Tag: Computer Support
Outlook Connector Update Giving You Problems?
That darn Outlook again, this time it’s giving an error for some folks who need the Outlook Connector add-on for some 
email accounts. There was an update sent out and I have already received reports that it’s not updating correctly. As I’m booking appointments now to fix those, I am guessing it’s because Microsoft is having you update the wrong bit version. So if you are having problems doing the update, book an appointment with us to repair.
I woke up today to open Outlook and had the update. I approved it, installed it and my own hotmail account was not sending and receiving. Before I did any technical troubleshooting, I rebooted and now my emails are sending/receiving just fine. So try that first, then call us!
TIP: If you use accounts such as Microsoft Live, Hotmail or MSN and Outlook, you probably have the Connector update. If you use Microsoft Office 365, you might have it installed as well.
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DIY computer cleaning tips!
Just as a tip…when I clean a computer, the first thing I do is go to the Control Panel and hit “add/remove” programs (for XP users that is).
I generally do a quick scan and see what looks like it should be there and what should not be there.
What should be there? Programs you have paid for or knowingly downloaded.
What shouldn’t be there? Spyware programs!
You can easily tell a spyware program by 2 things.
1.) the word “search” is in the name of the program
2.) the program is very small in size (under 1 mb usually)
If you want to delete those little buggers, you can. Just a reminder that sometimes a removal of those spyware will take you to an internet site and require a download of a tool to uninstall it. Generally that is the safest way to go, follow the spyware instructions. Back in the day it was hard to remove the spyware, but today it’s a big easier.
Sometimes the computer will require a reboot after removing. Make sure you watch for that window or option in a window because you may want to wait to reboot until you are done.
TIP…many “coupon” saving websites will download a tool, so if you’re a coupon maniac, you may want to remember that those coupons you are cyber clipping is maybe adding spyware. Most people hate it when I remove that coupon tool, but it’s really best for your computer.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule one of our 22-point checklist cleanings, give us a call at 612-865-4475 or fill out the form below.
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Computer Repair St. Louis Park Minnesota 55426
Blog posting for Computer repair St. Louis Park, MN 55426
Call That Girl computer repair and support offers home visits and in store drop off at our location on the corner of Louisiana Ave and Cedar Lake Rd. Half mile from 394, right next to Jerry’s Hardware.
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Simple Business IT Solutions for Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth
Are you unhappy with your current IT solutions? Do you want to talk?
Or does your company need us if you don’t own the business? Let’s talk!
In the past year, more and more requests have come from my contacts asking if we offer business IT solutions and of course we do, but due to demand of the “Cloud” we have moved to a new outline of offerings for our new clients.
In a nutshell…
- Let’s chat about your current IT needs and see what you need us to do for your company
- Then we will send out one of our techs to do an onsite assessment
- I will figure out a proposal and send to you within a day or so
- You can review and if you have questions, we can talk
- You like what we have to offer and our pricing, we work on an implementation program
That’s it. No monthly fees, no contracts
What we can offer you and your company…
- Antivirus solutions
- Online back up
- Email transitions from your server to the “cloud”
- File sharing software
- Smartphone (iPhone, Droid) device help and calendar, contact synching
- PC and Mac support
- Outlook assistance
- Night and weekend hours (open Sundays too!)
- Remote live helpdesk technicians
- Onsite technicians
- Discounted prepay time available
We have technicians in the Twin Cities, Winona and Duluth.
Email Lisa@callthatgirl.biz today to schedule a phone appointment. Or fill out the form below, thanks!
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5 ways to save money when buying a new computer
Morning everyone! Today’s blog has a few tips on how to save money while buying a new computer. Be warned, some of the tips are of course to offer our services, but read the whole blog and you will find many other tips in the reading.
1.) I have to put on the list…is hire us to help you buy it. We can do a remote session with you, remote into your computer and help you find a few computers online that fit your needs, your future computing needs and your budget. Things we can discuss are if your old software is compatible, your printer is compatable, what hard drive size is right for you, backup solutions, antivirus programs you need and just answer every question you have. We book usually 30 minutes for this consult, at $59 for this consultation, we find we save you money because most people go to a store and listen to a sales person and walk out of the store OVERBUYING. Working with us gives you the straight answers because you are paying us. If you want an expensive computer, we will make sure you get it and show you a few different models. If your budget is tight, we can find you many models that are inexpensive and you can get more bang for your buck if you do it right.
2.) Don’t overbuy! Simple, a sale person is making commission so be prepared if you go into a store to be upsold to death. Be sure you’re buying what you need and can afford. What do you need? Everyone wants fast fast fast….most computers out now come standard with what you need and they are pretty fast.
3.) They say skip buying the store’s extended warranty. I am on the fence with this becuase I do think people in business should buy it, mostly because it’s your business computer and you need it fix asap. For home users, it’s iffy…if your last computer worked great for 8 years, this one will probably last that long too. Figure out your repairs you made for the past 8 years (for hardware) and it is equal to what you paid for it, you might want a warranty. If way less, you may not need it. Most extended warranties are $100-$200 and it’s just like insurance, you don’t use it you lose it. Many give you a new battery on the plan, so make sure you get that if anything!
4.) Do you really need Microsoft Office? What do you need with this program that a generic can’t do for you? People today are telling me that the Office programs are very expensive and if you don’t need Outlook, why not try the generic version of Word/Excel/Powerpoint? Try openoffice.org Using these free tools can save you up to $120 if you were going to buy the home and student version of Microsoft office.
5.) Finally the last way to save money. Can you setup the computer yourself? Don’t hire Dell to do the home install…their rates are much higher than paying us or a local company to come out and do the set up. They don’t have many extra’s in their install package, we actually sit and help you figure out all the bells and whistles. Many people hire us to help them or do it themselves until they get in a pinch. We do computer set ups for pc and macs and don’t mind getting on the floor and figuring out all the cords. If you are in business, having a professional company do the set up is worth the money. If you are a home user, it’s worth it if you don’t know what you’re doing. We save you headaches!
To book an appointment with us, please submit a request on the link below. We look forward to helping you before, after or when you have a computer headache and aspirin isn’t helping!
I defragged my computer and it’s still slow…
Guest Posting by Liam Tidwell of LiamTek.com another computer repair owner from my social networking circles. Enjoy his post today folks!
I hear the above often, very often.
So in this post, we will answer the following questions:
1 What is defragging?
2 Does it really make a difference?
3 Can it hurt my computer?
First things first what is fragmentation? Think of a hard drive as an empty book. You then fill it with programs which we will call chapters. Front to back of course. Now a “chapter” gets longer but it is in the middle of the book, so you just put a note on the last page of that chapter that says see page X for the rest of this chapter. Now after enough revisions of the chapter it becomes pretty hard to read. Think of defragging like taking the book apart and putting it in a 3 ring binder so each chapter can be put in order from first to last page. That is defragmentation in a nutshell.
Does it make a difference? Yes. Does it make a noticeable difference? Maybe… That depends on how you use a computer. The performance difference really is dependent on how old the hardware is and how fragmented the drive is versus how often the drive is accessed for what you do. I’ll just say that defragmenting won’t slow you down any. Most people won’t notice a speed difference on their computer until it is in the 9-11% range and a defragmentation is capable of doing that.
Can it hurt my computer? Yes, absolutely. Will it? Probably not. Running a defragmentation is very demanding on a hard drive and can kill one that is on the verge of failing anyway. But this is why we do regular backups. For most people defragging your computer every 3-4 months will do just fine.
So there you have it, the basics of defragging. Why do people defrag? Simple, they want to speed up their computer. If your PC is slow enough that it is bothering you, chances are you will need more than a simple defrag. There are two main ways to get that new PC speed back. Hardware upgrade & software tune up and defragmentation is a small part of that process.
If you are looking to speed up your laptop or desktop PC, Call That Girl can of course help.
Click here to book an appointment or call us to get some help if you’re scared to defrag yourself! 612-865-4475