Preferred
By Carolyn B September 28, 2016
I bought several items here and although they are several months old already, the customer support is still amazing whenever I have a query on the items. ...read more
By RichardRizk December 04, 2012
I just love Kenn ( 2 n) ! He is all about fixing what is fixable and being honest about what will be too expensive to fix. He is an honest expert who is a pleasure to deal with. I rely on him and his staff for my computer needs. You should too. Attorney Richard Rizk www.rizklaw.com ...read more
By MMLover August 13, 2012
If you want to send your money to California, have at it, but for my money not only keeping the dollars local but interacting with a company that cares more about me as a customer and provides services that aren't so biased toward Apple itself is far more important. These guys are always friendly and helpful. They've taken stuff back from me without any problem, so the only other ancient review on here certainly isn't indicative of the way they do business... ...read more
Virus Protection.The number one reason I see computers come into my shop is for Virus Removal.If you are connected to the internet, you need virus protection. AVS (Anti Virus Systems) have just become one of those necessary things you need to have in order to be able to operate effeciently. What makes things worse, is that you can't depend on them 100% - the virus writers are constantly trying to find ways around them, so you also have to use some common sense. Don't open attachment from people you don't know. Don't click on links that are "shortened". If you get a pop-up, don't stop to read it, close it.All of these things will help you keep you computer clean of bugs and out of my shop. Backup, backup, backupI just can't say this enough. Any data you cannot afford to lose should be on at least two separate physical drives. I personally highly recommend the "cloud" solutions. My company is working with an outside vendor to provide secure, encrypted backup for your personal files ($10/month for the first 25G of storage), but if not us, consider a service like Mozy or Carbonite. It's fast,automaticand you don't have to think about it.Otherwise, CD/DVD or external harddrives would be my recommendation. I don't recommend flash drives (memory sticks) simply because of how easily they are lost and the failure rate they have. The problem with these methods is that you have to establish the habit of updating your backups, and then stick to it! Having a six-month old backup is better than nothing ... but not a lot.If you don't have a backup system in place NOW, then you need to take action. Drive SpaceDo keep at least 30% of your C: drive free for Windows to use. Once your get over the 70% mark on your hard drive, the system starts having to work harder, which results in your system getting slower. The fuller your drive gets, the more that overhead will affect your system performance.The good news is that you don't need a new computer! Just a new hard drive. :) Power ProtectionI highly recommend that you purchase a Surge Protector or UPS for your computer equipment. One of the common hardware repairs I see is power supply replacement, where the power supply for your computer is acting as a fuse to protect the rest of the computer from a spike coming through the power lines ... and fuses, as you may know, only work once.Then you replace them.A UPS (uninteruptable power supply) will keep your computer from crashing during power outages, and will protect your computer from low and high voltage occurrences. An UPS is far superior to a surge protector and will save your computer from almost any type of power disaster. (See #1 above for what happens when your computer crashes.)This is what I recommend for my business customers and prices on these devices have fallen to the point where they really should be part of your home computer equipment as well.Keep in mind that the battery in a UPS will eventually fail, so you will have to replace them every couple of years. And the ability for any device, UPS or simple surge protector, to shield you from power spikes does degrade over time - so even if you don't get the UPS, you should replace your surge protector every few years as well. Shut your system down properlyYes, someones it's faster to just pull the plug or hold the power button down until the computer blinks off... but every time you are doing that, you are roling the dice. If at all possible, only turn your computer off with the power switch until Windows has shut down.The one exception to this rule is when your computer locks up and your hard drive is not running (hard drive light is not blinking). In this situation, you can turn the power off without harmful effects to the hard drive. As cutting the power can also result in lost data or Windows files, you should only do this when you have to.Following this rule will prevent permanent hard drive defects caused by the hard drive heads contacting the surface of the drive disc, and it will prevent a host of Windows problems.Whenever possible, recover from crashes by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time. Press them again to reboot your computer. Startup ProgramsDo not let a lot of programs load up when you start your computer. They use valuable memory and Windows Resources (Windows internal workspace).All programs in your Windows System Tray (in the lower left of your screen) are running on your computer. Close them if you don't need them or run them and configure them not to load when you boot up.Other programs running in the background can be found by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time. Clean your computerOnce or twice a year, more often if you have a dusty environment, invest in a can of compressed air, pop your system open and blow it out. Pay special attention to any heat sinks (Processor and GPU spring to mind) and to the power supply. Keep the nozzle at least two inches from what you are targeting and, more importantly, DON'T LET THE NOZZLE TOUCH ANY COMPONENTS!Static, you see ... Keep your disks.Keep track of the software disks you receive with your computer and new peripherals. These disks contain valuable software drivers and programs for Windows and are needed when Windows must be reloaded. Keep these disks and your Windows software disks in a safe, dry, place -- you never know when you will need them. ...read more
By Geekoids August 01, 2011
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20062597-263.html Yes, I am late out of the gate to be talking about this, but I've been busy! ;) Technically, this isn't as big a threat to Mac users as it's PC equivalent has been for PC users. On the PC side, the software essentially installs itself, it doesn't so much need use interaction as user <b>non</b>-interaction. And once it's on your system, it can be a real pain to uninstall. Socially, however, it hits Mac users where they live. Mac users have been sold the idea that they are essentially immune to all the viruses that are out there - that it is a 'PC' problem. And so this virus, which essentially tells the user that they need to install it, gets past the security the MacOS has by having the user invite it in. The best analogy I can think of is a vampire, unable to get into a home, knocking on the door and asking the homeowner if they can come in. So, Mac users ... the honeymoon is over! If you are on the internet and suddenly a program asks for permission to install itself (or whatever, you can bet the virus writers will be disguising that request soon enough), THINK ABOUT IT. RIght now, the only remediation I know of is reinstalling the OS. From scratch. Cheers! Douglas =====================================================If you ever see a message or window in Safari or your e-mail client about your system's security being compromised, ignore it! Malware developers and scammers are increasingly focusing on OS X and working to trick Mac users with highly developed Trojan horse attempts, using both software and ominous-looking messages generated in Web browsers and e-mail clients. Recently some rather sophisticated Trojan horse scam software called MacDefender was discovered for OS X, and a similar attempt has surfaced with a Web-based malware-detection facade that tries to get you to download and install malware on your system. In a growing thread on the Apple Support Communities forum, commenters are describing the new attack attempt, in which an individual or small group (judging by IP addresses) is releasing Mac-focused malware to OS X users via e-mail and Web links. The malware is made available for download through a Web page that is entitled "Apple security center" and appears to be running a virus scan on the system. It will start listing files that are not on your system as the fake scan completes itself, and will display some statistics about the number of threats found. This may be a concern to people, but rest assured these are just scams to try to coerce you into installing malware and are nothing new. If you ever see a malware scanner suddenly pop up on your screen, here are some things to consider before giving it any credibility: Did you install it?While there are a number of security-based components to OS X, so far Apple has not developed and installed a full malware scanner with a user interface. The only option Apple provides is a feature called XProtect, which is a rudimentary malware scanner that will issue a warning when you try to open a file it suspects. Therefore, if you have not installed a full malware scanner there is no reason for one to run on your system. And if you have installed one, such as VirusBarrier X6, Norton, Kaspersky, or Sophos, you should recognize it as the package you have installed. Know what software you have installed on your system, and always download it from a reputable location only (such as the Mac App Store, a company Web page, or CNET's download.com). Is it a Web page?If a scanner suddenly appears in the foreground and starts showing activity, look in the top left of your screen next to the Apple menu to see what program is running in the foreground. If Safari, Mail, or another Web browser or e-mail client is running, try quitting it. If the scanner disappears after you do this then you'll know it was a scam. Both Safari and Mail will render Web content, and given the advancements in JavaScript and other Web-based scripting languages, a Web page can be made to look very much like a local application. However, keep in mind that anything running in your Web browser or e-mail client will have exceptionally limited access to your system. Therefore it will not be able to scan your system for files or malware, and it will shut down when the parent browser or e-mail client is quit. Do the "infected" files exist?These malware programs and sites tend to provide you with a list of "infected" files on your system. You can use Spotlight to perform a search for these files by name and see if they actually exist on your system, and whether attributes like file size match what the scanner is reporting (they likely will not). Is it ultimately asking you for something?If a legitimate malware scanner locates malware on your system, it will remove or quarantine it, and will not request you to download an update or pay for an upgrade to manage the located threats. Even if a scanner appears legitimate, if you find you have to provide something to the scanner in order for it to complete its job (even an admin password) then it should not be trusted. Overall, OS X is known to be virus-free and worm-free, but that does not mean it is malware-free, though to date all malware for OS X has been of the type that's installed by tricking the user. There are numerous types of malware, with the most common ones being Trojan horses, which like any false advertisements on the Web and in e-mail have been a plague for Internet users for years. ...read more
By Geekoids June 07, 2011
Portland Computer RepairYour Local Computer Repair Experts in Portland and surrounding areas. CompRite is your local desktop computer and laptop repair shop in the Portland Metro Area and Vancouver, Washington. CompRite's main focus is customer service. From the moment you walk in to any of our five stores, or when the technician arrives to your place of business, you will know you have made the right choice for all of yourPortland computer repair serviceneeds. We also sell new and used desktops, laptops, printers, monitors, parts, accessories and more. Visit your localPortland computer repair locationnear you! CompRite also now buys and sells new and used cell phones and cellular accessories.Please visitCompRite Used Cell Phones in Portland and Vancouver, WA. CompRite's repair technicians can also unlock your cellular phones to work on other networks, flash your cell phones to Cricket, and hook you up to Comcast cable internet and television service. We can also hook up your computer to your TV and give you the option of recording live TV on your computer. The company services all makes and models of computers including Dell, Toshiba, HP, Gateway, Apple, E-Machines, Lenovo, Sony, IBM, Acer, Compaq, MSI, Alienware and custom built machines. CompRite̢۪s approach to IT and computer repair services is very simple: identify the need, respond quickly, and deliver the RIGHT solution at a fair price.Did you delete your files accidently? Harddrive or computer stopped working? Need your files back? CompRite offers professional data recovery in Portland and Vancouver, WA. We will get your important data back!We offerLow Cost Computer Repair,Laptop Repair,Spyware Removal,Data Recovery,Malware Removal, andmake your computer faster services in Portland, OR CompRite is your one stop shop for all of your computer needs in Portland. Give us a call today at 503.928.3151 to schedule your service or drop in to any one of our five locations throughout the Portland Metro and Vancouver, WA areas. What are you waiting for? Come in today, and we'll make your computer faster too!Check out CompRite Computer Repair onFaceBook,Twitter, andYouTube ...read more
By Comprite - Computer Repair Portland, OR May 05, 2011
Running a computer repair business can be a lucrative business. Although many people feel that they have the ability to fix their own computers, few people actually possess the skills to fix a broken computer. Owning a computer repair business can help you tap into this growing group of people. ...read more
A laptop without sound is a laptop with very little value. Many of the simple tasks that we take for granted can no longer be accomplished without sound. But, before you send your Toshiba laptop off to a computer repair shop, make sure it is not a problem you can fix yourself. ...read more
