Wayne's Small Biz Tech Blog

Preview: Windows 7

A Preview of Windows 7

Microsoft released Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 (RC1) to affiliates and partners last week and made it available to the general public May 5th. The RC release of Windows 7 will be available at least until the end of July 2009.

There is no cost to download or use the pre-release versions of Windows 7, however the product will shut down every two hours after March 1, 2010 and then expires on June 1st, 2010. Microsoft recommends installing a non-expiring version (meaning buy it) prior to March 1st. The download is available here.

It has been fairly well documented that Windows 7 is easier on resources than Vista and the minimum requirements have been developed with 2007-era PCs and better. So, naturally I decided to load it on the oldest PC I could find here at Malibu-Blue, a 2004 vintage Compaq Presario with an AMD Athlon XP 2600+ processor and 1 GB RAM.

Download & Installation

There are a few things you need to know before downloading Windows 7 RC. It's a very big file to download, the 32-bit version is 2.35 GB (yes Gigabytes), and it is an ISO image file so you will need to know how to burn a DVD from an ISO image. There are free ISO burning programs out there like ISOBuster and Active ISO Burner if you don't already have DVD burning software that handles ISO images (available for download from www.Tucows.com, www.Download.com, or search Google for 'ISO burning software').

After burning an Install DVD, the installation of Windows 7 is relatively easy. Updating from Vista is reported to be very easy. I took the more difficult route of upgrading from XP Home. To upgrade from XP you need to run the File & Transfer Wizard included in the Windows 7 upgrade directory. Unfortunately, it doesn't tell you until after it copies the installation files and is ready to upgrade. All in all it was only a minor setback and the rest of the installation was relatively simple and much less extensive and time consuming than previous Window version upgrades. 

Performance

Okay, I'm impressed. Even on this old machine there is a noticeable difference in the performance. The operating system loads faster and runs programs better than the previous XP Home. This may be partially due to less programs running now since not all of the previously loaded software has been reinstalled. Even so, the old computer is running as well, if not better, than it did with XP. And this is on a computer that I would not even try to run Vista on (I recommend 2GB RAM as a minimum if your using Vista, 4GB if you don't want to be frustrated). Remember, this old PC that I put Windows 7 on only has 1GB RAM and an old AMD chip.

Why is is this important? More and more consumers and businesses are keeping their PCs longer. If Microsoft released another bloated version of Windows like Vista, it would have been the beginning of the end in my opinion.

Windows 7 will run very well on older PCs, and even better on new ones. This is good news for those not wanting to spend extra money on a new PC and wanting to keep their old PC running for a while longer.

Windows XP Mode

Businesses have been, and continue to be, very reluctant to move to Vista. It's understandable, since there were many driver compatibility issues and business software that ran on XP but required costly version upgrades to work on XP. Some software wasn't readily available even if businesses wanted to upgrade to Vista.

Microsoft really had no options with driver compatibility issues. They had to deal with the problem with the release of Vista or later on down the road. They chose to deal with it with Vista. Basically, since Windows has historically been an "open" system allowing just about anyone with a programmer to create hardware and software drivers, it had become a major source of instability. Windows 7 utilizes much of the same driver requirements as Vista.

So, Microsoft's problem with businesses is two-fold. Windows 7 needs a way to support legacy software that ran on XP AND needs to support those flaky drivers too. Remarkably, they have done this with Windows 7's "Windows XP Mode".

What Windows XP Mode does is allow software written for Windows XP to run in a virtual XP environment as if it was running in Windows 7. In other words, you can run any old software built to run in Windows XP, and the associated drivers, in the actual XP operating system instead of an emulated version of XP.

Unfortunately this is not a solution for everybody, since this feature requires a PC that supports hardware virtualization which has been available for about 3 years now. Many newer PCs have the capability but its turned off by default. Computers older than 3 years or ones that don't support virtualization will need to be replaced in order to take advantage of this feature. For many businesses, this is a less costly and easier to implement solution than upgrading their software. 

Unfortunately, the PC I'm testing on cannot run Windows XP Mode so I have not been able to test the feature first hand. For more info on hardware virtualization, click here.

Anti-virus Issues

Microsoft provides a list of Anti-Virus software vendors with products compatible with Windows 7 RC1. Norton 360 from Symantec is on the list of vendors and products. I was disappointed to find that Norton 360 version 3.0 is not yet 100% compatible. It did install (with some difficulty), but some of the required drivers fail to install, specifically email scanning, leaving the PC somewhat vulnerable.

Other users note that the free versions of AVG and Avast! run well on Windows 7 RC1, but I have not yet personally confirmed this.

Windows 7 is still considered pre-release, so fully supported anti-virus products like those developed by Symantec should be available before actual release. It is still disappointing that they were not ready for this well publicized pre-release. Microsoft has provided a list of anti-virus software vendors working on Windows 7 compatible products (click here).

User Account Control (Allow or Deny!)

One of the major complaints about Vista was the constant prompt to "continue or stop", seemingly whenever a user tried to do anything on the computer (the infamous "allow or deny" in those Mac ads). What this feature really does is notify the user whenever a system-level change is attempted, either directly by the user or indirectly by a software program. This feature made Vista more secure but very frustrating to use. Microsoft says that the UAC was the single most complained about feature in Vista.

The problem with Vista was there were only two settings, "on" or "off". For Windows 7 there are now four levels for the UAC. The User can shut it off, only notify the user when a program attempts a change but don't dim the desktop. only notify the user when a program attempts a change and dim the desktop (the default), or always notify the user the same way Vista did. It needs to be noted that dimming the desktop is more secure since if this is shut off programs could interfere with the prompt (meaning disable, make their own, etc.).

The new default in Windows 7 should make the system less annoying to use while maintaining most of the protection offered by Vista systems.

What's Missing In Windows 7?

Microsoft did take some things away in Windows 7. Microsoft no longer bundles Windows Movie Maker, Windows Photo Gallery, and Windows Mail (formerly called Outlook Express). These applications, which used to be included in the Windows installation, are now only available as a separate download in the Windows Live suite of desktop applications.

This is a strange move on Microsoft's part since just about every other operating system like Linux and Apple's OS X provide similar apps. However, none of those other systems have the same anti-trust issues that Microsoft faces.

On a more positive note, unlike Vista the Games folder which includes games like Solitaire and Minesweeper are installed by default in Windows 7.

Conclusion

It looks like Microsoft may have an answer in Windows 7 to the Vista critics and businesses holding on as long as they can to Windows XP. Microsoft is doing all they can to put an end to XP and migrate everyone to Windows 7.

The operating system runs well and requires less memory, much more so than Vista, even on older machines. It appears to be as advertised, less of a resource hog. It seems to me to work more efficiently than even XP. As consumers and businesses struggle with the current economy they are keeping older computers longer. Windows 7 will allow them to do so. This is great news for all Windows users.

And most businesses (and consumers) will still be able to run their favorite Windows XP software. Microsoft may have learned a lesson or two from Windows 7 predecessor.

And the pre-release versions are free until June 2010. Unfortunately as of this writing Microsoft has not announced how much Windows 7 will cost after June 1st, 2010.

If you have any questions about Windows 7 please feel free to email me at wayne@malibu-blue.com.

Don't Worry, But Be Prepared For April 1st

April Fool's Day is around the corner and with it another threat of a virus attack. This has become common enough that some of the major news outlets are giving it little attention or even ignoring it completely. Perhaps they remember all to well of the "cry wolf" approaches to the "Millennium bug", "Michelangelo virus", "Blaster", and so many more that just fizzled out in contrast to the dire predictions of doom.

This time there is a real and imminent danger, sort of. Back in October the virus "Conficker" was found that exploited a vulnerability in Windows XP and Vista. By November it was running rampant and slithering its way into computers everywhere. Like a lot of viruses and other malware, this one infects a computer by downloading what is called a "Trojan" (it pretends to be something else) onto the PC and then goes to work disabling what it believes can destroy it. This includes disabling anti-virus software running on the system and blocking access to anti-malware and other security related websites.

Although its not known exactly what Conficker will do on and after April 1st, it is known that it is building its own "botnet". The worms creators will be able to control the infected computers to do their bidding. The infected computers are set to "phone home" to control servers and get updates to the virus and possibly new instructions on what to do. Some analysts believe that the "botnet" will launch a denial of service attack on sites like yahoo.com, wordpress.com, typepad.com and many other sites.It could also be used by its creators to send out spam emails and phishing attacks. WARNING: DO NOT SEARCH THE INTERNET FOR CONFICKER AND GO TO ANY SITE YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH, APPARENTLY MANY FAKE SITES HAVE BEEN SET UP THAT TRY TO INSTALL THE VIRUS INSTEAD OF EDUCATE ABOUT IT.

Shortly after Conficker was found, Microsoft released a patch to fix the vulnerability that let the virus into the system. This patch was distributed through the normal Windows Updates.

As of this writing Conficker is on its third variation. Each variation is getting more sophisticated but for the third iteration, Conficker.C, it is believed the computer must have been previously infected by one of the previous two variants (most likely since the patch Microsoft provided blocks access). As is common with these types of viruses, it mutates by updating itself through its own little network or servers it creates. 

So who is in danger of being affected by Conficker?

• Your computer must be running Windows XP or Vista

• Your computer does not run regular Windows Updates. The security updates provided by Microsoft to patch the vulnerability also included a malware removal tool to detect and remove Conficker.

• Your computer's anti-virus software definitions are out of date. It is estimated that 90% of the anti-virus software providers adequately find and remove this virus, including Conficker.C.

So, if you run Windows and do regular Windows Updates you are not affected.

If you use any of the major anti-virus software products and keep your subscription and definitions up to date, you are not affected.As a side note, beware of anti-virus software that is included free or with trial periods. These are notorious for being out of date or simply not adequate. The majority of PCs that have anti-virus software (sometimes even up to date) that are brought in for virus removal have the free McAfee included with Verizon, Comcast, Dell, and other PC manufacturers.

If you use another operating system other than Windows XP or Vista, you are not affected. Its not that other operating systems are more secure, its just that virus writers want the biggest market.

WHAT TO DO NOW TO PREPARE FOR APRIL FIRST (WINDOWS USERS):

Make sure your Windows Updates are up to date (http://update.microsoft.com).

Make sure your anti-virus software subscription has not expired and your definitions are up to date. If you are using a free version of anti-virus software it is recommended that you consider purchasing any of the major anti-virus software products available:

• Symantec (Norton) http://www.symantec.com

• Kapersky http://www.kapersky.com

• Trend Micro http://www.trendmicro.com

• McAfee http://www.mcafee.com

Backup your data. It's always a good idea to back up your important data regularly, not just for April Fools Day because with viruses everyday can be April Fools Day.

Coming Soon: IE8 and Web Slices!

It's no secret that Microsoft's Internet Explorer has been losing ground to other browsers for years, namely to Firefox.Some estimates have Internet Explorer usage slightly below Firefox (44.8% vs. 45.5% for Firefox) as of the beginning of this year. This user base loss is somewhat astounding when you realize that the same statistics in 2004 showed that 84.7% of web users were using a version of Internet Explorer. 

Microsoft is hoping to reverse this trend with the upcoming release of Internet Explorer 8. As of this writing IE8 RC1 (Release Candidate 1) is available for download.  Release Candidates are still what is called "beta", meaning it's not considered fully cooked.

So What's New And Exciting In IE8?

There is very little outwardly that is going to make the average browser user excited. Many users won't notice much difference from IE7 at all. Some features like the "Suggested Sites" button that "uses your browsing history to make personalized website suggestions" cause no excitement at all. At least it has a "turn off" button.

The real enhancements are behind the scenes. Microsoft appears to have focused on speed enhancements, privacy concerns, and developer tools. I'm going to skip over the geek stuff that most of you could care less about and lets talk about the changes in IE8 that really affect us:

Speed:  Many believe that Internet Explorer has lost ground to other browsers for two reasons, privacy/security problems and the perception that it is bloat-ware that runs slow.

Microsoft has addressed the speed issuein IE8 and in my unscientific analysis (no benchmarks performed) does load pages faster than in IE7. I would say it is comparable in speed to the current release version of Firefox. Unfortunately for IE, Google's Chrome and Firefox's Beta 3.1 seem to be already a step ahead of IE8 in this area. Still, IE7 users will notice an improvement, but it is doubtful proponents of Firefox will rush to jump back to IE because of this speed enhancement.

Privacy: Microsoft is mostly just keeping up with the competition with IE8's new "InPrivate Browsing" feature. This feature is designed to prevent Internet Explorer from storing data about your web browsing session. This includes cookies, temporary files, history and other data as well as preventing your browsing details from being shared with other websites.  Much of this feature is catch-up to Chrome's "InCognito Mode", Safari's "Private Browsing" and Firefox's add-in that does a similar function.

IE8 does seem to take it a step further with "InPrivate Blocking" which basically limits the type of web usage tracking done by referral and advertising tracking systems like Google Analytics. This will most likely be welcomed by privacy concerned users but very much disliked by advertisers and companies that benefit from this information, like Google (Coincidence? ... hmmmmm).

Security: IE8 makes some good strides here with enhanced protection from phishing sites and malware. Internet Explorer now has protection from clickjacking, a type of attack that tricks web users into revealing information or opening up their system by clicking on seemingly innocent web page buttons and links. Clickjacking is a problem for all browsers, not just IE, and most have incorporated similar protection. Still, this is good news for IE users and for Internet Explorer's development as a product.

Web Slices & Compatibility Mode: I saved the best for last. In my opinion Microsoft has two basic, but very large, problems to overcome. 

• Internet Explorer has historically followed it's own standards, not the standards recognized and published by WC3 as have other browsers(the authority on the subject).

• There is a strong anti-Microsoft sentiment among a large portion of the web browser using public.

Microsoft addresses the first problem quite well with the new IE8 enhancements and the "Compatibility Mode" feature. Because Internet Explorer held such a large user share for so long, web designers have been forced to create pages to the Microsoft standard and hope for the best when displayed on other browsers. Now that IE8 conforms more to the WC3 standard, many existing web designs will not display properly in the IE8 normal mode. 

So, Microsoft built in recognition of the old standard if it is being used on a web page. When detected, the user is given a "Compatibility Mode" icon to change the display mode to show the site just as it would be viewed in IE7. This means IE8 can properly display sites developed using the WC3 standard AND existing sites designed to be "best viewed in Internet Explorer 6.0 or better".

Overall, I don't think Firefox users will jump back to Internet Explorer based on the new features and enhancements. Instead, I believe Microsoft added Web Slices to get businesses to push users towards using Internet Explorer 8.

In a nutshell, Web Slices can be used to let interested parties know when specific information changes on a web page through the use of RSS feeds. Simple HTML code needs to be added a webpage and the user takes care of the rest.

As a test, I added a Web Slice in just a few minutes to my website Malibu-Blue.com. Whenever I make a change to the slice, anyone who added my slice to their Favorites will get the updated information very quickly. I don't have to do a thing! 

So, what can be done with Web Slices for our businesses?

• We can easily notify our customers of "Specials"
• We can send changing Event notifications to our customers
• Any marketing that you would normally send by email can be summarized on a Web Slice to drive customers to your website to learn more.

Of course for us business owners to take advantage of this technology we will need to encourage our clients and web visitors to use IE8. For many of us, it may be worth it.

The next challenge is to educate our customers on how to subscribe to our Web Slices, since user interaction is a requirement. They have to find the slice and then actually subscribe to it by adding it to their Favorites. This will be an initial frustration with many of our not-so-Internet-savvy customers.

Web Slices do have some limitations, but are a very good start in the right direction for those businesses not already taking advantage of blogs and RSS feeds. It's another tool for getting our message out to clients and potential clients.

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We Work For God

The sign was a simple one, right below where the cash register sat on the counter. My wife smiled and pointed at it as she went to pay for her items. I smiled back with a nod.

"We Work for God", it said. We had visited the little hobby shop several times and had come to know the owner a little. He was a tall, big shouldered, man yet very mild mannered. Sort of like if Clark Kent had chosen to sell toys and hobbies instead of being a reporter.

Each time we spoke, it was becoming apparent that the economy was taking a toll. The building his store was in had just been sold. He said that while business was good, the "For Sale" sign that had been up for many months had hurt sales. The new landlord, he told us, was not flexible and the rents in the area too expensive for a business like his. He was closing the store at the end of January, for a variety of reasons, and moving out of the area.

Lists of major stress factors usually include moving and job changes. Yet somehow, this guy seemed to be as stress free as anyone I've ever met. Didn't complain about the situation. He wasn't running around the place frantically. He tended to the customers as friendly and helpful as ever. I briefly met his wife and she was just as calm. I wondered how they both held it all together.

My daughter started collecting nutcrackers last Christmas. The toy and hobby shop had two large plaster nutcrackers outside the door. Since the store was closing, I asked if they were for sale. They were, but I would have to pick them up later in the week. When I arrived to pick them up the store owner asked if my wife and I liked the sign. He noticed our acknowledgment of the sign. I told him we did and were happy to see the sign. In this part of the country a positive sign about God is rare. I told him we had been looking for a good church in the area since we moved here and he referred us to exactly what we were looking for.  We had a brief, but very interesting, conversation.

We talked about how he had lost his daughter in a car accident a few years ago. Losing his store location didn't even rate on the same scale. Just like when he lost his daughter, his faith would get him and his wife through this. There were things out of his control and it was best to not worry about them. No matter what, everything would work out.

Our discussion reminded me about the final doctor visit I brought my father to. I had checklists of my dad's medications. I had an Excel spreadsheet of questions. I wanted to know more about his pain medications and how much he should have. I wanted them to demonstrate to me how to give him his Heparin shots, to make sure I was doing it correctly. Instead the doctor pulled me into a side office and simply said, "It doesn't matter, the end result will be the same".  No matter what, I couldn't control the situation. He made me understand that my father was beyond a cure and there was virtually nothing I could do to make things better now, or worse.

For me, this was not only a life lesson, but a business lesson as well. This economy is making it difficult for many of us small businesses. Don't waste time trying to control things that you can't control. It will only take time away from taking care of the business you can control.

To learn more about the hobby shop owner's daughter and the Scholarship Fund in her name, please visit kimhoule.tripod.com.

Gifts from Christmas' Past

Time keeps moving forward. My father passed this last October. Mom is unable to live on her own and now lives with us. My brother and sister are preparing the house we grew up in to be sold. Things are changing quickly.

While going through the house my sister found a stack of old VHS tapes. One was a tape labeled "Home Movies". The videos on the tape were shot between 1953 and the mid 1960s. There were videos from early birthdays, family Christmas parties, backyard cookouts, parades, and family members having fun. Each snippet is accompanied by organ music as played by my father. 

I vaguely remember when my father created this tapes. Most, if not all, of the videos had been filmed on 8 mm film. Dad was managing a camera department when a new machine came in that transfered old films to the then new video format, VHS. He transfered the films to VHS between customers. It helped him sell the machines, he said, by being able to show customers what it could do. In reality, I think he made the tapes for us, his wife and kids. It was a lot of work especially since he played and recorded his own music by himself just for the tapes.

I also remember that when my dad brought the tape home, we weren't all that interested in watching it. He would tell us how interested the customers were and want to play the tape but I was a teenager at the time. I had more important things to do than watch old scratchy films, even if they were on VHS cassettes now.

My father's gift at the time wasn't appreciated. Last weekend I watched the original VHS tape with my sister Debbie.Then I converted it to DVD so it would be easier to watch and easier to send to other family members. I watched the DVD with my Mom yesterday and with my wife tonight. I sent a copy of the DVD version to my brother so he can watch it with his family on Christmas Eve. There are a lot of memories on those tapes, and a lot of family history. Many in the videos have passed on. Some, like my father, just recently. Thank you Dad for putting those 8 mm films on VHS. Otherwise they would have been lost forever since I don't know anyone with an 8 mm projector these days.

Thank you Dad for taking the time to create the video and music to be handed down to future generations.I hope one of my kids someday will convert it from DVD to whatever the next great format is and tell the stories we tell about it to their kids.

I got a lot of presents and gifts growing up. I only remember a very few of them. This gift my father gave us that was so unappreciated at the time is one that will be remembered for a long time to come. I wish I was able to tell him when he was still here. I wish I was able to sit with him this Christmas and watch the tape with him. He would know how much of what he did is appreciated now.

This Christmas my wish for you is that you appreciate the things you have and have fond remembrances of things past.

Fighting Spyruses

I miss the old days. We had computer viruses back then, but to infect your computer you had to actually do something stupid. They usually came in email messages and you had to click a link to launch the virus.

These emails usually had silly subject lines like the "I love you" virus. One of the companies I worked for had to spend thousands because one of the programmers opened up that virus and it infected the software install CDs. Of course when we announced it, a lot of our customers had a good laugh over the thought of a computer programmer with a pocket saver and taped glasses opening an email that said "I love you".

No one was laughing when the bill came from the PC repair companies for removing the viruses, rescuing important data, or setting up expensive backup systems in anticipation of a virus attack. 

Next, of course, came spyware. This usually just slowed your computer down to a crawl. Again, business owners weren't laughing at the spyware removal bills.

Now we have what I call "Spyruses". These are viruses that get into your system just like spyware. They act like spyware and nag you until you do something. Once you do, the virus is activated. An like a medical virus, they are always mutating. Over the last three months, I haven't had two by the same name behave the same.

The two I see the most right now are what are called rogue antivirus programs, AntiVirus 2009 (or 2008 or 2007) and AntiVirus 360.  They both work the same, just like spyware. You download a free Internet application or helper application and unknown to you, you get the spyware too. Often, you will be told you need a video codec to watch a video either on a website or attached to an email. You give all the approvals to download the codec so you can see the video, and the "spyrus" is in your system. There are other methods they use, but they all seem to prompt you to download something that seems innocent enough. 

The virus names are intentional and misleading, to hopefully cause confusion with the real antivirus programs Norton AntiVirus 2009 and Norton 360. Norton software is developed by Symantec and they do a very good job protecting computers from viruses and spyware. In fact, I use Norton products to protect my computers. NORTON PRODUCTS DO NOT WARN YOU THAT YOU HAVE VIRUSES IF YOU HAVE NOT INSTALLED THEIR PRODUCT! If you get warnings and you have not installed a Norton product, it is most likely one of these viruses.

Once the spyware part gets into a system, the nagware starts taking over the computer. Over and over again it tells the user their system is infected. "Click Here" to download the most recent and best antivirus software, it says. The system gets slower and slower. If the user clicks the box, they are prompted to enter a credit card number. Once the credit card is given, the real nightmare begins. The virus is in full effect, and the "bad people" have the credit card number and associated information for their own use.

These are sophisticated virus programs. I had one set the flag for Windows as an unregistered version once the virus was removed. I had to completely rebuild Windows while saving the customer's data and programs. Almost all versions of the virus disable spyware removal tools and websites. The latest one I worked on disabled all the installed anti-spyware and anti-virus software programs AND made it impossible to run any new software programs, including software tools to remove viruses.

So what do business owners do to protect themselves? Here are some tips:

1. You get what you pay for with freeware anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. They sometimes work, many times don't. They are not a viable solution for any size business. In my opinion and experience, this includes protection software "included" by Comcast and Verizon as well as any software who's name ends with "Free". Use established products from Norton (Symantec), Trend Micro, Kapersky, and McAfee.

2. If you get any type of message saying to have viruses or spyware that you don't recognize, or have any suspicions at all, run your anti-spyware AND anti-virus software scans immediately. Resolve all issues that your software finds.

3. If your software no longer runs or the symptoms remain, download and run these spyware/malware tools ONLY IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED IN DEALING WITH COMPUTER PROBLEMS. Severe problems, sometimes even unrecoverable problems, can occur from using any of these tools, so they need to be used AT YOUR OWN RISK. If you are not comfortable with this type of risk, do not download and skip to #4. The best tools IMHO for resolving spyware based viruses are Spybot and Malwarebytes.

4. Find a qualified PC technician (like Malibu-Blue!). Avoid the big box stores, especially if you haven't backed up your data recently. We at Malibu-Blue treat your computer as if it was our own. Find a computer repair company you feel comfortable with and know they realize how important saving your data is and how important your PC (and a timely repair) is to your business. 

Spyware and Viruses (and even Spyruses) are here to stay. The first step is to make sure you are protected as best you can be so you don't become a victim. The second step is to make sure you have a plan in place and someone to call  in case you do.

One customer of mine knew all about this virus. Unfortunately his computer became infected when he accidentally bumped something near the mouse pad when the "Click Here" nagware message appeared. When something like that happens, the best plan sometimes is to just shut down the computer and call for help.

The Higher Bigger Chair of Domination! Ugh.

Early in my career Mark, the Vice President of the company I worked for, asked me to accompany him to a customer site. Apparently, the customer was angry and wanted to discuss the problems he was having with our software.

As soon as we arrived at the customer's office and sat down, I was uncomfortable. I didn't know why, but I was getting angry inside. The customer was talking down to us, almost as if we were children he was disappointed in. I couldn't believe that Mark, a person I had a lot of respect for, was allowing this customer go on berating us without a fight. He was behaving uncharacteristically sheepish and even considering giving the customer his money back, something he rarely did without cause.

I couldn't take it anymore. As the "tech guy", I got up and told the customer "Hey, we can either go on talking this B.S. all day or go fix the problem. Get someone to show me the problem". I thought I was going to be fired that day but didn't care. Didn't know why, but something wasn't right and I had to get away.

Long story short, the customer wasn't using our software right. Our software was manufacturing software and his employees didn't know how to manufacture. Simple as that. Our software was doing exactly what the employees were telling it to do. The problem was them, not us. After proving it to the customer, he backed down and even apologized. He didn't get his money back.

But what had happened? Why was I uncomfortable? Why did my boss lose his confidence and allow himself to be so, well, dominated?

It was my first introduction to "Power Tactics".

This customer used the basic power tactic of setting up his office with his chair bigger and higher than the others in his office. He sat up high looking down on his visitors. It was a setup that screamed "I'm better and more important than you!"

It somewhat worked for the customer that day. He dominated my boss, at least until he was proved wrong. In the long run, he lost. It made me realize that ifyou need to resort to tactics like this, it's a cover up for your own insecurities. I've seen this theory proven over and over in my 20+ years in sales and management since that day. In the long run this customer was dealt with from then on accordingly.

Oddly enough I've run into people using "power tactics" over the last week. One was the "higher bigger chair of domination", as I like to call it, mentioned above. I no longer get angry. I just play along with their game these days. "Smile and wave" tactics right back at them, as the penguins from Madagascar  like to say. I chuckled all the way back to the office after that meeting.

The other meeting was with a person a little more educated in power tactics. Apparently having read "The 48 Laws of Power" (1998 Robert Greene), she happened to hit on 18 of them(I counted) during our brief exchanges. Knowing that these type of people are overly self-serving makes it easier to decide at what level you want to work, or be associated, with them.

Using power tactics, especially the "48 Laws" can be dangerous. One business owner I know who is a "48 Laws" disciple damaged his company and lost a good employee when he gave the book to his personal assistant. The power struggle and games that ensued were outrageous. The assistant, who was crucial to the business owner, finally left the company with all bridges burned. Her new style wasn't helping all that much in her new endeavors either, the last I knew.

Again, people who want or feel they need books like the "48 Laws" actually need to reevaluate what they want to achieve. Some "power tactics" can be helpful (did you know if you are going into negotiations with someone, you should sit on their left and definitely not opposite from them. The person on the right is the most cooperative. The person directly opposite on the other side of the table is the most resistant.). Others are misguided (do you really need to study "Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit  - Law 7 of The 48 Laws of Power"?).

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Finally, a REAL Backup Solution!

As a "tech guy", the most difficult thing to tell a customer is when their data has been irretrievably lost. Unfortunately, for small businesses this can be devastating, even a threat to the company's existence. 

Here's just a small sample of disasters I've been called into after the fact to try and fix:

1. A company had all their computers hooked up to battery backed up surge protectors and felt safe. The morning after a severe thunderstorm, the PC they were using as a file server wouldn't boot up. They had installed a fax through the computer and connected the telephone lines directly to the PC. The phone line surge blew out the mother boards and drive. No good backup of the files had been made in months.
2. A company laptop was running poorly, so it was brought to a big box store for repair. The laptop was returned in perfect running order. Unfortunately, the big box store deleted the entire hard drive and reinstalled the operating system to fix it quickly. All the company's Quickbook files were lost. The laptop was used for personal needs as well, so years and years of photos were lost. No backup of company data or personal data was ever made. Neither the company financial data nor the family photos could be recovered even through forensic techniques. They were gone forever.
3. A mortgage company thought their files were safely being backed up to tape. When the computer went down hard, a new one was purchased. When it came time to restore the backed up data it was found that the backup hadn't been done for almost a year. It was too hard so the person in charge just didn't do it. It took several months to manually replace the missing data at a huge cost to the company. At least they were able to limp along and not go out of business.

There are more horror stories I could tell. the point is, data HAS to be backed up if you are running a business. The backup has to be simple and it has to be easily verifiable that it is being done. It also has to be suitable for restoring the data from nearly any catastrophic event. So, it has to satisfy the worst case scenario.

The worst case is that the entire computer is gone. Fire and theft can occur. If you are backing up to the same computer or a connected backup drive, then your data is still gone no matter how dedicated you are to making the backup. The best solution is to back up off-site.

Backup solutions is probably in my top three questions that I am asked about from small businesses. Backup drives are great but usually stay connected to the computer they are backing up. Flash drives are good, but hold a limited amount of data. They also have to be manually connected and disconnected each backup day. I've had too many emergency repair situations from a USB device being improperly disconnected to really recommend this.

So what's the best solution? Back up off-site to a web based solution. I've been checking out Carbonite for several weeks now and strongly recommend it. It's affordable at $49.95 per year (yes, that a full year for $50 bucks!), and shows you right from your desktop what has been backed up. The one drawback is the amount of time it can take for the initial backup (it can take several days depending on the amount of data you are backing up) but after the initial backup it only backs up the files that have changed.

For those needing both an off-site backup solution of under 2 GB AND anti-virus protection, Norton 360 suits the task just fine. Just be aware that they charge extra for over 2GB and that 2GB is not all that much file server space thee days.

Carbonite is currently only available for the Windows platform, but Mac users can sign up as beta testers for the Mac version. There is a 15 day free trial for those who like to "try before they buy". If you are interested in Carbonite, or Norton 360, please use the links below which help support this blog.

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Do They Really Hear What Your Saying?

Communication can be the key to success in your personal life and in your professional life. How well do you communicate? Can you even honestly answer that question?

Years ago I was asked by the company I worked for to teach some software development classes in Japan. Although it was my first trip there, I was fairly confident I could do it. As I normally do, I bought some books about traveling to Japan and even a few on doing business there. Don't use slang and always be polite. I could do that!

What I was teaching required the use of a software development package called a compiler. Specifically, it required the use of the compiler produced by a company named Watcom. There were other compilers in the market, Borland and Microsoft offered the two best known at the time. The development I was teaching to the Japanese required the Watcom compiler, the others like the Borland and Microsoft compilers could not be used.

From what I just said, can you tell me what compiler was needed for the software I was teaching? Could the Borland compiler be used with the software? If you answered 'Watcom' for the first question and 'no' for the second, you understood me better than my class.

The first question a student asked after my discussion on compilers was "Mr. Hohler, may we use the Borland compiler?" I answered 'No, you can only use the Watcom compiler."

The next question was "Mr. Hohler, may we use the Microsoft compiler?" Again, I answered, "No, you can only use the the Watcom compiler."

Another hand went up. One by one the class kept asking if they could use either the Borland or Microsoft compiler. Figuring it was a language issue, I listed all the known compilers on the white board and drew a circle around them with the line through it. The International "NO" symbol. I then wrote 'Watcom' and drew a smiley face. That would do it!

"Mr. Hohler, may we use Borland compiler?" Aargh!

I realized we were having a communication problem. It wasn't a language problem, each of the students spoke English fluently. I wasn't using slang. I was even being polite, at least as I knew it. But one of the books I read mentioned that in Japan the word 'No' is avoided, especially in business. While my class spoke English, they spoke a different flavor of English than I was used to. They spoke English as understood by Japanese norms and customs.

So, my next answer was "Yes, you may use the Borland compiler. But the resulting software will not work." The student thought a moment then said, "Ahhh, so we should only use Watcom compiler." The class finally understood, and so did I.

Communication is difficult. You have to say what you mean in a way that your audience understands. This can be harder than you think. To get your message across, a few things to keep in mind:

1. Know your audience. Speaking to a person in the 'business' is different than speaking to a potential customer or someone not in the business. Take the time to know your audience and gage the level of understanding they have. Speak at the level of the person with the least understanding of your subject.

2. Avoid Buzzwords, Slang, and Acronyms. Unless someone works in the same business, use words everyone knows. Buzzwords really doesn't make you appear knowledgeable about your subject to someone who has no idea what you just said.

3. Be polite. Always be polite. Sarcasm can be taken wrong and often misunderstood. Take the blame for any misunderstandings or confusion and try rewording your reply. 

4. Practice your Sales Pitch. Practice on someone outside your business. A spouse or close friend can really help here. Make sure it's someone who is comfortable telling you they have no idea what you just said, if that indeed is the case.

The business referral group I'm a member of, Business Networking International (BNI), strongly urges its members to do 'One-On-One' meetings with each other. Two members meet individually outside the regular weekly meeting. If you are not a member of a BNI group, you can do something similar with someone you talk about your business to often. This One-On-One meeting is a great time to ask the other person "Can you tell me what I do?".

If they can answer correctly, most likely you are communicating effectively. If they can't, you may not be giving out the message you think you are. If this happens at a lot, it's time to evaluate your message and how it's being delivered.

Sometimes, even if you are saying what you mean ... people can hear something completely different. It's always good to catch and correct this sooner rather than later.

I'm Proud He Is My Dad

Just a few short weeks ago my father had a dream. That morning I went to his room early to see if he needed his pain medication. The cancer he was battling had already shattered his left leg and was having its way with the rest of his body. Unlike other mornings when he was sitting on the edge of the bed in pain, this time he was still laying down next to my mom. He had a look of happiness.

He told me about his dream. He was taking a group of children on a field trip, to see Jacob's ladder, the ladder to Heaven described in the Book of Genesis. He sang songs with the children on the bus. He took them to see the ladder. And when some children were lost, my dad said he went to find them and brought them back.

Then he smiled at me and said,"… and I was walking!" You see, the cancer first took away his ability to walk without pain. Then it took it completely away. In his dream, Dad was walking again!

I saw God in my dad's eyes and face that day. Not figuratively, mind you, it was real. When he first told me about his dream and again later when he told my mom.

I thought back to when my dad taught Sunday school. He taught for many years and not just while his own children were attending, but long after. As a kid, it was strange for me to be in a class taught by my father. I was somewhat embarrassed.

That was a common feeling for me growing up. My dad was a photographer who was a wedding photographer and liked to take pictures of scenery. My dad was a salesman. He sold cameras for a living. My best friend Jimmy's dad was a photographer too, except he worked for the police department and was a police photographer. For a kid, that's some tough "dad" competition.

My dad was in the Korean War and was a platoon leader. He rarely spoke about it. My friend Norman's dad was in WWII and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Norman had lots of stories.

I learned a lot about my dad recently. I learned I really didn't know him at all.

So many people would come up to my dad these last several months, recognizing him from his days selling cameras. After more than 15 years, people who were complete strangers would ask if he used to sell cameras at The Fair or one of the other stores he managed. I hope he always noticed how proud I was to hear that. How many sales people do you remember from yesterday, never mind over a decade ago!

Last Thursday my dad made a very difficult decision. With cancer winning the battle, my parents expressed a desire to stay together and we, their children, made sure it was so. The nursing facility had asked Dad earlier in the week if he were to get sick, did he want to go to the hospital. He had said yes, he wanted to go to the hospital if he got sick.

Well, he got very sick on Thursday. I asked if he wanted to go to the hospital or stay at the nursing facility with Mom. He decided without hesitancy and without question that he wanted to stay with my mom. He repeated his wishes three times to the nursing facility. He did not go to the hospital.

My mom held his hand day and night as the illness progressed. Dad spoke with more and more difficulty, in both clarity and thought. He seemed to be selling cameras one day. He was on a ship or a cruise the next. Last night my brother and sister told me he was singing "Row, row, row the boat" and "You are my sunshine". This was confusing to all of us, my dad played keyboards but I don't remember him ever singing.

I now know why he was singing. He lived his dream today. I know because he told me tonight. He brought the children to Jacob's ladder. They sang on the bus. He found the lost children. He brought them to Heaven, just as his life had taught him to do. My dad is filled with joy. My dad is walking again. My dad is there, holding my mom again.

Dad passed away earlier today. I'm proud he is my Dad.