Archive for the ‘ Tech Tips ’ Category

Windows Hotkeys: A Helpful Shortcut on a Busy Day

Windows hotkeys can be a very helpful shortcut on a busy day. Instead of having to right click and copy, cut, paste or open a new tab you can just use one of these easy shortcuts on your keyboard:

Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert: Copy.
Ctrl + X or Shift + Delete: Cut.
Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert: Paste/Move.
Ctrl + N: New… File, Tab, Entry, etc.
Ctrl + S: Save.
Ctrl + O: Open…
Ctrl + P: Print.
Ctrl + Z: Undo.
Ctrl + A: Select all.
Ctrl + F: Find…
Ctrl + F4: Close tab or child window.
F1: Open help.
F11: Toggle full screen mode.

2010
06/01
CATEGORY
Tech Tips
TAGS




















Leave a comment

Finally! An Easy Way for You to Lower Your IT Support Costs While Practically Eliminating Frustrating Computer Problems, Glitches, and Downtime

Our New “Total Network Management” Package is Designed to Lower Your IT Costs While Making Your Network Run Faster and With Fewer Problems

Thanks to our new Total Network Management plan, you can now get all of the computer network support you need for one low, fixed monthly rate without any surprises, hidden costs, or the expense of a full time IT staff! Just look at the benefits:

  • You’ll eliminate expensive repairs and data recovery costs. Our network monitoring and maintenance will allow us to see and prevent network problems before they turn into downtime and expensive repair bills. As a matter of fact, we guarantee it.
  • You’ll eliminate expensive trip fees while receiving faster support. Our remote monitoring software will enable us to access and repair most network problems right from our offices. No more waiting around for a technician to show up!
  • How does faster performance, fewer glitches, and practically zero downtime sound to you? Under this program, that is exactly what we’ll deliver.  Some parts of your system will degrade in performance over time, causing them to slow down, hang up, and crash. Under this plan we’ll make sure your network receives the critical maintenance it needs for maximum speed, performance, and reliability.
  • You will sleep easier knowing the “gremlins at the gate” are being kept out of your network. If you rely on your computer network for daily operations, it’s time to get serious about protecting it from viruses, hackers, spyware, and even disgruntled employees. Under this plan, we’ll keep watch 24-7.
  • You’ll finally put a stop to annoying spam, pop-ups, and spyware.
2010
06/01
CATEGORY
Tech Tips
TAGS















































Leave a comment

Thin Clients: The Alternative To Bulky, Expensive Computers

A thin client is a small device that can be used in replacement of a computer tower. Companies who do not run CPU intensive programs often use thin clients because they are smaller and are less than 10% of the cost of a regular workstation.

A thin client runs as a VM (Virtual Machine) which connects the user to the server. Each thin client has a license which allows it to access the server as if it is its own computer; displaying the desktop the exact same way a normal computer would. The thin client acts as a bridge to connect the user to the server and remote control parts of it.

The simplicity of a thin client is what attracts most companies. Although you do have to have a server in a clean environment to run them off of, the thin clients themselves can exist in quite hostile environments. Having the server run all of the applications is both a positive and a negative. If you have a well run server then it saves a lot of headaches. In the same way, the server also acts as a single point of failure for all users.

All together thin clients are an effective solution for companies who use their workstations for activities such as email, web browsing, Microsoft Office or as POS systems. If companies are willing to buy higher powered servers it is possible to run more intensive programs through the thin clients without problems.

2010
05/27
CATEGORY
Tech Tips
TAGS






















Leave a comment

Keeping Your Computer Healthy

Whether a home computer or a corporate network, security is important. Because hackers and those who are fighting to infect your computer are constantly evolving, the software you use also has to be. Three major things that help improve individual computers are an up-to-date anti-virus program, regularly updated patches, and current Windows Updates. Many will ask, “Why do I have to use patches and Windows Updates when I already have an anti-virus?”

Well, here’s why:

  1. An Anti-Virus alone cannot block everything. In addition to viruses, there is spyware, malware and other malicious infections that have to be prevented.
  2. A patch is a software piece that fixes security vulnerabilities and bugs. Patches are necessary to keep areas of your computer up-to-date with the latest security features. Patches are developed in order to ensure the safety of your information. These patches are created by individuals who study hacker’s styles and use the information to develop patches and combat them.
  3. Windows Updates are important in the same way patches are, except for your entire operating system. Keeping Windows Updates current is vital to a computer’s health and security.
  4. Anti-Spyware, & Anti-Malware are also extremely important for computer health. Without these, there are many types of intrusions that come through email and web surfing can infect your machine.

It is also very important to run ALL updates as quickly as possible. Hackers and software writers are constantly fighting each other and the best way to stay secure is to update often.

2010
05/26
CATEGORY
Tech Tips
TAGS



























Leave a comment

Securing Your Network

Securing your network can be a very challenging task, especially without professional help. There is an overwhelming amount of information about network and data security. Four things that will help prevent hackers, viruses, and other potential threats are these:

  1. Anti-Spam filter
  2. Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware/Anti-Spyware software
  3. Firewall
  4. Data Backup

An anti-spam filter can ease a lot of headaches for both employees and management. Some individuals receive hundreds (sometimes thousands) of spam emails every day. This over-load of email messages slows down your internet, puts your network at risk of viruses. The issue with a poorly running anti-spam filter is not only that it does not filter out all spam and put your network at risk, but also that it sometimes blocks good email – which can result in angry customers and lost sales.

Anti-Virus/Malware/Spyware software can help weed out the things that leak in through surfing the web. Think of running an anti-virus scan as the same as an oil change for your car – it just keeps everything running smoothly.

A firewall helps prevent hackers and malicious activity more than anything. A firewall blocks unauthorized access and communication to your network and protects your data. It is a dedicated appliance running on a computer that inspects network traffic and denies or allows passage based on a set of rules. It ensures that no private data goes and nothing malicious comes in. It regulates the flow of traffic between computer networks of different security levels.

Data backup ensures that even in the event of a disaster such as a flood, theft, hardware or software failure your data is safe and recoverable. Only 6% of businesses survive a major data disaster. Backing up data keeps it safe and secure no matter what.

www.ccr.net

2010
05/19
CATEGORY
Tech Tips
TAGS























Leave a comment

SPLA Licensing – No More File Type Frustrations

 

Have you ever been annoyed by the “x” on the end of a Word document (.doc) or Excel spreadsheet (.xls)? Many Microsoft Office users do not want to pay the price to upgrade to the newest version right away or merely forget to and end up having issues opening documents. They email documents and spreadsheets to clients and coworkers only to find out they have Word 2003 and cannot open a “.docx” file, or vice versa. This can cause a day or more of delay in communications and is very irritating to both the sender and receiver.

Microsoft provides (through its partners, such as CCR) SPLA (Services Provider License Agreement) licensing. SPLA licensing is a subscription to Microsoft Office which provides every new update and version at one low monthly rate. This can be purchased per user, or per processor (computer). This product automatically updates your version of Office and eliminates the possibility of dealing with a file type issue again.

2010
05/18
CATEGORY
Tech Tips
TAGS









Leave a comment

Windows 7 – Do’s and Don’ts

4 Do’s & Don’ts Every Business Owner Should Know About Windows 7

Windows 7, Microsoft’s new operating system, just released several months ago, and with all the advertising buzz that Microsoft has created, many business owners are looking to know more about it. Here’s a list of Do’s and Don’ts for helping to determine whether or not a Windows 7 upgrade makes sense for you.

DO – Find out if all your software programs will be compatible.
Anytime Microsoft creates a new operating system, software companies often scramble to make their package work properly with it so there are no errors, glitches, or data corruption (a.k.a “your information deleted”). Some software companies are faster and better at this than others, so be sure to check with your software manufacturer to make sure you won’t end up with more problems than when you started.

DON’T – Hold back from getting the new computers you need.
Maybe you want to wait until Windows 7 gets the bugs out. Or, maybe it’s because you’re worried about buying a computer now that will be considered “old” when Windows 7 is officially released. The good news is you don’t have to wait. For a limited time when you buy from Microsoft-approved vendors, your new computer purchase will come with the ability to upgrade to Windows 7 for free, giving you the flexibility to have the upgrade option now and install it when you choose. Also, if you participate in Microsoft’s “Software Assurance” program for your operating system, you’ll be entitled to the new version for free as well.

DO – Know how to “shake” it.
Have you ever had a bunch of windows open on your computer and felt like it was out of control and you couldn’t find anything? Then Windows 7 might be for you. It is designed to save time for people who work on multiple documents, spreadsheets, and web pages at once by allowing you to simply shake your mouse vigorously and make all those open Windows drop to the bottom of the screen and clear up your workspace. In addition to the “shake” feature, Windows 7 also makes it easier to view and use two programs side-by-side with just one click.

DON’T – Expect miracles.
Windows 7 does truly make using your computer faster since many of the features Microsoft has rolled out to help business owners and their teams work on multiple projects at once easier to use than ever before. Initial studies are showing that it might add one to two hours of productivity to your week over previous versions. But, if you expect Windows 7 to actually do the work for you, you may be disappointed.

Windows 7 does truly make using your computer faster since many of the features Microsoft has rolled out to help business owners and their teams work on multiple projects at once easier to use than ever before.

2010
03/16
CATEGORY
Tech Tips
TAGS














Leave a comment

The One Thing Hackers Hope You Never Discover

Technology Tip Tuesday

Imagine not being able to send or receive email for days, possibly weeks. Don’t think this could happen because you have a reputable anti-virus software installed? If so, you’re operating on a false sense of security and hackers are praying that you keep thinking that way. Here’s why. . .

Most business owners think that because they have anti-virus software installed and a software firewall, that their networks are “secure”. Not so. One of the most common stunts hackers pull is breaking through a software firewall to hijack a server. One they’re in, they use YOUR server to relay spam and other viruses to millions of users in a matter of seconds.

This is double bad for two reasons:

1. In no time flat, your company’s server and email gets “blacklisted”, which means the big email deliver hubs (like Comcast, Google, Verizon, etc.) flag ALL emails coming from your server as “dangerous” and wont let them through; and on the net, you’re guilty until proven innocent, which means it could take days or weeks to get your name cleared. During that time, you are completely without email.

2. Your client, prospects, and vendors start getting Viagra ads, and invitations to XXX-rated websites from your company. Not good.

The absolute best way to make sure this never happens is to invest $50/month for a top-grade managed firewall. This tiny investment is worth twenty times the cost in peace of mind and saved time. Software firewalls that come with most servers or Internet providers are better than nothing, but they’re a weak lock that any hacker can easily pick.

We will put your network through a rigorous security to check to make sure you know how to prevent a hacker attack. We’ll also:

  • Test your backups to make sure your data is safe
  • Ensure your patches, hot fixes, and other security maintenance are all up-to-date.
  • Examine all software and hardware components for security vulnerabilities.

Submit your information at http://bit.ly/93Fl6l  to receive a FREE Hacker-Prevention Security Audit.

2010
02/16
CATEGORY
Tech Tips
Leave a comment