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Tips On Computers by Wielers Computer Solutions

Tip #1

Hardware

Feel the computer. Is it running too hot? Does it feel warmer than when you first bought it? Listen for whirring noises. It could have a bad fan or dirty one. It’s better to bring it to a professional for cleaning.

For the “do-it-yourselfers” who are determined to do the job, remember to turn off the computer and disconnect its power source. Note: it’s better to use compressed air rather than a vacuum for two reasons. A vacuum does not get close enough to be effective, and the air passing by the bristles can cause static, which is no good for your computer. Use a can of compressed air or a compressor which has a drier on it for humidity control. The water which can come out of a regular compressor is not good for the electrical components.

For a Laptop: Do a reverse blow from where the fan goes in and out. Do not open it up. Laptops have too many parts for someone not trained to work with them.

For a desktop: If you don’t open it you can’t do much. Open the side or top of the computer. Do not touch anything, but look. If there are capacitors that are leaking or bulging, your computer is on its last legs. There’s no way of fixing this other than buying new parts or a new computer. As explained above using compressed air, blow the dust out of the fans and fins, taking care not to let the fans spin too much. Make sure to blow from all angles in the power supply area.

Tip #2

Software

This is not a physical clean up like Tip #1, but it is still very important. Go into the Control Panel and you will see Add/Remove programs, Uninstall Programs, depending on what version of Windows you are running. First, uninstall anything that says toolbar in the title. These get installed when you update almost any program but they usually cause your internet to slow down. Remember to keep looking for check boxes, and uncheck those you do not want. Uninstall anything else you recognize but are not using anymore. Be very careful with the ones you don’t recognize; they may be something you need to run your computer.

Tip #3

Hard Drive

Check your hard drive size and room. Open My Computer (some computers just call it computer) and look for C: (may be called local disk) Right click on it. A menu will appear, then left click on Properties. You will see a pie chart. This should have at least 25% free space, if there is not 25% free you can use the Disk Cleanup button to try and get more room.

Tip #4

RAM

Random Access Memory is what the computer uses to operate. If this is always full this is a problem. Right click the task bar at the bottom of the screen in a free spot. Again you will see a menu pop up, this time we want to click on Task Manager. This is where you can see what’s running on the computer. Left click on the tab for Performance. On the bottom you will see Physical Memory – this is the amount of RAM you have in the system. Above, in the section marked Memory, you will see how much you are using. If you are using more than you have, this is a problem. You can then click on the Processes Tab and click the name Memory to sort the memory by size (click on again if small numbers at top). This will show you what is taking up all your resources.

Authors: Kevin Wieler, Diana Wieler

Editors: Pat Gerbrandt, Diana Wieler

TOC: Adware, Spyware, Viruses and Bad Websites

March 27th, 2012

TechTOC Radio Show with Kevin Wieler and Michelle Sawatzky

Viruses are there to mess up your computer. Spyware is there to sit on your computer, check what you’re up to and sell that information to other people. Adware comes on your computer to try and sell you something. Bad websites will try and sell you something but not install on your system.

Lately, there has been a local website and if you go to it you may get redirected to a hacked website that says your computer has a virus and shows your computer’s hard drive full. Then it tried to sell you a program to ‘remove’ the virus. Remember this is a ‘bad website’ not a program, just restart the computer to stop the popups, because nothing was installed, by restarting the computer you get rid of all the popups, and are back to normal. You can still get your computer checked but don’t be surprised if there is not much found.

Adware is a little more in-depth, because it installs on your computer. And the latest one I worked on also took a bunch of files and hid them. So when you go into the My Documents folder, we see nothing! It can be concerning. From a tech point of view the concerning part is that because they are based on you clicking on the ad for them to get paid, they are usually not written properly, and usually mess up Windows files, so then we have to chase down little things here and there, or wipe the machine and start over (usually the case).

Spyware has a guaranteed market (cybercriminals) and they don’t want to be found out so the code is written better; they can be located deep in the system. It will hide itself, watch your usernames, passwords, bank numbers, etc. Internet Security programs will usually catch these bad programs. Some gaming programs will be listed as spyware in some Internet Security programs. These programs usually don’t send back numbers, but they do send gamers usernames and scores to their servers.

Viruses come in different forms; Trojans, Worms, Rootkits and of course Viruses. Trojans come onto your system by coming on with another program, very much like the toolbars that accumulate on Internet Explorer, where when you install one program it also installs a second one. Worms work their way onto your system, all you need to be is just on the internet or linked in with an infected computer, no installing necessary, the Worm will work its way on the system. Rootkits work their way to base level, trying to get in before the Antivirus load. Viruses are quite often through e-mail (but not limited to) and mess up the computer. I’ve seen one that copied all your pictures to one area then next time you restart the computer it deleted them.

There is one last thing to worry about; Virus Hoaxes. They almost always come in e-mail form from someone you know saying; yes I found this file on my system. It tells you to look for a file or files that ‘might’ be on your computer. Of course it doesn’t tell you that the file should be there, instead it says you must have a virus and to delete the file. When I get one of these e-mails I ‘Google’ it. If the first couple of results say hoax then I read it and send it off to the person who sent me the email to make them aware that the email was a hoax.

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January 27th, 2012

Review: Samsung Galaxy Nexus

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus (SGN),

Google’s successor to the previous Nexus S is a great addition to the Samsung Galaxy line of smartphones.

The SGN is a very fast phone. “How fast?” you may be wondering. The SGN boasts a Dual-Core 1.2GHz processor, only slightly slower than its biggest competitor the Galaxy SII which carries a Dual-Core 1.5GHz. To put that another way, that’s faster than most economical laptops on the market today.

The SGN comes with 16GB of memory for models bought inside Canada (32GB in the US) but lacks any removable storage, so there’s no need to purchase an extra micro SD card. The SGN also has a mind-boggling 1GB of ram, a large amount, if you’re thinking about it being a cell phone and not your own personal computer. That much ram allows you to have everything open and running at the same time. You never have to worry about killing an app to speed up your phone. Want to watch a YouTube video while having your email send and receive at the same time? It’s no problem with the SGN.

Speaking of YouTube videos, the SGN has a 4.65-inch, Super AMOLED touchscreen running at a resolution of 1280 x 720, the same resolution that most 32-inch televisions run. All these amazing screen features give you a crystal clear viewing experience and the ability to watch all your favorite internet videos in High Definition.

Samsung and Google have also fitted this beautiful phone with the latest and greatest version of android, 4.0.1. It is also known as Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). With ICS, like with every new operating system, comes a learning curve. Although not very large, it is there. ICS has been advanced from previous versions in many ways. Google added a built in task killer to kill extra apps, even though you will most likely not need it with the amount of ram the phone has. Aside from that, the operating system has undergone many changes, making it much more user friendly. That also makes it easier for new owners to learn, as it is much like Apple’s iOS 5, the operating system the iPhone runs.

The SGN comes with a 5mp rear-facing camera and a 1.3mp front-facing camera. The rear camera is a bit of a disappointment when you think that smartphones from just over a year ago were already coming with 8MP cameras. It does take full 1080p HD video, but is still disappointing for a super phone coming out in 2012. The phone also has a dual microphone system for greater audio quality, but unfortunately that doesn’t make up for the lack in video quality.

The phone’s incoming-call sound quality is surprisingly good and does feature a fairly loud speaker phone for those much needed hands-free calls. The phone features an amazing voice detection with the ability to send text messages or call someone solely by using voice. It’s as simple as saying “Send text to John, say I am on my way,” and it will do just that.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has so many more great features that it would take too long to mention them all, but here is my conclusion.

The speed and memory that the SGN offers, the new operating system and all the other features are great, but the lack of a micro SD card slot and the disappointing camera quality prompt me to rate it as less than perfect.

My final review score of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is 9 out of 10.

If you are looking at getting a Samsung Galaxy Nexus for yourself, a friend or family member, they are available in store at Rogers Wireless or Online.

Written by: Allan H

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TOC: e-Reader or Tablet?

January 3rd, 2012

TechTOC Radio Show with Kevin Wieler and Michelle Sawatsky

If you’re planning to spend some gift money but you don’t know whether to choose an e-Reader or a tablet, make sure you know which features are most important to you.

e-Readers are available in black and white or in colour, each with distinct advantages.

B & W e-reader

- Uses less power than a colour model, employing LCD technology – Zero-power (bistable) displays

- Needs light

Colour e-reader or Tablet

- More attractive

- Colour allows you to surf web pages

- You can view pictures

Tablets have more power and offer further options, such as cameras.

Something New?

Do you have a new computer, either PC or Mac or other electronic device, such as an Android?

In the next couple of weeks, I’ll be offering quick tips to help you get the most use out of your device.

Here are two for starters:

1. To find stuff quickly

Windows – Hit the Windows key, look for the “search programs and files” box and type in what you want to find

MAC – while holding command key (the one with the little apple) down, tap space bar, and type what you want in the box marked “Spotlight”

Android – Press and hold the home key to see most frequently run programs

2. Backup, backup, backup

Right now, hard drive prices are soaring so memory sticks (a.k.a. thumb or flash drives) offer more affordable storage space. Make sure they have the capacity you need. Some even come with integrated backup software. These are smart enough to know which files have changed, so it’s easy to copy only the new files you want to save.

Are you looking for new programs or games?

We can teach you how to use new programs. If you want to add games to your computer, you may need to upgrade your video card or add more RAM.

Written by: Kevin W & Diana W

TOC: Total Cost of Ownership

September 12th, 2011

TCO means Total Cost of Ownership

If you have a choice of 2 printer. Printer 1 costs $50. Printer 2 costs $100.
If the cartridge for printer 1 is only $20 but only prints 200 pages and the cartridge for Printer 2 cost $40 and prints 800 pages.

	Printer 1	Printer 2
Initial Cost	$50	$100
With new Cartridge	$70	$140
After 200 pages	$90	$140
After 400 pages	$110	$140
After 600 pages	$130	$140
After 800 pages	$150	$180
After 1000 pages	$170	$180
After 1200 pages	$190	$180

Once package of paper is 500 pages so we just started using our 3rd pack of paper and the bigger printer is starting to save us money. That is where the TCO or Total Cost of Ownership comes in.

TOC: Spam, scam, adware and spyware

August 30th, 2011

TechTOC Radio Show with Kevin Wieler and Michelle Sawatsky

Some people have received a phone call from someone claiming to represent Microsoft. Here is a quote from the site www.answers.microsoft.com
“If you have not opened an incident (Support Ticket) with Microsoft, they do not contact you.”
If you get a phone call and have not contacted or e-mailed Microsoft first, say, ‘No.’
This will be the same from most companies. They will almost never phone you unless you actually open a Support or Trouble ticket. Some companies on their support website will ask you to leave a phone number and then they will call you back. Going to the Official websites and using their phone number will help you know where they are from.

Spam is junk e-mail. Most mail programs will have a junk filter or spam filter. Right click on email, then click on highlighted word list varying from ‘This is junk.’ or ‘This is Spam.’ This will move the email and usually remembers the email content as future junk or spam.

Refer to March 27th, 2012 for more on these subjects.

TOC: Battery Backups

August 16th, 2011

This week while working with the backups I thought we should touch on Backup Batteries. Laptops already have a battery built in, but desktops don’t. If the power goes out or browns out (low voltage) your desktop can’t handle that. Battery backup is a way to keep your computer protected.

There are 2 levels of protection. In the basic backup when the power goes out the battery kicks in, beeps to warn you the power went out, and if it is plugged into the USB port of a system it will shut down the system properly for you. The next level (the more pricier units) will constantly be charging the battery in the battery backup and running off internal battery. The advantage is that the system doesn’t have the split second shut down while the battery is kicking in and therefore maintains a very consistent power level (which is better for the machine). The disadvantage is if the internal battery in the backup is dead the whole unit doesn’t work because it’s running off the internal battery not the power from the outlet.

The software on some of the bigger backups will not only shut down the machine but can also e-mail you or your phone to notify you that the power went out. One thing to remember about, for this feature to work, plug your high speed internet modem and router into the Battery Backup + Surge Protection outlet side.

2 sides to a battery backup

One benefit of the e-mail feature is that it can notify you about power loss to your residence. For example, we were away and a bad storm blew through our home town. The e-mail feature let us know that power was down and then it notified that it was up within a few minutes. If the power had not kicked in, we would know to contact a neighbor to make sure our pumps were running. Something many of us may not think of unless coming home to a wet basement.

To know more or to get you setup, give me a call at 371-2969.

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TOC: E-mail attachments and BCC

August 2nd, 2011

Tech TOC Radio Show with Kevin Wieler and Michelle Sawatsky

To attach a picture or file to an e-mail the first thing you need to do is check the size. A search can be done for the file by left clicking on the round ‘Start’ button (Refer to first techtoc.ca tip on ‘Start’ button.). Next by right clicking on the picture or file, a menu will open and then left click on the ‘properties’. This will open up the property page that will tell you how big the file is.If it says GB after the number that is WAY too large and is probably a video. If it says MB after the number then it should be no more then 1.5 or maybe 2. This is particularly important if the other person has dial-up internet. With the KB, you don’t need to worrry about size. If you need to change the size of the picture before you attach it, remember not every email program can change the size for you. Sometimes you need to change it yourself. Below is an example on how Windows Photo Viewer changes the size when you left click on the ‘E-mail’ button on the menu bar.

How to make a picture smaller

Now to attach a picture or file you need to click ‘attach’. Sometimes there will be a picture of a paper clip, if not look for the word ‘attach’. You may also need to look for an ‘Insert’ area. Some programs specifically designed for email will have an ‘Insert’ or ‘Email’ function on the ‘Menu’ bar, and usually in those programs when you go to attach a picture it will ask if you if you want to keep the picture the same size or make it smaller.

If you need to change the size of the picture before you attach it, remember not every email program is the same. If you want to know more about your Email program, email me at kevin@wielers.com.

What is To: CC: & BCC:

When starting an email To: CC: and BCC: are the three options to place email or contact addresses. If you left click on the To: an address window will open giving these options along with your email contacts.

Find the email address you want and left click to highlight it, next left click on one of the three desired options (To: CC: BCC:) and it will place the address in the line next to it. Continue adding addresses.

Tip: If you do too many email contacts the computer may consider this spam and send you an email note that it was not delivered. One fix is to try fewer contacts in any new email.

To: is who you are sending the e-mail to.

CC: or Carbon Copy is done to send the person the e-mail but it’s not directed towards that person. Such as, I’m sending something to my mom and will CC: my dad so that he can pass it on to my mom if she hasn’t checked her e-mail.

BCC: or Blind Carbon Copy is for when you are sending something, maybe a funny joke, to multiple people and don’t want to expose everyone on your contact list to everyone else. You may have gotten e-mails before with tons of e-mail contacts in the body of the e-mail. For those who especially like privacy it is good computer etiquette to put addresses in the BCC: line.

For practice email a question to me at Kevin@Wielers.com

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TOC: Points for Better Viewing of the Screen

July 19th, 2011

Tech TOC Radio Show with Kevin Wieler and Michelle Sawatsky

Are you having problems viewing the screen, either because the text is too small or too much other “stuff” on the screen is taking up all the room?

There are ways to ‘personalize’ the screen to make it more user friendly

1. Lighting
2. Colour
3. Text Size
4. More room on the screen

Any monitor, either on a laptop or desktop, has a brightness control. The LCD monitors have controls on either the bottom, front or side of the screen. Sometimes the brightness settings are in a menu that is opened by tapping the menu button. On a Laptop there is a key with the letters Fn in colour or circled, usually at the bottom of the keyboard. Examine the keyboard and locate the symbols in the same colour or type of circle; sometimes they are located along the top of the keyboard and/or with the arrow keys.
Locate the 2 keys with the sunshine symbol. The sunshine symbol keys will either be: smaller and bigger, have an up and down arrow beside the sunshine, or one will be filled in with the other empty, depending on the type of laptop.

Fig. 1 - Fn Key

Fig. 2 - Sunshine Symbols

To increase the screen’s brightness follow these instructions.

Press and hold the Fn key
To brighten the screen tap the key with the sunshine symbol that is: bigger, or an up arrow, or filled in.
Release the Fn key

Windows Vista and Windows 7 have a feature that makes each visible window look like glass. The transparency ranges from translucent colour to opaque and looks very nice, but for some it may be harder to read or see through the different windows. If this feature makes it harder to read or see follow these instructions to turn it off.

Fig. 3 - Personalize Menu - Click to enlarge

Make sure you can see the background picture on your screen.
Right click on the background. You will see a menu appear.
Left click on the word ‘Personalize’ (Fig.3)

Fig. 4 - Window Color - Click to enlarge

On the Screen that pops up locate the words – Window Color. It is at the middle bottom on Windows 7 and the top left on Windows Vista. Click on it. (Fig.4)
You will see a check box for ‘Enable Transparency’, uncheck it. (Fig.4)
You can also change the colours of the windows while you are in Window Color by left clicking on the colour you like.
Click ‘Save Changes’
Close the Personalize window.

There is also a way of making the screen text bigger so that it’s easier to see.

Make sure you see the background picture on your screen.
Right click on the background. You will see a menu appear. (refer to fig 3)
Left click on the word ‘Personalize’

Fig. 5 - Screen Text Size - Click to enlarge

In Windows 7 there is a spot that says the word ‘Display’ on the left bottom side of the window or in Windows Vista it says on the left side the words ‘Adjust Font Size’. Click on word (words).
Now you will see (Fig.5) 100%, 125%, and you can even set a custom size if you want.
You will you need to restart your computer because this will change the font size when you log in and the rest of Windows.

Sometimes you can see the text but the screen area is just too small. This is particularly common on Netbook computers. By holding down the key that says ‘Alt’ and tap the ‘Enter’ key your program will hide the top and bottom bars. This is called full screen mode, but does not work in all programs. Another option in Internet Explorer is to tap on the F11 key instead.
Another suggestion is the removal of unwanted Internet toolbars, Wielers Computer Solutions can target train you on how to remove any unwanted Internet toolbars or we can do this as we give your computer a more thorough cleaning.

Remember to do your backup this week. Plan for when you’d like to schedule your backup. Book now for 10% off of our services with getting your backups started.

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TOC – CPU, RAM & Hard Drive Basics

July 5th, 2011

TechTOC Radio Show with Kevin Wieler and Michelle Sawatsky

If you are purchasing a new computer you may want to know a bit about what you are looking at.
Inside the computer there is a processor known as CPU(Central Processing Unit). The processor is the main brain behind everything. It does all the work. There are AMD and Intel processors. The differences are more like Chevy and Ford. Both companies will get the job done. Intel has been tested as quicker for getting business applications done, whereas, AMD has been tested quicker in the gaming arena. Even though my preference is Intel, there are nominal differences. What does matter is when going to a higher class of processor, especially, if you are doing more intensive things like gaming or editing videos and pictures. Celerons are at the low end of the Intel line. Celerons are generally good for text and e-mails. Even if you are new to computers and are planning on just e-mailing, I recommend taking it up to a Pentium D or Core i3 Processor for if you want to get into pictures or something more intensive a little later. These give you that little bit more ability, like a bigger truck versus small truck. For gamers or editors, I’d suggest looking at either a Core i5 or i7 Processor.

Some other terms you’ll hear are RAM, GB, Video Card, Hard drive.

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It is temporary memory inside the computer that is actively doing the processes. For RAM I say a minimum capacity of 4 GB( Giga Bytes). Giga is like a billion of bytes; bytes are made up of 8 bits; 4 bits is known as a nibble. With the RAM there are a couple phrases like dual channel or triple channel that you should look for. If you see these phrases, they signify the ability to help speed up your computer significantly.

More importantly for gamers or editors, your computer needs a video card. There are 2 choices of Video cards. One choice is Integrated or On-board where the video card is build right onto the motherboard. The motherboard is like the spine that provides pathways between CPU(processor), RAM(temporary storage), Hard drive(storage), Video card and other peripheral hardware. In the case of onboard video, the motherboard, RAM and CPU do the work. The next choice is a separate Graphics card that includes various storage amounts of RAM . This type uses its own RAM and has resources similar to the CPU. This Video card is called a GPU (Graphics Processor Unit) and it is made for graphics. The GPU releases the demand on the CPU (Central Processor Unit) and also releases the demand on the RAM level. If you are going to get a higher class machine then make sure you choose a video card to maximize the use of your computer.

A Hard Drive or HDD is so big these days that there is little concern about the size. 320 GB is my suggested minimum and for pictures & videos use 1 TB(Terra Bytes). For the math enthusiast, one byte is made up of a ‘0’ and a ‘1’ equaling two characters. These two characters times two characters times two characters and so on brings us to 1024. 1024 is how these units are divided. Starting at the Kilo, Mega, Giga, Terra, the Terra is four of the 1024 unit.

To sum it up, think of things this way. If you are working at your desk, desk space can be a premium. If you just keep a phone book on there then you don’t need anything big, but if you work on photos then you would like to increase desk space to work on. Take this idea and see the Celeron CPU as a smaller desk and the Pentium D or Core i3 Processor as bigger desks and the Core i7 as huge. Next the RAM is like the drawers on that desk, room for the things you use and need to keep close at hand. The Hard Drive is like the Filing cabinet. Its nearby but takes time to get to and holds a whole lot more.

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