3 TOP REASONS FOR ONSITE COMPUTER REPAIR

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3 TOP REASONS FOR ONSITE COMPUTER REPAIR

No one wants to experience computer problems. Whether it’s used for personal or business use, your computer is likely indispensable. Essential customer files are on there! All your downloaded music! The family photos! Vendor contracts and employee payroll information! Compounding the crisis is the hassle of going to get the computer fixed. That’s why we offer onsite repair services.

When You Need Computer Repair  

Regrettably, there are common computer problems you might encounter at home or work:

A blue computer screen with some white text, aka the “Blue Screen of Death,” or a STOP error. This one’s scary. It could indicate failing hardware, damaged software, driver problems and more. Don’t know what any of that sentence meant? That’s OK. We do!

Having trouble installing new applications.

The computer is running so slow a turtle would beat it in a foot race.

Your applications are acting possessed and are unpredictable.

The keyboard, mouse, or printer are not working properly.

Your computer keeps restarting on you.

Downloads are taking forever.

You can’t open that attachment from your boss.

The computer freezes or shuts off suddenly.

The graphics on the computer screen look wonky.

Your computer is making noises mimicking an old clunker car.

Troubleshooting these problems to diagnose what is really going on can be challenging. It depends on how much you know about computers to begin with. Since you rely on your computer for so much, it’s a good idea to consult with computer repair experts.

Why Onsite Computer Repair

#1 Convenience.

You don’t need to worry about doing more damage when you unplug everything and drive the computer to a repair shop. You also avoid the commute across town, headache of finding parking, and annoyance of waiting in line. Whether a business office or home, our computer repair experts can come to you.

This is more convenient for you. You don’t have to lug the computer to a store and back only to have to set it up all over again. Your computer stays right where you typically use it. When we’re done, you can just push the power button and get going as if nothing happened.

#2 Context.

Seeing your computer in its natural habitat helps our experts too. Sometimes the issue isn’t internal to the computer. So, we wouldn’t be able to properly diagnose the problem if you brought the computer in to us.

For example, the hiccup could be caused by a faulty power board or misbehaving printer. Unless you thought to bring those into the computer store too, the problem wouldn’t be replicable. And nothing’s worse than going to the trouble of getting help only to say “well, it doesn’t seem to be that annoying thing right now.” That’s when the expert looks at us like we’re crazy and says “next time, just try turning it on and off again.”

#3 Cut Downtime.

When the computer repair service comes to your door, you can also reduce downtime. Whether the computer is essential for homework at home or business services, you probably can’t imagine being without it for a few days. It’s like losing a limb! Onsite computer repair aims to fix the problem in just a few hours, without taking the computer away.

We can handle most repairs onsite. In some cases, it’s more cost-effective to bring the computer back to base. We still save you hassle by dropping the computer back off to you. We’ll also set everything back up again when we return your computer. That way you don’t have to worry about which cord goes where!

DO MACS GET VIRUSES AND MALWARE?

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DO MACS GET VIRUSES AND MALWARE?

Most Apple Mac owners believe their computers are immune to viruses and malware. Even Apple has run advertising campaigns promising that its computers “don’t get viruses”. Those who have owned a Mac for years, decades even, are particularly prone to believing that it indeed the case – after all, nothing has happened to them yet! Regrettably, Macs do get viruses and the threat is getting even larger.

For a long time, the argument was that cybercriminals didn’t bother to develop Mac viruses as there were not enough users to justify the effort. Instead, they turned their attention to PCs running Windows.

Over time though Apple’s market share has risen and it is increasingly common to see Macs in the workplace (especially in creative industries). Plus, there is a widespread assumption that Mac users are a smart target as they are likely to be better off and have higher incomes. So, while Mac computers themselves remain a harder to infect target (as installing most software requires a password), there is often a greater payoff.

Research shows that the Apple platform is getter more attacks and malware. In 2017, for instance, the iPhone OS and Mac OS X placed #3 and #6 in CVE Details’ top 50 ranked by total number of distinct vulnerabilities. Apple TV and Safari also made the list at #17 and #18, respectively. In 2017, Malwarebytes also reported it “saw more Mac malware in 2017 than in any previous year”. By the end of 2017, the cybersecurity firm had counted 270% more unique threats on the Mac platform than in 2016!

Finding Apple’s Weak Spots

It is now obvious thatmalware creators are no longer steering clear and are actively looking for waysto exploit Macs.

A common approach isto use Trojans (named after a famous historical story where a wooden horse wasused as a gift but actually hid an army), Trojans look like something you wouldwant to install. So, Mac users happily enter their passwords to download thatapplication and this then opens the gate to the cybercriminal.

In 2011, a Trojan called “Mac Defender” took advantage of Mac users desire to protect their computers. The fake program appeared to be anti-virus software but once the users installed it, they would get an onslaught of pop-up ads encouraging them to buy more fake software.

Trojans get through the gates because you let your guard down. The may pretend to be:

·        a note from along-lost friend.

·        a picture of that famous celebrity.

·        a free game or application.

·        a free or cheap item or gift voucher that is available.

·        an email from a friend or colleague but the spelling, grammar and / or content of the email doesn’t look to match the person they are pretending to be.

All it takes to stop this type of attack is to be suspicion of everything you might install or download.

A business needs to educate its employees and staff about the importance of:

·        clicking on emails and attachments with care.

·        validating the source of any files they plan to open.

·        checking a website’s URL (being especially wary of those with less common endings such as .cc or.co).

·        questioning any promises of cheap items that are 90% off.

A new threat comes from within the Mac App Store. When a user tries to install an app on a Mac, a Mac OS program called Gatekeeper checks the file’s code signature. The signature helps certify the app is valid. However, Thomas Reed (a Mac security researcher) found that cybercriminals could buy a legitimate certificate from Apple, or steal one and trick users. Users would install masked malware that could infect legitimate programs and evade detection.

Key Takeaway

Apple is alwaysworking to protect its users from malware. It has measures in place, and usercaution can make a big difference, too. Still, it’s not true that Macs arecompletely safe and you also should look at installing an antivirus or securityprogram on your Mac.

Why You Need Professional Virus Removal

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Why You Need Professional Virus Removal

“Your computer has a virus.” Such a dreaded five words! We don’t want to come down with a human virus; we’ll feel awful and miss work. But when a virus hits our computer, we could lose valuable information or be vulnerable to attack. Chicken soup won’t cut it.

Perhaps you have an antivirus product installed on your computer. This computer software is intended to prevent, detect, and remove viruses. Antivirus tools are designed to keep infections out. They can also delete any viruses that may already be on the computer when the software is installed.

The software provides protection by tracking malicious code and other computer threats via:

classifying the actions the file or code drives (as malicious or OK);

inspecting file signatures for matches to an existing signature in its virus dictionary;

scanning for rootkits that can change how your operating system functions.

However, antivirus software isn’t that good at cleaning up. When it detects a malicious file, it will delete it. But what if the virus spread before discovery? If the infection spreads before virus deletion, it can do all sorts of damage.

Think of it this way: you have a cyst on your knee. Doctors decide it is pre-cancerous and operate to remove the cyst before it spreads. But, that’s all they do. They have seen the cyst. They go for the cyst. However, they don’t notice the cancer that’s in your shin or femur, because they were only working on the cyst. The rest of your leg remains unhealthy, and you don’t even know it!

Getting a Second Opinion on Viruses

If the antivirus software is your primary physician, a computer professional is the specialist you go to for an expert second opinion. For one thing, antivirus products don’t always remove all the malicious files. Many viruses start as one thing but can mutate into several different strains. The antivirus software may not be programmed to identify all of the virus variants. A professional actively looks for undetected strains on your computer.

Viruses are always evolving. A recent strain of malware, SquirtDanger, let hackers take computer screenshots, capture passwords, download files, and empty out cryptocurrency wallets.

Some viruses can change the settings of your computer. For instance, a common virus changes your computer’s DNS, which is like a bit like the Yellow Pages for the internet. On a virus-free computer, when you type in “Google.com”, your browser goes to Google’s servers located at the IP address “216.58.203.100.” However, an infection can make Google.com on your computer go to a different address. Perhaps a server address cybercriminals use to capture your personal data. It still looks to you like Google, but it’s no longer safe. These settings can still remain after the infection is long gone.

Viruses can also leave behind browser toolbars, extensions, and other nasties designed to spy on your Web browsing habits. If you’re consistently redirected to unwanted sites, or seeing unwanted pop-up advertisements, it’s likely your computer’s infected with a browser hijacker.

Ultimately, if you detect a virus on your computer, check with a professional. Don’t trust that your antivirus software is going to do the same, thorough job an expert can offer. Sometimes your computer isn’t fully safe until the operating system is reinstalled, but you can’t know that until someone can go in and see what the virus did and what remnants are still there, lurking.

Cybercriminals are growing more sophisticated and better able to design viruses that disguise their tracks. Avoid being an unwitting victim. A computer security expert can diagnosis when your computer gets a virus, or determine if there are strains on your device you don’t know about. Let a security expert protect your computer from harm today!