Articles - Fix Computer Problems

August 14, 2023 by mrfixit

Discover the Power of Efficiency: The Ultimate Guide to Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Unlock the true potential of your Windows experience with the top 10 keyboard shortcuts that will revolutionize how you navigate your computer. Don’t waste precious time clicking through menus or searching for functions buried within applications. With these ingenious shortcuts, you’ll become a true master of efficiency, boosting productivity and saving valuable moments in your day.

1. Ctrl + C: Copy it like a pro! Whether it’s a snippet of text, an image, or a file, simply highlight and hit Ctrl + C to duplicate it instantly. Say goodbye to the monotony of right-clicking and selecting “Copy.”

2. Ctrl + V: Paste for perfection! After copying, Ctrl + V effortlessly inserts your content wherever you need it. From documents to emails, watch your ideas come to life with just a simple keystroke.

3. Alt + Tab: The multitasker’s dream. Easily toggle between open windows and applications using Alt + Tab. Seamlessly switch from your emails to that important spreadsheet, keeping your workflow uninterrupted.

4. Windows Key + D: A shortcut to clarity. Tired of a cluttered desktop? Press the Windows key and D simultaneously to minimize all windows and go straight to your precious desktop, giving you a refreshing moment of visual simplicity.

5. Ctrl + Z: The undo magician. Made a mistake? Fear not! Ctrl + Z comes to the rescue, reverting your last action in an instant. No need to worry about starting over, as this shortcut is here to save the day.

6. Ctrl + Shift + Esc: The ultimate task manager. Skip the tedious step of opening the taskbar and jump straight into the Task Manager with this time-saving shortcut. Take control of your system’s performance and easily end unruly processes.

7. Windows Key + L: Lock your world. Leaving your computer unattended? Ensure your privacy and security by swiftly locking your screen with Windows Key + L. Peace of mind is just a click away.

8. Ctrl + A: Select all with ease. Need to highlight everything? Use Ctrl + A to select all text, files, or folders instantly. Embrace the power of efficiency and effortlessly manage large amounts of content.

9. Windows Key + E: Explore your files rapidly. No more fumbling through directories! This shortcut opens up Windows Explorer, giving you quick access to all your files and folders. Navigate seamlessly and find what you need in a flash.

10. Ctrl + F: Find it, fast. Don’t waste time scrolling through lengthy documents or web pages. With Ctrl + F, simply type in a keyword, and Windows will locate it for you instantly. Efficiency at its finest.

By incorporating these top 10 Windows keyboard shortcuts into your daily routine, you’ll streamline your workflow, save time, and elevate your productivity to new heights. Embrace the power of efficiency and experience a computer experience like never before. Start mastering these shortcuts today and unlock boundless possibilities with a single keystroke.

October 1, 2019 by mrfixit

The Best Computer Upgrade

The most common question I am asked is “How can I make my computer go faster?” Over the years the answer has varied but not any longer.

When the Solid State Drive (SSD) was first introduced they were simply not affordable to a home computer user. In the last couple of years though prices have dropped enormously and they are now very reasonably priced.

Swapping your old mechanical drive for a SSD increases disk performance by approximately a factor of 10. In my case, replacing my old drive improved my boot time from minutes to seconds.

Imagine turning on your computer and being able to use it in less than 30 seconds. Some of my clients used to turn the kettle on and make a cup of tea before sitting down to work and even then had to wait. With a SSD you can to do what you want without any excessive delays.

Quite simply everything is faster – much faster. Word processor and Spreadsheet programs load quicker, websites load quicker, files can be accessed quicker. In short the transformation is such that it is like having a new computer.

A SSD upgrade is usually straight forward and we can supply a 500gb SSD and copy the data from your existing drive for an all inclusive cost of £120.00. We can pick your computer up, fit the drive, copy the data and return it to your door the next day.

Accessing Computer Files On On The Move

If you have more than one computer or a computer and a mobile device such as an iPhone does it frustrate you that you can’t access your information, files, email on the device of your choice?

Increasingly we want to be able to access and use files and edit information stored on different devices that we own. We’d also like that information to sychronised across these devices so not matter which device we use we see the same view of the data. Until recently this was quite challenging to achieve and very expensive. However, massive improvements have been made over the last couple of years that now make this reasonably straightforward and cost effective to achieve.

How would you like to be able to see your email, appointments and tasks via the internet, your desktop, your laptop and your mobile phone? How would you like to be able to reply to email from any of these devices and have that reply reflected across all those machines instantly?

Depending on your requirements you can achieve this using free tools provided by Google or for a more elegant solution take advantage of a remote Exchange Server service offered by a third party for less than £10.00 per month.

What about being able to access your documents, spreadsheets and presentations wherever you happen to be? What if you need to make changes to them or email them to someone when you happen to be out? Believe it or not this can be achieved at a very low cost and in most cases without buying any additional software. There are a number of services that provide this capability our current favourite being dropbox.

With the right solution you can even access your mail, files, music etc. safely and securely on any internet enabled computer anywhere in the world.

It is quite possbile to set up your computer technology to achieve all of this yourself, but, as with anything in life it is much easier, and dare we say safer, to use the services of a business that specialises in configuring remote computing and mobile network solutions.

We offer such a service for individuals and small (server less) businesses that wish to take advantage of the massive advantages that these solutions provide in terms of convenience and efficency. To find out more why not talk to us today to discuss your requirements.

March 29, 2013 by mrfixit

What is the best way to back up my computers files?

Unquestionably, our files, photos, music and video are now amongst the most important things in our lives. How would we cope if we lost all our personal data and had to start again? Unfortunately many people discover what such a devastating loss is like on a regular basis.

Just the other day a customers daughter lost all her GCSE course work. Some was recovered from her school but much of it had to redone. Not a pleasant experience at all.

Backing up critical data used to be very inconvenient requiring specialist software and the discipline to backup daily, weekly or monthly as required. Whilst an effective back up routine undoubtedly has its place for most it is confusing and complex. What is needed is a set and forget solution.

Happily, these are now readily and cheaply available. Options include Carboninte, Mozy and my personal favourite Livedrive (http://bit.ly/YXBAmQ0) with prices starting from around £3.00 per month.

With such a solution a small piece of software is installed on your computer and files automatically backed up securely online. Once the software is up and running there is nothing further to do, although, it is best to check occasionally that all is ok by logging into the relevant account.

Should you lose your data then it can easily be recovered leaving you stress free. Don’t wait to find out what a critical data loss feels like set up a robust backup solution today.

For anyone that elects to use the Livedrive service via this link http://bit.ly/YXBAmQ0 I offer a free setup service (within 10 miles of Sturminster Marshall) so you can be confident everything is working as it should do.

If you’d like to know more Mike can be contacted on 07795 961406 or via this contact form.

December 18, 2012 by mrfixit

Computer Repairs Poole

We have recently extended our area of cover to include computer repairs in Poole. If you have a troublesome laptop or PC problem which you would like to fix once and for all then be sure to give us a ring on 01258 858466. We offer a free pick up and return service and a guarantee that if we can’t fix your problem you don’t pay.

Take advantage of our computer repair expertise today and benefit from our great customer service.

Computer Repairs Poole

December 6, 2012 by mrfixit

Every Home Should Have It – Network Accessible Storage

Why should every home have a Network Accessible Storage Device?

As advances in technology continue apace we find ourselves with an ever increasing number of internet enabled devices. It is not unusual for a typical home to have a PC, a couple of laptops, smartphones, iPads, games consoles, satellite tv and any number of devices on which music/radio can be enjoyed.

It is now possible to share data (email, files, video, music) across all these devices but it can be extremely complex, until that is, a decision is made to hold data on a single device which can be accessed by any other.

Historically this necessitated the purchase of a server which was not only expensive but also required considerable expertise to configure and maintain. However, the last couple of years have seen the emergence of NAS (Network Accessible Storage) devices.

The latest generation of these NAS boxes is far more powerful than may be thought and many are capable of streaming high definition video, music and data across multiple devices simultaneously.

This means you can be watching a home movie on TV whilst another member of the household is listening to music, another is editing a photograph and another is watching a different movie on an iPad. All the data being stored on the NAS drive.

There are many other benefits available depending on your budget. Some NAS drives are accessible via the internet meaning you can access data from anywhere in the world provided you have access to a computer with an internet connection.

Some have built in backup tools that enable data to be stored securely online or on a portable device that can be kept at another location. One particularly manufacturer also offers apps which can be installed to increase functionality.

Many offer what is called disk redundancy. This means that data is stored and shared across a number of additional disk drives. If one fails/breaks then data is still safe on the other drive. The faulty drive is then replaced to restore the redundancy function. If you have ever lost data in the past you will certainly appreciate how fantastic this particular function is.

Nearly every home in the country with more than one computer would benefit from owning a NAS drive. Centralising your files in one place opens up a massive range of exciting opportunities for using it on any internet enabled device of your choice. It also makes the job of upgrading much simpler as well.

For advice on the right Network Accessible Storage to fit your requirements, installation services and the many available options available please call us on 01258 858466.

November 7, 2011 by mrfixit

How To Speed Up Computer

One of the most common questions asked is how to speed up computer – yes that’s not quite English but is the phrase used when entering a search query into Google. In this article will look at a number of tasks that can be undertaken in order to extract the maximum performance from your PC.

How To Speed Up Computer – Tip One

Without doubt the most effective method of improving computer performance is the addition of extra memory. If you have a relatively old PC or laptop (4 to 5 years) adding additional memory to cope with more modern software can transform the performance of an older machine.

How To Speed Up Computer – Tip Two

Removing old software is a very effective strategy. Windows uninstaller is not the best although it is pretty straightforward to use. There are though a number of free alternatives that can do a better job and our current favourite is 10bit UnInstaller. Not only can it remove several programs at once but it also includes a feature that can remove software where Windows own tool fails. Windows own tool also leaves behind a trail of debris and the 10 bit UnInstaller is excellent at tracking down information that has been left behind.

How To Speed Up Computer – Tip Three

The more you use your computer the more files you tend to accumulate without knowing it. One common cause of a slow PC is a bloated registry. Now we’re not going to go into the purpose of the registry in this article suffice to say that the registry should be optimised to ensure maximum performance. Again, there are a number of tools to help achieve this many of which are freely available, and in all honesty, these free tools are equally as good as the paid for versions. Our favourite, and has been for many years, is Ccleaner which is a collection of very powerful tools.

Registry cleaners in the wrong hands can cause your PC to stop working, therefore, before working with such a tool ensure that you have a full backup of your computer or at least the registry file. Ccleaner includes an option to back at the registry when first run so ensure that this is done.

How To Speed Up Computer – Tip Four

Defragmenting your hard drive. If you don’t know what defragmenting is that it is unlikely that this task has ever been undertaken. It’s not something that needs to be undertaken that often but an annual de-frag is always to be recommended. Windows has its own built-in defragmenting tool however we prefer the free third-party offering our current favourite being MyDefrag.

How To Speed Up Computer – Tip Five

Change your antivirus software. Many modern antivirus solutions are bloated pieces of software that attempt to be all things to all men. The premium solutions are amongst the worst using significant system resources, the latest versions can bring an older PC to a grinding halt. They are also packed with functionality that 99% of users don’t fully understand and either don’t need or don’t know how to configure these functions correctly.

I have never used these premium security suites other than to testing purposes and tend to stick to the free solutions. In fact, the only security solution I currently run is Microsoft Security essentials and this has proved more than adequate for the last two or three years. Provided you scan your computer periodically for adware, malware and root kit threats it is very unlikely that you will need more.

How To Speed Up Computer – Tip Six

Given that most PCs are permanently connected to the Internet these days when people look for tips on speeding up their computer what they often want is for their webpages to load quicker. Therefore, it makes a great deal of sense to optimise your Internet connection and check with your broadband provider that everything is working okay. More on that though in a future article.

If you implement the tips discussed above you should find that the performance of your PC significantly improves. If not, it is necessary to take more dramatic action. However, before rushing out to buy a new computer consider whether it is appropriate or not to rebuild the existing machine.

Many PCs are shipped with an option to “restore to factory settings” which puts your PC back into the condition it was when you bought it from the shop. The performance improvements as a result of this action are often very significant, however, remember to backup your existing files and ensure that you have the relevant CDs you need to reload the software you need. Good luck.

How To Speed Up Computer External Resources

How To Speed Up Computer – About.com

October 31, 2011 by mrfixit

PC Tune Up

How of often do you take time to do a PC tune up? This is something we often think about but seldom implement. Why? Well, there are several reasons perhaps the most common being a lack of expertise closely followed by a lack of time.

A PC tune up is not particularly time-consuming if you know what you’re doing but it does require a certain amount of expertise in order to be undertaken successfully.

The typical challenge any PC owner encounters when undertaking a PC tune up is what software to use. In this respect there are dozens, probably hundreds, maybe even thousands of different software packages available all promising to deliver a great PC tune up effortlessly.

Unfortunately, many of these PC tune up programs can do more harm than good to your computer and indeed, many contain malware, adware, viruses and other nasty surprises designed to cause problems to the unsuspecting PC owner.

Quite simply, 90 to 95% of these programs are a waste of money and do not deliver the PC tune up they promise. In my experience there is actually no one piece of software that carries out all needed tasks. Further, a PC tune up should also include not only a software check but also a check of the computer and any related hardware e.g. modem/router.

We are often called out to undertake a PC tune up because a computer is running very slowly. Often times this is not the result of a software problem, but, is hardware related. That is why our PC tuneup service includes both software and hardware. We’ll also check your Internet connection to make sure that it is optimised to deliver maximum performance.

Another common question we are asked is how often a PC tune up should be undertaken. there is no standard answer to this because it often depends upon how often the computer is used, the size and number of software programs installed on the computer and the level of Internet use. However, an annual PC tune up is a very worthwhile investment and represents money well spent.

Our PC tune up service includes the following:

Hardware Review
Intenet Connection Tune Up
Wireless Network Tune Up
Software Review
Virus Scan
Malware Scan
Adware Removal
Registry Optimisation
Disk Optimisation

All this for just £30. To book an PC Tune Up appointment call us today.

PC Tune Up Resources

PC Tune Up Guide from Microsoft

October 21, 2011 by mrfixit

Tracking Your Computer

If you were following the news over the summer, then one story you may have picked up on concerned an individual who had his laptop stolen during the London riots. What was remarkable is that he was able to track his laptop, identify the thief and alert the police enabling them to catch him red-handed.

Incredibly, this was achieved using a freely available piece of software. Recovering stolen goods is notoriously tricky. Even if thieves are caught, stolen property can be quickly passed on. This software overcomes this issue as it is a small monitoring program installed on your laptop, PC or android mobile phone. If your device goes missing, you log onto a website and register it as such and the next time the device is turned on its location is triangulated.

Even more astonishing is that on web cam enabled devices it can take a picture showing the person who is actually using the computer/phone. In this way the person can be identified and the police alerted to its location.

The name of this program is Prey a freely available piece of open source software which works with its website to track lost or stolen computers and android phones and tablets. The free version can track up to 3 devices and store an appropriate number of reports. If you need to track additional devices then upgrades are available from $5.

How cool is that? Find out additional information and download the program from the Prey website.

April 15, 2011 by mrfixit

Mobile Computing

Many of us are now wanting to access our email, files & documents whilst on the move. Mobile phones are becoming mini computers capable of doing everything that could once only be done via a desktop PC. With ground breaking technology appearing on a seemingly monthly basis it is simply astonishing what can be achieved.

Increasingly, we are being asked to provide e-mail synchronisation services. These allow you to view your email via desktop, laptop, mobile phone, ipad or any other internet enabled device or computer anywhere in the world. Perhaps more importantly this is done via a single view which means, for example, that if you delete an email via an iPhone it will be deleted on all other devices. You can also maintain a single calendar/diary with appointments, tasks etc. appearing on all devices. Fantastic for anyone running a small business.

It is also possible to share files across devices . For example, for one of my clients I set up a system which enables her to dictate case notes on her iPhone. She then emails them to her PA who types them up and adds them to a folder shared by them both. She can then review the notes on the road, or when she gets back home, make changes and print them out. It’s a great solution.

If you’d like to know more about mobile computing solutions then give us a call on 07795 961406 or 01258 858466 to discuss what you’d like to achieve.

Monday	8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday	8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday	8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday	8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday	8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday	Closed
Sunday	Closed