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Basic Computer Maintenance You Can (and Should) Do It Yourself

June 16, 2014computer updates, diy, how to, virus removalcomputer maintenance, computer repair, Computer Updatesadmin

Like any piece of equipment, digital or not, computers need regular maintenance. If no maintenance is done routinely, the computer will start running slower, will crash more often, and might even get a few viruses. So here’s a few computer maintenance tasks you can do yourself.

1) Update your anti-virus.

We discussed in other blog post why updating your anti-virus software is essential to keep your computer trouble free. A current anti-virus is probably the most important thing you can do in terms of computer maintenance. To do this, open your anti-virus software, look in its menus for the upgrade (or upgrade definition option), and click on it. Most anti-viruses would have the option (somewhere under the Preferences settings) to update automatically. We recommend you set it on automatic updates.

2) Update your operating system.

Both Microsoft and Apple regularly release updates for their operating systems. Check the operating version of your computer OS, and upgrade if necessary.

3) Clean your browser’s cache, cookies and browsing history regularly.

While browsing the Internet, your browser collects lots of small files (called cookies) and also downloads files such as images, and even entire Internet pages that are stored on your computer in hidden folders. In time, the amount of those files can get very big, occupying space on the hard drive, slowing down the browser, causing the browser and even the entire computer to crash. No matter what browser you use, regularly check the preferences settings and choose to erase cookies, cache and browsing history.

Perform these three steps regularly for a well-maintained computer!

Latest Computer Repair Prices Here at MaxTEK Solutions

April 2, 2014diy, Miscellaneous, virus removaladmin

Affordable computer repair service is our top goal

We love to keep you, our friends and customers, happy. That’s why we always keep an eye on the competition to make sure our prices for the computer repairs services we offer you are reasonable and affordable.

Here’s a comparison of our prices and some of our competitors’ prices:

Data recovery

Data recovery at MaxTEK Solutions: starts at $39.99. Most data recovery jobs we do would average $90, or below $100.

Data recovery at Best Buy/Geek Squad: $249.99

Data recovery at another national retailer: starts at $149 and up.

Data recovery at other local St. Pete area computer stores: starts at $59.99.

Virus and spyware removal

At MaxTEK Solutions: starts at $49.99.

At Best Buy: $149.99 to $199.99.

At other local St. Pete area or Tampa Bay area computer stores: starts at $59.99.

Software installation

At MaxTEK Solutions: starts at $14.99

At Best Buy/Geek Squad: starts at $49.99

At other local computer stores: starts at $40.

The bottomline

We can continue this list and compare prices for almost any service we provide. Whether it’s computer tune-up and maintenance, laptop screen repair or keyboard replacement, hardware upgrades or anything else, we’re happy to provide you with the best prices in the area. And if that’s not enough, please know we also do price match. If you can find a better price for a service we provide, we’ll match that price.

Check our latest prices on our Computer Repair page and thanks for your business.

Microsoft Stops Support for Windows XP

March 21, 2014computer updatesWindowsXPadmin

Maybe you’ve heard: on April 8, 2014 Microsoft will stop support for its Windows XP operating system. No more technical updates will be published meaning drivers, bug fixes and other types of much needed updates.

What does this mean for you?

1) Your computer will become vulnerable to virus attacks and Internet attacks. Because Microsoft will stop updating the malware and virus information in Windows XP, your computer will become vulnerable to newer viruses that are being created and released after the last update.

2) Your computer will have compatibility issues with newer technology. You might not be able to connect newer USB devices such as photo cameras and hard drives.

3) Your computer won’t be able to run newer software. You also won’t be able to update software that you’re already running. For instance, the next version of Microsoft Office won’t run on Windows XP.

4) Your computer won’t be able to open files created with newer software. For example, if a friend or co-worker sends you a Word document created with that newer version of Microsoft Word, you won’t be able to open it.

How do you stay protected?

The only option is to upgrade to a newer operating system.

MaxTEK Solutions offers operating system upgrades starting at only $39.99. Check out our Services page for the latest prices and our coupons and special page for current promotions.

Did You Know: What Is The Deep Web? What Is The Dark Web?

March 18, 2014computer updates, diy, how to, Miscellaneousinternet, webadmin

Apart from the websites you see and use, there is a huge number of other websites that aren’t visible to search engines and cannot be accessed with a regular browser. The deep web is any website that’s not indexed by search engines. Google, Bing, Yahoo and the other search engines continuously send ‘bots’ (an automated software) that discover websites and classify them accordingly. However, many sites can’t be reached by none of these search engines. Some of the websites that can’t be reach include legit websites such as:

Websites that require a login (news websites, paid websites like Hulu or other video streaming services)
Data driven websites such as the catalog section of a library website
Websites where the publisher enabled the ‘no bot’ option. For instance, you can create a website and choose not to make it accessible to search engines for privacy reasons. The only way your website can be found is if you gave the link to someone such as family, friends, co-workers, etc.

However, a small part of this deep web is referred to as the dark web. The dark web is made of private networks and websites, and yes, some of them sell weapons, drugs or even your ‘friendly’ professional assassin. Here are some stories published in the media about the dark net:

1) Business Insider: There’s A Secret Internet For Drug Dealers, Assassins, And Pedophiles

2) Gawker.com: The Underground Website Where You Can Buy Any Drug

3) Mashable.com: The Deep Net

You can also watch a short video that explains about the deep web:

To access the dark net, you need a special browser called the Tor browser. Most websites in the deep web end in “.onion” as opposed to .com or .net or .org or other commonly known suffix. In all your browsing, on the visible net or the deep one, we ask that you stay safe!

How Can I Tell My Computer Has A Virus?

March 12, 2014diy, how to, virus removaladmin

How can you tell your computer is infected by a virus or other malware or spyware? There are over one million computer viruses out there and they all behave differently.

Some computer viruses give obvious signs: they block your computer or make it crash, they create pop-ups, or they delete your files. Others are less detectable, such as the ones that steal your information or track your Internet use.

So here are some hints to help you determine whether you have a computer virus or not:

1) Your computer is very slow. If it takes a long time to load the operating system, or to open a program, or to load an Internet page in the browser, you might have a virus.

2) Do you hear your hard-drive working all the time? A computer hard-drive should make sounds mostly when you open and close programs, and when you start and shut down your computer. If the hard-drive sounds to be working even when you don’t do anything on the computer, you might have a virus.

3) Does your computer crash all the time? If you have lots of crashes, it might b a hardware problem but it might also be a computer virus.

4) Do you get lots of error messages? If you get unexplained error messages when trying to open or close files or programs, you might have a computer virus.

5) Do you have problems connecting devices to your computer, or connecting to the Internet? If all of the sudden you can’t connect external devices such as thumb drives, photo cameras or other USB devices to your computer, you might have a virus. And if you can’t connect to the Internet any longer, you might have a virus.

Keep in mind that new computer viruses are created every day, and even with the latest anti-virus software installed on your computer you might still get infected.

What To Do If You Spill Liquid on Your Laptop

February 28, 2014diy, how toadmin

Last week, one of our clients came in with a laptop in a rice bag. He had spilled liquid on it and put it in a rice bag hoping it will dry out the moisture. Liquids and laptops don’t mix, obviously, but it’s not necessarily the end of the world. If this happens to you, do the following as fast as you can:

1. Turn off the laptop immediately. This means disconnecting the AC adaptor and taking the battery out. You want the laptop completely disconnected from any source of electricity including the battery in order to avoid a short.

2. Turn the laptop upside down, with the keyboard facing down, so that the liquid stops going into the laptop and starts draining out.

3. Remove any external attachments such as cables, USB devices, media card and anything else that’s plugged into the laptop.

4. Use paper towels to gently wipe the keyboard and all the wet spots you can see. Don’t push the keys too hard as this can cause the liquid to go into the case rather than to come out.

5. Leave the laptop out to dry in a well ventilated space for about 24-48 hours. You can use a fan to speed up the process, however you need to be patient and make absolutely sure the liquid is gone before powering up the laptop. Sometimes drops of liquid will remain hidden under the keys and powering up your device will produce a short.

We don’t recommend using a blow dryer as this can cause damage such as melting or damage to the keyboard. We also don’t recommend opening the case if your laptop is still under warranty, because opening the case will void the warranty.

If you spilled water, these steps will many times suffice to restore the laptop unless the water reached the internal components and caused damage. If you spilled a sugary liquid or something like beer, the laptop will need to be cleaned by a professional to remove the sticky residue created by such drinks.

The FBI virus: don’t fall for the scam

February 9, 2014diy, how to, virus removaladmin

If you open your computer and see a screen that says your computer has been locked by the FBI for being associated with child pornography sites or other illegal activity, don’t panic just yet. It’s a bogus message caused by a virus known as the FBI virus. The name of the law enforcement agency might vary: sometimes it’s the FBI, other times it’s the Department of Justice or some other institution.

The message says you have to pay a fine (around $300) to unlock your computer. First, put away the credit card. Don’t make any type of payment. This is a scam meant to take your money. Second, you can follow the instructions below to remove it.

And third, if all fails, bring us your computer. We’re only a phone call away to help.

How to remove the FBI virus: Click here to view instructions.

Am I safe using a computer if I have antivirus program installed?

February 4, 2014diy, virus removaladware, spyware, virusadmin

Many users still believe that by having an up-to-date antivirus program can help you stay free of viruses, spyware, adware and other problems. Unfortunately in today’s world, hackers became so good at evading antivirus walls, that even the best antivirus program can’t protect your computer from catching a worm or installing a program that will significantly slow down your computer’s performance. Some of the worst spyware examples include Conduit, CoolWebSearch, Perfect Keylogger and other software which modifies your existing search engine settings and also installs multiple add-ins that can corrupt not only Internet Explorer, but other browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and others. In many cases regular users are unable to resolve software problems caused by spyware or other “junk” programs that can quickly spread by only allowing one program to run. At times attempts to remove these programs can bring more harm to your computer by installing more programs during an uninstall process.

Many users obtain these malicious programs by trying to download some of the following plug-ins: Adobe Flash or Shockwave player (you should only download these plugins from adobe.com)

QuickTime Player (you may download a good version from quicktime.com)

In case you experience slowness, popups, computer crashes, please contact MaxTEK Solutions and we’ll be happy to assist.

Why and How to Recycle Your Old Computer

March 7, 2013computer recycle, diy, how toRecycleadmin

Computers and computer accessories such as printers are made from valuable resources and materials, including metals, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Donating or recycling consumer electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials.

For example:

Recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by more than 3,500 US homes in a year.
For every million cell phones we recycle, 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.

How to Prepare Your Computers for Recycle

Delete all personal information, if you drop off your equipment at MaxTEK Solutions we can ensure your data is erased.
Remove any batteries from your electronics, they may need to be recycled separately.

What We Can Recycle for You

Computers, any type (desktops, laptops, PCs and Macs)
Monitors (CRT & LCD)
Keyboards and mice
Printers
Scanners
External drives
Modems
Tape drives
Battery backup (UPS or power supply)
Miscellaneous Computer or Network Cables

Where to Donate or Recycle

We can recycle your equipment for you. Just drop off your unwanted equipment at our location, 7682 49th St N Pinellas Park, FL 33781. We can also pick up your unwanted equipment for a small charge.
Big electronic retailers such as Best Buy, Office Depot, and Staples also offer in-store recycling.
If you live in Pinellas, drop it off at a Pinellas County Mobile Collection center [link to more info and locations, PDF file].

Why Keep Your Computer Updated and How To Do It

February 21, 2013computer updates, how toComputer Updatesadmin

It is very important to keep your computer’s operating system updated. Computers with operating systems that aren’t up-to-date are the most vulnerable to viruses, worms, and hacking attacks on the Internet. In fact, taking advantage of outdated computers is one of the most common forms of cyberattacks and the most common form of compromising a computer’s security.

In short, keeping your computer’s operating system updated is an essential step in keeping your computer secure.

Windows Update Information

Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button. In the search box, type Update, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update.
In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer.
If any updates are found, click Install updates.

Apple Mac Update Information

The latest Apple OS is Mountain Lion. In Mountain Lion, Mac App Store delivers OS X Updates instead of the Software Update app.

Notification alerts in Mountain Lion inform you that updates are available.

Click “Details” to open the Mac App Store and see details about the updates available.
If present, click “Update” to install software updates.
If present, click “Restart” to install software updates that require a restart.

How We Can Help

MaxTEK Solutions offers computer maintenance that includes operating system upgrades, cleaning your computer of unnecessary software, and updating all other software on your computer. Check our Services pages for more info.

Special note to users with Windows XP – Microsoft will soon eliminate their support for Windows XP operating systems If you are running Windows XP and would like to upgrade to a newer operating system, please contact us.