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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!

Over time, the fixed disk on a computer becomes fragmented. Fragmentation is where related information is scatter over the disk, requiring numerous head movements and causing the computer to slow down. It can also cause the computer not to shut down properly, or to hang when you try to shut down. When it gets to that point, it’s time to format the drive and reinstall the operating system. All data will be lost! But have no fear my dear, there is always a simple solution to may seem like a complicated problem at first, once you complete it the problem will no longer be an issue.

To avoid the problem becoming something bigger than it might seem, you should defragment your C drive about twice a year. To start a defragmentation, go to “My Computer”, right mouse click on the C drive, left mouse click on “Properties”, select the “Tools” tab. The last item is “Defragment Now” – click on it, then click “Analyze”. Windows will indicate whether or not your drive needs defragmentation. If it does need defragmentation, do it by just clicking on the defragment button. If it does not, check again in six months.

If the drive is still fragmented after you try to defrag it: Try doing a Scandisk – the first item on the tools tab – sometimes called “Error Checking”. When it starts, be sure to check “Automatically Fix Errors”. If Scandisk cannot complete it means that you have a corrupt file system. This can lead to numerous problems, and must be fixed, or eventually your computer may not start.

The defragment program in Windows is not very good. There are many situations where it cannot defragment a drive. Fortunately, there are after market defragmenters available. Go to www.diskeeper.com for a good version.

If Diskeeper will not solve the problem, it’s time to reformat your disk, and re-install your operating system. This process of reformatting should be done with professional help. If you would like, the technician’s over at Geek Choice will be more than happy to do this for you. Be sure to back up your system before this.

The whole purpose of cleaning up your hard drive is to improve performance and make sure that it runs smoothly. After a while, it can get real frustrating trying to do simple tasks on the computer like internet or running a program if the C drive is full of unused files, temporary internet files, and programs you do not use. Get rid of it!

Personally I use Piriform’s CCleaner, or “Crap” Cleaner, whose name lives up to its task of getting rid of the crap that piles up in yourhard drive. This program actually has a defragment process that you can use with ease, with options to back up the system for you. I strongly recommend that if you are having problems with your computer, and you think that this might be the cause, consult a professional or someone who knows their stuff about computers.

Good Luck!

Here at Geek Choice we see it happen all the time. People call in asking for help recovering their email or even their log-in so they can access the computer, because the evil hacker guessed “monkey” and got it right. Stop these weasels before they really do some damage to your email or computer.

A computer security company called Duo Security ran a decryption of hundreds of thousands of passwords and was able to crack everyone of them, simply because they were “weak”. A weak password contains only letters and numbers, sure mixing them up with alphanumerals is good, but not enough.

Passwords seem like something to get it out of the way so you can sign up or log in fast. This attitude can prove to be fatal, as hackers can just as easily decrypt passwords like Duo did, but with evil intentions reek havoc on your personal files.

Some of the accounts that Duo cracked into were from federal and state government agencies, with employees providing weak passwords, anyone with a knowledge of hacking could have access to confidential information that is very valuable. If you think your email was one of the ones tested, go to this Web-based tool to find out just type in your email address.

Personally I used to just put in a funny name or something relevant to my life that I could remember. I learned quickly that it is not what I can remember, but what someone who wants to access my files remembers. Now I am being safe by using letters, a symbol or two, and a number. This is the safest bet to ensure that hackers will at least have a harder time trying to get in.

The most common ways of hackers is to guess:

• the user’s name or login name
• the name of a significant other, a friend, relative or pet
• birthplace or date of birth, or a friend’s, or a relative’s
• automobile license plate number, or a friend’s, or a relative’s
• office number, residence number or most commonly, their mobile number.
• a name of a celebrity they like
• a simple modification of one of the preceding, such as suffixing a digit, particularly 1, or reversing the order of the letters.
• a swear or curse word

If you use the last one on this list, you might as well deserve to be hacked into and destroyed. But for the rest of you out there enjoying the a small sense of security when you login to accounts such as PayPal, online banking, or online stores with saved credit card information, it is time to open your eyes to the big picture. You know, the one where you are hiding in the corner because all your information was hacked into and used to buy all sorts of lewd and unexplainable items. This is something you could have avoided if you had heeded the advice given at Geek Choice Blogs and changed the password to something like: ilovegeeks@123

It can’t hurt, but it will if you are not smart and leave the password at: “iamamonkey”

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!

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.

Instead of one or two sets of footprints in the sand, there could be hundreds as you operate your business or personal activities on the computer. It is a nuisance to you and to everyone who wants a fast working computer because data storage stores hundreds of ONE file. Who knew?

Not a lot of people, that’s who, because all this happens behind the LCD scene. There are all these processes that go on that we do not see, like sending an email or receiving an email, did you know that for there is 100 instances of one Mega Byte of email attachment? Fascinating language, and it is true.

It is also true that if you are aware of this nuisance, you can take action to reduce all the extra crap that takes up space on your computer. Here are some useful tricks to use while you walk the sands of the internet to make sure you have only one footprint, not hundreds.

Compression: it is probably the most well-known data reduction trick out there. Compression is the process of finding and being ridding of repeated patterns of bytes. It works well with databases, e-mail, and files. It’s included in some storage systems, but you can also find stand-alone compression applications or appliances.

By compressing, which means pressing together the data files so that it does not take up your whole hard drive space, you are able to use up the free space on the hard drive for programs and files that you actually use. Do not let your computer get slow and stupid because somebody forgot to keep up with all those files getting duplicated.

Another useful tool in making sure your computer is running at peak performance is visualization. By pooling all the storage devices together, like data backup and disaster recovery, in one pool is most efficient. It eliminates the unnecessary back and forth between different programs of data storage by having them all together.

With this method, the proper management policies are then applied to a single copy of the data, defining where, for example, it is stored and how it is deduplicated during functions such as backup and replication. This can cut storage needs greatly. The less need for storage, the less need for spending money that could be saved if you only took the time to become aware then act.

The last trick is called thin provisioning. This means setting up an application server to use a certain amount of space on a drive, but not using that space until it is actually needed. Thin provisioning is a concept that should be the normal way the storage should operate, if you are not using a program, why is it running or taking up space on the hard drive?

Make sure you have enough space, check the hard drive to see how many giga bytes you have left free. There is nothing worse than forgetting to keep your drive clean until it is too late, when you have to pay someone money to fix it.

Yes, you have started to hear no doubt about the holidays and all it’s wonderful magic. No doubt you have also heard about being safe, usually in reference to too much drinking at those awkwardly awful family parties and the weather. But at Geek Choice we want to key you in on more important matters: your computer safety.

How safe is your computer? If you use the internet you take the risk of catching a virus, like the cold it can be prevented if you take certain steps. No I am not talking about downloading the latest anti-virus software or the cool new tool that can fly around your computer like superman saving your files from the evil file corrupter.

I am talking about what is already on your computer, like your web browser whether that be Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome, that have the tools you need to protect yourself. You can find these tools in the ‘Tools’ menu bar located at the top of your browser. Look at ‘options’ on Firefox or ‘security zones’ on Internet Explorer. By telling your browser exactly what type of sites it is allowed to visit and the level of restriction, you are ensuring that you will be protected from spyware, unwanted advertisements, and those “drive-by” downloads.

You may have heard recently that there was a big “drive-by” attack that hackers did on IE6. What happened was that hackers were able to get into a certain website and make links using the sites name to another website, which people visited, and got screwed because just by being on the site malicious software and viruses were downloaded to people’s computers.They are still doing it on IE8, so be careful.

That is just one example of how easy it is for hackers to get into your system, simply by taking over a website and waiting for a user to walk aimlessly into the site, unaware that they will be regretting not listening to this blog and taking the necessary steps to prevent such a thing!

One of these steps involves securing your email, particularly in Outlook. A common pitfall that is easily overlooked is the text. You have two choices: HTML-Text, or Plain Text, which is better? It is not a question of better, but safer. HTML might look good, but in the long run it is dangerous because this is where all those phishing scams thrive on. By using Plain Text it disables the Active Content that opens email attachments automatically, and allows safer emailing.

Instant Messaging worms have become more and more vicious and prevalent in today’s internet world. Be careful when talking with your friends online, be wary of ‘Away’ messages, because if you are chatting with someone who sent you a malicious worm or virus masquerading as a link somewhere infected you could be in for a bad time. You can usually tell when a message like in email that is suspicious.

Hackers are always looking for new ways to get into your computer and screw things up. Do not allow them to, especially during the holidays when you should be out gallivanting around with your family enjoying the holiday spirit.

It is amazing how many files are being saved on the computer right now as this blog is being created. Hundreds of cookies, caches, and temporary internet files are stored in folders across the hard drive, taking up valuable space you need for important files.

A perfect tool that is free to download is called CCleaner 3.0 and it works like a miracle. I just downloaded it to test it out, it takes about two minutes total to get it up and running. It gives you a checklist of Windows applications on your computer, like Internet Explorer, Mozilla, and Google Chrome, that save tons of files every time you log on to the internet.

This tool is easy to use. It runs very fast searching through your hard drive, based on your selection of what you want deleted, and gets rid of all that crap you do not need. What is good about it is that when it is deleting all that crap, it knows what files to keep like email and other files that you use most frequently.In fact, that is what the name means: “Crap Cleaner 3.0″, just what we need!

What I love about using this tool for cleaning up my computer is that it really makes me feel that I have total control. Isn’t that what everyone wants for their PC? For me, having the ability to run a broom through my hard drive and clean up 118,096 MB of free space, is pretty freakin’ sweet!

Most of the programs used on the computer take “craps” on the hard drive, and after a while this can lead to a very slow PC. Another great feature of this program solves that riddle called DLL, that annoying error message that comes up when a file is missing. This program uses the registry cleaner, which searches the computer for those missing DLL files and solves the riddle.

What about those pesky start-up programs that clutter your computer as soon as you turn it on? No problem with the Crap Cleaner, it has a special tool to clear that crap out of there. By doing this your PC will be running like new again, simply because your PC will not be full of crap!

The new version has added new programs such as AVG Internet Security, Bittorrent, Audacity, and Windows Game Explorer. It gets better, after installing this program on your computer, all you have to do is sit back and let the cleaner do it’s job. The major problem people have with their computer is the speed it is running at. If it is not fast enough to their liking, then one of the first issues to look at is the crap that is covering the computer.

This is the way to thoroughly clean-up your PC. Yes, you can use the programs provided by Windows but this one is too easy. Keeping your PC clean should be easy, fast, and complete in doing the job. By giving you the control of what you want to be deleted, Crap Cleaner 3.0 is the ultimate cleaning tool.

With the release of Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system, many of the performance issues present in past installments of this PC mainstay have been addressed, showing a measurable improvement in areas that were once headaches for even the most capable machines. Still, despite what would appear to be Microsoft’s welcome response to the chorus of complaints about XP and Vista, the onset of problems is to be expected for even the latest release. No operating system is immune from the kind of error that results from any number of issues: viruses, spyware, negligence, etc.

Despite how it’s presently running, tomorrow could usher in a set of unanticipated problems, which is to be expected with even new machines.   Windows 7 (Vista, too) includes a robust set of tools – all included within one easily accessible menu — that the frustrated user can utilize when attempting to diagnose the source of a problem.

Accessing these tools is as easy as entering a command in the search box that’s located in the Start menu. Once you’ve entered “performance info,” you’ll be greeted by a window from where you can select Advanced tools.

After those tools are available, it becomes apparent that you have at your disposal an impressive assortment of diagnostic options that will – at the very least — aid you towards determining what lies at the source of your ailing system:

• Clear all Windows Experience Index scores and re-rate system
• View performance details in Event log
• Open Performance Monitor
• Open Resource Monitor
• Open Task Manager
• View advanced system details in System Information
• Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows
• Open Disk Defragmenter
• Generate a system health report

One of the most informative tools you can use is Open Resource Monitor. Like Task Manager, Resource Monitor provides an overview of your system’s resources, allowing you to manage the available resources (RAM, storage, bandwidth) your system has to work with. Unlike Task Manager, which is somewhat vague in its detail, Resource Monitor works at the micro level – meaning, you’re given a degree of specificity that illuminates how an individual process or application figures into the overall allocation of resources.

Another helpful aid is the Generate a system health report. Akin to having a physical at the physician’s office, this will assess your system’s health, generating an analysis that may enlighten you on what areas you should address when experiencing issues with your computer’s performance.Taking just a few moments, the system analysis will return a report that details every critical facet of your system. Using this diagnostic analysis, you will be left with a clearer picture of how your computer is faring. For example, if there is a driver that’s hindering your ability to listen to sound, this report will highlight that conflict.

These are just the tools that are fairly self-explanatory in their use and interpretation. The more advanced tools – such as View performance details in Event log – are just as beneficial, but they require a level of expertise that your average user may be without.

For even the most accomplished technician, the poor performance of a system will remain a problem that never permanently subsides.  If you have questions about the use of these tools, or would like to know how to solve any problems they unearth, Geek Choice Is always on hand to provide you that assistance.

For those of you familiar with Microsoft’s Windows Operating System, you’re well aware of how critical it is to keep your system updated with the latest patches released by Microsoft. In addition to steeling you against any security breaches, these updates have been shown to significantly improve the performance of the operating system.

Once a feature that many either ignored or reluctantly used, Windows Update has seen significant gains in its design since the transition to Windows Vista and the recently unveiled Windows 7.

This important feature is now accessible via the search bar located in the Start menu.

As you’ll see, the new Windows Update process has been streamlined, making it easier to manage and assign those updates where needed.

With this Windows Update manager, you can also view all of the updates for MS Products, saving you the time of checking them individually.

If you find yourself questioning just what you’re installing on your computer, you can click the link specified below, which will bring you to a more detailed explanation.

In the past, the installation of some updates has conflicted with the use of certain applications, which can lead to the instability of your system.  Should such a conflict occur, the incompatible update can be removed by simply selecting it from the Uninstall window.

For what you need, many of the updates will be unnecessary, yet you’ll still find them included in the list of updates to install. For those updates you consider needless, right-clicking on them will summon a window from which you’re able to select “Hide updates.”

Keeping your Windows Updates current is just one of a number of ways for you to ensure that your system is properly functioning.

If you have any questions about what else can be done, feel free to give us a call.