I don’t mean to gross you out, but have you ever considered how disgusting your laptop is? Studies have compared the relative cleanliness of a keyboard and a toilet seat… and unfortunately, the keyboard wasn’t the cleaner of the two. This is why it makes sense to regularly give your laptop devices a good cleaning, and why we’ve put together some tips to ensure you safely sanitize a laptop device.
Computers are far from simple machines. They rely on complex bits of technology that only professional technicians have any business maintaining. Some of this technology takes advantage of microchip technology to function as intended, and without them, they wouldn’t be able to function. While the everyday business owner might not need to know much about the specifics, you should at least know a little about how certain chips are used.
There is a special kind of frustration that comes from a slow computer. We think it’s a combination of being unable to get something done combined with your computer’s inability to take a hint and register your frustration as you furiously click your mouse. Either way, slow computers are annoying. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to speed things up before you consider throwing it out a window.
You know just how essential your company’s IT is, but do you have any idea how your employees feel about the technology you provide them? In order to get the productivity your company needs out of your staff, meeting their computing needs becomes a fundamental requirement. Today, we’ll go over some of the determining factors you have to consider when purchasing computer equipment for your staff.
In your time dealing with files and folders on computers, you may have encountered some that have been marked as “read-only.” What is the significance of these files, and what does that marking really mean? That’s the topic we’ll explore below.
When a computer is new, it seems to blaze through tasks at unbelievable speeds… but this doesn’t seem to last very long at all. In short order, a computer seems to slow to an excruciating crawl. What makes this happen, and how can it be fixed? We’ll go over this below.
The word “wizard” may not seem to have much to do with computing, besides calling someone a “computer wiz.” However, there is a particular type of program that serves a very similar purpose, referred to as a wizard as well. We’ll examine it in today’s blog.
Have you ever waited far too long for your Windows workstation to boot up? Chances are that you’ve seen first-hand how much time can be wasted during this process. If you want to save some time, you can review our three tips to help you speed up your Windows 10 computer’s boot time.
Everyone makes mistakes. This is especially true when it comes to the technology that is used by your organization every single day. For this week’s tip, here are some things to avoid when using your computer.
Have you deleted a file and immediately regretted it? Well that may be easy enough to get the file back. What if your intention was to make that file disappear for good? Then you have to understand that the way many operating systems handle the deletion of files may present problems for you.
Imagine that, despite the extreme care you took to avoid threats from infecting your devices, they turned out to be infected anyway. However, what if the device had been infected before you had even gotten your hands on it?
Teaching children a skill can be a difficult job if they’re not having any fun. Therefore, turning kids on to lucrative careers in technology can be challenging, especially since tasks like coding can seem rather dull compared to say, fighting fires and driving racecars. This is why educational apps and tools have been created to make learning about technology fun!
You may need business technology to ensure that operations go off without a hitch, but at the same time, you’re reliant on it in order to function. If your technology fails, you’ll be left with a large deficit to fill. Here are three ways that you can improve PC performance with basic maintenance practices.
It’s a routine move for businesses to perform a “hardware refresh” and procure new technology. It’s certainly nice to get new technology, but what’s your plan for handling your old devices? Instead of just tossing it in the garbage, make sure to consider all of your options in order to properly handle your old equipment.
Priority 1: Your Old Data
First and foremost, you need to properly take care of your data. To be clear, this involves more than dragging and dropping your files into the Recycle Bin. When deleting files this way, it doesn’t actually remove the data from the hard drive, which means that your files can still be recovered. Instead, you’re going to want to wipe your old hard drive, a procedure that completely erases all data on the drive.
If you’re going to dispose of your old hard drive, you’ll actually want to physically destroy it. This can effectively be done by using a tool like a drill press, or a couple of swings with a good ol’ sledgehammer ought to do the trick. Once you toss your hard drive in the garbage, you can’t be certain where it will end up. As improbable as it sounds, there’s actually a chance that your old hard drive could end up in the hands of a trash-collecting hacker. Therefore, you shouldn’t throw away any data that has a chance of being recovered. Computerware can assist you with properly wiping and destroying your old hard drive.
Donate Your Old Technology to Charity
There are a lot of charitable organizations out there that would be happy to accept your old computer equipment. However, you’ll at least want to do them the courtesy of donating something that’s useful, instead of pawning off your technology problems onto them. For example, we recommend contacting the charity first to see if they even need your old equipment, instead of randomly showing up with a truckload of random computers.
One relatively inexpensive way to make sure that you’re donating quality-used equipment is to equip your old technology with a new hard drive before donating it. Given the fact that the average hard disk drive has a lifespan of five years, you don’t want to gift a computer that has a high chance of crashing. Plus, if you swap out the old hard drive for a new one, you’ll mitigate the risk of having your files recovered from the old drive and used for nefarious purposes.
Repurpose and Reuse Old Hardware
Your old computer may still yet have a use around the office by way of repurposing and reusing it. Consider these examples:
Don’t Forget About Recycling
If you must dispose of your old technology, it’s preferred that you do the responsible thing and recycle it. One reason for such a move is due to the toxic metals that make up electrical components. By simply chucking an old PC into the landfill, these chemicals will leak into the environment and cause problems. Recycling your old technology doesn’t have to be a burden. Computerware will happily do it for you.
When it comes to getting rid of your old technology, it’s best to have a plan. Our knowledgeable technicians are standing by to assist with any of your company’s technology needs. To learn more, reach out to Computerware at (703) 821-8200.
Have you ever called tech support only to be answered with this generic response: “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” More often than not, a simple reboot can resolve many issues with a computer. However, you still need to be cautious of more serious issues that a reboot won't fix. Here’s how a PC reboot works, and why it’s such an effective tool for resolving PC troubles.
A clean computer is one that you can rely on. Like all other kinds of technology, a computer needs regular maintenance and cleanup sessions that preserve its working ability and prolong its life. Since January is Clean Up Your Computer Month, there’s no time like the present to ensure that your PC is squeaky clean. Here’s how you can give your computer and its components a comprehensive cleaning.
Many computer users make use of security tools that limit their exposure to hackers, and they generally understand that hacks are something that can realistically happen to them. On the other hand, there are plenty of other folks out there who don’t worry enough. They might think their PC holds no value to the average hacker, but they’re wrong.
For this week’s tip, we’re getting back to the basics by highlighting three PC tips that every user should know. If you aren’t familiar with these common tips, then don’t feel bad. This article is for you and you’ll be a more proficient computer user because of it!
Microsoft and Apple have been going at it for decades. Not only have these two tech monsters been at it in the lab, they’ve been each other’s prime competition throughout the advents of the personal computer, the graphic user interface, and the smartphone. Today they continue to make devices that deliberately (or not) seem more like counterpunches to the other than pure innovation.
In July, IBM announced the development of a computer chip that’s four times more powerful than anything currently on the market. As cool as this news is, what makes it extra exciting is the fact that it’s an ultra-dense chip. Developments like this will be the driving force behind the advancement of computing, well into the next decade and beyond.
![Microsoft Expands Hardware Offerings with Surface Book [Video]](/images/easyblog_shared/October_2015/10-23-15/b2ap3_thumbnail_the_surface_book_400.jpg)
