Computer/ Internet Tips & News
Late April 2020
This Month: 

  • Scams and hacking on the rise - what you need to know
  • The dangers of reusing the same password
  • Contactless Remote Service available!
  • All about Zoom meetings
  • Make sure your next computer has this part which is up to 25x faster than the one in your old computer
  • Prevent major computer problems before they happen
Reno's PC & Technology Help Experts since 2003 

Affordable PC Repair - Experienced IT Consultants 
In-Home Service & Remote Support

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a language you can understand
Support for Windows - macOS - iOS - Android
Scams and hacking on the rise - what you need to know
You are not the only one spending more time at home. Scammers and hackers are spending more time at home on the computer looking for ways to scam you out of your money. In the past month we've received a lot more calls about hacked email accounts, fake warning pop-ups screens, and unsolicited phone calls demanding immediate action about some sort of problem.

This is a good time to take another look at the top 5 computer and phone scams to watch out for...
The dangers of reusing the same password for different websites
Sure it’s easy to just use the same password for everything. But with data breaches seemingly occurring on a daily basis, your email address and password that’s part of any data breach is surely being used to try to log into your email account and other accounts that hold personal, financial and other private information.

It’s been suggested by some clients that nobody would be interested in reading their email, so their email password doesn’t need to be secure or unique. However if a hacker accesses your email consider the following common occurrences:
Contactless Remote Service available!
Did you know that Computer Techs can fix most computer problems  without the need to come out to your house   ? If we've serviced your computer in the past you most likely already have our "Computer Techs Support" icon (shown on the right) on your desktop which is used to begin a Remote Support session.

Remote Support allows us to see your computer screen and operate your keyboard and mouse via your internet connection. This can be helpful if you need a quick-fix to a problem, question or other service that doesn't require an in-home visit. Or perhaps you'd like service outside of our normal in-home daytime business hours. With Remote Support we offer a lower 1/2 hour minimum rate of $49, whereas there's a one-hour $99 minimum charge to come out to your home. Payment can be made via credit card on our secure webpage at the completion of the service.

For more information about Remote Support continue reading...
All about Zoom meetings
In mid-March after people were encouraged to stay at home, Zoom became a popular platform to hold online meetings. But shortly thereafter, security researchers and pranksters found flaws in the platform. Fortunately Zoom acted quickly to fix security and privacy vulnerabilities, and change default settings to help prevent " Zoombombing " from unwanted participants. Therefore, Zoom is now safe while remaining easy to use.

To participate in a Zoom meeting, you'll need a camera and microphone - which is included in all modern laptop computers and smartphones. If you only have a desktop computer, a separate webcam is needed to participate in the meeting so others can hear and see you (optionally). Unfortunately webcams are currently in short supply, and online sellers have been charging 2-5 times the normal ~$50 average price of a webcam.

If you only want to view and listen to the meeting (and not participate), you can use Zoom on a desktop computer without a webcam.

You don't need to have or create a Zoom account in order to participate in a meeting. Therefore there's no login or password information to remember, or have the chance of it being discovered due to a data breach . Accounts are only required for people that host a meeting and invite participants.

Do you need help connecting with others at a distance? We can help with most online meeting platforms like Zoom, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, Google Duo and Hangouts, Microsoft Teams and Skype, Apple's FaceTime, etc...
Still using Windows 7? Make sure your next computer has this part which is up to 25x faster than the one in your old computer
If you purchased a PC between 2009-2012 it most likely came with Windows 7. The operating system was released nearly 10 years ago and has since been replaced with Windows 10. Microsoft retired support for Windows 7 effective January 2020, thereby no longer releasing important security and reliability patches and making it increasingly dangerous to operate while connected to the internet.

One advantage of getting a new computer with Windows 10 is that  solid state hard drives in today's computers are about 25x faster  than hard drives in older computers.

If you're still operating Windows 7, here's what you need to do: Continue reading...
Prevent major computer problems before they happen
It's time to be proactive about caring for your computer - rather than reactive and calling after computer problems build up. Many of our clients don't have to worry about the seemingly constant barrage of updates, security patches and computer hackers - thanks to the peace-of-mind that our Computer Maintenance Plan provides.

With websites getting hacked on a daily basis, and the increasing chance of your personal information being compromised, it’s more important than ever to keep your computer up-to-date and maintained.

With our Computer Maintenance Plan we will maintain, update and check the security on your computer on a convenient schedule. Service takes about an hour and can be performed via a Remote Support session or on-site. Services include: