Google Won't Print but You Can Print From Other Applications

Wow!  This has been a big week for blog entries, and it isn't over yet.  I found I could not print from any Google application; eg, gmail, gdrive.  The printer was "offline."  Yet, when I went to the printer driver and selected the Print a Test Page, I could print.  In fact, I could print from any non-Google application.  I finally found this post on the Google forums that explained what is going on.  It is at the bottom of this blog, but I'll explain the solution in a few words.  When the power goes out and,

if

• you don't have a static address for the printer,
• you use Google Print to print from any device

then

Google Print loses its place in the etherworld, even when you are just printing to a network attached printer from Google.  To fix the problem, go into Settings, click on the Show Advanced Settings link at the bottom of the Settings, and find the Google Cloud Print button Manage.  Click on it and all of a sudden all your printers work again.  I didn't even have to click on an individual printer's Manage button.  I did change one printer's Port before I started this last bit of instruction, but I don't think it would have mattered.

So, here's the original entry from the Google forum:

Your printer's IP address probably changed. Print out a new status page from the printer to see what it;s current IP address is. You will probably have to set up Google Cloud Print again. It;s a known issue with some printers due to the way the manufacturers implemented GCP. See this explanation:

We have recently learned that some brands of printers (Canon and Brother are two) lose their connection to Google Cloud Print (GCP) whenever the printer is assigned a new network IP address. Some brands do not have this issue. For example, if the printer was initially registered with GCP when it had address 192.168.1.51, but later was reassigned to 192.168.1.64, then it can't communicate with GCP.

If you had a power outage, turned off your printer, rebooted your router, or if the router reassigned the IP addresses as part of its routine process, then your printer may lose its GCP connection.

You will have to go through the GCP registration process again, and then you should be back in business.

To prevent this from happening in the future, you will have to adjust your router's DHCP settings to not use a small  block of IP addressed and then set the printer to use one of those reserved (fixed) addresses. For example you could tell the router to use DHCP for 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.199. Then you could use 192.168.1.200 through 192.168.1.254 for devices that need a fixed IP address.

Please note that this issue is the result of how the printer manufacturer implemented Google Cloud Print, not GCP itself.

Fake Chrome "Urgent Updates"

A hacker(s) is trying to put nasty stuff on your computer by displaying what looks like a legitimate "Urgent Chrome Update" page on your screen.  The browser window looks like this (I cut of the rest of the Google icon):

Note the address:  definitely not Google.  

Fortunately, Google Chrome also shows a message at the bottom of the browser window:  

The web site from which this originates is detailed below.

This appears to have released in the last couple of days, though you never know.  Malwarebytes didn't detect anything.

Bothered by spam phone calls. Get a phone system with a Call Block button

How many spam phone calls do you get a day.  I think in a 16 hour day we get about 32.  But we have a phone that can block any calls that we designate as spam.  We designate the call as spam by pushing a button called Call Block on our phone (land line).  You can answer the call the first time to determine whether or not it is spam.  If it is, then you push the Call Block button.  After that, any call from that number will ring once and then a message "Call Blocked" flashes on the phone.

The phone system is the Panasonic KX-TGF370.  We got it at Costco.

For your cellphone you can get an app to blacklist and/or whitelist calls.  The one I use is for Android and is called Calls Blacklist.

Have you moved to Windows 10 and do you miss the free games that came with Windows 7?

I've been asked about games like Hearts that came with Windows 7.  The games have been removed from Windows 10 and you have to go to the Store and maybe pay for the game.  But there is a web site that show you how to get the Windows 7 games back.  The link is :  http://winaero.com/blog/get-windows-7-games-for-windows-10/  My safety checker says the site is safe.  You download something.  Just Download  it and then go to your Downloads directory.  Right click on the download and run a virus check on the download, just for safety's sake.  Then you can left double click to install the games. Then run Malwarebytes to make sure that some Adware is not hidden in the installs.

A very important security problem with Google Chrome

I've titled this a problem with Google Chrome, but it is really a problem with how you might be assigning passwords to web sites that require user ids and passwords.  If you tend to use any of the several hundred million passwords that are commonly used and sold on the "black net." you've got a problem.  You can understand the depth and breadth of the problem by reading this article:  https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/18/117-million-linkedin-emails-and-passwords-from-a-2012-hack-just-got-posted-online/.

Here's the problem with Google and Chrome.  There are some "Ifs"

If:

• You use any of the several hundred million passwords being sold on the "black net" for your Google login (ie, log in to Chrome to access all the Google apps and features from Chrome).
• You use Chrome to save passwords to web sites, 

Then:  All those user ids and passwords that Chrome has saved are available to any person that can hack your google account.  It is done by going to http://passwords.google.com/.  Log in there and you will see all your passwords.

There are some caveats that will save you from this hack, but, for this blog entry, my advice to you is to never use Google Chrome to save your web site userids and passwords.   You have to turn that feature off and you have to delete all the user ids and passwords that have been saved.

Here is the Google help on this feature:  https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95606?hl=en

Reminder: Free Version of Windows 10 Ends July 29

If:

• You have a Windows 7 operating system or later, but not Windows 10, and
• You plan to keep your computer for more than the end of 2016

Then

You need to convert your operating system to Windows 10.  Yes, I strongly recommend that you do this.
The methodology you should use is to create a USB or DVD copy of the entire system using the following methodology.  The web page that provides the installation details is https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10.  You will want to download an image to your computer and then create a Flash Drive (Use a 4GB empty flash drive) or a DVD.  That way, you will automatically have a recovery device in case your computer crashes and the computer needs to be booted from an external source.  On the above web page, start at the "Before you begin" Click on the + icon and read through the preparation instructions.  Then, click on the "Download the Tool" blue button.  Then click on the + icon in front of the "Using the Media Creation Tool".  This will reveal two additional + icons.  Click on the one associated with "Upgrading to Windows 10 using the tool."  You could do a clean installation, but you would have to back up everything, which is not something an average user should do.

There are some tricks that you must use as you do an install.  Basically, you'll want to do a custom install and usually say NO to all the presented options.  If you need help, contact me.

The other issue may be that a favorite program will not run on Windows 10.  Again, contact me if you have a problem.  I can usually get it to work.