Safari does Nothing but Make Booping Noise

This was infuriating but solved it, it takes a few tries but it works. This is what I did:

  1. Open Safari

  2. Have a look at the exact position of the “Keep Both” button (or maybe the other one, I didn’t test)

  3. Move your mouse to that exact location. Observe: you can’t click anything in Safari

  4. Press Option-Command-ESC to open the Force Quit dialog. Don’t move the mouse

  5. Use the keyboard to select Safari. Don’t move the mouse

  6. Press Enter / Return. Again, don’t move the mouse

  7. Press Command-Space to open Spotlight. Again, don’t move the mouse

  8. Type Safari and get ready to press the mouse but don’t move the mouse

  9. Press Enter and press the “Keep Both” with your trackpad at the exact instant it appears. You’ll need to be quick.

  10. If you missed the button, repeat steps 3 through 9.

Posted in Apple, Computers, Laptop/Notebook, MAC, Software

System BIOS Boot Keys for Laptops/Desktop PCs

System BIOS Boot Keys for Laptops/Desktop PCs

Here is my list of Laptop and Desktop System Boots Codes for various vendors.  It’s great if you’re a techy like me and you’re trying to remember what code to use for a particular brand or model of computer. Note, not all keys will work as some models have different key combinations to others.

Acer

F2 (BIOS Setup)
ALT + F2 (Boot Device Options)
F12 (Boot Device Options)
ALT + F10 (Acer eRecovery)

ASUS

ESC (Boot Selection Menu)
F2 (BIOS Setup)
F9 (Asus Laptop Recovery)

Apple (Models 2006+)

Command + Option + P + R (PRAM and NVRAM Reset)
Command + S (Boot into Single-User Mode)
Command + V (Boot with Verbose Status)
Option (Select Hard Drive Boot Volume)
Option + N (Boot Image from Netboot Server)
Shift (Boot into Safe Mode)
C (Boot from CD Drive)
D (Boot from OS/X Recovery and perform Hardware Test)
N (Boot from Network)

Dell

CTRL + F11 (Dell™ PC Restore by Symantec)
F8 (Repair Your Computer) Dell Factory Image Restore

EI Systems

F10 (System Recovery)

Fujitsu

F2 (BIOS Setup)
F12 (Boot Menu)

Gateway

F11 or R (Gateway Recovery)

HP / Compaq Desktops

F10 (HP Recovery)

HP Pavilion / Compaq Laptops

ESC (Startup Menu)
F1 (System Information)
F2 (System Diagnostic)
F9 (Boot Device Options)
F10 (BIOS Setup)
F11 (System Recovery)

IBM ThinkPad

F11 (IBM Product Recovery)

Intel NUC

F2 (System Setup)
F7 (BIOS Update)
F10 (Boot Menu)

iRULU Walknbook

ESC (Boot Device Options)

Lenovo

 (Lenovo OneKey Rescue System)
F2 (BIOS Setup)

Packard Bell

F11 (Recovery Program)

Sony Vaio

F10 (VAIO Recovery Wizard)

Toshiba

0 (zero) (Toshiba Harddrive Recovery Utility)
F2 (Setup Utility)
F8 (Advanced Boot Options Men

MSI

Press delete at startup to enter Bios, At the BIOS screen Hold ALT, Hold Right Control, Hold Shift, And Press F2 while holding those 3 buttons/Brings up Advanced Bios. After seeing the screen displaying the MSI logo, press the “F11” key repeatedly the boot menu is entered.

Posted in Computers, Laptop/Notebook

Social Security Scam 901.359.2350 “The reason for this call”

Social Security Scam 901.359.2350 “The reason for this call”  They are trying to scam you.

Posted in Fraud

How to Find Bios Product Key Windows 10 from Command Prompt

Need to find your embedded BIOS OEM Product Key

To find the Windows Product Key embedded by the OEM in your BIOS simply open a CMD windows as Administrator and issue the following command from the prompt:

wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey

Run from the C:\Windows\system32 folder.

C:\windows\system32\wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey

In Windows 10 you can cut and paste the command into your command window.


Get into command prompt by searching for it or doing the Windows key and R button and typing cmd (it should pop up). Then type this command in exactly as is:

wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

 

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_other-update/need-to-find-your-embedded-bios-oem-product-key/81d5ef7b-05be-4559-a304-1074d99a622f#:~:text=To%20find%20the%20Windows%20Product%20Key%20embedded%20by,SoftwareLicensingService%20get%20OA3xOriginalProductKey%20Run%20from%20the%20C%3A%5CWindows%5Csystem32%20folder.

Posted in Software, Windows, Windows 10

Scam Using Email Thanks for Renewing our Services. This Email is the Receipt of your Purchase. Advanced Computer Protection.

These people didn’t have an accent, so it seems our neighbors are now trying to scam us out of our life’s savings.  God help them when they go to meet their maker.

 

Dear Customer,

Thanks for renewing our services. This email is the receipt for your purchase.

This purchase will appear as “Advanced Computer Protection” on your credit card statement.

If you have any questions about this invoice, simply reach out to our Support Team at +1 855-945-3670 for assistance.

 

Receipt No : 2TRD-216G-049L 08/17/2020
Description Amount
Advanced Threat Protection 299.99$
Total 299.99$

If you want to cancel this purchase then please reach out to us within 24 hours to get a refund.

 

Regards,
The Accounts Team

Please don’t reply to this email. If you have any queries then kindly reach out to us at +1 855-945-3670

Posted in Computers, Fraud, Laptop/Notebook, MAC, Office, Office 2016, Outlook, Security, Software, Virus/Malware, Windows, Windows 10

New Scammer that has been Tormenting the elderly in Mississippi Compusofttech LLC

Random calls to people claiming that they noticed activity on their computers that were scams and malware and were huge security risks.  Said they need to gain access to their computers to stop them.  They then claim to be with Microsoft.  These guys need to call me so I can let them in one or two of my computers.  I’d love to allow them access.  Please, Please, Please.

 

Organization Name: Geeks Store LLC

Subscription: 5 years of security with support

Merchant Name: Compusofttech LLC

Amount: $449.99

Customer ID: TK-1527

Toll free no: 1-844-990-0303

Posted in Fraud, Laptop/Notebook, Security, Virus/Malware, Windows

Hp 15 Series Laptop Lagging or Stuttering Mouse in Windows 10 with AMD A4

Go to HP website: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-15-g000-notebook-pc-series/6545564/model/6761883?ssfFlag=true&sku= and download the October 2015 AMD graphic driver, install it and all will be good.  The Windows driver does not work.  You need the Catalyst from HP.

Posted in Computers, Drivers, Hardware, Laptop/Notebook, Software, Windows, Windows 10

How to Prevent Windows from Automatically Updating Specific Drivers

ddu_top

Windows–especially Windows 10–has a bad habit of installing new updates for hardware drivers whether you want them or not. You could go big and simply prevent Windows from downloading updates altogether, or you might have luck blocking or hiding updates. But if you’ve got the Pro or Enterprise version of Windows, you can tailor your actions a little better by using Group Policy Editor to prevent the installation or updating of specific devices.

RELATED: How to Prevent Windows 10 From Automatically Downloading Updates

And of course, we have a caveat for you right off the bat: setting a policy to disable updates for a device prevents both automatic and manual updates of drivers for that device. So, if you want to update the driver yourself, you’ll have to disable the policy you’re about to configure, update the device, and then set the policy up again. That said, with a little preparation to minimize the hassle, we think you’ll find it worth the effort.

There are actually two steps to this process. First, we’re going to use Device Manager to find the hardware IDs for the device in question, and then we’re going to use Group Policy Editor to block installation or updating of the device that matches those IDs. Before you get started, though, you should make sure that the device has the driver version you want installed and that everything’s working properly.

Step One: Find the Hardware IDs for the Device in Device Manager

Your first step is finding the hardware IDs of the device for which you want to block updates. And for that, we’ll use Device Manager. Hit Start, type “device manager,” and then press Enter or click the “Device Manager” entry.

device_manager_1

In Device Manager, find the device you want to block updates for. Right-click the device and choose “Properties” from the context menu.

device_manager_2

On the device’s properties window, click the “Details” tab.

device_manager_3

From the “Property” drop-down menu, choose “Hardware Ids” to display the IDs associated with the device.

device_manager_4

Now, all you have to to is grab those IDs so you can access them when you configure the policy in the next step. The easiest way is to copy them to a text file. Just click the top ID, shift-click the bottom ID to select them all, and hit Ctrl+C to copy the text. Fire up Notepad (or whatever you use to store text) and press Ctrl+V to paste the values. And if you’re collecting IDs for multiple devices, put them in different sections and label them so you can tell which IDs go with which device. Save the text file so you can call it up in the future.

Step Two: Prevent Installation and Updating of the Device in Group Policy Editor

Now that you have the right hardware IDs in hand, you’ll be using Group Policy Editor to make the changes. Note again that you’ll need to be using a Windows Pro or Enterprise edition. The Windows Home edition does not have Group Policy Editor.

RELATED: Using Group Policy Editor to Tweak Your PC

Be warned that Group Policy is a pretty powerful tool, so if you’ve never used it before, it’s worth taking some time to learn what it can do. Also, if you’re on a company network, do everyone a favor and check with your admin first. If your work computer is part of a domain, it’s also likely that it’s part of a domain group policy that will supersede the local group policy, anyway.

First, sign in with an administrative account and open the Group Policy Editor by hitting Start, typing “gpedit.msc”, and then pressing Enter.

gp_1

In the Group Policy window, in the left-hand pane, drill down to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Installation > Device Installation Restrictions. On the right, find the “Prevent installation of devices that match any of these devices IDs” item and double-click it.

gp_2

In the policy window, select the “Enabled” option and then click the “Show” button.

gp_3

In the Show Contents window, you’ll add the hardware IDs for the device. You’ll need to add them one at a time, so just copy each ID from that text file you created earlier and paste it into the next available line in the “Value” column. When you’re done adding all the hardware IDs, click OK. Note that if you’re blocking updates for more than one device, you can just keep adding hardware IDs for all the devices to this window until you’re done.

gp_4

Back on the policy page, click OK to apply the policy change and then you can exit the Group Policy Editor. The only way to really test the new settings is by trying to install an updated driver or waiting for Windows Update to try. You should get an error message when any new driver installation is attempted.

 

Also, since the device is still registered, Windows Update may download new driver updates for the device. It just won’t be able to install them, instead reporting an installation error in the Windows Update window. This won’t get in the way of other updates being successfully installed and you can always hide that particular update if you’d rather not see it in Windows Update at all.

If you change your mind and want to allow updates to that device again, you can go back into Group Policy Editor and disable the policy. You’ll have to do this even if you just want to allow a one-time manual update of the drivers.

There is a big caveat here, though. If you disable the policy (or set it to “Not Configured”), all the hardware IDs you added to the policy will be deleted. If you want to re-enable the policy again, you’ll have to re-enter all the hardware IDs. This is especially important to note if you’ve got hardware IDs for multiple devices entered. If you want to re-enable updates for just one device, it’s better to leave the policy on and remove those specific hardware IDs. That’s why it’s important to save that text file.

And that’s it. It’s not a perfect solution, but using Group Policy to disable updating specific devices at least gives you a little more control than having to disable updates altogether.

Posted in Computers, Drivers, Laptop/Notebook, Windows 10, Windows Tweaks

Sudo Command to Allow Downloaded Apps on MAC

Type of the following command syntax: sudo spctl –master-disable
Hit Return
Authenticate with an admin password
Hit Return
Exit Terminal

Allow Everything will now be in System Preferences Privacy and Security.

Posted in Apple, Computers, MAC, OSX, Software

New Computer Phone Scam 203.920.1898 Recording Telling You That Your Computer Manufacturer Has Went Out Of Business, And That You Need To Contact Them To Transfer The Warranty

New Computer Phone Scam 203.920.1898 Recording Telling You That Your Computer Manufacturer Has Went Out Of Business, And That You Need To Contact Them To Transfer The  Warranty, it will ask you to hang up and call a local phone number to talk to a Foreign-Speaking scammer.

Posted in Cell Phones, Fraud, Security, Virus/Malware