Computer Remote Support Tips

Not all antivirus programs are created equal. While PC users have a range of helpful antivirus programs at their disposal that will work hard to keep your computer protected against viruses and other malicious programs, not all antivirus programs are as helpful as they appear.

That’s because some antivirus programs are really malicious software disguised as a helpful program. The computer remote support team at Kingpin Computers has encountered a few of these recently, and it looks like we’re not the only ones.

Microsoft announced last week that a program called “Security Essentials” looks a lot like Microsoft’s own “Microsoft Security Essentials” program. It actually contains a damaging Trojan. It will monitor your system process and terminate ones that it doesn’t like, and claim that they are viruses. It will also recommend that you upgrade to a full, paid version of the software. If you’ve suddenly been getting messages like these from a program that looks like it’s from Microsoft, call for our computer remote support services today.

Another fake antivirus program goes even farther by offering what appears to be live PC support. This program calls itself Live PC Care. After installing, it will claim that the PC has viruses and it will give users the option to connect to a live support person via instant messaging. Apparently, the support staff will try to convince people to order the paid antivirus suite.

There are more out there. At this point, there may even be more fake antivirus programs out there than real ones. How do you know your antivirus program is one of the good ones? We can help you choose the antivirus program that fits your needs. Call us today or email us about computer remote support. It’s fast, effective, and comprehensive.

PC Repair in Cleveland: Your PC can Work as You Sleep

One great thing about computers is that they don’t need to sleep. But if you’re like most people, you probably power down your PC when you go to bed. There’s really nothing wrong with that, but our PC repair in Cleveland experts like to get the most out of every computer we work with. That’s why we’ve gathered a list of tasks you can have your computer perform while you’re fast asleep.

One of the most useful tasks that our PC repair in Cleveland team has discovered are the backup, updating and cleaning tasks that every PC needs if it’s going to keep performing at the top of its game.

The first thing you can do while you doze is to backup your hard drive. Whether you use your PC for business your personal life, or both, chances are there are files and programs that you don’t want to lose. Whether you choose to backup your files to an online storage space on the Internet or to an external hard drive, our PC repair in Cleveland team knows that it can take a while. For a roundup of the five best online backup services, check out this post on LifeHacker.

The next thing you can set up your PC to do overnight is to repair your hard drive. You may be thinking that your hard drive is fine. And it probably is. But regular defragmentation and checking for errors will help keep it that way for a long time. Our team of PC repair in Cleveland pros recommend scheduling hard drive maintenance one night every week or so. This is also a great time to make sure your computer is up to date. If you’re a Windows user, scheduling regular updates at night with Widows Update is a great way to keep everything running smoothly while not having to deal with Windows downloading updates while you’re trying to get work done.

But that’s just the beginning of what your PC can do while you sleep. Next week, we’ll discuss how you can use your PC for more altruistic purposes while you’re sleeping by letting its processing power be used for important research functions.

The Top 3 Protocols for Cleveland Remote Support

In a previous blog post, we listed five popular and powerful applications that were well-suited to help people in Cleveland get remote support with computers. But what we didn’t discuss was the different methods that are available in Cleveland for remote support. There are several ways that one can access a PC remotely in Cleveland. Remote support applications will probably use one of these three methods.

1. Virtual Network Computing. Called VNC for short, virtual network computing is a graphical system that can transmit keyboard and mouse inputs from one computer to another. VNC is platform-independent. A computer running one operating system can connect to a computer running a completely different one. There are a lot of variants of VNC, including the Apple Remote Desktop program, MetaVNC, and the .NET VNC Viewer.
2. NX. Another platform for Cleveland remote support is NX technology. It’s a program that runs on the X Window System, a popular graphic user interface that has been used for networked computers for a while. Because it’s built for efficiency, remote PC programs that use NX technology are good for slower connections in Cleveland. Remote support under NX technology can also offer superior network security, as it’s easy to use programs running NX in Cleveland for remote support that offers SSH security. Popular NX programs include FreeNX, and the NoMachine NX suite.
3. Remote Desktop Protocol. Also known as RDP, this protocol was developed by Microsoft. It’s another graphical interface protocol, with applications created for Windows, Windows Mobile, and even the Mac OS X.  RDP can support different types of network topologies and multiple LAN protocols. Some applications that use RDP include Microsoft’s Remote Desktop program, CoRD for Mac OS X and the command-line UNIX program rdesktop.

While these are probably the three protocols you’ll encounter most often while networking in Cleveland, remote support remains a large area with many choices. Some programs like Connection Manager and RDPMan can manage more than one protocol, and there is a range or other remote support protocols. Want to know more about accessing PCs via a network in Cleveland? Remote support is our specialty. Contact Kingpin Computers today with any questions.

Data Recovery and Computer Repair for Cheap in Cleveland Ohio

As anyone who has lost a hard drive’s worth of valuable information knows, keeping your computer in top working order is important. While there are several different ways one can backup their files, sometimes a hard drive failure or hard drive crash will mean lost information for even those who apply the most careful data backup practices. But there’s good news for those who fear they may have lost important files forever: Kingpin Computers offers expert data recovery services for computer repair for cheap in Cleveland Ohio.

If your hard drive stops functioning like it should, don’t throw it out just yet. The data recovery services we offer as a part of our package for computer repair for cheap in Cleveland Ohio may be able to recover some or all of your data. Hard drive failures happen a lot. The best way to keep your computer safe is to know when your hard drive is having problems. Here are the leading indicators of hard drive damage that can lead to data loss:

• The hard drive starts to make a clicking sound
• The hard drive starts so smell burnt, or smoke appears
• The hard drive shows evidence of infection by a computer virus
• The operating system doesn’t boot
• The PC keeps restarting
• You notice missing files or folders

And our data recovery and computer repair for cheap in Cleveland Ohio services doesn’t just end at internal hard drives. We can also extract data from damaged thumb drives, optical media, and other types of removable storage and media. And since time can be of the essence when data loss is an issue, you can rely on our experts to offer speedy service. If you think you’ve lost critical files, don’t despair just yet. You can count on our expert computer repair for cheap in Cleveland Ohio services to do all we can to help you recover your data.