Computer Power Efficiency

There has long been a big controversy on if you should leave your computer on or off when you are not using it. This question has been raised for both power conservation reasons and also in regards to the life of the equipment. There are pros and cons for both scenarios, but here are the facts.

As far as energy goes, it only costs about 28.00 a year to run a desktop computer, about 5 bucks for a monitor and  only a few bucks for an average residential printer. If you decided to turn these devices off at night, you would only save about 12 bucks a year or about a dollar a month. Using sleep mode has almost no effect on energy savings and it can slow down your computer.

There’s A New Ransomware In Town…What You Need To Know

There is one type of Ransomware that is never going to go away and it has been talked about for the last several years. The difference is that it just keeps getting more and more sophisticated. As Ransomware develops it becomes more effective at its job and harder to remove if you get it. The latest strain is called Locky.

As with most Ransomware, this strain is usually found as an e-mail attachment. If you never open attachments, chances are you will never get infected. If you are the curious type that likes to see what is being sent then you are much more likely to get this horrible infection. Untitled20160415115131

Slide Into Summer Remote Computer Repair Special

Good Thursday everybody! We are offering a slide into summer special for one day only. Today only (Thursday June 25) we are offering a full compute tune-up / virus removal for $69.99. Thats a $30.00 savings off our normal price of $99.99! If your system has been slow or experiences pop ups and unwanted ads, you are likely infected with malware. Call us today between 9 AM and 5 PM (eastern) and we will get your system running like new. 1-877-499-5548 Toll Free.

Because these specials often cause us to be busy, if you get our machine, please leave a message and we will get right back to you!

I Have A Computer That Will Not Boot! Help Please.

Sooner or later in the life of your computer you are going to be plagued with a computer that will not boot. The system can be fine one day and the next time you turn it on you faced with either a blue screen of death, a black screen with just a blinking curser or possibly no response at all. Trying to diagnose and remedy such an event can often be time consuming as you try all the potential fixes before needing to do a full reformat.

 

Windows Blue: Is It Worth The Wait?

For those of you that have switched to Windows 8 and hate it because of the lack of user friendly accessibility, it looks like the 8.1 update (Windows Blue) will not do much to keep the blues away. The good news with Windows Blue is that they are bringing back the Start button. The bad news is that it will not contain the user friendly start menu. All it will do is take you to the new app based Windows 8 new start screen. It appears that Microsoft is not listening to its users. One addition that is useful is that you will be able to boot directly to your desktop instead of the new Start screen.

Should I Buy That Computer Repair Plan?

The tide is changing for the way many of us get our computers fixed and repaired. Just a short couple of years ago, online repair was not the first choice for most folks. Many felt more comfortable taking their machine to a shop rather then having it fixed online. The truth is that online is actually more secure then a shop, simply because you stay with your machine the whole time the repair is being done. In addition, you do not have to take your computer apart or even leave the house. The convenience is probably the driving force to its popularity. In fact, it has gotten so popular that hundreds of companies have sprouted out of the woodwork over the last couple of years. A good part of these companies are not located in the United States. Since labor is cheaper when subbed out to other countries, many companies have done this as a means of saving money. Most of these companies offer plans that include support for a monthly charge.

Should I upgrade to Windows 8? In Short..Probably Not.

Windows 8 is here and everybody asks if they should run out to the store and upgrade their system. Before you do so, there are a few things you need to consider. Aside from the faster boot up time, Windows 8 is built on the Windows 7 infrastructure.  If you are using a tablet or touch screen, it is a good choice for an operating system however, the app store is not all that populated yet. You will find many more apps in the Android market at this time. As time goes on, Microsoft will add a lot more apps to the variety but it will take some time.

What Are the Newest Computer Viruses That Can Threaten My Computer?

There‘s no denying that computer viruses are nasty, and when one slips through a computer’s defenses, it can spell big trouble. It seems the further technology advances, the greater the fear of computer viruses becomes.

 

A point of curiosity for some users might be why viruses are made, how they work, or what they are capable of doing to infected computers. There are three main types of malicious code that computers are exposed to that commonly fall under the generalization of “viruses.”

 

Windows Updates for November 2012

It is again Microsoft Path Tuesday and this time around we have the first round of Windows updates for the new Windows 8 operating system. Yes, it just came out and the updates are already rolling in. In addition, there are updates for all other operating systems from Windows XP to Windows 7.

All the updates I tested today went in without incident and it should be safe tp allow them all. All the updates are considered critical and they all close security holes that could allow an attacker to gain access to your system.

Windows 8 Soon To Be Released

Windows 8 will soon be released but should you run out and buy it? The answer is probably no. Windows 8 is missing many of the core features of other Windows operating systems. It must be noted that Windows 8 is designed for touch screen devices although it will work on a conventional PC. For most PC users, the interface is not user friendly and does not have the most sought after features that most people want. The average PC user will not be happy with it. Windows 8 is more like the format that you might have on your Smart phone.

Remembering 911

All of us here at Advantage Computers would like to remember all the fallen heroes and the people who tried to save the lives of thousands. We offer our prayers to all those who suffered that day. Most of us remember the exact spot we were in when the news flashed across the TV. I was at my job in Stuart when the news hit the TV. At first, we all thought it was an accident but as events started to emerge we soon knew we were under attack. That is the time the entire world seemed to stand still. There was an eerie feeling of emptiness in the city. The sky was quiet since no planes were flying. The main thing that people were buying was American Flags to show their support for America.

History Of The Internet

Today we are going to talk about the history of the Internet. Remember when the Internet was young. I can still recall the absolute thrill of going on AOL and being able to see who is online. At the time cell phones were not that popular and only a few people had them. Pagers were more of the craze at the time. I recall the thrill of being able to chat with your friends while you (slowly) surfed the Internet. You have to remember that most people had a dial up connection to the Internet. AOL was the distinct leader and probably the influence for the Internet the way it is today. They had the technology that many other companies were trying to duplicate. Of course back in the day, if you were connected to your AOL, which was most of the time, you could not receive phone calls. You had several choices. You could run a third party software on your computer and opt in for busy call forwarding on your phone line or install a second phone line. If you opted for the software option, your computer would flash up a pop up screen notifying you that you had a phone call. The number would show up and you could then decide whether to keep surfing or call the person back. With the latter option, you simply had a second phone line coming into the house. That is the option I preferred. Of course if you had 2 computers, you could now have two systems surfing at the same time. Back then if you had two computers connected to the Internet you were at the top of the technology world!

Hotmail is Now Outlook.Com

If you are a user of Hotmail then you will soon notice a new look with your e-mail application. The new name is outlook.com. The service is provided by Microsoft and has an easy to use interface that is simple and not confusing to figure out. Your mail folders are all clearly marked on the left side of the side of the screen. This is the format that most of us are used to see to seeing. Your e-mail messages will be viewed in the center of the screen and you will have your ads displayed on the right. The interface is similar to what you will find on Windows 8. The design concept is optimized for a touch screen computer, just like Windows 8. As I have been saying repeatably, if you are using a conventional computer stay away from Windows 8. Windows 8 is great if you have a tablet or touch screen phone but is hard to navigate on a regular computer. You should not have a problem with outlook.com on a conventional computer, however. The interface is simply made more streamlined to take touch screens into consideration.

The End Of The Postal Service?

Today we are going to talk a bit about how the Internet has affected the United States Postal Service. Ever since the invention of E-Mail, the number of first class letters that is sent has been shrinking.In fact since 2006, it is down by about 30%. In addition, most companies are pushing to try to get you to go paperless and only receive your bill statements online. This might be fine for some fol;ks but for many, including myself, I want my statements sent the way that it has been done for decades, through the Post Office.

Windows 8 Not Designed For Conventional Computers

If you are looking to run out and upgrade to the new Windows 8 that will be soon released, think again. This new operating system is designed with an entirely new interface called the Metro look. The design looks similar to what you see on your Smart Phone or I Phone. Basically, this new OS works on the principal of installing apps instead of programs. There is no conventional start menu or any of the familiar things that we have to grown to love about Windows. This absolutely not a replacement for your Windows 7 or even your Windows XP (still our favorite operating system).

How to Optimize Internet Explorer

Hi everybody, today I am going to talk about how to optimize Internet Explorer for best performance. Internet Explorer is one of the most widely used web browsers in the World. One of the reasons is simply because it is included with the Windows operating system and it is right there when you first buy and use your computer. It is not necessarily the best but millions use it. Out of the box it is not usually optimized for the fastest speed. In the following paragraphs, I will explain a little about what to do to get the most out of the browser.

Get More Life From Your Old Computer

Hi everybody. Are still trying to keep your old computer running for a few more years? If so, join the thousands that are trying to do the same. If you still have XP and you don’t want to part with it, maintaining the physical machine will be just as important as maintaining the software. In this post, I will discuss a few of the things you can do to help lengthen the life of your investment.

Slow Computer

Hi everybody today we are going to talk about what to do with a slow computer. We all have issues with our computers slowing down from time to time at some point in time. Sometimes, all that is needed to remedy the problem is to simply reboot the computer. this action will usually help the most when you have been doing a lot of work, especially with graphics or games. The reason for this type of slowdown is usually because a program that you are using is not handling the ram properly. A well written program will normally release the memory it is using either while you are using it or when you shut it down. Some programs have memory leaks that can cause the system to bog down because it is using too much ram (memory) on your computer. When you reboot the system, the memory is released and you begin again with a clean slate. If this happens on a regular basis, you might want to choose a different program to do the job you are trying to do or if you must use the offending program, you can install a utility such as Tune-Up Utilities to help manage the memory leak. Choosing a better program for the job is almost always the better choice.

Computer Power Options

Hi everybody, today I would like to talk a little about the different power options you have for your computer. There has been a lot of talk about whether you should leave your computer on all the time or shut it off at night. If you search the topic, you will find answers that vary widely. Today, I am going to share some of my own experiences on the topic.

DNS Changer Malware

Hi everybody, today we are going to talk about the DNS changer malware. If you are one of the thousands of people who have a computer that is infected with the DNS changer virus, your computer may loose it’s connectivity with the internet on July 9, 2012. DNS is basically like a routing service for your computer. It helps to connect you to the correct servers in order to get to the sites that you want to go to. If your DNS is altered, you might be directed to sites that are different then the ones you choose (redirected). There are many virus infections that can cause redirects and these can usually be fixed by using different methods of removal depending on the origin of the redirects. The difference with the DNS changer virus is that on or after July 9, infected computers will loose all connectivity to the internet if infected.

Computer Power Protection

Hi everybody, today we are going to talk about computer power protection. We all know how much a power blip can inconvenience us when you are in the middle of an important project on your computer. Power surges or brown outs can cause your computer to rapidly shut off or freeze. If you were in the middle of a project, you might loose some the work you were working on or you may encounter something much worse. Under some circumstances, an abrupt shutdown from a brief power failure can cause catastrophic damage to the machine. The damage can come in many forms. Sometimes when a hard drive is shut down improperly, physical damage can sometimes be done to the drive itself. In other instances, the operating system files may become corrupt and a repair install of windows will be in order. In other cases, damage to other components including the motherboard can occur.

The Evolution of Operating Systems

Hi everybody, today we are going to talk about the evolution of operating systems! With all the technology we have today computer repair has come a long way since the early days of Windows. Just think, it seems like just yesterday that we were using Windows 95, and that it was the greatest thing since the invention of coffee. At that time dialup was the primary internet connection and remote support was very cumbersome if not almost impossible because of the slow internet connections. The primary way to repair your system was to take your computer to a local repair shop. At the time, there were very few options. Remember trying to connect a USB device? It was haphazard at best to get it to work.

Merry Christmas from Advantage Computers!

I would like to wish all our friends, customers and family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I  would  like to thank you for your support this past year and we look forward to serving you in the coming New Year. Stay safe and enjoy this wondrous holiday.

 

Joe and Carol

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