Spring has finally arrived and many of you have already started spring cleaning. This is a good time to also have a look at spring cleaning your computers.
Recently we have had a large number of computers and laptops that have been brought in to our store that have crashed due to a simple lack of cleaning. The fans have been choked up with dust and debris causing the processor to overheat and finally shut down. This is a photo of one of the computers.
A can of air only costs $5.99 and if you are a do-it-yourself type of person you can watch the video on how to clean a pc on our website under computer tips http://www.impresscomputers.com/content/view/51/93/
If this seems like too much hassle you can always bring it in and we will clean it for you for $20.00
Once you have covered the physical cleaning you will also want to look at the software side of your computer.
1. Check your antivirus to make sure that it's up-to-date. At the moment we are recommending Microsoft Security Essentials which is a free download. We have the link on our website under software downloads
Remember you can only have one active anti virus program, so you will need to uninstall your existing Anti Virus program
2. Next check to make sure that your windows operating system is up to date (Start; All programs, Windows Update) and that your Java and Adobe are up to date. There are a lot of viruses that can infiltrate your computer if you do not keep all of these programs up to date. If you do not use Java it would be better to have Java uninstalled rather than having an out-of-date Java. Most of the computers coming in with virus infections do not have all of these updates and the viruses have slipped past their anti virus program.
3. Do a disk clean up and defrag. (Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools - disk cleanup and then defrag)
If your computer suddenly pops up with a Virus warning that it is infected with all kinds of infections - DO NOT CLICK ANYWHERE ON THE POP-UP. The chances are you have been infected with a Rogue Fake Anti Virus. The best thing to do is hit ATL F4 to close that window. If it doesn't close turn off your computer by hitting the power button once. Start your computer in safe mode (by pressing F8 on start up), do a disk clean up and deep scan with your anti virus.
If this doesnt work you can always do a system restore to an earlier date. (Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools System Restore.) If the system restore to an earlier date is not available then the virus has already disabled this function and you will have to bring the computer in.
You can be surfing along and suddenly a window pops up in your browser telling you that you have all kinds of infections and to click here and they will make it all go away. Actually, they will make it worse. This is Rogue Security Software in action. There are two things you can do - first press ALT and F4 on your keyboard (at the same time) and do not click on the window. If this does not work, you want to do a manual shutdown of your computer. Go to the on/off button and press the button once. This should set the shut down in motion and may take a few minutes to switch off completely - do not do anything untiil it is completely off. Do not go near the pop-up with your mouse as this can activate the Rogue. Better safe than sorry.
I would then recommend starting your computer in safe mode (by hitting F8 when it is starting up), then doing a "disk cleanup", followed by a deep scan with your anti virus software.
If you have any queries you should phone us on 281.647.9977
Computer Tips on Keeping your pc and laptop running fast and virus Free!
1. As a general rule do not trust any link. There are a lot of scams going on that look very real. These may seem to be from/related to Facebook, a bank, or a shipping company like Fedex, UPS, or DHL. WHen you click on a link they take you to a different location and your computer end up with an infection. Instead of clicking on the link it is safer to go directly to the correct website and enter your search, tracking number etc
2. Do not trust attachments, especially .zip files. If you click on the attachment it will unzip the program and infect your computer with a virus. We see a lot of emails doing the rounds that are pretending to be from UPS, FEDEX or DHL that states that they have been unable to deliver a package and that you need to click on the attachment. Again, the best thing to do is go directly to UPS etc and enter your tracking number. DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT.
The email might also claim to be from a leading store and states that you have made a purchase. If you want to cancel the transaction then they want you to open the attachment. This is a scam and should be deleted. If you are unsure you should check directly with your bank.
3. FAKE ANTI VIRUSES are on the increase. These come in the form of spyware or pop-ups initially and make you beleive that your computer is infected. If you click on the OK, Scan or even the "x" or close button, your computer will be infected with a virus. It has many different names, "ANTI VIRUS PRO 2009", "ANTI VIRUS PRO 2010" and similar variations. Once they infect your computer it will try and scam you into giving them your credit card details to "fix" all of the "errors" that it has found.
To try and avoid these problems, when you first get the pop up try pressing ALT and F4 or "CONTROL and W" to close the window, or shut the pc down. Reboot the computer in safe mode by hitting F8 during the start up process and select Safe Mode. You should then clean your temporary internet files and run your anti virus / spyware program.
4. Clean your temporary internet files regularly. You do this by clicking on Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup and check all the boxes.
5. Keep your anti virus and anti spyware up-to-date and check on it periodically. We recommend using Microsoft Security Essentials which has both anti virus and anti spyware components to it and doesnt slow your pc down like a lot of other programs tend to do. For more details check out
6. Stay away from "busy" site that have a lot of advertising on them. Avoid downloading Free Music, Free Video, Free Screen Savers and site containing Adult Material.
Good, Safe internet usage is one of the best ways of staying Virus and Spyware Free
Adding a Printer to the Home Wireless Network
1. On the main computer that is connected to the printer. Go to Control Panel – The Printers and Faxes. Right Click on the printer that you want to share. Click on Share the Printer.
Step 2. On the computer or laptop that you want to add the printer, click on START the RUN and type in \\”computer name” of the computer that is connected to the printer. If you do not know the computer name, go to that computer and right click on “my computer” – left click on “properties” and click on “computer name”
Step 3. Right click on the shared printer that comes up and click on “connect”
