New Outlook Error 080073cf8 New Outlook would not launch, so I tried to uninstall it, But it didn’t uninstall. It would not no matter what I tried. I got the error “You cannot uninstall Outlook” as well. Quick Answer on how I fixed it I typed this in the run line %localappdata%\Microsoft Deleted the OLK […]
Author Archive: Lisa Hendrickson
Lisa Hendrickson is the owner of Call That Girl. She is an Outlook Expert and Microsoft 365 Consultant.
Daily Deals Gone Wild
I have noticed a complete internet craze lately that is driving me crazy. These daily deal companies are coming out faster than the deals! I think in the past week, I have received 20 emails about a daily deal of sorts. My BANK even started sending one out every day. I signed up of course to get in on it, but they haven’t returned my email. Apparently, computer repair is not a HOT item for daily deals. Here’s a daily deal for you, 2 for 1 computer cleaning! Ok, if you are reading this and are serious, I will accomodate that request!
What I find funny with these deals, is that Groupon has turned me down, Star Tribune has turned me down and those that have allowed me to do a daily deal, none have sold. I try too to give out a good deal, but computer repair doesn’t really work well in the hot sales market. Now when people get a virus, they are more than willing to pay for it when it happens, but not for a general cleaning and virus spot check, or to maybe prevent a virus. I think people like to work off panic and shock and buy now, buy now! It’s a shocking deal, so buy it up!
I wonder if this will keep growing or get old and get over with by the end of the year. Phase or phrase?
“Remember Groupon” ?
“Groupon reinspired the internet”
That’s all I have today folks, sorry my blogs have been so bad lately or non-existant. Busy gal here, and I have committed to coming back.
Have a great weekend!
Free Virus Spot Checks!
Call That Girl will be offering free virus spot checks until further notice. Why do you need one? Because it’s probable that you have a malware virus and don’t even know it. A client of ours last week called in for a spring cleaning sale and turned out to have 100’s of malware viruses and the only indicator she saw was a slow computer. If this wasn’t taken care of, her issues could have gotten way worse down the road.
If you have another virus program and think you are safe, I would not say you are 100% protected. The big box programs we figure will protect you somewhat, but if they all worked as they should, we would not be so busy doing virus removals! So to help ease your minds, we are offering a free virus spot check with the following rules:
- These virus spot checks must be done remotely
- You must follow the usual guidelines of remote support, such as fill out our online agreement form
- You must have your data backed up prior to us remoting in–if your data is not backed up, we can then work with you on backing up your data prior to the spot check (and this is GOOD for your data!). We offer online solutions so we can get your data backed up when we do your virus spot check –we will charge for this service, price will be determined on how it takes to assist ($32.50 to $48.75)
- Before we remove your viruses with our software, we will have a discussion about what we found on your computer. If we find malicious detections, you have a choice of turning the free virus spot check into a virus removal call or we can stop the spot check, remove our program and you can get your malware removed from someone else or on your own.
- We will not remove the viruses we find during the spot check
- We will be using this tool to do a spot check (so you can check for yourself too!) SuperAntiSpyware
- We will offer a discount to you for removing the virus or backing up your data if you decide to have us do the removal–remember, not all viruses are removed by a quick scan, some are very deep and need more removal tools and knowledge than this scan tool.
Any other questions, feel free to ask! The main reason for this spot check is to make sure that everyone knows what is going on in their computer and have an opportunity to get their data backed up. To get started, fill out the form below and we will set up an appointment!
Internet Email Alerts and the Facebook Hacking
Wow this was an exciting week with fake email alerts folks! We have received tons of client emails asking about these and yes, they are fake as all get out!
Best Buy, US Bank, Target, Ameriprise (and more) got hit . Apparently it was just email accounts that were compromised, but welcome to the world of the Super Information Highway (circa 1997). How long has it been since you have heard that term? A very long time I am sure. I say Super Information Highway because Facebook hacking and these email hacking intrusions are becoming very prevalant in today’s world. And no, antivirus protection will not help you with this, it’s all done on the inside and sitting cozy in your inbox when you wake up.
Are we safe? Probably not. Will my email get hacked even though I have it on a Go Daddy secure server called “secureserver”??? At some point I guess. What can I do about it? Not much, it’s the internet. I think in a few years our whole internet experience will be changed completely. I do think that we will have something called “an internet account” that is run by some large company and every single thing we do is run out of it. Almost like a Zuckerberg idea of sorts, but very secure with physical requirements to log in…unlike Facebook right now. Speaking of Facebook, the calls are still coming in on a weekly basis about people’s facebook accounts getting hacked. Don’t fret, the techs at Call That Girl are sniffing and testing these “I photoshopped a picture of you” chat logs and private messages. So far, our programs are keeping out the intruders. Want to know what we have? Call us for more info 612-865-4475
Moving along…What should you do if you get an email from a well known company that you service with that looks like trouble?
- Delete the email–who cares (I did that with my US Bank email)
- Call your bank if you are worried, scared or nervous
- Never click on links in these types of emails
- Call us for a virus spot check if you did click on any links
While we are not surprised by what is going on, we are trying to watchdog it and alert our fans, friends and subscribers of this information. Always delete, ask questions later!
Lisa
The Service Pack is Back!
Woo hoo! It’s that time for the highly anticipated and eagerly awaited SP 1 update for Windows 7. The service pack is back!
Before we begin, let’s start off with some important things to do before you install service pack 1.
- Back up your entire computer. Very important. It’s not that the service pack will delete files, but if your service pack update goes bad, in a worse case scenario situation, you maybe have to reinstall the operating system (Call That Girl has done 3 updates now with no problems).
- If you need help setting up on online back up system, feel free to call us and we can help.
- We can also help you do a back up to your external hard drive
- Then go to your control panel and to “…..”
- It will say that you have one important download and go ahead and start it
This update should be an hour to an hour and a half to do. Just let it go and relax a bit.
Are you Sick of Vista? Upgrade to Windows 7 with ease!
Listen up Microsoft Vista users! Call That Girl would be happy to assist you in upgrading to Windows 7, and ultimately help you avoid any possible glitches and irritating problems that might occur down the road.
If you are a Microsoft Vista user and you wish to upgrade, here is a simple list of instructions to follow.
1.) Back up your data! Even though a Windows 7 upgrade is easy and should not ruin your data, it’s always a good idea to back EVERYTHING up just in case. We like daily back ups at Call That Girl, but as much as we can lead a horse to water…well you know where I am going with this.
2.) Buy the Windows 7 upgrade online or at your favorite retail outlet. Prices are usually around $140.
OR
3.) Buy the Vista anytime upgrade.
Click Start/Control Panel/System, up near the top of the screen there will be a link that says “Upgrade Windows Vista”, this will take you to a new window that says “Windows Anytime Upgrade”.
Click on the link that says “Compare the editions of Windows Vista”. You will be redirected to a Microsoft website where you can check if your computer can run Windows 7, why upgrading to Windows 7 makes sense, and purchase Windows 7 online. You can then make your choice after getting any information you may need.
4.) Put in the disk or download and follow instructions. In about 10 minutes, you will have a fresh newly installed operating system!
5.) Do the Windows Update and get the Service Pack 1 and you are ready.
Everything should work fine, but you may need help with some of your programs, printers, etc. Call That Girl can help you with any software glitches or problems. Our staff is quite experienced handling these upgrades and we work very diligently in getting you up and running quickly. If you do require assistance with this installation we have good news for you. We want to offer you a special 10% computer repair discount to anyone who calls in for help.
Safe Computing,
-CTG Staff
*Article and tips written by Lisa Hendrickson, Richard Martin and Erik Anderson
How to deal with recurring computer problems, even after it’s been repaired!
Have you ever taken your computer into a repair shop, only to get home and plug ‘er in, just to find a few days later that the same problems keep recurring? Or perhaps you found even newer problems that are now making things even worse than before. I’m quite sure that this has happened to you in other services you have sought out before as well.
Like with plumbing repair, auto repair, or even those services related to your health. Like a dental visit for example… as just this week I went in to have an old cavity fixed (that didn’t even hurt initially…but then I got a cleaning, after which they found cavity, and ultimately fixed it). And now a day later, my tooth hurts more now than before I had initially gone in to the dentist. But I’m hoping that the pain will eventually just go away, as I am thinking this may just be the after effects of the drilling that are still wreaking havoc on my teeth. In any case, I will just go back in to have them take another look, especially if the pain becomes unbearable.
Or here is another example, a few weeks ago I had an oil change done, after which my oil light started to come on. I called the shop and they advised me to bring in my vehicle again. It turns out that they had forgotten to reset the oil change light, so the vehicle was prompting me that it was still in need of an oil change, when in reality it was not. No problem… it just required a “simple fix”, and I am hoping that there will be just as simple a fix for my tooth ache as well.
This principal holds true for computer repair as well. You may run into a minor issue or problem that may come back, even after you have brought in your computer for any needed repairs. At Call That Girl we always tell our clients to just call the shop right away and alert us of any new issues. I know this can be frustrating, as you may feel you just paid “good money” to have your system returned to you in its original state and without any additional problems. But I recommend you stay calm and pick up the phone and contact Call That Girl, so that we may have someone look into any additional “quick computer fixes” that may be necessary.
If a problem recurs what should I do?
- Alert the company of any/all steps taken when attempting to restart your computer after any completed service
- Offer feedback on any updates you have noticed since you restarted your computer
- If your new problem is in addition to the original issue you were having initially, please be prepared to deal with a new repair ticket, and be aware that coincidences can and do happen
- If the computer repair company requests that you bring your system back in to one of their locations to get things fixed again, be sure ask if there is another charge, or if this is covered under a repair warranty. Most repair companies will repair it for no additional charge it was a part of the original repair work.
Remember, sometimes it will just be a quick setting or application change that may be required, so it’s usually easiest for the company to remote in and assist, make any necessary changes, or for those that are more “hands on” we can always talk you through doing it yourself if you prefer.
Just like any great service provider, we rely and depend on client referrals and/or you’re spreading “the good word” as it were, on Call That Girl’s services and abilities. Most service related businesses would much rather you call them back about any issues, rather than having someone be angry with them, and not allowing a possible solution to a problem. So please remember, asking for added assistance is always the better option vs. just going away for good.
As always thank you for taking the time to review this article, and please contact us with any computer repair needs you have now or in the future.
Safe Computing,
-Lisa