Stop paying for virus protection.

Most of us get free virus protection when we buy a PC or laptop. After the first year, you receive a pop-up screen asking for you to renew your subscription for a fee. Most internet providers now give you free virus protection software as part of their internet service. The trick to installing new virus software is making sure that the old software is completely uninstalled. Simply uninstalling the software in the control panel does not always work. Most of the major anti-virus software companies offer a free program that uninstalls their anti-virus software. Check your particular software companies website for a free copy of this removal software or contact me at suncitygeek@gmail.com and I will send you a link.

Reboot!

The first thing I do when I have computer or equipment problem is reboot. Rebooting clears out your memory and gives your equipment a fresh start. Rebooting is not just for your PC, your printer and network equipment can use a  reboot too. If you are having trouble connecting to the internet or you suspect your internet speed is slow, reboot your network.

Rebooting your network equipment should be done in a specific sequence. First power down your network modem and wifi router (if you have a separate wifi router.) If you have telephone service through your cable company, there will be a battery in your cable modem, this battery should be removed to ensure a clean reboot. Then power up your modem and wait until most of the lights stop blinking. Then power up the wifi router if you have one and again wait a few minutes. Finally power up you PC and see if your problem is been resolved.

If your problem persists, you can call your internet provider or contact me at suncitygeek@gmail.com

I hate Malware

I hate Malware and I hate the people that create Malware even more. Malware is software created to extort money from you typically via a pop up screen that claims you have a virus. Of course you really don’t have a virus but if you pay $49.95, the pop up screen will go away. Malware is typically NOT caught by your anti-virus software as it is not destructive, just annoying. You can pick up malware from a bogus web site or via a genuine looking email. (I had one client click on a email from UPS stating they were trying to deliver a package. Another clicked on a web page posing as an update from Adobe) Some versions of malware will change or “hijack” your internet home screen again, informing you that you are infected with a virus. Some of the more hideous versions of malware will block your access to the internet and prevent you from running anti-malware software.

The first thing you should do is write down the date you first noticed the pop ups as this helps me destroy it. I can usually kill most malware remotely in about an hour but I have had versions that required a visit to the PC and one version that took me 2 weeks to completey kill.

If you think your PC is infected with malware, contact me at suncitygeek@gmail.com

Lost Pictures

One of my clients came home from a one in a lifetime trip to Egypt, hooked up her digital camera to her computer and could not find any of the pictures from the trip, she was heartbroken. Once I heard the story, I told her to carefully put her memory card in a plastic bag and get it to me. After a run through my data recovery software, all the pictures were recovered. Once recovered, I burned the pictures to a DVD then copied them to her PC. Total charge about 50 bucks. If you are missing pictures from your camera's memory card, contact me at suncitygeek@gmail.com. There is no charge unless I am able to recover the pictures.