Update Your Username And Password Log

One of the more time consuming moments of a support session happens when we need to help you make changes to your email, computer, website or server, and we need a username (account id, login, login name, etc.) and/or password to do so. The great majority of the time the response from a customer is “I have no idea what my username and password might be”. Unfortunately, until these are discovered, additional support cannot be given. For email and websites, acquiring the username and password will require an email to be sent to you that contains a temporary password or a link to reset the password. If this is not possible, a phone call to the service provider will usually resolve the issue. For computer and server access, we have special utilities that will frequently help us reset your access password. You should have a notebook you keep near the computer with all the usernames and passwords you use written down and updated every time they change. If you do not have this log, it would be a great idea to start one today. Should you absolutely, positively not be able to learn all of your usernames and passwords, please give us a call and we will help you the best we can.

Why Is My Computer So Slow?

There are three typical reasons why a residential or small business computer is slow: 1. Unnecessary programs running in the background, 2. Not enough physical memory to run the computer (RAM, not hard drive space) and 3 Norton Antivirus Products. First, the great majority of computer users have allowed largely superfluous programs to exist or be loaded on their computers, running in the background while the computer is being used. These programs take up space in memory, space on the hard drive and steal power from the processor or brain of the computer. Unless you are deriving a significant benefit from these applications, you would be better off removing them. Of course you also need to know if removing these programs will hurt the computer. We do and are happy to help. Second, especially with computers 3 years old or older, the amount of physical RAM installed may not be sufficient to allow the operating system and the programs to run when you are using the computer. If you are constantly getting error messages informing you that you are using Virtual memory or Not enough memory to run the application you clicked on, you probably need more physical RAM. Removing files, creating more storage space, does not improve this situation. For Windows XP we recommend you have at least 1 GB of memory, for Vista 2 Gb of Memory and Windows 7 3 GB of memory. And lastly, we love Norton products, but they have become a behemoth and severely impact most computers. The Norton products are invasive, interfering with almost every computer function, and they require considerable processing power to run, not to mention a large portion of RAM to run in. We routinely remove Norton products and replace them with Microsoft Security Essentials or Symantec Endpoint Protection, two products that do not require an annual fee, update their definitions daily, and check for viruses in real time, not just with scans. If you want a faster computer, resolve these three issues. We will do all the above in a periodic maintenance or tune up of your computer.

Do You Really Need a Laptop?

These days laptops are all the rage. But is it really the right choice for you? When you buy a laptop, you give up the choice on what size screen you'll be sitting in front of. At this point you can easily buy LCD screens/monitors that are as large as 24" and if you are getting older, a larger viewing area is helpful. Also, laptop repairs are, generally, 30% more expensive when things do break. Of course, if you are a person who needs to take their information with them constantly, such as a real estate agent, student or reporter, then a laptop is the right decision. Sometimes people have space constraints in their home or office and a laptop is the right choice. So don't buy a laptop just because your neighbor did. Take a good look a your specific needs and make the right choice for you.

Is Your Data Safe?

Five years ago, a national survey found that 90% of residential and small business customers do not back up their data. In last year’s survey that number fell to 78%. Most of us have irreplaceable information on our computers. Pictures of loved ones. Music we have purchased. Our accounting information. Important emails. Items we would miss or be devastated if our hard drive crashed. One of our clients had her product patent information, the pictures from an expensive long awaited trip to Ireland, and all of her customer information loaded on her computer when her drive crashed that was not backed up. The missing information was important enough that she paid $1,800 to DriveSavers in California to have it retrieved. About once a month or twelve times a year one of our customer’s drives crash. One of the most used services for backing up data off site is Carbonite. They charge $55 per year for an unlimited amount of data. I am not aware of any service that cost less. There are some situations for which Carbonite is not the right solution. If you are unsure about what the best choice is for backing up your data, give us a call. Based on your situation, we can recommend the right solution for you.