Keep regular Backups!

How should I clean my computer?

I have spilled liquid on my computer - what should I do?

How can I increase the performance of my computer?

Vista is coming

I think I've got a virus - what should I do?

Vista Upgrade Advisor

Vista Launches in NZ

Instant slideshows on Apple Macs

Toshiba Function (FN) Keys

HP Product Alert - Vista Basic DVD Play

Some versions of Vista require extra software to play DVDs

XP running slow on your laptop?  Consider a RAM upgrade

MacBook and MacBook Pro Battery Update

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Keep regular Backups!

You would be amazed at the number of people who come to us with a hard drive failure - but they haven't backed up their data.  It is very costly, time consuming, and often impossible to recover data from a damaged hard disk on your laptop or PC. 

Your data is far more valuable than your computer, so a backup solution is critical.  We have a range of backup solutions available, or we can do the backup for you.  Contact us for more information.

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How should I clean my computer?

WARNING - DO NOT use solvents or abrasives to clean your computer equipment.

ALWAYS turn off the computer and disconnect from power before cleaning.

Use a specialist computer/screen cleaner, diluted iso-propyl alcohol, or non-solvent, non-ammonia glass cleaner.

ALWAYS spray cleaners onto a cloth first (make the cloth damp, not wet), THEN wipe the computer.

To clean the keyboard and other plastic surfaces, spray cleaner onto a soft lint-free cloth or paper towel, then wipe over the surfaces. You can use an air compressor or blower (don't use a hair dryer).

To clean the screen, spray cleaner onto a soft lint-free cloth or (high quality soft paper towel, then wipe over the surface of the screen. Use very gentle pressure to ensure the screen is not damaged.

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I have spilled liquid on my computer - what should I do?

See our EMERGENCY! page for immediate action

Get the computer to us for cleaning as soon as possible

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How can I increase the performance of my computer?

The first (and cheapest) thing to look at when considering the performance of your computer is the software. Is your computer fully updated, clean of viruses/malware, optimised (HDD, security, etc), properly configured, running the right drivers etc? Run defrag on the HDD, uninstall any unnecesary programs, remove unnecesary files from the desktop, and remove any startup programs that are not needed. Contact us for more information.

The next things to consider are RAM (memory), and hard disk size/performance. The operating system and antivirus package also significantly affect performance. Email us if you'd like to upgrade.

There are various other factors that can affect performance of a computer - we can perform a PC Health Check to review your system and give recommendations

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Vista is coming

Microsoft's new operating system has just been released for production and is due to go on sale at the end of January 2007. Service Plus has been actively testing Vista and will be offering an upgrade service when available. Click here for more details about Vista.

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I think I've got a virus - what should I do?

If your system is displaying virus-like symptoms, your computer and data are vulnerable to attack, deletion, or corruption. You also risk passing viruses on to other.

It is critical that you take immediate action to remove the virus and repair any damage. Do not connect to the internet if you think you may have a virus.

Most viruses these days are extremely difficult to remove, so we recommend you use the Service Plus Virus Detect and Repair service.

Note: any data that has been backed up prior to the virus repair may also be infected by a virus. Ensure your antivirus package is up to date at all times.

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Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

Want to see if your Windows XP-based PC can run Windows Vista? Just download, install, and run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor.

This small software tool will scan your computer and create an easy-to-understand report of all known system, device, and program compatibility issues, and recommend ways to resolve them. Upgrade Advisor can also help you choose the edition of Windows Vista that best fits the way you want to use your computer.

Click here to download Upgrade Advisor.

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Vista launches in NZ!

New Zealand is the first country to officially launch Microsoft Vista.  At 12.01am on January 30, New Zealand started selling Microsoft's new operating system, Vista.

Take advantage of this excellent new system by upgrading your laptop or notebook now.  Service Plus can analyse your system to confirm if it is suitable for upgrading, and install the upgrade and the various extra drivers and updates that are required.  Click here for details, or contact us for more information.

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Instant slideshows on Apple Macs

Let’s say you open a window on your iMac, iBook, or MacBook and there are 20 photos in that window. Want to see a quick slide show of those photos? Just press Command-A to select all the photos, then Control-click (or right click) on any photo and from the contextual menu that appears, choose slideshow. A full-screen slide show of those photos (complete with a nice smooth dissolve transition) will appear onscreen.  Click here for details, or contact us for more information.

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Toshiba Function (FN) Keys

It's surprising how many people don't realise the benefits that reside in the function key combinations of their computer.  The Toshiba function keys generally work as a "toggle" to switch between different modes within each feature.

To use the function keys, simply hold down the "Fn" key, press the relevant combination key, then release the "Fn" key.

Following are the standard Toshiba function key combinations (note these are relevant to most recent model Toshibas and are dependant on specific hardware being installed):

HP PRODUCT ALERT: Vista Home Basic--No Sound with DVD Playback

Note:  This article refers to specific HP models but it appears that other brands and models may also be affected by the same issue.

Issue

Customers may experience no sound while playing DVD video on systems configured with Vista Home Basic. Customers can use pre-installed QuickPlay or DVDPlay, however, which are the default media players (i.e., listed first when a CD or DVD is inserted in the optical drive). QuickPlay is pre-installed on all HP Pavilion and select Compaq Presario systems; DVDPlay is configured on select Compaq Presario systems.

Root Cause

Vista Home Basic does not include the MPEG-2 Audio Codec.

Scope

Any HP Pavilion or Compaq Presario system with a Vista Home Basic operating system pre-installed is affected. Currently shipping shelf systems with Vista Home Basic are listed below.

The relevant models are as follows:

HP Pavilion dv6205us
Compaq Presario C504US
Compaq Presario C502US

Customer Resolution

Customers can use QuickPlay or DVDPlay to watch movies with sound.

For more information, contact Service Plus directly.

To launch QuickPlay:

Tap the QuickPlay button or click on the Start (also known as Vista) button
Click on All Programs
Click on QuickPlay

To launch DVDPlay:

Click on the Start (also known as Vista) button
Click on All Programs
Click on DVDPlay

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Tech Tip - Some versions of Vista require extra software to play DVDs

Last week's tip, about DVDs not playing on some HPs with Vista, seems to have resonated with many of our customers with other brands.  So I have some further clarification on this issue.

Note: no previous versions of Windows (Win XP, 2000, 98) included a DVD player as standard.  Most manufacturers included a third party DVD player on the systems to allow DVD playing.

Microsoft Vista does include DVD playing functionality - but only in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions. 

Vista Home Basic, Business, and Enterprise don't include DVD playing functionality as standard in Media Player.  Most manufacturers have continued to provide a third party DVD player with their systems but if you buy one of these versions as an upgrade, you will need to get a third party DVD player or get the appropriate "plug-in" for Media Player (see here).

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XP running slow on your laptop?  Consider a RAM upgrade

If you've got a computer that is a couple of years old and running Windows XP, you've probably noticed that it is running substantially slower than when you got it.

This can be a result of many factors including disk fragmentation, unused programs, malware, startup programs etc.  Click here for an article from Microsoft on resolving these issues.

However, a very likely cause of performance reduction is the updates that have loaded automatically since you started using your computer.  There have been over 40 updates to Windows XP in the last year alone!  These updates generally enhance the security and functionality of your system, so I don't recommend removing them, but you can improve the performance of your computer by increasing the RAM (memory).

We recommend a minimum of 512MB RAM on laptops now, and many people are using over 1GB.  If you'd like pricing on the cost to upgrade your memory, contact us here and please quote the brand, model, and existing RAM.

 

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MacBook and MacBook Pro Battery Update

Apple has recently discovered that some batteries used in its MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks may have battery performance issues. Apple is offering a software update that is designed to improve battery performance.

The battery update is available immediately via Software Update or downloadable here.

Note: The factors causing the performance issues do not present a safety risk. You may continue to use your current battery.

This battery update should be run on all MacBook and MacBook Pro computers and extra batteries that were purchased between February 2006 and April 2007.

Article continues here...

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