Lets start with a few quick questions about your computer. Don't worry, they'll be simple ones.

1. What antivirus software is installed on your computer?
2. When were the virus definitions last updated?
3. Is it the most current version from the company that wrote it?
4. When does the license expire?
   1. Will the license automatically renew?
   2. Will the company automatically charge your credit card or bank account to renew the license even if you aren't still using the software?
5. How do you know the software is any good?

If you don't know the answer to all of these questions then you need to learn them soon. Current, reliable antivirus software is essential to keeping your computer running smoothly, protecting all of your personal files including the thousands of photographs that you have of friends and family members, keeping your identity safe, and keeping your money in your bank account where it belongs.

Read more...

Microsoft has recently released Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. Fortunately, at this time it is not being automatically installed through Automatic Updates. If you visit Windows Update and get prompted to install Service Pack 3, there are are some things you may want to consider before installing it.

Do you have an HP Desktop with an AMD processor (HP may not be the only manufacturer that did this)?

If you do then there is a good chance that XP will fail to boot or will enter an endless cycle of rebooting if you install Service Pack 3. Fortunately, the fix is fairly easy to follow and can even be applied before installation of SP3 to prevent a problem.

Read more...

Over the last 3 years the most frequent support call that I receive is from people who have noticed that over time their computer has gotten really slow. There are a number of things that can really slow your computer down, and some of them are very easy and simple to track down and fix.

If you notice a dramatic slowdown right after you install a new program, then that program is the likely cause. It could be poorly written or have a bug or it could just be conflicting with something else on your system. For instance, if you have one antivirus program installed and you install a second one, you will likely notice a slowdown along with other problems. This doesn't mean that the second antivirus program has a problem. It is simply conflicting with the first one. It is not a good idea to run two antivirus programs because they will cause problems like your system freezing up when they both try to scan the same file.

Read more...

I take a lot of pride in my work. I spend a large portion of every year in various kinds of training so that I may continue to be at the top of my field. Over the years I have spent thousands of dollars on training materials and hardware to test different systems.

All of this allows me to show up knowing that I can fix almost any computer problem. Typically the only exceptions to that are things that are simply out of my hands. If the reason that you can't get to the internet turns out to be that your isp is in the middle of a service outage, there is obviously nothing I can do about that. But mostly, if it is broken, I can fix it.

However, when it comes to Windows Live Hotmail, chronic problems on Hotmail's side are the rule instead of the exception. Windows Live Hotmail suffers from numerous problems, some of them are long-term and ongoing, but most of them are temporary or intermittent. I am not the only person seeing this. When I visit a client with a Hotmail problem they either start out by telling me that they have already paid someone else to look at it but were told the problem is with Hotmail's service and can't be fixed, or I hear back from customers that after I was there they had someone else out to look at the problem and again were told that the problem was not on their computer, but instead with Hotmail's system.

Read more...

The salt-air and humidity in Mazatlan don't mix well at all with anything metal. Anyone who lives here and most who have visited will have already figured that out and be wondering if I have a point. We've all seen the rust on the iron bars on our gates, on metal shelving, silverware, pots, cars, and numerous other things. Most of us know that things like iron gates need to be painted to protect them from rusting. I want to mention a few things that won't be news to anyone who has spent extensive time here, but may be a bit of a surprise for short time visitors or people starting to consider moving here.

Read more...