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It just about that time for Microsoft to start doing what it does best, fixing issues with its operating system that didn’t have time to fix before they launched. Now don’t get me wrong, we also have some cool updates to go along with it but the service pack also provides fixes for your Windows 7 OS that you may need.
The update I am most excited about that comes along with SP1 is the Remote FX. What the Remote FX does is it provides 3D graphical updates. This will allow for full remote experiences including multiple displays. So the RemoteFX is able to do these renderings of the 3D graphics by locally rendering the screen image on the remote PC after being compressed and sent down to the remote host. This will help improve video streaming across remote sessions which right now is a major issue of virtualized computing.
Now that Windows 7 is over a year old it is about time for the SP1 to launch and I am actually very happy to see that they have added something as significant as RemoteFX. This will surely improve the experience of people who remote into desktops from home or work. Thank you Microsoft for adding a nice improvement to Windows 7 in SP1.

This scenario is played out everyday across the world: you’re working, surfing the internet or writing an email and your computer locks up, frozen.

This happens when the computer does not respond to the inputs, for instance when you are trying to move the mouse around to restart the system and nothing happens when you click on it. It is different from a crash, when the whole system shuts down. With hangs you have the ability to recover the by ending the task and restarting the program.

One main cause of hangs is called a deadlock, in which one process may send a signal to a second process then stop execution until it receives a response. If the second process is busy the signal will be forced to wait until the process can get to it. However, if the second process was busy sending a signal to the first process then both processes would wait forever for the other to respond to signals and never see the other’s signal.

Sometimes it is just one program that hangs, or it could be the whole screen, regardless there are ways to recover from it.

One of the first things you should try in attempting to recover from a lockup is ending the application which has caused the freeze. You can do this by using a native program called Task Manager. To bring the Task Manager up press CTRL then while holding CTRL,press and hold the ALT key, next reach over to the top right of your computer and press the DEL key. Once you release the keys a window should open giving you a view of running applications.

This tool has saved many a file and application, as well as the whole computer, giving us the ability to recover from what seems like a random occurrence.

Assuming Task Manager will open, check the list of applications for any programs that say “Not Responding” under “Status”. If Internet Explorer or any other applications you had open read “Not Responding”, then you may Right-Click on them and select “End Task” from the menu. This should close the running application, if you are prompted to “End Now” or “Wait for it to respond” choose to “End Now”. By doing this you may lose any work you had open in this application but it will normally allow you to save anything else that was open at the time of the freeze.

If Task Manager is not working for you and you have no other way of closing the frozen computer programs then you may try powering down the computer. The easiest way to do this when the computer is not responding is by holding the power button in for about ten to fifteen seconds. The machine will power down, if it does not your last resort is to physically unplug the computer from the wall. Once powered down you may turn it back on and resume working, hopefully problem free.

If you continue having problems with the laptop or computer you may want to call a computer repair technician. The technicians at Geek Choice know how to get in and get out leaving your computer feeling healthy again!

This message cannot be stressed enough: PC’s come with great technology and great risks,  the former offers the user access to tons of information and the ability to run a company, manage finances, and reach amazing features. However,  the latter puts all that ease and comfort on a tight-wire, balancing over the black abyss which all the saved programs and files will fall into if the user is not careful. This happens time and time again when the belief that “my system will never fail” is shattered and the person has to come to terms with either throwing the computer away or paying hundreds of dollars to fix it.

There is a way out. If your system is about to fall off or has already fell and needs to be repaired, Geek Choice Blog has the key to recovery.

What you will need:

External Hard Drive: these can be found at your nearest computer store, Staples, Best Buy, anywhere they sell computer electronics. This will allow you to copy all of your original files from your old hard drive. You will need this if you want to keep all your existing files, music, documents, and information.

Recovery Tool: can be found in your Windows computer, search for it on the Start Menu. If you cannot find it, then contact your manufacturer to see what can be done. Usually the recovery tool is a CD that came with your computer, if you still have them, take a look at those and see if it is there. This tool will enable you to reinstall Windows. If all else fails, try TotalRecovery, for $50 dollars you can have a fail-safe recovery tool.

The Process:

Launch the back-up tool that is on your computer, TotalRecovery, or any back-up tool you can find. Clone, or copy your hard drive to the external hard drive that is connected via USB. The external hard drive is easy to see on the “My Computer” screen as an external drive. Now you have what  you need to reboot and reinstall.

Depending on whether your recovery tool is from Windows or is an external program, find the option that says “installation”. It usually is processed by a Wizard, no not from Harry Potter, but a step-by-step guide so you do not screw things up even more. Follow the Wizard to boot Windows in a safe environment.

After this is done, you will be asked what kind of Windows would you like to be installed. You want a fresh start right? There should be a “Custom”  option, click that.

Run the Windows Update that is already on your computer, that way your computer will stay fresh. Next you will need to reinstall your drivers, these can be found with the discs that came with your computer. If you do not have them, use the ones you cloned or copied to the external hard drive. What usually is the case is that a back-up folder is created, so when you are ready to copy the old files to the newly cleaned hard drive, you can just click and drag them over to folders located in C:

When picking the right programs to install, choose the security options first. If you do not have any anti-virus software, go online and download Avast or AVG. Most of the programs will ask you to restart the computer to finish the installation. Do not wait, just do it. After your firewall and internet security is in place, go for the Windows basic programs to install.

After you have created a new Windows, and all the programs you want are installed, make sure you back it up! Use the same tool you used at the beginning to clone your new, fresh hard drive so that IF this problem comes up again, you will have this as a fall back plan.

Good Luck!

Problems are attached to your PC from the day you buy one, it is as natural as nature, but what can you do about them to minimize  the problem and make it does not turn into one you cannot solve? There are a couple actions you can take to ensure peace of mind and comfort of use knowing that the machine you paid $2,ooo dollars will not be breaking down anytime soon.

Most of the time, it is not being skilled enough or able to intellectually solve the problem yourself, it is not knowing where to look. Fixing your computer should not be such a hard task that leaves you feeling powerless and overwhelmed. When calling the “support” number for the computer, which usually fuels the frustration, does not work and you need help fixing it, read this blog.

If you cannot get out of the program you are running because it is frozen, stuck and not moving at all, press these keys down in order: Ctrl-Alt-Delete. This little trick will solve this problem like magic. A task manager window will open up, displaying all of the programs you are running with the status of each next to them. You will see different status’ if one is acting funny, such as “program not responding”. Highlight that program, and on the bottom of the task manager, click the “End Task” button. Wait for the magic to happen, and resume your activity on the computer.

Most people in these “modern” times we all live in, amidst all the emerging technology and fast growing trends, are trying to keep up with the crazy pace. Not everyone knows about fixing what may seem like simple problems to tech-savvy people, are complicated to those who are not.

That is our goal here at Geek Choice: self-knowledge, giving the customer the know-how to fix problems on their own to maybe save a few bucks in these tough economic times.

Back to problem solving. If you notice the speed of your internet not up to par, there is a quick easy solution for this one. Temporary files are things like history, cookies, and downloads which are saved to your computer. Maintenance is a good idea to keep this issue from happening. I have noticed with some people who let this go, and there internet is so slow I could write a book on blogging before they check their email it is that filled with crap.

Solution: Go to the search box located on the Start Menu and type ’.tmp’, it will pull up all the temporary files. Right click the mouse on each one, or select them all by selecting one and then, holding the shift key, going down to the last one. Hit the delete button, you are on your way to faster surfing instantly.

Troubleshooting the PC can lead to even more problems if you go beyond your skill level and end up really screwing things up! Make sure you know the limit of your knowledge, for example if it involves going inside your computer or trying to delete or mess with programs that you do not know the importance of.

Call Geek Choice at 1-800-433-5435 and the nice people on the phone will direct your problem towards the solution!

Image of Recuva program

At one point in the life of computing, everyone has mistakenly deleted a file. Does that mean the files we delete are permanently gone for good, with no chance of ever seeing them again? Not necessarily.

There are ways to recover the deleted files. Sometimes the file is still in the Recycling Bin, in which that is easy to recover. When you “remove” a file from the Bin, it is still on your hard drive, just not accessible from the folders that you use while on the computer. Using a file recovery program will get back what you lost in no time and no worry at all. The best chances of recovering a file as with saving a life, is the sooner you get to it after you delete it the better.

Recuva is the best program out there for recovering lost or misplaced data. It is also free, and real easy to use as it gives you a wizard that guides you through the process while it does all the hard work behind the scenes. The maker is a trusted source of computer helpers, Piriform also made CCleaner and Defraggler, which are recommended programs to keep your computer running fast and smooth. What Recuva does is go into the place where all the “permanently” deleted files are, or free space on the hard drive, and brings them back to used space. The only catch is that if you do not get there in time, Windows 7 or your Operating System might have already written over the file it saw as free space, in which data recovery is impossible.

What often is the case is that you did not even delete the file but your hard drive was or computer was damaged in some way, making it hard for you to get all those music files from iTunes or the business contacts saved on the hard drive. This is where the data recovery comes in to save the day. The easiest way to describe the process of recovery is the use of a live cd, or bootable operating system that mounts the system drive and moves it to a backup disc.

Examples of physical recovery procedures are: removing a damaged PCB (printed circuit board) and replacing it with a matching PCB from a healthy drive, performing a live PCB swap (in which the System Area of the HDD is damaged on the target drive which is then instead read from the donor drive, the PCB then disconnected while still under power and transferred to the target drive), read/write head assembly with matching parts from a healthy drive, removing the hard disk platters from the original damaged drive and installing them into a healthy drive, and often a combination of all of these procedures. Some data recovery companies have procedures that are highly technical in nature and are not recommended for an untrained individual.

If you are faced with such a problem, you know who to call. The Geeks at Geek Choice: 1 800 433 5435. We can recover what is lost, and make sure you have an easy and stress free day by solving the problem for you.

Most of us are already well familiar with the frustrations of spam: unsolicited email advertisements. In recent years, unwanted emails have evolved in an attempt to avoid increasingly advanced filters and wary consumers. The contents and goals of unsolicited emails are not always the same, however, and some emails are more dangerous than others. We’ve put together a list of red flags to help you quickly identify emails that may be harmful to your computer and your wallet.

Suspicious attachments

Attaching files to an email is a quick and easy way to share files with your contacts. The downside is that unscrupulous spammers can attach files like viruses and trojan horses in the hopes that an unwary recipient might download the file and infect their computer. Any time you see an email with an attachment that you weren’t expecting, be very cautious about downloading the attachment or even opening the email.

Links that don’t make sense

In an email supposedly from Yahoo, a link to a specific page on Yahoo’s site appears. So why does the text of the link not begin with “http://yahoo.com”? Because it’s a scam. Many scam artists attempt to gain account information or even credit card numbers by posing as respectable web companies looking for information about your account. These emails typically contain a link where you can reset your password, confirm your credit card information, or log in to access some special new feature. To spot these bad links, you need to look at the url: the address of the page that is being linked to. All urls begin with “http://” or “htpps://” and from there vary from website to website. If the url is not visible in the link, you can hover your mouse over the link and see the url in the lower left corner of your web browser.

email containing links that don't match up and suspicious sender information

Notices about accounts you don’t have

Virus spreading emails that mask themselves as emails from major websites are banking on their recipients actually having accounts with that website in the first place. If you get an email about your facebook account when you never signed up for facebook in the first place, the odds are very good that this is a phishing or virus email.

Password reset requests you didn’t send

One of the most common phishing emails currently is the fake password reset. These emails claim that you recently requested a new password, and direct you to a webpage where you can enter your “old” account name and password. You may be able to identify these emails by the link urls or because you don’t have the account that you would supposedly be resetting a password for in the first place. Even if you don’t see anything wrong with the link or the account information, never respond to a password reset email that you didn’t specifically request.

Sender addresses that don’t add up

An email from YouTube.com will be sent from an account that ends with @youtube.com. If “joey5683426$$@ytmail.com” is sending you important updates about your YouTube account, it’s a safe bet this is also a malicious email. If your email system hides sender information, you can change your settings to show full headers or usually click a link right in the email to show all of the sender information.

Money transfer requests

Typically from Nigeria, these emails claim that there is some obscene amount of money sitting in an account somewhere that the sender wants moved to the United States before something terrible happens to it. It’s not uncommon for these emails to be completely in upper case and poor English, although there are exceptions. These emails are scam attempts, trying to get your bank account information so that the sender can access your funds. No matter the pretense for the email, you should never share bank account information with anyone you don’t know. Recent versions of these emails claim to be from “a member of your church.”

Weird emails from friends

The most dangerous and difficult to spot malicious emails are the ones sent by your friends and other contacts. Usually if you receive a suspicious email from a friend or co-worker, it’s either because their system has been infected or because their account has been compromised. If you see an email from one of your contacts that contains strange characters in the subject, has attachments that you weren’t expecting, links to a file sharing site, or otherwise looks unlike the correspondence you’re used to from that person, take the time to check with them before clicking on any links or downloading any attachments. If you do find a strange email from a contact that later turns out to be a virus or online scam, it’s important to remember that your friend most likely was not the one that sent the email to you. These are almost always sent either by a virus or by someone who gained unauthorized access to your friend’s email account.

Email from the user's account containing a suspicious link and subject

Emails from yourself (that you didn’t send)
These emails can be disturbing when you find them. If you find an email from your own account sitting in your inbox that you know you didn’t send (and you have not allowed anyone else access to your account) immediately change your password and security question for your account. Next, check your “sent mail” folder to see if any other emails went out that you were unaware of. Let everyone who received one of these suspicious emails know that you did not send the emails, that they should not open them or click any links or attachments and that you suspect your account was compromised. You can also let your email provider know about your concerns. If this problem recurs, your system may be infected and need virus cleanup service performed.

As users and spam filters become more aware of these malicious emails, scammers will develop new schemes to get at your computer, bank account, and other information. The best weapon against these attacks is a healthy dose of skepticism, though even vigilant users can fall victim to scams and viruses. If you believe you may have a compromised email account or infected machine, or if you just want more information about how to prevent these problems, give our office a call at 1-800-GEEK-HELP (433-5435).

Commonly experienced by even the newest computers,  the diminished performance of a system  can be attributed to any number of problems.  It could be software or hardware, conflicting drivers, or a memory leakage.

Whatever the root cause of your frustration, arriving at an answer isn’t easy, but having a direction in which to travel just became a bit more manageable.

PC Pitstop is a neat diagnostic tool that provides users with a comprehensive overview of their system — performance, security, drivers, etc.

It’s free and easy to use, with results that may surprise you.  Again, while it won’t fix whatever’s ailing your system, PC Pitstop will highlight those areas around which you might want to focus.

Our business is making sure your computer runs as well as possible. Taking a few simple steps on your own can be a fast and easy way to get your system running better, even if you aren’t able to solve matters on your own. Remember, whenever you hit one of those frustrating situations that’s a little beyond your ability to handle, Geek Choice is just a click or a phone call away.

Old Computers

One of the most frequently asked questions in this field is:  should I pay to have this fixed or just get a new computer?  This isn’t as tough to figure out as it sounds.  Some people have an emotional attachment to their computers that makes it a bit more difficult than it has to be, but usually it’s pretty simple.  So, let’s go over how to make the decision to repair or replace.

When I am looking at a computer  my first goal is to decide whether or not it is worth fixing based on several different factors.  Once I’ve settled on an answer for myself I will call a customer back and explain what I believe to be the best solution to them, whether it is going forward on repairing their old machine or advising them that a new system would likely be a better investment.  I do this because it is not my job to charge you as much as I can, it is my job to provide you with the best possible service I can.  Sometimes this means you need to purchase a new computer, sometimes it means we should be repairing your current one.

The factors I use to evaluate whether you would be better served with a new machine or with repairs to your old one are cost, complexity of the repairs, and the age of the computer.  Complex problems — such as an extensive virus infection that hasnt been repaired in months requiring the entire system to be wiped, reinstalled from scratch, the data replaced, and the installation of more effective anti-virus solutions — can be very expensive because of the time involved in fixing them. Simple problems — like installing new RAM, resetting passwords, or optimizing a very slow computer — are quick and therefore relatively inexpensive. The age of the computer must also be taken into consideration because of the constantly changing standards in the field. A machine that was top of the line six months ago will only be somewhat impressive at the present, and in four years time companies will not even be designing programs to run on computers that slow.

The end result looks something like this: if it will cost you more than a new computer to fix the computer then you should to buy a new computer and have someone transfer your data for you.  If it will cost nearly as much as new computer to get it fixed and it is older than 2 years, then you definitely should be looking at new computers.  If it will cost about half as much as a new computer and its newer than 4 years, fix it, older than 4 years then its really up to you.  I would personally think about putting that money into a new computer and having someone transfer the data and secure it for me.  If the computer is newer than 4 years and not to hard to fix, then of course get it fixed.

There are two more things that we have to consider before making a final decision though:  software and data.  If you are planning on getting a new computer, when you try and figure out the cost you have to remember how much time it will take to get all of your software installed and configured, and also how much data you have to move.  These things can drive up the price on you, possibly making it a better option to fix your current computer.  The other software related factor is:  Do you have your original install discs and the serials/keys to install with?  If you need Microsoft Office on your computer, and it’s on the old one but you don’t have the discs anymore then you’re looking at $150-$400 depending on what version you need.  So always remember to factor in the costs of software that you might not have anymore and data transfer time.  If you have many gigs of music, movies and other large files then data transfer could take hours.

So in the end you have to figure out costs.  If the cost of a repair is going to be more or close to the cost of a new computer plus extra work (data transfer, software install, security,)  then you want to replace it with a new computer.  If it is going to be significantly less than a new computers cost then it should be repaired.  One thing you should always do when having a tech work on your computer is ask him up front to diagnose the situation and tell you as quick as he can whether you should be getting a new computer or having him fix this one.

Welcome to the new GeekChoiceBlog.com, the blog for Geek Choice, the best on-site computer repair company around.  In business since 1996 and  headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts we are a nationwide computer service company specializing in:  Computer Setup, Spyware Removal, Virus Removal, Data Backup and Recovery, Wireless Networking, Network Setup, Computer Repair, Firewalls, and much more.

We hope to provide you with the latest news and updates that you need to keep up to date with the world of computers and the internet.