Any abnormality in the components of a computer can prove harmful to its performance, but some general computer issues can be addressed at personal level. There are effective computer repair tips and tricks which can be implemented to resolve these problems. This Article is going to try and highlight just some of the computer problems which can easily be fixed in the comfort of your home saving you a lot of money on computer repair costs in this economic crisis.

How to Repair Your Computer

Computer repair is important because we are becoming dependent on it for every personal and professional task. There are variety of problems; some are simple while others are complicated. However, you can repair your system on your own by following some tips and tricks. Some of them are discussed here:



Computer freezing



Computers may freeze on account of any hardware or software issue, so here you need to understand the exact reason behind it. Notice if the issue started when you connected any hardware peripherals like a printer or scanner; then it might be due to a driver conflict. If the issue occurred after assembling a new hard drive, then it might be due to insufficient power or too much heat.



Follow the troubleshooting pattern below to repair your computer, if such problems occur.



First Things First If you leave your computer on all the time, you can often fix a problem by unplugging it, waiting at least 30 seconds, and plugging it back in. By cutting off the power to the motherboard, it allows the hardware to reset and the memory to clear.



Inspect Your PC for Heat-Related Issues Any time you need to open up your computer cabinet, shut down your computer and unplug it. If you have long hair, tie it back. Take off any jewelry that might get in the way. Also avoid wearing any clothing that produces a lot of static, as a spark can damage hardware and cause intermittent, hard-to-troubleshoot problems.



Open the cabinet of your computer and check the temperature of the metal chassis. If it’s hot, then certainly there is some thermal problem. Gently examine the front and rear fans and blow out any dust. You can apply a clean cloth to dust out hidden particles. Remember: Your computer must be shut down while you're cleaning inside it.



If you have more than one hard drive in your computer, avoid installing them right next to each other in the chassis; this makes them more prone to heat failure. To install an extra hard drive in a wide slot, such as the slot that holds your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, you can buy mounting brackets at a store that sells computer parts.



Even if your computer isn't having problems, it's a good idea to clean the fans regularly.



Before you close up the case, check all the cables and make sure everything is still plugged in. If you have to reseat a video card or a stick of memory, avoid applying heavy pressure to the motherboard as this can damage it.



Inspect your Device Drivers Many times when doing a Windows Update, your system may download and install an incorrect driver, which may result in the computer freezing. You can check the status of drivers from Device Manager. Unplug your USB device, if connected. Power-on your computer and see if it works. If it does, good; otherwise you can restore your computer to an earlier configuration. System Restore will roll your system back to an earlier set of drivers.



You can find System Restore at Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore.



Inspect your Hard Disk Your hard disk is a storehouse of information, so when it gets used for a long duration it might get cluttered and patchy; this slows down the performance of your computer. Hence, use your Windows utility CHKDSK to scan and remove bad sectors on regular basis. It is the best preventive way of maintaining computer health.



Blue Screen of Death A more difficult time comes when your computer refuses to load any startup applications. In computer language, it is termed as "Blue-Screen of Death". There can be several causes behind this evil trauma. Let’s start with computer repair job.



Hardware Issues Any hardware conflicts can lead to this problem. Hence, if you have done any hardware replacement make sure that it’s up to the specification of your motherboard.



Rogue Programs These days, the Internet is flooded with a range of malicious programs such as spyware, adware and Trojans. These gain access to your computer through loopholes in application software or in the operating system. To eliminate these programs and fix your computer, scan with a compatible anti-virus program.



Registry Errors The Windows Registry holds information regarding hardware and software settings on your computer. If a malicious program corrupts the Registry, it may result in a blue screen error.



These problems could be fixed either manually, by editing the Registry directly, or with third-party software that can check and repair a corrupted Registry. Always back up the Registry before attempting to edit it.


Tags: pc repair help, free pc help, pc home help, computer problems, how to fix a computer, pc help, fix pc, pc doctor, slow computers, pc troubleshooting .



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How to Reduce Computer Repair Costs

Increased computer usage is likely to increase the computer repair costs. Here are some simple methods for reducing such costs.

1. Run a disk defragmentation tool. This enhances the computers performance as well as taking pressure off the hard drive.

Check Out My Favourite tools below

- Advanced System Care

- CCleaner

- WinUtilities


2. Remove any programs that you don't need anymore. There are programs available for this function but the two blow are some of the best out there.

- IObit Uninstaller

- Revo Uninstaller


3. Use a good antivirus and make sure it is switched on. there are alot of good free AntiVirus Software but i can recommend you to a few.

- Panda AntiVirus

- Bitdefender AntiVirus

- Avast AntiVirus

- Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

- AVG AntiVirus


4. Use a good antispyware program. Protecting your computer from damaging spyware, adware and malware is crucial to make sure your PC runs as quickly as possible whilst at the same time ensuring that your information isn't compromised. i know i already listed Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is the antivrus category but its still a good antispyware program


5. Run a registry cleaner regularly.

- CClearner


6. Learn to do simple self-repair work. Read up on ways that you can fix simple problems with your computer.

7. Be careful when downloading files from the internet.

8. Be careful with your computer. Don't punch it or slam in the disc drive. Don't stick things inside the openings on your computer.

How To Use CCleaner

Sunday 21 February 2016

Scams to watch out for in 2016!!



The (BBB) Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island is getting the word out on the top 10 frauds and scams to watch for in 2016. The BBB has put together a list of the most reported scams of 2015 and is offering tips on how consumers can protect themselves from becoming a victim.

CRA Collection Scam – Aggressive telemarketers pretending to represent the Canadian Revenue Agency used aggressive and threatening tactics to scare taxpayers into paying a fictitious tax return debt. Victims were told they must make payment immediately by credit card (regular or pre-paid) or face court charges, jail or deportation.

Consumer Tip: Know that the CRA will never request payment for taxes by a prepaid credit card, nor will they ask you for private information that you would not already have included on your tax return such as your passport, health card or driver’s licence numbers. CRA will never leave personal information in a message, nor ask you to leave a message containing personal information.


Unclaimed Prize Scam – Automated phone recordings pretending to come from legitimate airlines, hotels or vacation booking agents lured consumers into believing they were eligible to win a vacation prize. When consumers tried to claim the prize they were connected to an operator that insisted on acquiring personal and credit card information in order to secure the winnings. No prize winnings were ever received.

Consumer Tip: Before giving out any personal information to “claim” a prize, ask to see the details of the prize in writing and carefully read the fine print. Some vacation prize giveaways may cost you more than you are willing to pay.


Computer Virus Telemarketing Scam – Consumers were aggressively targeted (by phone, email and online pop-ups) by fraudsters who inform them that their computer had been infected with a virus. In order to “fix” the problem, the victim is directed to a website, asked to provide their credit card information as payment, and told to download an anti-virus program.

Consumer Tip: Computer manufacturers will not contact you to let you know if there is a problem with your computer. Computer upgrades, maintenance and virus scanning are the responsibility of the computer owner. Treat all unsolicited contact with skepticism.


Imposters Phishing Scam – Many computer virus and phishing scams masquerade as the emails or websites of legitimate businesses and organizations. Using the logo and good name of reputable charities, non-profits, banks, government agencies and businesses, scam artists send out a variety of legitimate looking, but fake links designed for you to click on so that they can install malware on your computer or steal your private information (such as passwords and account information).

Consumer Tip: Never open an email, click on any links, or download any files unless you are certain you understand the reason you are receiving the email. If at any time you think you might have become the victim of a phishing or other computer, email or Internet scam, be sure to have your computer scanned by a trusted computer repair professional to see if any malware is present.


Vacation Rental Scam – Tourists renting condos or homes from private individuals found themselves out-of-luck and out of money when vacation rentals were fake, in disrepair, promised more than they offered or were unexpectedly canceled with no refund.

Consumer Tip: To avoid vacation nightmares, consumers should do careful research and work with a reliable professional rental agent to locate a vacation home rental. Get everything in writing and carefully read the fine print before making a deposit. Whenever possible pay with a credit card.


Fraudulent Kiosk Vendor – Customers reported dissatisfaction with products and services provided by transient kiosk vendors. Often found at markets, festivals, fairs and shopping plazas, kiosk vendors represent a wise range of large and small businesses, some legitimate and some not. A scammer, operating a temporary kiosk and using the name of a legitimate business, tricked victims into paying for services that were never rendered.

Consumer Tip: Before you make a purchase at a kiosk be sure to ask about how you can contact the vendor should you need to. Ask them about their return and exchange policy. Be sure to get a written receipt that clearly outlines the product you are purchasing and the vendors contact information.


Smishing (SMS Phishing) – Bogus text messages are sent to victims in attempt to lure them into unknowingly agreeing to accept large monthly charges to their credit card or downloading a virus, or malware onto their smart phone or other mobile devices.

Consumer Tip: Don’t take the bait. Stay away from promotions with phrases like “exclusive,” “shocking” or “sensational” footage. Don’t click on any links in a text unless you are certain where it is going or what it is that you will be downloading. Don’t respond to text messages from unknown sources. Don’t fall for texted opportunities to win a prize.


Online Stranger Danger – Consumers using online second-hand shopping and social media sites have found themselves getting ripped off or giving out private information to a stranger. Rips offs usually include misrepresentation of the product, purchasing of a fake or broken product, paying too much or paying up front and never receiving the item.

Consumer Tip: When shopping online use extreme caution and make sure you truly understand who you are doing business with and the risk associated with doing business with strangers. Ask detailed questions about the product or service you want to purchase. If you need to meet to make an in person trade, be sure to do so in a public location or that another person is also around.


Helpful Harry/Helen – Homeowners and renters have found themselves in hot water after hiring helpful neighbours, local teenagers, or “in the area” contractors to assist with home, yard and vehicle maintenance. In some instances victims were simply ripped off, in others the work completed was of poor quality and cost more to repair or was never finished.

Consumer Tip: Before you hire anyone to help you with your home, yard or vehicle maintenance make sure they are qualified to do so. Outline in writing the expectations and details of the work to be completed, as well as a payment schedule. Don’t pay in full until the work has been completed as agreed upon. Make sure that the person you hire has sufficient insurance to cover any accidents.


Counterfeit Merchandise – The Internet is filled with online stores and auction sites marketing alluring, cheaply priced, counterfeit products being pitched as the real thing. Legitimate Gucci handbags and Rolex watches do not come cheap, no matter what the sale price. Before you buy any product online, be sure you know the difference between a real and a fake.

Consumer Tip: The key to protecting yourself from eShopping swindles is to do your research, understand the product and always know who you are doing business with. Just like you would with a bricks and mortar business you want to know you can trust the seller. Be sure to use a secure payment system like a credit card or electronic escrow service. Visit bbb.org to look up business reviews for online stores across North America.

 SaanichNews

Monday 13 July 2015

Quick Fix For A Scratched Monitor



I'll be honest with you, i was one of those people who was afraid of tempering with expensive gadgets or any other form technology without getting an expect opinion, but one thing i noticed years back is that sometimes the solutions to some of our problems are right in front of us.

Scratches on your computer monitor can be distracting when you're trying to get something done on it. While you could take your screen into an expensive repair store who will tell you lies about ordering a new screen blah blah blah, there's actually a much cheaper way to fix it using a beauty product that's probably sitting in your home right now.





Learn how to make scratches disappear in a flash, check out the video above. Why pay anything when you have a lint-free cloth and a jar of Vaseline at home? Thank me later.

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Why Is It Important To Use System Repair Software To Repair Your PC



Everyone has had a point where some part of their computer system has had a problem or failure. At these times many may either resort to using computer professionals or attempting to repair the systems themselves. Unfortunately, hiring a computer professional to repair your computer system can be expensive. To make matters worse, if you attempt to fix the problem without enough knowledge, then you may end up damaging your system further. Then you really will need a professional. In my past, I have repaired many systems where their owners had tried to “fix” them on their own. Inadvertently the well-meaning owners ended up making problems far worse. Fortunately there is a less expensive way to deal with many system problems.

What to Look for in System Repair Software

There are many system repair programs that can help a system owner to diagnose, understand, and even repair a system’s problems. While none can complexly fix a system all the time, many can fix more commonly found problems. In order to find the best, we've reviewed the best system repair software. Each product was evaluated based on the following criteria:

Features
What type of features are included with the program? Is there a wide range of features or just a few? The best system repair programs have a wide range of tools to help diagnose a large range of potential problems.
Interface
Is the program easy to use and understand? Is the information presented understandable? Some system repair programs may be too difficult to understand for everyday users without advanced system knowledge. A good program will offer guidance and easy-to-understand terms. Even if a system problem is complex, the user should be able to have some type of understanding about the issue and how to solve it.

Performance
The best system repair programs are fast at completing their different tasks. Diagnosing and analyzing system problems can take time, but some programs may take far longer than others at diagnosing a potential problem. On the other hand, some programs may test systems at a faster rate but miss important problems. A well balanced program will be able to quickly analyze a system thoroughly for many possible problems.

Updates
One of the most important aspects of any system application is the level of support in the form of updates. New features, updates, and even security changes all require the ability for a system repair program to be updated either automatically or manually.

Help and Support
Many computer owners will need some type of guidance when using a system repair program. Sometimes there are system problems that are simply beyond the ability of any program to solve. There may be system compatibility problems or new features that are not covered by the program’s manual. Many companies offer online support in the form of email help and even discussion boards for posting questions for others to answer.
Regardless of which system repair program utilized, a system owner always needs to have realistic understanding about these programs. They are not automatic system professionals that solve any problem. While they can help to diagnose and repair common system problems, there are countless other problems that may require greater assistance. On the other hand, a system repair program can be a good front line of defense against many problems such as registry errors, system file corruption, or fragmented hard drives. System repair software can also educate users about their systems, and the overall value can far outweigh their initial costs.

Saturday 11 April 2015

Five of the best system rescue tools



Most malware doesn't intentionally set out to damage your PC , that's bad for business - the authors want their creations to stay hidden, so your system remains infected for as long as possible. But whether it's through programming bugs, partial clashes with antivirus software or other reasons, a serious infection can sometimes trash your PC to the point where Windows will no longer boot. And what do you do then

Fear not. Here are five free downloads that will allow you to create CDs or USB drives that you can boot your system from as well as letting you locate and remove the malware.



Paragon Rescue Kit 11 Free Edition

Paragon Rescue Kit 11 Free Edition is a professional disaster recovery toolkit that could be all you need to get an unbootable PC working again. The software comes in the form of an ISO file, which the setup program will burn to CD or DVD. Boot your PC from this instead and you'll launch a collection of essential troubleshooting tools.
Download It HERE!!

 

Norton Bootable Recovery Tool 3.5

Download the Norton Bootable Recovery Tool Wizard via another system, and it'll quickly create a CD, DVD or USB flash drive containing stand-alone Norton antivirus tools. Boot your stricken PC from this, and it'll scan for infections, attempt to remove them and repair any damage, and your system could be back in working order in just a few minutes.
Download It HERE!!

AVG Rescue CD

The AVG Rescue CD is a bootable ISO image that comes with a range of tools to help you clean up a virus-infected PC, fix hard drive problems, and get an unbootable system working again.
Burn the disc to a CD, boot from it, and the integrated antivirus engine will attempt to update itself over the internet, or using a local folder. You can then run a full system scan to check for threats. And as any infection won't be active (because you've booted from the CD, not your PC), it won't be able to interfere or hide from the scan, and the chances of a successful cleanup are correspondingly much higher.
Download It HERE!!

 

Avira AntiVir Rescue System

Avira AntiVir Rescue System is a Linux-based boot disc that will detect and remove malware from a damaged PC. Booting from a separate CD means that stealthy malware like rootkits will find it more difficult to hide, and you'll have a much better chance of detecting and removing them.
Dowload It HERE!!

 

System Rescue CD 2.1.1

System Rescue CD is a mini-Linux distribution on a CD that can be used to recover or repair a broken system. Although it is a Linux system, it can be used to repair Windows computers then..
 Download It HERE!!

Tuesday 17 March 2015

The Next Wave Of Malware Might Kill More Than Just Your PC







Ransomware is the biggest threat that has ever hit customers says Bogdan Botezatu, senior threat analyst at Bitdefender, and worse is coming according to him.

"It is ironic that encryption, a technology designed to keep us safe, is being used against the customer," he said. Encryption-based ransomware is essentially someone transforming your files into a mish-mash of bytes that need a key to be translated.

And it is only the perpetrator that can provide you with that key – for a fee. "Interestingly, most of the time they are giving the encryption key to the victim if they pay," Bogdan added, "except when they go to jail first."

And don't think that ransomware is limited to desktops only. Yes, it is very prevalent in that segment because customers tend to take security very lightly (think Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6) but the threat is very rapidly coming to mobile.

Only one in fifty smartphones on the market have antivirus protection, and devices older than two years are unlikely to get any sort of updates or patches especially as Google, smartphone makers and network carriers are all part of the equation.

What can be done to mitigate this threat? Well, installing an antivirus program on your devices – any sort of antivirus – would help. Most of them are free, either on mobile or desktop.

Keeping it up to date and upgrading your operating system would be a good thing, too. Backups are also a very good idea. With cloud-based storage now available almost by default on most recent devices, ransomware is yet another powerful incentive to get the end user backing up.

"Backup as often as possible as ransomware can hit anytime even if you're not doing anything wrong," our interlocutor warned. "Because ransomware developers are very apt at using zero-day exploits, you don't even need to click to get the payload."

Sometimes just browsing a website is enough to be infected. Add to that the fact that ransomware has resurrected an old technique called polymorphism and one starts to grasp the challenges faced by security experts on a daily basis.

"Each piece of ransomware has its own unique ID, every single one of them is different from the other one. The more you rely on polymorphism, the more you can evade traditional antivirus solutions."

He then quoted a worrying figure: 2,000 is the number of ransomware files uploaded in one day by hackers to VirusTotal, a free service that checks whether a file is a virus or not by matching it against a malware database from more than 40 antivirus solutions.

None of these files were in the database, which is why relying on behaviour analysis rather than just analysing a file is where the industry is heading.

The boom in ransomware can be attributed, Bogdan said, to the more mature encryption technologies as well as the wide availability of DIY kits that allow you to, well, build your own ransomware factory and start taking people's data hostage.

He also cited the death of three people, all suicides that are directly linked to ransomware. All three chose to end their lives rather than giving in to ransomware criminals.


But the worst is yet to come. The rise of the Internet of Things could provide ransomware developers with a much bigger and potentially lucrative "audience".

Want to continue using that pacemaker of yours? Please pay in Bitcoins only. How about saving your house from an impending blaze? That would be a few more Bitcoins."There's no cure to ransomware and it could change the face of cybercrime forever," Bogdan concluded..




Check out TechRadar for more tech news!!

Sunday 24 August 2014

Reasons to try out (Amigabit PowerBooster) One Of The Best Free System Optimizer Software








Amigabit PowerBooster is a program used to do a complete maintenance on your computer, seeking to improve the overall system performance. With it, you will be able to remove temporary files, clean records, delete old shortcuts and perform a series of operations to organize Windows.

It offers many applications oriented to make a series of minor maintenance on the computer, with the aim of improving the overall performance of computer. Besides, the language exchange is an easy action in this software, which would be convenient for users from different countries.

The program interface is clean, well organized and distributes its functions in different tabs, making a grouping into categories and making it easy to locate an option. Another positive point of the application is the fact that everything is very easily applied: simply check the desired options and click the activation button to run it.

You do not need technical knowledge to understand the execution of the main function and maintenance tools.
Click HERE for more info!!

Sunday 17 August 2014

Java blocking for Internet Explorer postponed by Microsoft after IT complains



Java blocking within Internet Explorer has been postponed by Microsoft, and they will now give customers a little less than another month to deal with the unexpected change. Microsoft notified customers running Windows 7 and Windows 8 that it was pushing back the switch-on date for blocking outdated ActiveX controls.
They characterized the blocking as a security improvement though,but rival browsers have had similar or even more aggressive tools for years and said it would add other ActiveX controls to the banned list over time.


IE11 ActiveX control blocking 
 
 
Microsoft rolled out a tool for blocking outdated ActiveX controls in IE8 through IE11 last week, but now it won't flip the activation switch until Sept. 9.