Computer Tips Newsletter

March 2010 - Issue 2

Tech Support
We have expanded our Website and Online Store to include Tech Support.  Historically, computer support has been provided onsite, offsite or over the telephone. Recent advances in remote control software now make it possible for technical support agents from Coast Computer Services to resolve your technical support issue online over the internet.

Computer Alert
We have recently become aware of computer repair companies that are making an incorrect change to Microsoft Windows.   When calling for computer repair, this change is made by request over the telephone or when working on the computer.  This change is made via the Microsoft Windows System Configuration Utility also called MSConfig.  When a computer user experiences problems with printing or with the internet, it is not uncommon for a computer technician to use MSConfig to temporarily change Microsoft Windows from Normal StartUp to Selective StartUp.  This setting was designed by Microsoft as a temporary measure to isolate a computer problem. When Microsoft Windows is not set to Normal StartUp, Services are disabled and your computer will not function normally.  Microsoft Windows depends upon Services in order to function normally as well as to protect your computer from security risks such as viruses and trojans. A virus may attempt to change MSConfig to Selective StartUp.

You can perform the following steps to determine if your computer is set to the correct setting of Normal StartUp:

Windows Windows XP

1. Click Start.
2. Click Run.
3. Type: msconfig
4. Click OK.

Windows Windows Vista and Windows 7

1. Click Start
2. Click All Programs
3. Click Accessories.
4. Click Run.
5. Type: msconfig
6. Click OK.

If you find that your computer has been set to Selective StartUp, please give us a call at (541) 997-0700.

Computer Maintenance
At Coast Computer Services, we strive every day to provide the Pacific Northwest with the best computer service in the region.  When we work on a computer, we perform a number of steps to diagnose a system’s current configuration.  We then repair any problem that may need correction and optimize your system for speed. Computers using the Windows operating system require computer maintenance on a routine basis.  Over time, the hard drive becomes fragmented, the registry becomes overloaded, antivirus and spyware applications become outdated and software updates become essential.

Real Estate Virtual Tour System
We have created the initial release of our Real Estate Virtual Tour System.  We will soon introduce a self-service Virtual Tour website for real estate agents and brokers.  The virtual tour system automatically loads and then pans through photos of real estate, moving through each photo in succeeding order.  You can see the current version of our tour system in action at TR Hunter.

Florence Oregon Coast
We continue to make improvements to the Florence Oregon Coast website. Your feedback has been of great help to us. Over the past year, we have designed a number of websites for organizations throughout Florence, Oregon including Home Finders Service, City of Florence, Western Lane Ambulance District, TR Hunter, the Golf Collectors Society and others.  We would be happy to work with you on your website.

Business Networks
In recent months, we have installed a number of Servers throughout the area including such clients as Western Lane Ambulance District and On Spot Security.  Microsoft Windows Small Business Server software has matured significantly over the years allowing business owners to establish a stable and productive business network for their staff. There are a number of significant benefits.

Computer Tip – Making A Backup
In this month’s newsletter, our Computer Tip focuses on the importance of making a backup of important data on your computer.  Making a backup of your computer is an often overlooked process. There are a number of software titles in the marketplace that claim to make an online backup safe and easy.  Unfortunately, these websites do not often inform the customer of the direct correlation between the speed of your connection to the internet and the amount of data that you wish to backup.  If you have a small amount of data to backup, an online backup may be sufficient but if you have a large amount of data, it may in fact take two weeks or more for the backup process to complete.  If you Shutdown or Restart your computer during this time, the online backup process may need to restart.  Additionally, you may find the cost of an online backup is higher than the purchase price of a backup drive. Rather than using an online backup, we recommend the use of a backup drive.  For home, we recommend an External USB Drive and Second Copy.  For business, we recommend an External USB DAT Drive, 5 DAT Tapes and Symantec Backup Exec.  If you wish to transfer or synchronize data between two or more computers, we recommend the use of DropBox.

Next Newsletter
In our next newsletter, we will focus on remote control and remote access solutions that allow users to work remotely. Bret Feingold, Owner Coast Computer Services, LLC

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