Tip of the Week

Whether it’s a Window desktop computer, a MacBook Laptop, or a smartphone there comes a point in time you need to do a scorched earth to fix an issue.  Most of have never had to reset their mobile device, but when it becomes necessary then here is my guide on how to do it and keep your data.

1. Make sure to back up your data by either saving it to your computer via the link cable or to a removable memory card.  As for your contact info you export that to either that same removable memory card or a sim card if the phone has one.
2. Next is to remove that memory card so it doesn’t accidentally get deleted in the reset. 
3. For most phones if you go to Settings, Applications or Storage; then select factor reset to start the process.  Once it starts don’t mess with it will take anywhere from 5-15 minutes depending on make and model.
4. Once the deed is done, the least fun part comes where you have to import everything back onto the phone which takes a few minutes.
5. If that doesn’t fix the issue then you may need to call tech support so they can try something from the backend of the phone, or call me.

Mobile Apps for the Busy Professional

For the busy professional on the go it’s important to stay connected, to not just your employees, clients, but your files as well.  I have found this to be true regardless of working from home, in an office, or on the go.  With all the apps out there how do you choose one that will keep you and yours connected? There’s an app available for both Android and Apple users that’s developed by Google; meet Quickoffice.  Google acquired it back in June 2012 and has now made it free to use.  It’s similar to working with Microsoft Office; in that you can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and there really is no learning curve to using it.  Just like with Office you can also save files in common Office file formats which allows you and others to view or edit it using Microsoft Office.  Or save your files to “the cloud” using Google Drive, which then allows collaboration with anyone and access from anywhere, from any device.

Why Does My Computer Freeze

That's what most of us try when a program stops working or a webpage doesn't load.  It's a problem that happens to every computer (Mac's included), tablet, and smartphone out there.  So why does it happen and how can I solve it.  The two main culprits is either the hardware and/or the software, as to how to fix it can be done very simply.

First off, hardware is the internal stuff like your CPU, RAM, or Hard-Drive. It can also be external stuff like USB enabled devices like; mouse, keyboard, printers and external hard-drives.  The most common hardware problem I've found is not having enough RAM memory to run more than one program.  Most memory sticks are cheap, but if you find that you can't add more memory in a later post I'll show how to increase your memory.  Another common issue is a hard drive that is almost full.  If you can either move files to an external drive or a CD/DVD then that should help, but if you still see problems in a later post I'll show you how to clean up your drive to get the most space out of it.  For the more uncommon hardware issues that can cause a computer to freeze up is when a piece of hardware doesn't have the right software for it or it's not compatible with your system.  Its best to contact your manufacturer on what products would play well with your system before purchasing it.


Now software is trickier to pin point as to the cause of the freeze because it could be the operating software, a program you purchased/came with the system, or the driver software for the latest hardware you just purchased..  A little background first, when a program is created it has to be tested and cleaned of any bugs that the developer finds during testing.  Almost every piece of software released has bugs in it and for the most part they are harmless.  But some bugs could be the cause of the freeze when you try to do certain tasks or actions.  When the software causes a freeze you would see the above image, do send the report to the developer so they can fix it.  Sometimes its the operating system with all the updates that are sent and uploaded without you knowing, I'll show you in another post how to control that so you know what's going on and why it's important to know.

Speed up a Windows System

With Windows 7, Vista, or XP you can do a number of things to help speed up your system without spending money.  First would be to run a program called "services" that allows you to see all the programs that are fighting at startup.  You can turn off most of them and some Windows ones that aren't necessary.  The second thing would be to run another program called "disk cleanup" that allows you to see all the system files, internet cookies, recycle bin, and cache files that can be deleted.  It's good to get rid of these files to free up space on the hard drive.  The third thing would be to find all those programs you haven't used in over a month and uninstall them.  This will free up space on the hard drive and drive won't have to look as hard for stuff.

Why Computers

So why get into computers? I got into it because there is a need for those who like technology and understand how it works. Whether its a computer, tablet, smartphone, or gaming system I like working on them and helping clients figure out how to make their products work smarter for them and not harder.  I'll show you how to speed up your system, upgrade, repair, and be in the know for what's coming.