Cook's Computers Inc.

Cook’s Computers has moved to a new location in Lansdale! We are now located at 816 W 2nd Street, inside the Keeney Printing building, directly across from Cardinal Camera.

NEW equipment pick up/drop off business hours:
Monday - Friday: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Pick up/drop off before 9:30 am, after 4:30 pm, or large pieces of equipment: by appointment ONLY

CLOSED: Saturday, Sunday, holidays

Emergency Services: After hours, weekends and holidays (call for appointment, emergency rates apply)

The lastest android update has installed software on your phone without users consent or knowlege. It’s aimed at preventing kids from viewing inappropriate images. Below has instructions on how to remove it as well as detailed information on what it does. If you need help removing it, give us a call.

Android System SafetyCore: Hidden Installation and What You Should Know Android System SafetyCore: Hidden Installation and What You Should Know: In the Android community, an unfamiliar system app called Android System SafetyCore is currently causing a stir. Many users have reported that it suddenly appeared on their devices without any prior warning

Here is an example of what unscrupulous sellers are doing on Amazon and eBay. We recently ordered new supposed genuine Dell power adapters. They are subtle but you can tell the difference between the two.

The counterfeit is missing the LED on the brick. Its larger in size and the cables don't match up. The font on the printing is slightly off. The registered wattage does not match the label. If you didn't know what to look for its possible to get one of these and never know.

If you're not ordering from a trusted source, you never know what you're actually getting.

Educate yourself about data mining, friends. Worth the read:
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Written by Paul Belserene

How account hacking works on facebook:

1. You see a fun little question pop up in your facebook feed that people answer in the comments. This isn't a question from one of your facebook friends, it's from a public account, maybe an account supposedly belonging to a radio station, but not one in your part of the country, where you definitely recognize the station. Maybe it's from a public account called something cute like "just for laughs" or "no biggie" or "memory lane." Maybe a facebook friend of yours has already answered the question. It seems harmless and trivial: What food would you never eat? What was the first concert you went to? You answer the question in the comments.

2. Because of the way facebook's algorithm is set up, answering this question, or even just giving the post a like means Facebook will show you more content by this facebook poster and more content by other, similar posters. You see more and more little quiz questions by facebook accounts who are not your actual friends.

3. Also because of the way facebook's algorithm is set up, your actual facebook friends can see the post you responded to and your answer to the little question. If they respond to your comment, or like your comment, or answer the question themselves, they also begin to see more little quiz questions from this facebook poster and more similar facebook accounts with other little questions.

4. Some of these questions really are probably harmless, but the more you answer, the more you see, and sooner or later you slip up and answer one or more that help a data miner begin putting together pieces of information that help them steal your identity and get into your bank accounts. "One of these has to go" with a list of four types of candy bars isn't helpful to anyone, but the more you get used to answering questions, the less carefully you scrutinize the questions. One day you answer one that gives someone your birth year: "how old would you be if the digits in your age were reversed." A week later you've forgotten about that, but the information has been harvested and filed away and you answer another question that gives them your month of birth: "your birth month determines which celebrity you marry, are you happy?" with a bunch of pictures of famous people laid out in a calendar grid. Some questions are straight up complete answers to common security questions: maiden names, grandparents' names, where you vacationed as a kid, what was your first car, what was your first pet's name, what was the name of your elementary school.

5. When the data miner pretending to be a harmless fun facebook account or radio station has enough pieces of the puzzle put together they can either get into your bank account, sell your information to someone else who wants to get into your bank account, or remotely lock your accounts or take over your whole computer or phone and force you to pay a ransom to get access back. They can impersonate you and steal your tax refund. They can commit social security fraud, pretending to be you, and disappear with the check while you are left to prove it wasn't you.

6. The worst thing about these social media predators is that the more you comment on these information gathering quizzes, even if you just comment to tell a friend that they have potentially given away the answer to their own security question, the more they spread. All your facebook friends will see more of these quizzes as a result of your comment, and be more likely to comment themselves, and sooner or later one of them will give away important information, even if you never do.

7. So DO NOT COMMENT. Not even to the ones that really don't share any important information. They post many innocuous questions for every one that actually gathers information, but even the seemingly benign ones help them figure out what style of questions generate the most responses, work the algorithm to get them on more people's facebook feeds, and lull you into a false sense of security that this is good clean fun. Do not give it a thumbs up or an angry face. If you see a friend post in response to one, talk to them in person about how these work, or call them, or send them a private message, but don't reply back to their comment on the actual post. That just helps these things spread.

WARNING!!

Ransomware attacks are a serious threat. A few simple steps can keep your company or home clear of these. It takes everyone in an organization to be vigilant against attacks that can cost thousands to repair.

Don’t click links in emails, text messages, and pop ups. Even if you expect an email from a friend hover your mouse button over the link to make sure it’s pointing to where you are really supposed to be going.

Make sure you have a good backup of your organizations data. Anything that can’t be recreated or downloaded should be included. Using multiple disks or a online backup that includes revision history are the best.

The latest ransomware can turn off your local backup before encrypting your files making the backup just constantly plugged into your computer less useful. Remember to swap out your backup drives.

Need help with a computer related issue? We are still open and able to do curbside pickup, remote desktop services, and limited onsite services for essential businesses.

Getting remote service is easy. Just give us a call to schedule an appointment. At the time of our appointment we will walk you though how to grant us one time access to your computer.