Comfy Computing Ltd

Comfy Computing Ltd

AVG anti Virus problems

Wednesday, 23 September 2009 16:40 | Author: Peter Johnson |

Spome clients have been experiencing problems with AVG antivirus, as AVG appear to be stepping up a campaign to convert free users to a paid for version.. To reiterate AVG antivirus is free in its basic version, which is what I normally recommend you use.

The best way of dealing with a not properly functioning version is as follows

1. Download the latest version of AVG Free froim this link:

http://free.avg.com/223204

save it, I suggest to desktop. Anywhere will do, though, then turn off the internet: Just unplug the broadband from your phone socket.

2. Close down all programs, then remove your existing version of AVG, usually there will be a program to do this as part of the AVG programs in your "all programs" menu. If not, go to your control panel, select add remove programs then wait awhile, when AVG anti virus appears on your list, select it. If you get an option to keep the virus vault, don't keep it.

3. The program will probably ask you to shut down your computer and restart it Do this

4. Once your computer is up and running normally you will get a security message saying no Anti Virus Software installed. Just ignore it.

5. SHUT DOWN YOUR COMPUTER AGAIN

6. Reconnect the internet and restart your computer. Once its running (ignore the security warnings) double click on the saved new AVG installation program you saved on your desktop (or elsewhere) and let the program install itself. (Choose normal installation.) Don't bother registering yourself. Once it has installed AVG will download the latest set of virus information files and offer to check the PC now. This check will take a long time, so it's up to you, but if you don't do it, please do it when you have finished with your computer.

Any problems please ring me . I have checked the download link and it works.

Last Updated (Monday, 30 November 2009 10:49)

One Third of second hand hard drives carry data

Thursday, 07 May 2009 08:41 | Author: Administrator |

One third of hard drives bought at random carried sensitive information, according to BT and the Universirty of Swansea

Here's the link for the story from the BBC website

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8036324.stm

This does mean you should take great care. If you would like a bit more anorakky information, click read more........

Last Updated (Wednesday, 13 May 2009 10:40)

SMTP Server details

Wednesday, 22 April 2009 12:19 | Author: Administrator |

SMTP
This is a 2 anorak article. Read it only if you need the information. It's otherwise profoundly boring.

The term SMTP stands for simple mail transport protocol. A protocol is an agreed standard and basically to send e-mail everyone needs to have access, over the internet to one, or more. SMTP servers.
You have probably been referred to this article whien setting up e-mail for a new mailbox from Comfy Computing. We have our own SMTP server, if needed.

Most likely you have an ISP who has an SMTP mail server. ISP's have to be very careful about how people can access their SMTP servers. If they were not careful, spammers would use it to send out perhaps millions of e-mails. This could then lead to the SMTP server being black listed.

I normally recommend that you use the SMTP server supplied by your ISP. Check with them if neccessary on their website. The server checks automatically through your connection that you are authorised to use the server. This all takes place "behind the scenes" as it were.

In a limited number of circumstances this may not be possible.
Some of the reasons this may occur are
You use AOL
You use a private e-mail account name eg This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and try to alter the details of your address to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (in fact this is OK as far as most ISP's are concerned)
You connect to the net via wireless broadband (not the same as a wireless router)
This is not an exclusive list.

So assuming you need to use ComfyComputing's own SMTP server you need the following details
server name smtp.comfycomputing.net
server authentication is required (Please note this is not the same as the tickbox logon using secure authentication SPA: this tickbox must remain unticked!)
The authentication used is "use the same settings as my incoming mail server"

If you do have any problems setting up the SMTP server give us a ring.

Google-A mixed Blessing ?

Friday, 03 April 2009 06:35 | Author: Peter Johnson |

Google: a mixed blessing?

A couple of press reports recently have emphasised that Google, which is after all a major US commercial enterprise -- and a very successful one too that -- is not 100% perfect.

The Daily Mail (not my preferred reading) reported that stolen credit card details for some 19,000 UK cardholders were until recently available through Google. Google routinely indexes and stores in its memory the contents of many millions of web pages including pages from a server in Vietnam which been discovered and taken down by the authorities

Dates in Excel

Saturday, 14 March 2009 09:55 | Author: Administrator |

Working with dates in Excel is a common task:

Are you trying to determine the number of days between two dates?
Do you need to know the date that is X number of days in the future?
Do you want to find out how many work days there are before Christmas, or until you retire?

Date formulas in Excel can be extremely useful in a variety of projects - large and small alike. Here, we have a look at some of the basic date formulas and how to combine them to create more powerful date-based functions. But to start, we'll have a look at how dates and times are stored in Excel.

Last Updated (Wednesday, 13 May 2009 05:20)

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