Computer Support Blog

To prevent the inevitable computer repair that a hard drive failure demands, it is essential to develop a regular, orderly method of backing up your hard drive data.  There are many services that offer data recovery once a hard drive or data storage device fails, but prevention is the best method for keeping data safe and secure.

Hard drives, like cars, light bulbs and textbooks, are designed to fail and be replaced.  The industry of data recovery, data storage, and computer repair exists because of the planned obsolescence of the hard drive and other components.  Despite leaps forward in recent years in devices for data recovery and storage, the magnetic medium of the hard drive remains the standard in computers.  With data recovery a problem for most computer operators and computer repair coming most often as a sudden, unbudgeted expense, prevention is the best way to survive the loss of your data from hard drive failure.

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By most accounts, Apple’s iPhone 4S is a device beautifully made—elegant, powerful, and sophisticated. Many people even consider its price tag (if bought with two-year contract) to be quite attractive, too. What’s not getting the best reviews, though, is its battery life, at least that was the case until Thursday. Apple issued a software upgrade for the iPhone’s OS to take care of some of the battery problems. Still, what appeared to be a smooth and speedy response by Apple has many users complaining that the upgrade has exasperated the problem.

Quickly after Apple’s iPhone 4 hit the shelves, users started to complain about antenna problems. Holding the phone in a certain way (covering the lower left side) caused reception to drop by a few bars. Even now, there does not seem to be any true consensus among users and technology experts about what caused the problem or even how serious it was. Regardless, in the smooth way that Apple has long since mastered, the company dealt with the problem by offering refunds or free corrective covers for those who wanted them.

Similarly, a few days after users got a chance to play with the new iPhone 4S, battery-related problems started to emerge. Users complained that the battery life was unusually short. Apple then announced that the battery problems were related to a software bug that caused the phone to use up power even when it didn’t need to, and that it was working on providing a tech support software update.

Many users were hoping that the patch would bring out the panoramic photo capacity that tech-savvy users discovered hidden in the phone’s OS, but according to All Things D, this hasn’t happened, though it almost certainly will in the near future.

The battery problems with the iPhone 4S have been a hot topic for a while now, especially since some users are reporting that the upgrade has created new problems related to Wi-Fi connectivity and microphone usage. Luckily for Apple, the problems seem to be software related, unlike the antenna related ones, which means their fix will be a lot cheaper. Thursday’s update is available both over-the-air and through iTunes and involved no costly recalls or free case giveaways.

As for users who are still experiencing problems with the iPhones, a little patience will go a long way. Apple will certainly provide more and more updates as they become necessary. Indeed, most users are probably still too busy drooling over their new phones that they’re not too upset at being iPhone lab rats.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Perhaps no other communication device gets as much physical wear and tear as these mini-computers do. Smartphones are often glued to their users’ hands. They’re an extra appendage and often an active member in a conversation. With the increasingly active role that smartphones play in our lives, it’s hard to keep them sheltered and scratch-free for long. Odds are, a significant number of 4S iPhones could already use some kind of iPhone computer repair. Even though advanced technology is by no means a novelty anymore, we should still not take it for granted. In other words, there’s no need to be careless with our smartphones just because we all use them!

When it comes to smartphone computer repairs, here’s a list of the worse three offenders.

Coins and Keys: You’re probably thinking, how exactly do keys or coins induce smartphone computer repairs? The key (no pun intended) to seeing how these culprits cause their harm is by looking at their long-term effects. Keys can scratch a smartphone’s touch screen, causing it to require smartphone computer repairs. The same goes for coins. Computer repair work for screens can be costly because it sometimes involves replacing more than just the screen. To avoid screen-related computer repair work, avoid putting your keys, coins and smartphone in the same pocket.

Water: Though waterproof phones are on their way, they’re not here just yet. Until then, water damage is still one of the most common problems requiring smartphone computer repairs. An accidental coffee or drink spill can require serious smartphone computer repair. It’s often cheaper to buy a new phone than to pay for smartphone computer repairs.

Drops: As fun as it may seem to drop smartphones and watch them break, such a practice is best watched on YoutTube and not imitated. In real life, dropping a smartphone can cause serious damage that requires costly smartphone computer repairs. Drops can crack a screen, damage the internal hardware or damage the camera lens, all things that require professional computer repair. Protect your smartphone with a sturdy cover in case it does fall. The money you spend on a case is almost certainly going to be less than what you’ll spend on smartphone computer repairs.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

The debate over turning computers off or leaving them on continues to come up every once in a while. Regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, everyone involved is merely trying to provide the best kind of computer support and avoid the need for costly laptop repairs. Leaving a laptop on all the time isn’t a great practice, but it’s also not a bad one. How you should approach the issue depends on your needs and work habits.

One of the most commonly cited reasons for keeping computers on all the time is a fear of the effects of internal temperature fluctuations. Some people fear that frequent temperature changes can damage parts or cause connections to break, requiring professional laptop repair. So in the attempt to provide better computer support, people think it’s beneficial to always leave computers running. Sure, rapidly and consecutively turning a computer on and off can create long-term damage to some internal circuits which eventually requires professional laptop repair, but powering down your device once at the end of the day is not only harmless, but it also provides indirect computer support.

Leaving a computer running all the time means that its fan is constantly sucking in air dust. Eventually, the accumulation of dust and other dirt can coat a computer’s internal components and require professional laptop repair. Therefore, always leaving a computer on can create laptop repair issues related to overheating. By turning your computer off at night, at least, you are providing a precautionary form of computer support.

Turning a computer off at the end of the day is also an easy way to provide software computer support. Constantly running Windows allows poorly written software to clog up the RAM and system resources. Turning off your machine clears out the memory every day and starts up again with a fresh windows boot.

So for the most part, it’s not a bad idea to power down your device at night. There are some exceptions to this, though. If your computer is part of a work network, you might find it necessary to leave it on all the time in order to get network computer support that includes updates and security patches. Especially when a device is part of a network, it’s important to get strong anti-virus computer support to avoid threats to other devices in the network. Home laptops or computers also need the occasional computer support that comes from regular Microsoft and anti-virus software upgrades, which can delay the need to get professional laptop repairs.

In the end, a happy medium is the best approach. Leaving your laptop on all the time can waste energy, overheat it, and fill it with dust, eventually requiring professional laptop repair. At the same time, it may be necessary to leave a computer running through the night if it’s part of a network in order to get network computer support.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Smartphones, just like ordinary computers, need regular tech support and are certainly not immune to needing smartphone computer repairs. It’s not uncommon to delay getting smartphone computer repairs because we can’t part with our devices for more than a few hours. Still, when a smartphone remain without the right kind of tech support for long, smartphone computer repair may become inevitable.

To delay the need for expensive remedial tech support or smartphone computer repair, try to keep these tips in mind.

1)   Leave the heavy stuff for the pros—if the back cover of your smartphone is scratched, you probably don’t need any kind of serious smartphone computer repair. Simply buy a new cover and replace the damaged one. When the damage is more severe than a scratched cover, though, you’re better off not messing with your device and getting professional smartphone computer support. Internal hardware failure, especially, is not something you even want to try to fix. Trying to provide your own smartphone computer repair can end up costing you more than a professional smartphone computer repair service.

2)   Keep it healthy on the inside—when your device gets clunky with apps or folders, consider taking it to an expert to get the right kind of tech support. Most smartphones have auto update functions for their software but if you notice your smartphone not doing this, you should get expert tech support from a tech support provider with a proven track record of providing excellent computer and smartphone tech support like Rescuecom.

3)   Keep it healthy on the outside—when you accidentally hit your hand against the desk and it bruises, you usually don’t panic too much. In a few days, it’ll heal itself. Sadly, smartphones don’t have regenerative cells. When the case gets scratched, it’ll stay scratched. The same goes for the screen: it will need professional smartphone computer repair. Be gentle when using your phone. Buy a protective shell to reduce the risk of damage from an external physical force. Accidents happen, so make sure you ensure your phone against those nasty drops by using a sturdy cover.

Smartphone computer repair can be pricey. A small problem with the screen might require extensive smartphone computer repair to replace the entire outside shell, for example. And as always, prevention is the best cure. Regular tech support and graceful handling can delay the need for smartphone computer repair.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

If you’re reading this, chances are good that you’re sitting at a computer.  Unless you happen to be a computer repair specialist, chances are also good that your idea of how that computer works is a bit vague.  So what will you do if your computer malfunctions?  Will you call a computer repair specialist?  Could you deal with the problem with help from a computer support hotline?  Or would you attempt your computer repair at home? With those questions in mind, let’s take a look at some common computer repair problems and what the average user can do about them.

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Today, laptops have become the standard for computing in many areas such as college, the business world, and journalism. They have also risen to become powerful competitors in the home. Looking at this trend, one might wonder if desktops are on their way out. But if you’re thinking of buying a new computer, don’t rule out desktops just yet.

Laptops have important advantages over desktops, such as portability and compactness, but other than that, desktops have the upper hand. Gamers, especially, take note. Even if you plan on buying a gaming laptop, you should know that you can get better features and more accessible tech support for the same price in a desktop.

If you are going to be investing a lot of money on gaming peripherals, you probably don’t want to spend too much on computer repair services. Computer repairs for laptops are more expensive than it is for desktops because laptops often have to be shipped out to their manufacturer for computer repairs. This is because laptop computer repairs are often more intricate in nature. Tech support for laptops is generally more expensive, as they are more difficult to take apart and require more time and effort to fix. Often computer repairs require new parts, and such parts are almost always going to cost more for laptops.

When it comes to graphic design and media layout, desktops can offer much more powerful tech support for programs in the Adobe creative suite, for example. Laptops also have the limitation of screen size, often forcing users who want a larger viewing area to connect to external monitors.

The same goes for video and audio editing; laptops simply can’t provide the advanced tech support that desktops can due to space limitations. After all, the powerful video and sound cards needed for high performance machines are simply too big to fit in the increasingly slim laptop design. Laptops can’t always provide the right kind of tech support needed to run programs like Nero or Sony Vegas.

Laptops usually bring with them pricy initial costs, as well as tech support. Upgrading desktops can be done fairly easily, at times even by an skilled owner, but the tech support required to upgrade laptops is costly and offers limited options (such as RAM upgrade).

If you think portability is necessarily good, think again. Many laptop problems that require computer repairs result from the devices being moved around. Overheating is a regular computer repair issue that results from placing laptops on uneven surfaces. Because of the proximity of parts in laptops, physical damage to one part can affect the others easily, causing several parts to require computer repairs. So leaving a desktop in place is actually not all that bad.

Desktops remain the device of choice for gamers, designers, and audio-visual editors. They’re also much cheaper to maintain, as desktop computer repairs aren’t as costly. Finally, tech support is more readily available for desktops. So don’t rule them out just yet.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Simple computer problems that appear harmless can actually end up becoming serious issues that require costly or professional computer repairs. A louder than usual fan, an overheated base, random screen glitches, and strange internal noises are all easy to ignore at first, but these may be signs that your machine is on its way to requiring expert computer repair. Small changes in the way a computer acts can be the result of hardware failure or a software problem.

Viruses are one of the most common software-related problems that require computer support. In the past, computer repair service providers needed to be physically located in front of a computer to perform necessary computer repairs. Today, though, a good deal of personalized computer support occurs remotely! That means for people who can’t part with their machines for too long, computer repair experts can provide computer support by tapping into your computer from almost any location. By connecting to a computer via the Internet, computer repair experts can provide safe and secure computer support for a device as if it were in front of them.

Choosing remote computer support is a convenient option for several reasons. First, since you don’t have to physically take your machine to a computer repair shop, remote computer repair can take care of problems like virus removal and provide other kinds of computer support much faster. Remote computer support can also start fixing the problem as soon as you discover it, possibly minimizing the resulting harm. Instead of allowing a virus time to progressively wipeout your hard drive, for instance, remote computer support can nip it in the bud.

Remote computer repair is not only a solution to virus related problems. Hardware related problems can sometimes also be fixed with the remote assistance of a computer repair expert. Fan related problems are especially easy to handle over the phone or the Internet.

Alternatively, some computer support problems require the personal attention of a specialist. Laptop hardware computer repairs are often more difficult and are best handled directly by a professional. Even then, though, you can find computer support providers that come to your home or office to fix the problem in a short amount of time.

In the end, pay attention to small warning signs that can indicate more serious problems. Catching viruses or hardware problems early on, and getting the right kind of computer support can help prolong your machine’s lifespan. It’s also an easy way to reduce computer repair costs. If you’re delaying that trip to get your computer repaired because of a busy schedule, wait no longer; remote computer support is your best option.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Many websites offer computer support tips for taking care of laptops to help avoid needing laptop repairs. Along with the detailed, technical computer support practices that can greatly benefit your devices, there are a few easy tricks that can help you put off that trip to the laptop repair shop. So if you have a hard time making too many small changes to the way you use your device, here are three short and sweet habits that you might find helpful.

3 easy computer support tips:

• Keep it cool: Overheating can be annoying to users and harmful to laptops. The most common cause of overheating is poor air circulation. This usually happens when dust and other particles accumulate on and around a laptop’s fan and plug its air vents. A good computer support practice is to clean out the vents regularly. Use specialized compressed air or consult a laptop repair specialist periodically.

Placing your device on your lap or a cushion as you lounge on the couch is a sure way to reduce air flow and overheat your laptop. Doing it once or twice won’t hurt; however, if you make a regular habit of it, don’t be surprised if you need professional laptop repairs.

• Keep it clean: keyboards love to accumulate dirt and dust. With time, dirt under the keys can cause them to stop working properly, a problem that will eventually require laptop repair work. An easy way to prevent the accumulation of dirt is to keep food away from your device.

Many websites suggest using compressed air as a regular means of computer support, but this technique can be risky as it may push the dust further under the buttons. So when cleaning does become necessary, use a small vacuum attachment to get dirt out from in between the buttons.

• Keep it gentle: Carry your laptop using its base and not its screen. According to Wikihow, pressure to the screen can cause long-lasting damage. It can also break or offset the hinges, which can require the attention of a laptop repair specialist.

Protect your device’s cords by loosely wrapping them around your fingers then securing them with a Velcro strip or rubber band. Never wrap a cord around its adapter because that can damage the cord’s tip and will only add to your laptop repair bill.

Remember, prevention is the best cure. Regular computer support can delay the need for laptop repairs. Perhaps the best kind of computer support is taking your laptop to a professional computer and laptop repair professional for regular maintenance and cleaning.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com

Fraud is not new to humanity.  Impostors and counterfeiters are as old as the idea of property.  The only new developments occur in the scams we see and the venues where they are attempted.  The birth of the World Wide Web created a digital world loaded with sensitive information where clever con artists could ply their trade.  Today, Internet security is paramount to protecting financial information from theft by nefarious individuals.  Everyone needs to consider seeking computer support to ensure effective Internet security.

Internet security as a way to identify and prevent fraud, started simply.  Over time, increased Internet security and the computer support it requires have become more and more a priority for people doing business on the Internet.  As Internet security becomes more sophisticated, so do the methods used to steal information.  Internet security, cybercrime, and the constant computer support needed to help in this conflict represent a daily battleground.  Personal users, out of concern and genuine fear, need the help of expert computer support, and they need continuous education in effective ways to maintain their own Internet security.  As an example, banks and private companies have begun offering identity protection to consumers worried about the safety of their transactions.

The most current and troubling threat to Internet security is the growing number of mobile web users.  Smartphones and tablets alter the digital landscape once again, and wireless options and expanded coverage are right alongside them.  Knowledgeable computer support is all the more important as threats to the Internet security of mobile users multiply due to the lack of anti-virus software on many devices.

Improving Internet security against mobile fraud continues as a top priority for commercial entities and the computer support personnel they employ.  Simple prevention is still the best solution to reduce the possibility of a cybercrime affecting you, and effective, reliable computer support is the key to peace of mind.  Take the time to install protective software on that smartphone.  Do your shopping while on the go, but wait until you get home to make that purchase.  The Internet security of your home machine is probably far superior to your mobile device.  A little education and proactive computer support can help prevent the huge hassles caused by a breach in your internet security.

About RESCUECOM:

RESCUECOM provides computer repair and computer support, 24/7: Meeting every tech support need including data recovery, virus removal, networking, wireless services, and computer support for all brands of hardware and software. For computer support or information on products, services, or computer repair, visit https://www.rescuecom.com or call 1-800-RESCUE-PC.

For More Information, Contact:

David Milman, CEO

315-882-1100

david@rescuecom.com