Computer Services for Your Farm – Lethbridge, AB and area

September 19, 2017 by Tony Whitney

Farming has become increasingly reliant on computer systems, just like the rest of the world’s industries.

Recently I heard a few horror stories from technicians I talk with in the US about the devastation caused to farms when their systems went down. With this in mind, I want to offer my services to all the farms in the Lethbridge, AB area and beyond using remote support.

Your computer probably has field maps, accounting data, business files, inventory reports and so much more on it! What happens if you get hit with Ransomware like Wannacry? What happens if a destructive virus gets into your system and deletes all your files? I want to work for you to keep your business safe!

Computer protection and data backups are of the utmost importance and you probably don’t have time to deal with that yourself! That’s where I come in.

If you are serious about keeping your computer systems running smoothly, I recommend Y-Not Tech Service’s Platinum Plan. Here’s what you get:

Monitoring Program to ensure we know of problems before they get out of control
Windows Updates managed so you are safe from exploits that can be used to damage your data, hold your files for ransom, access your banking information and anything else on your computer
Third-Party Application patching to protect you against similar exploits found in other software like Flash Player or Java
Emsisoft Antimalware software – Prevent malicious viruses, worms, Trojans and more from affecting your system. All updates are handled by Y-Not Tech Services so you don’t need to worry about them.
Unlimited Free Virus and Malware removals (in the event that Emsisoft doesn’t stop them) as long as you are subscribed to the plan.
Managed Off-Site Cloud backup. Your files are important! We’ll store them off-site so that they are always safe, even if disaster hits.
2 hours of Tech Labour is included each month. This can be used to create additional local backups (recommended), repair issues with your computer systems or networks, do Technology training and education and more. Just ask!

ONLY $65/Month/PC

My on-site rate is currently $50/hour so the 2 hours of labour the Platinum Plan includes would run you $100! This deal is incredible and won’t be around for long. It’s so good that I am currently limiting it to 10 active subscribers to ensure I can fit them all in. This price won’t last act fast. You can save even more by paying annually for just $700 instead of monthly payments. For more information about our Managed Services click here.

Y-Not Tech Services can also help solve your technology problems even if you choose not to take advantage of our Managed Services. Visit our Services and Pricing page for more information!

Contact Y-Not Tech Services to set up an appointment today!

Do You Own Your Own Business in Lethbridge?

August 15, 2017 by Tony Whitney

Most big companies have an IT department. Someone to call when things don’t go the way they should. If you run a small business, do you have an IT budget? Time is money. If the systems you use in your business go down, you’ll be losing money while you work on getting them back up and running. Why not have preventative measures in place and an IT professional ready to tackle any problems that arise.

Business Owners in Lethbridge, Alberta | Y-Not Tech Services

For a Business Owner Time is Money

Y-Not Tech Services can be your IT Department. We can help you with your Computers, printers, Smart Phones, and tablets. Everything you need to run your business efficiently. In addition to helping you with keeping your devices running smoothly, I can help you manage your business contacts, get email marketing setup and even show you how to advertise on Google or Facebook (Please Note that Y-Not Tech Services isn’t an advertising agency and makes no claims to know the ins and outs of advertising – but we have experience with Facebook advertising and Google Adwords Express that we are happy to pass on to you).

Do you have a backup of your business files?

What measures do you have in place to protect against RansomWare attacks?

Are you confident in your Antivirus software?

Does your Antivirus software also protect you against Malware? What about unwanted programs? Spyware?

Contact Y-Not Tech Services today and see how we can help your business.

Announcement: Changes to Y-Not Tech Services’ Manages Plans

July 4, 2017 by Tony Whitney

I was evaluating my Managed Plans the other day and realized that no one had signed up for the Silver Plan which has Application Patching, Windows updates, and Remote Monitoring, but doesn’t include Managed Antivirus. It occurred to me that this wasn’t really good value for the security-conscious client. So I am changing my Silver Plan to provide more value!

Instead of the Monitoring and Patching, Y-Not Tech Services’ Silver Plan will now include Managed Antivirus/Antimalware. The price will remain at $14/month. This provides a lower cost to get into antivirus which is the best value protection for your PC. Monitoring/Patching can be added by choosing the Gold Plan.

Here’s an overview of our Plans:

Bronze Plan:

Free

-Quick and Easy Contact Form
-Health Warning Pop Up Alerts
-10% off Tech Services

Silver Plan:

$14/month

-Quick and Easy Contact Form
-Health Warning Pop Up Alerts
-Add-On Monitoring
-25% off Tech Services

ADDITIONAL ANTI-MALWARE PROTECTION

–Anti-Malware Software
-Unlimited Malware Removals

Gold Plan

$19/Month

-Quick and Easy Contact Form
-Health Warning Pop Up Alerts
-Add-On Monitoring
-25% off Tech Services

ADDITIONAL ANTI-MALWARE PROTECTION

–Anti-Malware Software
-Unlimited Malware Removals

ADDITIONAL MONITORING:

-Anti-Virus Health
-Windows Crash
-Low Hard Drive Space
-Application Crashing
-Hardware Health
-Hard Drive Fragmentation
-Hard Drive Health
-Firewall Health
-Application Patching
-Windows Updates

It is our hopes that this change will provide extra value to our clients, and make it simpler for new clients to get into a managed Antivirus so that they never need to worry about when their subscription ends, whether the antivirus is updating or what infections are being stopped – we deal with it all, while you simply enjoy your PC.

If you are on the Gold Plan, you can expect to be contacted to see if switching the Silver Plan is a good option for you. For the next week or so, some of the graphics and information throughout the site will still reflect the old Plans, but I will be updating those as I have time. Don’t forget – The Gold Plan is still the best overall protection for your PC. Book an appointment to sign up today!

Out of Date Software – Security Risk! | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB

June 27, 2017 by Tony Whitney

I’m sure you’ve shared this experience. You turn your computer on, it makes its way through the boot sequence and you’re met with your desktop. Then Adobe Reader pops up and says it needs to be updated. Then Java comes up asking for an update. iTunes needs an update too and with it iCloud and QuickTime. But, you’re in a hurry and since you don’t need to use any of those right now, you just hit the X and close out of those updates so you can get to work. Or you DO need to use one of those and don’t have time to wait for the update. How important can the update be? It can wait until you need it, right? Not really. Usually, when an application is updated it is to patch a security risk that was discovered. Often times these patches are accompanied by bug fixes and new features, but we’re not too worried about that today. We want to focus on keeping your computer and your data safe. Web exploits often search for outdated software with known security flaws and use those to take control of your computer and install software that steals your personal data. This can include passwords to e-mail and bank accounts!

So what can you do to keep your system safe? Update whenever an application asks you too. Try not to hit the ‘Remind Me Later’ button, as appealing as it can be. Remember that these updates are important. They can keep your photo’s, documents and other files safe from cybercriminals who hope to exploit you. Once you update an application, you may be asked to restart your computer to finish the update process. Y-Not Tech Services recommends you do so right away. Again, you might be given the option to put it off until later, but it’s best to do it immediately.

Keeping track of what applications are up to date and which ones aren’t can be daunting. Don’t Worry. We’re here to help. My Gold and Platinum managed service packages include Application patching. With these services, I’m able to keep track of the most popular (and most exploited) programs to make sure you are running the latest version number. Contact me today to keep your computer safe.

Why not let Tony protect your PC from exploits caused by out of date software?

For more content, including exclusive articles and offers, Click Here to sign up for my newsletter.

Y-Not’s Strategy to Avoid Data Disaster in Lethbridge, AB and Canada

June 20, 2017 by Tony Whitney

My clients often tell me that their Data is the most important thing on their Computers. And I can see why it would be! With precious family photos and videos, important documents and so much more stored on our computers, a loss of data can be a disaster. This is why I talk about how important back-ups are so often on the site and to my clients. I want to focus on a service I offer that I feel gives everything needed to avert Data Disaster.

Y-Not Tech Services’ Gold Plus Package

For $44/month you get Virus and Malware protection as well as an off-site back-up.

The virus protection often saves you from needing to use the back-up at all. My Virus and Malware protection has been proven to provide protection for most of the recent attacks that either hold your data for ransom or just deletes it outright. However, new methods are always being developed and some might slip through. This is where the back-up comes in. If a virus or malicious program sneaks past our protection and affect your data, our back-up will ensure that you can get back up and running as soon as possible.

For less than the cost of a coffee a day, you can have peace of mind knowing your important data is safe and secure against threats like Viruses, Malware and Ransomware.

VIRUS AND MALWARE PROTECTION + OFF-SITE BACKUP = DATA DISASTER AVOIDANCE

Special Offer: Mention ‘Data Disaster’ and receive $5 off each month for the first year.

To start protecting your data today book an appointment:

PS For more special offers, tips and advice Click Here to get updates emailed to you.

Free Tune-Up Giveaway!

June 12, 2017 by Tony Whitney

Y-Not Not Tech Services has launched a new newsletter with exclusive content you won’t find here on our website. To celebrate, we’re giving away A free Computer Tune-up. Visit our Facebook page to learn how to enter.

Rules and Conditions: Prize has no cash value. The prize is available to anyone in Canada. If the winner is from the Lethbridge area the Tune-up can either be performed in Y-Not’s office or remotely. If the winning entrant is from outside my travel area, the tune-Up will be done remotely. The winner and Y-Not Tech Services will schedule a time for the Tune-up to be performed. Contest Ends June 26, 2017.

A Special Word for Windows 7 Users

June 7, 2017 by Tony Whitney

Y-Not Tech Services would like to issue a word of warning to users of Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system. The recent WannaCry ransomware exploited a bug in Windows allowing it to spread like wildfire. What is interesting about this is that the particular bug that was exploited was actually patched back in March. Anyone who had their systems up to date with Windows Updates was safe from the spread of the malicious program.

Reports show that 97% of systems infected with the WannaCry program were running Windows 7. This isn’t surprising to me. I’ve run across many Windows 7 devices that take FOREVER to find and install new updates. I’m talking weeks before they are installed. And if you turn off your device or restart it, the process starts over. This results in many Windows 7 PCs stuck at ‘Checking for updates…’ and never getting up to date. This is a major problem as it leaves the system open to many vulnerabilities.

It turns out there are a handful of Microsoft updates that essential hang the update service when it tries to download and install them. Y-Not Tech Services has a solution and can get your Windows 7 PC up to date and secure against attacks like WannaCry and other copycat software.

Book an appointment with Y-Not Tech Services today to check on the status of your Windows Update. We can help get it up and running smoothly.

Additionally, it’s important for all systems to have a good Antivirus program and Backup Strategy in place.

PS To receive more tips and tricks in your inbox click here.

WannaCry Protection in Lethbridge, AB | Y-Not Tech Services

May 15, 2017 by Tony Whitney

Over the weekend a new RansomWare infection has spread widely. WannaCry uses a combination of malicious e-mail links and a vulnerability in Microsoft’s Windows OS to spread. It is interesting to note that the vulnerability in Windows was patched by Microsoft in March via Windows Updates. Is your system up to date? When was the last time you checked for updates?

It’s always a good idea to follow safe practices any time you are clicking on links from e-mails. Even if you know and trust the sender, they might have been infected and unaware that they are spreading viruses.

WannaCry is ransomware. It encrypts your data and only gives you access if you pay them. Reports say the cost starts at $300 and goes up to $600 before finally, they delete your data.

At this point, there is no way to decrypt the data without paying the developers of the virus.

How to Protect Yourself

If you aren’t infected with WannaCry make sure Windows is up to date! This stops the spread and can keep you protected. Don’t click links in e-mails without inspecting them first. The link could be hidden, meaning the text in the e-mail will say one thing, but take you somewhere else. Hover your cursor over the link for a few seconds and a tooltip should come up giving the exact link address.

Y-Not Tech Services offers a bundle that protects your device from Ransomware and other attacks. Our Gold Protection Package offers Emisoft Anti-Malware that detects threats like this and blocks them and Windows Patching that keeps your System up to date with Security Patches that cover this and other exploits. I also recommend a comprehensive backup strategy centered around the 3-2-1 philosophy.

Y-Not’s Gold Security Package – $19/month

Y-Not’s Gold Security Package plus Off-Site backup – $29/month

The internet is a wonderful place, but it is also full of people trying to take advantage of others with viruses, malware and more. Click here for my quick run down of internet safety.

Book an Appointment with Y-Not Tech Services to sign up for our protection plan or to learn more.

Computer and Technology Lessons in Lethbridge, AB and Area

May 9, 2017 by Tony Whitney

Learning new things can be hard. Even worse, it can be frustrating when you are trying to learn something you need to use every single day. Maybe a new software update has made tasks you used to do regularly seem like a nightmare. Or a new smartphone doesn’t make you feel smart at all. The tablet you got as a gift and were told you would love just sits in a drawer without use because it just feels awkward.

Y-Not Tech Services can help! I love technology. I love learning about technology and how to use it. I have developed a way of explaining technobabble in a more easily understandable way. When I worked in Retail selling Computers and other technology items many of my customers expressed their gratitude at the way I explained things. Some would refer to me as the plain-English speaking geek.

Computer Lessons in Lethbridge, Alberta | Y-Not Tech Services

Visit us for one on one training in our office, or I can visit you where it’s convenient

Now, I offer that experience to my clients. If you want to learn about your computer, smart phone, tablet, or almost any other device I can help. I have a knack for learning this stuff. I don’t know everything. There’s a good chance that what you want to learn, I don’t know. Yet. But I’ll learn it and then pass that knowledge onto you in a way that is easy to understand. I strip out the technical language found in manuals and online tutorials and put the information into simple terms that are understandable and you’ll remember. Below are two components of a computer. On the left are common descriptions of them and on the right is how I describe them.

Technical Explanation	My Plain English Explanation
A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive or fixed disk is a data storage device that uses magnetic storage to store and retrieve digital information using one or more rigid rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material.	A Hard Drive is like your computer’s library. It stores all of your files and programs like books on a shelf. The larger the Library, the more files, programs, photos, videos and music can be stored before running out of shelf space.
RAM is an acronym for random access memory, a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and other devices, such as printers.	RAM is like a desk you sit down at and spread out your work on. It is where everything you work on is stored while you work on it. Windows or MacOS need some space on your desk, and the rest is available for the programs and anything else you have open.

The customers I served in the Big Box Store I used to work in always appreciated those explanations and it helped them choose the computer that best fit their needs. I planned to develop set Lesson Plans for popular subjects, but as I started helping clients I found that the subjects they wanted to learn were unique and numerous. I still might develop plans on some subjects, but in the meantime, I am enjoying learning whatever a client needs to know and then passing the knowledge onto them in easy to digest lessons.

A few examples of lessons I have taught:

Garmin Fitness Tracker syncing to iPhone plus online calorie counter website
Building a Facebook page for an organization to promote an event through
Other basic Facebook uses including how to find friends and unfriend someone
E-mail attachments
Basic WordPress and other website set up (using pre-made themes only, no design)
Smart Phone Data limit restrictions and warnings (so you don’t get dinged with a huge bill)
Accessibility options on computers and smartphones to help clients with eyesight and hearing loss
Getting started with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms
I have even shadow wrote for a client writing up promotions for online sales

The list goes on, really, and is always growing. What would you like to learn? Contact me to set up an appointment. I want to be your ‘Computer Guy’.

No current plans, but If the opportunity arises, I’ll do some classroom style lessons

Computer Back Ups in Lethbridge, AB and Area

May 2, 2017 by Tony Whitney

With so much of our important data being stored on our computers, backing them up is incredibly important. To help you audit your own back up strategy, I’ll list a few questions here I want you to answer:

Do you currently have a backup?
If you have a backup, how up to date is it?
Is your backup stored in the same building as the original data?

Why is having a backup strategy important? We store all kinds of important stuff on our computers. We have documents for work or school. We have music and other media we have collected from digital stores like iTunes. And most importantly, we have photos. I have had a few friends lose their homes to fires. They say the whole experience is traumatizing, but the only truly lasting pain they have from it is the loss of their family photos. Nearly everything else lost in the fire can be replaced, but not the photo albums. Today, most of our photos are taken and stored digitally. If the Hard Drive in your computer fails, what will you miss most? If it does fail and you don’t have a backup you will either need to live without those files, or look into Data Recovery, which can be a very expensive endeavor depending on what it needed. Let’s avoid that altogether by building a backup strategy to fit your needs.

Computer Back Ups in Lethbridge, Alberta and Area | Y-Not Tech Services

One copy of your Data will be on the Hard Drive inside your computer

If you do have a backup, that’s great! You’re ahead of many people out there. I have found, however, that one backup is often not enough. I’ve seen the disappointment in a client’s eyes too many times when I transfer their backup over onto their new Hard Drive after a failure and they realize that the backup was done 6 months ago and now they are missing 6 months of their digital lives. That’s a lot of family photos. People in my industry have come up with a 3-2-1 backup strategy, and I highly recommend it.

What is a 3-2-1 backup?

Three copies of your data. Stored on two different devices. One copy should be stored off-site. This ensures with nearly 100% certainly your data cannot be lost. Three copies is pretty self-explanatory and we’ll get to where they should be soon. Why should we store our data on two devices? If a virus or malware badly infects your computer it could damage the data on any drive attached to it. That’s why you should have the data on your internal Hard Drive (obviously, that’s what is running your computer) and another device like an External Hard Drive, a USB Flash Drive or DVDs. Finally, we get to the offsite part of our backup strategy. I have seen people attempt this a number of ways. Often they’ll make a backup and then stash it at a family members home, or at a storage facility. This method has one major flaw though. The data will quickly become out of date. With the storage device (generally a Hard Drive or Flash Drive) off-site AND inaccessible to add new data too, the backup doesn’t get updated. The plan would be to go and bring the drive onsite every week and update the backup, but those plans quickly fade because it’s just one more thing to remember. This is where a cloud backup solution comes in. Y-Not Tech Services has partnered with Datto to offer our clients a managed offsite backup solution to add to your backup strategy. We’ll get to that in more detail later. First, let’s make sure you have the local back-up covered.

Local Backup

Having a local back up is important and can be very convenient when something goes wrong. If your back up is up to date you can quickly restore your data and get back up and running. Ideally, your back up medium will be larger than your internal Hard Drive. This will allow your back up utility to store different versions of your files so you can go back to find old changes if you save over top and want the old copy back. Generally, either an External Hard Drive or Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive is the best choice for backup storage. Windows and Mac both have a built-in utility for backup management. If you need help getting this setup, please contact me so I can help you get it set up.

A second copy of your data could be stored an External Hard Drive like this one.

Another option for local backup is to clone your Hard Drive. This involves making a full, exact copy of your Hard Drive so that you can just swap your back up in and it will boot up just the same as your old Hard Drive. This is a more time consuming and involved way to backup, but can save a lot of time when disaster strikes your hard drive. If you need to be able to get back up and running immediately after a hard drive failure, a full clone backup may be the way to go.

Managed Off-Site Backup

What I like most about Datto is that it gives me a dashboard to see all my clients and I can see at a glance that your backup is up to date. If, for some reason, your backup isn’t up to date, I’ll be alerted and we can get together to make sure your data is safe. What is really nice about the Managed Backup Service is that any time I’m alerted to an issue with your back up, I’ll work to make sure it is resolved at no extra cost to you. It’s all part of the service. For prices and more information please see the Managed Services page.

With Managed Back Up, your data is stored safely and Securely.

In conclusion, don’t be caught without a backup. Hard Drives have many moving parts and are prone to failures. Solid State Drives can also wear out over time. I’ve seen both fail within a week of purchase at times. Yes, the warranty covers the failure and you can get a replacement from the manufacturer, but they can’t do anything about the data you had stored on the drive. If you don’t have a backup strategy in place or if you want to review your backup strategy with me, contact me to make an appointment.

Serving Lethbridge, AB, and area locally. Back Up can be set up using Remote Connection so I can help you no matter where you are. Book an appointment to discuss your options and get a backup in place.