You are here: Home / Archives for computer repair tucson

Laptop LCD Sreens: Ordering Them Yourself is Not a Good Idea

November 19, 2011 By 4 Comments

Ordering an LCD screen for your laptop is a lot trickier than you might think.  Manufacturers use more than one type of screen for the same model.  This makes no sense and is annoying, but that’s the world of laptops for you.

We get lots of customers who order a screen, thinking they’re saving time and money, then bring it in for us to install.  In over 75% of cases, we find they got the wrong screen and have to order one for them after all.  The customer then has the hassle of shipping it back to the vendor, often having to pay postage and possibly even restocking fees.

In the end, they spent more money and delayed the repair process.  Prices are not that different when you try this.  The hassle is not worth the $20-$30 you might save.  Think you’re smarter than the average bear, and that you know how to order the right screen?  Think again!

Even we don’t order screens that way.  We never search for the part by using the model number of the laptop.  We remove the existing screen, then we find the exact part number of the LCD panel itself, which is on the back of the panel.  Even then, we’re not fully satisfied.  We do multiple searches on different vendor sites and look for a picture of the back of the panel to insure the connectors are in the right place.

So the words of advice are… don’t try this at home folks!  We don’t mark parts up that much, so our prices are still comparable to what you would pay.  Remember, laptop repair shops know where to look for the best deals better than the average person.  Just bring your laptop to us and we’ll handle the hassle that comes with laptop parts ordering…. and believe me, laptops are a hassle to fix.  Much more so than desktops.

Filed Under: Laptop Repair Tagged With: , , , ,

Spyware & Virus Infections are Back, and Nastier than Ever

November 18, 2011 By 3 Comments

Yes folks, they’re back.  Just in time for the holidays!  Virus and spyware/malware activity has been very low over the past three months, but it’s picked back up again.

This new crop of virus and spyware infections looks a lot like their predecessors.  They disguise themselves as a security program or pc utility program, just like the other scareware programs we’ve seen.

Again, these are fake programs where the culprits try to get you to buy their “program”.  Don’t fall for the trick.  However, once these infections get in, they disable many of your computer’s functions, including internet access.

What makes these new infections so nasty is that they often plant files in your hard drive’s boot sector or partition.  This is a part of the hard drive you can’t see, but it controls the most basic startup processes.  In some cases, when you clean these out, it renders the whole boot sector useless and you can no longer boot into Windows.

Your data is not affected, but if this happens, you need to wipe the drive clean and reinstall Windows.  We had one such case this week.  Of course, we were able to save the data before wiping the drive, so the customer was okay in the end.

If you get one of these spyware or virus infections, we can help.  Visit our Saguaro PC Tech Website and Blog to learn more about the subject.

Filed Under: Virus-Malware Security Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Laptop Repair: Finding a Good Repair Shop is Not Easy

September 4, 2011 By

While general laptop repairs, like virus removal and software issues (Windows problems, etc.) are the same as for desktop computers, repairing laptop internal hardware components is a very difficult and specialized area.  Therefore, finding a good laptop repair shop is not so easy.

Why is this?  There are two reasons:

  1. Internal repairs require extreme precision and skill.  Soldering and electrical testing are also often required.
  2. Parts are very specific to each model, sometimes even varying among different revisions of the same model laptop.

See what a laptop motherboard replacement is like in this video.

Therefore a repair shop must have technicians with the appropriate skills.  Plus, the owner of the shop must have the knowledge and patience to deal with the often frustrating process of finding and ordering the correct parts for the job.  I personally went through hell learning this and often wondered if it was even worth bothering with laptop repairs.

For this reason, many of our competitors do not offer laptop hardware repair.  However, the reality of the computer business is that the desktop computer is fading away and laptops are taking over.  If a computer shop wants to survive, it must offer laptop repair services.  These days, over 75% of our business is laptops.  Of these jobs, roughly a third require internal component repair.  So I hung in there and have since learned the process of managing laptop repair work.  Its still tough and frustrating, but I’m used to it now.

So what should you do if your laptop’s LCD screen goes out, or your power jack breaks, or the machine just won’t turn on?

  • First, don’t try to fix it yourself.  You have no idea how many things can go wrong, or how easy it is to break something.
  • Don’t try to save money by ordering parts yourself.  Because parts are so specific and can even vary for the same model, you’ll probably order the wrong part.

On the second point, I can’t tell you how many customers have come in with their own parts, only to find it’s the wrong one.  Is it worth having to go through the hassle, pay for return shipping and restocking fees just to save $20?  I don’t think so.

So I suggest taking it to a reputable local repair shop, hopefully us here at Saguaro PC Tech.  Let our techs take a look at it and consult you on the repair.  If the machine is over 4 years old, we’ll let you know if it’s worth fixing or not.  We won’t steer you the wrong way just to make a quick buck.  We prefer you be happy with your experience and remain a long-term customer.

To learn more about us, please visit our Website or out Facebook page (don’t forget to “Like” us).  Even better, give us a call at (520) 250-5948.  Thanks!

Filed Under: Laptop Repair Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Simple Privacy Tricks Anyone Can Do: Tip 4

June 17, 2011 By

Use Temporary Credit Cards for Safety and to Avoid Repeat Billing

This is a great way to add some extra security to your online purchases.  It’s also a way to avoid repeat billing from sneaky vendors (like antivirus subscriptions) or  overbilling.  Most card issuers have them (usually called “safe shopping” cards or “gift cards”).  While the gift card type of card simply runs out, the safe shopping cards let you do things like choose the card’s spending limit, expiration date, and more.  That way, you can make sure that automatic billing doesn’t kick in unless you absolutely want it to.  Vendors can’t charge you if there’s no money left on the card.  Another security feature is that if anyone ever gets a hold of your account information, all they can get is the amount of the balance on the card, or the amount of the spending limit (if you have that type of card).

Filed Under: Internet and Web, Virus-Malware Security Tagged With: , , , ,

New “Scareware” Virus Fakes “System Recovery Failure” and Critical PC Issues

May 16, 2011 By

We just got a machine in with a VERY NASTY new virus.  We’ve never seen anything like it before.  It throws up fake program called “Windows 7 Recovery”, and displays a warning telling you that a system recovery operation has failed.  It hides all your desktop icons making you think you just lost all your programs and data.

If that’s not enough, it then tells you that either your hard drive, your memory, or both have experienced a critical failure.  Geez…. talk about overkill!  Of course, then they tell you that you can buy their “magic” software that will fix all of that.  Wow, must be some program!  Of course, this is all fake and you must not fall for this scam!

Good News!  It’s just another virus and we have just succeeded in removing it using our usual virus repair methods.  So don’t worry if you get this.  Your PC is okay and your data is in tact.  If you get this nasty virus, we can help you and get you back up and running pretty quickly.

For more information, please visit our Saguaro PC Tech website.  We’re always here to help.

Filed Under: Virus-Malware Security Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

New Virus Breaking XP Machines Ability to Launch Programs

April 1, 2011 By

If you’re suddenly horrified when you find you can’t launch ANY programs on your Windows XP machine, don’t panic.  Your PC is not completely hosed, nor did you lose your data.  This is due to just another virus that can be cleaned up like any other.

It does look scary though, and there’s a bit of registry hacking needed before the virus cleanup can be done.  It actually freaked us out too when we first saw it.  If you get this nasty virus we can repair your computer.

Filed Under: Virus-Malware Security, Windows XP and Vista Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Upgrading to Windows 7 – Is it a good idea?

March 16, 2011 By

Have you been looking at some of the newer offerings of the big box brands with Windows 7?  Are you wondering if you’ll have to replace your computer to get Windows 7?

You may be happy to know that most of you can run Windows 7 just fine on your existing PC, perhaps with just some minor upgrades to your hardware, for a lot less than the cost of a new PC.

Below we’ll address the most common questions we’re asked about moving to the newest Windows.

Is my Computer too old to upgrade?

If your PC is around 3 years old, there should be no problem upgrading to Windows 7. If your computer is older than 3 years, some minor upgrades like additional memory might be needed.  If your PC is over the 3 year mark, this might also be a good time to replace your hard drive if it has lots of hours of use or is too small for your needs.  Why risk a hard drive crash after all this work?

Will my Computer run slower with Windows 7?

We have installed it on six year old computers, high-end gaming computers, and everything in between.  Windows 7 ran just as fast or faster in each and every case.  The older machines just needed a simple memory upgrade (only about $40 or so).

Will I lose my data?

If your computer is healthy, no data loss will occur.  If you are running Vista and you machine is running well, you can do what’s called an “in-place” upgrade (pop the new disk in and select “upgrade”).  The process will transfer everything over to the new Windows, and you will not even have to reinstall your programs.

If you have Windows XP however, you will need to back up your data, then do a “clean install”, which means you’ll need to reformat (i.e. wipe) your drive and install Windows 7 from scratch.  Given the age of XP machines, it’s a good idea to get a new hard drive anyway, so the process is not a waste of time.

Is Windows 7 hard to use?

Heck no!  Many people are concerned that learning Windows 7 is going to be too hard.  We have done this process for customers of various ages and professions and all agreed that Windows 7 was easy to learn and better than any previous version they have ever used.  They just loved the smooth, solid performance, and the great new features.

Will my peripheral equipment (printer, scanner, camera) work with Windows 7?

If your PC is less than 4 years old and your equipment is the same age or newer than your PC, there should be no problems.  If in doubt, you can check to see if the manufacturer offers Windows 7 support by looking up the hardware on their website.  Windows 7 has an incredible ability to support just about any type of peripheral equipment you can throw at it, if it’s no older than about 4 years old.

Will my existing programs work?

Most will work just fine if they’re less than 4 years old.  Some older programs will work too.  We’ve run Microsoft Office 2003 just fine.  One exception we know of is Quick Books.  You’ll need version 2007 or newer.  Certain other business programs may also have issues, but home users should be just fine.

How much does it cost to upgrade to Windows 7

The cost of the software when purchased from a local computer repair shop like us varies from $120 to $150, but it’s on the condition that you have to have them do the upgrade for you.  Big box stores charge much more (up to $200) for the “retail” version.  Labor costs for having a local shop do it for you vary, but start at around $120, depending on if you need them to back up and restore your data for you.  Again, big box stores will charge much more.

If you want or need any hardware upgrades, the cost is pretty minor, usually about $100 for both memory and a hard drive.  The total cost is still lower than the purchase of a new system.  Again, this varies according to what you have now.  Most PC’s less than 4 years old will be worth upgrading, except perhaps for low-end budget machines.

Windows 7 is the Savior for Vista Users!

A new problem with Vista (as if there weren’t enough already) is that Microsoft has seemingly abandoned making it better with any major patches or upgrades, in a sense admitting it’s a lost cause.  It has become sort of a “lost stepchild” by all accounts.

We have received a huge number of requests from our customers to get the upgrade.  Without exception, all who upgraded to Windows 7 have loved making the decision.  Not only did their machines run much faster, it made them more stable (e.g. less crashes) and smooth performing.

Final Note to XP Users – The End is Near:

Microsoft’s new web browser, Internet Explorer 9, is not available for XP systems!

This is just the beginning of what XP users will be seeing from now on.  New technologies have moved beyond what XP can support.  New devices and peripherals will not be compatible with XP and manufacturers will be dropping support for it altogether.

The end of life for XP is set for 2012 by Microsoft. I guess the Mayans were right about something!

So if your XP machine is still a solid performer and you want to keep it a while, make the move soon.

If you would like to find out more about making the move to Windows 7, let us know and we can discuss the process.  You can also find out more on our website.  You can also visit us on Facebook.

Filed Under: General Misc. Tips, Windows 7 Tips, Tricks & Tweaks, Windows XP and Vista Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Extending Your Computer’s Life: If Your PC is over 3 Years Old

September 19, 2010 By

I often hear the question from my customers, “My Computer is getting old.  What do you recommend I do if I can’t afford to buy a new one?”  Here’s what’s happening and what you can do.

The major issues that deteriorate the performance of older computers are:

1) Insufficient Memory (RAM):

Machines that are in the 3-5 year range of life have low amounts of RAM by today’s standards.  This is because as time goes by, all those Windows updates you’ve been getting have actually made Windows bigger, thus needing more RAM.

You may also have installed new software (programs) over time.  Newer software has more features, and so is often larger than older programs, thus needing more RAM.

2) The Hard Drive:

This is the storage device inside your computer.  It is a mechanical device and like any mechanical device, the more usage you place on it, the more it wears down.  It can become increasingly inaccurate as it reads and writes data, thus causing file corruption, data loss and a slowing down of its operation.  What can you do?

Defragment Your Hard Drive! This will make your hard drive last much longer and help your machine run faster.  Why?…. Over time, the data on your hard disk gets fragmented and spread out all over the disk.  This means the drive has to look all over the place to get your files and has to work much harder, stressing and slowing it down.

All versions of Windows have a built-in defragmenting utility, but in my professional opinion, 3rd party “Defraggers” do a better job.  I like the free “Defraggler” program, made by Piriform Software.

What if this doesn’t help? Then it may be a good time to replace the hard drive.  This gives you multiple benefits.  The most important preserving your data.  If you wait until it fails, you will lose your data, such as your pictures, documents, emails, address books and videos.

The second benefit is performance.  With a new hard disk, you have the chance to reinstall or upgrade your Windows to a newer version.  A fresh installation of Windows gives you a huge increase in performance.  Your PC will “run like new”.  Also, the newer hard drives are faster than older ones, giving you a further boost in speed.

3) Old Software and File Buildup (junk files):

A lot of the software that came with your PC is outdated and is taking up space.  You may also have lots of programs running in the background that you’re not even aware of.  Some of these programs came bundled with programs that you downloaded, but piggybacked themselves into the download and installed themselves without your knowledge.  The biggest culprits here are Toolbars (Bing, Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc.).  You should uninstall these unneeded programs, but be careful, if you’re not sure, don’t touch it.  Call a professional computer technician.

Finally, there are many files that get created automatically in the background by the programs you’re running.  These are only temporarily needed, but are left behind even after they’re no longer needed.  Clearing these out with a good cleanup utility, like “C-Cleaner” can help regain performance.  This free utility is also from Piriform Software, the same people that make “Defraggler”.

So there you have the basics.  The two utilities we mentioned can be a great help.  You can find these on our website’s links page, or at CNet’s Download.com site.

Filed Under: General Misc. Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Turning Your PC Off – Good or Bad?

September 18, 2010 By

Well, it’s both.  This is one of those questions that seems to never get fully answered, as opinions vary.

One thing is certain.  You shouldn’t power your PC off every time you’re done with it.  Cycling the power can damage components because powering up a machine causes a lot of stress on the system.

However, you should turn it off every now and then to clear out the memory and let your components get some rest.  If you have an older (3 years plus) system, you can shut it down at night.  For newer systems, at lest once a week is good. We recommend twice a week if you use it heavily.

Newer systems have better power management and their sleep mode works pretty well, allowing your system components to power down fully or almost fully.  For Windows 7 machines, it works even better.  Still, you do need to shut it down occasionally to clear out the memory.  This will speed up your machine.

If you’re going out of town for a few days, it’s always a good idea to turn it off.  Another good time to shut down is during lightning storms.

For more information, tips and help with other computer issues, please visit our website at Saguaropc.com.

Filed Under: General Misc. Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Speed Up Windows 7: Turn off Indexing if You Don’t Need it.

June 19, 2010 By

Did you know Windows constantly creates and indexes your data, and that this heavy chore can slow down your PC?

Actually, indexing is good if you have tons of files and you use the built-in Windows Search to find your data.  The indexing makes the searches quick and easy.

But what if you don’t have tons of files and don’t need to do searches to find your data?  Then you might as well reduce the activity of this feature, or disable it altogether.  The result will be a faster computer.

To modify or disable indexing, open the Indexing Options applet in the Control Panel.  Note that if you have your Control Panel set to “Category View”, you will not see it.  Change the view to “icons” (large or small), and you will see the Indexing Options applet.  Upon opening, you’ll see a window showing what locations are being indexed.  Click “Modify” and remove locations (folders, etc.) being indexed.  You might just choose to index only your Documents folder and nothing else, or choose nothing at all.  It’s up to you.  You can even choose what types of files are indexed as well.

If you do want to leave search indexing on, but find that it occasionally slows you down, you can stop its process when you need extra speed. Right-click on “Computer” either in the Start menu or on the desktop, then choose the “Manage” option.  Then double-click Services and Applications, then Services. Find the “Windows Search” item and double click on that.  From this properties dialog, choose “Stop”.  You can also choose the Startup type, setting it to Manual or Disabled.  For occasional use, set it to Manual and it will start indexing the next time you do a search.

Again, if you don’t have many files and you know exactly where you keep them, then disable it altogether and remove all locations.  If you have a very fast PC with for instance,  a Quad-Core processor and over 4GB or memory, this won’t make much of a difference.  Go ahead and leave it on, as you might enjoy using the search feature from time to time.

If you have any questions about this or want help tuning and optimizing your PC, we can help (but only if you live in Tucson, of course).  Our contact information is on the Saguaro PC Tech website.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks, Windows 7 Tips, Tricks & Tweaks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »