I am based just outside Woodbridge in Suffolk, supporting local PC and Mac users. Here you will find examples of the help I provide, useful information and computer tips. Please feel free to comment on any post or contact me.
Posted 25th June, 2010 in
What I Do
As I write, I’m half way through a ’simple job’ – updating the software on a BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000. It’s taken me three hours to get this far!
My customer called last night to say he’d lost all sorts of features on his BlackBerry®. Emails and text messages had disappeared, the camera and sound profiles were not available and other things were missing. Assessing it this morning, I decided the best solution was to ’simply’ upgrade the software to the latest version. He already had the BlackBerry® Desktop Manager on his computer so we started by making a backup of all his files and settings. All fine so far.
Next step: go to the correct website and download the latest BlackBerry® device software. Again, simple, right? Well, it would be if the site’s update feature didn’t lead you to an incorrect address, resulting in a ‘Page Cannot Be Found’ message. [Read the rest of this entry]
Tags: Blackberry, Mobile Devices, Update Blackberry
Posted 25th June, 2010 in What I Do | 2 Comments »
Posted 14th June, 2010 in
What I Do
Where would we be these days without our wired and wireless internet connections? So many of our devices simply won’t work to their full potential without them.
I’m regularly called out to connect people’s devices to the internet; usually computers, but the list of things I connect is steadily growing.
In the last year, I’ve connected the following;
- Laptops and desktop computers running Microsoft Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista and 7)
- Laptops and desktop computers running Linux operating systems such as Ubuntu and Mint
- Apple iMac
- Apple MacBook
- Apple iPod Touch
- Apple iPhone
- Apple iPad
- Nintendo Wii
- Nintendo DS Lite
- Sony PSP
- Sony PlayStation 3
- Microsoft Xbox 360
- Various mobile phones including Blackberry smartphones
I have also connected countless printers to home broadband routers to enable wireless printing. This is something I’ve seen many people struggle to set up or get the most from. Many is the time I’ve had to explain that a wireless printer can be used from any computer in a home, not just the one that plugged into the old printer!
An increasing number of the above connections are wireless. While better than a few years ago, wireless connections can still be awkward to set up. Either people are not sure what to do, or obscure technical problems get in their way. That’s usually when they call me.
Once connected, I will often show people how to make the most of their new devices. iPod Touch and iPhone users find this particularly helpful, as a little guidance goes a long way to getting the most out of them.
Gone are the days when a “computer man” only helped with computers!
Tags: broadband, internet, wifi, wireless connection
Posted 14th June, 2010 in What I Do | 1 Comment »
Posted 18th May, 2010 in
General
Fear not, I’m not about to tell you of a nasty rash. The infection I refer to was of the computer variety.
This afternoon I returned to a customer I’d visited in March. Back then I discovered they had infections on their computer. I installed a very effective malware removal tool called Malwarebytes’ Anti Malware and used it to clean their computer. [Read the rest of this entry]
Posted 18th May, 2010 in General | No Comments »
Posted 5th May, 2010 in
General
I helped three Mac owners today; in Woodbridge, Melton and Ufford. While most of my time is spent helping people with Windows PCs, I seem to be providing a lot more Mac support these days.
After recovering a Windows Vista laptop this morning (the victim of the Nerd Support Group described in my last blog post) I walked to my next customer in Woodbridge. I have helped them many times with their iMac and iPhones. Today I set up file sharing between their Mac and PC, while also creating a VAT calculation spreadsheet for use in their business.
After a quick lunch, I went to my next customer in Melton with a very old iMac. He needed help with his printer and managing the files on his iMac. While there I made it easier for him to use and answered a lot of questions he’d been saving for me.
My last customer of the day had called in a panic this morning, as her MacBook could not connect to their wireless router. Within 15 minutes of arriving in Ufford, I had her back online and very relieved.
So, while I have no official training on Macs and am not a qualified Mac technician, you can see I am providing a lot of solutions for Mac users in the Woodbridge area.
Posted 5th May, 2010 in General | 1 Comment »
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