Computer Doctor of Hampden

I have come to appreciate the Apple Macbook Pro as one of the finest notebook computers I have ever used. I currently have a 2012 model that I run both OSX Mountain Lion along with Windows 7 Pro. From the fit and finish to the solid aluminum unibody construction, great backlit keyboard and excellent track pad the machine is top notch running Mac or Windows. That being said as with any machine they require maintenance and care and occasional repair. At our repair center Computer Doctor of Hampden we deal with both Mac and PC issues everyday. From liquid spills to broken screens, software glitches and hard drive repairs we see it all. First and foremost your Macbook Pro is hydrophobic! It does not like water, beer, wine, soda,coffee, tea, milk, dog urine or pickle juice and yes I have worked on all those scenarios! The adage an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure rings true even more with the base price for a Macbook pro @ the $1200 mark. Life can be hectic, you can bring your portable Mac so many places, think about the risks you run, from loss of the system, data corruption and at least a loss of productivity and repair costs.

Broken Macbook Pro Computer Doctor of Hampden Apple Repair

What is your back up plan? OSX has a very simple back up plan that can aid in both data and system recovery for the price of an external usb drive you can have peace of mind and the ability to find deleted files as well as recovering from a crashed hard drive . Please follow the instruction on Apples website to set up your back up plan sooner than later, consider it insurance for your digital life. Need help getting started? We stock external hard drives and can configure your back up plan as well as optimize your Mac for top performance and check for potential problems.

Given routine maintenance, reasonable care and proper usage your Macbook Pro can give you years of faithful service. Feel free to contact us with questions or submit a service request now.

Latest or Greatest, the choice is yours?

We have begun to see more Windows 8 devices come in for repair. A common question we are asked is if we can make Windows 8 act more like Windows 7. Windows 8 is starting to grow on me, like a barnacle I admit, but it does have its place. The problem is the place it belongs is on a touch enabled device. Yes, device I think is the right word, desktop and laptop are too limiting as we are in the new world of cross platform computing, be it phone, tablet, netbook, convertible laptop or all in one desktop, the choices are growing and Windows wants to be the defacto standard operating system for them all.

Our advice as far as upgrading has been to root out the reason behind the request first, then asses the hardware they currently have and then recommend a path that makes the most sense.

If your machine came from the factory with Windows XP and it was not a downgrade from Win 7 or Vista I really wouldn’t waste my time, processing power, graphics memory and driver issues make this a lost cause. Additionally XP is a little less then a year away from support ending, you are on borrowed time!

Windows Vista, the bastard stepchild of the Windows world can go either way, some of the early, low end Vista computers will have similar issues as XP under powered and lack of driver support for the hardware. This situation I advise to look at on a case by case basis.

Windows 7 will is the easiest and most straight forward upgrade path, there should be little issue with drive compatibility and most Windows 7 machines should be able to run Windows 8 without much fuss.

My personal views are if you don’t need a new machine presently and you do not have a touch enabled device, stick with Windows 7 the rumors are already starting for a 2014 Windows 9, if the trend continues Windows 9 will be a more stable mature platform and will be introduced on hardware that will more than likely integrate touch functionality more completely.

Want to check your hardware and software for compatibility? The Windows 8 upgrade advisor can be found here.

If you have Windows 8 and desperately miss the traditional Windows 7 desktop and start button feel, let us know we have a way to bring back the look and feel of Windows 7 while still keeping the live tile and  Apps of Windows 8.  Questions? Computer Doctor of Hampden

Every year people line up at an obscene time of day to save a few dollars on whatever they need or want and to burn off a few calories after the Thanksgiving feast.

Often the door buster deals are the cheapest computer you can imagine, special models are sometimes put together just for these blow out events. Here at Computer Doctor of Hampden, we see these computer come in all year round, you may be lucky and have one fail during warranty but more often then not they fail catastrophically shortly after the warranty expires. Now some people look at computers and laptops as throw away devices, buy cheap and get a new one when it dies. That is great as long as you have an excellent back up plan, I recommend a combination of local and cloud based back up plans.

For those that plan on keeping their computers for a few years here are some suggestions, avoid the cheapest of the cheap, avoid Acer,Gateway, HP and Compaq laptops that you are paying under $400 for. We have a pile of these failed computers and laptops, we are seeing both motherboard and hard drive failures increasing as prices decrease. Cheap hard drives and poor cooling systems are a recipe for failure. If you do find yourself drawn in to these cheap computers, try to get one with an intel processor, they tend to run a bit cooler and make an investment in a cooling pad, for ~$20 you can help extend the life of your bargain basement laptop.

This is a scam that won’t quit. It looks real enough and has some people opening their wallets and checking with the police. At Computer Doctor of Hampden we deal with computer virus infections everyday. The FBI Virus or Moneypack Virus is another example of ransomeware, typically ransomeware is disguised as a fake antivirus program, this rotten piece of code would start a fake scan saying that you had numerous virus infections and for a fee this program would activate and remove the infections. This scanner was itself the infection and not only would they take your payment, your credit card number would be stolen and a nightmare of trying to stop false charges would begin.

The FBI Virus claims that they have been monitoring your moves on the internet and you have downloaded illegal files and your computer has been locked. If you don’t pay, your computer will stay frozen and legal proceeding will be brought against you. They make in look convincing, some even pop open your webcam to snap a picture.

As you guessed this is also a scam, the virus itself continues to morph and take on characteristics of a rootkit infection. Nasty stuff… If you need help feel free to contact us @207-862-7019 we know how to get this off your system and will evaluate your security and tune up your computer at the same time.

Where is my start button!

The year is 1995, no wait that was 17 years ago… It seems a lifetime since the quantum shift from Windows 3.11 to Windows 95. What is my litmus test for quantum change? Stick a teenager on a Windows 95 machine and they will be able to get around, albiet begrudgingly. Put that same teen on a Windows 3.11 machine and depending on the crowd and their upbringing  a WTF will soon be issued.

This was exactly how I felt when I downloaded a pre release of Windows 8.  WTF? Where is my start button, what are these widgety things, how do I find my “real desktop” and come on Redmond this looks cool, but my desktop is not an iPad.

I get it, no I really do. Change is in the wind, the PC is a complex device capable of so many things and relied upon more and more everyday, by more people to do more things. So what is the problem? Market penetration is my guess. Call it simplification, or dumbing down or spoon feeding the masses, computing is not easy for everyone, so everyone doesn’t own one or two or three. Believe it or not there are people that don’t have a smart phone, tablet, laptop and desktop. But just imagine if a company could make a simple interface, sort of like an iPad that would work and look the same regardless of the device. Welcome to Windows 8.

It is a brave new world of technology and Microsoft is jumping into the future with both feet. The legacy desktop that greets us every morning is not the first thing you will see when you fire up your PC. You will however see smart tiles that portray basic information pulled from “apps” yes, I said apps not programs. The software model is too lucrative for MS to ignore. Selling small, purpose built applications available instantly from their store, MS wants to cash in on the short money sales. Easier to part with $2.99 than worry about plunking down$299 for office, especially when all you need is word and excel. I’ll take my software ala carte please…

So welcome to 1995 all over again. We will all beta test Windows 8 for MS, just like we bought Vista, you remember that buggy short lived platform that bought MS some time to get Win7 stable. I am sure Win9 will be out in Q1 of 2014 and be the polished, tweaked and stable version of Win8 we should be getting now.

Personally, I will get one of the new MS surface devices which will drag me into Win8, probably learn to love it and if it suits my fancy, it may lead to a Windows phone purchase. I am not planning to install Win 8 on my desktop anytime soon, I have little hair left to pull out these days and frankly just want things to work right so I can get right to work.

Want more info or a personal recommendation for new hardware? Feel free to contact me !

(written on my iMac)

With prices dropping for desktops and laptops and increasing demand for more disc space for our expanding digital media ecosystem, one glaring side effect is the increase in hard drive failures.

In our computer service center, we see the results everyday. My explanation to customers is hard drives may go out with whimper or a bang. A whimpering drive may display symptoms like, slow boot times, freeze ups, diminished performance and unexplained shut downs. The bang is rather self explanatory. Upon start up you PC or Mac will not get very far before telling you the drive cannot be found or mounted.

Unlike most of the components of a computer, hard drives are mechanical devices with moving parts that wear out or break over time. They are also very susceptible to shock, such as if you drop  or significantly jar a running computer.

While shock damage can happen at any time, mechanical failures are more likely in the first few months, as manufacturing flaws show up. The good thing about that situation is that the computer manufacturer’s warranty is in effect. Mechanical failures however can happen at any time. As the drive ages the bearing that the spindle rides on become a key point of failure, while ball bearings have been phased out since ~2006 the new fluid dampened design is also prone to failure over time as the fluid even though sealed loses it’s viscosity. This is also a concern for temperature variations. If you leave your laptop in freezing conditions over night the hard drive fluid chills and thickens much like motor oil does. If not allowed to warm up the increased resistance can lead to immediate failure or weaken the drive and hasten it’s demise.

Power surges, either from lightning or a faulty power supply, can damage electronic components, both on the external circuit board and in the internal amplifier circuits. The failure may then show up either immediately or several weeks later. While laptop power adapters and the better quality desktop power supplies include some surge protection, we advise you always use a surge protector with your computer.

We also advise you to always use good quality power supplies and power adapters. For many years now we have warned against very cheap desktop power supplies, which have high failure rates, and which when they fail can allow a surge of high voltage to reach your computer. The same applies to some of the cheap laptop power adapters which you can find on sale on the internet, or even (at much higher prices) in many well-known chain stores.

Finally, heat kills hard drives, or at lest greatly increases the failure rate – their operating temperature should not exceed 50°C (about 120°F). Many laptop computers get far too hot (due to poor cooling systems and design or components, such as some nVidia graphics chips, that produce excessive heat) and this heat can be fatal for your hard drives. Our advice is to always try and use your portable computer on a hard, flat surface. On most models the cooling fan pulls in air from the bottom, if this port is blocked temperatures rise quickly.

One way to think about your hard drive health is this, if you own a car and think it will last forever and never have it looked at and it fails, well go buy another car. However with a hard drive if you ignore the signs or do not take action as the computer ages to check the health of your drive, without proper back up you run the risk of either losing your data or if you are lucky, paying for a data recovery.

When you find yourself in a situation where your hard drive is showing symptoms or for peace of mind if your system is over 3-4 years in age feel free to contact us and we can do a comprehensive hardware analysis for your system and review your back up plan for the inevitable epic fail of your hard drive.

We also specialize in PC/MAC data recovery. Please! Back up now!

Tablet computing the shape of things to come

With the announcement of Microsoft Surface the hand is writing on the wall, or in this case tablet. What once was a market dominated by desktop computers and subsequently a shift to laptops is being driven, no stampeded towards a new form factor… the tablet. Why the big change? Economics…Let’s put a small affordable device in the hands of everyone and I mean everyone. From toddlers to senior citizens the simplification of the UI is what makes the device work. No left or right clicking, no deep file hierarchy to navigate, minimal customization and an ever tightening sphere of application development and distribution. The power user’s will continue to cry foul as they see these draconian controls start to migrate from mobile to desktop platforms.The goal is clear, just like you need a $20,000 machine to diagnose your car, operating system developer’s want us to stay out from under the hood. The app store is the 21st century software delivery method of choice, my Dad brought this to my attention a few years ago as we reveled in the glory of the original iPad. Think about it, why just sell the device once and call it good. Everyone has or knows someone who has a 10 year old Dell tower running XP. Granted it probably cost $1,000 that long ago, but Dell got the money one time, done, fini, end of sale except for the kick back from bundling Norton Antivirus. Flash forward to today. What if we came up with a device that more folks could afford, they could operate with minimal instruction and we sell them all the software for it, but wait we will sell you all your music, videos, manage your pictures and make printed books and magazines obsolete and control the store that sells it, monitor the delivery system and make sure the programs don’t screw up your system. Talk about recurring revenue! That is why the app store is now on the Mac OSX Lion platform, and it will be baked into every future version of  Windows. Microsoft has been playing catch up with this new monetization strategy for awhile, Apple has beat them to the punch for all things consumer for awhile, think Zune vs iPod, Windows Phone vs.iPhone and now the latest battle ground, the tablet. With iPad and even Android (google) having such a head start and fan base Redmond is fighting an uphill battle. What makes this new Windows device appealing is the integration with existing software and a somewhat familiar UI, once you peel away the Metro interface. Microsoft has the largest desktop computing footprint on the planet, period, hands down. With that user base it really is their game to loose. Is it possible that as data migrates to the cloud and the information itself can be accessed, manipulated and shared from any operating system that how we get to the data will be less important? The kids that are playing with the iPads today are going to be less inclined to do cartwheels when being forced to use less friendly and less intuitive GUIs and operating systems. Touch and voice are going to replace the keyboard and mouse sooner than you think in the retail consumer realm. How we learn to embrace this change and figure out how we can leverage this up and coming paradigm shift to enhance our life is something we all need to consider. One thing for certain, we are going to see more and more amazing advances that have the potential to simplify acces to media and data, while lowering the bar in terms of technical know how and knowledge required to appeal to the broadest user base which is…Everyone.

Deep in the bowels of your iMac

Hard drives fail. All of them…eventually.

I love my iMac, It is a finely crafted piece of aluminum that greets me everyday with a beautiful bright glow and serves me well, even when I force it to run windows on occasion. For many it is the central hub of their home and/or professional computing universe. If you are not backing up your system with Time Machine you are really playing with fire. For the cost of a cheap terabyte external drive (usually less than $100) you can recover from the inevitable hard drive crash, quickly and with less expense.

For those that like to throw caution to the wind let me paint an all too familiar scenario. “Good afternoon Computer Doctor, how can I help you? Oh hi, I have a problem with my mac, for the last couple months it has been really slowing down, updates don’t work and every once in awhile it freezes up, this morning it won’t start at all. All I see is a grey screen with a folder with a question mark. In response I ask if they have a back up. No, I have been meaning to get one of those, I really should one of these days.

From there it can go from bad to worse quickly. Replacing the hard drive on an iMac requires removing that glorious screen and digging deep into the heart of the system, this in itself is not for the faint of heart… Once replaced if there was a back up, the system could be restored to the last place in time where it was functioning correctly and all your pictures, movies, iTunes documents will be right back where you left them.

Without a backup, What can happen if your lucky, is a piecemeal recovery which can be very time consuming, followed by a new installation of OSX and then all your apps. That is if the drive is intact enough to extract data. If it isn’t there are techniques to coax the data out and some very expensive recovery solutions that require a clean room and a pocket full of cash.

If you are in the greater Bangor, Hampden region and are experiencing crashes, freeze ups, shut downs, grey screens and the “spinning beach ball of death” Call or email me @ Computer Doctor of Hampden, sooner than later and we can get your beloved iMac back in great shape. If it is running fine, please stop on the way home and pick up an external drive. You will thank me later!

Let’s face it, the data on our computers for most of us is much more valuable than the computer itself. At my business Computer Doctor of Hampden we do data recovery on a daily basis. There are many possible points of data corruption, the ones I see most frequently in order of frequency are:

1. Deletion/corruption secondary to computer virus infections.
2. Logical corruption of data from a failing hard drive.
3. Mechanical hard drive failure.
4. User error, either deleting or formatting files or partitions.
5. Raid 0 failure, either disc or controller.

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive (Independent) Disks.

On most situations you will be using one of the following four levels of RAIDs.

• RAID 0
• RAID 1
• RAID 5
• RAID 10 (also known as RAID 1+0)

This article explains the main difference between these raid levels along with an easy to understand diagram.

In all the diagrams mentioned below:

• A, B, C, D, E and F – represents blocks
• p1, p2, and p3 – represents parity

RAID LEVEL 0

Following are the key points to remember for RAID level 0.

• Minimum 2 disks.
• Excellent performance ( as blocks are striped ).
• No redundancy ( no mirror, no parity ).
• Don’t use this for any critical system.

RAID LEVEL 1

Following are the key points to remember for RAID level 1.

• Minimum 2 disks.
• Good performance ( no striping. no parity ).
• Excellent redundancy ( as blocks are mirrored ).

RAID LEVEL 5

Following are the key points to remember for RAID level 5.

• Minimum 3 disks.
• Good performance ( as blocks are striped ).
• Good redundancy ( distributed parity ).
• Best cost effective option providing both performance and redundancy. Use this for DB that is heavily read oriented. Write operations will be slow.

RAID LEVEL 10

Following are the key points to remember for RAID level 10.

• Minimum 4 disks.
• This is also called as “stripe of mirrors”
• Excellent redundancy ( as blocks are mirrored )
• Excellent performance ( as blocks are striped )
• If you can afford the dollar, this is the BEST option for any mission critical applications (especially databases).

As if there aren’t enough scams out there, here is another one to add to the mix. There are reports of residential and business users receiving call stating they are from a “global it center” and reporting that you have been sending out viruses and it is your responsibility to stop doing this. It is a pretty elaborate scam that hooks folks in by building fear and panic.

One of the claims they use is that your “Windows Warranty” has expired and because you let it expire, this is causing your problems and you are required to fix it”.

It appears these cold calls originate in India and are routed through US numbers. If you think you may have been a victim of one of these scams please contact your local better business bureau and credit card company.

If you have a question about the benefits of any performance , security or extended warrant programs. Feel free to give me a call at our office 207.862.7019 or email doc@oldersite.hampdencomputer.com