of the Reset Windows Password is 145.00, and its more comprehensive Windows Password Recovery is 345.00 and the more expensive one is comprehensive password repair.

If their cheaper version is any indication it is well worth the risk.

Their More expensive version appears to be able to even deal with bitlocker. If you are an IT guy, the 145.00 version is well worth the cost.

Password Recovery Software to help you recover lost and forgotten passwords for Windows, Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox, Outlook, IncrediMail etc. As well as DSL, dialup, vpn, wireless, LAN, and other network passwords.

01/08/2026

Never forget you can set up regular visitations from me if you need to. I have a full monty teamviewer subscription and I can charge monthly rates if need be.....

we can set up an appointment on a specific day and time and I can just do it on a regular schedule.

15 minutes, if that, on a bi-weekly basis could run 30.00 a month.

And it doesn't have to be forever. You can have me watch your computer for 6 months after a hack, just to be safe.

I have a full monty teamviewer subscription I pay 600.00 per year to do that has a bunch of slots for managed machines.

I could do it bi-montly even for the same 30.00. Just pulling numbers off the top of my head. That seems fair.

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12/05/2025

Remove Power Automate from you computer if you have windows 11.

Power Automate by itself is not a huge deal, but power automate with office 365 is a security risk.

Too much nonsense is going on with a program you will never use.

Go to settings>>apps>>installed apps and uninstall it at your earliest convenience.

It is a problem child and too much of an open door.

a lot of the programs they are using are legitimate programs and not viruses, so your antivirus will not stop them. And Automation and Remote Managment tools are something that may slip past you if you are not looking for it.

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09/01/2025

Just a note here.....the end date for windows 10 is coming up, that meaning that windows 10 will not receive security updates after october 24, 2025.

If you need a computer and money is an issue...I can grab one for around 200.00. Data transfer rates can run about 75-100.00 depending on location.

so for about 300.00 we can move you to a windows 11 compatible system. Laptops can cost a little more, but not much more.

Give me a call at 3602093843 if you need one. You have about a month and a half left before the deadline.

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07/19/2025

Ventoy is my new favorite toy that I found on the internet. It creates a boot drive where I can load isos onto the root of the drive and it will boot whatever I put there.

No more 30 flash drives in my pocket. Now I can have 1 for everything.

07/02/2025

WD black 1tb drives are a steal on ebay right now and can be put into enclosures as backup drives. They last forever and make great operating system or better yet backup drives for images. grab one and an enclosure for it and you are good to go.

07/02/2025

SSDs and NVME's are very fast but they have a tendency to disappear when they start to fail. One day it works, the next day *p**f!* its gone.

Do yourself a favor and have a running backup with a backup drive of some sort. go to control panel and create a regular image of your drive. You can also use things like Macrium Reflect, Acrons, EaseUS todo backup and Veaam to do backups as well.

Backup drives are a steal on Ebay if price is an issue:

06/09/2025

October 14, 2025 is the last day of support for Windows 10. I recommend starting the movement towards going to windows 10.

Because of TPM, any computer purchased before 2018 as a rule will not be able to be upgraded to windows 11. Fear not, because it is a buyers market in computers.

Things to look for:
But with an SSD and not a Hard drive

Aim for 16gb of ram

Pay attention to things like how many usb ports on the front and back

Pay attention to what kind of monitor connector you need or if you need a new monitor. Otherwise you are buying a digital video to VGA or hdmi to vga connector to make things work for older monitors.

Recommendations: Optiplex 7060, 3060, 5060, 5070, 3070 for refurb desktops. Lenovo, Dell, HP for newer computers. I prefer Dell over the other two.

I like Thinkcentre e15 for laptops. 2018 model that has teriffic hardware. The Thinkcentre is an IBM design and the part quality is usally good and long lasting.

Also be thinking about some sort of hard drive backup for your pc as ssd's and nvme's can give less warning signs for imminent failure.

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05/20/2025

HP OFFICEJET 9015e.

I got this printer from a friend and decided to refurb it to see what kind of issues it had.

The overall part quality is good, and it seems pretty durable.

HOWEVER,

The Officejet of this era ABSOLUTELY INSISTS on an HP+ account in order to even print. Even I could not get around it.

And Why? To sell me ink, or at the very least track my usage for some sort of payoff.

While I do like HP printers in general, I cannot in good conscience recommend the HP OFFICEJET because of its knee jerk insistence on an internet account to use the printer.

And this AFTER I spent 100.00 on ink because the instant ink cartridges in it would not play nice with me.

if you are looking for a good printer make....I recommend the Brother or in some instances the Canon.

A brother laserjet runs about 100.00

you can even get a color laserjet for about 300.00 on amazon from brother.

But take my advice....get a brother laserjet monchrome and take your pictures to walmart instead. The cost of ink will bankrupt you.

https://www.amazon.com/Brother-HL-L2460DW-Wireless-Monochrome-Printing/dp/B0DQ2TL3JW/ref=asc_df_B0DQ2TL3JW?mcid=178af5a3f44132eea5981758c628dc02&hvocijid=1147589193169922999-B0DQ2TL3JW-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1147589193169922999&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033514&hvtargid=pla-2281435178778&th=1

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03/14/2025

Both Comcast and Centurylink have had some growing pains as of late, leading to outages and other strange issues.

Oftentimes, when your internet goes down you can power cycle the modem to get it to reconnect properly to the servers.

1. unplug your modem and turn it on
2. The power comes on immediately followed by the DSL light which is usually next to the power.
3. the ethernet/wifi will start to come on which is at the other end of the modem.
4. in the middle next to the dsl will be the internet light. check to see if it conects or continuously blinks.

so the lights are usually as follows

Power>>DSL>>INTERNET>>ETHERNET>>WIFI 2.4>>WIFI 5>>PHONE

once the internet light comes up, then unplug and plug in any other router boxes that might be connected to the main modem. At this point you can try your internet, or just to be safe restart your pc then try your internet.

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