It just amazes me how many businesses never back up their computer network, OR only keep an onsite copy of their data. Imagine this: you write the most important piece of information you could ever write on a chalk board and I come along and erase it. How are you going to get it back? You’re not. Unless you can remember it, or if YOU MADE A COPY OF IT, you can’t recover the data. It’s gone. That is why it is so important to back up your network. There are a number of things that could cause you to lose data files. If the information on the disk is important to you, make sure you have more than one copy of it. Second, it’s absolutely critical that you keep an offsite copy of your data. In the Central Valley, no one expects a flood, hurricane, tornado, or even an earthquake or other natural disasters. But did you ever consider theft? What if someone breaks into your office and takes every single piece of computer equipment you have? It has happened.What if a neighboring office catches fire or if a faulty sprinkler system waters your server room, or a major electrical spike from faulty wiring knocks our your entire system? Here’s another onsite disaster most people never consider…
What if your data becomes corrupt or a tape drive hardware failure erases your data? Again, your data is nothing but a memory. That’s why you want to not only keep an onsite copy of your data, but also an offsite copy. Your data is just too important to not do everything possible to protect it.
Please, please, PLEASE do yourself a favor and let us advise you on this. It will save you THOUSANDS in lost time, money, and client records if you're even a small business (and by the way this is good advice for individuals as well).
When we get calls, it's often because someone is in a panic. They were in the middle of something and the system froze, or threw out an error and then quit, or there's some crazy message and it causes distress. But did you know that many times, these things don't happen for any particular reason? They just happen because your system is acting like itself – it's acting like a doggone computer! Sometimes computers just hiccup, so to speak, and the remedy is just a good old fashioned reboot. If you run into one of these panic situations, just power the system of and turn it on again. You can expect to have to do this from time to time. If the computer is locked up so bad you can't even move the mouse, hold the power button down for 10 full seconds until it turns off, then wait 30 seconds and turn it back on. If you still need us, you know how to reach us.
J. Colin Computing Systems, Inc. DBA The Geeks Computer Service
Are you an experienced I.T. Sales Professional looking to take a reputable company to the next level? The Geeks Computer Service of Central California is expanding business service offerings and needs friendly, experienced sales persons to help us do so. Applications are accepted in person at our Fresno corporate office. Please take a look below to see if this is the right opportunity for you.
Job Title: Sales Geek - I.T. Solutions Job Category: Outside Sales Department/Group: Business Services Job Code/ Req#: 0051 Location: Fresno - Greater Metro Travel Required: Yes Level/Salary Range: Commissions plus residual income rising to six figure salary inside 2 years. Position Type: Full Time, Commission HR Contact: Leslie Karle Date posted: 05/08/2010 Will Train Applicant(s): Yes – applicant will bring own experience Posting Expires: Open Application Period
Applications Accepted By: Corporate Office, In Person Only
In Person: Attn: Hiring Manager The Geeks Computer Service 821 N. Van Ness Ave. Fresno, CA 93728
Job Description
Role and Partial Responsibilities: Small to Medium Sized Business Network Sales - Service Contracts Sales of Remote Monitoring / Managed Services Policies and procedures compliance Network Security Sales I.T. Infrastructure and Products Sales
Qualifications and Education Requirements: Demonstrable and credible I.T. sales experience of at least 5 years.
I love tethering. You know tethering - getting your smart phone attached to your laptop so you can use it to surf the net anywhere you have a phone signal. It's the single most valuable attribute that smart phones have when paired with a laptop.
I also love the open source of the Droid and the same philosophy in Linux - especially Ubuntu (branded as Linux for humans).
Here are some cool instructions if you want to tether your Droid to your Linux laptop (or desktop even!)
Okay folks, I know I haven't posted in awhile. I could bore you to death about my administrative challenges and blah blah blah (whine, whine, whine, whine, whine!) but I won't. Bottom line...I have been SWAMPED and haven't made it a priority to post any help at all on this here blog.
Let's talk about VIRUSES, seeing as that's all that has occupied our time for the last 4 month solid. We have been swamped at both shops since just after Thanksgiving until about 2 weeks ago with this bogus antivirus "software" infection that has been killing a lot of people.
I mean, it set our turnaround times to a week to 10 days for the last few months. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad to have the business. It's nice to be able to help - but, come on! Ten days???!! OUTRAGEOUS! I'd like to find just one of these guys that's creating these viruses and give him some good country justice. Maybe skin him and drag him through lemon juice, and then trample him with several line men from the Fresno State football team. And I suspect no jury would convict me, since 90% of all computer users are PC users, and that would make just about 90% of the jury PC users. Ya' get me?
(Don't worry, Mac users - your time is coming! The more market share you gain, the more virus purveyors will target you! More in a future blog).
So this fake antivirus software keeps popping up everywhere. Click on the highlighted text to read more about it on Wikipedia. It essentially tries to trick you out of your credit card number by telling you your computer is infected with umpteen million viruses. "Click here to remove infections" touts the "program." Then, "Oops! You don't have the registered version. Click here to pay for the registered version." Then you click and end up giving your credit card number to some criminal overseas. Thanks for all the "help" keeping my computer "safe" guys. Thanks a lot.
It goes by a ton of different names, most commonly as of late "PC Security Tool." Yeah, right.
Anyway, DON'T BELIEVE THIS HOAX. Most importantly, don't give our your credit card to them. If you already have, call your bank and have them reverse any charges and then place a fraud watch on your card or cancel it and send you a new one. You are at risk.
If you have the notification, you may be noticing it's getting worse and worse. By the time you have the warning popping up, you're already infected. What's worse, it disables your ability to execute any programs at all, much less your antivirus program.
You'll need to come in and see us to get this thing off your system. And don't think it's easy for us, either. You just end up paying us good money to beat our head against a wall so you don't have to ruin your own hairline.
You came, you waited in line, you really were committed!
Following, for many of you, a four hour wait in line, you got your computer checked in for our free virus removal clinic last Saturday.
I know some of you got frustrated and actually left - I'm not sure I blame you. I didn't expect the turnout to be quite so high. The line stretched up around SaveMart and that lasted most of the day. Those of you who were in line at 4pm when the promotion ended didn't get checked in until well into the 6:00pm hour.
An average day for us at that store is about 5 computers checked in per day.
On Saturday, we checked in 125 of you.
The next thing I ask for is patience, people, patience. It's going to take some time to get to your system. But I promise you, we will spend as much time as we need to in order to deliver exactly what we promised.
Thanks for your support, and thank you for your trust.
Okay, pay attention everyone, because for the good of humanity I’m going to be giving away my services FREE. I don’t do it very often, but I think it’s time.
Viruses – I’m sick of them just as much as you are, believe it or not. And really, I should be thanking these virus manufacturers for sending me so much business, but really, I can only take so much.
That’s why I’m offering FREE VIRUS REMOVAL SERVICES only at my Fresno shop this Saturday.
I’m not kidding. FREE VIRUS REMOVAL SERVICES. So if you just want your computer to work right, you’ve got to take advantage of this FREE VIRUS REMOVAL clinic - ONLY This Saturday the 21st from 10 ‘til 4. Come early, cuz I can see this ending up like a swine flu clinic or something.
This Saturday in Fresno we’re going to clean ALL of the viruses out of your computer FREE OF CHARGE, no strings attached.
Now it’s only at my Fresno shop on the Bullard Loop in northwest Fresno. If you don’t live out there, it’s kind of a weird place to find, but you can get a map here – or call us at 485-GEEK.
Job Description – Store Manager (for a full job description, contact the number or email address below)
Job Information11-2022.00Sales Managers
Hours/Week:40+
Starting Salary: $ 35,000 Per Year + Bonuses up to $50,000 Per Year
Benefits:
·Holidays
·Vacation
·Dental Insurance
·Health Insurance
How to apply:
In person: 821 N. Van Ness Ave. Fresno, CA 93728
By fax:(559) 485-4022
By email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Job Description
Custom Job Purpose:
Direct the actual service, repair and sales of new systems to the client. Coordinate and assign repair of client systems and sell appropriate services and products to facilitate such repairs. Design and sell new computer systems to serve individual and business needs. Responsible for total sales, image, marketing and performance of one service center location.
Tasks
·Coordinate and execute overall merchandising and presentability of service center according to company standards
·Achieve store sales goals according to company standards
·Schedule and assign work to technicians to meet strict deadlines
·Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
·Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.
·Determine price schedules and discount rates.
·Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
·Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.
·Confer or consult with department heads to plan advertising services and to secure information on equipment and customer specifications.
·Duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Education and Experience
Years of Experience:5
Education:Bachelor's Degree
Additional Information:
Must have demonstrable experience and success in a competitive service or retail environment (service preferred). Experience may be substituted for formal learning.
I went online to pay my At&T cell phone bill this morning and came across a new offering from them, A-List. It is similar to T-Mobile MyFaves but allows for rollover minutes. The best part is it is free with qualifying plans, $60/individual or $90/family.
Fresno, CA- Central Valley SCORE is proud to announce the addition of a new member to their Community Board, Mr. Jay Petersen. As a community board member he will play a key role in furthering SCORE’s mission to encourage community leaders to get involved in helping promote SCORE throughout the four counties (Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings).
Mr. Petersen is currently the President/CEO of J. Colin Computing Systems, Inc. DBA The Geeks Computer Service specializing in all aspects of I.T. from network administration to web design. Launched in 2000, The Geeks has grown considerably and now has two service center locations Clovis and Fresno.
With extensive experience in tech, public relations, and mass communications Mr. Petersen will provide valuable expertise and resources for Central Valley SCORE and local business owners.
“I’m pleased that my involvement in the community has led me to SCORE. I look forward to doing my part in helping local entrepreneurs achieve their dreams while the entrepreneurs work to stimulate this economy in real, measurable ways,” said Jay Petersen about joining SCORE’s community board.
SCORE "Consultants to America's Small Business" is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SCORE is headquartered in Herndon, VA and Washington, DC and has 370 chapters throughout the United States and its territories, with 11,200 volunteers nationwide. Both working and retired executives and business owners donate time and expertise as business consultants. Central Valley SCORE 380 serves the counties of Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings.
Regular backups are important to maintaining your sanity when your computer crashes. In the recent weeks we have seen more and more hard drives coming in with bad blocks, potholes if you will, or failing all together. When this happens the first thing going through someone's mind is, "My stuff, is it ok?". In general it is. There are situations where some advanced data recovery tools would need to be used or the drive would need to be sent to a third party who can do forensic data recovery.
All of this can be eliminated by doing regular backups, either to removable media (CD/DVD) or an external hard drive or flash drive. It only takes one failing hard drive before you learn how valuable it is back your stuff up. Every time I copy pictures from my camera to my computer I also back up those pictures to my external hard drive. I follow that up by doing a scheduled backup (step-by-step for XP or Vista) of my whole computer weekly. And just to make sure, I won't lose any pictures of my daughter, each month I burn a new CD/DVD (Tech Tip 10) of the pictures from that month storing them in a safe place. You might be asking, "Why is he so obsessed about this?" I had a hard drive fail on me and lost all my pictures. Wedding, vacation, family and friends, all of them, 5 years worth. I didn't want to have it happen or see what my wife would do to me if it were to happen again.
If you have questions or are unsure of how to go about this let us know and we'll guide you step-by-step or even set it up for you.
So excited about this - our central office has move to the Tower District in Fresno. Great neighborhood, located in the cultural arts district on historic Van Ness Avenue, and lots of new space to help with our ever expanding list of services.
You can find us at 821 N. Van Ness Avenue - Fresno, CA.
I'm also excited to welcome aboard the newest member of our team, Administrative Assistant Leslie Karle. Miss Karle has extensive experience as an Administrative Assistant, and has already made our operations more efficient and productive. We look forward to her contribution to the team!
In the near future, look for a first class sales staff, parts ordering, and a list of services rivaled by no one in the San Joaquin Valley - all thanks to your continued trust and business.
With times being tough now for everyone and always tight for students, Microsoft is offering Windows 7 at a significant discount to students. If you have and e-mail address that ends in .edu, you are eligible for the $30 upgrade. The upgrade is good from either XP or Vista to 7. To find out more or to order visit http://www.win741.com/ the offer is good until January 3rd, 2010.
My wife is always calling me and asking me to look up a number or address for her. She's does this while sitting in front of a computer and I'm out running around. I used to remind her that all she has to do is Google it. I've since given up. Now when she calls I just send a text to 466453 with the info she's asking for and then forward it to her. Problem solved. Try it for yourself. Send a text to 466453 and in the messeage enter The Geeks Computer Service, Fresno, CA and you'll get a text back with the phone number and location of our shops.
Last night while I was doing laundry I lost my cell phone. I couldn't find it anywhere. I looked between the towels, in our drawers and in the freezer (we had frozen pizza for dinner). Then I remembered I could send a text message using e-mail. You might ask "Why didn't you just call it?" It's because I'm cheap and refuse to pay for a land line when I pay for a cell phone. I texted my wife, from my e-mail, and had her call my phone until I found it. After about 3 minutes of searching I found it in her closet.
In order for this to work you need to know the persons cell phone provider you're sending a text to. Here's a list of the major providers.
Are you sick and tired of your computer taking forever to load? One thing that may be slowing down performance is your anti-virus. While virus protection is essential to keeping you protected, it shouldn't slow down your productivity.
From my experience both Norton and McAfee are at the top of the list for slowing a computer to a standstill. These products will update and update and update for what seems like forever making it difficult for you to just log in real quick and check your email. I would suggest replacing these with AVG. AVG updates when you turn the computer on but it doesn't slow your computer down. You can set the scan to run at a time that will not interfere with your productivity and will only run at that scheduled time.
To remove McAfee there are step-by-step instructions here and Norton here. Once you remove those you'll need to download and install AVG from here. Unsure of what you're doing? Let us do it for you at one of our service centers in Clovis or Fresno.
I thought this article was perfect for a hypochondriac like myself. From a technical aspect, it's one of the most incredible things I've heard in awhile.
According to findings published in Nature Nanotechnology, there are 33 different chemical markers in exhaled breath that indicate lung cancer. Researchers from the Israel Institute of Technology apparently have devised a way to detect these chemical markers with gold (AU) nano-particles whose chemical composition changes during contact with these cancer indicators.
This could prove as indispensable to quick, non-invasive diagnosis as the blood test is to diabetes patients.
Find all of the details here - it's full of geeky information.
The security firm's 'Bringing Social Security to the Online community' survey, which was conducted in conjunction with the CMO Council, revealed that 64 percent of Web users who use sites such as Facebook and Twitter admitted to very rarely changing their passwords, while only 43 percent adjust their privacy settings on a frequent basis.
"As social networking populations grow globally and the proliferation of niche social networks and mobile offerings extends the reach of social communities, the threats and vulnerabilities are escalating accordingly," said Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council.
AVG said that 21 percent of social networkers accept contact from members they don't recognize, while 26 percent share files within a social network and 64 percent said they click on links sent by other members.
As a result of poor security practices, 20 percent of Web users who belong to a social network have been the victim of identity theft, while 55 percent have experienced a phishing attack and 47 percent admitted they have been attacked by malware.
"The fact that users understand the risks, and yet are failing to take the basic steps to protect themselves presents an interesting challenge to companies, like AVG, that are working to create a safer cyber community," said Siobhan MacDermott, head of public policy, corporate communications and investor Relations, AVG Technologies.
People always ask me, "How do keep from getting a virus?" Most assume it has to do with porn sites, not true. I've been researching those for a couple of years now and haven't got a virus from one yet.
Be cautious if you plan to Bing Jessica Biel or Google Brad Pitt. A new report says you might get a virus.
The Hollywood actors are among the top 10 celebrity searches online that can lead to computer problems, according to a report released Tuesday by the computer security company McAfee.
The company named Biel the "most dangerous celebrity in cyberspace." One in five Internet searches for terms related to "Jessica Biel" leads to a Web page, photo, video or piece of spam that contains a cyber-security threat, the report said. more
Sick of running out of juice at the worst possible moment? Here's how to squeeze every last drop out of your gadgets' batteries and charge them up quickly and conveniently. In this video, we’ve got tips for digital cameras and cellphones. There is also have another video that provides battery tips for MP3 players and iPods.
It's Friday, I'm in a good mood and ready for a great weekend. So let's have some fun today while driving someone else absolutely nuts. This prank can take a couple of minutes to perfect so practice and get familiar with it on your computer.
Here's how to pull it off:
-Find an unsuspecting target
-Wait until you have a couple of minutes to sit in front of their computer
-Take a screenshot of their desktop, CTRL+Print Screen or if they have an LCD here is a good one to use and skip the next 3 steps.
-Open paint, it's in the Start Menu under accessories
-Paste the image, CTRL+V, and make sure the image takes up the whole canvas
-Save it
-Right click on it and Set as Desktop Background. Make sure to Stretch it to fill the screen.
-Close any toolbars, sidebars and taskbars
-Hide Desktop Icons, right click on the desktop, got to Arrange Icons By->Show Desktop Icons
-Go back to your desk and wait for the hilarity to ensue.
Sick of the buzzing you hear over nearby speakers whenever a call or message arrives at your phone? Keeping a protective electrostatic bag nearby can kill the buzz.
Electrostatic bags are the gold standard for packaging hard drives and other computer hardware, and even some smartphones. If you lack for a smaller-sized bag, it's probably available at your local electronics or computer store. Placing your phone on or even just near the thin bag significantly cuts down on "GSM buzz."
Keeping a loose bag on your desktop might not meet many workers' idea of a neat and pleasing desktop, though, so we'll welcome any re-purpose or design ideas.
<Please consult legal counseling. The Geeks is NOT providing legal advice. Cracking passwords may constitute a violation of the law. Please consult law enforcement.>
Seriously, pesky passwords seem to get right in the way of productivity, especially in the case of FORGOTTEN passwords.
So what does one do, as in the case of one client, when a lost password meant that he couldn't back up and restore his Outlook PST file? To explain, the PST file is the file that holds all of your appointments, emails, and contacts in Outlook. He could copy the file to a disk, but when trying to re-import the file onto his fresh load of Outlook, a window popped up asking him for a user name and password. The client had set up the password to prevent unauthorized access to the file, but had done it so long ago that he forgot the user name and password he had set up in the first place.
There is a great program you can download from CNET's download.com and it will solve your lost password problem. Okay, I'm not winning any points in the "keep personal information out of unauthorized hands" category, but it's much more practical to be able to get at your information because you had a human lapse in memory.
The program is called PstPassword, and it will work on most versions of Outlook files. Happy cracking!
Third-party software utilities have the ability to flip or rotate a monitor's display 0, 90, 180, and/or 270 degrees so that different types of monitors or positioning of monitors can be used. To resolve this issue we recommend you correct this by simply pressing CTRL + ALT + up arrow on the keyboard. If that doesn't work, it may be time to get a new computer. If that's not a reasonable solution come by one of our locations and let us fix it for you.
Every parent worries about what their children are doing while on-line. Making the internet a safe place for kids is just not going to happen. There will always be something out there that we can't protect them from. We can try and make the world wide web safer by enabling something called parental controls. Mozilla's Firefox doesn't have this functionality in it by default, however there are a couple of add-ons you can choose from to make this possible. Installing and configuring these aren't going to make all the dangers of the internet go away, but it will make browsing safer.
While looking for something thing to cure my boredom I found an article at PCWorld "40 Fantastic Time-Wasting Websites". I'll have to admit I've went to or at least heard of most of these sites. The one that I absolutely fell in love with though is vNES. You can really waste some time playing Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda or any of the classic Nintendo games just turn the sound off and enjoy at the office.
Everyone out there knows someone who once a year sends out a mass e-mail to everyone in their contact list letting them know they have a new e-mail address. The body of the message reads something like this:
"Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know I changed my internet provider and I now have a new e-mail address. Please don't send anything to my old e-mail
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Please use my new one
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Oh and send me a reply e-mail so I can add you to my new address book."
These e-mail addresses are hosted by your Internet Service Provider or ISP. There are times when these e-mail addresses can be useful. Use them as a throwaway address. Meaning, when you go to a website that asks for your e-mail so they can send you information you really don't care about you just want the one bit of information your looking at right now, use these.
Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo! are all alternate options. By using these free web-based e-mail providers you'll never have to send out another message letting people know you've changed your e-mail address. No need worrying about losing e-mails or updating contacts when using one of these providers.
Over the last week I've had a number of clients come in with the "Personal AntiVirus" virus and all have said they got it playing Farm Town on facebook. The weird thing is that I hadn't heard of Farm Town before last Wednesday. I'm on facebook and never got an invite to play. I guess growing up with a bunch of hicks that have real farms they don't want to play a game about farming.
Farm Town, the game itself, is safe to play, however the banner ads on the site it takes you are what's causing the problems. Farm Town is not made by facebook, you actually leave to play. The safest way to play would be to use Firefox and an add-on call Ad-Blocker. Also, make sure you have good antivirus and spyware solutions that are kept up to date and run regularly. We recommend AVG and SpyBot Search & Destroy.
Hopefully this helps keep you from getting infected, but if you already are we have the tools to get rid of this pesky virus. Stop by either location and we'll be happy to remove this or any other viruses your computer may have. Then you can go back to farming from your nice and cool little office where you don't break a sweat while detasseling corn.
Windows has been pushing Internet Explorer 8 out via Automatic Updates for a little while now and I can not recommend installing this update, at all. IE8 is just way to buggy and should not have been released yet. We've had clients coming in and complaining of not being able to download e-mail attachments, access their bank website or even go online because IE8 opens and closes immediately. This can be avoided.
When you see the little yellow shield down by the clock on your task bar click on it
and choose Custom Install and click next
You will then see a list of update. If Internet Explorer 8 is listed uncheck the box and click install. A new window will pop up and ask if you want to hide updates and check the box to not be notified about these updates again. Click OK and you're done.
By not installing IE8 you will save yourself the headaches and frustration from not having to deal with an application that was released too soon. We all remember what happened when Vista was released.
According to the report, "The Web's Most Dangerous Search Terms," the 10 riskiest searches in the United States are:
1. Word Unscrambler
2. Lyrics
3. MySpace
4. Free Music Downloads
5. Phelps, Weber-Gale, Jones and Lezak Wins 4x 100m Relay
6. Free Music
7. Game Cheats
8. Printable Fill in Puzzles
9. Free Ringtones
10. Solitaire
"Search engines are our on-ramp, our highway and our off-ramp -- they're everything for Web travel," said Shane Keats, the research analyst with McAfee who led the study. "The hacking community is very smart -- they can spot a trend as well as any trendspotter."
Just as pickpockets know they'll have the best odds of snatching a wallet on a busy city sidewalk, Internet thieves know they'll have the most luck by targeting crowds.
"If you're hacking for profit, the best way to make money is with the largest pool of potential victims," he said. "The biggest crowd is going to be around these trends."
After analyzing the search terms, Keats and his team found that not only are hackers looking for crowds, they are also attacking Internet surfers who are ready to take an online action, like downloading a ringtone or logging in to a site with a name, address and social security number.
For example, people searching for free music downloads are easy targets for hackers because they are expecting to download an mp3.
"They're primed and ready to take an action," Keats said.
If you would like to read the full article by Ki Mae Heussner visit ABC.com.
The only thing I think I hear more than, “I think I have a virus” is a client saying, “I’m computer illiterate.” While viruses account for a large portion of our business computer illiteracy accounts for even more. I can’t think of any other industry where someone states right off the bat that they aren’t knowledgeable about something they use every day. When you go to your mechanic you don’t tell him you don’t know how your car works, you tell him what doesn’t work. I can add, subtract, multiply and divide but I don’t do my taxes. I take them to someone who knows what they’re doing.
Computer illiteracy isn’t something to be ashamed of. There is a whole Wikipedia article about computer literacy you can read here (for those truly computer illiterate click on the word "here"). You use your computer on a daily basis and know how to use it and the applications to get your work done. We don’t know how to use AutoCAD or Easy Dental, but we know how to fix them when they break.
Education is the key to wiping out computer illiteracy. The internet is a wealth of knowledge. If you have questions Google it. You use Google to find out the latest dish on Brangelina, why not how to create a family blog. Enroll in a class and get aquainted with your office applications. Use Excel to create a budget or Word to write that memoir you've been putting off.
The point I’m trying to make is simple, you don’t need to apologize for the fact that you don’t know how your computer works. If you did you wouldn’t bring it to us. It’s our job to how it works, just like your mechanic or CPA know how to do their jobs, we know how to do ours. If you have questions, we'll have the answers. Give us a call at 559-439-3535. We'll answer any of your computer question and if they're interesting enough other subjects too.
First of all I'd like to introduce myself, as guest blogger and Fresno shop manager, Dan Kirk. While our head geek, Jay, is away he has asked me to take over the blog to keep everyone up to date.
Recently a client brought in a laptop that was having some problems. They complained about it running slow, taking forever to connect to the internet, problems with applications opening, and just being "buggy". We checked the computer in and began running our diagnostic tests to determine the problem. The laptop passed all of our hardware diagnostics but found some viruses. Really no big deal, just looked like another virus infected computer, at least until we opened up the case and found the real "bugs" - cockroaches! Dead ones at first, then the live ones decided to come out. Not a real fun situation. It took us about a week to really rid ourselves of the infestation with roach motels and sprays. I am happy to report that we and the laptop are now bug free. What happens is the cockroaches like the warmth the laptop or desktop gives off and they can make a nice little home for themselves in there with all of the dust that builds up.
This is kind of a follow up to Jay's last post reminding you of the importance to take the time and do some routine cleaning of your desktop and laptop. Also, to let you know that you never know what may be living inside your computer, we've seen mice too. If you're afraid of what you might find you can bring it by one of our service centers and we'll be happy to take a look. In Clovis on the Northeast corner of Clovis & Herndon or in Fresno on Bullard & Fig Garden Loop in the Save Mart shopping center.
Today, for the third time, I appeared on KSEE24's Central Valley Today. Video of this interview coming soon.
I got snippy with one of the cameramen, a classic AV Geek complete with the Santa Claus beard, who was attempting to correct me about the use of “rubbing” alcohol to clean screens.
On my CVT spot this morning, I had recommended “70% rubbing alcohol” to clean LCD screens on your laptop.
After the spot, the cameraman asked me why I’d use rubbing alcohol because “there’s oil.”
I thought he was referring to the oily fingerprints left on the monitor, not even thinking that I had said “rubbing” alcohol instead of “isopropyl,” which is different.
I thought he was intimating that alcohol wasn’t strong enough to cut through the oil on the monitor.
What he was trying to say was that “rubbing” alcohol has oil in the mixture. But I wasn’t listening.
Then, when he insisted he was right, I asked him if he wanted to do the interview next time. HA!
All this to say, he was right, and I was wrong.Whatever…
You should use 70% “isopropyl” alcohol, not “rubbing” alcohol to clean your LCD screen.You get it off the shelf at any drugstore.
Matter of fact, I didn’t know you could get “rubbing” alcohol anymore except in sleazy massage parlors.
Boy do I hate blog spammers. They're among the worst kind of filth imaginable. If I ever find you, Harma from Armenia, I'm going to fillet you and set you out to dry in the sun and then carry you around with me backpacking with my trail mix and eat you. Neither I, nor my faithful clients, need Imitrex, Viagra, or any other sort of cheap "medications" made from Ajax.
I am not fooled by your random character generators, or your attempts at winning my loyalites by starting your spam with inspirational quotes from our Nation's forefathers.
I don't care if your family is in "crisis" and needs help getting to this country, if I'll only support your effort by depositing money into your bank account. Matter of fact, I hope you burn.
If you have the "best deals..." I don't want to hear about it.
"Incredible opportunity????" Forget it.
"Unbelievable prices - <Click Here To Find Out How>???" I will hunt you and make you suffer.
My life is not consumed by you, but rest assured, it is always in the back of my mind that should I ever locate just ONE of you, I am not responsible for my actions. I just may snap. So stay far, far, FAR away.
I will get you. It will take time, but I am patient.
Jay's gonna be on TV! Take a look at KSEE 24 (our local NBC affiliate) tomorrow (Tuesday) June 16th, 2009 - between 11:00am and 12:00noon. We'll be on Central Valley Today with Alex Delgado, a local talk show that highlights Central Valley professionals and local areas of interest. We'll be talking about your company's computer guy, energy drinks, web design and more!
If you miss us June 16th, we'll also be on the following dates:
Tuesday June 23rd, 2009 - between 11:00am and 12:00noon
Tuesday June 30th, 2009 - between 11:00am and 12:00noon
Had a friend ask me about the Sims 2 crashing after loading a family (goes to a blue screen). I found out this is a common problem. Here's the text of the email:
Do you have any experience with Sims 2 issues? I just paid a guy here in OH a whole crap load of $$ to "fix" my computer. Not only is not fixed... I'm having a whole lot more issues than I had before with other apps I wasnt having problems with. Before I had it "fixed" I was only able to play my game for 10 mins before it would terminate. Now I can't even load a family before I get BSOD Crap I am pissed.
any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
My reply is below:
Hmmm...you should try seeing if there are any updates to the SIMS. Also, if there are any driver conflicts with your video card and Sims 2 you may have some trouble. BSOD happens for a variety of issues, but I would suspect yours would happen to be a video driver issue. You may have to upgrade (or even downgrade) your video driver to a version that works with Sims 2. Hope that helps!
Well, it turns out I was kinda right. There is a blue screen that pops up and crashes the Sims 2 when you have certain Nvidia drivers installed. By the way, this is not the same thing as your classic BSOD. <CLICK HERE FOR A HELPFUL LINK>
I hope the link will help all of you get back to your fake families.
Computer infected? Bring it in to our FRESNO LOCATION ONLY for a FREE cleaning. This Saturday, May 30th from 10:00am to 4:00pm
If your system is running slow, getting tons of pop-ups, redirecting your web browser, or just plain old not working right, you may be infected with a virus.
We'll get the bad guys out of your system absolutely FREE - one day only. Here's the info:
How: Bring in your desktop or laptop (if laptop, bring AC Adapter too). Call (559) 439-3535 for details.
This offer is not being broadcast on mainstream media, but when we've done it in the past, we always get a really great response.
It's a no-strings-attached offer to help promote our 1 Year Anniversary at our FRESNO LOCATION ONLY, and we want to make your system run better, for FREE!
I know I'm starting to sound like a Sham-WOW! commercial, but I'm really not kidding, guys. This is a great way to get your computer running properly for FREE. There will be discounted prices on all other labor if it's not a virus that's killing your computer.
There's no limit to the number of systems you can bring in. We might have to keep your system for awhile, but bring it in and we'll clean out the viruses absolutely FREE!
Forward this link, retweet it, get the word out, Fresno. Guaranteed to please. Get your system running better, for FREE!
Hey all...thought you might be interested in this TV interview. It's from Chamber News and Views, airing every Thursday from 6 to 7 on our local channel 33, and on centralvalleytalk.com - very homegrown, but fun nonetheless! Enjoy!
What kind of Geek would I be if I didn't at least comment on the new Star Trek movie, right?
Okay, okay...I didn't stand in line on opening night. I know - hand in my Geek credentials. Phaser and communicator on the desk, please. I'm under administrative suspension.
Would it help if I told you the reason I missed opening night was because I was brushing up on my scientific understanding of Red Matter so I didn't go in to the theater having to rely on www.google.com/m for on-the-fly fact checking? Quantum theory is tough stuff, people! So I took an extra day - I had an H1N1 infection, so I wasn't feeling up to par.
The film chronicles a "back home years ago" experience of your favorite Trek originals, including James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, "Bones" McCoy, etc. etc. etc. When viewing this with Trek fans, mind you, be prepared to applaud at every introduction of the original characters - it IS obligatory.
I won't spoil anything for you. You'll have to go to imdb.com for that. But suffice it to say, this film changes all the Star Trek history rules so that we can have a new set of Star Trek experiences with characters we already know, love and trust. Some people scoff...I say the franchise's survival depends on new material, and there won't be a mass following unless the film makers "warp in" some built-in love.
In case you care, here's my brief assessment of the story line and characters:
Story Line - Interesting, fun to watch, sets up our new understanding of the characters, kind of like the first Toy Story.
Chris Pine, as James T. Kirk - Gritty and reckless, scarred up, and under dramatic. A decent play, but I'm left with the same feeling when James Bond characterizations switched from your Pierce Brosnan type to your Daniel Craig type. Some character types are better left alone.
Zachary Quinto, as Spock - Love him as Sylar, like him as Spock. Good choice.
Karl Urban, as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy - This guy made the movie for me. He stayed true to the character while it was still his own interpretation. Really great character.
Zoe Saldana, as Uhura - meh...
Simon Pegg, as Scotty - Character development must have been saved for the next movie??? Two-dimensional character acting.
Alright, enough is enough. Overall, I say any Geek worth his or her salt better see this movie, and I mean this week. All others can wait until it's out on disc to see it. Better get a decent home theater or multimedia PC rig, though. With the effects and the action, you're gonna need it.
Ever tried to uninstall a program in Windows and it wouldn't come out? Maybe it used to show up in Add/Remove Programs but now it doesn't even show up there - but you KNOW it still has some remnants on your computer. Old versions of AOL, maybe? How about multiple versions of iTunes? Microsoft has released a very useful utility. It's called "Windows Installer Cleanup Utility." I know, it's verbose, uncreative, typical, right? But it says exactly what it does. It will get those fragments of useless old programs out of your computer and keep it from running like crap. Now, it isn't foolproof, but it does a pretty good job. We've added it to our arsenal and we suggest you add it to yours, especially if you like to keep adding software to your computer all the time.
Here's the link to Microsoft's website (when you get there, scroll down a bit to find the download link):
We just received in the mail a very official and prestigious looking letter from the "Cambridge Who's Who." The letter invited my Office Manager as a "Who's Who" in corporate America! Wow! What an honor.
Here's my advice for anyone who gets unsolicited invitations into societies or organizations you've never heard of. Go to Google, type in the name of the "organization" plus the word "scam" and see what listings you get.
In our case, there were a whole host of listings, including how the "sales pitch" worked and even included a YouTube video of someone who had nearly been squeezed for about $600 bucks, but for the fact that the "sales person" had neglected to write down the credit card number correctly.
The Google search (and you can do it with any major search engine) is a daily-tech way to detect low tech scams. I suggest doing it with any "too good to be true" scenario you come across. You will find yourself feeling proactive instead of duped, and you will enjoy the power of knowledge the internet has brought all of us.
Make sure you continue to sift the wheat from the chaff - all that glitters on the internet is not gold. These "organizations" also have very legitimate looking websites, and you may find yourself taken in by the seeming prestige of it all.
Okay party Geeks! We're now on Twitter. That means you can virtually stalk me at all hours. Not actually, mind you. Just in the virtual world. Or "follow" me, which I'm okay with, btw. Personally, I have raged against social networks for far too long. I prefer actual face-to-face contact, handshaking, baby-kissing, whatever you like to call it. But I can't do that with people in Israel, for example. Not as often as I'd like. Matter of fact, I don't do it often enough with my friends in Visalia, probably because I'm worried that gas will go back up to $4.50 and then where would I be?
At some point, I'm sure the constant contact via Twitter will be enough to justify the brand exposure alone, and so I won't be so opposed to it. It's when my office and technical crew members start spending all day on it that I might revisit my new found affinity and revert to my social network hatred. Until then, let's tweet and see how this goes.
To be frank, I'm just counting down the days to Halloween, so that on October 31st I can post a blog titled, "Twitter Tweet!"
It is completely surreal to have people stop me on the street and ask me about computer problems. Since I've created my radio and television campaign my local celebrity status has gone up at least 3 pegs. I always wonder why people are still willing to come near me, after seeing my ugly face on TV! Still, the nicest part about it is that everybody in the Central Valley is so friendly anyway that I'm more than happy to stop and chat if I have time. It's weird to have people know what I do just by looking at me, but I guess that's why I put the ads on in the first place, right? At any rate, thanks for all of your kind words and it's because of all of you that my company is doing so well. Thanks again, and stop me any time. Except in the restroom - or at least wait until I get to the sink and wash my hands...it's swine flu season, people!
Okay folks...I'm really excited about this. Starting on or before June 1st, 2009 you'll be able to call in 24 hours a day and set appointments for emergency service. I'm really amped to be able to bring this service to you after many long years of service to the Central Valley. We are an instant communication society and I realize that when you need help, you need it right away. So count down the days, because within the next 30 ticks of the calendar you'll be able to call in at 2am and know that your problem can get handled if need be, by the most reliable I.T. service in the Central Valley - The Geeks Computer Service!
Well, I spent quite awhile down at the radio studios of The Fox / 104.1 / Smooth Jazz this morning (who are also clients, by the way). Recorded 10 new Tech Tips that should begin to air immediately. Also, listen for them on KJWL and KYNO (also clients) as they should be popping up there as well. Let me know what you think of the new campaign, or of our previous campaign. As always, thank you for your continued input and support. - Jay Petersen Head Geek
While I was out with some business associates of mine, they noticed that I had my cell phone connected to my laptop with a USB cable.
"Are you getting the internet with that?" one asked.
I replied that it's called "tethering," and because I have data service on my cell phone I can tether it to my laptop and surf with the cell phone's high speed connection.
"So you don't need an aircard," another associate asked.
This is true. I don't need the USB aircard that she uses because my cell phone acts in place of the air card. I had to pay an extra fee to allow for tethering on my provider's network, but it's a lot cheaper than having a whole other device dedicated to just surfing with it's own $60 fee per month.
I plan to write an official tech tip about this, hopefully to get you started with some step-by-step help on tethering.
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Friday, September 03, 2010 at 12:51pm | 
The Hollywood actors are among the top 10 celebrity searches online that can lead to computer problems, according to a report released Tuesday by the computer security company McAfee.
