Windows 7 is dying!?

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Windows 7 is kill
Spooky!

In just a few short months Microsoft is killing Windows 7.

Really?

Not really, but is going what they like to call “end of life”.

That sounds kind of scary.

It does sound scary, but what it really means is that after January 14th 2020 Microsoft won’t be issuing any more security updates for Windows 7.

Does that mean I won’t be able to use my Windows 7 computer?

It doesn’t mean that at all! You’ll still be able to use your computer as you always have.

Why are they doing this?

Windows 7 is almost 10 years old, and doesn’t fully take advantage of what newer, more powerful hardware is capable of doing. Making it less-than-ideal for programmers to create applications for.

Most third party software companies – life web browsers, and anti-viruses – will continue to support Windows 7 for another year or so after the official “end of life”.

What will happen after that?

Well, by then most computers running Windows 7 will be over a decade old, and probably need to be upgraded or replaced.

Your friends at No Ware Computer Repair can assist you in deciding which option would be the best for you, and even help you make the transition.

Call or stop by or Grand Junction office today to have a chat about this, or any other computer issue.

Facebook is for Sharing, Not Storing!

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When was the last time you held an actual photo album or actual prints of photographs in your hands? Maybe you look back at older photographs only when Facebook’s TimeHop app reminds you of a pic from five years ago. If so, you may be risking your visual history.

Facebook is a great way to share photos with friends and family around the world. You get to enjoy their comments and the affirmation of their likes. But using Facebook as storage for your photos is not a good plan. Here’s why.

Facebook photos

Some people treat Facebook as their photo album archive. They delete the originals from their devices or digital camera when they need more space. But Facebook compresses images for faster download. It satisfies impatient social media users, which means photo quality suffers. If you wanted to print those photos in the future, they wouldn’t look as good as the originals.

That’s not the only drawback. When you trust Facebook with all your photos, you’re letting a company control your visual archive. It’s hard to imagine, given Facebook’s reach today, but what happens to your photos if the company goes defunct? We don’t know. The people who were keeping their photos on Myspace in 2006 might have an idea.

The younger crowd is already moving onto other social platforms. Plus, Facebook’s growth rate in North America and Europe is slowing. Those daily active users are the primary source of revenue. So, you know Mark Zuckerberg is in some meetings about that.

Even if Facebook continues as the business behemoth it is today, we don’t know what policy changes it might make. It could change its terms of service whenever it wanted (if you even read those in the first place). Users have no guarantee for how long Facebook will store their images or any type of content.

Keep in mind also that many of the photos showing up in your timeline are actually taken by friends. Facebook provides an entire album of other people’s photos when they’ve tagged you, but if they decided to untag you or remove it, that photo would be gone.

Finally, there’s also the risk of your account getting shut down or hacked. You’ve probably had friends warn you not to accept any new friend requests from them because they’ve been compromised. You wouldn’t want a thief to steal all your photo albums. Similarly, you don’t want a cybercriminal to gain access to all your images.

Our Recommendation

Just as with data, we recommend you have a “3-2-1” backup system for your digital photographs. This means having three copies of the photos you care about. You don’t need to back up the blurry ones if you don’t want to.

You might keep one copy on the original device, but you’d have two other copies of the high-quality, uncompressed, original image as well. One might be kept on an external storage device such as a USB thumb drive, and the other you could upload to cloud storage.

The cloud backup gives you access to the photos from any device in any location. So, if a flood, hurricane, or fire devastates your home, and you lose your device and the USB thumb drive, you still have a backup. Your Facebook photos and videos are just there to be shared with friends and family.

Not sure where or how to safely store your photos and videos? We can help! Our experts may even become new Facebook friends. Then we can all like each other’s photos with the peace of mind that the original photos aren’t going anywhere. Call us at (970) 433-7454.

Time for What Matters: Essential Windows Shortcuts

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Time for What Matters: Essential Windows Shortcuts

The average person spends 90,000 hours at work. These hours can cost us sleep, affect our mood, and cause us to gain weight. Oh, and work can cause stress, too. We can’t give you a “get out of work free” card, but these essential Windows shortcuts will help you save time.

By gaining efficiency at your computer, you may find you have more time for what matters. At work, this may be devising new innovations or getting out in the field. At home, these shortcuts can free up time to play a board game with the kids or do some gardening with Grandma.

Ctrl + X to Cut

Think about X marking the spot in the text where you want to cut words, an image, or a URL. Drag your cursor over the selection to highlight the particular text/table/image/file (or a part of it). If you don’t want it at all, the cut function is another version of delete. If you want to move the selection, this is your first step.

Ctrl + V to Paste

With this simple shortcut you can place the information you just cut (or copied using Ctrl + C) anywhere you want. The important thing to remember is that the paste function only holds one selection in memory. So, if you cut a phrase from one place, don’t get distracted by an image you want to copy or other text to cut. You want to paste what you have first, then go back and copy or cut the next thing so as not to risk risking losing anything.

Ctrl + Z to Undo

If only this shortcut was available in real life. We could retract that thing we inadvertently said to Uncle Steve, or take out the salt we put in a recipe instead of sugar, or avoid leaving the house for the gym without our running shoes.

Still, Windows users are able to undo their most recent action with this key combination. Whichever Windows program you’re in, you can use Ctrl + Z to reverse your last action. To redo something, go with Ctrl + Y.

Alt then Tab to Switch Screens

There are many things you can do with Windows. Perhaps you’re multitasking: you have a PowerPoint open, as well as an Excel spreadsheet, and Internet Explorer, too. By pressing Alt and then the Tab key, you can switch between tabs or screens. If you hold down the Alt button while tapping Tab, you’ll scroll through all screens.

Ctrl + N to open a new window

Pressing Ctrl+N together opens up a new document file or browser window, depending on the program you’re in. It saves you a few drop-down menus and works in most Windows applications and Web browsers.

Ctrl + F to Find

This is another one we’d love to see in the real world. Using the find shortcut calls up a pop-up box where you can enter text or numbers. You can use this shortcut to find what you’re looking for on a Web page, in a PDF document, or in your rough draft of a speech. In fact, you’ll be able to see how many times your search text appears and toggle from one selection to the next.

Ctrl + Mouse to Zoom

Forget your reading glasses? Looking at a too-small infographic? Having a tough time locating the right tiny file on your desktop? You can zoom in with this shortcut. Using this shortcut on your desktop makes files and folders larger. In your browser, this function zooms in on the page.

Want to know more about Windows and technology to streamline processes? Our experts can help you find the right computer solutions for your home or office. Contact us at (970) 433-7454 today!

Why is My Brand New Laptop So Slow?

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Your old computer is beginning to slow down. So, you invest in a shiny new laptop. The clouds part and the sun shines down on this bright and lovely new device. Everything will be faster and easier. Only, from the first day, the new laptop is lagging. Why is it running so slow? One of these might be the reason.

Slooooooow
#1 Not enough computing power. 

In many cases, the laptop doesn’t have enough RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM is the computer’s main memory. This helps your computer do more at once. Information from the operating system, application programs and data are kept here, when in use, for quicker processing.

RAM is like the computer’s short-term memory, while the hard drive is the long-term memory. Just as the human brain can’t hold everything in short-term memory, RAM can get overloaded too. When this happens on your laptop, the computer processor needs to go to the hard drive. This slows things down.

Resolution: You might see 4GB, 8GB, 16GB or more of RAM available. How much you need is going to depend on what you plan on doing with the computer. For a laptop with Windows 10, we recommend at least 8GB of RAM, but 16GB is more comfortable for a better experience.

Not all laptops will let you access the RAM. When you can, though, upgrading memory can be quick and affordable.

#2 Mechanical hard drive. 

Often a single part is letting you down. With a less expensive computer, manufacturers skimp. While it’s less common these days, some laptops will come with a mechanical hard drive. You might think of this like a record player with a needle reading the vinyl album. Since something is moving to find data, the laptop runs slower than it would with a Solid State Drive (SSD), which has no moving parts.

Resolution: In many cases, a mechanical hard drive can be easily upgraded to an SSD. However, some super slim laptops have limited upgradability.

#3 Bloatware. 

Retailers like to tout all the bells and whistles that come with their laptops. So, when you turn on your laptop for the first time, you may notice there’s already a lot of software preloaded. Much of it you’ll probably never use. Maybe there are toolbars you don’t need, games you’ll never use, or stock widgets that you couldn’t care less about. These examples of bloatware slow down your computer.

The third-party applications are a revenue source for the manufacturer, but don’t always help you. Microsoft, for instance, sells a line of computers that come without any pre-installed third-party software. Computerworld reported those PCs “start up 104% faster, shut down 35% faster and have 28 minutes more battery life.”

Resolution: When you get a new laptop, check out the pre-installed software before you add your own. Determine what the existing software will do, and uninstall anything that you won’t want.

If your laptop is slow on the first startup, this may be due to system updates. For instance, a Windows 10 automatic update to bolster the security of the computer. You can’t do much about these, but look on the bright side, your laptop security is current!

Improved speed is a main reason to invest in a new laptop. Don’t let a lagging laptop disrupt your productivity. We can help with a slow running laptop.

Instead of wasting valuable time waiting on a slow computer, give us a call No Ware Computer Repair at (970) 433-7454.

How and When You Should Be Doing Computer Maintenance

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Computer Maintenance
With every typical household comes a list of chores meant to keep everything in good working order. Things like cleaning the lint trap in the dryer, changing the water filter in the kitchen sink, and putting gas in the lawnmower are good examples of “basic maintenance” we all do around the house.

Of course, there are also a few things you should be doing every now and again to maintain your computer.

Every Day

It’s not a bad idea to give the computer a reboot at least once a day. This helps to clear the memory of any inconsistencies, and allows updates to be applied.

Every Week

Run a quick scan with your antivirus. This can usually be scheduled to occur automatically in the settings tab of most antivirus applications.

Run Disk Cleanup. This finds and deletes all temporary files, duplicate system files, and other nonsense, keeping your computer running smooth and clean.

Make sure that your Backup software is functioning properly. There’s nothing worse than losing your data.

Remember to discharge the battery on your laptop. A lot of us keep our laptops plugged in while we’re using them. This can actually be wearing on the battery, as it generates a constant flow of power to the battery. Best practice is to unplug it while you’re working until the battery reaches about 40% or so, then plug it back in. You never want to let the hit 0% – that could cause problems.

Every Month

Uninstall applications that are no longer in use. This frees up hard drive space, and helps things run more smoothly.

Run a deep antivirus scan. That could also possibly be scheduled to run automatically.

Check for and install Operating System updates. Most Operating System updates are security enhancements, so it’s always a good idea to makes sure your system is up-to-date.

Check for third-party software updates. The applications that you regularly use are generally updated on a regular basis to patch bugs and add features. Make sure that you have the current versions of these programs.

Every Few Months

De-clutter your email inbox by deleting unnecessary email and spam.

Clean your mouse and keyboard. These can get a little dirty over time.

Check wires and peripherals for wear and tear, and replace as needed.

Clean out the dust from your computer by blowing compressed air into any vents, nooks, and crannies.

Every Year

Remember to renew your antivirus or Computer Maintenance Plan. These will help you keep things working properly for the next year.

Get your computer a professional tune up. Just like your car needs a tuneup every year, so does your computer.

This is just a sort list of a few of the things you should be doing with your computer to keep it running as well as it can.

Of course, with one of our Maintenance Plans many of the things on this list will be done for you automatically as part of the service.

If you have any questions about how to get the most out of your computer, please feel free to give us a call at our office in Grand Junction at (970) 433-7454

Secure Passwords

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Secure laptop
There were simpler times when passwords were only preventative measures to keep the people around you in the real world from accessing your personal devices. That was before the internet blew up, before we had to start worrying about the whole “hacking” thing.

Unfortunately, nowadays things are far more complicated. Some places online require that you change your password regularly, and that’s even becoming more commonplace than you might think.

Passwords can’t be something silly like qwerty or 1234. The reason being those are the easiest to guess, but even if you did use something random and virtually impossible to determine, hackers now have access to different software that they can use to easily crack not so strong passwords. To cyber-criminals it’s just a guessing game, they have software that can run through every possible combination of letters and numbers in no time. That said, the longer and more complex your password is, the longer it would take to crack.

Basically, all of this stuff has gotten really complicated and somewhat convoluted, but if you’ve read this far you’re probably interested in how to further secure your accounts from the likes of hackers – and we have a few tips for that!

A fun practice to integrate into your password creation is telling a story. For instance, “I live at 4122 Elm Drive have five children, a girl, two boys, and three dogs and a loving wife,” could look something like @4122C5gbd&W. Or for instance your dog Rex is twelve years old and your cat Fluffy only has three legs, your password could look like Re12Fluff3.

One of our favorite methods is using an old address of yours. It’s something you’ll always remember and it’s not the easiest to guess either. Something like @123AnyStreet, or 987Broadway! would work perfectly.

Another method of creating a strong password is to use a verse from your favorite song. For instance, “The wheels on the bus go round and round,” that you loved when you were six could be, Wotbgr&r6yo. Or say that the eighties hit “Africa” by Toto really gets your foot tapping, you can use something like 80sIbtrdiA! .

These are just a few simple strategies that will help you to create a secure password. If you need any help creating a password or have questions about computer security give your friends at No Ware Computer Repair a call at (970) 433-7454.

password

5 Reasons Why You Should Backup Your Data

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Backup
As often as we hear computer companies boast about the quality and efficiency of their products, it’s almost difficult to imagine anything going wrong. Sure, we see the warning signs and we know we should rationally be taking extra precautionary measures to ensure that nothing does go wrong – but more often than not, we simply push that thought to the side in favor of something more “important”.

The fact of the matter is that any day now you could lose all of the information stored on any of your computers or devices. Be it a liquid mishap, an internal shortage, or something completely unaccounted for, it can and does happen. Unfortunately that’s not always convincing enough in the argument of why you should backup your data though, so why else should you take the extra steps?

1. Accidents Happen

Computer Accident

Believe it or not, as much as we try to prevent them, accidents do happen, and they happen more often than we think they do. Maybe you forgot to save that paper before exiting, or maybe a program simply stopped working in general. Either way, backed up data is guaranteed to keep that data in safe from the occasional accident.

2. Theft

Computer Theft

Say you left your laptop in the library, or perhaps you fell asleep on the bus and your backpack was ransacked, while it’s not always easy to track that lost device, you can at the very least access your backed-up data if you’ve happened to save it on some sort of cloud storage. From there it only takes a few clicks to restore all of that data onto a new device, if you choose to invest in another one.

3. Hardware Failure

Computer Failure

Some malfunctions are completely out of your hands, they happen deep within the hardware itself and within an instant, all precautions you’ve taken aside, everything you had on your computer is lost completely. Unless of course, you had it backed up to begin with. Then it’s just a matter of getting a repair, or a new device.

4. Viruses, Malware, and Hackers

Data Ransom Note

Some problems you might face aren’t even technical errors, but malicious attack from hackers that aim to corrupt your data, steal it, or hold it for ransom. It’s easy to see why having safeguarded data is a good idea in that case.

5. Save Money on Potentially Expensive Data Recovery

Data Recovery

Regardless of what happens, if your data really means that much to you and you’ve somehow lost access to it, you can still take it into a computer repair shop and get the data recovered right off of the hard drive, but be warned that it can be a little expensive. With prices reaching upwards of hundreds of dollars, it’s not difficult to see the appeal in backing up your data.

When it comes to data backups, it’s always better to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it.

This is just a short list of why you should be backing your data up regularly. If you need advice on how to backup, or even need some lost data recovered, your friends at No Ware Computer Repair in Grand Junction are always happy to help.

Computer Crafts Part 2

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It is that time of year again! When we go through old things and throw out the junk – Spring cleaning!

During this time, many of us find our collections of old monitors, hard drives, and broken keyboards. Instead of throwing them away, why not do a little re-purposing?

In fact, there are some beautiful works of art being made with old computer parts.

Disc Art

Here are a couple of projects you might want to undertake with your old electronics. They can make fun family projects.

Container Gardening

Computer Gardening

Old computer monitors can be emptied out the contents recycled. The cases can then be used as containers for plants. This is a great idea if you want a garden and don’t have a lot of space.

The 21st Century Chia Pet

Chia pet!

Chia seeds sprout easily, need very little soil, and can be watered with an easy spritzing from a spray bottle. So instead of spending money on a Chia Pet, why not turn your old broken keyboard into an oxygen giving friend?

Pen Holder

Pen Holder

This pen holder is probably the most popular way to use recycled computer parts, but it’s still pretty cool.

Hard Drive Safe

Drive Safe

Almost every household, or office has a few of these laying around. Broken, unused, and full of data waiting for recovery. Once you get the data recovered, you can have the movable parts removed, recycled, and then use it as a hidey-hole for your treasures.

Crafting with old computer parts is fun and an exciting way to make custom ideas for your home, or office. Take a chance on this “waste not want not” idea and see how far your creativity will take you!

Perhaps your small pet would like one of these?

Cat box

Then again, you might have a weekend to kill and are feeling ambitious.

Vader

No Ware Computer Repair is an environmentally friendly computer shop. We want to remind you to recycle your old computer parts responsibly.

New Computer Set-Up

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new compy

Congratulations, you got a new computer!

Before you go too far, there are a few things you can do to make sure that your new computer always stays as awesome as it is the day you pulled it out of the box.

1 – Put the paperwork in a safe place.

When you took this delightful new toy out of the box chances are that a bunch of paperwork came tumbling out. Sometimes there is a warranty card you have to fill out and send in to register the machine with the manufacturer. You might as well fill this out now and put it in the mail. Then take your receipt, instruction manual (after you have read it cover to cover that is), and any other paperwork and file it way in a safe and easy to remember place.

2 – Double check the box before you throw it away.

Triple check it even. Make sure you have found everything that goes to, with, and plugs into your new machine.

3 – Set it up.

Now turn that shiny new piece of magnificence on and let the fun begins! Luckily both Windows and Mac have step by step instructions to help walk you through the set-up process.

4 – Update.

Chances are, that between the time the computer was packaged up at the factory, and the purchase of your new computer, there have been updates to the operating system. Many of these updates will have been security related. You definitely want to get these updates installed before you do anything else.

5 – Virus/Malware Protection.

Before you begin playing around online, you’ll want to keep your new little friend free and clear of any of those nasty internet diseases. Install a trusted malware/virus program.

6 – Take Care of the Bloatware.

Many companies pre-install games and other unneeded or unwanted software. This can use up memory and clog your hard drive. For more on how to do this see our blog post on Bloatware.

7 – Install your favorite programs.

Now that the bloatware is gone, you have plenty of room to install those apps, games, and all the other software that you’re going to need. Of course, you’re going to want to be safe about it.

8 – Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If you run into issues, problems, or see programs or applications on your start menu that you would never use but are unsure of how to proceed, ask for help from a professional.

On that note: No Ware Computer Repair is here to help you and your new computer have a long and happy life together. Call or drop by our office in Grand Junction, and we can get you all set up!

Is my Hard Drive failing?

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We do a lot of Data Recovery here at No Ware Computer Repair for our clients who have a Hard Drive that has happened to fail on them.  In most cases these Hard Drive failures happen at the worst possible time. One of the questions that these clients ask us is how they could have known that their Hard Drive was failing before it completely died on them.

Fail!

Hard Drive failure can happen for any number of reasons. The main and most frequent one is simply age. The Hard Drive could be damaged if the computer was dropped or otherwise roughed up. Dust and dirt finds its way into those tiny little cracks, which can cause overheating. And of course, liquid spills can really damage a drive.

While the small clues we talk about here can be a sign of something else, they will give you an idea of what to look out for. Being able to recognize these issues in your computer will enable you to catch the disaster and take action before it strikes.

Strange Sounds

This is especially true for mechanical hard drives. These noises can be anything from a constant clicking to a pulsing “click click” when you start a program or access data. Another sound to listen for is a whirling kind sound that is at a different frequency than the usual spinning of the fans

Corrupted Data

Trying to access a file that just doesn’t seem to be there any more, seems to have encrypted itself, or is missing those three paragraphs you added last night can be frustrating! But it also can be a sign of a dying hard drive.

Slowing Down, Frequent Freezes, Blue Screen Of Death

Let’s face it, we all get older and start slowing down, freeze periodically due to lack of inertia and wish we could hold up a sign with “file not found” written on it. When experiencing any of these things while you are working on your computer, it can make you feel hapless and a little frustrated. While these could be signs of another problem, they can also indicate an impending Hard Drive crash.

If you are experiencing any of these signs it might be time to start looking into backing up your data before it is too late, and picking out a new hard drive to replace the old one.

Even if you aren’t experiencing these or other signs; that lead to data misfortune, keeping your data backed up at all times is just good computer hygiene.

If you’re seeing signs that the Hard Drive in your computer is about to crash, give No Ware Computer Repair in Grand Junction a call.