(403) 540-9447 FREE Tips to make your home computer run better and faster.
First and Foremost! If your computer is over 5 years old, it is really not worth spending a lot of money on unless it was a very high-end system when new. A new system is advised. Many people find this difficult to understand but it is just how technology is.
Computer Maintenance Cars and Computers have a lot in common. They both require regular and ongoing maintenance by knowledgeable people.
If computer users know very little or nothing about maintaining a computer, they must hire someone who does have that knowledge and expertise. Computer users in this category can expect to spend anywhere from $300 to $600 per year to have their system functioning at peak performance.
When I have plumbing problems in my home . . . I CALL A PLUMBER because I know very little about plumbing.
Windows 10 vs. Windows 11
Windows 10 will be fully supported until October 14, 2025. There is no need to update your 3-year-old or newer computer to Windows 11 immediately. I would recommend owners give it until mid-2022 to update your qualifying systems to Windows 11 as that will give Microsoft some time to work out a few bugs in it.
Many new computers sold at retail stores these days comes with Windows 11. Slightly older ones will come with Windows 10 installed and give you the option to upgrade to Windows 11 . . . or not.
Windows 11 is the new operating system from Microsoft and I have been pleasantly surprised with the roll out and functionality with minimal "issues" as compared to previous releases of new operating systems.
Only negative I see right now is that it will not install on computer hardware older than 3 years from November 2021 due to the fact that older hardware does not have the required security features that Windows 11 offers and needs.
By October 14, 2025, the majority of older hardware still in use will be due to be replaced anyway.
I have over 700 home clients and will provide references after we discuss your needs and before I do any work. I have been repairing computers since 1997 and all my clients are referrals.
Please do not be misled by ads on Kijiji or anywhere else for that matter that advertises they will fix all your computer problems for a $20.00 or $30.00 flat rate. That does not even cover the cost of fuel to run around the city to client's homes or offices. Whatever you do, DO NOT let them take your computer away as you can be pretty sure there is something not quite right with that scenario. They take it away, they have total access to your data or they want to know where you live for other motives.
The old saying is so true here. "If it sounds to good to be true or sounds too cheap" . . . . it probably is!
I prefer to work in my office but I will do the total job at your home if you prefer and I expect you to watch everything I do. You must have a high-speed internet connection with a minimum of Shaw or Telus "Regular" High-Speed or faster. Without this fast of a connection, the time will increase by about 3 hours and we will have to bill accordingly in order to download all necessary updates. You must be prepared to have me there for approximately 8 hours depending what has to be done and how much data you have to back up. I use "Shaw 1000" internet in my office for fast downloads of all updates.
All of my 700+ satisfied referred clients permit me to take their systems if a total overhaul is needed.
Have I had unhappy clients? Since 1997 I have had only two unhappy clients. One was a person that had many viruses on his system due to the types of websites he visited. Yes . . . those kind of websites. I advised him before I took on the job that viruses can cause all types of problems including loss of data and techs are not responsible for data loss under any conditions. 20 minutes after I started work, the virus wiped out the entire drive before I could back it up. He lost all the videos he spent time downloading and there was nothing anyone could do about it. This can happen. No one can please everyone all the time.
The second was a potential client that I just did not click with. This client thought he knew more than me. I then asked him "why did he call a tech if he knows it all?" This can happen in any business. You can't click with everyone. IMHO, 698 out of 700 is a fairly decent success rate.
The myths about Apple computers: First, I would like say that I am Windows/PC person but I do admire what Steve Jobs and Apple have done for the computer world. iMacs and MacBook Pro laptops are the "BMW of the computer world". Their build-quality is second to none and their software designers are geniuses.
I also appreciate that Apple was smart enough to allow the installation of Windows on a Mac. They realized that there are just some Windows programs that just won't run on a Mac and even Mac lovers need certain programs that only run on Windows.
Are MACs perfect or perfect for everyone? The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! Die-hard Apple users might disagree.
Here's why: Apple computers are made from the same electro-mechanical components as Windows-based PCs. Those components can and will eventually fail no matter what operating system they are running.
This is much like cars. Ford and Chev are both cars but none of the Ford parts will fit the Chev and visa versa. Windows PCs and Apple PCs both do similar jobs but in totally different ways. This is due to the differences in the operating systems.
In the past, Apple's claim to fame was that there were no viruses that could harm an Apple computer. That has changed. With Apples becoming more popular, thanks to the Windows Vista disaster, hackers and creators of viruses are targeting Apple computers as they are becoming a bigger target.
There is no magic to Apple computers. They run the same hardware made in China as Windows-based PCs.
If you visit a Mac Dealer, you will see lots of them back there in the service department. They can have problems just like Windows PCs.
The main difference between MACs and Windows PCs is the operating systems. They both do basically the same thing but in very different ways.
What I have learned is that if you grew up using a Windows PC and understand the file structure, most people will find the Mac OS very awkward. This also applies in reverse.
I tell every Windows PC user who is considering switching to a Mac . . . Go to Best Buy and buy the Mac that you think you want. Take it home and try it. You have 14 days to return it for any reason for a full refund if you don't like it.
What I have found is approximately 40% keep the MAC and 60% return them and buy a new PC.
Next . . . . NEVER use a computer that anyone gives you unless it has been totally gone over by a qualified person. If you don't, all you are inheriting is another person's problems. They are giving it away in most cases because it's not working properly for them.
When buying a new computer, talk to a knowledgeable person who can recommend a system that will meet your computing needs within your "reasonable" budget.
I provide FREE recommendations to any inquiries related to hardware.
Always buy as much computer as you can comfortably afford. Available laptops today costing $500-$700 would have cost $3000 - $5000 not that ago but they did not even exist. My first laptop I bought in 2000 cost $8000 and took 3 years to pay off! Computers are the only thing in the world going up in performance exponentially and down in price. If cars were selling this way, we would all be driving a Rolls Royce or BMW.
Example: You can go to Best Buy and view 60+ laptops on display from $299.00 to $4,000.00. You don't need the $4,000.00 laptop and you don't want the $299.00 laptop. For normal home computer users, a laptop in the range of $500 to $700 is quite adequate for their needs. This does not include ANY full version software. A decent version of the Microsoft Office 365 is $84.00 + GST PER YEAR! A bargain IMHO and it includes all updates. New computers off the shelf only come with trial versions and expire usually within 30 days.
In most cases, the software needed to do what people want costs more than the actual computer itself. This is a fact of life. If you own the software, DO NOT LOSE the CDs or DVDs as the serial numbers are needed to re-install on a new computer.
About hardware. There are only three things guaranteed in life: 1. Death 2. Taxes 3. Computer Failure
Computers have been around for quite a while now and let's hope everyone understands this cold, hard fact of life by now.
The fact is NOT "if a computer will fail" . . . the question is WHEN it will fail?
They are electro-mechanical devices that will either wear out or burn out. They will all die eventually and it's up to the owners to make sure their important data is backed up externally for them to install on a new system. Laptops in most cases will only be dropped once and they are done. Same thing with spilling liquids on them . . . NOT A GOOD SITUATION!
1. First and foremost, have a decent anti-virus program installed. I personally run Windows 10 Defender which is included in Windows 10.
2. There is a very good program called MalwareBytes that will block you from known dangerous websites. WELL WORTH IT!
3. While browsing the internet and clicking all over the place, please READ and UNDERSTAND any window that asks you a question. So many people do not and this is how they get annoying and dangerous adware and spyware on their systems.
4. NEVER allow anyone except for your regular computer tech to remotely access your computer. The exceptions to this are allowing companies such as Dell, HP or any other major manufacturer to remotely assist you with support for their product. If you get a phone call from anyone saying they are from Microsoft and that your computer has problems and they need access it to fix it, politely say thank you and that you will call your regular computer tech and hang up. All they want is your credit card number and to abuse it once they have it!
5. Try to keep the number of people on a computer to a minimum. The more people that use a single computer, the more problems there are. Ideally each person should have their own so they cannot blame the others when problems arise. Visiting grand children should not be allowed onto your home computer, especially if you use it for business purposes.
6. Find a good and responsible computer tech and if they know what they are doing, they are worth their weight in gold!
7. Computer techs are much like doctors. We are always learning new things daily and it is totally impossible to keep up with all the daily changes all the time.
8. This is a fact now. Expect to replace your laptop or desktop every 3 - 4years. It is not that it is dead after 3-4 years only that you can buy a newer and considerably faster one for a few dollars more than it would cost repair the old one.
9. Viruses and malicious software can hit anyone at any time. Hardware can and usually will fail at the worst time. Is there ever a good time to get a flat tire? The answer is NO. The solution is to BACK UP YOUR IMPORTANT DATA in at least 2 separate places on a regular basis. If you can't live without it, BACK IT UP NOW!
10. Anyone that says they can "GUARANTEE" that Virus Removal will make your computer 100% correct without reformatting is not being totally honest in my opinion in most cases. There are rare instances where it can. Here are the facts. Removing a virus or malicious software is usually not that difficult. The problem is that programs used to remove the virus cannot detect or repair damaged Windows operating system files or any other files for that matter. Sometimes your operating system does not use certain files for days or weeks after the virus is removed. Then you try and do something and it crashes due to damaged, corrupt or missing files. Only a reformat and fresh installation of Windows can GUARANTEE that all is correct. Bottom line . . . you can spend 8 hours trying to band-aid fix a problem and never be sure the problem is fixed or you can spend the same 8 hours backing up your data, reformatting the system and doing everything fresh and know 100% that you fixed the problem.
11.NEVER move a desktop computer when it is on. Damage to the hard drive and your data is very possible.
12. Laptops can be GENTLY moved when on but avoid sudden jolts or impacts. Damage to the hard drive and your data is very possible especially if dropped. Solid State Drives will eliminate this issue and they are coming down in price fast. A decent 250-gig SSD is $60.00. That is large enough for most users. A decent 500-gig SSD is $90.00 for users needing more storage on the main drive. If you have huge amounts of video data and movies, extra mechanical drives can be added to desktops up to 6000 gig each. External drives can be added to laptops as well.
13. Laptops with SSD drives can be moved normally since there are no moving parts in the drive.