Category Archives: Computer Repair

Get the Most out of your Shortcuts

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Computers have evolved so much in the past several decades, and it still continues to improve to this day. You have the world at your fingertips. With the ability to search the internet for any and all questions, converse with anyone in the world, acquire all forms of jobs, the possibilities are endless with this wonderful piece of technology. And when you own one, you want to get the most out of it. Here are just a few Windows shortcuts that make life just a little bit easier:

If you are surfing the web and by a mere fluke, your mouse exits out of a tab you were needing. It can be frustrating, indeed, but CTRL + SHIFT + T will bring back the tab you accidentally closed. All is well again.

Extensions on your browsers are one of the best forms of utilization. Use 1Password to save all of the passwords in one place. You’ll even have to have a password for this Chrome extension. AdBlockPro is also a great one to avoid pesky ads. Check out more available entrepreneur-related extensions here:
https://www.fundera.com/blog/chrome-extensions

Snip And Sketch is a keyboard shortcut, allowing you to highlight what you want to save in the Print Screenshot Mode. START MENU ICON + SHIFT + S will start it. Then open the Paint application, right click, and paste. Voilà!

And speaking of “voilà”, you too can find the proper letters for foreign words (shown above). Look up the Character Map in the START MENU for foreign letters or symbols. It will also give you the keystroke: ALT+Numberpad on the bottom right corner of its window for quicker access. For example, the à is “ALT+0228“.

Open the Task Manager by clicking CTRL + ALT + DELETE. There, it can provide you with information on your memory, performance, open applications, etc.

Would you like to view information about your computer? To get right to it, go your System Settings by using the START MENU + PAUSE-BREAK shortcut.

Done with work for the day? Quickly lock your computer down with START MENU + L. This will automatically revert back to the “sign-in” screen.

If you have any questions about getting the most out of your computer or if your computer is having problems, 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 Thornton Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Thornton, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Troubleshooting Your Printer

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Printers are a necessity in the workplace, whether you’re in a large company or a one-man business. And sometimes, printers work while other times, they don’t want to cooperate. It’s a hassle and stressful situation when you have to troubleshoot the issue because you’re unsure as to what happened. But it doesn’t have to be complicated so don’t throw that printer in the trash just yet.

Windows Troubleshooting

If your computer has Windows 10 version, Check that your printer is plugged into the power supply and turned on. Look at the wireless connection by going to the Start Menu and typing in “Printer”. A tab should open from your Settings and you will be able to see your printer information. Find and manage devices has a link below named Get help with your printer that can help you search the internet for device drivers. You can also download the printing troubleshooter and run through the steps to assist in determining and fixing the problem. If you have a wired printer, check your USB cable.

Printing Issues on Apple Devices

Some printers can be AirPrint-enabled so you can use your Apple Device to print things off. In this case, be sure your Mac or iOS device and printer are connected to the same WIFI network.

If you still can’t print (and sometimes this is the case), try restarting your router. Then turn your printer off and turn it back on again. It may also be the case that your printer is too far from the router, in which you find a closer spot.

Apple supports suggest after that, “if you’re using a Mac and you still can’t print, it might help to reset the printing system. Otherwise, contact the printer manufacturer for support.”

For help with any troubleshooting, 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 Frisco Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Changing Your Pointer Size and Color

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Windows updates offer a variety of handy features to the operating system. A small, but fun feature is the cursor and pointer. For decades, a little white arrow was the default (and only) way to visually click.

Now the new options include size and color, allowing users to choose for their particular needs or wants.

Here’s how you can change this feature:

  • Start Menu > Settings
  • Ease of Access > Cursor and Pointer

From there, you can change your pointer size (with the toggle) and color. There are suggested colors or you can pick your own with the customized option.You can also make the cursor easier when you type by upping the thickness.

If you are needing help with the Windows 10 update, 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 Plano Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Plano, TX please call the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Back Up Your Computer

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Because of all of the essential papers, images, and other files saved on your computer, a failed hard drive is one of the worst things that might happen to it. Backing up your computer is widely suggested by both Mac and Microsoft technical help, and it will substantially relieve your stress. It’s also really easy to do!

For Macs:

You can either use iCloud or Macs backup feature, Time Machine. From there, you can reestablish any lost or accidental deleting from your computers’ hard drive. This is an easy go-to without the hassle of purchasing an external hard drive. However, when Time Machine is full, the oldest saved files will be removed. And if your computer is ever stolen or destroyed, you’ll lose everything.

For Microsoft:

Grab yourself an external hard drive and connect it to your computer to allow it access to your files. Back up your computer by using File History:

  1. Start Menu
  2. Settings
  3. Navigate and Update Security
  4. Backup

For help with any hard drive problems with either Mac or Microsoft, 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 Frisco Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Free Up Hard Drive Space

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No one enjoys their computer running slower than usual. It’s a nuisance, especially if you use it for business. But there are plenty of ways to speed up your computer simply by freeing up your hard drive space.

Check how your Storage Usage is being handled under the Settings tab, to System, and then Storage. You can then click on which drive is running out of space. This will show you a breakdown of what it all contains, and you can click on each items listed to give you more detail. That way, you will be able to clear up any hard drive space by deleting unnecessary files.
Also, use Storage Sense to free up files. This feature will automatically delete files. You can also make this a manual option by clicking on “Change how we free up space automatically”, and under “Free up space now” click Clean Now.

Don’t forget to use Disk Cleanup. Search for Disk Cleanup when you click on the Start menu (Windows Icon). Deleting temporary internet files, downloads, and Recycling Bin in the Cleanup is one of the easiest ways to free up space on your Hard Drive.

You can find other ways to help alleviate issues with your hard drive by checking out Windows Central.

For help with space issues or any hard drive problem, 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 Frisco Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.

E-mail Attachments Not Opening?

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A simple fix to an underlining issue.

If you’re checking your e-mail, only to find that you’re unable to open up any attachments, it can be quite aggravating. This concern is asked by customers many times to computer techs. It’s easy to fix, fortunately.

Tip: Make sure you have the correct software to open up attachments. If there is a PDF file attachment, you won’t be able to open it if your PDF Reader is unavailable or isn’t up-to-date. If you use Microsoft Edge as your browser, PDF attachments should open in Edge. Otherwise, you can use Adobe or another PDF viewer of your choice.

Be Careful of Unknown Attachments

Microsoft e-mail domains, such as Outlook say they accept, “a wide variety of different file types, but blocks potentially unsafe attachments (including .bat, .exe, .vbs, and .js files) that can contain viruses.”

They also highly advise to, “be careful in opening any attachment, especially if it’s from someone that you don’t know or trust. When in doubt, confirm the authenticity of the attachment with the sender. Also, keep your computer antivirus software up to date.”

For help with e-mail questions, 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.

Add Your Signature to Documents on MacOS

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Mac computers has iSight built into the webcam, which has a green indicator light to show it’s activated. And this is a nifty feature if you need a form signed digitally. If you have MacOS X, there’s an easy way to add your John Hancock to any digital documents that are sent to you. Here’s how to do it:

  • Open digital document in Preview App
  • Click on pen icon located around the top right corner
  • Select Create Signature from Built-in iSight
  • Sign your name on blank white sheet of paper
  • Hold it up to the camera, using the guides shown on the screen
  • Hit Accept to save signature
https://9to5mac.com/2014/02/15/how-to-use-preview-to-put-signatures-on-pdfs-pages-documents-and-mail-messages/
Source: 9to5Mac

If you use this app often, make sure to slip it right into your Dock for easy accessibility. And you can save your signature for future use by checking the box Save this signature for use after Preview quits in the Signature Capture window.

If you are needing assistance with any Apple 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 from our staff at the Arlington Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Arlington, TX please call the local office at (817) 756-6008.

Are Applications Not Installing?

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If you’re attempting to install applications on your computer, yet nothings happening, don’t fret. This is a common computer issue, yet it’s one of the easiest fixes out there. The explanation of this cause is the lack of hard drive space. To see how much space you have on your hard drive, follow the steps below for Windows:

  • Start Menu —> Settings
  • Click on Storage tab
  • You can also click on View storage usage on other drives under the More Storage Settings heading

The quick and simple fix is to do some drive clean-up. Deleting files from your Download folder may clear up a large amount of space since a lot of those items aren’t needed any longer.

You can also use Storage Sense on Windows. This feature automatically removes temporary files and items from your recycle bin to free up space. You can turn this feature on or off, which gives you control of what is deleted from your hard drive. This feature also only do its job when your computer is low on space.

Disk Clean-Up has been Windows’ tool to use for many years. Simply go to the Start Menu and type in “Disk Clean-Up” and you can choose what it gets rid of.

With these tools and features to help keep your computer running smoothly, you shouldn’t have anymore issues with installing applications. For help with any application installations on Windows 10, 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 Frisco Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.

ARM and Intel Processors: What’s the Difference?

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Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, announced at WWDC on June 22nd of 2020 that Apple planned on creating an ARM processor for their Macs. This two-year plan would allow time for developers to create a processor that would give Apple computers a boost in performance, along with better battery life, and overall better quality. Thus far, the company has used Intel processors.

Taking a look into ARM processors, it seems as though Intel is the better processor when implementing it in larger PCs. ARM processors focus more on power efficiency while Intel works harder on performance. A forum user on Quorm writes:

“While there are some ARM chips that are faster than low-end Intel chips, no current ARM design matches Intel’s top processor designs in terms of raw processing power (in terms of instructions per second). ARM’s current fastest design is comparable in performance with the Intel i5–7300U (a mid-range, mobile, “Kaby Lake”-generation processor introduced in early 2017), which is obviously slower than Intel’s current best performers.

However, exceeding Intel in performance is not ARM’s goal. They prize power efficiency above everything else, and so are willing to have lower overall performance if they get better performance per watt (which they have achieved).”

So while both Intel and ARM are processors, both have their uses in a PC, it was stated on Forbes that while Apple is currently in the works for a better quality ARM processor, Intel will continue to work with them to make the best possible computer. Apple will include both ARM and Intel processors, but Intel will be the supporting processor by 2022.

For inquiries, 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 Frisco Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Benefits of Keeping your Computer Up to Date

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Whether you have Windows, Apple, or any other kind of operating system, it’s extremely important to keep your computer up to date. There are a handful of benefits that safely secures any and all parts of it. Here are just a few of them:

Malware

Hackers are constantly on the move, doing anything possible to intrude in on personal computers to steal as much information as possible. Updates quickly add more protection to any personal information, such as passwords and banking credentials, to avoid any kind of viruses or malware.

Two-factor authentication is highly encouraged to keep PC’s safe. Microsoft Docs shared a statement for an upcoming update, saying, “Windows Defender System Guard enables an even higher level of System Management Mode (SMM) Firmware Protection that goes beyond checking the OS memory and secrets to additional resources like registers and IO.

With this improvement, the OS can detect a higher level of SMM compliance, enabling devices to be even more hardened against SMM exploits and vulnerabilities. This feature is forward-looking and currently requires new hardware available soon.”

Quick Fixes

Often times, smaller updates include a handful of fixes due to an improper update that could lead to issues like the blue screen of death. The Windows Community forum shares hundreds of issue inquiries that also adds simple fixes to alleviate flaws in the system.

Improvements

Software companies are always working on ways to improve users’ experience on their operating systems. These improvements lead to new features and updates to older applications. It helps to modernize the computer world on a constant basis.

Cortana has currently been updated to enhance experience, and it’s tightly secured so you have to log in to use it.

For inquiries with PC 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 Frisco Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.