Upgrading Your Computer on a Budget

Replacing slow, obsolete parts in your computer can sometimes be a lot cheaper than buying a new one, and extend the life of your current PC for many more years. Many times, just a few small upgrades can make a world of difference in your computer's speed and overall performance.

You can achieve the most performance boost by upgrading your computer RAM, video card, and/or hard drive. But -- before you decide whether an upgrade is the right choice for your computer, you'll want to find out what hardware or software your computer currently has. We recommend that you download and run a free software tool called Belarc Advisor. Belarc Advisor will generate a quick report with all your hardware and software components listed.

Once you have your report generated, you are welcome to give us a call (847-348-3489) for a free consultation and we'll be happy to go over the list with you and explain which upgrade options would provide the biggest "bang for your buck."

Here is a quick overview of the main upgrade options to consider:

1. Upgrading your RAM
   RAM is often the cheapest and most significant upgrade you can give your computer. If your computer is older, it may have less than 1GB of RAM currently installed. This currently allows your computer to operate at only a fraction of it's overall capability. Upgrading to up to 4GB of RAM may increase speeds tremendously.
2. Upgrading your Video Card
   If you, or members of your family, enjoy playing PC games, you will want to consider upgrading your computer's video card. It's quite possible that your current computer only has onboard video graphics, which is placing a great deal of processing burden on your motherboard. Upgrading to an advanced video card (which is separate from the motherboard) will improve the speed of your computer.
3. Upgrading Your Hard Drive
   If your current hard drive has low storage space left, you should upgrade to a larger drive. Having more space will make your hard drive run cooler and work less. If you're low on space, your hard drive will bog your computer speeds down as it struggles to manage and move around your data. But more than that, the Hard Drive is a MECHANICAL device, and it wears down over time (due to fritcion), resulting in slower access to data and programs. Cloning your hard drive is best done BEFORE your run into problems.
4. Upgrading Your Power Supply
   Most power supplies that ship with name brand computers are cheap, generic and ineffective at keeping your computer running cool. Upgrading to a modular power supply will more effectively pull hot air out of the computer case. The cooler your PC, the faster it will run.
5. Upgrading Your Operating System
   If you're running Windows XP or Vista, it's time to consider upgrading to Windows 7. Windows 7 is easier on your system, more secure, more robust, and faster than all of it's predecessors. (see our earlier post on "Can my PC run Windows 7?")
6. Upgrading Your Computer Monitor
   If you have an older computer monitor, you should consider upgrading to a large 20" HD monitor. Your experience with your computer and the internet will change dramatically and you'll find it more enjoyable.

With our fragile economy, sometimes upgrading your computer is the best option for extending the life of your PC and improving overall performance. If you're considering any possible upgrades, we are happy to discuss your options further to help you make an intelligent decision that will reap you benefits for years to come.

Give us a call at 847-348-3489 or email MAX Communications

Five Tips For Going Green With Technology in the Workplace

Now that computers have become just a vital part of the workplace, it's important to consider ways we can conserve energy. After all, every little bit counts. Not only will you save on your utility and maintenance bills, but you will also be contributing to the greater good of society.

The following are 5 tips you can implement right now to go green with technology in your workplace:

1. Remember to use your power management features on all computers. Set a company-wide policy that staff members place their computers into sleep mode when they are sitting idle. This should be done during breaks in the work day, as well as at the end of the day when it is time to go home.  If you use Intel VPro Network Cards, you can actually send a manageed control to "Shut Down" and "Wake Up" your network workstations on a scheduled basis.  (Ask us how - MAX Communications 847-348-3489)
2. Use Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS) or PowerSaver Power Strips on all of your electronic components (stop "power vampires"). Power supplies help regulate the flow of electricity to your devices and save from much of the leakage that can occur from plugging devices directly into the wall.
3. Purchase Energy Star-rated Computers, Monitors, and Printers. A little research goes a long way. The next time you go to make a PC purchase, look for the Energy Star rating. This will tell you that the computer uses less power and will lesson the load on the environment.
4. Detox your computers the next time you make a PC purchase. There are many chemicals in computers; however, several can (and should) be avoided at all costs. The first chemical to watch out for is lead. Other chemicals to avoid include mercury, Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), cadmium, hexavalent, chromium, Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB), and Pentabromodiphenyl Ether (PBDE). Look for a hazardous material use policy on the manufacturer's website that you are looking to make a purchase from. It will take just a couple minutes of your time to research which brand to choose, and your decision to purchase green will help the fight to convince any reluctant manufacturer's to change their ways.
5. Look for green buying guides. There are multitudes of websites online that are designed to help you make smart, green technology purchasing decisions. http://www.thedailygreen.com/ is a great place to start. 

If you know of others, we'd like to share - post them in a COMMENT below...

Top 10 Keyboard Shortcuts

Computer keyboard shortcuts are designed to save you valuable time and productivity. Yet, many computer users opt to stick to long-form commands, because they are afraid it will take too long to memorize shortcut combinations.

The truth is, memorizing shortcut commands is easy and will eliminate unnecessary steps. Your hand muscles and cartilage will not have to work as hard and you will free up more time than you may think.

In this week's post, we've decided to feature our list of the top 10 keyboard shortcut commands we believe will be the most useful to you:

1. Ctrl + F
   This command opens the Find function in any program you are using. This includes your Internet browser as well to find text on a page.
   
2. Alt + Tab or Alt + Esc
   This command quickly switches between open programs moving forward. Pressing Ctrl + Tab will switch between tabs in a program. Adding the Shift key to Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab will move backwards.
   
   If you are using Windows Vista or 7, you can press the Windows Key + Tab to switch through open programs in a full screenshot of the Window.
   
3. Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert
   This command copy's the highlighted text or selected item.
   
4. Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert
   Use this command to paste the text you've copied from the clipboard to the spot your cursor is resting.
   
5. Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y
   This command will undo any change you've just made. For example, if you paste text, pressing this command will undo that paste. Usually, you can press this command multiple times to continue to undo previous commands further and further back in the order they were performed. Pressing Ctrl + Y will redo the undo.
   
6. Ctrl + Left arrow / Right arrow
   Use this command to move your cursor one word at a time instead of one character at a time. To highlight one word at a time, hold down Ctrl + Shift and then press the left or right arrow key to move one word at a time in that direction.
   
7. Ctrl + Backspace
   Press this command to delete a full word at a time instead of a single character at a time.
   
8. Ctrl + P
   This command will print the page you are currently viewing. This includes programs such as Microsoft Word and your Internet browsers.
   
9. Ctrl + Home / End
   Use this command to move your cursor to the beginning or the end of your current document.
   
10. Page Up / Spacebar and Page Down / Spacebar
    These commands will move your current document in either direction one full page at a time. When browsing the Internet, these commands will move your scrollbar one full page at a time in the direction you indicate.
    

These commands are easy to learn, and will save you a lot of time throughout your day. Every second that you waste in unnecessary steps adds up to minutes, hours, and days throughout the years you use your computer. Taking a few minutes to learn these commands now is well worth the investment for the long term.

If you are interested in our "Personal Computer Tutor" program that is customized for YOUR needs, give MAX Communications a call to setup a free consultation. 847-348-3489 

Fighting the Malware Battle

Fighting the battle with malware can really hurt your business when you have to spend a great deal of your IT budget on software to protect your machines from infection. Here are some tips to do it for free.

First, let's start with a definition of "malware" so that we are on the same page. Malware is malicious software (e.g. viruses, trojans, worms, adware, etc.) that is designed to secretly install on your computer with the sole purpose of wreaking havoc to the code or harvesting data.

There are a few free tools we'd like you to be aware of that will help you create a "first line of defense" against an attack. While no "over the counter" software is a guaranteed cure-all, you can certainly decrease the effects of malware and save your organization dollars over the course of the year as a result of fewer attacks.

You can fight malware with these free tools:

1. Combofix - this software will assist in tracking down and removing malware. Make sure to disable your antivirus software first before running Combofix. 
2. CCleaner - this handy tool does two things well. It cleans the Windows registry and removes cached web data. It's a good idea to do a backup of your registry before running this tool, but plan on experiencing a faster computer with less problems afterwards.
3. Microsoft Security Essentials - looking for an antivirus program that is effective and causes little drain on your system? This tool is it, and the cost is zero.
4. Malwarebyes - it always amazes us when clients are surprised that they need anti-spyware software in addition to antivirus protection. While antivirus software is effective at protecting against viruses, there is a long laundry list of other types of malicious code (a.k.a. malware) that you have to protect your machine against. That's where Malwarebyes comes into play.
5. Clonezilla - one of our favorite tools for creating "clones" of your machine so that you can perform a restore in the future should something catastrophic happen to your data.

There are many tools on the marketplace for businesses to use to protect their data and increase their company productivity. These 5 programs are a great place for you to start.

Just keep in mind that not all computer problems are created equal and there is still a possibility that you will run into a situation that requires professional intervention. We are happy to assist if such a situation were to arise; however, we do feel it is important to educate our clients and enable them to implement steps they can perform on their own.

Call MAX Communications at 847-348-3489 or connect for Remote Support via our website: www.HelpMeMax.com and "Share your Screen" to allow us to assist while you watch!

How to Create a Home Computer First-Aid Kit

As each day passes, and we enter further into the technology age, people become more reliant on computers to play vital roles in their personal and business lives.

It's interesting to note that although this phenomenon continues to progress each year, the average computer user does not take any preventative measures to preserve their personal data, programs, and overall daily workflow.

That is why we decided to dedicate this article to helping our clients plan ahead to prevent any dreadful circumstances that can come from relying so heavily on a device that is not preserved in some backup state.

We've prepared a quick guide to creating your personal "home computer first aid kit," you can have peace of mind in knowing that your pictures, videos, programs, files, settings, banking data, etc. are recoverable should your computer crash or hardware fail.

3 Elements of a "Home Computer First-Aid Kit"

1. You'll want to start by bringing your computer to a perfect state of operating. Many times this can be acheived by re-installing Windows, updating your Windows updates, optimizing your personal settings, installing all of your favorite programs, organizing your personal folders and files, etc. We realize this is a lengthy step to take, but it is important to establish a "perfect state of operation" where your computer is running at optimal performance.
2. The next step is to create a "system image" of your hard drive. There are various tools you can use to create an image of your computer. In layman's terms, a "system image" is like taking a picture of your hard drive that can be stored on a DVD (or two). That "picture" can then be restored onto your hard drive at any time. If your computer ever crashed, or you were interested in purchasing a new hard drive, this "system image" would come in handy as a convenient way to restoring your computer back to that perfect state.
3. The next step in creating a "Home Computer First-Aid Kit" is to choose an online or offline backup system. There are websites online that will automatically backup your personal files (e.g. pictures, videos, music, software data, etc.). You can also purchase an external hard drive that has auto-backup capabilities.
4. Once you have your "system image" and auto-backup system in place, you'll have peace of mind in knowing that your data, programs, settings, etc. are all recoverable.

We realize that some of these steps are advanced and not everyone would feel comfortable performing them. Many of our clients hire us for the re-install, system imaging, and auto-backup installation. You are welcome to implement these steps yourself. If you feel you would rather a professional handle them, we are happy to assist.

We cannot stress enough how important it is to protect your computer. We receive calls every week from clients who've lost everything, and it can be an extremely sudden and costly situation to be in. You can prevent this from happening to you if you go in with a plan.

Contact MAX Communications at 847-348-3489 if you have questions, or would like assistance with these tips.

What You Need To Know About Computer Drivers

Home Computing Tip-of-the-Month:

Windows Device Manager

Computer drivers are small pieces of software that tell your operating system (i.e. Windows 7) and other software programs how to communicate with a piece of hardware.  Recently we have had several instances where updating the printer drivers solved performance issues.

Printers, for example, come packaged with drivers to install that tell your operating system exactly how to print information on a piece of paper. Sound card drivers tell your computer how to create audio signals that the card can output to your speakers.

It's important to understand this, because as you update your operating system, install new programs, install new hardware components (i.e. printers, cameras, speakers, etc.), download sytem updates from the Internet, etc., your existing drivers will likely become outdated and cause your hardware components not to function properly.

If you run into a situation where your hardware is not working (e.g. your printer no longer prints, your speakers no longer play audio, etc.), you will likely need to run a driver update.

Drivers are updated in Windows by using a driver update wizard from within Device Manager. About.com has a great article on Device Managers that will provide you with more details. You can also do a search online at the manufacturer's website (usually under "Support") for Driver/Software Updates to help you do the job. If this does not sound like something you feel comfortable performing yourself, you can always consider hiring a computer consulting firm, like MAX Communications, to assist you.

** Call us at 847-348-3489 and we can even assist you via Remote Control (visit our website at www.HelpMeMax.com for more info) **

Why and How You Should Recycle Your Old Computers

Home Computing Tip-of-the-Month:
We've decided to focus this month's Home Computing Tip-of-the-Month on an important global effort to curb electronic waste. Below, you will find free computer recycling options for you to safely dispose of your electronics in a way that will not harm the environment.

Did you know that up to 43 million metric tons of electronic waste are not recycled each year? Instead, they are dumped into landfills and end up in third-world countries where children and parents strip the toxic material down for cash. Many of our clients that we speak to about this don't realize that computers can contain chromium, nickel and zinc. Even worse, LCD monitors can contain mercury.

The following graph shows the dire state of recycling in 2007 of TVs, Computer Products, and Cell Phones.

How to Recycle:

If you have a local Staples store near your home, you can take any old Dell products to the customer service desk, and Staples will recycle them for free. Staples will recycle non-Dell products for $10. Each item is bagged, sealed, and then recycled by Eco International. Staples also will give you $2 in Staples Rewards for any ink cartridges you drop off.

There are many Staples alternatives to recycling your computers, such as EcoSquid, Earth 911, My Green Electronics, TechSoup, RBRC, and many more. For a comprehensive list of local recycling resources, kindly visit the United States Environmental Protection Agency's page.

As a side note: MAX Communications is offering the additional service of WIPING any DATA off the old hard drives, then supplying you with a certificate for your records to show that the data was cleared prior to the computer being recycled.  For more on this service to protect the privacy of the information you had stored, contact us today at 847-348-3489.