All posts in Computer

How To Find A Computer Repairman

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Reliability is a number one requirement nowdays with our computers. At one time it was virtually impossible to envisage a computer in every home. Technology has moved ahead very quickly and what was once an idea in somebody’s mind has developed into something that we really cannot do without.

It was in 1975 the young man named Bill Gates started with a vision of a computer on every desk and in every home. 35 years ago there was no such thing as a personal computer that you could buy unless of course you could build it yourself.

Today the computer is a corporate and social tool that we cannot do without. When something goes wrong with your computer, what do you do to get it repaired?.

To be honest I’m not sure whether living in a big city or a small town is a major benefit either way. In a little town you have a probability to get to be aware of the local inhabitants and hence you may well know the person who will fix your computer yet in a big municipality you will have far more choice and plausibly a superior chance of sourcing a substantially qualified person.

Well thereby hangs another question how do you know if somebody is qualified? Of course the answer is that unless you know the person personally then you have no experience of their work and you will never really know if they are any good. So how do you decide the best way to fix that broken computer that you have just suddenly decided he is the most important thing in your life now it’s not working.

Interestingly, at this point you need a way to find somebody who repairs computers. When searching for a repairer, the only option open to you in the past was the telephone directory. More recently it has become easier and more common to “Google” the search but you cannot do that at the moment, your computer is not working. Of course you may be fortunate enough to own a mobile phone that will enable you to search the web site that would make life much easier.

My primary recommendation to you nonetheless would be to research this issue before your computer breaks down and then you be familiar with who to ring.

When looking for someone to repair your computer do not be frightened to ask for qualifications and experience. How many years has the party you are entertaining been in business and if you research the web can you find bad testimonials about the business? This is how you can put together a number of three or four buisnesses to ring for a quotation when something goes wrong. Remember it’s your money they are taking so you have every right to ask if they can do the job.

So now when something goes wrong you have someone to call and get a quote. Every company/person you have listed should be contacted, a quote requested and a comparison of the quotes done. One important thing to look for here is is the quote is on a fixed price basis or open ended. If you are capable, make sure you comprehend before the work starts accurately how much the chore is going to cost and a comprehensive account of the work to be carried out. This means that once the task is done you can compare the results with the original quote and be certain that all is well. It also means that comparing the quotes is much easier as you can relate the value of the quote to the detailed work.

It is important to note here that your computer is not working and therefore you may not be able to complete work if it is a business computer or socialise if it’s at home. Thus it is important that you realise how long the process is going to take to end and even how long it will take to get a quotation.

Now here is a clever tip. If you can find a computer repair person who will firstly quote to come to you and check the computer and then provide you with a second quote for the repairs on the spot, and then hopefully fix the computer on the spot, you are well ahead of the game.

Warning! Do not under any circumstances give up front for either the visitation or the repairs. No matter what the technician says, do not pay this way.

Finally there are a few things to look for once the work is done.

If the work involves the induction of new hardware make certain that all the drivers are installed. Even if the work required is the installation of a new operating system, ensure that the appropriate drivers for the new operating system are installed.

When the work is finished a good computer repair individual will enlighten you if there are any extra problems with your computer that are beyond the work that they have completed and propose to quote you on fixing these issues. A decision can then be made as to whether ou need to order these repairs.

One of the things that a good company will constantly remind you of is the necessity to back up your files. Before a repairman is given your computer ensure you have backed up all your files. It is a general complaint that once repairs have been carried out, the hard drive has been reformatted, and irreplaceable information has been deleted. This could be company work, family photos or copies of essential documents like birth certificates.

Another thing you have to be careful of is a repair company that he insists on adding extra programs and software. Again this is where the initial detailed quote is important. Check your quote to ensure that no programs were mentioned for installation. Insist unwanted programs installed be removed. There are a lot of programs made to benefit you and increase performance but quite often they require monitoring and you may have neither the time nor expertise nor the desire to want to keep an eye on the program.

One important point. If you find a really good repair man who gives value for money, efficient and punctual service and does all this with a smile do not let him go.

I hope these points will help you to find a qualified and competent computer fixer in your local area.

Are IMac Locks The Perfect Computer Security Hardware

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If you thought that the data in your iMac is safe behind one Windows password or an iMac lock youve got rethink. Because unless you changed the default, anyone can just boot your iMac using a floppy disk or even CD-ROM and wander around your folders and files like a tomb rider. You dont want to encounter such nightmares, do you?

To have the files safe, youve got to make the iMac password protected as well as to have it to boot-up upon authorization. This makes no body to have a backdoor access into your iMac through floppy drive or a CD drive.

You may want to take a look at the machines Setup menu for the security settings including User Password. Then, when it prompts, just give a password of your choice; there is a word of caution here that resetting boot-up password is a brainer by itself so chose and type but carefully.

Again please note that some machines will allow you to add the Setup password so to contain any unauthorized access to Setup program too, check the motherboard manual to doubly make sure if the feature is available on your machine.

Majority of system motherboards have switch or a jumper for resetting the boot password should the need arise. In that case switch off the system and off the plug, open up the system case, and just reposition the jumper; take care that you ground before doing this job.

However, in case the jumper is not there set up of the password, you may have to look for that switch that will reset your Setup program; implies it will clear boot-up password and erase other settings as well.

All these efforts are for one main objective to keep the system safe; your iMac off the wrong hands. Despite these to have the boot-up password disabled is not a big deal and it isnt that difficult to take off the hard disk, frisk all the files and folders and replace with no signs of tampering too. So how to keep the intruders off your expensive iMac? Locks that come in the $30 range will be effective for simple systems and not an iMac. Lock that is made for iMac will serve the purpose; G5 custom locks or an Apple MacPro locks do. There are advanced physical security devices including iMac plate lock devices that are barely visible yet offering very good computer security.

The iMac locks may not be cheap computer security devices, but instead of having to bear the loss of revenue by computer vandalism and to avoid the the companys reputation being ruined and investing on administrative expensive for repairs post vandals attack, it makes sense to invest in the iMac locks and be secured. There are some products that offer iMac insurance too with the iMac lock purchase, just do your diligence and you will be at peace.

Learning Computer Basic Skills – The Best Method For Pc Beginners To Learn How To Use Computers Fast

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If you search online, you will find lots of computer lessons for beginners and even free video computer tutorials for learning computer basics and skills on your own from home. So many beginners are still finding it hard to learn basic computer knowledge skills faster due to the method they chose for learning PC basic skills. Learning computer skills knowledge is not as hard as a lot of people consider it to be. Read on to discover the best way to learn how to use computers faster and easier.

There are certain factors that contribute to your inability to learn about computers and learning how to use a computer very well. Some of them you probably will not even know that it has indirectly been affecting all your serious efforts towards learning your computer basic skills faster.

Here are some of the common factors and reasons why so many computer beginners still can not learn PC basics faster no matter how hard they try or seem to have tried. Knowing these common truth about learning computer basic skills will help you progress with your studies.

One of the primary reasons why many computer beginners still waste ages to learn and master all the basics of computers and basic PC knowledge skills they need to progress in life is making use computer training books. When it comes to learning about computers and easily overcoming computer literacy super-fast is to avoid using a computer book or books for your studies. The use of ordinary text books and relying solely on it to master computer skills is now out dated. You still can learn PC skills from books, but it certainly will take you more time than someone whos making use of computer training video tutorials. The use of video lessons for learning any new skill is proven to be the best method to master a skill faster rather than using the old fashioned formula: training books.

Are you one of those that still rely on a computer training tutor or a computer master to show and teach you how to use your computer properly? Most people still waste their time and money searching all over the place for a computer tutor to teach them how to use computers from home. Computer training masters are skilled enough to help you out, but what happens after he or she leaves your home? 50% of every thing you learnt that day simply exits from the order ear. If most beginners know that there is a better way to master their computer basics without relying on a PC training tutor, am sure theyll never waste their hard earned money and time trying learning computer skills that way.

If you are serious and eager to learn and master all your basic computer skills faster from home, while saving money and time at the same time, start using basic computer training video lessons to learn beginners computer knowledge skills from home. Stop wasting your precious time and money on computer books, hiring a computer training master and attending computer classes for beginners just to learn simple basic computer skills.

If you search online, you will find lots of computer lessons for beginners that will help you with learning computer basics on your own. But the only problem you might have is finding good and professionally produced beginners video lessons on DVDs that you can watch and play from your home DVD player, while practicing your skills on a PC at the same time. If you can find one that is cheap and affordable, that holds the key to your learn basic computer knowledge skills super-fast on your own from home. Even is you dont have a PC at home or never used a computer before, you can still learn about computers and when you are confident enough, you can now go out and operate any computer with confidence.

Stop wasting your precious time and money trying to learn how to use computers from a computer training book for beginners. Make learning computer basics easier and fun by utilizing the proven powers of video computer lessons for beginners, or searching all over the place for the best computer training center online just to learn simple and common computer beginners knowledge skills and basics from home!

Computer Networking

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The basic concept of computer networking is having two or more computers connected together sharing information. The information shared can be files, printers, and programs. The size of a computer network largely depends on the user’s needs. If you are building a home network, then you will likely have one to three computers networked. In a large office, you may have as many as 100 or 200 computers networked together.

Types of Networks
There are different ways to perform computer networking. Wireless networks, or WLAN/WWAN, uses wireless technology to network computers together. This type of computer networking is becoming more popular for the home user. Using a router and a host computer, you can connect multiple computers in your house to the network. If one of those is a laptop, it’s possible to take that computer from room to room as you work. Local area networks, or LAN, are smaller networked areas. Local area networks usually have higher data transfer rates, and do not require special telecommunications services. Wide area networks, or WAN, connects a large group of computers together. These networks are typically designed for one organization’s use. Metropolitan area networks, or MAN, are networks that usually span the size of a city. They use fiber optic cables and are usually wireless. ATMs use metropolitan computer networking.

The OSI model, or Open Systems Interconnection Reference Model, is a type of computer networking that uses layered communication. The seven layers are arranged from bottom to top as: physical, data-link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application. The OSI Model was too complicated to be useful in today’s computer world. Even so, it is still often referenced by IT professionals when they are describing computer networking or network applications.

By setting up a computer network at home, or in your office, you can give multiple users access to files on the host computer. It’s also possible to have users able to share files between their computers. Printers and programs can also be shared among users on a computer network.

This is just a small view into the world of computer networking. Setting up a computer network in your home has never been easier. Today’s technology makes it possible with just a few simple steps.

How To Fix Computer Freeze Problem

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Computer freeze is a common PC problem. Your PC was working absolutely fine, but suddenly it freezes up. You are at a loss. How to fix the problem? Go through this article and find the reasons why your computer freezes up and how to fix the problem.

Are you thinking why a computer freezes up? There are many reasons for which this problem occurs. Your PC was working fine and after installing a program the problem starts then it is due to that software application. In many cases, viruses also cause the problem. If the computer overheats then it could cause the PC freeze problem. Sometimes, random lockups occur due to the computer memory.

Whatever the reason behind your computer freeze is, you need to get it fixed. You have two options to perform this task. Firstly, there are many computer repair companies that offer tech support to the computer users for resolving PC freezing problem. Or you can try resolving the problem on your own. Given below are some useful tips that you can employ to resolve the issue.

If the problem starts after installing a certain program, better uninstall the newly installed application. The problem should get fixed. If you dont know how to uninstall the program, go to Control Panel and then click Add Remove Programs, select the particular program and uninstall it.

Your computer was working find and if suddenly lockups occur, then it might be an application that caused the issue. Just press Control-Shift-Esc to fix a stalled computer. Once you press these buttons together, it will bring up Windows Task Manager. Here you will find the list of the programs that are running on your PC. The program which is not working, its status column will show it as Not Responding. Select the program and click End Task. This will resolve the issue instantly.

Sometimes, computer freezes occur if you run too many applications at the same time and the computer does not have much resource to run them. In this case, you need to limit the number of program and only run two or three programs at one go.

Does your computer freeze while visiting some certain websites? If yes, then either you have to refrain from visiting those websites or you need to use a different browser. If you find that the web browser is freezing continually, try to uninstall and reinstall it. You can also use another web browser.

You should also check for viruses or spyware. Most of the times computer freezes due to virus and spyware attack. To fix it, you need to run a spyware and antivirus program. It is also suggested to update Windows and install latest patches.