Early next year, Microsoft is launching a free update for Windows 10; a computer update unlike any other. Microsoft is expected to release Windows 10 Creators: an update that will allow for 3-D usage on Windows 10 PCs. The Creators update will implement 3-D features on Word, Excel, & Powerpoint, Paint, Beam game live streaming software, and file sharing with your contacts.
Microsoft is also working on its own virtual reality headset, the HoloLens. Microsoft is partnering with several computer manufacturers, such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo to create budget-friendly VR headsets. However, there is no word yet on when these new virtual reality headsets will be available.
To go along with the brand new software updates, Microsoft obviously had to upgrade their hardware as well. They are introducing a more powerful Surface Book with 16 hours of battery life and twice the graphics as the current model.
Probably the most impressive hardware release, however, is the launching of the Surface Studio.The Surface Studio is an all-in-one PC that resembles a huge 28-inch tablet on a hinged-mount. It has a sharper picture than a 4K TV and delivers more color than 99% of the world’s computer monitors. The hinge allows the screen to swing down to a 20-degree angle to use like a tablet and draw with the Surface Pen. The Studio will have an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and up to 32GB of memory; this all-in-one was clearly designed for graphics professionals who need the best computer performance available.
The final Microsoft release is the noteworthy device accessory: the Surface Dial. It looks like a physical dial, but it connects to your Surface via Bluetooth for a variety of purposes. When linked, you can use the Dial to easily navigate menus; however, it reaches its prime usage when paired with the Surface Studio. When the Dial is placed on the screen of the Studio, it brings up menus or tools specific to the app you’re using.
At Computer Doctor, we are excited to see some of these impressive new devices that Microsoft is releasing. Technology is constantly evolving and we are here to help you understand these new features one step at a time. If you mention this article, you will receive 15% off of a Remote Support Session!
Remember, if you have any questions or concerns with any of the devices in your home, please give us a call at 862-7019 or stop by our shop at 50 Main Road N in Hampden!
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What if while purchasing a new car, appliance, or piece of office equipment you were told that the item you’re about to purchase comes with on-going maintenance and improvements at no additional charge? The sales person tells you that his company will let you know when there are any improvements or when you need maintenance, and you won’t be required to visit a repair shop or have a repair person visit your office or home. Would you elect to take advantage of that offer? Maintenance plus improvements without the headaches of a service visit and zero expense on your part. Who wouldn’t say yes to an offer like that?
Unfortunately in most cases that is just a fantasy; however it is reality when it comes to your Windows operating system. Microsoft continues to make improvements and repairs to their operating systems available for several years after purchase, yet many people do not take advantage of this benefit. Well if something so sensible isn’t motivation enough, here are some more reasons why updating your desktop and server operating systems is not only prudent, it is critical.
Stories about hackers and threats to computers and networks are in the news almost every day, and many of these stories include tips on how to prevent or minimize this from happening to you. Across the board, consistently, one of the recommended tips is to keep your operating system updated! The reason is because a majority of the updates Microsoft releases are security updates. Never seen before threats are developed by crafty hackers all the time and Microsoft is constantly refining its operating systems to counter these new threats; but in order to take advantage of these improvements, and protect your devices and network, you need to keep your operating systems up-to-date.
Operating systems are also updated to address bugs and shortcomings. Prior to making software available to the public Microsoft will release a beta version of the product for people, primarily IT geeks, to try, experiment, and play with. Then, Microsoft takes the feedback and improves the product, eventually releasing it to the public. However, now that it is in the hands of the public you have dramatically increased the number of people using it and the ways it is being used. Not surprisingly, more issues come to light and, one way or another, come to the attention of Microsoft. Microsoft then uses this feedback to make improvements to the software, also known as patches, and eventually makes these new improvements available. The end result is an operating system that is not good as new, it is better!
Patching desktops and laptops is fairly easy because you can set updates to automatically download and install.
For Windows 7 users, type and click “Windows Updates” in the search box. In the left pane, click “Change Settings,” then under Recommended Updates, select either the “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates” or “Include recommended updates when downloading, installing, or notifying me about updates” check box and click OK.
For Windows 8 and 10 users, choose “Change PC Settings” in your Settings, then click “Update and recovery.” Click on “Choose how updates get installed,” and under recommended updates, select the “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates” checkbox and apply those settings.
If you follow those steps, all of the Windows Updates that are offered will be automatically installed without you being bothered and annoyed by the frequent notifications.
Because operating system updates help your computer to be more secure and perform better, we suggest installing these updates as often as possible. However, occasionally there may be problems caused by the updates. Sometimes the updates aren’t configured properly or the installation doesn’t complete and can cause your computer to revert the updates automatically (if you’re lucky), or even create some serious system issues. That is why we recommend backing up your important files, such as documents and pictures, onto an external hard drive in the event of a disaster.
Fortunately, at the Computer Doctor, we deal with all sorts of software configuration issues— including those caused by Windows updates. If you are concerned with updating your computer on your own, we are happy to install the updates here at the shop in Hampden while simultaneously tuning up your computer; we can guarantee it will be running much faster and better than it was before! Better yet, ask about our new service package that we will now be offering to our residential and home based business customers. Our business clients experience the full benefits of our managed services program. We take care of their Windows updates on a planned schedule to avoid Microsofts patch problems, we also have an automated service program that manages third party updates, continually monitors your computer hardware for potential failures and performance issues and includes a fully managed antivirus suite of monitoring and mitigation programs and so much more! We have packages to meet every need and budget.
If you are interested in a complete system tune up, or any of our other computer services, please give us a call at 862-7019 or stop by to see us at 50 Main Road North in Hampden! And if you mention this article, you will receive 10% off a tune up!
Every one of us owns precious files like personal documents, photos, videos, or audio files, and we typically store them on hard drives. Surprisingly, hard drives are one of the few mechanical devices left in a computer because most other components are electronic; and as with any mechanical device, they are bound to fail eventually. The average lifetime of a stationary hard drive today is around 5 – 10 years, depending on the type and manufacturer, and it rapidly declines if the drive is subject to strong variations in temperature, humidity, and motion as in not being stationary. Since a majority of people today own laptops and external hard drives, which get dragged around quite a bit, a realistic hard drive lifetime is probably around 3 – 5 years.
Hard drives can die all of a sudden without warning, and can be especially devastating if you haven’t backed up your data recently. The best case scenario would be for your hard drive to fail gradually, which gives you the chance to react, get a copy of your data, and replace the storage device before facing a fatal disaster. There are a host of signs that hint to a gradual failure of your hard drive, and if you work quickly, you could save your most important pictures and documents before your hard drive’s clock runs out!
1. Slow Computer, Frequent Freezing, and the Blue Screen of Death
While these computer characteristics don’t always indicate hard drive failure and can actually be triggered by a thousand different factors, it is always a good idea to back up your data after experiencing any of these symptoms. Pay special attention to slowness or freezing after completing a fresh installation of an operating system on your computer, or if you boot your Windows computer into Safe Mode to check diagnostically. If the symptoms still persist in these situations, then it is very likely there is an internal hardware issue and possibly a failing hard drive.
2. Corrupted Data
If you begin finding your files take 30 minutes to open, refuse to open completely, or even disappear entirely, that is not normal computer behavior. If your file does open and you see that it has errors or is corrupted, that is a bad sign. This could be caused by a malicious Ransomware Virus or something similar, but it could also be caused by gradual hard drive failure.
3. Accumulation of Bad Sectors
Bad sectors are areas of the hard drive that do not maintain data integrity. They are automatically masked by the operating system and thus hard to identify, especially if large amounts of the disk are currently in use. If you somehow run into a bad sector on the hard drive, however, that is not good. To check your hard drive for bad sectors, there are several ways to do so. Here are step-by-step instructions to perform a hard drive error check for each Windows operating system. Windows Vista. Windows 7. Windows 8 (click “to repair a drive” tab). Windows 10.
4. Strange Sounds
If you previously didn’t hear a peep from your hard drive, but now you do, check it immediately and be prepared to backup your data and replace the drive, because it is about to fail if it hasn’t already. If your drive is making regular clicking or grinding sounds, or a sound known as the “click of death,” chances are you have a mechanical failure within the drive. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, turn off your computer as soon as possible because continued use may damage the disks and make your data unrecoverable. The longer the drive is powered on, the more damage you may be doing. You should then make a note of what happened and contact us at the Computer Doctor immediately!
The only way to protect your personal and important data is to create a backup drive. Purchasing an external hard drive to load all of your documents and pictures on is a smart solution, but a blank DVD or thumb drive would also do the trick if the storage space is large enough. Ideally, having 2 backup locations is the best data loss prevention strategy you can have. It is just as easy to drop your external hard drive as it is to drop your laptop, and without a third backup location, you could lose everything!In the devastating event of hard drive failure or data loss, the quicker you call us at the Computer Doctor the better chance we have of recovering your precious pictures and documents. If you need any help setting up your backup drives or need any advice on products, we are happy to help! Just call us at 862-7019 or stop by our shop at 50 Main Road North in Hampden. If you mention this article, you will receive 10% off a data back up!
We want to wish you a Merry Christmas from us at the Computer Doctor! We appreciate all your support and want to thank you for your continued business!
If you or anyone you know is going to receive a new computer or laptop this holiday, then we suggest letting that person know about the default privacy settings in new Windows 10 systems. If you are part of the minority of people who read the Privacy Statements or Terms of Service Agreements, then you probably already know about the lack of privacy in Windows 10. However, if you are part of the majority who doesn’t read them, we’ll let you know what to look out for on your new computer!
You would be surprised by the amount of personal information Windows 10 collects from its users—information including phone numbers, GPS location, credit card numbers, and even video and audio messages. All of this collection of data is outlined in the Privacy Statement that you would most likely agree to without reading (because who has the time to read the whole thing anyway?!).
Microsoft goes through 3 ways to use your personal data: “(1) to operate our business and provide (including improving and personalizing) the services we offer, (2) to send communications, including promotional communications, and (3) to display advertising.”
“To operate our business…” essentially means that the Microsoft applications that you use require your personal information to operate. For example, the application Maps needs your location to assist you properly. However, Maps is not the only application to use your location. Cortana, (the Windows equivalent to Siri), also uses your location and the only way to prevent that from happening is to not use Cortana at all. Microsoft also collects data to improve applications and try to fix any bugs, but this also means they track your usage of these applications. For instance, if you are using Microsoft Office and it crashes, then Microsoft will be able to see all of your documents that were open during the crash.
“To send communications…” means that Microsoft needs to make sure it can reach you if the primary means of communication fails. Microsoft discloses in the Privacy Statement that it collects your phone number, email, and mailing address; but claims that it uses this information to send promotions— and also to share with Microsoft partners. Click here to manage these communications.
“To display advertising.” is similar to the tracking that Facebook and Google uses to sell ads. Microsoft generates revenue from ads and sells demographic information to third-party advertisers. You even have your own advertising ID for your interest-based advertisements. You can choose to opt-out of these interest-based ads, but it won’t prevent data collection or less ads. If you don’t want to be tracked on the internet or if you want less ads, then we recommend installing this free extension for your browser.
To protect your personal information and data, then go to your privacy settings by clicking Start, then Settings, then Privacy. From there you can change how your computer uses your information from your location, microphone, camera, etc. You might also want to click on Feedback & Diagnostics and change the Feedback Frequency to “never” and Diagnostic and Usage Data to “basic” to prevent Microsoft from gathering random information.
If you are concerned about your private information, then you should not create a Microsoft account at start up. By not creating an account, your activity and information will be local to your computer and won’t be sent to Microsoft to further piece together your identity. To delete or mange your Microsoft account, go to Settings, then Accounts, then Your Account.
Your privacy is also at stake when you are using the internet. Microsoft Edge, (the new version of Internet Explorer), sends your internet browsing history to Microsoft to improve Cortana. To prevent the sharing of your browsing history in the settings for Microsoft Edge, go to Advanced Settings, then click View Advanced Settings, and under Privacy and Services turn off “Have Cortana Assist Me in Microsoft Edge.” And while you’re at it, back in the Privacy and Services menu turn off “use page prediction to speed up browsing, improve reading, and make my overall experience better.”
Cortana seems to be one of the most intrusive components of Windows 10 because she has to gather so much information from you. She collects anything from location, to contacts, to even speech and handwriting data. And all your interactions with Cortana are stored in the cloud. If you are suspicious about the data Cortana collects from you, you can adjust your settings and clear your data that she has learned from you.
While Windows 10 is very customizable and has a lot of neat features, there are some security aspects that could be concerning. At Computer Doctor, we want to protect you and make sure all your personal information is safe.
If you are worried about your privacy or need assistance in setting up your new Windows 10 computer, please give us a call at 862-7019! You can also stop in at 50 Main Road North in Hampden or come to Reboot Computer Services at 88 South Main Street in Brewer.
Merry Christmas and take 25% off any service if you come see us and mention this article before January 25!
You’re scrolling your Facebook feed and checking your email when you remember you left those cookies in the oven! You set your laptop down on the couch and run to the kitchen. Your trusty golden retriever follows you everywhere, so when you run off the couch, he follows! But his excitement moves your laptop just enough to slide off of the couch and land sideways on your hardwood floor.
Ouch!
It isn’t until you go back into the living room to gingerly inspect your laptop for damage. You open it up and see the devastation that has occurred– the display has lines everywhere in all different colors and keeps flickering, not to mention the crack that is spreading across the screen.
Does this sound similar to a situation you’ve been in? We understand how hard it is to look at your beloved laptop and see a shattered screen or a rainbow of colors that shouldn’t be there.
The Computer Doctor can help you! There are two highly skilled technicians in the shop that will remove the broken screenn right now and install a brand new one for you. The parts we use are the highest quality; this means your new screen won’t be flimsy and easy to break. It will be the same quality as the screen you received with your laptop originally or higher!
We often find ourselves fixing the mistakes of others. Many repair shops don’t have technicians that have the experience and training we have, so they are fixing devices without the skills required to do a competent repair. What ends up happening is that those devices develop problems after the repair, and often the screens they install can be of inferior quality and can easily crack. I don’t think there is anyone that would want that to happen after just getting their laptop repaired.
At the Computer Doctor, we specialize in all types of computer repairs. Computer Doctor is a full service repair center; we repair hardware and software ailments on all brands of PC’s as well as the full range of Apple products, from iMac’s to iPod’s. We have you covered!
We are located at 50 Main Road North in Hampden, Maine; across the street from the Circle K in the same building as Rivertown Family Eye Care. You can also call us anytime at (207) 862-7019.
Mention this article and receive an additional 5% off your screen replacement for any device until December 9, 2015!
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To go along with the brand new software updates, Microsoft obviously had to upgrade their hardware as well. They are introducing a more powerful 
variety of purposes. When linked, you can use the Dial to easily navigate menus; however, it reaches its prime usage when paired with the Surface Studio. When the Dial is placed on the screen of the Studio, it brings up menus or tools specific to the app you’re using.
