Tag: Saint Paul Computer repair
Scam Alert: the job workers of Windows and many more…
Seems we have a busy group of “technicians” out there scaring the heck out of people by calling you, telling you that you have a virus or harmful things are in your computer, begging and pleading practically to get you to remote them into your computer and then doing some not-so technical things and then…finally, getting you to pay them for a removal and other odd repairs. Many people are falling for this scam and I can see how their scare tactics work, they don’t give up and use words that many people are scared of; virus, damage, harmful, etc. Getting a virus surfing the web is easy nowadays, it’s not as it was “opening an email” or clicking on a bad link, now it’s as easy as just opening a webpage that infected.
Here is what information I have right now on the phone scams…
Company #1: A company in India-Global IT, is calling people around the United States telling them that their computers are sending out viruses–they say they are the Job Workers from Windows (hah…or Microsoft).
Company #2 I Tecnocura, Technocure or Tecno….cure something/ company who tired to get one of my client to log into ammyy.com to clean up harmful things on their computer (told me to by a client).
Bewarned, if anyone calls you alerting you that you have harmful things in your computer or your computer is sending out viruses, it should only be your internet company. If you are fearful of them calling you, tell them you will call them back and insure it’s a local number or Qwest/Century Link, etc. These scammers have 800 numbers and will beg and plead with you to call them back, they will do anything they can to get you to remote them in and hook you into paying.
To watch a video of another repair tech (like me!) who caught one of these companies calling them…the tech did a fake out. It’s a long video, but it really goes to show how far these guys will go to get your money.
http://hackedgadgets.com/2011/10/27/hacked-gadgets-has-fun-with-computer-scammer-called-global-it/
Tip: Hang up on these fools asap!
If you think you have been a victim of this crime, feel free to call us and tell us about your experience. We will do a virus spot check for FREE because we want you to feel comfortable that you are not sending our viruses. You should be able to get your money back from your bank if you were one of the unfortunate. These guys can be pushy and hard to get off the phone. Just hang up!
Tips for buying a desktop computer
Happy Holidays everyone! I’m really excited to help all of you this season with all the little questions you have in regards to buying a new desktop computer. Many folks have questions about buying a desktop computer and which are best, while I will not tell you what brand is best (because in my line of work, we see them all in our shops, they all break at some point!) I can give you some shopping tips. Many of you are buying laptops and if you are feeling a little frisky and want to take your social computer use outside or elsewhere outside of your desk…then read this post “Tips for buying a laptop”
Now for those needing a new desktop computer…business or residential users can learn a bit from this blog.
First tip: If you have a monitor, keyboard and mouse that works, just buy a new desktop computer. Many computers come with a new keyboard and mouse in the box anyway, but unless you want a new blingy monitor, you just need the tower/computer itself.
Second tip: Make a budget and stick to it. A basic desktop model that is good for a family/solo is normally in the $400 to $600 range. You can go to Dell’s website and get a basic “no frills” computer for under $300! An average desktop model is around $500. The better systems for “Multimedia experience” is around $650 and up. If you’re into streaming Netflix or using your TV as your monitor, then you will want to spend a bit more to get better visuals from your computer. So, figure out how much you want to spend and stay in that budget.
Third tip: If you go to a big box store, don’t get talked into all the “extra’s” that they sell you.
- Their “optimization” package (we do this remotely and do a lot more in the time you’re hiring us than they will)
- The “data transfer” tools (buy an external hard drive and do it yourself and have a back up system or hire us, way cheaper and more fun to work with!)
- Their anti-virus programs (buy ours, it’s fabulous!)
- The warranties. If you are buying a basic computer for that low of cost, you don’t need to pay $200+ for a warranty (unless you run a business and want next day service for your hardware parts). The computer usually has a one-year warranty for hardware and after that, the parts are cheap enough to replace at any hardware repair store. AND…the software is never included in the warranty! That means that software that runs your computer “Windows” is not covered. So if you have an operating system crash, they won’t pay for it unless it’s due to hardware failure!
Fourth tip: Don’t worry so much about processor speeds or hard drive space. All new computers are keeping up with the industry and giving you what is standard. Although…if you are a music or picture fan, then yes…you may want a bigger hard drive. Most are shipping standard with 320, 500 or 640 gig hard drives, some are shipping with 1TB drives (WOW, that’s HUGE), but in our world of data hoarding, music and video collections and 1000’s of pictures, you may want one that big. For those into graphics and speed, you already know what you’re looking for and that is a whole blog post on it’s own to be honest.
Fifth tip: The extra’s–wifi and usb ports. Most computers today come with everything you need, but if you can find a good computer with wifi and extra usb ports, WIN. If you want to use your computer next to your TV and do streaming, you may want to get one with wireless already installed. (from what someone told me, it’s not good to have a computer right next to your TV, but I will look into that one). You can never go wrong with finding a computer with extra USB ports, I always max mine out and have a 4 port extender LOL. Everything needs USB power, so more the merrier there.
Sixth Tip: RAM/Memory. Yes, be sure to get the most bang for your buck here. Most computers are coming out with 4 gig as a standard, but if you look around enough, you will find some great deals that have 6 or 8 gig of RAM installed. GET THOSE. In a few years, we will look back and wonder how we lived on 4 gig. Just a few years ago, how did we live on 1 gig? Prepare for the future, get what you can now. If you can ask the sales rep or look online, see what the computer can max out with for RAM. Some are being shipped with 16 gig of RAM and I saw one the other day at 32 gig. WT???? Those are very expensive, but hey…if you are faster than your computer, you might want those options lol.
Email me with any questions, I hope this helped many of you in your buying decisions! When you get your new computer and would like us to help you set up and transfer your data/set up your computer, give us a call. We can even help you remotely with this! 962-681-7969.
Tips for buying a laptop
I get many folks asking me what laptop they should buy, which one is the best, etc. All models of computers/laptops end up in my shop, so they all break at some point. My opinion? Follow these simple rules and you just bought the best laptop!
1.) Figure out a budget. Remember that with a new computer, you may need to buy new software. The Office suite can run up to $300 for the full package, so keep that in mind.
2.) Test out laptops in stores first if you are buying online. Buying online gives you no sense of how the computer feels, weighs or views in bad/good/extra light. Once you see the one you want at the store, then go find it online and order there if you are getting a better deal. Some stores have the same computer on their own website cheaper!
3.) When you are at the store…. make sure to check out the next few things:
- Keyboard. Play with the keys and make sure you can type ok and see the keys. Some laptops today have the shiny look and feel and it’s hard to view and use those! Or they have the “bouncy” keys and it’s even hard for me to type on and I can type 100 wpm!
- Weight. Pick up the laptop and make sure you can carry it without problems. Many folks end up buying 10 ton weight laptops and they are very hard to drag around.
- Screen. Check out the screen and make sure there is not too much glare. If you plan on working outside, many screens have too much glare and you can’t read the screen in natural light, even too much overhead light can be bothersome.
- Screen width. Many folks hate the wider screens. It is not an issue for me, but for those with the regular monitors, it’s quite a change. Test opening some stuff on the computer and make sure you like how it looks.
- Memory. Try to get 4-8 gig of RAM if you can. Most new computers are coming out with at least 4, but if you can get a good deal with 6 or 8 gig, go for it! You should be fine with that for many years to come. But with how fast technology is changing, who knows…8 gigs might be slow soon, hah!
- Hard drive size. Most new computers come with 32o to 1TB hard drives. If you are a data hoarder (like me!), then getting the biggest hard drive possible that meets your budget is best. If you don’t keep a lot of stuff, then a smaller one is just fine.
That’s the quick and dirty…many folks also ask about the processors…my answer is you’ll be ok probably if you can find a computer that fits your needs with the list I gave you. Those are much more important for the standard/average user.
If you are buying a new computer and need help with the set up, data moves, antivirus protection plans or data back up, please let us help you. Our remote support rates are very affordable and will get your computer up and running quickly!
Give us a call at 952-681-7959 or…
Click here to submit a request
How much memory does my computer have installed?
Good morning everyone! Many of our clients will call in for a computer cleaning and in our aftercare call, we sometimes tell them that they need to buy more memory (RAM) for their computer to give it a smidge more speed. Many times, the memory recommendations we offer, can make the computer 4x faster! That’s more than a smidge! Why is this happening? Well, it’s becoming common to see computers bought in 2003 still alive and kicking well. They just need some more “gusto” to make them work with the applications and current technology trends we all love and adore now. More hardware memory equals a better computing experience overall. Even though our cleanings help immensely, more memory sometimes can help with what we can’t take care of.
Let’s start with why you may need more memory first before we show you the video on how to install it yourself. For starters, you may have an older computer (5 years old) and it’s been running fine but it’s getting slow. Sure, we can do a cleaning on it, and get it faster and after our cleanings, our clients are very happy with our services, but many need to buy more memory/RAM to get that old computer zipping very fast. The cause of the slowdown is many times, these computers only have the bare minimum that came factory installed. If you have XP, to run with the big dog programs such as Office 2010, you should try to get your computer to at least 1gig of RAM or 2gig if you want your computer really fast. For the older computers, the RAM is usually very inexpensive and recommended if the computer seems stable. If you are having other problems with it, like a lot of noise coming from the computer or seeing crashes often, this is a sign of a computer that may need to go to the land of refurbished computers and I don’t recommend putting much money into them.
Vista is another culprit of low memory. Most factory computers shipped with just 1gig of memory/RAM and that is just too darn slow for Vista. As the complaints are high with Vista, you can help it by just adding in the max memory your computer can take.
How to check your memory, I could write up instructions, but here is a short video from Crucial (the company we buy memory from online).
How to Install Memory (RAM) in a Laptop / Notebook
How to Install Memory in a PC Desktop Computer
http://www.crucial.com has a nice scan tool that you can run and check what type of memory your computer needs. It also tells you what is installed and how much more your computer can take. It also offers a check out system for you to buy it and get it shipped right to your home/office. It’s our favorite at Call That Girl and we have had great success with Crucial.
If you need help with purchasing or installing, feel free to give us a call! This is so easy to do, we can walk you through it over the phone. No kidding!
If you need our help or want a computer cleaning, please submit a ticket today here .
SEO Tips for Computer Repair Businesses
I have been asked by a couple of folks how I got my rankings up in Google without paying an SEO person to assist. For a long time, I didn’t even realize what SEO was or needed it as I didn’t rely on Google calls for business. Although I always liked checking to see where I was, I really didn’t put it as a priority. Until this year, it was getting in the competitive level that kind of got me interested. My company is in the 5th year and doing well. I wanted my competition to see me getting the ranks I guess.
Depends on some situations (not sure why everyone gets different results), I am usually on page 1 or top of page 2. I just had a buddy from Virginia check and I was on page 1, #3. Just an FYI…we don’t get a many calls from Google and we are ranked in positions you would think we would be getting calls. I don’t know if paying to be at the very very top is worth that money, never did it with a successful campaign. Tried it for a few days and got scared to be honest.
Anyway, moving on. What I have done to help my rankings was blog and had titles of the blogs that worked for me in the search engines. I sometimes Google a title and see what Google finds to be a top search and name my title around that search. I make sure to fill the blog with search words in regards to the topics that people would try to search for themselves.
In addition to the blogs, I have Word Press installed for my site and use the All-in-one plug in and have all my blogs tagged (not every single one, but many) with keywords and also change the meta name keywords to be. Overall, these these helped me get the rankings.
Final tip, landing pages have not helped with SEO. Tried it and don’t know if I’m doing it wrong or what, but I have found blog titles work great. Test this out. Google “SEO Tips for Computer Repair Businesses” and you should see my blog at the top.
WordPress or Drupal
Guest Posting by Stephen McLaughlin
Hello All
I have had the un-fun experience of trying to make a apple into a orange this past week. I had a concept in my head of what I was wanting a website to look like and I kept telling myself I can make a simple WordPress site look like it. I am not extremely dumb or a slow fellow but boy I felt like I was after 2+ hours of banging my fat fingers on my keyboard.
I truly believe and agree WordPress is one of the most simple solutions but I am always reminded when I forget some things are on opposite ends of a un bendable pole and you can only have/use one end at a time. When it comes to a CMS (content management system) for websites it is either simple or setup and use (aka easy) or it is wide open to changes of format, structure and layout (aka hard)
And I made the mistake of thinking I could hammer a square peg into a round hole and I failed, I failed hard, so it looks like I am going to uninstall WordPress from my site and go with another CMS system, of which the choices are great.
I could use ohh a hundred or so other PHP/MySQL based CMS’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_content_management_systems#PHP I believe I am going to use Drupal, I honestly believe it has the most to offer someone on my level, someone who understands code but is not a coder, someone who understands basic plug architecture and someone who really (no realllly) couldn’t design a proper layout to a site to save my life.
I have used Drupal 2-3 times before and sure I had painful experiences but the Drupal community is vast and rich with knowledge, so finding solutions is possible just sometimes you have to do a little digging and if you ever have to get into a file on your server and do some editing it always seems to be very well documented.
So in the end I do believe WordPress is a great product and can be the backend on great sites, I just think if you have a concept that looks “too different” from the basic theme you either have to become a php/theme/Wordpress hacker or dig into your pockets and pay a site/service to step in and do the dirty work
….. now if I could only decide on a good theme …. I might go with this one http://demo.symphonythemes.com/index.php?theme=conch
—
Thanks
Stephen McLaughlin
www.DoorToDoorGeek.com
www.LinuxBasix.com
www.Podnutz.com/LinuxForTheRestOfUs
www.Podnutz.com/AndroidAppAddicts
www.PodBuntu.com
www.LinuxForTheRestOfUs.com
A note from Lisa, Call That Girl uses WordPress and loves it! All of our sites are on it and it’s very easy for people to manage after the initial set up is done. I haven’t really needed my back end guy for much other than backing up my website and upgrades and minor tweaks. Thanks Stephen for your insights! Much appreciated.