Time for a new PC?

 We receive calls almost daily from customers wanting us to work on older PCs.  If you are using a computer that is running Windows XP and is more than 4 years old, consider a new PC.  Yes we can repair and upgrade older computers but aging hard disk drives really pose a serious threat to your data.  The computer is replaceable but your data isn’t.  (You are doing back ups- right?) 

Getting a new PC is sometimes the most reliable and cost-effective computer repair.  Windows 7 is very fast and stable.  The prices of the new computers are reasonable now.  Of course we can help you with set up and data transfer to the new computer.  Often this is the best bang for the buck.  If you have waited too long and the old computer is crashed, we do lots of data recovery in the Tucson area as well.  Computer Guy Consulting can also assist you in purchasing a new computer for your home or business.  We are authorized Dell dealers.  We do small business IT.

Computers eventually wear out.  Hard disk go bad frequently.  Protect yourself by having a good back up system and modern PC.

Don’t Click It, Avoid Fake Security Software

fake antivirus softwareIf your computer is infected by fake security software, stop work and turn off the computer. continuing to use the pc may further damage your machine and provide identity thieves with more information about you.
Seek knowledgeable assistance. We do a lot of pc “clean up” to eliminate spyware problems. Computer repair and software issues are what we do. If you are in the Tucson area and need computer repair, data recovery, and small business IT support give us a call.

Data Recovery

It always happens at least a couple of times a year.  An old client knocked an external drive to the floor and now we have the dreaded ticking noise.  Drive is not all functional.  The drive is full of irreplaceable personal and some valuable business info as well. 

Here at Computer Guy Consulting we are authorized Drive Savers resellers.  This gives customers an option for data recovery that is discounted if sucessfull and free if the recovery attempt is unsucessfull ( a $200.00 value). 

Make back ups, have multiple copies of your files, use an online back up service.  If you need any type of data recovery, call us.

Computer Repair ? or New PC ?

windows 7Do you need computer repair?  We do that.  Do you have an old PC.  Windows 7 has just been released and it’s good.  Rather than spending money on an old PC it may make sense to buy a new computer.  Dell is offering some very good prices now on the machines with Windows 7.   If you need help trying to decide what to do- call us.  We give free diagnostics and we are Dell authorized resellers.  Do you need a computer repair?  Maybe, maybe not.  Give us an email or call.  We are here to help.  Do you have a small business in the Tucson area?  We can help with your small business IT needs as well.

Data Recovery in Tucson

Tucson Data Recovery

Computer Guy Consulting recovers data for countless individuals and businesses every year.  Generally data loss is caused by human factors.  Sometimes the actual drives do go bad.  Either way, we can recover your data. 

Recovery is usually possible after a “whoops” happens.  Your best bet is to turn off the pc in question and call us.  You don’t want to make your situation worse by overwriting your valuable data.  We can recover your database, photos, quickbooks, email, documents, etc. and put them on dvds or an external hard disk. 

Make sure you back up your data.  If you need data recovery in the Tucson area, we have extensive experience and hundreds of successful recoveries.  Call us at 520-325-4656.

Computer Repair in Tucson

Do you need computer repair in Tucson?  You’re at the right place.  Computer Guy Consulting does computer repair, data recovery, and small business IT support.  We can repair your laptop or desktop computer.  We offer data recovery if your computer is “crashed”.  Do you own a company in Tucson?  If so, mention this article and receive a free “network consultation”.  We will come in and evaluate your network and computers to make sure that all is well and working correctly.  If you need help our small business IT support is here to help with all your business technology needs.

Tip of the day:  make sure all of your networked computers have updated antivirus and antispyware software.  This will head off most malware programs before they become problems.

Email Services -Which should I use?

 

This blog post is in response to helping a customer of mine decide what type of email she wanted.

emailEmail is an essential business tool.  Which service is right for you?  Free or paid?  Muffy@gmail.com or j.doe@mybusiness.com? Web mail or domain email?  Which mail client should I use?  Do I really need an email client?  Help I am so confused!

Email comes in many forms both paid and free. 

Option 1: Use the email address(es) your ISP (Internet Service Provider) gives you.  JohnDoe@cox.net

Option 2: Use a free email address from google.com or yahoo.com.  johndoe@gmail.com johndoe@yahoo.com

Option 3: Use a paid email service with your own domain name. john@johndoe.com

Option 4: Your cellular service gives you an email address.  johndoe@att.net

Mail client software or webmail?

Mail client software is a program for checking email.  Outlook express (included in windows xp), Outlook (part of Microsoft Office), Windows Mail (included in Windows Vista and Windows 7),  Mail in OS X, many other minor players as well.

Webmail is simply logging in to a website to check your mail.  No client software needed.  Gmail.com is the most popular.

Which is best for you?  It depends.  Webmail is generally free, can be checked from any internet connected pc, you don’t have to back up because it is stored on a remote mail server somewhere.  Quick and Simple.  Generally, most people who are heavy email users prefer to use a mail client because it is more configurable and feature rich.  In the case of Outlook is tightly integrated to the office suite.  Mail is stored locally and is available even with no internet connection available.  Is that email important?  If so you need to be backing it up. 

Free or Paid? Again it depends on your needs.  Running a business and want to use your own domain name, that cost a little money.  You get what you pay for.  Some of the hosted email services provide really nice spam filtering, large inboxes, and the ability to send large attachments.  Paying for a service entitles you to some amount of customer service and a better quality service.  Lots of people are perfectly happy to use a free webmail service such as yahoo or gmail addresses with no problems.  Just remember you shouldn’t have any expectation of customer service or server uptime with the free accounts.

Email is a complicated topic depending on your individual or business needs.  At Computer Guy Consulting we have a lot of experience setting up various types of email for a variety of clients.  If you need small business IT support to figure this whole email thing out please feel free to contact us.  We’ll be happy to consult with you about the best email solution for your business.