Monthly Archives: July 2022

Make Your PC Startup Less Cluttered

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Have you had this happen: You turn on your computer and the moment the operating system boots up, a handful of programs pop-up and load. Often times, it can be annoying, and slow your start up down.

Bloatware, simply put, is the software that comes preinstalled on new computers. Apps that are pre-installed and activated when the computer is turned on have an impact on startup times.

Reducing the number of automatically opened applications and programs during operating system startup will expedite the process.

Here’s what you can do to remedy this issue: Disabling these programs from within the task manager can make a considerable difference in load times. In addition, it can assist you find and remove unused programs.

If you have any questions regarding PC operating systems, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Phoenix Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Phoenix, AZ please call our local office at (602) 445-9862. 

Apple’s Tracking Feature

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Using Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature, Apple users can prevent ad tracking.

All app developers are now required by Apple to acquire the user’s consent before tracking. This implies that when you launch a newly downloaded program, a window will ask you if you agree for it to follow your actions.

“If you give permission for your activity to be tracked, the app can allow information about you or your device collected through the app (for example, a user or device ID, your device’s current Advertising identifier, your name, email address, or other identifying data provided by you)”, says Apple.

If not, it should refrain from disclosing your search and location information to marketers and other third parties.

Here’s how to automatically deny app tracking requests:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll to Privacy in Settings.
  3. Toggle off tracking by clicking the option “Allow App to Request to Track”

If you have any questions regarding Apple devices, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you by our staff at the Hollywood Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Hollywood, FL please call our local office at (754) 241-1655.

Retrieving Browser Tabs on Mac or Windows

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Whether you have Windows or Mac, retrieving closed out browser tabs is simple.

Checking the browser’s history is the best way to find your tabs. For instance, Chrome’s History section keeps track of all the websites you’ve visited. This method can also bring back tabs you closed a long time ago.

Pro tip: You should be able to get your tabs back as long as your browser is not in “incognito mode“.

The easiest way is to use keyboard shortcuts, since you can get back lost tabs by pressing special keys together. To open a closed tab again on a Windows PC, hold Ctrl, Shift, and T at the same time. If you need to get back to tabs you’ve already opened, keep pressing the same keys. Your tabs will reopen in the order that they were closed, one at a time.

To get back lost tabs on a Mac, hold down Command, Shift, and T. If you close a window and want to get back all of its tabs at once, open a new window and use the Mac keyboard shortcut.

If you have any computer-related questions, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you by our staff at the Henderson Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Henderson, NV please call the local office at (702) 800-7850.

Did you know the spacebar does this?

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Scrolling up and down web pages can be done with the mouse’s track pad. You can also use the page up and down keys or the browser’s scroll bar. Did you know you can also press the space bar? It’s true!

Just press the space bar once on a web page to scroll down one page.

Whenever you push the space bar, you move slightly lower. You can descend by repeatedly hitting the space bar. To go all the way down the page, press the spacebar. Holding down the spacebar for a few seconds will allow you to scroll down the page.

To ascend, hit the shift key and the space bar at the same time. It raises you a single pixel on the screen. To return to the top of the page, hit the space bar while holding down the shift key.

If you ever have any computer-related issues, give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you by our staff at the Atlanta Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Atlanta, GA please call or text the local office at (678) 695-8120.

When Programs Stop Responding on MacOS

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It can be aggravating when programs begin lagging or stop responding in general. Common problems include apps that stop working and won’t close even after you tap the close or X button. At this point, the only thing users can do is force the app to close. The best feature to use on MacOS for this problem is Activity Monitor.

Activity Monitor is like the Task Manager from Microsoft. It lets users end programs by force.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Go to your Mac’s Spotlight and look for Activity Monitor.
  2. Once you open it, a list of processes will appear.
  3. Choose the app that won’t work from the list and click “Force a process to quit.”
  4. The app will shut down immediately.

If you are experiencing app issues, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you by our staff at the Riverview Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Riverview, FL, please call the local office at (813) 400-2865.

Windows Calculator Used with Malware

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This just shows how attackers will utilize anything and any way possible to spread malware.

People behind the QBot malware have been utilizing the Windows Calculator to infect machines already infected with devious viruses.

Windows malware QBot, also known as Qakbot, started out as a banking Trojan, but evolved into a malware-dropper. Cobalt Strike beacons are dropped in the early phases of a ransomware campaign.

ProxyLife, a security expert, found out Qakbot has been utilizing DLL side-loading attacks against the Windows 7 Calculator software as far back as July 11th.

The most important tip to remember is to keep your PC up to date.

If you are needing help with malware issues, please give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities.  This blog post is brought to you by our staff at the Las Vegas Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Las Vegas, NV please call the local office at (702) 800-7850.

Windows 8.1 End of Life Coming Soon

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After January 10, 2023, security updates for Windows 8.1 users will no longer be available. As a result, in order to continue using Windows without risk, those users will have to upgrade to a newer version.

According to Tech Radar, “Only a tiny minority of Windows users are still using Windows 8.1, 3.06% according to the latest statistics, dwarfed by the 71.82% using Windows 10.”

In addition, technical assistance will no longer be available. As a result, Microsoft’s website will no longer be updated with technical information, and Windows 8.1 devices won’t be able to run Microsoft 365 apps anymore.

Windows 8.1 will continue to function after January 2023. It’s possible, however, that if you don’t receive regular security upgrades for your Windows 8.1 desktop or laptop, it could be vulnerable to online threats and attacks.

For help with Windows OS updates, call us at 1-800-620-5285. Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you by our staff at the Mesa Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Mesa, AZ please call the local office at (480) 240-2950.

Printer Repair – Troubleshooting

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Once you learn about the most prevalent difficulties and the solutions that work for them, you can rapidly find workarounds for your printer’s specific model. Even the most aggravating printer issues can be solved with the help of internet tools provided by the manufacturer. Here are a few quick fixes for the problem:

It is possible that your operating system’s drivers will become out of current or unusable after an update. In the event that your printer doesn’t respond to simple commands or keeps crashing, you may be able to fix the problem right away by updating the driver. You may have also installed the wrong printer driver on your computer.

Uninstalling the printer driver on your desktop and reinstalling a more recent version will usually fix the printer’s communication issues with your computer. To find a newer version of your printer’s driver, go to the manufacturer’s support page and enter in your printer’s model number.

Another conceivable explanation is a problem with the Wi-Fi connection. Verify that your Wi-Fi is turned on and working if you are having trouble getting your printer to connect to your computer. In most cases, both devices just need to be restarted.

A new router means that you’ll have to re-configure your printer and computer to interact with the network. Verify if your new router has a new ISP address, if so, you’ll have to reset it.

If you’re needing help with printer connectivity, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you by our staff at the Boulder Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Boulder, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Pausing Windows OS Updates (10 & 11)

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Updates to the Windows operating system have been blamed by several customers for slowing down or even breaking their computers completely. In the OS, most updates are automatically downloaded and installed without warning, which can be a hassle and aggravating. Some updates are optional.

Fortunately, Windows 10 allows you to pause any updates that are downloading or being installed. For those who aren’t quite ready for the process to begin:

  1. Go to Start Menu
  2. Type in Settings
  3. Click on Update & Security
  4. Find Windows Update
  5. Advanced Options -or- Pause updates for 7 days
  6. Select the drop-down menu and pick a date

You can halt Windows 11 updates for up to five weeks by selecting “Pause” from the “Windows Update” selection in the Settings app.

For help with Windows 10 updates, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Denver Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Denver, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

External Hard Drive Troubleshoot

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When you use an external hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD) instead of installing one on your computer, you are using “external storage.” Hard drives fail more frequently in laptops because newer computers have fewer moving parts.

Hard drives fail more frequently when used incorrectly, with outdated or unsupported operating systems and drivers, constantly attached and unplugged from other devices (such as laptops), or safely disposed of.

Before attempting any other remedy, run the troubleshooter apps available with Windows OS. These apps include:

  • Windows Hardware and Device Troubleshooter
  •  Windows USB Troubleshooter

Your computer’s USB ports and the storage device they’re linked to can be checked for known issues. They’ll do everything they can to fix anything that goes wrong.

The Start Menu search bar or the Windows Settings Troubleshooter page can lead you to these resources.

If you ever have a computer-related issue, give us a call at 1-800-620-5285. Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you by our staff at the Atlanta Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Atlanta, GA, please call or text the local office at (678) 695-8120.