March 29, 2010
Microsoft has published an article with some tips of working smarter and getting your work done a little quicker. Some are great for laptops (power management tips) and others are more general. Take a look, I’m sure there is something for you.
If you have any questions about the article, give us a call at Top PC Support and we will answer any technology questions you may have.
March 25, 2010
Microsoft has published an article with some essential shortcuts, some as basic as Ctrl-C/V for Copy/Paste to windows management, taskbar management and more. Check it out here and as always, if you have any windows 7 questions, please leave a comment and I will get back to you.
March 11, 2010
Microsoft is not always associated with “security” but their latest Security Newsletter contains some articles regarding wireless security which are good.
3 Basic tips for your home wireless network
4 Basic tips for using public wireless networks (Wi Fi)
Security tips for Bluetooth devices
For a network security review, or for any network questions, head on over to Top PC Support to make an appointment for someone to come to your home or business.
March 5, 2010
The jkOnTheRun blog has a good article on how to stretch the battery life on your laptop. Dimming the screen is a no-brainer, but who would have thought to put a movie on a USB drive (or SD card if your laptop has a universal card reader). Turning off Blue Tooth and other hardware is also very important and will save battery time.
If you have any questions on how to perform any of these actions, leave a comment and I can address it there! Or go to Top PC Support and contact us to make an appointment for a one-on-one consultation.
March 3, 2010
Lifehacker has a great post about the Windows Registry. The registry is a database of all Windows Operating System settings and application settings. If it gets corrupt, it can stop Windows from booting and you may have to reinstall Windows. For many reasons, typical users should leave the registry alone, but there are times when it should be “cleaned”. For those times, it may be best to call in a professional.
If you have any registry questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will provide answers.
February 9, 2010
If your PC or laptop is still covered by the manufacturers warranty, you are usually better off calling them for hardware support or if something is broken, and the parts will be repaired at no charge. For software issues, you can call them, but their instructions to you over the phone may be confusing. Software issues are best handled in person, in front of the keyboard.
PC Word published a “Top Tech Support Survival Tips” article, reprinted at the Washington Post, that can guide you through some steps and make it less painful.
If all that sound like too much, give us a call at Top PC Support and we will diagnose your problem. If the computer is still under warranty, we can help you through the warranty process with your vendor.
January 28, 2010
I’ve had a few questions regarding the life (and how to prolong it) of laptop batteries recently, so I figured I’d post a couple of links with great information:
The care and feeding of Li-Ion batteries from the Tech Republic blog
How to prolong lithium-based batteries from Battery University
January 25, 2010
Microsoft has a good article that talks about some of the personalization options in Windows 7. They include themes, desktop background picture, screen resolution and gadgets.
If you have any questions about these topics, feel free to leave a comment or give us a call at Top PC Support.
January 11, 2010
Did you just receive an error message opening an Excel spreadsheet? STOP RIGHT THERE! HP has three tips for possibly recovering your important data. Hopefully one of those steps will get you going again. Similar procedures will also work with Microsoft Word.
If you need any other data recovery services, give us a call at Top PC Support. We will analyze the situation and let you know if we can recover your files, or if your drive needs to be sent to a data recovery specialist. However, you will need to make a decision based on how important those files are. Some data recovery services can cost thousands of dollars. All the more reason for backups for your important files such as documents, pictures, music, video, etc.
We can help with backup solutions as well.
January 8, 2010
Here’s a great article over at the Microsoft Clubhouse from a user who upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7. He describes the changes in the user interface and there are plenty of pictures to show you the new look.
If you have any Windows 7 questions, or are looking to upgrade to this version, head on over to Top PC Support and make an appointment for a home or office visit.
