If you just brought your computer home, there are some final touches you should consider as you are hooking your computer tower back up.
First, you need to install any peripherals that were not at the shop when you brought in the computer. These can include printers, scanners, webcams, digital cameras, and wireless mice and keyboards. If you have any of these peripherals, you will need to install them by following the manufacturer’s directions.
After you have installed any devices, or if you do not have any devices, you will need to install any additional programs. We install only those programs you supply the software and product keys for when at our location. You will need to install any other programs or games you wish to continue to use. Additionally, you will need to re-download any third-party programs (AIM, Yahoo messenger, etc.) or contact your Internet service provider for assistance in the set-up of your email.
July 18th, 2008
Customers often ask us which is the best antivirus software to use. We have found that they are all good as long as you do your updates at least every other day. Also, we do not recommend the security suites, system works packages, or Norton 360 All-In-One Security. They are too system resource hungry and will slow down the best of computer systems. We do like Symantec’s Norton Antivirus along with Microsoft’s firewall which comes built in with Windows. Grisoft’s AVG is another very good antivirus program. They offer a free download as well as the paid professional version. We are a local distributor for them, so stop by and pickup your copy today! We sell AVG in many different forms ( 1 or 2 year licenses for one or multiple computers). We also have a network version for small business or home use.
November 12th, 2007
We recommend that you do a fresh install of Windows Vista rather than an upgrade. Vista is a much different operating system than Windows XP. Many of your programs will not work with Vista and doing an upgrade might cause the system to “BLUE SCREEN” rather than boot. No matter which way you choose, you MUST backup all data that you do not want to lose. The Vista DVD has both the upgrade and a full install option, so you will not have to buy a separate DVD - as was necessary with older operating systems.
Follow these steps to hopefully ease your transition from Windows XP to Windows Vista:
First, run the Vista Upgrade Advisor by inserting the Vista DVD and clicking “check compatibility online.” The advisor will check your hardware and advise you of upgrades that are necessary to make your system Vista compatible. It will also check drivers that need to be upgraded, as well as warn you of the needed replacement or upgrade of programs. A word of caution here … we have already experienced the advisor telling us the upgrade was a “go,” and after upgrading, our PC did not boot. This left us with only one choice which was fdisk, format, reload (thank goodness for backing up).
Second, backing up data is fairly easy using the Vista disk when upgrading from Windows XP. Simply insert the DVD in your Windows XP system and run the “Windows Easy Transfer.” This little app will backup email, My Documents, and Favorites. You also need to manually backup nonMicrosoft program files such as Quickbook files, Kodak Share files, iTunes, etc. (any programs that save data to their own directories).
Third, insert your Windows Vista DVD into the DVD ROM of your XP system and select “transfer files and settings from another computer.” Click “Next.” Make sure all programs are closed. You can perform a complete transfer of your data using an external hard drive, a transfer cable, a USB cable, or onto a network. You can also select to backup to CD or DVD. Click “Next” to continue. Click the “Browse” button to navigate to whatever media you have chosen. This app will allow you to transfer all user accounts or just your main account. To transfer just your main account, click on the “Advanced Options” button. The next dialog box will display the files and folders that will be backed up and how much disk space is necessary for that backup. Use “Customize” to fine tune your backup. You are now ready to install Vista!
GOOD LUCK!
February 14th, 2007
A lot of people come into our shop and complain of a slow computer. “It takes too long to start or shut down” they’ll say. Today we will take a look at one of the most common causes for slower startup/shutdown times and take a look at how to fix this using Msconfig, the Microsoft System Configuration Utility.
Continue Reading August 21st, 2006
If you have a general computer question, please leave us a comment here with the question. We will try to answer as many questions as possible. Please remember we can only make recommendations and if you choose to follow those recommendations, you’re doing so at your own risk.
Please do not ask specific questions to software programs or removing certain viruses/spyware. We will answer as many questions as possible. If asked we can recommend software to do certain tasks, but we would like to stick to general computer questions.
July 10th, 2006
Open Office Suite is a full office suite that works much like Microsoft’s Office Suite. You can create word documents, spreadsheets, power point presentations and databases much the same as with Microsoft’s Suite. This powerful suite even lets you change a word document into a PDF file or post it on the web as a web page. The best part of this program is that it is free. Use our link (Open Office, under Links, on our home page) to download the program and start using it today.
OpenOffice.org is an Open Source Project. It is sponsored by Sun Microsystems, which is the primary contributor of code to the Project. Over 180,000 people from nearly every curve of the globe have joined this Project with the idea of creating the best possible office suite that all can use. They do so under the auspices of “open source.”
“Open source” means that you can contribute to make the product (and Project) better by joining the community. You can become a subscriber to the mailing lists, a member of the overall Project, or intensify your engagement and join a particular project. You can contribute your insights, your bug findings, your bug fixes, or just your general support. There is no requirement that you be a programmer. Just that you respect the other members of the community and understand that we are very serious about this Project and what it means.
To learn more about the Project, including its organization, please consult these pages:
- http://about.openoffice.org/index.html. This page provides a comprehensive account of the Project, its structure, history, and mission. It also has links to many documents, both technical and nontechnical.
- Development. This section has links to many of the documents supporting development of OpenOffice.org, the product and project.
- Support. OpenOffice.org offers volunteer support; there is also for-fee support (right now, Sun Microsystems offers it)
May 14th, 2006
For some people, email is their lives. If they lost their Address Book, they would lose their minds. Some people couldn’t live without the folders in their inbox. Some businesses store valued information there. Whether it is invoices, client communications, updates and newletters, or the funny of the week, they can be sorely missed should a data disaster strike.
Continue Reading April 4th, 2006
Please do not download Win Antivirus or Win AntiSpyware. These are malicious programs which will not only annoy you, but also try to suck money out of your pocket for viruses you do not have in your computer.
Continue Reading March 28th, 2006
Everyone comes in the shop and asks us what they can do to stop these pesky critters. Whether they are slowing down your computer, putting ads in your face, or annoying you in some other fashion, Malware (or malicious software) is becoming a huge concern for everyone. While there is no foolproof way to stop these nasties, there are some steps you can take to minimize the amount of them you have to deal with.
Continue Reading January 18th, 2006
If you are having computer trouble and would like to bring it in for diagnostics, there are some things you may need to know first. Please read this article.
Continue Reading January 11th, 2006