This is a little rant I'm afraid. I know it's basically my fault BUT!!!!!

Sometimes when at clients premises, I have to use a series of rescue/installation discs to resolve an issue.

Sometimes, it can take quite a few hours to sort out the multiple problems people allow to accumulate on their computer before seeking professional help. A lot of which is helped along by the 'bar room fixers' who know absolutely sod all in real terms about much at all.

They don't know what the real problem is because they've not seen it and clients rarely know how to describe the problem fully anyway - not that there's anything wrong with that, I don't expect it.

The client then goes and mis-follows the wrong advice they've been given and make an even bigger dogs breakfast of the whole thing and after they've totally screwed their computer, they call me.

Now to the point of my rant.

After I've spent hours sorting out the cock-up, I put my things back in my bag (or so I think) and head off home. Some days, or even weeks, later I open my bag looking for the discs to find that I've accidentally left at my clients.

The annoying thing is the client, who now has a full set of service and recovery discs that I've paid for, and doesn't have a clue in hell how to use them, hasn't had the decency to ring me and let me know I've left them. This has happened every time I've done it.

I now have to go through the time and expense of getting a new set of dics together.

ONE THING YOU GET FROM ME IS HONESTY, IF YOU CAN'T RETURN THE FAVOUR THEN YOU DON'T DESERVE THE SERVICES I OFFER.

​I will work out where I left them and that person will have a heavy bill next time they call me!

It just goes to show, there's a lot of really dishonest immigrants out there.

How the mighty fall.

Bitcoins, the on-line currency that was recently worth over $500 per coin has suddenly disappeared - along with all its' investors money. Oooppppssssss.

They've deleted all their Tweets from Twitter and their CEO resigned on Sunday.

It would appear that Bitcoins has 'lost' 744.408 of its' users bitcoins worth almost $360 million. Seems they didn't foresee the way their system could be used for fraud and put a halt on all withdrawals earlier this month but by the time they'd stopped all trading on Monday, the bitcoin value had plummeted to just $130 - ouch.


Full story here.


There are other implications to this as anybody who now gets infected with the Cryptolocker virus might have a problem getting their files back as the villains behind it were using the anonymity bitcoins offered to ply their trade.

So what happens now is anybodies guess as I'm not aware of any other on-line payment system they can hide behind for more than a couple of days without being found out. Long term, that's a good thing but for the short term, many people will be up the creek without a paddle. Don't let it be you.


Don't have nightmares - back-up your data - stay safe.

A group called Malware Must Die have just reported they have successfully identified and suspended 138 Cryptolocker Command and Control (C&C) servers.  This is wonderful news but is surely just a drop in the ocean but there could be other ramifications with this for those people already infected with Cryptolocker.

The way Cryptolocker works is by encrypting your files using a public and private key. The public key is on your computer and the private key is held elsewhere. In this case on a C&C server. Once this process is complete, it then tells you you're infected and currently, the ONLY way you can get your files back is by paying the 'ransom' displayed on your screen before the countdown timer gets to zero. This 'ransom' could be anything upwards of $300.

But what if your private key is on one of the C&C servers suspended by Malware Must Die? Quite simply, I believe your files are toast because your computer cannot communicate with the C&C server to retrieve the private key and decrypt your files.

Don't think this will never happen to you. It has hit BIG companies and private individuals alike, all who believed they were immune to such attacks, or didn't think they had anything worth bothering about. How wrong they ALL were.

Now if you haven't done so already, get your files backed up off your computer. If you back up to a USB drive, make sure it's totally disconnected from the computer between backups and don't try backing up if you find yourself infected with Cryptolocker unless you want to lose the lot.

How do you back up?

You could use the Windows Backup and Restore option if you wish, or just follow the instructions below.

First, make sure all your files are where they should be - somewhere in your 'My Documents' folder (Win XP) of somewhere in your 'Libraries' folder (Vista/7/8) and not on your desktop like I see all too often.

Then all you need to do is copy the 'My Documents/Libraries' folder to the external drive.

Keep safe!

It has just been announced that the people behind the cryptolocker malware infection have increased the ransom fee from 2 Bitcoins to 10 Bitcoins due to the success of their campaign and the number of people and organisations that didn't have a backup policy in place and had no option but to pay the ransom.

For those who don't know about Bitcoins, they are a digital currency. More about Bitcoins on Wikipedia here.

Whilst it doesn't sound much, the price per Bitcoin is roughly $212 so as you can see, the ransom has gone from just over $400 to just over $2,100. How much is your data worth? Maybe not that much you might think but I'd advise you to think again.

You might not think you have anything worth losing on your PC but wait until it's gone, then you'll realise how much you actually did have so get your stuff backed up off your PC now - before you lose it.

If you've already backed up your data, well done but remember to add all your new documents and photos as you go along so you don't get caught out.

Keep safe everyone.