Kinney Business Solutions, Inc

So you just bought a brand new computer! Congratulations! You're taking first steps on your way to becoming computer guru. The first part of being tech savvy is to know how to take care of your new pride and joy.
Stick to these 12 steps, and you'll be keeping your new toy safe and running efficiently.

1. Overheating can be detrimental to the heath of your computer so always keep the computer equipments away from direct sunlight.

2. Do not block the air vents around your computer case. Hot computer components need circulated air to cool off faster.

3. Do not run unnecessary software applications. Managing too many programs at once can cause your internal computer components to work harder and give off more heat.

4. Do not drop or strike your computer- Computer parts are very sensitive. Your hard drive could be irreparably damaged if jolted while it is spinning.

5. Properly Shut Down your Computer- This catches your computer off guard and prevents it from saving its current state. This can also corrupt the data on your hard disk drive.

6. Computers should be kept away from direct exposure to water and humidity to prevent damage.

7. Try to keep your computer clean and dust free by cleaning it frequently. Apart from external cleaning, try to keep the inside of the computer dust and dirt free. This is also very important for it would enable your computer to run smoothly. If you are a smoker or in a high dust atmosphere cleaning may be required more frequently.

8. Electric surges can damage your system so use surge protectors to prevent from damage.

9. Try to avoid drinking while operating the computer. Accidental spillage of the drink can prove to be detrimental to the health of your computer.

10. There are some special chemicals available for cleaning the monitor and keyboard. These cleaning sprays can help to clean the computer properly but never make the mistake of cleaning them when the computer is operating.

11. Organize your hard disk drive- Delete data you no longer need and run windows disk cleanup and defragmenter tools. It is advisable to use these tools and check you hard drive for errors at least once a month.

12. Back up your data- Backing up your data is a big part of computer maintenance. You can back up your data by copying them to any of the many media for file storage available today such as external hard drives, CDs and DVDs, and USB flash drives.

Follow these steps and your computer will last well past it's years!

Questions? Please feel free to give us a call at (225) 590-5123.

How to Secure Your Home Wireless Network

The good news is that it is not very hard to make your wireless network secure, which will both prevent others from stealing your internet and will also prevent hackers from taking control of your computers through your own wireless network.

Here a few simple things that you should to secure your wireless network:

Step 1. Open your router settings page

First, you need to know how to access your wireless router’s settings. Usually you can do this by typing in “192.168.1.1” into your web browser, and then enter the correct user name and password for the router. This is different for each router, so first check your router’s user manual.

You can also use Google to find the manuals for most routers online in case you lost the printed manual that came with your router purchase. For your reference, here are direct links to the manufacturer's site of some popular router brands - Linksys, Cisco, Netgear, Apple AirPort, SMC, D-Link, Buffalo, TP-LINK, 3Com, Belkin.

Step 2. Create a unique password on your router

Once you have logged into your router, the first thing you should do to secure your network is to change the default password* of the router to something more secure.

This will prevent others from accessing the router and you can easily maintain the security settings that you want. You can change the password from the Administration settings on your router’s settings page. The default values are generally admin / password.

What do the bad guys use - This is a public database of default usernames and passwords of wireless routers, modems, switches and other networking equipment. For instance, anyone can easily make out from the database that the factory-default settings for Linksys equipment can be accessed by using admin for both username and password fields.

Step 3. Change your Network’s SSID name

The SSID (or Wireless Network Name) of your Wireless Router is usually pre-defined as "default" or is set as the brand name of the router (e.g., linksys). Although this will not make your network inherently* more secure, changing the SSID name of your network is a good idea as it will make it more obvious for others to know which network they are connecting to.

This setting is usually under the basic wireless settings in your router’s settings page. Once this is set, you will always be sure that you are connecting to the correct Wireless network even if there are multiple wireless networks in your area. Don't use your name, home address or other personal information in the SSID name.

What do the bad guys use - Wi-Fi scanning tools like inSSIDer (Windows) and Kismet (Mac, Linux) are free and they will allow anyone to find all the available Wireless Networks in an area even if the routers are not broadcasting their SSID name.

Step 4. Enable Network Encryption

In order to prevent other computers in the area from using your internet connection, you need to encrypt your wireless signals.

There are several encryption methods for wireless settings, including WEP, WPA (WPA-Personal), and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2). WEP is basic encryption and therefore least secure (i.e., it can be easily cracked*, but is compatible with a wide range of devices including older hardware, whereas WPA2 is the most secure but is only compatible with hardware manufactured since 2006.

To enable encryption on your Wireless network, open the wireless security settings on your router’s configuration page. This will usually let you select which security method you wish to choose; if you have older devices, choose WEP, otherwise go with WPA2. Enter a passphrase to access the network; make sure to set this to something that would be difficult for others to guess, and consider using a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters in the passphrase.

What do the bad guys use - AirCrack and coWPAtty are some free tools that allow even non-hackers to crack the WEP / WPA (PSK) keys using dictionary or brute force techniques. A video on YouTube suggests that AirCrack may be easily used to break WiFi encryption using a jail-broken iPhone or an iPod Touch.

Step 5. Filter MAC addresses

Whether you have a laptop or a Wi-Fi enabled mobile phone, all your wireless devices have a unique MAC address (this has nothing to do with an Apple Mac) just like every computer connected to the Internet has a unique IP address. For an added layer of protection, you can add the MAC addresses of all your devices to your wireless router’s settings so that only the specified devices can connect to your Wi-Fi network.

MAC addresses are hard-coded into your networking equipment, so one address will only let that one device on the network. It is, unfortunately, possible to spoof a MAC address*, but an attacker must first know one of the MAC addresses of the computers that are connected to your Wireless network before he can attempt spoofing.

To enable MAC address filtering, first make a list of all your hardware devices that you want to connect to your wireless network**. Find their MAC addresses, and then add them to the MAC address filtering in your router’s administrative settings. You can find the MAC address for your computers by opening Command Prompt and typing in “ipconfig /all”, which will show your MAC address beside the name “Physical Address”. You can find the MAC addresses of Wireless mobile phones and other portable devices under their network settings, though this will vary for each device.

What do the bad guys use - Someone can change the MAC address of his or her own computer and can easily connect to your network since your network allows connection from devices that have that particular MAC address. Anyone can determine the MAC address of your device wireless using a sniffing tool like Nmap and he can then change the MAC address of his own computer using another free tool like MAC Shift.

Step 6. Reduce the Range of the Wireless Signal

If your wireless router has a high range but you are staying in a small studio apartment, you can consider decreasing the signal range by either changing the mode of your router to 802.11g (instead of 802.11n or 802.11b) or use a different wireless channel.

You can also try placing the router under the bed, inside a shoe box or wrap a foil around the router antennas so that you can somewhat restrict the direction of signals.

Apply the Anti-Wi-Fi Paint - Researchers have developed a special Wi-Fi blocking paint that can help you stop neighbors from accessing your home network without you having to set up encryption at the router level. The paint contains chemicals that blocks radio signals by absorbing them. "By coating an entire room, Wi-Fi signals can't get in and, crucially, can't get out."

Step 7. Upgrade your Router's firmware

You should check the manufacturer's site occasionally to make sure that your router is running the latest firmware. You can find the existing firmware version of your router using from the router's dashboard at 192.168.*.

Connect to your Secure Wireless Network

To conclude, MAC Address filtering with WPA2 (AES) encryption (and a really complex passphrase) is probably the best way to secure your wireless network.

Once you have enabled the various security settings in your wireless router, you need to add the new settings to your computers and other wireless devices so that they all can connect to the Wi-Fi network. You can select to have your computer automatically connect to this network, so you won’t have to enter the SSID, passphrase and  other information every time you connect to the Internet.

Your wireless network will now be a lot more secure and intruders may have a tough time intercepting your Wi-Fi signals.

If you'd like to schedule KBS to set up and secure your home network, call us at (225) 590-5123.

This article was created out of frustration when I was doing my own research on IP Network Cameras. For anyone new to learning about security cameras, its hard to find much of any spec information online. This post is a collaboration of what I've found after hours of digging.

Minimum Illumination

Minimum illumination is a way to measure the sensitivity of a camera.  In another word It's mean, how dark the camera can still see usable image. However because there is no ISO standard to regulate, so each major CCD maker have their own way of testing sensitivity of CCD. However a camera specified as ( 1 lux, F10 )  can be exactly same as  the a camera specified as ( 0.01 lux F1.0 )! Why?

More : The most common way to measure minimum illumination is called target illumination. Target illumination means how much light is received by the plan where CCD surface is located. Although the definition is clear however there are three major parameter will dramatically  changed the result of the measurement. there are :

Lens f-number (F stop of the lenses used for the camera under test )
Color temperature ( Color temperature of the light source. i.e. spectrum contain )
IRE ( IRE level of the video amplitude )
Reflection ratio ( Reflection ratio of the object and it's background )

Color temperature
Color temperature is the way to express the spectrum contain of the light source. An light source of  3200k contain mostly spectrum around 600nm to 900nm, and a light source of  9300k contain  mostly spectrum around 300 to 500 nm. hence different color temperature will totally altered the testing result. A light source with 600 nm wave length will generate 10 times more electron the a light source with 900 nm wave length light source on a typical CCD sensor, hence is 10 time more sensitive. This is why that color temperature must be specified to make the reading meaningful.

IRE  level
Maximum amplitude of video output from a CCD camera normally should be set at 100 IRE or 700mV. A video in 100 IRE means that it will fully drive a monitor to expressed best image with best brightness and contrast. a video with 50IRE means it have only half of the contrast. and 30 IRE mean 30% of original amplitude or 210mV. It is generally acceptable that 30 IRE is a minimum value for a meaningful  image. A regular camera  will have noise level on 10 IRE while AGC kick up to max gain, hence will provide 3:1 or 10dB S/N ratio for a barley acceptable image.
A reading  measured under 10 IRE will be 10 times better then measuring read under 100 IRE. so a reading without defining  IRE level is actually useless.

Reflection ratio
Reflection ratio of the object and it's background will significantly distort the measurement. An object with 100%  reflection rate will generate 100 times more light on target plane then an object with 1% reflection rate.

How do people normally set these parameter :
Most reputable company will measure  sensitivity of their camera under following criteria.

F stop F1.4
Color temperature 5600k
Video level 30 IRE
Reflection ratio 80%

So a honest camera make will specify the minimum illumination as
3 lux             ( F1.4 5600K  30 IRE  80% )
IF any parameter  is omitted the reading can be 10 to 1000 time different .
For example The same camera can be specify very differently
1 lux            ( F1.4     5600K  30 IRE  80% )
0.001  lux     ( F 0.75  5600K  10 IRE  1% )

This is why some irresponsible make will specify their Ex-view camera actually measured
1  lux   ( F1.4     5600K  30 IRE  80% ) but be specified as    0.0001 lux .
Now you know why !!!  because they were measured under
( F 0.75  5600K  10  IRE  0.1% )
Curiously want  to know if  what  ( F 0.75  5600K  10  IRE  0.1% ) stands for ?
F 0.75 is the kind of lenses will cost you $30,000 or more to get , and it is  not essentially not available for CCTV industry.
10 IRE video is below noise level, so nothing will be seen.
0.1% reflective ratio can be created by putting a tiny white  line in front of a very dark background.

Lens f-number
First you need an efficient lens. A lens with a low f-number (such as f1.4) focuses much of the light from your scene onto the camera's sensitive CCD chip. A lens with twice as high an f-number (f2.8) will pass 1/4 as much light through it, making the camera ¼ as sensitive.

Size of the CCD sensor
The camera's CCD chip can be manufactured in a way makes it more sensitive to light. A CCD chip has small squares or elements that are sensitive to light; the more light that falls on these CCD elements, the stronger the signal.  The bigger the elements the more light can be collected in a period of time.  If we double the size of the elements, we will collect more light. If we increase the size of the elements then the chip size has to be increased. So a ½-inch CCD chip collects more light than a ¼-inch CCD chip. We can also place small micro-lenses on the surface of the chip to concentrate the light and increase the sensitivity of the CCD elements.

SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO (S/N)
The signals from the CCD chip can then be amplified. The more they are amplified, the brighter the picture, but also the noisier the picture. It is like turning up the volume to hear a distant radio station; you hear more music, along with more static and more interference. This electronic noise appears as graininess and color splotchiness in your picture. Improved video circuits amplify the picture signal while adding very little noise. The result is measured using the SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO (S/N) which is measured in dB units. The higher we can make the S/N ratio, the better.

Frame Rate and Shutter Speed
The signal collected on the CCD elements is discharged and transferred to the TV monitor and displayed. The rate that the CCD element is collected is related to the frame rate. Reducing the camera shutter speed also decreases the frame rate. This is another way of increasing camera sensitivity. This allows the light to fall on the CCD elements for a longer period of time. Normally TV cameras make 60 pictures per second. Thus they have 1/60 of a second to collect the light and convert it into a video signal. If the camera made 15 pictures per second, the CCD chip would have 4 times as long to "look" at the picture and absorb the light. It's a little like taking a time exposure with a film camera. Switching to 15 frames per second may quadruple the camera's sensitivity, but it will smear the picture more when objects move (just as it does with a film camera).

THE LENS:
There are a number of different types of lenses.  There are fixed focal length, and variable focal length lenses.  There are lenses with manual iris and others with auto-irises.  Some lenses must be adjusted at the camera, and some new lenses can be adjusted remotely.  Here are more details:

Fixed Focal Point Lens: These lenses view a fixed area and you can’t adjust the zoom.  They are available with manual and auto iris control. For example the Axis M1101 is a simple indoor camera with a fixed 4.4 mm wide angle lens. It costs under $170

Variable Focal Length Lens: Also called variable lenses, allow you to adjust the field of view by adjusting the focal length setting.  These are better lenses since they allow you to make adjustments so that you are viewing exactly what you want.  They are available with manual or auto iris.

Iris Control:  The iris can be controlled manually or automatically.  While it is true that a smaller iris opening often means sharper images, too small an opening may blur an image due to an optical effect called diffraction. This problem can be seen in bright outdoor situations when a camera closes the iris too much and light is diffracted or spread over many pixels.  The smaller each pixel is on an image sensor, the more of a problem diffraction becomes because the diffracted light affects more pixels. This can typically happen in cameras that use an automatic DC-iris lens in combination especially with megapixel sensors that have small pixels. (While a megapixel sensor has more pixels than a standard VGA 640x480 image sensor, the size of each pixel on a megapixel sensor is often smaller than the size of each pixel on a VGA image sensor.)

Manual Iris Lens: These lenses are usually used indoors and allow you to adjust the iris opening.

Auto-Iris Lens: The iris of the lens is adjusted by the camera.  The iris opening is adjusted automatically when more or less light is required on the sensor of the camera. They are usually required for outdoor cameras.  Some IP Cameras like the ones from IQinvision, do not rely on the iris but rather make all the adjustments electronically.  The Axis P3343-VE is an example of an outdoor dome camera with an auto-iris lens.  This is a very nice camera since the zoom and focus can also be remotely controlled. You can remotely control the view from your computer.  It costs less than $1000.

P-iris lenses: P-Iris is a new type of iris control that is both automatic and precise.  It works in conjunction with the camera to improve the quality of the video.  Unlike a DC-iris lens, the main task of the P-Iris control is not to continuously adjust the flow of light through the lens.  The primary objective of P-Iris is to improve image quality by enabling the optimal iris position to be set so that the central and best-performing part of the lens is used most of the time.

The P-Iris works with the electronics of the IP camera.  It not only adjusts the iris, it also adjusts the gain (amplification of the signal level) and exposure time.  This allows it to manage slight changes in lighting conditions and to further optimize an image. This allows the optimal iris position to be maintained as long as possible. In situations when the preferred iris position and the camera’s electronic processing capabilities cannot adequately correct the exposure, a P-Iris camera will automatically instruct the iris to move to a different position. In dark conditions, for example, the iris will fully open. In bright situations, a camera with P-Iris is programmed to limit the closing of the iris to a position that avoids diffraction or blurring, as explained earlier. Hence, in all lighting conditions, P-Iris can automatically make adjustments to deliver optimal image quality.

Take a look at the two pictures below.  You can see the benefits of the p-lens.

Standard auto-iris


P-Iris Lens

At the moment only Axis and CBC have this new functionality.  The Axis P1346 and P1347 are examples of cameras with p-iris lenses.

Megapixel Lens: Megapixel cameras require megapixel lenses. These lenses are much clearer than the standard CCTV analog camera lens. They cost more so if you see two megapixel cameras with the same number of pixels but one cost much less, they are probably using a less expensive (not as good) lens.

RESOLUTION
The latest IP cameras have the very nice capability of providing much better resolution than the old analog cameras.  You can select cameras with 640 x 480 (VGA) lines to 2592 x 1944 pixels (5 megapixels).  The resolution of the camera starts with the sensor, but also includes the lens and quality of the processor and compression used in the camera.

With a higher resolution you can see a wider view.  Take a look at the picture below. It gives you some idea of the different views you can see.

To determine what resolution you need, you first consider how wide an area you would like to view and then what detail you need in that field of view.  For example, suppose you want to view a doorway and you want to be able to identify a person’s face that comes in the door.  In this case you only require a 640 x 480 resolution camera.  On the other hand, suppose you want to be able to identify a license plate number in a parking lot that’s 60 ft wide.  In this case you need a lot more pixels, and will require a 5 megapixel camera such as the Axis P1347 or IQ755.

COMPRESSION
There are 3 types of compression used by cameras, MJPEG, MPEG4 and H.264.  There is some debate about what the best type of compression.

MJPEG requires the most data, provides a complete picture for each frame.  Many people say this provides the best resolution.

MPEG4 reduces the amount of data required by only sending the video that change between frames.  It improves the compression when there are small parts of the picture that are changing.

H.264 is a version of MPEG4 and provides the best compression.  It adds a number of other compression algorithms that dramatically reduce the amount of data transferred.  The chart below gives you some idea about the improvement provided by the different compression schemes.

Smart Monitoring A "smart" DVR recording system can be configured to minimize the size of archived video. For example, the system could capture a single JPEG image of an area once every five seconds unless motion is detected. When something moves in the camera's field of view the recording switches back to full frame rate (15 or 30 frames per second).

IP Camera Bandwidth Requirements

Most new cameras from Axis, IQinvision, Sony and others now provide this compression scheme.  This compression uses a lot of computer resources so some high resolution cameras can only handle lower frame rates.  As an example, the Axis P1347 provides 5 megapixel resolution and up to 12 fps when using H.264 compression.  It sells for under $1499.

LOW LIGHT AND AMPLIFICATION:
Camera light sensitivity is measured in lux, which is the amount of light reflected from the object being viewed.  The lower the lux number the darker the view.  For example, 0.27 lux is the amount of light from a full moon on a clear night, while 500 lux is the light in an office.

The low light performance of a camera is determined by:

·    The size and sensitivity of the sensor
·    The F-Stop and quality of the lens
·    The quality of the video amplifier in the camera
·    Day/night capability

Sensor: The larger the sensor the more light hits it, so the higher the light sensitivity.

Day/night cameras can operate in greater range of light levels. When it gets dark the camera automatically removes the IR filter allowing more light to hit the sensor.  At night the camera also changes to monochrome mode and improves the total light sensitivity of the system.

Cameras from IQinvision and Axis have good low light performance.  For example the Axis P3343 and the IQeye IQ752 can operate in light levels as low as 0.05 lux.  This means the cameras can see things even our eyes can’t see.

DYNAMIC RANGE
The dynamic range of a camera is a measure of the minimum and maximum light the camera can see in one frame.   Wide dynamic range is helpful when you are looking at a person against a very bright background.  Sony has introduced cameras with very wide dynamic range that allows you to see the image on the top.

Sources.
http://www.imakenews.com/kin2/e_article001992240.cfm?x=b8v5FDQ,b25tl0b3,w
http://www.mintron.com/htm/q&a/htm/minimum%20illumination%200.0001%20lux.htm

I have two computers. One is connected to the Internet using my cable modem. Can I share the connection so that both computers have broadband access?

Yes. You can not only share your internet connection, but also your files, games, and printers by setting up a home network.

Basic Requirements:

• Two or more computers with network cards (Ethernet or wireless) installed in all of them
• A cable modem or DSL modem (usually provided by your Internet Service Provider)
• An active working high-speed Cable or DSL Internet connection (dial-up is not high-speed and is not covered in this setup)

• A router with at least three ports for network devices. Two of the ports are used to connect the two computers to the router. One port (normally labeled WAN or Internet) is used to connect the router to the Cable or DSL modem. The router does not have to have wireless capabilities, unless one or more of your computers are using a wireless network card or a wireless adapter. (Depicted is the router I used for this tutorial: A 4-port Linksys Wireless - G Broadband router - Model WRT54G.) An excellent router, indeed. I highly recommend this router to anyone looking for a perfect home networking solution. It is very easy to use and easy to setup security on it, which I strongly recommend. Up to four computers can be connected to it using ethernet network cables. Up to 70 computers can connect to it wirelessly!

• Two (2) or more ethernet network cables (usually not yellow cables).
  Note: Crossover cables (usually yellow) will not work with this scenario, normal Ethernet cables must be used.

Step 1: Turn off all computers.

Step 2: Disconnect the power cord from the wall outlet or the back of the router. (The router should not be receiving any electrical power at all, and should remain off for at least 2 minutes - just to be safe.)

Step 3: Disconnect the power cord from the wall outlet or the back of the Cable or DSL modem. (The modem should not be receiving any electrical power at all, and should remain off for at least 5 minutes - just to be safe.)

Step 4: Connect one end of one of the network cables to the WAN or Internet port on the back of the router (it does not matter which end).

Step 5: Connect the other end of that same network cable to the Ethernet port on the Cable or DSL modem. (This port is usually labeled 'LAN 10/100' or WAN or Internet. In most cases, it is usually the only ethernet port on the Cable or DSL modem, and if it is not the only port, then it is usually off-centered from the rest of the ports on the Cable or DSL modem.) If connected to the wrong port, the LEDs on that port of the router and modem usually will not turn green.

Step 6: Connect one end of one of the network cables to the network card in computer 1 (it does not matter which end).

Step 7: Connect the other end of that same network cable to the port numbered '1' in the router. (You can actually use any available port on the router, but for the sake of simplicity, I am using specific port numbers in this tutorial.)

Step 8: Connect one end of one of the network cables to the network card in computer 2 (it does not matter which end).

Step 9: Connect the other end of that same network cable to the port numbered '2' in the router.

Step 10: Repeat steps 8 and 9 for each additional computer that is to be connected to the router by ethernet cable, using the rest of the available ports on the router; ports 3, 4, etc.

Powering on the equipment: The order for powering on the equipment is very important, so please follow steps 11 - 15 in the exact order.

Step 11: Connect the power cord from the Cable or DSL modem to the wall outlet. (The power LED on the modem should turn green.)

Step 12: Wait until the Cable or DSL or Internet or WAN LEDs (whichever LED indicates the Internet connection has been established by the modem) on the Cable or DSL modem turn solid green; indicating the modem is ready. In most cases, you will wait about 2 - 3 minutes.

Step 13: Connect the power cord from the router to the wall outlet. (The power LED on the router should turn green.)

Step 14: Wait until the Internet or WAN or Wireless LEDs (whichever LED indicates the Internet connection has been established between the router and the modem) on the router turn solid green; indicating the router is ready. In most cases, you will wait about 1 minute.

Step 15: Turn on all computers.

Step 16: Log on (sign-in) to Windows®, as you normally do.

Step 17: Wait until all computers have fully loaded Windows® and all startup programs (your mouse pointer will be the normal arrow shape and the programs that load in the system tray (located to the left of the time-clock) will all be there when the system is ready to use).

Step 18: With the left mouse button, click on the Internet Explorer icon or whichever Internet browser you use, such as AOL, Netscape, Opera, FireFox, Mozilla, etc.

Step 19: Surf (browse) the Internet and enjoy!

For any other questions, call us at (225) 590-5123.

Illegal Operations Error

I keep getting "illegal operations". What is wrong?

An illegal operation, a term often seen in error messages, is a command to the operating system or an instruction to the computer processor that specifies an operation that is unknown to the operating system or processor and that therefore can't be performed. The result is that the operating system or processor usually terminates the program that made the "illegal" request. If that program was an application that you were using, you may find that data you were entering was lost or, in some cases, can be recovered from a backed-up copy that the system made for you.

The following is a listing of the more commonly known reasons:

1. TSR's or Third-party programs

TSR's or Third-party programs running in the background are one of the more commonly found reasons for Illegal Operations. If you are receiving an Illegal Operation when attempting to run a game or program it is recommend that you temporarily remove or disable programs running and TSR's running in the background, ensuring that these programs are not causing your issues.

2. Data not being read properly from source

When running a program or game from a CD you receive an Illegal Operation, verify that the CD is clean.

3. Installing a program or game on a hard disk drive that has errors or is highly fragmented

When installing a program or game onto a hard disk drive it is recommended if you receive errors after installing that program or game that you uninstall that program or game, run a ScanDisk, then a defrag, and finally install the program or game again.

If errors exist on the hard disk drive, they will cause the program or game to run improperly and can cause Illegal Operations.

4. Corrupt files

Corrupt, bad or missing files can cause Illegal Operations. It is recommended that you uninstall or reinstall the program causing the Illegal Operation to verify that any corrupt, bad or missing files are replaced or repaired during the reinstallation.

5. Memory managers

If you are running a memory manager that is used to obtain more memory or handle the computer memory in replace of Windows, it is recommended you temporarily disable or uninstall this program to verify it is not the memory manager causing the Illegal Operations.

6. Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers

Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers may cause Illegal Operations when performing such tasks as moving the mouse or dragging data from one source to another as high demands are placed onto the video card. Decrease the video settings to at least 800 x 600, 256 colors to verify if the program or game being run is having errors because of the current video settings.

7. Computer Virus

Because computer viruses are loaded into memory and can change the data of program files when infecting a computer, ensure that a virus protection utility is installed on the computer and that you have the latest Virus Definition.

8. Added hardware

If added hardware has been recently installed onto the computer it is likely that either the hardware is conflicting with other hardware devices on the computer or that the drivers used to install that hardware is causing issues with other hardware or software installed on the computer.

If added hardware has recently been added to the computer, it is recommended that you temporarily remove that added hardware and the software associated with it to ensure it is not causing your issues.

9. Error in program coding

If you are receiving Illegal Operations only when running a particular program, verify that the program is compatible with the Version of Windows you are running and ensure no available patches or software are available that may fix errors made during the development stages.

10. Corruption or problem within Windows

Because Windows controls the memory operations as well as the file structure and association, it is possible for Windows or files associated with Windows to become corrupted, causing Illegal Operations or other errors. It is recommended you reinstall Windows if you are experiencing Illegal Operations in Windows or more than one program trying to be run on the computer.

11. Bad Memory, invalid bits or physically bad memory

It is possible that bad memory can cause Illegal Operations. If you have recently added memory to the computer, it is recommended that it first be removed to verify that you are not experiencing conflicts with the recently installed memory.

If no memory has been recently added to the computer and you have tried all the above recommendations test your computer memory.

Be sure to write down all information described in error messages and illegal operation messages before calling us. This helps in the troubleshooting process. For an illegal operation, you might have to click the "details" button to see what went wrong.

For any and all questions, contact us at (225) 590-5123.

Frequently we get asked questions about the same problems users are having with their computers. We will update periodically with posts explaining these problems.

Turned on my computer, there are no lights, no fans spinning, nothing. What did I do?

No power from the computer can be caused by any of the following possibilities.

1. Connections not connected properly.
2. Third-party hardware.
3. Bad power cable.
4. Incorrect power supply.
5. Bad battery.
6. Bad power supply, power button, and/or power board or inverter.

Windows keeps restarting without warning. Why?

This issue could be caused by any of the below possibilities:

1. Software issue or error.
2. Hardware issue or error.
3. Heat related issue.
4. Computer virus.
5. Issue with operating system.

If your operating system is Windows XP, it is designed to automatically reboot each time an error occurs. Although this may be nice for errors that do not occur often, to troubleshoot the error this feature must be disabled and then re-enabled. You can do this before calling us to assess what might be causing the error:

1. From the desktop right click on My Computer. (if you are in Classic Mode)
2. Click the Properties option.
3. In the System Properties window then click the Advanced tab.
4. In Advanced, click the Settings button under Startup and Recovery.
5. In the Startup and Recovery window uncheck the "Automatically Restart" check box.
6. Click Ok.

For more information about these or other problems you may be having, don't hesitate to call us at (225) 590-5123.

Frequently we get asked questions about the same problems users are having with their computers. We will update periodically with posts explaining these problems.

Why are some of my Windows programs "freezing" and not responding?

A computer, operating system, software program, or driver may stop responding or cause other programs to stop responding because of several possible reasons.

1. Software conflict

2. Hardware conflict

3. Lack of system resources

4. A "bug" or flaw in the software or drivers.

To recover from a program that has stopped responding a user can generally press the CTRL +ALT + DEL keys on the keyboard to open the "Close Program" window or open the "Task Manager" window and click the "End Task" button to terminate the program. If another window opens, click the "End Task" button again to confirm stopping that program.  It is important to realize that when a program stops responding any work that has not been saved will more than likely be lost when end tasking a program.

What happens if my computer hard locks, or has the Blue Screen of Death?

This particular issue is a bit more serious; therefore, it needs a few diagnostic steps. In most cases this problems are caused by spyware. To avoid this problem update your anti-spyware program daily. Having the most up to date signatures will help you avoid having a serious spyware problem. However, if you have concluded that your PC is spyware free. You should update your hardware drivers. The computer cannot communicate with various hardware components without an up to date driver. When it cannot find a driver, the CPU locks up. Also, increasing your virtual memory can also help to avoid freezes. Virtual Memory will allow to you get more use out your computer's RAM. Check the resource box for more info on the subject.

For more information about these or other problems you may be having, don't hesitate to call us at (225) 590-5123.

Frequently we get asked questions about the same problems users are having with their computers. We will update periodically with posts explaining these problems.

My computer is running slow, what can I do to fix it?

This issue can be caused by any of the following possibilities. Here is the list of items we check here at KBS to help make your system optimally:

1. Start-up/Process problems.

2. Several software programs have been installed/uninstalled leaving behind bad files and/or  bloating the system.

3. Insufficient/overused RAM.

4. Bad hardware.

5. Viruses and/or Spyware.

6. Hard disk drive is short on available disk space.

7. Data corruption.

If you find that you need assistance with your slow system, this is something we could diagnose remotely with our Crossloop tool.

I think I have a virus, what do I do?

Try using all the common remedies, which include things like Clamwin, MalwareBytes, Spybot, HouseCall, which offer good, free antivirus solutions. If you're still having problems, call us to diagnose your system for a possible virus infection. Once you have a virus, the security of your sensitive data could be compromised. Often times your internet connection, if still working, is serving side duty as a malicious hacker tool.  We at KBS, Inc know virus removal. In addition to removing the virus, trojan, or worm from your system, we also make sure you are updated and educated for future infections.

Don't hesitate to call us for advise about viruses or any of your computer related concerns. (225) 590-5123

Some web pages and content on the Internet are not suitable for children. Below is a listing of different steps you can take to help ensure your children and your computer are protected from harmful material or web pages.

1. Talk to your children about the dangers of the Internet and what they should not do while on the Internet. Many times computers also develop problems from children surfing the Internet, clicking on links, downloading web pages and files, and generally being ignorant to the fact that malicious viruses and spyware are being downloaded to the family computer. Below is a basic listing of what you may consider discussing with your children as it relates to your family's computer:

Personal Information - Never give personal information about yourself in chat rooms or  online forms. This includes age, area code, e-mail address, home address, home city, Internet Service Provider name, Instant Messenger name or address, other location related information, passwords, personal web page, phone numbers, pictures of yourself, school name, school grade, school web page, webcam address, and/or zip code.

Never meet someone - Never agree to meet an individual from the Internet without the parents or guardian with you at the agreed meeting location.

Internet Purchases - Never enter an area that costs money, requires a credit card, requires personal information, asks for passwords, and/or requires you hang up and dial another number with your computer without explicit permission from your parents or your parent present.

Downloads - Never accept a file or download from another user that you do not know.

Web pages - Do not visit web pages that are sent to you in e-mail, chat, or instant messengers without your parent or guardian present.

Talk - If your child ever witnesses something that upsets them or makes them feel uncomfortable make sure they know its ok to talk with you.

2. Monitor or browse the Internet with your kids and/or try to keep the computer in an area that is in a open area.

3. Make sure you child is not viewing any web pages they should not be viewing by looking at the Internet browser's history and/or make sure they are not deleting the history in order to hide what they are viewing.

4. Look at the browser address bar or location bar for additional information about what was typed in the browser address bar.

5. If your computer has an Instant Messenger program make sure that their friend list or buddy list doesn't have anyone you do not know of.

6. Users using Microsoft Internet Explorer can help protect their family from harmful material by enabling Internet Explorer Content Advisor.

7. Consider a third party filtering program that will help protect your computer from inappropriate sites. We recommend KidsWatch from Easy Parental Control Software Solutions. This program will block inappropriate websites, create usage time limits, and more.

8. Have your kids sign a pledge and hang it on the wall. Let them know the rules and have them displayed for them and others to read.

You're not always going to be able to hide everything from your kids with today's Internet. Hopefully these pointers will help you create a better environment for your kids as they explore the web.