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 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 »
Posted 30th April, 2010 in
Security Warnings
My job is helping people with their computers. I received a call from one of my customers this week in need of help. From what she described, I was worried she had been scammed. After visiting her today, my fears were confirmed. I have been so appalled at what has happened that I want to warn others.
A company calling themselves The Nerd Support Group, using the telephone number 020 3318 8706, called my customer last week. They told her they had discovered problems with her computer. They managed to talk her into allowing them to take control of her computer to fix the problems. [Read the rest of this entry]
Tags: 02033188706, Cold Calls, Nerd Support, Remote Support, Scam, thenerdsupport.com, £295
Posted 30th April, 2010 in Security Warnings | 12 Comments »
Posted 29th April, 2010 in
General
Have you heard of the latest scam to hit computer users? I read about it last week and already one of my customers has been caught out.
She recieved a phone call, completely out of the blue, from a ‘computer support company’ claiming to have detected problems with her computer. This caller managed to talk her into letting him take control of her computer remotely to ’solve’ her ‘problems’. She was asked for her credit card details and charged over £180.
If this wasn’t bad enough, whatever the person did has resulted in her not being able to connect to the internet since. She called me to help get her back online, still unaware she had been duped. I had to break the bad news to her over the phone and tell her to inform her credit card company immediately – now she knows fraudsters have her details. As well as having to deal with that, she now has to pay for me to come out and solve real problems, caused by this fraudster.
There has been a rising number of such scams in recent months. If you get a call out of the blue, offering to fix problems with your computer over the phone, don’t believe a word! If you are unsure, take names, numbers and say you will call back – but don’t go any further until you’ve had time to ask me about it or research the company online.
Posted 29th April, 2010 in General | 4 Comments »
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