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!

Simple But Effective Computer Tip – Shut Down Your Computer

a man sitting at a desk using a laptop computer

With all the newer gadgets such as tablets, smartphones, personal laptops, and the like, it is often tempting to keep them in sleep mode when not in use.  However, when it comes to using computer equipment on the job, there are some fairly compelling reasons why a nightly shutdown of work-related equipment is a good habit to acquire.  In this post, we will discuss some of the highlights as to why sleep mode is not always ideal. Check out this simple but effective computer tip.

Effective Computer Tip

Computer Processes

Especially with legacy software, there are processes running in the background even when an application is not even open.  Over time, a PC’s memory can get bogged down with all these rogue processes and issues that begin to occur such as computer crashes, operating system lags, and programs that freeze up.  By shutting down your work computer every night, it gives your computer and its memory a clean slate for the next morning.  This reduces program issues and speeds up productivity levels.

Save on Electricity

Rare are the offices that only consist of one or two computers.  Many offices have quite a few PCs and their fair share of printers as well.  It might not save an office much money if they only have one or two PCs to shut down every night, but companies who have more than that will notice significant savings in their electric bill if the entire office shuts down their equipment at night and on weekends.

The average PC uses anywhere from 80 to 250 watts.  If your local utility company charges a modest 12 cents per kWh, then assuming 250 watts for a PC, a company will pay over $20 a month in electricity costs to keep just one PC running 24/7.  Multiply these figures by the number of PCs in your office, add a few printers and some tablets and the total can be quite significant.

Save on Wear and Tear

The cooling fans installed to keep the power supply and CPU from overheating will get a break if users shut down their PC every night and they will last longer.  In addition, although no one should have such a messy workstation that it potentially is a fire hazard, it certainly is possible.  Some users in cramped quarters tend to stack paper, file folders, and other paraphernalia in and around their computers.  Talk to any computer repair person and they will probably have a story about someone who had a PC go up in smoke because their cooling fan overheated.  Having office staff get into the habit of shutting down their equipment every night reduces the chances of fire.

For more information on computer tips to help you work smarter and safer, please contact us.

Computer Tips: How Can You Get A Better Internet Performance?

a laptop computer sitting on top of a wooden table

If you are running a small business that does not have a great internet connection, you probably shake your head every day at how long it takes for a website’s page to load. No one likes to wait a significant amount of time for any type of web page to load. Regardless of the speed you have provisioned for by your ISP (Internet Service Provider), there is a chance you can do a variety of things to achieve better internet performance. You may be surprised at how a few small changes can give you a faster internet connection.

Better Internet Performance

Get Rid Of Malware And Viruses

It is very important that you make sure your computer is free of any viruses or malware. One of the reasons many computers are slow when it comes to internet performance and system performance is malware.

Test Different Browsers

Some people prefer one browser over the other because some browsers load websites faster than others. You may be surprised at how using a different browser can make a difference in how long it takes for a website to load.

Check Your Router

Is your router capable of handling the highest speeds that your Internet Service Provider offers with your Internet plan? There are some old routers that were not built to handle many of the download speeds. This is because the technology in the old routers is not up-to-date. It is important to keep your router’s firmware updated so you will not have any issues with your internet connection.

Clear Your Cache

How often do you clear your browser’s cache? If you have files that are corrupted in your browser cache, you can experience a variety of problems, including slow performance.

You should not have to deal with a slow internet experience, especially since technology is constantly being improved. Contact us today for additional computer and internet tips.

Computer Tip of the Day – How to Do a Factory Reset on Windows

a woman sitting at a table using a laptop computer

Knowing how to reset your Windows laptop or desktop computer comes in handy in many situations. Whether you want to give away or sell your computer, it has a virus, it is running slow or whatever your reason is, resetting your Windows is a great way to start from scratch. Here are a few ways to perform a factory reset on your Windows 7, 8, or 10 computer.

Factory Reset

Use a Recovery Disk

Many computers will come with a recovery disk. This disk lets you wipe your computer clean and install Windows again. Recovery disks usually come in a CD or DVD format. Just put the disk in and follow the instructions.

Restore With a Recovery Partition

Many computers will come with a recovery partition that you can use to restore your computer. You’ll need to press a combination of keys while booting up your computer (there is a short time opportunity for this). Following are the key combinations to press. Acer: Alt + F10; Asus: F9; Dell: F8; HP and Lenovo: F11. Follow the instructions on the screen to restore your PC. Not all computers have a recovery partition.

Do a Factory Reset On Windows 8 or 10

Windows 8 and 10 let you restore your computer directly from the settings. On Windows 8, go to Settings from the menu bar on the right and then to Change PC Settings. Click on Update and Recovery, then on Recovery, and under Remove everything and reinstall Windows, click on Get Started. On Windows 10, go to Settings, Recover, Reset This PC, and Get Started.

For technical help with your PC, just contact us.