PC Repair and Networking

HP G71-449WM High-Definition Widescreen Laptop - $509.00

2010-06-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

The G71-449WM Laptop features:

Pentium Dual Core 2.1 Ghz Processor
4 GB of DDR2 RAM
320 GB 7200 RPM hard drive
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD GMA4500M
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN
802.11b/g/n WLAN
LightScribe DVD-RW Optical Drive
Media Card Reader
6 Cell Lithium-Ion battery
6.7 lbs
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit version
90 day warranty

IOT provides pc computer repair, laptop repair, local area networking (LAN) and remote computer support for the Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Twin Cities metro area, as well as Saint Cloud, Rochester and all points in between! Serving Minnesota since 1995, IOT also provides software solutions, installation and setup and user training services.For more information about computer repair or networking please visit our website iotsolutions.com or call us at 651-605-2500.

Computer Freezing Up On You?

2010-03-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

One of the most common calls we get is - "my computer is locked up".

This is a very common problem in both computers and laptops. There could be several causes.

Made Any Recent Changes?
Since the problem could be hardware or software related, you should first stop and think about any recent changes you might have made to your computer. Did you recently install a new printer? If so, and the PC began to lock up, you could have a driver problem. If you have made no changes to hardware or software, perhaps some general maintenance is in order to help keep your PC running smooth.

Heat Is The Enemey!
Computers will shutdown or even freeze up if their internatl temperature gets too high. If your PC has not been cleaned for a while, you might want to invest in a can of compressed air and blow out any fans.

Turn off the PC, unplug the power and open the case, but remember to touch a piece of the computer’s metal chassis to ground yourself. Some computers will have fans in the front grill area. Even if there are no fans, blow out the grill to make sure your computer is able to draw cool air in from the room. Next, look for a rear fan. While your PC may not have a rear fan, it will have a power supply fan. You will also see a fan above the CPU and possibly the graphics card. Blow them all out. Plug in the PC and make sure all fans are spinning. If your computer keeps freezing, there might be an issue with a fan, it might be causing your system to overheat and lockup.

Scan The Hard Drive For Errors
If your hard drive has bad sectors, you can try scanning it with Microsoft’s built-in utility called CHKDSK. To run it, right-click the C: drive in My Computer and select Properties. Under the Tools tab, select Error Checking and click Check Now. Tick the options to fix errors automatically. Make sure you select a thorough scan, as this will check the entire surface of the disk for errors and move data off that sector to a different place on the drive.

IOT provides pc computer repair, laptop repair, local area networking (LAN) and remote computer support for the Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Twin Cities metro area, as well as Saint Cloud, Rochester and all points in between! Serving Minnesota since 1995, IOT also provides software solutions, installation and setup and user training services.

For more information about computer repair or networking please visit our website iotsolutions.com or call us at 651-605-2500.

Simple Computer Maintenance - Defrag Your Drive

2010-02-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

Running the Disk Defragmentation Tool
Your computer writes to the first available area on your hard drive (disk). As time goes by, the files start to be rearranged on your drive (fragmented). When your hard drive is fragmented and you try to load a program it may have to find files and components on various sections of your hard drive. This will cause poor performance, as your computer is spending more time searching for the files it needs.

The defragment utility tries to put the files back in their origional order by organizing them in similar groups. This will allow your computer to run at optimal performance, since less time will be spent searching for files and components. Do the following:

Start Menu > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter/Check Now.

Select the drive you want to defragment. When it is done you can close the window or select another drive to defrag.

IOT provides pc computer repair, laptop repair, local area networking (LAN) and remote computer support for the Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Twin Cities metro area, as well as Saint Cloud, Rochester and all points in between! Serving Minnesota since 1995, IOT also provides software solutions, installation and setup and user training services.

For more information about computer repair or networking please visit our website iotsolutions.com or call us at 651-605-2500.

Simple Computer Maintenance - Remove Startup Items

2010-02-01T09:35:00.000-08:00

Does your computer take a really long time to startup?

If you have unwanted items starting with windows it can and will slow down the boot process and they will take up memory. Navigate to the Startup Programs area to view which programs are set to start when you login to Windowes. Go to the following:

Start Menu > Programs > Startup.

You will find programs in this folder, just delete the ones you do not want to automatically start. Then move on to the following:

Start Menu > Run > Type in: msconfig.exe [Enter] Click the Startup tab and uncheck any items you don’t want to startup.

WARNING - if you dont know what some of these programs are, do not un-check them. Please do a google search or calls us for assistance! Removing critical Startup items from your Startup tab can cause unwanted errors!

IOT provides pc computer repair, laptop repair, local area networking (LAN) and remote computer support for the Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Twin Cities metro area, as well as Saint Cloud, Rochester and all points in between! Serving Minnesota since 1995, IOT also provides software solutions, installation and setup and user training services.

For more information about computer repair or networking please visit our website iotsolutions.com or call us at 651-605-2500.

Simple Computer Maintenance - Clean Up Your Files

2010-01-29T12:34:00.000-08:00

Want to speed up your computer a little bit? Follow these simple tips for instant performance improvements!

First, you will want to get rid of some unnecessary files.

Delete unecessary files on your desktop
Empty your trash folder

Another easy area to clean up is the Temp Files. Ideally these temp files are deleted when the parent program closes, but often times they are not. Poorly written programs, computer crashes and improper shutdowns always leave unneeded temporary files on your hard drive. These files pile up and start eating up hard disk space and start impairing computer performance.

To fully clean out your temp files, run the Disk Cleanup utility;

Start > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup
Select the drive you want to clean. When it has finished, select the items that you no longer want

We reccomend to check the following options;

Downloaded Program Files
Temporary Internet Files
Recycle Bin
Temporary Files

For more information about computer repair or networking please visit our website iotsolutions.com or call us at 651-605-2500.

Mozilla Firefox Version 3.6 Released

2010-01-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

Developers say the latest version of the open-source Web browser gets back to its roots, putting new technology in the hands of its users.

The new browser includes built-in support for scaled-down browser skins dubbed "Personas" and adds support for new CSS, DOM and HTML 5 technologies. Release 3.6 also provides support for full-screen video and the open-source Web Open Font Format (WOFF). What does this mean exactly? One step closer towards the Browser essentially being the Operating System (OS).

"The Worlds Best Browser", according to Mozilla at least (not verified by Microsoft?)

Firefox version 3.6 also incorporates new security features to check browser plug-ins, such as Adobe's Flash Player or Apple's QuickTime, to make sure they're up-to-date, then blocks vulnerable plug-ins from loading and shows users how to update the software.

Mozilla has also boosted the browser's overall performance and reduced its startup time. JavaScript in 3.6 executes approximately 12% faster in Firefox 3.6 than in 3.5, said Mike Beltzner, the director of Firefox, while some pages load up to 20% faster. Other improvements that speed up location bar searches and let Web site designers use asynchronous script loading, are harder to measure, but should give users the feeling that Firefox 3.6 is snappier. "

IOT provides pc computer repair, laptop repair, local area networking (LAN) and remote computer support for the Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Twin Cities metro area, as well as Saint Cloud, Rochester and all points in between! Serving Minnesota since 1995, IOT also provides software solutions, installation and setup and user training services.

For more information about computer repair or networking please visit our website iotsolutions.com or call us at 651-605-2500.

How To Delete Spyware and Adware Files with "Access is denied" Messages

2010-01-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to delete a piece of spyware, adware or other unwanted program - only to ge the "Access is denied" error message?

Often when you are trying to remove adware, spyware or other trojan files you encounter a file that will promt this message; "Cannot delete. Access is denied. Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use."

You cannot delete or remove this file with normal procedures. Below is a quick outline on how to manually delete these files from your computer.

WARNING - Proceed at your own risk! If you are not 100% comfortable with this process, just call us and we can execute this procedure remotely on your computer in a matter of minutes, without you even having to get up from your chair!

Click on Start
Navigate to Search
Select the All Files and Folders search option
In the search box, type the name of the file you want to remove
Verify that the "Look In" box shows the correct drive, or simply select My Computer
Click Search and wait for the system to locate your file (may take several minutes)
When you see your file in the results pane, right-click and choos Properties. Make a note of the location.
Example - c:\windows\system32\filename.exe
Next, click on Start
Navigate to Run
Type the letters CMD in the dialog box, and click OK
A black box will open, this is called the Comand Prompt
Leave this window open, but close all other windows and programs
Next, click on Start
Navigate to Run
Type TASKMGR.EXE in the dialog box, and click OK
The Task Manager pane will now show on your screen
Click the Processes tab
Click on the process named Explorer.exe
Click the End Process button
Now, go back to the Command Prompt (the black box) and change to the directory where the file is located.
Example: to change to the Windows\System32 directory you would enter the following command "cd \windows\system32" (don't use quotes, illustrative only) and press Enter on your keyboard
Now you use the DEL command to delete the file
Example: del filename.exe (using your file instead of "filename.exe")
Go back to the Task Manager
Click File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.EXE to restart the process.
Close the windows.
Done!

For more information about computer repair or networking please visit our website iotsolutions.com or call us at 651-605-2500.

Buy ANY PC with Qualifying HP Printer or AIO and get $40-$60 Rebate!

2010-01-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

Effective January 3, 2010, through April 3, 2010

Customers will receive a $40 mail-in-rebate on the purchase of ANY manufacturer's PC AND a qualifying HP printer or HP All-in-One priced at $69 or more when purchased on the same day OR a $60 mail-in-rebate on the purchase of ANY manufacturer's PC AND a qualifying HP wireless printer when purchased on the same day.

To download the full Terms and Conditions PDF, click here.

IOT provides pc computer repair, laptop repair, local area networking (LAN) and remote computer support for the Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Twin Cities metro area, as well as Saint Cloud, Rochester and all points in between! Serving Minnesota since 1995, IOT also provides software solutions, installation and setup and user training services.

For more information about computer repair or networking please visit our website iotsolutions.com or call us at 651-605-2500.

Top 10 Computer Annoyances - And Ways To Fix Them

2009-10-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Kevin Purdy over at LifeHacker.com came up with a fantastic list of annoying computer problems, and ways to battle them. Below is a summarized list of annoyances that you'll face, and quick fixes for them.

10. Dashboard widgets (Mac OS X).
If you just want to make these annoying widgets go away for one session, you can install the simple Dashquit widget or use these terminal commands for the job. Killing multiple widgets, like those iterations that pop up from delivery trackers, is easier if you hold the Option key.

9. Remembering passwords.
Mozilla FireFox can be used more securely, and made to remember any password.

8. Google search result links are indirect, awkward, and too long to copy.
CustomizeGoogle, fixes your messy links that are filled with "gobbley-gook", using one if its many tweaks—"Remove click tracking," which is found in the first "Web" set of options. You'll get nice, clean links to copy or send.

7. Hours spent re-installing Windows
Re-installation of Windows itself can take 20-30 minutes, but the updates can kill your day. With the nLite tool for XP, or vLite for Vista, you can skip a ton of clicking and pop-up answering during installation and first boot-up—in the case of nLite, pretty much all of it. Here's a guide to slipstreaming XP Service Pack 3 into a new, automated installation CD. nLite's also a great tool for creating a stripped-down, speedier XP for virtualization or older machines.

6. Windows Vista, in general.
The How-To Geek did a solid write up called 10 ways to make Windows Vista less annoying, each with a link to a detailed explanation over at his own site.

5. RE: Fwd: Fwd: Email (and time-wasting email in general).
Your best options for dealing with chain forwards, repetitive conversations, and other email gaffes are smart filters, including a fwd filter for those "Did you know" emails from Aunt Margie and Uncle Bif. Correspondents just not getting the message? Take the next step with an explanatory email etiquette page. Need proof that wasteful messages are eating up your time? Gmail/Google Apps users can take a detailed look at the waste with Mail Trends.

4. File copying freezes and awkwardness (Windows).
Have you copied large files when suddenly Windows times out? Free Windows add-on TeraCopy is exactly what you need. It makes file transfers faster, more consistent, and it provides realistic job times and status reports. You'll hardly notice it's there—which is just about perfect.

3. Office IT restrictions.

Just trying to get that basic toolbar to show you the weather, but you have no access? Here's the guide to surviving IT lockdown; for responsible, tech-savvy employees. It should get you around most IT restrictions.

2. GIANT email attachments.
The best suggestion we've got for nearly any account is to create a Gmail account to manage your other mail. That way, you can jump in and check your important messages, while your dedicated mail client is frozen trying to grab that huge file. You can then use tools like Gmail Drive (Windows), gDisk (Mac OS X), and GmailFS (Linux) to clear space-hogging attachments from your email accounts. Or you can just simply filter and kill giant attachments with Gmail's advanced search-and-filter tools. If you're stuck with big attachments in Outlook, there are ways of extracting attachments without having to open the actual email, using Outlook Attachment Remover or this simple trick described by the Digital Inspiration blog. The real solution? Get your friends or relatives a copy of Picasa or another photo manager that auto-magically shrinks pictures before sending.

1. All that crappy "default" software.
RealPlayer? Pop-ups asking to renew Norton/McAfee/Symantec? Limewire?? We've rounded up the free, and superior, alternatives to those persistent programs, and many of our suggestions are cross-platform, open source, and do a better job than the system-dragging softs you find in the wilds of computing.

Do you have annoying computer problems that you just can't seem to fix? Need a SPAM filter for your email? We can help solve many of the issues that your business faces day-to-day with technology. Give us a call, or fill out our PC Repair request form for help!

IOT is a Certified HP Business Partner, providing pc repair, printer repair, and networking support; as well as sales, service, and supplies to the Minneapolis, Saint Paul area; since 1995. Located in Eagan, MN, we proudly serve the entire Twin Cities metro area. Contact us at 651-605-2500, http://www.iotsolutions.com/ or email us at info@iotsolutions.com for more information.

Tips to Keep Your Computer Safe

2009-09-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

Achieving good computer security can seem like a daunting task. Fortunately, following the few simple steps outlined below can provide a good measure of security in very little time.
Use antivirus software and keep it updated. You should check for new definition updates daily. Most antivirus software can be configured to do this automatically.

Top Antivirus Software
Top Spyware Scanners

Install security patches. Vulnerabilities in software are constantly being discovered and they don't discriminate by vendor or platform. It's not simply a matter of updating Windows; at least monthly, check for and apply updates for all software you use.

For Windows updates, visit the Windows Update Center
For all other updates, use the Secunia Software Inspector

Use a firewall. No Internet connection is safe without one. Firewalls are necessary even if you have a dial-up Internet connection - it takes only minutes for a a non-firewalled computer to be infected.
Free ZoneAlarm Firewall
Using the Windows Firewall

Secure your browser. Many labor under the dangerous misconception that only Internet Explorer is a problem. It's not the browser you need to be concerned about. Nor is it a matter of simply avoiding certain 'types' of sites. Known, legitimate websites are frequently being compromised and implanted with malicious javascript that foists malware onto visitors' computers. To ensure optimum browsing safety, the best tip is to disable javascript for all but the most essential of sites - such as your banking or regular ecommerce sites. Not only will you enjoy safer browsing, you'll be able to eliminate unwanted pop-ups as well.

How to Disable Javascript in IE, Firefox, and Opera

Take control of your email. Avoid opening email attachments received unexpectedly - no matter who appears to have sent it. Remember that most worms and trojan-laden spam try to spoof the sender's name. And make sure your email client isn't leaving you open to infection. Reading email in plain text offers important security benefits that more than offset the loss of pretty colored fonts.

Why Plain(text) is Better
How To Secure Your Email

Treat IM suspiciously. Instant Messaging is a frequent target of worms and trojans. Treat it just as you would email.

Tips for IM Safety

Avoid P2P and distributed filesharing. Torrent, Kazaa, Gnutella, Morpheus and at least a dozen other filesharing networks exist. Most are free. And all are rife with trojans, viruses, worms, adware, spyware, and every other form of malicious code imaginable. There's no such thing as safe anonymous filesharing. Avoid it like the plague.
Keep abreast of Internet scams. Criminals think of clever ways to separate you from your hard earned cash. Don't get fooled by emails telling sad stories, or making unsolicited job offers, or promising lotto winnings. Likewise, beware of email masquerading as a security concern from your bank or other eCommerce site.

Internet Scams, Phishing, and Fraud
Don't fall victim to virus hoaxes. Dire sounding email spreading FUD about non-existent threats serve only to spread needless alarm and may even cause you to delete perfectly legitimate files in response.

Hoax Encyclopedia
Urban Legends and Folklore

Remember, there's far more good than bad on the Internet. The goal isn't to be paranoid. The goal is to be cautious, aware, and even suspicious. By following the tips above and becoming actively engaged in your own security, you'll not only be protecting yourself, you'll be contributing to the protection and betterment of the Internet as a whole.

This article was pulled from the about.com website

IOT is a Certified HP Business Partner, providing pc repair, printer repair, and networking support; as well as sales, service, and supplies to the Minneapolis, Saint Paul area; since 1995. Located in Eagan, MN, we proudly serve the entire Twin Cities metro area. Contact us at 651-605-2500, http://www.iotsolutions.com/ or email us at info@iotsolutions.com for more information.

ESD: The Silent PC Killer

2009-08-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

The most underrated and yet most deadly attack a user can have on their PC is ESD. "Electro Static Discharge".

Chips can be electrocuted by very small amounts of static electricity (much smaller than can be felt) can kill, or make a computer chip intermittent. We as human beings create a generous amount of static electricity, through even the most mindless of tasks. All of the people who have touched the chips inside your computer; from manufacturing the chip, building or repairing your computer, or adding new parts to the inside of your computer, have each had the opportunity to touch or mishandle the chips inside your computer.

ESD Damage

Before

After

The above is an electron-microscopic picture of one of 43-million transistors in the Intel Pentium 4 computer chip. Each transistor is smaller than a microbe. (And getting smaller each new generation.) One small touch from the finger of a careless person can damage or destroy hundreds of these microscopic transistors in an instant.

One klutzy computer technician mishandling the insides of your computer can easily cause one of the hundreds of integrated circuits in your computer to become prematurely aged through ESD. Simply taking the covers off your computer and touching its internal components can cause a chip that should have lasted for decades to die, or become intermittent, in just a few weeks or months. Did someone take the covers off your computer a year ago? Well… That could be the cause of your problems today! Don't allow anyone that doesn't understand ESD, or work in an ESD safe area, to touch the insides of your computer!

Tips to avoid destroying your computer:

- Always turn off and unplug your computer before opening it for any reason.

- Spray yourself with Static Guard, or wipe your clothing with a fabric softener sheet.

- Wear an anti-static wrist strap when opening the case. You can find one at Radioshack for about $6.

- If you don't have any anti-static devices, make sure that one hand frequently touches the metal frame inside the computer case when trying to install/remove a component inside.

- Try to avoid cold, dry areas when working on your computer.

- Last but not least, avoid using magnetic screw drivers internally. (Although this is not related to ESD, it can severely disrupt the electric current inside your computer components.

This article is adapted from JRWhipple.com, and provides very helpful insight on an issue that many people are unaware of.

How To Recycle Computer Memory

2009-08-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

How to Recycle Computer Memory

Wouldn't it be great if we could recycle our long and short term memory? Unfortunately we don’t have that convenience. Our chips are too small. However, for your PC or Laptop you can recycle the memory chips (RAM). Not only will you earn a little money in the process, you will be protecting the environment too, as memory chips contain toxic levels of lead. When recycling memory chips it is important to sell the memory chips you replaced as soon as possible, because their value decreases over time. With a little time and effort you can find ways to sell or recycle your old chips.

Instructions
Things You'll Need:

Computer Memory
Resources to Recycle
Craft Ideas

Step 1

Recycle at home by upgrading your son or daughter's computer. This is just like money in the bank. They always need additional computer memory to run programs for online games and graphic programs.

Step 2

Recycle in your computer business to help the environment. If you are a computer service center, you can recycle computer memory through your store by repackaging it, after testing, and displaying it for discounted prices. You can offer memory upgrades to your customers at a discount. You may want to keep some old memory on hand for testing and replacing damaged memory (RAM) in customer computer systems. This will save your customers money and they will return for more business.

Step 3

Visit computer sales and servicing stores in your local area. If they are interested they may purchase your old chips outright or may sell the computer memory for you. If you decide to sell the PC or Laptop memory yourself, they might test and price them for you.

Step 4

Sell the memory online to make some money for family activities. If you have an account on EBay, Amazon, Uncle Henry’s, or Craig's List you can advertise or auction off your PC or laptop memory. Check the memory first to guarantee your product is working before selling.

Step 5

Get a tax break by donating computer memory to a school or non-profit organization. Check with your local school technology coordinator to see if they might need memory to upgrade PCs or Laptops in their school. Remember to get a receipt for the value of the memory for taxes at the end of the year.

Step 6

Advertise on the bulletin board at work to sell your PC or Laptop memory. Most businesses have an employee bulletin board. Check to see if you are allowed to post selling your PC or Laptop memory. You might end up selling the memory and getting paid to install it for the buyer. Then they could give you their old memory or ask to how to sell it. If they want to sell it themselves, you can refer them to this article.

Step 7

Go to a company online to recycle your computer parts and memory. There are a lot of companies that do recycling of computer parts online. Some will recycle or trade in your PC or Laptop memory when you purchase new memory. Many companies recycle metals from old computer parts to focus on environmental concerns. So if you do a little research you can find the best place to recycle your PC or Laptop memory the way you see fit.

Step 8

Make a conversation piece with old memory and computer parts. If you are the crafty type person you can design a clock, sculpture, jewelry or a centerpiece for your table from the old memory. Maybe a flower that remembers to bloom every year. I always think of making “memory clips” to give as gifts for someone’s desk to hold their notes. I always wanted to spell out someone’s name using keyboard keys from old computer parts. But I will leave the crafty ideas up to you, and just have fun.

This article was found @ eHow.com.

So What Exactly Is "Cloud Computing"?

2009-08-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

The business term known as the "cloud" seems to be getting thrown around a lot nowadays. It's one of the latest buzzwords for companies big and small. But what exactly is this "cloud", and what does "cloud computing" refer to, anyway?

Most people just think of a cloud as one of those giant white puffballs up in the sky. In the business sense, it's much different. According to InformationWeek Magazine, a cloud is "A model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction."

Although this may sound confusing, the definition of a cloud can be easily simplified. Sys-con's Don McVittie had this to say about the cloud: "The “Cloud” is someone else’s data center running your app." Yeah, it really is that simple. Software As A Service evolved.

The hype-sters will no doubt howl about this with the following (and maybe more) chants - “reliability!” – because Salesforce.com didn’t have that already? “redundancy!” – because “redundant data center” didn’t mean anything? “Agility!” because you can’t spin up another VM in your own data center?

So if you’re interested and want to delve past the hype, “the cloud” means moving all or part of your application to someone else’s data center and letting them worry about uptime, etc. While many will wrap a ton of verbiage around claiming there’s more to it, from an enterprise IT perspective there still isn’t. If your web farm got over-burdened you would bring up another instance and put it behind your load balancer or ADC, which is what a cloud provider would do. The difference being that you’d pay your staff to do this work, and in the cloud you pay them to do it. Staff being a sunk cost, this might not be your best option. So make certain you know what you’re about when moving work to the cloud."

IOT is a Certified HP Business Partner, providing pc repair, printer repair, and networking support; as well as sales, service, and supplies to the Minneapolis, Saint Paul area; since 1995. Located in Eagan, MN, we proudly serve the entire Twin Cities metro area. Contact us at 651-605-2500, http://www.iotsolutions.com/ or email us at info@iotsolutions.com for more information.

DIY: Top 3 Computer Fixes

2009-07-10T13:54:00.001-07:00

As we all know, computers are not perfect devices, and they sometimes malfunction. And when they do, this can create frustration, wasted time, and unneeded expense – especially for those of us whose computers are as vital to our daily existence as oxygen. Luckily, many common computer issues can be resolved without professional help – and with excellent results and little or no hair-pulling involved. Here are a few of the problems you might encounter, and how to fix them (from HPs Website).

The problem: my computer is running slowly
Over time, you might notice that your computer’s performance is lagging – programs take longer to load, and booting up seems to take forever.
The fix: there are lots of them, since there are lots of reasons your computer might have slowed down. First, run a spyware and anti-virus software program (if you haven’t got one installed, you should, and you can download one free from the Internet) to see if your system is infected. If it is, follow the removal instructions provided by the software. If that doesn’t work, try removing unnecessary programs that might be taking up storage space on your computer – things like games you haven’t played in months or that accounting software you only installed for the tax season and haven’t used again. Finally, if you use Windows®, try running the Windows defragmentation utility, which can help boost your PC’s performance.

The problem: my PC started normally, but there’s nothing on the screen
If this happens, you should first check that all the cables and wires are attached to your monitor and that they’re all securely plugged in. Another idea: make sure the screen brightness isn’t turned down – this can easily happen to monitors with exposed dials.
You should also listen out for the sounds your PC makes when it boots up: if it beeps once, that’s a normal startup. However, one long beep followed by shorter beeps can mean your graphics/video card has a problem and might need to be “reseated” – this means manually removing it from the computer and then returning it to its slot. To do this, first power off your computer and unplug it. Take the case panel off, and locate the card in your machine. Before touching the card, touch one hand to the metal of the PC to ground yourself. Then, remove the screw holding the card in place, and gently rock the card back and forth until it is released. Finally, reinsert the card gently but firmly until it is completely seated in the slot, then replace the screw and PC cover and plug the machine in again.

The problem: my computer crashes and displays a blue screen
Congratulations, you’ve just encountered the famous Windows stop error, or Blue Screen of Death, as it’s lovingly known in the IT community. If this happens to you, it’s likely that you’ve recently added a new program, device, driver or application that your machine just doesn’t like. Sometimes, a simple reboot of the PC resolves the issue. But sometimes it doesn’t – you reboot, Windows loads, and the computer crashes again. System Restore is a tool in Windows XP and Vista® that takes snapshots of your computer's configuration over time, so if your system crashes due to an installation or bad configuration, the tool can roll Windows back to the state it was in before it stopped working without affecting any of your data. Microsoft® provides detailed instructions on when and how to use System Restore. Want to learn more do-it-yourself PC repair tips and tricks? Take a look at the HP Personal Computing Expertise Center, or review our selection of personal computing courses. Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

These three tips will help battle some of the most common problems we face with our computers. If you or someone you know has tried these fixes to no avail, feel free to contact our computer repair department here at IOT, and we will find the right fixes and the right prices for you to get your computer up and running as soon as possible.

How To Cut PC Energy Costs

2009-07-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

There are now several new ways for a business to 'go green'. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Commercial IT can consume as much as 1.5 percent to 2 percent of American power." The article you are about to read is adapted from CRN Custom Systems Magazine, explaining the latest technology in making computer components more energy efficient.

Behold the power of the "Atom". Intel's newest addition to the processing family, the Atom, is the company's smallest processor; at a size smaller than the penny. This processor was originally intended for use in small, single-use devices that required a consistent internet connection. Eventually, the processor was adapted to the newest classification of computers, known as "netbooks". When PC manufacturers saw the success that these small netbooks created, they decided to explore desktop PC options with the Atom processor. Now, there are small desktop PCs with the Atom that use about one third of the power of regular desktops, only consuming 46 watts under normal loads. These computers can be find at a price tag of less than $300, too.

Atom processors might not win any performance contests, but for people seeking low-energy options involving high-performance processors, there are still other ways to cut energy costs. Quad-core computer processors are the latest craze in high performance computing. However, because the power going to the central processing unit (CPU) is multiplied by the number of cores in the computer, having two cores running at faster speeds can give similar performance with huge energy savings. Intel's Core 2 Duo includes two processor cores, which combined with more computer memory (known as RAM), they can produce almost identical performance two some of the latest quad-core processors.

Upgrading processors aren't the only way to save on energy costs either. Hitachi and Western Digital have found ways to make their hard drives more energy efficient. The Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 uses about half of the power normal desktop hard drvies consume when they are idling. It is considered the world's most energy-efficient desktop hard drive. Western Digital's GreenPower hard drives claim to not only save about 4 to 5 watts of power per hard drive in an organization, but they also claim to save data-intensive organizations up to $10 a year per drive in electricity costs.

Lastly, computer power supplies can cut costs too. Antec's TruePower Quattro power supplies consume about 33 percent less energy than other power supplies similar to their power output. The power supply is designed for maximum airflow, low heat generation, and the power supply fan even speeds up automatically for when the heat increases.

By upgrading systems with one or more of these components, consumers can realize significant energy cost savings and help battle rising energy costs that they are faced with in the future.

IOT is a Certified HP Business Partner, providing pc repair, printer repair, and networking support; as well as sales, service, and supplies to the Minneapolis, Saint Paul area; since 1995. Located in Eagan, MN, we proudly serve the entire Twin Cities metro area. Contact us at 651-605-2500, http://www.iotsolutions.com/ or email us at info@iotsolutions.com for more information.