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Unless you know a professional PC Technician well enough that he or she would be willing to fix your computer for free, you will probably have to pay for your computer repair out of pocket.

Now we all probably know someone that dabbles in computers that has some knowledge of computers, sort of like a backyard car mechanic, but sometimes you will get what you paid for.

So where can you get a truly free computer repair?

Warranties

Most computer warranties last exactly 1 year. Of course your computer probably failed just after the warranty expired. Anyway, whenever you have a problem that you believe might be covered under warranty, call them right away and open a case. At least you will get the date of failure on record. Even if your warranty expired the very next day, you should be covered because you reported the problem before the warranty expired. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard a customer complain that their warranty just expired.

Also, even if you believe you are already out of warranty, it doesn’t hurt to call the computer vendor anyway. There are recalls from time to time which might cover the problem you are having. I know of one massive motherboard problem Hewlett Packard had with HP Pavilion dv2000, dv6000 and dv9000 series notebooks, where they extended the warranty by “1” year for certain problems under what they called the “Limited Warranty Enhancement Program”. Many people missed out because they didn’t know about the extension. They just assumed their warranty was expired and they were on their own, so give them a call anyway.

One note about warranties, they usually don’t cover software problems such as virus and spyware infections. The most they “might” do for you is have you perform a System Recovery, which might wipe out your data, so beware.

Insurance

While not technically free if you are paying premiums, some people are not aware that their renter’s or home owner’s insurance “might” cover computer repairs. Check your Insurance Policy or call your agent to find out.

The Power Company

Here in Hawaii, we sometimes have power outages or unstable power from time to time. I know for a fact that if your computer failure was cause by a power problem that the Power Company takes responsibility for, that you may be able to file a claim, and have them pay for your computer repair.

Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) Vendors

I always recommend using a UPS no matter what. A surge protector is not enough. Anyway, I know that in the past, at least one UPS company I know of would pay for your repair if their equipment didn’t protect your computer from a power problem. Of course, your situation had to meet certain conditions, but they were willing to put their money where their mouth is if you followed their guidelines.

Community Colleges and IT Vocational Schools

A big part of IT Training involves hands-on lab time. Some colleges may have programs where they can repair consumer’s computers for free so the students can get some real-world hands-on experience. Turn-around time is usually slow and you basically have to agree to let your computer become a guinea pig for the students, although they will be working under professional supervision.

Small Independent Computer Shops

This may require a trade of some sort, but might allow you to keep your cash. If you have 2 broken computers, and you are willing to part with one of them, a shop might take it in trade for your repair if he sees any value in it. If he believes he can repair the one you are giving up and can sell it for enough profit to cover the labor for fixing both computers, he might agree to take the computer in trade and repair your other computer with no out of pocket expense from you.

Also, if you have been doing business with a local computer shop and have a good relationship with them, they might be willing to assist you over the phone or in-shop for simple problems. What might seem like a difficult problem to you could be very simple to remedy for a pro, and they might not charge you for it if it only takes a few minutes to correct.

Bartering

This method of business is as old as civilization itself. If you have a marketable service or skill, you might be able to trade services to get your computer repaired with no out of pocket expense from you, other than your own time and expertise.

Internet Forums

To use an internet forum, your computer has to work well enough to still access the internet. If not, you need access to another computer you can use to communicate with the forum.

There are many, many internet forums with very patient people to guide you in fixing your computer for free. It is usually done from the forum website in text format. Most of these forums require you to register for a free account.

Sometimes, the forum threads might have already addressed the problem you are having and all you have to do is read the thread and apply the fix to your computer. Otherwise, you will begin an email-like conversation with a technician who volunteers their time in helping people with their computer problems. Be kind to them.

Repairing your computer through a forum may take many sessions which could last hours to days depending on your computer literacy, what software tools you have access to, and your schedules. What you don’t finish in one session, you can pick-up and continue on another session later-on.

Microsoft and Your Internet Service Provider

If your problem is internet related, you might get some free phone support from your ISP, but don’t expect much once they believe the problem may actually be your computer and not their equipment.

Most of the time, when you call Microsoft, they will probably want to bill you for their help, but there is free assistance available from Microsoft depending on the problem.

Contests and Coupons

You will have to keep your eyes and ears open for these specials, but I can assure you that they do exist.

While getting a FREE Computer Repair isn’t a daily thing, we are making it a weekly thing for one lucky customer at Gakidoo’s Computer Repair in Oahu, Hawaii. If you live in Oahu and want a chance to win a FREE Computer Repair from a seasoned Certified PC Technician, visit FreeComputerRepairHawaii [http://freecomputerrepairhawaii.com] for more information.

Dale Powell

[http://gakidooscomputerrepair.com]

Copyright © 2011, All Rights Reserved Worldwide

With so many computer systems in the modern client life-style, it’s unavoidable that we’ll encounter troubles with them eventually during their usage. Whether or not what this means is technology, PC computer repair is going to be a necessary given. Thank goodness, computer and repair services are certainly not few and far between; they’re quite easy to come by. You’ll find an assortment you’ll be able to choose from regardless of where you live. But you need to pick sensibly and do some essentials first.

Try Repairing It On Your Own

The majority of men and women don’t even think about attempting to repair the computer themselves. The original aggravation of losing information, or your computer not working, can easily throw you off trying to find a solution instantly. However frequently the simplest to solve troubles are the most typical ones. As a result, it truly is certainly a good idea to research any troubles that you’re having with your computer so that you can possibly repair them on your own.

And if the situation ever takes place again you have acquired valuable knowledge. After all, with computer issues cropping up all of the time, it is all too simple to attempt to get some other person to repair them for you, whenever the best situation is will be the one in which you’re doing it yourself.

Getting Professional Help

If you’ve depleted all available options to you, and you think you might need some added help to solve a computer problem, then trying to get professional advice might help. Professional advice is available in a number of forms, nevertheless the 2 major forms are: computer repair shops, and professional call outs.

The majority of folks choose to take the computer into a computer repair shop. They’re typically located in a convenient spot in a local community, having the ability to solve a number of computer issues that men and women may present to them.

A tech could also come to your house or work to solve the problem. Such a service may tend to be slightly more expensive than going directly to computer repair shop, nevertheless, it really is much more convenient and enables you to get more tasks done any time your computer is being repaired.

It is therefore fair to say that people that have a busy life style will probably opt to have computer troubles solved at home by professional on call. But a computer repair service can be the smart choice if you are not tight on time. The key to the solution is always for you to decide, and there’s no harm in merely requesting a quote for the repair services to be completed rather than having them done directly. Getting a quote makes it possible for you to compare the benefits and expenditures of any other computer advice you might seek.

Repair or replacement?

Before you decide to throw out your computer and buy a brand new one you should always attempt to repair it. Buying a brand new computer can mean losing everything on the old one.

If you make an effort to solve every problem yourself, it frequently quite hard to distinguish between whether or not it would be more financially practical to attempt to repair the computer, or just simply replace it. This is when an expert thoughts and opinions can really make a difference. Even if the option is replacement it really is easier for them to evaluate the situation.

Select Your Laptop Or Computer Repair Wisely

As mentioned, it is always a great idea to select from a variety of sources of computer repair before you finally decide to go with a specific professional.

Any time looking around here are several concerns it’s smart to ask. What will complete cost be? How long will the professional quote the job will take to finish? Will you be able to get convenient on-call help? Finally, does the computer repair shop, or professional assisting you, have adequate qualifications which you’re happy with?

All of these inquiries outlined, really should help to put you on the right track when the search for a computer repair finally takes place. Even if your computer doesn’t have to have repaired immediately, it is always a good idea to make a list of would-be professionals or computer repair shops which you might need to depend on sooner or later. Being prepared in advance can save you much headache when the need for a repair comes along.

Dennis Estelle publishes useful information on a variety of subjects. If you need computer repair [http://bestcomputerrepairservice.com/] service information or direction be sure to visit: [http://bestcomputerrepairservice.com/] for more information.

There are many benefits in Cloud Computing, but when I talk to business owners 3 big benefits stand out above all others.

1. Cloud Computing Removes The Servers From Your Office

With Cloud Computing the central network resources move out from your office into the Cloud. There is no need for bulky, noisy, heat producing, electricity consuming servers occupying the corner of your office.

2. Pay-As-You-Go With Cloud Computing

There are no upfront capital costs for servers and most software applications – just pay for what you use, generally on a monthly basis, as you use it. This means that you can swap big up front capital cost for smaller monthly operational costs making it easier to swallow.

3. Anywhere-Anytime-Any device!

I’ve heard this called “Martini Computing” – anywhere anytime, any device!

Because Cloud Computing is browser based anything that can run a browser will be able to access the Computing resources. You can run it on any PC, Mac, iPad, smartphone, etc.

I’ve also heard it called BYO Computing – Bring Your Own Device and just connect.

Plus a Multitude Of Additional Benefits

• Fast setup, improved agility – a new server or application resource can be turned on and working within a matter of hours with Cloud Computing. There is no need to order hardware and software, wait for it to be delivered and then plan a big installation. This means that your business can be more agile. You can make decisions faster and get results more quickly.

• Granularity of purchase. One of the problems about buying a server and installing applications is the granularity of the purchase. With conventional on-premise computing the granularity comes in large “server sized lumps”. For example if you have 20 users, but can only purchase servers with say a capacity for 15 or 30 users then you must purchase the larger more expensive server, but only use two thirds of the capacity. With Cloud computing the granularity is much smaller – for many software applications you can purchase in units of 1 user, with hard drives or backup generally by 100Gb increments, etc. In my opinion this is one of the biggest, but most misunderstood, savings in Cloud Computing. Businesses buy huge amounts of unused computing capacity – in the computer industry we have a name for this Shelfware!. In my experience perhaps about 20% of computing capacity is unused.

• Scalability – from a technical point of view there is no reason why additional computing resource can’t be brought on quickly or removed just as quickly. You are only paying for what you use, though there may be contractual issues around downscaling.

• Lower cost PC’s. All your local PC needs to do is to be able to run a browser to access the applications running in the Cloud. Effectively it’s acting as a dumb terminal. This means you don’t need a particularly expensive PC. Nor do you need to replace it as often because even an old PC can run a browser.

• Faster and easier remote access. It’s becoming normal that users require access to their data and applications on a remote and mobile basis. Remote connectivity is how Cloud Computing works. This makes it easier for users on the move.

• A more resilient solution. By putting all the computing resource centrally it makes it feasible to build in facilities such as backup, fast recovery and even automatic failover. These are services that few companies can afford on an individual basis, but the collaborative nature of Cloud Computing makes this much more cost effective.

Cloud Computing Is Coming

With all these benefits and the technology now in place there is no doubt that Cloud Computing is on its way. Within a matter of a few years we will all be using at least some aspect of the Cloud.

Ziptech Services Ltd is one of the best IT support and service providers in London offers Free Cloud Computing Consultation. Ziptech also provides IT support for PC’s and Macs, networks, mobiles, remote workers and network server installation.

Finding your computer isn’t running as though it is shiny and new? If so, then you definitely are in the right place. There are many reasons for a slow running computer, and having the proper knowledge, will definitely help you to remedy the problem.

Main Causes of a Slow Running Computer

Virus, Spyware or Malware infection

Windows Registry Problems

Severely fragments hard disk

Not enough hard drive space

The first four reasons are fairly easy to solve. To determine if you have spyware, malware or virus infection, simply scan for malware. To determine if you have a windows registry problem, then use a registry cleaner that will safely scan your computer’s registry for errors, and automatically repairs them for you. If the problem is that you need more hard disk, then you can remove temporary files and unwanted programs or flies and run a disk cleanup utility. If your problem is that your hard disk is fragmented, then you will need to defragment your computer.

Other Reasons Your Computer May Be Running Slow

When you are running too many programs at once, your computer will slow down. Close some of them to determine if that is what you are experiencing.

If you are doing tasks such as watching movies, DVD burning, editing graphics, etc. these tasks may result in a slower running computer, as the demands on the computer’s system is greater.

Corrupt or misbehaving programs. Files can become corrupt, and when they do, they will cause havoc on your computer.

Another cause may be that your computer does not have enough RAM. RAM stand for Random Access Memory and is your computer’s memory. When you are short on RAM upgrading your PCs RAM will enhance its performance.

One major cause of a slow running computer is too many unnecessary programs which automatically load when the computer starts. By disabling these computer programs, you will improve the speed of your computer.

Also, your computer may be overheating. Check the fans to see if they are functioning properly. If for some reason, they are not, it will be necessary to replace or repair the fan unit.

The technology of a computer is a science, and it is proper to have the proper information. Learning how to prevent, and diagnose a slow computer is not something that takes a rocket scientist. There are easy to learn computer fixes that will help you to get your computer in prime running condition, once again, and save you the expense of a computer technician to troubleshoot and repair the problem.

Also, you should always practice maintenance with your computer. This means giving your computer regular tune ups. PC Tune up software is one of the easiest ways to fix endless computer problems and keep your PC in top running shape. By taking the necessary preventative measures, you will keep your computer in top running speed and have fewer problems as the software will help to eliminate the many problems associated with the operation of a computer.

Get all the answers you need on how to fix a slow running computer at www.howtomakecomputerfaster.net [http://www.howtomakecomputerfaster.net].

Background

In the last 3 years dramatic changes have been taking place in how business computing happens, especially in larger companies. Traditionally companies build their own IT infrastructure, buy expensive equipment and servers and install everything locally. They need to keep hardware running, software compliant while making sure that the information input and output actually meets company needs.

Things have changed. With the advent of Cloud Computing a company can have reliable and safe business computing delivered like a utility service. Today we no longer dig wells for water, or run our own generator for electricity. These services are available as a utility service. So too with IT, you can “buy” IT infrastructure as a service, pay for what you need, and focus on the business not the technology.

1.What is Cloud Computing?

Computing delivered over the internet like a utility service that can be accessed by any device that has internet connection. Computing horsepower is located and happens outside the company on external servers, so no computing hardware needs to be owned and operated by the company. In fact, a well-known market research company, Gartner, has estimated that by the end of 2012, 20% of all companies will own no IT assets! The move to the cloud is underway.

2.What would full Cloud Computing look like in my office?

Imagine your server room or server area gone, no more major capital expenditures on equipment and facilities. Imagine desktops that don’t crash and hard drives that don’t fail, but with the same user experience. Imagine a secure safe environment for your systems and data taken care of by experts not on your direct payroll for a flat monthly fee that covers everything at a lower cost than you currently pay. This is what Cloud Computing can look like NOW.

3.Why isn’t everybody doing it?

Big companies have commonly been using Cloud Computing technology for a while now. Now smaller companies are increasingly changing to this way of running IT. Specialized managed IT companies are helping these smaller companies move their IT to the cloud and then run their IT efficiently – and this is accelerating the trend.

4.With Cloud Computing do you have to buy servers?

No. There is no cost burden of server ownership and therefore no expensive capital expenditure. You buy “server use” from a virtual server created for you in an external data center and pay for it by means of a simple monthly fee.

5.Company specific software

In a Cloud Computing setup, a company’s current servers, with their existing enterprise software, is transitioned over to newly created virtual servers which are theirs only. The company accesses everything as before as normal, with the exception that it is now communicated over the internet not the company’s local area network.

6.How Cloud Computing can get rid of PCs

With a full Cloud Computing implementation there are no servers or PCs at the business locations. Data is securely protected and continuously monitored on servers in a safe local physical environment and backed up behind a firewall. All PCs are changed to “Virtualized Desktops”. Employees will have a Thin Client, mouse, keyboard and screen but nothing will change in their computing experience. They will be looking at their screens with all their familiar programs such as Office, Outlook, etc.. They will be able to save to “My Docs” and other drives as normal.

The cloud management company will take care of equipment, Microsoft software licensing, antivirus, Spam Filtering, Security, secure backup, server and virtual desktop monitoring, and all the other IT headaches that you would rather not worry about. It’s easy to add desktops as you grow, or take them away just as easily if you need to downsize, paying for what you need.

7.Cloud Computing and the IT person /department

The typical IT person working in or for a company is spending up to 80% of their time keeping stuff up-and-running – PCs, hard drives, updates to office software, virus spam protection issues. It’s “busy work” which does nothing to improve the company’s performance. With a Cloud Computing solution a company does not have to spend time on these activities. More time can be spent on activities that support the business; or, if appropriate, staff can be cut or redeployed.

8.Can Cloud Computing save money?

It is easy to forget how much Information Technology is costing. As well as the “Hard Costs” like cost of hardware, infrastructure, software licenses, there are the more intangible “Soft Costs” such as IT staffing, troubleshooting, energy costs to run the servers and desktops and cool the server room and building. Typically you should be looking for fully costed savings in the area of 30-50% a year. With these levels of savings a business owner should, at the very least, be looking at Cloud Computing in their organization.

9.IT people often say Cloud Computing is less secure than in-house infrastructure. Is this true?

Typically because of the physical security and data security used, cloud security protection is almost always much better than most local company networks. Security over the internet is extremely high with firewalls that form barriers and which are monitored continually. Advanced backup and data recovery mean even a catastrophe can be quickly recovered from. And because all the company data is held on the company’s remote servers and is not being held all over the place (such as on local hard drives, thumb drives etc.) the likelihood of software and data contamination and theft is reduced.

10. What happens if a cloud server goes down or there is a catastrophic loss of data?

This is a very important topic. Companies frequently think that their own server rooms are somehow immune from catastrophe and they are also very often woefully under-prepared for a disaster. Simply doing tape backups, putting tapes in fireproof boxes and other methods can give a false sense of security. The reality is if disaster strikes, you need the very latest backup data recovery technology so that you can be up and running in minutes or hours not days or weeks or never! Cloud computing solutions typically take incremental snapshots backed up to multiple locations physically elsewhere to ensure you will be up and running again very quickly.

11.Moving Offices if you are using Cloud Computing

Moving offices or facilities is trivial when a company has a Cloud Computing setup. Because the infrastructure is in place (separate from the old and new company facilities) data can be accessed from anywhere. In theory once the internet connection to the new location is up and running the whole company can be up and running and back to normal as fast as thin clients can be hooked up to the internet!

12.Mobile Computing

With Cloud Computing, your Virtual Desktop can be accessed anywhere and anytime. Other solutions require your office PC to be turned on, and your office Internet connection to be live. Most Internet connected devices, such as laptops, tablets, smart-phones, can be used to connect to your desktop. Imagine being able to run Excel, PowerPoint or any of your business specific software from an iPad or a smart-phone! And security remains at a high level for remote access since only keystroke and screen refresh is sent between the data center and your smart device, but no actual data.

In summary, the benefits of moving to the cloud are great. Cloud computing already is increasingly the way IT is being handled, and owners would therefore be wise to take a look at and embrace the technology now.

Nick Graham is VP at Consilien LLC, a company that has been delivering Information Technology Services since 2001, in the LA, Riverside and Orange County area.
Having run a number of small and medium businesses his mission now is to expose as many business owners as possible to the huge benefits of installing 21st century cloud computing into their companies.
Nick invites you to take a closer look at how to do this easily by going to:- http://www.consilien.com