Computers Fixed

If your computer is not working, or if it works but not the way you think it should, perhaps you need some help.

If you are a small business or home computer user, and you need help making a computer purchase, fixing a computer problem, or designing a system that will meet your needs, you’ve come to the right place.

I can help you:

• Explore your computing needs for home or business
• By coming to you to fix computer-related problems
• Install your new system or help you reconfigure your old one
• Find the right combination of hardware, software and training to get you productive, and
• With training and coaching, to increase your computing competence and confidence.

On this website you will find descriptions of the services I offer, what expertise I can bring to finding you a computing solution.

Please call me at 905-916-1051 or 647-208-0502.

Or, send me an email at awg@computersfixed.ca

In reality, your computer probably is vulnerable. But there are habits and best practices to help you lock down your internet-connected machine. If you don’t know where to start, some good suggestions come from the results of running the program that Microsoft furnishes here.

It’s the Microsoft Baseline Security Analysis tool, and it’s designed for professionals. If you need help interpreting and implementing its suggestions, I’m happy to do that, at standard rates.

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=7558

Change Desktop Icon Size with CTRL + Scroll Wheel

Here’s how to fix it. It works.

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/resetting-permissions.html#resetting-permissions-windows

There are too many tech podcasts today. It seems like everyone has a microphone and an opinion about the latest phones, gadgets, computer parts and peripherals, and even home entertainment and automation.

I have been listening to these for about 5 years. They come and go. In my opinion, here are the best of the bunch.

http://tech5.mevio.com/ Tech 5 with John C. Dvorak. You’ll get the day’s tech headlines, with commentary by the grand duke of tech journalists.

GeekBrief.tv was a great video podcast because of the two talented (formerly married) people who produced it: Neal Campbell and Luria Petrucci. Luria is now doing the same thing under a different name, calling it geekbeat.tv.

http://www.maximumpc.com/articles/no_bs_podcast is for hardcore gamers, computer system enthusiasts, and those who build computers. If that’s not you, much of it will go over your head. But Gordon Mah Ung’s Rant of the Week is truly hilarious. warning: foul language.

http://www.tested.com/podcast/ is from two guys who were formerly part of the Maximum PC podcast team, but now do their own thing, with help week-to-week from assorted friends.

Someone is going to say to me “But what about ….” because there’s a LOT of people doing tech and gadget podcasts. But you’ve only got so many hours in a week for this sort of thing, and the above entries are how I would use my precious time.

I found Windows Live Writer really easy to set up – one snag was that I had to enable XML-RPC remote publishing to this wordpress blog, hosted at Netfirms. And Windows Live Writer required my admin account – it wouldn’t work with a secondary account I created just for posting on the run.

You can get it here.

They can be found here.

I don’t want your new wireless KOBO e-reader. Instead, I want you to make good the promise you gave to make daily newspapers available for subscription, so I can read the Globe and Mail on my old KOBO. Which works just fine.

You said there would be newspapers LAST SUMMER. It’s FALL now. Don’t try to sell me NEW HARDWARE. Instead, sell me the CONTENT you promised!

Microsoft’s troubleshooting web page.

If your computer mysteriously turns off, there are a number of things that might be causing it.

One of them, and the first thing your technician will suspect, is overheating. Perhaps a fan is blocked, or gunked up so it fails, or your overclock is too high for your heatsinking.  If you didn’t understand that last one, don’t worry.

If you are using a laptop, and the fans are all good, then one of those “cooler mats” that helps airflow under the machine might help. Otherwise, if it’s out of warrantee … sorry.

If you are using a desktop computer, you can consider getting a new case / chassis with better cooling characteristics. I recently swapped out a Sony VAIO VGC-RB54G case, and replaced it with a Cooler Master HAF 932. And here’s the results, with all other variables managed, in degrees celcius:

• CPU (Wolfdale with stock cooler) -3 degrees (40/37)
• nVidia GeForce 9800 GT -12 degrees! (69/57)
• Seagate 977gb drive   -13 degrees! (42/29)
• Seagate 156gb drive -15 degrees! (46/31)