BlueScreen Computer

06/15/2026

Ok, NASA, that's too cool for school...
https://science.nasa.gov/specials/your-name-in-landsat/

06/08/2026

Shenandoah County residents, heads-up! Shentel offers an *off-menu* internet choice that could save you $10/mo.

Shentel's official price sheet for 2026 shows 400M residential internet service at $55/mo, as well as faster options. But I am now told that you could call in and request their 200M plan, priced at $45/mo.

This may not be for everyone, but if you feel your household is modest in its internet use, I say: Save that Money! Any ShenCo resident can call in to Shentel to inquire about this speed/price point. If it is permitted for your address, they can switch you immediately. No need for an appt or change in equipment.

Shentel agents told me that this is available for *all* of Shenandoah County. For all fiber and cable residential internet subscribers. It just isn't something they talk about or promote. You have to know about it to ask for it.

06/03/2026

Someone is in a hurry to get this day started...

Here's a quick post about that Copilot key on some new laptops -- you can reprogram that button if you don't care for it!

https://bluescreencomputer.com/2026/06/02/remap-the-copilot-key/

05/28/2026

An example of invoice fraud recently showed up at a local school, intended for the PTO. I'll blog about it partly because it is a bit tech-related, but also because it aggravates at me.

I'm rankled for a couple of reasons. One is that they are targeting a particular type of group that is usually made up of volunteer parents. These folks are often short on free time or unfamiliar with finances and related trickery. But another reason is that: This type of fraud has not been reined in. This particular company has been practicing invoice fraud for many years and I doubt my reports will have an effect.

All I can do is spread the word and hope that education protects a few more people from this trap.

Deceptive SEO Offers may come to you -- beware any unexpected invoices and research things carefully. Don't pay any mystery bills!

05/24/2026

BlueScreen Computer is officially 24 years old today! I am still grateful for the chance to help you all with your tech needs.

(cat photo just because!)

05/21/2026

I've been posting for a couple of years now about Facebook's Malvertising problem (links in comments), and I am happy to report that Meta is finally being sued over this. It's too soon to predict any outcome, but we can watch and we can hope:

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/meta-scam-ads/
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/may/13/meta-scam-ads-california-lawsuit
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meta-lawsuit-scams-facebook/

Almost everyday, I help someone who has fallen victim to the deceptive and malicious ads on this website. And this scourge continues to happen, right now, despite the lawsuits! The screencaps attached to this post? I took those TODAY.

Clicking on those ads leads to fake Microsoft alerts. Those alerts *seem* to lock up your computer, while yelling at you to call a support phone number. Anyone unlucky enough to call the number is at risk of being scammed out of hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Please be careful. Don't call any unexpected phone numbers. Don't click on ANYTHING on Facebook if it is labeled "Sponsored" or "Promoted" or "Suggested for You". It cannot be trusted. And if your computer is locked up with a scary message, press and hold the main power button on your computer for at least 15 seconds, until it shuts off. In most cases, this defeats the lock-up.

Zuckerberg, I think I am not alone in hoping you have the day (in court) that you deserve.

05/08/2026

Shentel Webmail users: some apps are warning that their webmail site is dangerous. But this is IN ERROR. Shentel Webmail is perfectly safe to access. Shentel is working with Microsoft and other vendors to correct this oversight.

In the meantime, if you are plagued with these warnings, look for any option on the pop-up message to "Not Block This Site" in the future.

05/07/2026

Just got this voicemail today -- please don't believe in this stuff if it comes your way.

05/03/2026

The latest Shentel email phish campaign is upon us. But this time, it's not only very convincing, but also bigger than just Shentel:

One phishing email led me down a rabbit hole to a Phishing Motherlode. If you're interested, check out the details:

04/30/2026

I have trust issues. But I'm working on them. Sigh.

Trust, but Verify -- scammers abound on the internet and social media. Be careful out there and try to discern between friend and foe.