2018 in Review

by

Happy New Year
As 2018 draws to a close, we look back on the past year and can’t help but to be extremely grateful.

This last year we’ve repaired hundreds of computers – desktops and laptops – Windows and Mac – for our clients.

We’ve removed viruses, stopped malware, and blocked pop-ups from computers of all makes and models, all shapes and sizes.

We’ve successfully recovered data from dead computers, old computers, flash drives, and SD cards for many panicked and stresses-out customers.

Our Maintenance Plans have protected our client’s computers, saving them hundreds of dollars, and countless hours of downtime and frustration.

We’ve helped clients who were scammed by unscrupulous emails, pop-up ads, and telephones calls – securing their computers, and walking them through the steps of recovering what was stolen from them.

We’ve advised many clients on what equipment was needed to fill their particular IT needs, recommended software, and helped with setting everything up.

We were even awarded for being the top rated Computer Repair/IT Services company in Grand Junction, and the third highest in the state of Colorado.

We’ve earned almost a thousand new clients, and made hundreds of new friends this year.

As you can see, 2018 has given us a lot to be grateful for, and know that 2019 will be even more awesome!

How and When You Should Be Doing Computer Maintenance

by

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

Client Success Story: My Own Computer

by

Just because I run a computer repair business doesn’t mean that I don’t have computer problems of my own every now and again.

Just last week I came into the office my usual hour early, 9 AM sharp, so that I could get all the wonderful paperwork that comes with running a business done, and when I went to boot up my main office laptop, nothing happened. After double and triple checking that everything was plugged in and connected properly I tried pressing the power button again. Still nothing.

I checked the time and saw that it was only five after, meaning that I had plenty of time to get everything up and running before it was time to open the doors.

After doing a bit of troubleshooting, I soon found out that my trusty old work laptop had finally decided to go to the old electronic recycling center in the sky. It was as dead as the proverbial door nail.

It was now a quarter after nine, but I still had plenty of time.

I grabbed a laptop from off the shelf, and loaded up my preferred Operating System – Ubuntu, a flavor of Linux – and set everything up the way I needed it to be. I loaded all the programs that I use day to day to run the business, and got those set up too.

Now it was 9:40, and I only had twenty minutes before my first appointment of the day.

Fortunately, over the past few years I’ve made it a habit to back all my important data, including all the stuff I need for the office, up to the internet. Restoring my data was going to be easy. All I had to do was download my cloud drive software – I like Dropbox – sign in, and give it a few minutes to let everything sync up.

The clock said that it was now ten minutes ‘till ten.

Just enough time to make myself a cup of tea before greeting the first client of the day.

The moral of the story is that having good backups turned what could have been a serious catastrophe for my small business into nothing more than a minor inconvenience.. A small hiccup that was easily put behind me so that I could focus on what was really important – solving these sorts of problems for my clients.

How would you handle this sort of situation? Would this be a serious problem, or no big deal? Call No Ware Computer Repair today to learn how to protect yourself and your business from the unexpected.

Wanna Cry Ransomware

by

Ransomware message

Last week a rather brutal piece of ransomware began making the rounds, impacting  nearly two hundred thousand computers; private computers used in homes, computers used in business environments, and even computers used by various government agencies around the world. [Read more…]

On the Importance of Planning Ahead

by

We all want peace of mind.

We would like to know that things are going as they should be. If the unexpected “glitch” should occur, we like to think that there is someone that can take care of the problem for us so that we can get back to our busy lives. Better yet, we would love a way to keep these occasional “glitches” from happening in the first place, or at the very least we want a way to minimize their occurrence. Perhaps even a way to keep them from happening in the first place. [Read more…]

Slow down to avoid hitting malware.

by

We’ve talked about safely installing Third Party Software before, but given all of the cases of infection that have been coming in the shop recently, we feel that it’s worth it to go over this topic once again. [Read more…]

Telephone Scam Alert!

by

SCAM ALERT!

“Hi, my name is Chris, I’m calling from Microsoft. We’ve noticed that you have a number of errors on your computer and would like to fix them.”

Woah! Hold on a second there. [Read more…]

Warm weather computer care.

by

This is NOT how you cool your PC

It’s June and the temperature is (finally) rising. That’s awesome news for your summer activities. It’s not so awesome for your computer.

Beat the heat and keep your computer cool with these simple tips.
[Read more…]