Everyday Tips from the ComputerMom

June
2013

Hope you are all staying cool during this heat wave. Remember, high tech equipment can be damaged by too much heat, so give it some consideration as well. Keep small electronics out of direct sunlight, and make sure to occasionally blow the dust out of desktop and laptop fans with compressed air.

I have also seen a lot of issues lately caused by power surges. Summer power surges can be blamed on electrical storms or on overloaded power circuits as people turn on their air conditioners. Temporary or permanent equipment damage can occur, so be sure to unplug sensitive electronics when a big storm comes through. If your internet stops working after a storm give me a call, your router might have had its settings erased by an electrical surge!

I will be away on vacation from Sunday, June 9th to Saturday, June 15th. If you have been meaning to call me to do some work for you, I still have availability all next week but please call as soon as possible to get on the schedule. As always I will be available via email and cell phone to handle emergencies.

Regards,

Julie Marto

508-359-8176
www.thecomputermom.com
www.facebook.com/thecomputermom

P.S. Did your college student come home complaining that his or her laptop isn't working and needs to be replaced? I will be happy to diagnose it for you - perhaps all it needs is my flat rate virus removal and system optimization service!

24x7 Help and other scam support

Have you ever seen this helpful looking operator with her headset and her phone number pop up on a webpage offering assistance? Unfortunately she's not as innocent and helpful as she seems. Instead, she's part of a whole industry of bogus support sites lurking on the web, just waiting for you to choose them to call. She, and others like her, have paid to pop up when you are searching for legitimate support numbers, perhaps for your email provider or for Norton. They look so real that many people are fooled.

I've cleaned 24x7 Help software off of many computers. If you call their number, they will have you install their remote control software on your computer, along with a whole laundry list of other dubious programs. Then they will run a fake scan that will show you the many hundreds of (totally bogus) problems they find. You might be asked to give them a credit card number to fix the problems, or they might just fix the "problems" and leave their software on your computer, causing real issues later on down the line and allowing them permanent access to your computer and its files.

Please be careful out there, and don't fall for these scams. If you are ever in doubt about a tech support phone number please feel free to get in touch with me and I'll help you find the right number to call!

Printing emails correctly Email Providers

Here's a very simple tip that might cure some headaches. I've had many clients tell me that their email doesn't print out properly - pages are cut off, some information is missing, things aren't formatted correctly on the page. Typically these are people using Yahoo, Hotmail/Outlook.com, or Gmail, and logging in directly to the email webpage to read their mail.

All of these email sites have a special printing function that should be used instead of the generic print button on your browser. What the email print function does is create a printer friendly version of your email, separate from the webpage it's embedded in, and formatted properly for your printer.

Make sure you know how to use the printing function for your email service, as each provider has a different approach. Click on the links for instructions for Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail/Outlook.com .

Windows 8 - is it finally time to upgrade?

It looks like Microsoft has been listening to all the feedback and a major update to Windows 8 is coming soon, complete with a Start button and the ability to boot directly to the desktop. Since there are actual "under the hood" improvements in Windows 8 vs. older operating systems, this is great news as it means people should feel comfortable buying a new Windows 8 computer even if they have no desire to pay extra for a touch screen system. With support for Windows XP ending in less than a year, there's really no excuse to hang on to an old, slow, and less secure system. If you do choose to upgrade, don't forget about my flat rate system migration to help manage the transition from your old system to your new!

Cheapskate alert - Microsoft Office Home Use Program

If you are planning to buy the new Microsoft Office to go with your new computer, check this link to see if you are eligible to buy the latest Office for just $9.95. Not everybody is eligible - you have to have either a .edu email address, or a work email address with a participating corporation. However, it's certainly worth a click to check it out! And, extra bonus money-saving tip - if you are buying a new computer for your recent high school graduate to take off to college, hold off on buying Office for them until they get their new .edu email address! For you Apple lovers out there, this offer is good for both PC and Mac versions of the software.