Cleaning and disinfecting your screen – including the one on your smartphone or tablet – as well as your keyboard and mouse can be done with some common items that you most likely already have around the house. For cleaning your computer and smartphone screen you can use a soft lint-free cloth and a mix of isopropyl alcohol and water or disinfecting wipe. Turn off your device before cleaning, be careful not to scratch the surfaces or allow liquids to seep into any holes, and allow time for … [Read more...]
March 16, 2020 By Computer Techs
January 29, 2020 By Computer Techs
Why you should keep your computer ON when not using it
If you use a desktop computer, we recommend leaving it ON when not using it. Here’s why: Your computer does important maintenance tasks when “idle” – basically the time when you walk away from it for 5-10 minutes or more. To be idle the computer needs to be left ON – not in sleep mode, standby, logged off, nor powered off.Maintenance tasks include scanning for and installing Windows Updates, virus/malware scans, disk defragmentation, and any other updates that may be … [Read more...]
July 31, 2019 By Computer Techs
What you need to know about the Summer 2017 Equifax data breach
Updated 7/31/19 to include Equifax Data Breach Settlement information: In July 2019 Equifax agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 U.S. states and territories. The settlement includes up to $425 million to help people affected by the data breach. For more information including a lookup tool to see if your data was affected by the data breach, see the following official FTC website: ftc.gov/Equifax Beware of … [Read more...]
January 31, 2019 By Computer Techs
Email scam uses data from breached websites to craft authentic looking email – How to check if your data was exposed
A new email scam has been quickly spreading with different variants that claims to have hacked the recipient’s email account and includes a password used by the recipient. One variant further claims to have caught the recipient looking at pornographic websites, and demanding “ransom” in the form of Bitcoin payment to prevent the release of webcam photos being sent to all the recipient’s contacts. An example email is shown below. If you’re the recipient of such an email you may think … [Read more...]
September 19, 2018 By Computer Techs
Is your smartphone or tablet slowing down? Closing your open apps could help.
If your smartphone or tablet is slowing down, closing your open apps could help speed it up. When you "close" most apps on a smartphone or tablet, it actually remains in memory running in the background. Over time you may have dozens of apps running in the background which can make it feel slower. Read the instructions in the articles below to close open apps. How to force an app to close on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch Find, open & close apps - Android Help … [Read more...]
May 28, 2018 By Computer Techs
FBI urges home users to reboot their routers to disrupt the spread of newly discovered malware
The FBI is urging owners of routers used in most homes and small offices perform a power-cycle (reboot) of their device to help disrupt the spread of a newly discovered malware targeting such devices. Vulnerable routers include popular devices from Netgear, Linksys, and TP-Link - however this is not a complete list. A reboot is done by unplugging the thin/black power cable from the rear of the router, waiting about 15 seconds, then plugging it back in. After a few minutes all of the lights on … [Read more...]
May 15, 2018 By Computer Techs
Is it time to replace your Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi enables you to use your computing devices wirelessly throughout your home. If your Wi-Fi router or internet gateway (provided by your internet provider) is over 5 years old, it’s time to replace it with newer, more secure technology. Over time security flaws have been found in the Wi-Fi protocol that’s used in all routers and gateways, and patches have been released as firmware updates for only the newest routers manufactured in the past few years. A benefit of replacing your Wi-Fi … [Read more...]
April 17, 2018 By Computer Techs
How to find your lost or stolen mobile smartphone or tablet
If you’ve lost your mobile smartphone or tablet, or if your device is stolen, you can often find its location by going to a dedicated website on your computer. But before your device can be located, your mobile device needs to be setup to allow it to be located. Now is the time to check and make sure your device is setup – before your phone gets lost or stolen. … [Read more...]
November 24, 2016 By Computer Techs
How to improve wireless coverage at home
Do you have poor Wi-Fi coverage inside your home due to low signal or interference from other nearby Wi-Fi routers? How about poor wireless cell coverage at home due to wireless carriers having trouble locating their cellular transmission antennas, towers and poles in residential neighborhoods? Resident complaints that cell towers will decrease property values or become eyesores within the landscape have persuaded elected officials to deny the permits needed to construct new cell … [Read more...]
November 8, 2016 By Computer Techs
How to manage your passwords – easily and safely
Updated June 2025: When helping clients log in to their computer or websites, often we'll see them pull out a scratch pad or sticky notes with various passwords scribbled on the page. There’s a better organized and more secure method to keep track of your login information. First of all, it's important that you are not using the same password for multiple web sites. The danger in doing so is that when your login information is exposed in a data breach, hackers will attempt to use that … [Read more...]