Computer Tip of The Day: Knowing When to Replace Computers

a person is holding a remote control in front of a rack of wires

If it has been a few years since you replaced the computers in your office. You may be wondering how you will know when it is time to replace computers.

In general, depending on what you use them for, and how heavily they are used, business computers will need to be replaced every 3-5 years. This is in order to ensure maximum productivity.

If you are coming up to the five-year mark, you may want to consider replacing all of your computers preemptively. Thus, before you start encountering problems. However, your computers will also begin to give off other signs indicating that they will soon need to be replaced. Here are a few of these signs you can look out for in your office.

Computer Problems Are Disrupting Your Day

One of the clearest signs that you should consider replacing your computers is if you have begun to spend more time fixing your computers than using them. Your computer should help you get work done, not disrupt your workday.

Thus, if it seems like you are constantly battling your computer because it won’t connect to your WiFi, it keeps crashing, or you are continually encountering the blue screen of death, then it is likely time for a replacement. The fact is that computers don’t last forever. When they begin to become more troublesome than they are helpful, it is likely time for a replacement.

Speed is Everything

Another obvious sign that it is likely time for a new computer is if your computer has become painfully sluggish. In today’s fast-paced work environment, speed is everything. This means that it is critical that you have a computer that is fast and up to the task of getting everything done in the day that you need it to.

However, computers slow down over time, and you may begin to find that pages take forever to load. Or you can make a coffee run before your computer is done booting in the morning. These are signs that it is time to replace your computer. Being a slow computer can have a negative impact on the overall productivity of your business.

Contact us to learn more about how you will know when it is time to replace the computers in your office.

6 Tips for Conserving Battery Power

four people holding hands over a wooden table

There’s nothing more frustrating than having your battery die on you just as an important deadline looms. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to conserve your laptop’s battery. Here are six tips for keeping your battery power going.

Display Auto Turn-Off

Set your laptop so that your display turns off by itself if your laptop is not used for a specific amount of time. This can be one minute, five minutes, ten minutes, or whatever. This way, your battery won’t drain while you are on a bathroom break.

Reduce Brightness

Even when the display is on, reducing the brightness will help save a lot of battery power.

Disable Wifi

If you do not need the internet and can work offline, disable the wifi. Having your laptop connected to the internet causes a strain on the battery. A lot of things will be going on in the background. For example, Windows may be updating its software.

Remove External Devices

If you are not using them, remove any external drives or devices from your laptop. Take out any USB sticks and DVDs. Do not use your laptop to charge your phone. All of these things take up precious battery power.

Use the Battery Saver

Turn on the battery saver feature that is built into Windows if you need to save battery. Some manufacturers install additional features to help you save and conserve battery power.

Shut Off Background Noise

Focus on one thing at a time when your battery power needs to be conserved. Shut off things that are running in the background by using your task manager to figure out what is using up the CPU. Don’t have multiple windows open at once; if you do not need a program at the moment, close it instead of minimizing it.

For more information, contact us today.

Computer Tip of the Day: Knowing Your Computer

a man sitting at a desk using a laptop computer

Computer terminology can be confusing, especially for those who have not worked with computers very much. There is an advantage to knowing your computer. When computers break down, it can save time and money to have an understanding of their individual components. This is due to the fact that a technician might not have to be paid to resolve the problems. Research on the internet can be done to find solutions to computer problems using the names of computer parts as keywords in an internet search.

Sometimes knowing the parts of a computer isn’t enough. It helps to learn how to interpret error messages and error codes that a computer spits out. Computer error code details can usually be searched on the internet to learn more about what the error code means.

Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a computer regardless of whether it’s a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone, 8 separate parts should be kept in mind. That is a power supply, hard drive, RAM, CPU, motherboard, keyboard, mouse, and screen. This is necessary because if one does not know the difference it will be more difficult to obtain help on free computer-help forums. Additionally, to search keywords on the internet in general.

For example, the display that allows one to see data stored on a computer is called the monitor or screen. When an error code is displayed on the screen, it would cause confusion to say, “My hard drive is giving me a certain error code,” or, “My screen has a computer virus.” It’s a common issue that the different parts of a computer are confused. The recommended terminology is to say, “My screen is displaying an error code”. Also giving specific details of the error code. Although the source of the problem might originate with the computer’s hard drive, the error code for that will typically be displayed on the screen.

Please contact us so that we may help sort out any issues with your computer.

Computer Tip of the Day: Computer Speed

three computer monitors sitting side by side in front of a city

When a new business ventures out or when an older business requires renovation of their policies and procedures for better productivity, the owner would ideally have operations running smoothly before proceeding with normal business activities. This is especially true with regard to obtaining and maintaining equipment. This includes desktop computers, laptop computers, phones, printers, scanners, and other common technology necessities.

The last thing any business needs while dealing with its customers is to get “stuck upstream without a paddle,” as the old adage says, and lose out on potential business prospects and loyal customers due to preventable problems. Though some difficulties cannot be avoided, as is the case within most businesses, there is a way to minimize the overall impact.

Improving Computer Speed

A common and frequently misunderstood problem that can be mitigated, if not outright eliminated, is slow computers in the business. The problem of slow computer speed within the business infrastructure can be attributed to many things. Things that a tailored IT support plan could serve to eliminate. Addressing this problem saves time, which in turn saves money. For instance, when a new computer is purchased, it typically comes with a lot of preinstalled software. This is called trial software, a lot of which is never used. The unused software running in the background of the computer can noticeably slow it down. Excessive software installations can also cause a computer to outright break down.

Another common facet contributing to slowness is computer hardware. One might have scored what appears to be a good deal on a laptop. However, why was it such a good deal? Is there a catch? Could it be lacking something? Computers are often sold with an amount of RAM memory insufficient for what the user needs to accomplish her specific tasks within a reasonable time. Obtaining assistance to add more RAM memory to the computer can make a world of difference.

In summary, an employee could spend more time at a computer waiting for the computer to work than producing for the company. This could be due to unneeded software, insufficient hardware, or a combination of both.

Please contact us so that we may help mitigate these potential issues.

Computer Tip of the Day – 4 Ways to Reduce Blue Light Emissions

a woman is typing on her laptop computer

Do your eyes ever feel strained, watery, and irritated after staring at your computer screen for an extended period of time? Digital screens emit what’s known as blue light. This strains and hurts your eyes. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce blue light emissions from your screen.

Use the Windows 10 Tool

Windows 10 has a built-in tool that limits blue light emissions. To access it, go to Settings and click on the display icon. At the top, toggle Lower Blue Light Automatically to On. Click on the settings option to adjust your blue light filter settings and set hours for it to go on.

Use Flux

Flux, or f.lux, is a popular app for computers that many people use to reduce blue light emissions. It works on Windows, Linux, and Macs. It makes your computer screen appear more like the lighting in your room. This changes based on the time of the day; it lowers your screen’s brightness at night. This helps keep your eyes from being irritated.

Use a Browser Extension

There are many browser extensions that can help reduce your computer’s brightness. Go to the Chrome or Firefox store and look for night light or blue light filter extensions. F.lux has its own extension, called G.lux. You can also just try lowering the brightness of your computer in general.

Limit Exposure

Of course, you can also take some simple steps to reduce your eyes’ exposure to your computer’s blue light. Take frequent breaks when at your computer. Use the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and rest your eyes on an object that is at least 20 feet away.

For more computer tips, contact us today!