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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.

Having a computer means you have everything, the ultimate tool to connect to the places you want to go while sitting at home or at the office, so here are some tips to help ensure that the tool does not break.

Rule number one: keep your stinky finger away from the power button, do not switch it off until Windows has shut down. The only exception is when your computer freezes and there is not alternative but to hit the button to reboot. The problem with hitting the button is that it damages the hard drive, and also loses all your data and work you saved on the computer that you were working on. If you can, hit Control-Alt-Delete in that order and hold it for a second to get the taskbar, which will allow you to end any task that is “Not Responding”.

Don’t wait until it is too late, back your system up now! There is no reason why you should lose important data from your computer, the tools are right there provided for you to save a copy to a flash drive, a CD-RW. or a zip disk. All these will store the data and be ready to use if in the event your computer freezes and the power off button destroys your files, the backup will be right there.

System Restore yourself to sanity. This tip will save your life, it has saved mine and countless others because of its capability to recover what was recently lost. I had an old Dell desktop that I needed for business, it was 5 years old and in computer years that means the Dell was 50, time for a new computer right? Wrong. It was slow because of all the programs and P2P software that was bogging it down with viruses and downloads. So what did I do? I had a mental breakdown and prayed to the computer gods. My prayers were answered in the form of system restore.

• I clicked on Start Menu, All Programs, Accessories, System Restore. I was asked to pick a date on the calendar when the computer was saved, before it all went sour, and like magic the computer was returned to health as if nothing ever happened.
• System Protection makes this possible with regular restore points as a fail-safe back up plan for us stupid computer users.

Give your C: drive some space. If you decide that you need every last MegaByte of your C: drive, let me tell you what will happen…I will need to wait 10 minutes to type out this sentence because the computer is so slow. Leave at least 300 to 600 MB of space to prevent it from data to your hard drive, rendering your computer unusable.

Leave it up to the professionals. Do not try to be a hero and save the computer from peril, you can end up becoming a villain instead. Realize your own powers are not good enough to solve the problem if all you have tried does not work. Call us at Geek Choice, we will be there for you when you need us, right on time.

At Geek Choice our main priority is to heal your ailing PC back to full health with our caring service and our dedicated mission. But what do you do before you call us? How do you know that your computer has a problem? Obviously it has stopped working properly and you are frustrated, but stop for a second and ask what the real problem is. Knowing when to go to us can make the difference between a dead PC and a small problem that Geek Choice can fix, problem solved.

If you hear your hardware inside of your computer making a clicking sound then it may already be too late, the PC is near death at this point. How did it get to that point?

The power supply units are the main cause of this problem. What most people do not know is that when it comes to making a PC, a company will most likely skimp on this very important component of the computer in order to cut costs of making it. This big metal box that sits in your computer is overlooked when it should be the first thing you check out.

When you look with the perspective of electricity, the power supply runs through every little electronic component in the computer. Kind of important, right?

When you want more hard drives, CD/DVD-ROM players, and floppy drives added on to your computer, you are really asking for an overload of power. By overloading the power supply, the system might not shut down right away leaving you to suspect other problems for the reason why your PC is going slow. The results of putting too much pressure on the power is the slow failure of the supply or the fluctuating power that creates an unstable system.

Another way in which your computer might be failing is the Power On/Off switch you keep hitting. When you power on the computer the electricity heats up the components, expanding them. When you power off the system, they contract. The thermal shock to the computer is too much for it to take after a while, leaving you with a broken piece of machinery. This is a problem that might be happening in your computer right now, for example, when you had to push the power button 0n your computer two or three times on and off in order to finally get it running.

This is when the question of whether to fight or flight comes in. What should you do? Unless you have a degree in Computer Science, I would call places like Geek Choice who can get to you fast and fix the problem. Next time you are about to throw the computer out of the window for acting up again, check how the basics. It might be over heated, or it might be getting too much power. Simple right?

Computers do not have to be a big mystery on how to shoot the trouble in the face and go along your business without interruption. But most of the time it is through ignorance that leaves the person stumped on why their computer needs repair. You did not know what you did not know, that is okay, just make sure you make the right decision.

Whether it’s Conflickr or a new fake anti-spyware program, it seems like spyware and viruses are inescapable for any computer connected to the Internet. It’s estimated that the amount spent annually on security software in the United States has risen to over $800 million in recent years, but computers are still getting infected daily. Why aren’t we virus free yet?

The answer lies in the nature of malicious programming. Computer viruses don’t spring up out of nowhere, they’re designed by programmers who either have nothing better to do and think it will be interesting, or professionals who make money by abusing your computer. Whenever anti-virus vendors are made aware of a new virus, they create a new definition for their anti-virus software to help isolate and remove that virus if it is downloaded onto your computer. Once the new definition is widespread enough that a significant percentage of computers are safe against that virus, a new one is created by the malicious programmers and the cycle begins again. Nearly two thousand new viruses were identified every day in 2007, and the problem isn’t going away any time soon. This is why you need to allow your anti-virus software to download new virus definitions so often.

Frustrated hackers tired of the rapid turnover of “regular” viruses have graduated to attacking your computer’s defences directly: your anti-virus software. Many new viruses include programming that either hides itself specifically from several popular anti-virus programs, prevents them from downloading new virus definitions, or shuts them down entirely. Even when these new viruses are identified quickly, many computers will already be infected and the software on the machines will be unable to remove the virus. In cases where one virus shuts down the anti-virus software entirely, other viruses will often infect the machine and can render it inoperable in a matter of hours if not minutes. Still other nasty viruses employ tricks to avoid removal techniques, and will re-infect a machine after an anti-virus program or a user tries to delete them.

The fight against computer viruses is non-stop, but you can do something to help protect your system. Installing a good anti-virus program and allowing it to update frequently is just the first step, but beware of fake anti-virus programs you may find online (many of these are viruses themselves). The fake anti-virus programs normally go by the names: Antivirus 2010 Pro, Windows Pro Police, System Guard  2009, Personal Antivirus, Antispyware XP 2009, and many more. You can see a pattern in how they name themselves. Never download anything from a person or website you don’t trust, never open a suspicious email (you don’t always have to open the attachments to get infected), and don’t go to websites with a poor reputation. If you take these steps and your computer still gets infected, have a trained professional remove the virus for you instead of trying to remove it yourself. Modern viruses can be very difficult to isolate and remove, and it’s very easy to damage your system accidentally while trying to remove one.

If you’ve got a slow computer and think you’re infected, call Geek Choice today. Our techs have the tools needed for proper virus removal and have access to fast breaking news about new types of viruses and their removal. Geek Choice is a nationwide on-site computer service and repair company.  If your computer has any of the following problems, we can help: Slow computer, Virus or Spyware, Computer startup problems, Printer not printing, Not connecting to the Internet, Scanner not working, or the “blue screen of death”. We also offer other technical support services, including: New pc setup, Data Backup or Recovery, Wireless network setup, Business Network Firewall setup, Upgrading memory, cpu, hard drives, video cards, and more. You can pick up the phone at any time and call us at 1-800-GEEK HELP (433-5435).

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.