by mitra4designcom
on October 9, 2013
This humorous State Farm commercial reminds us that you cannot believe everything you read on the internet. But, for the discerning user the internet can be a great source of information. That fact is especially true in the area of computers and technology. Even most manufacturers today have stopped providing printed manuals and instead give them to consumers via their websites.
Novice to advanced computer users can learn out about virtually any topic in which they have an interest. Many people provide instructions in print or video formats via their own websites or You Tube channels. One such You Tube channel is Instructor Gadget. These websites can be found by using a search engine like Google or Yahoo.
Let’s say you would like to know how to move files from your computer to a flash drive. You could search for “transfer files from flash drive to computer”. To improve your search results you should know that putting words in quotation marks will give you results for that exact phrase. That trick can be key in finding exactly what you need. In this example, however, quotation marks are not necessary. In my search the first result ends up being Inspector Gadget’s video called “How to Copy or Transfer Files from a USB Flash Drive to a Computer“.
Another great online training tool called Grovo teaches people how to use certain web applications like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Flickr and many more. A basic account is free and easy to set up, but if you need help there is a video on You Tube called “How to Use Grovo” to get you started.
If, however, you find that these methods don’t work for you or you can’t find the exact information that suits your need, The Computer Monkey can help. Click here to request a remote training consultation.
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by mitra4designcom
on October 5, 2013
One of the most common support issues I see at The Computer Monkey is malware. Malware is just a term for the category of bad software that includes viruses, trojans, spyware, scamware, key loggers, adware. Most home computers with an “infection” have a variety of the previously mentioned items, but fortunately most of the time they are not true computer viruses. Viruses spread from computer to computer over a network and typically do a lot of damage which makes them a significant threat for businesses.
While viruses will damage your computer files, scamware and spyware can do damage to your wallet if you fall for the scams. One of the most common scams being the “fake anti-virus” program which reports that the user is infected and needs to click and pay to fix it. These scams can appear really legitimate even using Microsoft or other company logos. This type of malware can take many forms but typically leave the user unable to use the computer and internet causing them to be desperate to find a solution.
After a malware experience, the user’s next question is “What can I do to keep this from happening?” The folks at Bleeping Computer have an extensive article that gives simple tips to prevent malware infections on your computer. If you need assistance because of a malware infection or consulting for the best product options for your home or business. The Computer Monkey can help. Click here to schedule an appointment. Follow The Computer Monkey on Twitter or Facebook to receive updates to this blog.
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by mitra4designcom
on October 4, 2013
Perhaps the most difficult problem that we deal with at The Computer Monkey, hard drive failures. It isn’t the most difficult from a technical stand point. But, it is extremely sad and difficult to tell someone that their important files are gone. For our business users, the loss of important data can be very costly. For our home users, losing cherished family photos is heartbreaking. Hard drive crashes and other data loss events can happen at any time, even on a new computer. Our Terms of Service begin with this understanding for good reason.
There are so many options today: flash drives, external hard drives and online back-up services. Flash drives are good if you do not have very much to back-up or you want to keep something in a safe deposit box. External hard drives are getting less expensive all the time, but you still have to be diligent about doing it on a regular basis and recently changed files could get missed in periodic back ups. Even with software that will constantly back up your files to an external drive, you still want to consider keeping a fairly recent master back-up off-site in case of a disaster. Because of the convenience and off-site safety, cloud backup services are gaining in popularity. The Computer Monkey is an authorized reseller for Carbonite cloud backup service. Regardless of what back-up type works best for you, just make sure you do it! Contact us if you would like help in evaluating your options or if you need help purchasing or setting up a back-up device or service.
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