| What I do. | ||
My goal is to be able to provide an honest and affordable computer repair service for the people in and around Wheaton. I also want to teach people how to diagnose, and fix simple problems with their computers, by giving basic computer classes, and simple walkthroughs on doing different things on your Computer. Since the 80's I have been building, and repairing computers for myself and my friends. During the last few years I worked as an installation tech for the major phone companies setting up, testing and repairing the computer systems that make your cellular phone work. Now that I am in Wheaton I will provide the same level of service I have given to every customer over the years. With low rates and house calls to those that cannot make it to the shop. I am ready to prove that I am the guy to take care of your computer system. Got a computer question for me? E-Mail the question in the link below and I will try to help you out as simply as I can.
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Free Computer Programs that will help you out.
Avg has been providing a free Anti virus program for years that has stood above the competition.
Avast is the relative newcomer to the anti virus field, but with many options, and an easy to use setup it has become the Anti virus of choice for many people.
Ccleaner is a neat little program that cleans the "crap" off of your computer, as a matter of fact that is what the first C stands for in its name.
Spybot S&D is a great program for keeping "bots" off of your computer, and finding malware on your system. I recommend using Spybot and Adaware together.
This program gets rid of spyware, and malware on your computer as well, I recommend using Spybot and Adaware together.
Firefox is another web browser similar to Internet Explorer, it has a great built in pop-up blocker, too many easy to use add ons to mention. I highly recommend it. The most vulnerable part of your computer is your web browser, and Firefox helps keep you safe.
If there is something you would like to learn about let me know and I will get it up here.
- Using Ccleaner
- AntiVirus Programs What they are, and how to use them effectively
- System Restore
- Cleaning Cookies
- Disk Defragmenter
- How can you tell if you need a new Computer?
This walkthrough is for Windows XP and will cover both Firefox©, and Internet Explorer©
Before making any changes to your computer I recommend you back up your system. Make a System Restore Point by following the steps below.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to back up your system regularly. Save important files and pictures to a disk, or any external location. It is no fun losing all of your files.
First you will need to download Ccleaner from the Piriform website. You may click "run" and wait for the installer to pop up. Then go through the different screens by clicking O. K., or next. Be sure to look out for the screen that asks if you want to add Yahoo Toolbar to your computer, and uncheck it if you do not want another toolbar.
Once you have Ccleaner installed on your computer you should be able to access it by right clicking on your Recycle bin, and choosing "Open Ccleaner".
Click Options then check the "Run Ccleaner when computer starts". Next to Secure Deletion choose Secure file deletion and set it to 7 or 35 passes.
Next Click Cleaner and click analyze and wait for it to tell you to close either Firefox, or Internet Explorer. Close the program you need to and click O. K. . After it finishes you can click the Run Cleaner, You may have a pop-up message come up saying "this will permanently delete files". I check "Do not show again" and O.K. I do not use the Analyze button, instead I just click the Clean button.
The first time Ccleaner runs it will probably take a bit of time.
After it finishes you should check out the other things Ccleaner can do.
Click the Registry tab on the left of the screen and click Analyze at the bottom left. The program will run for a bit and probably come up with a long list of issues, Click the Fix selected issues tab. A pop-up will come up asking if you want to backup the registry, click Yes, and select where you want it to be put. I usually put anything like this in the desktop. If you need to later you can just double click on the file and it will put it all back into the registry. Now a pop-up will come up that says, "Fix Issue, Fix all selected Issues, or Close" Choose Fix all selected Issues then Close. Then repeat the above step until it says you have no issues.
Now Click the Tools Tab on the left part of the screen. You will see the Uninstall section. You can use this section to uninstall programs from your computer, I will not give a walkthrough on this section, just warn you to be careful here.
If you click on the Startup tab on the left side of the screen you will be able to see what programs are started when you start your computer. If you seem to be having a slow startup one or more of these programs may be causing it. Do not delete a program from this section, simply disable them, this way you can go back later and enable them if you need to. To use this section just select a program you think may be causing the problem and select Disable. Restart the computer and see if it made any difference, if it causes any problems, or you do not like the results you can simply go back to the startup section of Ccleaner click the program, and select Enable.
AntiVirus Programs What they are, and how to use them effectively
Antivirus programs do just what they say they do, much like an antibiotic keeps you from getting a nasty germ, an antivirus program keeps your computer safe from viruses, hackers, and any number of other things that can harm your computer.
Just because you have an antivirus program does not mean you can not get a virus on your computer.
There are many different antivirus programs out there, but no matter how they look there can be some enormous differences between them. Most of them you have you pay either a monthly, or yearly fee, however paying for a product like this does not necessarily mean you will get a better product. There are several free antivirus programs available on the internet that in my experience have outdone the traditional pay programs. Why should you pay for a mediocre product when you can get a top of the line antivirus for free?
Just because your computer came with an antivirus program does not mean that it is the best for your needs. Computer companies are paid to place programs on your computer, so they usually do not have your best interests in mind. This doesn't mean you should automatically get rid of your antivirus program. (At least not until you get another one.)
Antivirus programs I DO NOT recommend: Symantic, Norton Antivirus. click for why
I of course recommend AVG, and Avast the most. This is not only because they are free, they are in my experience top of the line programs. AVG was created for large companies to use as a pay program, and is still used for that. The free version was created as a "Bonus" for advertising purposes.
Things to look for in an antivirus program:
Virus protection, Firewall, and an E-mail scanner
Using properly:
First off, do not shut off your antivirus. If you think your computer is running slow due to your antivirus program that is a good sign you need another antivirus program.
If your antivirus is not letting a program run on your computer it is probably for a good reason, if you think the program should run you may need another antivirus program.
Update regularly. If you are able setup automatic updates to update daily.
Test regularly. I test every 24 hours, and yes even I get virus'.
Enable your antivirus' firewall if you have one. The windows firewall is fine, however it is the bare minimum that a person needs. The firewall your antivirus comes with is going to be much better regardless of the antivirus you have.
What do I do if the program finds a virus?
So your antivirus just popped up and said something like "Virus found, disaster imminent, we are all going to die!" or something similar. FIrst relax. Your antivirus is doing its job, and you should be glad. You may have several choices on what to do. If Delete is a choice it is probably the best bet. If you are unsure click the choice that puts the problem program in your virus vault.
If you have the same message pop up several times and it just doensn't seem to go away you may have to use system restore to do away with the problem.
To get to System Restore click Start, then Help And Support.
Once the Help and support panel opens click Undo changes to your computer with System Restore, it is found under the "Pick a Task" section.
Click Create a Restore Point and then the Next button.
Type in a name for the restore point. I typically put something like "General Cleaning" but you can put whatever is helpful to you.
Click Create, after either a few seconds, or a few minutes depending on your computer speed a screen will open that says "RESTORE POINT CREATED" at the very top.
Cleaning Cookies and History from Firefox© and Internet Explorer© (IE)
If you have Ccleaner and it is set up properly this is already done for you. I will have a separate walkthrough on Ccleaner use at another time.
Open your Browser window by clicking the Icon for either Firefox©, or IE©.
Click Tools and Options (Firefox©)or Internet Options (IE©)
In Firefox© Click the tab at the top of the little window that opens named Privacy.
At the Bottom of the window click the button marked Clear Now. If you have the Button checked "Ask me before clearing private data" another window will pop up with a check mark list of the things to clear. choose all except for passwords, and click Clear Private Data Now. Then click OK at the very bottom of the page and you are done.
In Firefox© you may also click Tools, and then choose Clear Private Data from the list that drops down.
In Internet Explorer© Click the tab named General. Then click Delete Cookies then OK.
Next click Delete Files. In the window that opens click the check mark Delete all offline Content then click OK.
Next click Clear History. A window will pop up asking if you are sure you want to delete all of your cookies. Click Yes.
Next click the tab at the top of the page named Content.
Click the button named Autocomplete > Clear Forms > OK > OK.
Click Apply (if it is available to click) and OK to close the window.
Congratulations! You have just cleaned the basic cookies and general "gunk" that clogs up a computer slowing it down. I highly recommend Ccleaner it will complete these steps automatically, and clean more in-depth.
Basically if you think of all the files (games, pictures, music, and documents) on your computer as books in a library. Defragmenter just goes through and puts the books up on shelves and organizes them so they are easier for the computer to find.
How often you run Disk Defragmenter depends on how often you add new files, or change files on your computer. I would run it once a week to start out, and change how often you do it depending on whether it needs it or not (windows will open a window telling you if you do not need it). I also usually run defragmenter before going to bed, letting it run through the night.
Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter.
In the window that opens make sure that the disk drive you use is highlighted (usually C:)
Click the Analyze button on the bottom left of the screen. I have done this for years, and though the "official" Windows walkthrough says to click Analyze first I have simply clicked Defragment and the program analyzes the drive before running.
Click Defragment.
Depending on how much space you have on your drive, and how large your drive is this could take a long time to complete, sometimes running 8 hours or longer. I usually start a Defragment before going to bed. You can still run most programs while running Disk Defragmenter, however you may notice some slowing down depending on your computer.
How can you tell if you need a new Computer?
First of all, as you all know, technology is changing everyday. There's always something new coming out and there's always something different to try. It's not always pertinent that you go along with those changes, but here are some reasons why you may want to. You need a new computer if:
1.) Your processor speed is less than 1.0 GHz (gigahertz). (On another note, if your computer is still running on megahertz, you'll definitely want to make an upgrade soon!) See, most programs and other applications that you may put on your computer require a lot more power than 1 GHz can give them. If you don't have a fast enough processing speed, your computer will run very slow and you won't be able to browse the Internet, play games, etc. with the ease you should have. You can check your processor speed by going to Start>Control Panel>Performance and Maintenance> System.
2.) Your computer has less than 256 MB of memory. (Again, go to Start>Control Panel>Performance and Maintenance>System to check on that information). If you don't have at least 512 MB or 1 GB of RAM memory, your computer will not run smoothly or to the best of its ability. You may be able to just get more RAM installed in most instances.
3.) You're using a Windows version that starts with a 3 or a 9 (for example, Windows 3.1, 95 and 98). Those older operating systems lack a lot of the features every computer should have these days, including security features and other updates that are required to keep your computer running properly and protected. The same thing applies if you're using a Mac version that is older than OS X.
4.) You're always getting an error message of "Operating system not supported" when you try to install new programs onto your PC. Or, when you're trying to upgrade to a new operating system and you get an error message of "Hardware not supported."
5.) Your computer has no USB ports. Nowadays, most external devices (such as keyboards, mice, printers, etc.) run via USB. Therefore, if you don't have any ports, you're going to have trouble keeping up with the newer computer devices.
6.) Your PC has a 5.25 inch disk drive or even a 3.5 inch floppy drive. Floppy drives are still around, but they're being phased out as well. Software has just outgrown those two drives and they won't be of much use in the near future. Flash and thumb drives are definitely taking over.
These are just a few things you should look into if you're wondering about buying a new computer or not. They are all good reasons why you should fork out the money and invest in a new PC.With a brand new computer, everyone who uses it will benefit. Now, I realize you may use your computer on a very limited basis (maybe just for checking your e-mail and playing a game here and there), but if you fall into any of the categories listed above, you should still look into getting a new computer.Just remember that regardless of what anyone tells you, if you are happy with your computer than it's perfectly alright to keep your computer.
How to use the "How to Section":
Very Important Information will be Bold, and underlined.
All buttons you click and actions you need to do will be in Red. If you just skim over some of the details you can just go from Red word to Red word and get the job done. I do recommend that you read over the details of anything that you are going to do on your computer.
Tips and Tricks to either save time, or make your job easier will be in Blue Most of the time these will not be necessary for what you are doing, but they could be very helpful to you.
Sometimes when there are many steps instead of saying "and then" I will simply put a arrow > and type the next thing you will click, or do.
When possible I will put a link to definitions of words that I think may need explaining, or programs you may need, these will be Green and Underlined.