PC Tech Solutions

The Art Of Remote Computer Repairs And Networking

2008-01-26T12:38:00.000-05:00

This will be the wave of the future. Remote computer technical support. Approximately 98% of all PC problems are software related. Which means that a technician can remote into your PC and fix those issues. There is one catch... You must have a working internet connection.

Problems that can be fixed remotely include but are not limited to:

- Virus / Spyware Removal
- Optimizing Your Computer To It's Peak Performance Level
- New Software Installation & Configuration
- Data Backup Configuration
- Peripheral Installation (e.g. Printers, Scanners, Digital Cameras etc...)
- Computer Training
- New Computer Setup - If you've bought a new pc recently you know how it is bloated with junk trial software that just slows it down right out of the box.
- And the one thing people don't know about is networking. Yes, through a remote connection, a technician can setup and configure a home or business network. From file & printer sharing to router configuration.

A big reservation people have is allowing a person they've never met before access to their pc which has their personal data. It really is no different than taking your PC to a local repair shop and dropping it off. Wait, there is one difference that is actually an advantage. During a remote session you can actually observe what the technician is doing and maybe pick up some pointers along the way.

Here are some tips to finding the right company to do your remote repairs:

- Fees... Make sure they don't charge by the hour.
- Always check they offer some kind of guarantee. If the same problem returns they should be obligated to fix it at no extra charge.
- Always have a consultation with the company before you begin. They need to first determine that your problem can be fixed remotely.
- Payment is usually made over the phone with a credit card before the session begins. That is to protect the company from people just shutting down their computers after the repair and the company just lost money for their services.
- They should offer some kind of phone technical support after the repair. Just in case you might have some questions. The phone tech support should be free.

Most companies will let you know that after the remote session has ended, they cannot access your computer again unless you grant them that access. So you should feel safe that they are not going to go back in when you are not looking and gain access to personal data.

And one final note.... Remote Computer Repairs should be cheaper than having someone come to your home or dropping off the PC at your local repair shop.

For more information please visit Remote Computer Repairs & Networking

Or email me directly at johnviz@fixremotepc.com

Computer Protection Myths

2007-04-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

We all have some kind of anti-virus protection on our PC's, or at least we should. But when you weigh your PC down with too much protection you can end up doing more harm than good. The leading security providers will provide you with an anti-virus, firewall, phishing and spam protection. By the time you cut through all that "protection" you are left with a computer that is basically useless. I prefer to have a good anti-virus program and that's about it!

Spam is running rampant, and increasing every day. Everybody gets it and there isn't an end in sight. A spam program that will provide you with a junk folder is fine. Somewhere you can go and verify the email being tagged as spam is really spam. If you don't have a junk folder then who knows what email you should be receiving that you are not. Spam protection is not an exact science. There are dozens of factors that will trigger an email being tagged as spam. If your incoming mail triggers any one of these it won't make it to your inbox.

As far as firewalls go, people over protect without even knowing about it. First off, if you are running Windows XP SP2 or higher, you already have a built in firewall. If you have a router on your network, there is another firewall. And if you have third party firewall, that is usually included in any new PC, you'll be scratching your head as to why you can visit the sites you want to visit. My preference is to use the hardware firewall which is my router. I have disabled the built in XP firewall and don't use any third party programs.

I am still skeptical with phishing protection. To save yourself from any phising scams, don't click on any links provided in emails. Follow that rule and you'll be fine. If you get an email from a company that you do business with, read the email, then close the email, open up your browser and manually put in the web address of that business to check the validity of the email. Another good tip is to run your mouse over the suspected link and in the status bar (lower left hand corner of the window) it will display the web address that link will take you to. So let's say you get a suspect email from eBay that has a link on it. Run your mouse over that link, check the status bar and if that address starts with anything other than http://www.ebay... trash it, it is a scam.

I have also witnessed these third party protection programs really slow down a computer. Slow it down to the point where it is unusable. If you are looking for a good anti-virus program, please check out AVG. They do have a free version as well as a paid version. The free version works great! Run your anti-virus program, use your hardware firewall and be diligent with suspect emails. Follow those rules and you'll have a much more enjoyable Internet experience.

For more information please visit PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales And Networking

Moving Business Locations And IT Considerations

2007-03-25T07:32:00.000-05:00

Most businesses at some point will move to a new location. Whether it is because they've outgrown their current space or for leasing purposes. It is a very stressful time and the one thing that always gets overlooked is their business network. The assumption is that the computers will get moved and once plugged in everything will work as it did before. But that very rarely happens.

With a new location comes a new Internet provider, new IP addresses, wiring setup and the addition of more computers. This article is geared towards businesses moving to a newly constructed space. Part of any successful move is creating a check list of everything that needs to get done. Somewhere in the top 10 of that list should be consulting with your current IT company or hiring one to help in that transition.

Businesses consult with the construction company on the layout of the new space. Where are the offices going to be placed, how big the offices are going to be and so on. And on some occasions the business will tell them that they want to space to be wired with Cat 5 cabling for either phone or data or both. The construction company will say yes, for a price of course, and it is usually left at that.

More emphasis needs to be placed on the wiring layout of the office. A utility room needs to be designated for a central place for all the wiring. This is the room where all the networking equipment will be installed. Networking equipment such as modems, routers and switches. There is an option of installing the server(s) in this room, but that is not a necessity.

In order to ensure a smooth transition and save money, your IT company should be kept in the loop throughout the construction process. If the steps are followed when moving day arrives it should consist of installing the networking equipment, computers and making some minor network adjustments.

For more information visit: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales And Networking

Setting Up A Home Server

2007-03-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

Microsoft is in the works of releasing a Server operating system for home use. I think this is long overdue. But you don't have to wait, an XP Professional or Vista Business/Ultimate machine can do just fine for the task.

First, the benefits of a home server:

1. Central location for all files including: movies, music and documents.
2. Backups: You can configure your other computers to automatically backup to the server at a specified time.
3. Increased security.
4. In case one of the other computers in the network fail, you can restore it easily using backups from the server.
5. Share applications that are installed on the server.

Some people might think having a home server is excessive, but if your network consists of 3 or more computers, then the cost is justified. You can purchase or build a moderate Intel or AMD machine with 1 GB of memory and a hard drive capacity of 160GB or more. Make sure either XP Pro or Vista Business/Ultimate is installed. Change the Server's workgroup name to something unique and make sure all the other computers share the same workgroup name.

Next step would be to share some folders from the server so they can be accessible to the other machines in the network. Now all users can centrally store all their files on the server. For backups, you can run the built in Windows back-up application by clicking start, then run and typing in ntbackup. The wizard will guide you through the set up process. Just make sure when selecting the backup destination you choose a directory on the server. This is done by using the UNC functions. Basically in the destination box you would type in something like this "//server/backupfolder" without the quotes. Where "server" is the computer name of your server and "backupfolder" is a shared folder on the server that you have designated for backups.

For security, you can configure the server with firewall software to only allow authorized users to access its resources. When a computer on the network crashes, after reinstalling Windows you can easily restore your documents from the server. Another great features is the ability to sync your "My Documents" with the documents you have stored on the server. This can be done automatically again with the Windows Sync Feature.

Users can log in to the server via Remote Desktop to use an application that is installed on the server. This eliminates the need for the application to be installed on multiple computers and yet allows multiple users to use that same application.

For more information visit: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales and Networking

Mapping Drives Within A Network

2007-03-19T09:14:00.000-05:00

One thing that everyone should do, whether it is a home or business network, is map shared folders to other computers in the network. This enables users to create shortcuts of the shared folder, provides for quick access and ease of use. Once the shared folder is mapped it will appear as a network drive under "My Computer".

First thing you have to do is enable file sharing for a particular folder:

1. Locate the folder you wish to share.
2. Right click on it and then left click "Sharing and Security".
3. If you see an item that says to enable file sharing, click that at this time.
4. Then select enable file and print sharing.
5. Select the check box that says "Share This Folder On The Network" and "Allow Network Users To Change My Files".
6. Click "Apply" and then "Ok".

So now, that folder is able to be seen by other computers on the network. Now the next step is very important. This is where alot of people run into problems. Every computer on the network MUST have the same WORKGROUP name. To find the workgroup name, right click "My Computer" then left click "Properties". Now click on the "Computer Name" tab on top. There you will see the name of your workgroup. The Microsoft default is MSHOME or WORKGROUP. You are allowed to change it in this box as well. Again, make sure all the computers in the network have the same workgroup name.

After that has been confirmed, now go to the computer(s) where you wish to access the shared folder. Here are the steps to map it to that computer:

1. Right click "My Computer".
2. Left Click "Map Network Drive".
3. The top line will contain the drive letter the computer is going to assign to the mapped drive. You can change this to whatever letter you like that is not currently being used.
4. Click "Browse".
5. Select your Workgroup name and click the + sign next to it.
6. Now select the computer name from which the folder is being shared from.
7. Finally select the shared folder and click "Ok" and then click "Finish."

A new window will open up displaying the shared folder. You can close that out. Now your mapped drive can be found by opening up "My Computer". It will appear under "Network Drives" with the letter you assigned it. From here you can create a shortcut of that drive and it will place it on your desktop.

For more information visit: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales and Networking

How Port Forwarding Works

2007-03-16T14:13:00.000-05:00

Port forwarding is one area where people get confused the most. The reason, in my opinion, is that each router manufacturer has their own different way of doing it. Port forwarding is used if you have a router in your home or workplace. What it does is opens up a specific port to a specific computer. The port usually requires opening for a certain software applications. The most common for businesses is remote access.

Here is a generalized step by step guide to port forwarding:

1. Open up a web browser and type in the IP address of your router. If you don't know it, here is a trick to finding it out. Click "start" -> then "run" -> type in CMD -> in the DOS window that opens up type in IPCONFIG. Now below will list your IP Address for your computer, the subnet mask and the default gateway. The default gateway is usually your router's IP address.

2. Now you will be brought to the log in screen of your router. If you never changed the default (which most people don't) here are the common default user name and passwords:

admin, password
administrator, password
admin, admin
"blank", admin

3. Once your are logged in you need to navigate to the port forwarding settings. This is where each manufacturer does it their own way. Basically you are looking for menu setting "applications and gaming" or "firewall"

4. Once you are there, you will need to enter in the port start & finish range, whether it is a TCP or UDP port, the name you want to give this setting and the IP address of the computer you are forwarding the port to. Make sure any apply check boxes are checked. Click save and that should do it.

For exact instructions on your particular router please check with your manufacturer. Below are some common ports for certain applications (All are TCP unless stated otherwise):

VPN 1723
Remote Desktop 3389
VNC 5900
FTP 21 This is only if you are running your own FTP server
PCAnywhere TCP 5631 UDP 5632

Please also keep in mind any game in which you want to play over the Internet will have its specific port that will need to be opened up. Another note is if you are using any kind of download program, like Bittorent, and your downloads are really slow the most likely cause is the port is being blocked.

For more information please visit: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales And Networking

TS Remote Access To Your Workplace

2007-03-15T12:34:00.000-05:00

In our previous article: VPN Remote Access To Your Workplace we discussed connecting to your workplace network using Virtual Private Networking (VPN). Today we'll discuss using Terminal Services to connect. In my opinion this is the preferred way to connect and easier to understand for the client.

Terminal Services is the ability to login into a remote computer and use its application/file resources as if you were physically sitting in front of that computer. For the remote computer you will need an operating system like Windows XP Professional or any server operating system. For this example we'll be using XP Professional.

To configure please do the following: right click "My Computer" -> left click "Properties" -> click on the "Remote" tab on top. Check the box that says "Enable Remote Desktop". Click "Apply" and "OK". An important note is if your remote PC is using XP Pro, when you log in remotely it will lock the local computer out. You don't have to worry about this if you are using any server operating system. As mentioned in our previous article you will have to configure your router for port forwarding to the computer you want to access. The port that needs to be opened is TCP Port 3389.

From the home computer click "Start" -> "All Programs" -> "Accessories" -> "Communications" and then select "Remote Desktop Connection". When the Remote Desktop window opens you will see a white box and the word "computer" right next to it. In the computer box this is where you need to enter in the public IP address of your workplace computer. To obtain that IP address, from your workplace, open up a web browser and go to this address http://www.whatismyip.com/ . Write the IP number down and enter it in the "computer" field on your home computer.

I want to mention quickly in order to print or copy files from your remote computer you will need to enable a few settings. On the Remote Desktop screen you will see a button that says "Options". Click "Options" then click "Local Resources". Check mark Printers and Drives and then click options again. This will redirect your home printer and drives to your workplace computer.

Once the IP address is entered into the computer field click connect and you will be brought to the log in screen of your work computer. Enter in your user name and password and you should be in. In order for this to work, your work computer must have a password set.

In our next article we'll be discussing Router Port Forwarding.

For more information visit us on the web: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales and Networking

VPN Remote Access To Your Workplace

2007-03-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest selling points to our small business customers is the ability to access their workplace computers and network from home. Who doesn't love the idea of working from home. Why drive to work when you can accomplish a majority of your tasks from your living room. The two common methods of accomplishing this is: VPN (Virtual Private Network) and Terminal Services.

VPN connects you to your office network as if you were physically in your office. There is a little bit of configuration involved. First, at the remote computer (usually the workplace computer) you need to enable incoming VPN connections. For this example we are going to be using Windows XP Professional. Right click "My Network Places" -> Left click "Properties" -> click "Create New Connection" -> select "Setup Advanced Connection" -> select "Accept Incoming Connections" -> click next twice -> select "Allow Virtual Private Connections" -> select a user from that computer that you want to use as the login info (user must have a password) -> click next and make sure "TCP/IP" is highlighted click next and you are done. If your remote computer is behind a router/firewall then you must configure port forwarding to the remote computer. Port forwarding is an article in itself, but basically you must open port 1723 to the remote computer.

Now for your home computer: Right click "My Network Places" -> left click "Properties" -> click "Create New Connection" -> select "Connect To The Network At My Workplace" -> select "Virtual Private Network Connection" -> fill in any name -> for host name or IP you must enter in the public IP address of your office. To obtain the IP address open up a web browser and go to http://www.whatismyip.com/ from your office. Write the number down and this is what you are going to put in that field. Click next and finish. Now login in using the user name and password.

Once you are connected you are not going to notice anything really drastic. But you now have the ability to file share with computers / servers from your office. In our next article we will be discussing connecting your office network using Terminal Services.

For more information visit us on the web: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales And Networking

Laptop DC Jack Repair

2007-03-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

By far, the most common piece of hardware to fail on any laptop is the DC Jack (the plug that accepts power on the laptop). There are several reasons for the high failure rate but the two most common are poor handling and poor design. I would say over 90% of these DC jacks are soldered right on to the motherboard.

Every day abuse of plugging and unplugging the AC power source wears down the solder connections on the motherboard. Here are the two common symptoms for this damage:

- Laptop will not accept external AC Power. Constantly remains on battery, till the battery dies.
- You have keep moving the cord around till it starts accepting external power.

First thing you need to do is eliminate the cord/power supply as being the source of problems. The power supply is the box right on the AC cord. Some power supplies have an indicator light to show when they are plugged in. If the light is working then it is not the power supply. If your power supply does not have the indicator light get a voltmeter, plug the laptop cord into the wall and using a voltmeter check the end that goes to the laptop. Insert one lead inside the opening and place the second lead on the outside. Make sure your meter is set to read DC Volts. Now if you get a reading, depending on the laptop will be be somewhere between 14 to 19 volts then your power supply is good and the damage is to the DC jack on the laptop motherboard.

Repairing the DC jack on any laptop is a major repair. If you do not feel comfortable doing it please contact a person who is qualified for the job. This repair will require dismantling the whole notebook, and removing the motherboard. Please read the following article on what steps should be taken to ensure proper care when disassembling a notebook: Notebook Repair.

Once you have complete access to the DC Jack you will see the pins that get soldered to the motherboard. To the naked eye it might look like nothing is wrong with them, but a slight break in the solder will cause these problems. You will need a soldering iron with a very fine tip. The fine tip is to avoid damage to adjacent components. Apply the solder to each pin making sure the solder gets evenly spread. The solder should have a dull look to it when you are done.

Once you have soldered all the pins, reassemble the notebook and test it out. To avoid this damage in the future take extra care when inserting and removing the external power cable. Hope this helps!

For more information please visit us on the web: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales and Networking

Windows Server 2003 Modules

2007-03-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

You feel confident enough with the other Windows versions that you are now thinking of tackling Server 2003. The idea can be a little intimidating, but it is not as bad as you think. This is a basic tutorial on the different modules available in Windows Server 2003. Depending on how you are planning on using the server, that will determine the hardware requirements of the machine. Just because this is a "server", you do not need to spend over $5,000 on the machine. That is a very big misconception. My recommendations for minimum requirements are as follows:

- Motherboard With Onboard Video/Sound/Lan
- 1 GB Of Memory
- P4 3.0 Ghz or Athlon 64 3200+
- 160GB SATA Hard Drive
- DVD-RW
- An External Backup Device (i.e USB Hard Drive or Tape Drive)

Server 2003 loads the same way XP does. Set the bios to boot from the CD/DVD drive, pop the disk in and follow the instructions. Once it is fully installed and loaded you will be taken to the "Manage Your Server" screen. On this screen you can enable and configure the following options:

- File server - enabled by default. Basically allows folders to be shared from the server.
- SharePoint Services - Creates a web where users can share information.
- Print Server - A printer installed directly to the server will act as a network printer
- Application Server - Turn you server into a web server as well as FTP host.
- Mail Server - Kinda useless unless you have exchange installed.
- Terminal Server - Lets users login directly to the server to run applications
- Remote Access/VPN Server - Connect to the server remotely via VPN.
- Domain Controller (Active Directory) - Server controls policies for the entire network domain.
- DNS Server - Controls name to IP address resolution.
- DHCP Server - Assignees IP addresses to DHCP clients
- Streaming Media Server - Streams video content over the web
- WINS Server - Older name to IP address resolution method.

Whatever your needs are will determine which of these optinons get enabled and configured. In this article we are going to briefly touch on Terminal Server, Remote Access, Domain Controller w/Active Directory and DNS Server. I will get into further details about all of them in future articles.

Terminal Server:
As mentioned earlier Terminal Server allows users to login to the server to run applications installed on the server. Besides enabling Terminal Server you will also need a Terminal License Server. This is where the licenses, to user Terminal Server, are installed. Depending on the amount of licenses you have that will determine how many users can login. Terminal Server and Terminal License Server can both be on one machine. To enable the licensing server go to control panel -> add/remove programs -> add/remove windows components -> select "Terminal Server Licensing" and install.

To login to the server from a workstation you can use Remote Desktop which is built directly into Windows XP and Vista. To find remote desktop click start -> all programs -> accessories -> communications -> remote desktop. When remote desktop appears enter in the server name or IP address to connect.

Remote Access/VPN:
Virtual Private Networking gives you the ability to remotely connect to your server and share it resources. The server will assign you an IP address either from its DHCP pool or you can manually enter a range of IP addresses the server will hand out to its remote clients. Once connected the next step will be establishing a connection to the server's shared resources. To do this click start -> run -> and type in \\server name or\\server IP Address (replace with your server's name or IP address) if everything is configured correctly your server's shares will appear.

Domain Controller:
Setting your server as a Domain Controller means you can control network policy through your server. If all the workstations are on the server's domain, through group and/or domain policy you can restrict user's movements. Control where they are allowed to go and what they are able to change. With the Domain Controller comes the Active Directory. In the Active Directory you can add network/server users, view/configure domain controllers and domain workstations. This is where you assign users their privileges and whether they can login to the server via Terminal Services.

DNS Server:
As stated DNS resolves IP addresses to easier to remember names. Lets say your server's IP address is 192.168.1.2 and its name is PCServer. DNS allows you to search using PCServer instead of remembering 192.168.1.2. Out of all the modules this is the one that is most confusing in setting up properly.

This was a very basic introduction to some of the modules available in Windows Server 2003. In future articles I will be going into further details about each one.

For more information visit us on the web: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales and Networking

Microsoft Licensing Explained (XP, Vista, Server 2003)

2007-03-05T19:06:00.000-05:00

If any of you have tried to figure out Microsoft's licensing laws you know how frustrating and confusing it is. I have written a brief explanation below covering Windows XP, Vista and Server 2003.

- Windows XP

Windows XP is pretty straight forward. When you buy a new PC it usually comes pre-loaded with Windows XP. If it is a desktop, the Certificate of Authenticity sticker is usually on the side of the case. For notebooks, the sticker is usually underneath. The sticker contains your Windows product key which is your license. You are only allowed to use that license on one PC. You can transfer it to another PC but you must remove Windows from the originally PC first. You can activate Windows XP an unlimited amount of times. Please note that if it has been less than 120 days between activations you will have to call Microsoft to activate by phone.

- Windows Vista

The same rules apply to Vista as to XP with some minor changes. You are allowed two activations over the Internet. If that gets exceeded you will need to call Microsoft to activate. Common reasons for needing to activate Windows again include: Reformatting your hard drive, Moving Windows to a different PC, A Major Hardware Change (normally changing the motherboard).

- Windows Server 2003

This is where things really get confusing. First off lets briefly explain the two common uses for a server.

1. Application Server - Users log into the server to run applications directly installed on the server. Typical called Terminal Services.

2. File Server - Data drives are mapped from the server to the workstations for the purposes of having a common location for files and/or databases.

When you install Windows Server 2003 it needs to be activated just like XP and Vista do. When you buy the operating system it will usually comes with 5 user licenses. If you plan on using it as an application server (Terminal Services) those 5 licenses do NOT mean you can connect up to 5 users to the server. You still need to purchase Terminal Services User Licences for every user you plan on connecting. Those 5 licenses that came with the operating system are Windows licenses. So let's say you have 10 users that need to connect. You then need 10 user licenses AND 10 terminal services user licenses for a total of 20 licenses for your 10 users. Confused yet? Well it gets better.

You can configure your Server 2003 to distribute licenses in one of two ways: Per Device or Per User.

- Per Device
This is from Microsoft "A Per Device CAL provides each client computer the right to access a terminal server that is running Windows Server 2003. The Per Device CAL is stored locally and presented to the terminal server each time the client computer connects to the server."

What it means is that "per device" is set by default and every workstation that tries to connect must have the TS Licenses locally stored and presented to the server whenever it tries to connect. Per Device licenses CANNOT be transferred to another computer.

- Per User
Again from Microsoft "In Per User licensing mode you must have one license for every user. With Per User licensing, one user can access a terminal server from an unlimited number of devices and only needs one CAL rather than a CAL for each device."

What it means is that you must manually set the server to "Per User" TS licensing. Then install the licenses on the server, so whenever a user tries to log in, an available license will be used. You can have as many users as you have the appropriate licenses for.

The "Per User" method is not tracked. Which means that there is no way to enforce the license usage and you can exceed your connections. For example, if you only have 5 licenses, and are set to "Per User" there will be nothing to stop you from connecting 100 users. Please remember that doing this is in violation of Microsoft's End User License Agreement.

For more information please visit Microsoft on the web.

Article by PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales and Networking

Why Custom Built PC's Are The Better Option

2007-03-04T19:15:00.000-05:00

If you are contemplating buying a new PC anytime soon, this article might be of some help. Chances are at some point you owned a PC by one of the top three manufacturers. Remember the first time you turned on that machine? Well if you don't, let me refresh your memory.

The first time you booted into Windows and got through the Windows welcome screens you were presented with your desktop. You probably noticed that start up was a little sluggish. The reason for the slow start is the many pre-loaded programs that came with your brand new PC. Now if they were the full versions then it wouldn't be a problem. But they are not, most are time limited trial software, including the anti-virus. Not only that, the anti-virus is not even activated. And most people don't activate it, which leaves them vulnerable to viruses and malware. Those who do activate it, find that it is only good for 90 days before they have to fork over more money to renew.

The trial software is also configured to start with the PC. Which means that by the time Windows is fully loaded and ready to go half of your memory is already being used up. Which leaves you with a slow sluggish PC to do what you want to do.

The better option is to get a custom built PC, with the software that you want, not what the PC manufacturers are throwing at you. Not only will you be getting a faster more efficient computer, you will also receive better support and customer care. And more importantly, your upgrade options are alot better if you choose to do so in the future.

The best place to buy a custom system is by going to your local computer store. There are also tons of companies on the Internet that offer the service. Prices are comparable to the big PC manufacturers. Just remember when these manufacturers advertise prices that are too good to be true, they usually are. You always get what you pay for.

Visit us on the web for more information: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales and Networking

Motherboard / CPU Damage From Power Supply

2007-03-04T09:58:00.000-05:00

The number one cause for damaged motherboards and/or CPU's is a faulty power supply. Several years ago my home PC's power supply literally caught on fire. When the power supply went it took my motherboard and both hard drives with it. Needless to say I lost a lot of data I did not have backed up.

When customers bring in their PC's to get repaired with the "I push the power button and nothing happens" symptom, it is all too evident what happened. Whether it was some kind of power surge or an internal fault with that power supply, it doesn't matter, that PSU is toast. Now you need to figure out if the damage is limited to the power supply or if it took out other key components as well.

First thing, change the power supply. The PC will get power and the fans will spin, but will the motherboard POST? If it doesn't you have to eliminate other components first. If you have two sticks of memory remove one stick at a time and attempt to start again. If it fails reinstall the one you removed and then remove the next one. If start up still fails remove both sticks of memory and install another stick that wasn't in the PC originally. If that fails, then you can eliminate memory from being the problem.

Next thing to do is to reset the CMOS to default settings. This can be accomplished by a reset jumper on the motherboard. The jumper should be located very close to the CMOS battery. The battery is the size of a quarter. Close by you should see three pins with a jumper on two of those pins. To reset the CMOS, move the jumper over one slot. If you have difficulty with this, an alternate method is to just remove the battery itself for a minimum of one half hour. Please consult the motherboard's manual for exact instructions. If you don't have the manual, it can be found online with a little bit of research.

If the CMOS reset worked, GREAT! All you have to do is reset your clocks and you should be in business. If it did not work you can try disconnecting your hard drive and see if the motherboard will post. From experience, this is a long shot, but you must try it first. If you are still not having any luck, then either the Motherboard or the CPU or both are damaged.

Now there is no sure fire way of determining which of the two is bad without replacing one of them. The dangers of this is that if you guess CPU and it was the motherboard, when you replace the CPU with a new one you WILL most likely damage the new CPU. Therefore it is wise to replace them both. If you don't, you could end up spending a lot more money than you originally planned.

Of course, now that you've changed the motherboard and CPU all the hardware is working, and you think that you are out of the woods. BUT, that is not the case. When you try to start Windows, 9 out of 10 times, the operating system will not load because of the new motherboard. If you replaced the motherboard with the exact same model, you probably won't have this problem. If you replaced the motherboard with a different model then you have two options:

1. Try doing a repair installation of Windows. You will need the Windows disk to accomplish this.

2. If the above fails, then you will have to reformat your hard drive which means wipe everything off the drive and do a clean installation of Windows.

If you have valuable data on your drive that is NOT backed up, you are going to have to start looking at ways to retrieve that data BEFORE you reformat.

Good Luck!

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Why most IT companies won't touch notebooks

2007-03-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have realized by now that most IT companies will not touch notebooks. If the job involves opening the case to either remove and replace components or to fix loose or damaged connections, the risks are far too great.

There are dozens of things that could go wrong from the moment you remove the first screw. Since all notebook cases are constructed from plastic, that will very easily crack and break, extreme caution is required. Then, of course, there is always the potential damage to the motherboard and other sensitive components due to poor handling and/or static discharge.

For this reason, companies want nothing to do with notebooks. But if notebook repair is approached by a trained and competent person, the issues mentioned above should not be a problem. Below are the proper steps to ensure that the task is accomplished properly:

1 - Prepare the job area. Clear an area that is sufficient in size to place the removed components. Have bins or cups ready to hold parts.

2 - Make sure the power cord is unplugged and the battery is removed.

3 - Remove the screws, being careful to place them in cups or bins according to where they belong. Notebooks have different sized screws that were made for a specific location. This will make your life a lot easier when it comes time to reassemble the notebook.

4 - Be extra careful not to crack the screen due to pressure from the screwdriver when you have the notebook flipped over to remove the back screws.

5 - *Most Important* DO NOT PRY if a component does not come free from very light pressure. Instead recheck the area for any screws you might have missed.

6 - Take extreme care when undoing the plastic clips to remove the electrical connectors. When reassembling, make sure the connector is fully seated before locking clips in place.

7 - Pay close attention to how the screen wires are routed to their connectors as well as the attaching hardware if you are required to remove the screen.

8 - Use a very fine tip iron if any kind of soldering is involved. Components are very close to each other and you don't want to create any heat damage to any adjacent components. Make sure you remove any old solder before continuing with the repair.

9 - Make sure you didn't forget any loose hardware or tools in the notebook before reassembling.

10 - Reinstall the components, making sure all the connectors are reattached and screws are put back in their proper place

11 - Turn on the notebook and do the necessary checks.

For more information visit us on the web: PC Tech Solutions - Computer Repair, Sales and Networking