FAQ's

Answers we like to give

You've got questions. Or you should have questions. We've got answers. Listed here are many of the things people want to know or should know. If you have a question not listed and you've searched the site already, give us a call or an email. We're easy to talk to and we take the time to impart what you need.


The Internet
FAQ 1

What is the internet, and what is it used for?

The internet is a bunch of computers hooked together to provide information. It's like a huge encyclopedia with pictures, graphics, movies, and sound. It's also like a gigantic market, with just about any product for sale that you can think of. But just like there are shady encyclopedia salesman, and shady booth operators at some marketplaces, there are lots of shady operators on the web. And just as you have to be cautious when buying from someone you don't know, you have to be cautious about who you deal with on the web. Your internet browser helps you find the information or products you need.
FAQ 2

A browser is the program you use for, well, browsing the internet. A search engine is another computer program that is slightly different because it picks out information you are looking for from websites. They usually work together, but have different functions. Windows comes with the browser called Internet Explorer, but there are a number of other browsers you can choose from such as Chrome, Firefox and Safari that are faster, more secure, and just work better. You can also pick different search engines to work with your browser.
FAQ 3

The main strength of the internet is information. A web site is just a way to organize that information and make it easy to find. A properly organized and attractively presented web site will educate your business clients more readily. Instead of spending hours on the phone, just refer them to your site. Web sites drastically increase the ability of people to access your products, services or hobby. IF, and this is a big if, the content is there. The better the content, the more people will find it and the higher it goes in the search engines. You might drive some traffic to your site with interesting video or graphics, but if it isn't backed up with good content no one will come back. The more content, and the better it is arranged, the more exposure your company or hobby will have. Even if you want to stay local, a website from Tech Support of Grand Junction can make the difference between being in the spotlight or just lurking in the shadows.
FAQ 4

Simply defined, the Cloud is a bunch of computers that someone else owns connected together by the Internet. Some companies are selling software through the Cloud like a subscription (called Software As Service or SAS). This way you don't have to pay $500.00 for every copy of Microsoft Office for every computer in your company. You just pay a few dollars a month, or pay when you use it. Companies connected to the cloud rent space on their hard drives for you to store your data (pictures, movies, spreadsheets, word processing documents, etc.).
FAQ 5

No, we do not recommend using the cloud unless you have a really good reason. A good reason might be cost-effective software purchases. A bad reason to use the cloud is data storage. Cloud companies like Amazon really want to convince you that the cloud is the answer to the world's problems, but that isn't true. Your financial data, for instance, all by itself is not much of a target for a hacker. But put a thousand files of financial data on a server somewhere from a thousand clients and now you have a mouth-watering target for a hacker.
FAQ 6

Hacking is slang for a computer program or series of programs that attack or "hack" at another computer like a hatchet on a log trying to find a way to get the data it contains. There are white hat hackers (good guys doing good things) and black hats (the bad guys, of course). It used to be much easier (decades ago) to hack another computer. Nowadays it is nearly impossible. Otherwise you wouldn't still be getting calls from criminal telemarketers or seeing popup fake warnings on your computer trying to lure you into calling and buying phony services. Have you ever seen a description in a news article about how the hacking of a huge company computer like Target or Equifax took place? They never tell you because most probably neither the computer hardware or software was hacked. What was most likely "hacked" was a person. Someone who controls information in the company either screwed up and someone found a password, or a disgruntled employee decided to sell access to the computer to the black market. Companies don't want you to know this because the people who run the computers can be hacked more easily than the hardware or software. Generally you don't have to worry about it as long as you are careful about allowing programs to install and have a good virus protection software like ESET.
The Need For Speed
FAQ 8

Several possibilities. One, something might be starting to break, such as a hard drive. Two, programs called TSR's (terminate and stay resident) over time get loaded into your computer's startup routine. They clutter the working memory (RAM which stands for Random Access Memory) and limit the amount of memory available for processing other tasks. Three, an invasion by a virus or worm has gummed up the programming. Four, software called 'adware' has been installed. Part of it is taking up your computer's working memory with TSR's. Five, new programs are bigger and require more RAM. You may not have enough. Six, your internet provider has slow service for some reason.

Malicious software can slow down your computer by loading up RAM (operating memory) with junk and making it harder for other programs to run (because they don't have enough RAM). Or the malware is reporting back to another website with your personal information, such as the keys you are pressing as you do your work.

Another thing that can slow down your computer is perception. If you have two different computers you use regularly (say, one at home and one at work) and one of them seems slower, it's probably because the slower one is older. Newer computers are designed for greater speed, so the older computer will be slower no matter how many TSR's are removed. You'll think something is wrong with the slower one but it's just, well, old and slow.

If you have dial-up internet access (or DSL, otherwise known as digital subscriber line) on one computer, and cable access on the other, the phone line computer will be slower, without question. Cable is anywhere from three to five or six times as fast (or more) at data transfer than DSL or modem transfer.

If your speed problem is with the internet, it's probably because more and more web sites have all kinds of data (photos, videos, audio) to give you and your computer just can't handle it. You need more RAM to be able to handle larger files such as DVD's and pictures or music.

FAQ 9

The short answer is no. Most of them are what is called a 'registry cleaner.' Registry cleaning usually causes more problems than it solves (depending on the program used), and the registry is not always the place from which speed problems come. A reduction in speed generally comes from extra programs (like TSR's) either taking up working memory (RAM) or interfering with the system (viruses, worms, advertising). Cleaning the registry will not take care of these problems. So why are so many companies trying so hard to give away a free 'speed improvement?' Because it is a good way to get you to buy other stuff they have for sale. There is a 'speed limit' on your computer, which is the maximum speed at which your processor, RAM, motherboard, and hard drive can work together. Older computers are slower, newer computers are faster. Cheap computers are slower (and don't last as long) than more expensive computers. Computers built by Tech Support are much faster because we make sure the components are the best you can afford and they work together better than those from the big box stores.
FAQ 10

Speed is affected by pretty much two things: the processor (CPU) speed (and number) and the amount (and type) of RAM (random access memory). There are other factors too, such as the speed of the hard drive and temperature, but they don't affect speed as much as the CPU and RAM. However, there is a cost premium associated with speed, but not in gas or engines as with automobiles. CPU's with greater clock speed (that's the number after the CPU type on the box, usually expressed in gigahertz) cost more than slower ones. RAM price is not only affected by the type (DDR2 is generally slower than DDR3) but the amount. If you just use your computer for a few tasks (like internet, email, a little word processing, and some light bookkeeping) then speed will not be so important, and you can buy an off-the-shelf 'toaster' computer which will probably work for what you want. But if you use the computer more, like we do, then speed is more essential. We've done virus scans on older computers that can take several hours. The same scan on one of our personal computers, which has an i3 dual-core processor and 8 gigabytes of DDR3 RAM (and which has bigger hard drives and take longer to scan) takes about 20 minutes. After the first virus scan, your computer will take less time to do successive scans, but you can see that speed really can make a big difference.
FAQ 11

Yes and no. Sometimes part of your hard drive is used as RAM (random access memory) because you don't have enough of the regular RAM. So then data is shuffled back and forth from the RAM drive (section of the hard drive used as RAM). You don't know this is going on, but it does slow down your processing on occasion. You can get error messages saying there is not enough disk space which contributes to a slowdown too. Generally a full hard drive by itself does not slow down your computer, but it's a good idea to unload some of the data to a DVD or flash drive if you really need to keep it. Or for Windows do a Disk Cleanup (Start/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Cleanup). This will delete a bunch of unused or temporary files and make things easier.
Data Handling
FAQ 12

Absolutely. It's not a question of IF your drive will fail, it's a question of when. Sooner or later your hard drive will fail. You may not think you have much to back up, but it's amazing how much data you can collect in a short time.
FAQ 13

Depends on how much data you have and how important it is. Some songs, a few movies, a couple hundred pictures, your taxes, some email, and a few word processing documents, and pretty soon you are talking real data storage. Hard drives are into the terabyte ranges now because of the need for storing pictures, music and movies. The best backup system will be a balance of storage capacity and cost. An external hard drive is a good choice for many people. Flash drives are okay, but buy good ones and several of them. They can fail just like discs do. DVD's are good but a tad cumbersome. We recommend either several internal hard drives or a good sized external USB hard drive. We like Network Attached Storage devices which is just a box with hard drives in it, but they can be a little more pricey than a USB external or a flash drive. However, they are more automatic, larger, faster, and some of them allow you to access your files over the internet. If you lose a hard drive they are easy to replace and the data is rebuilt automatically.
FAQ 14

On line data storage is great, if you can get on line, and if hackers don't get in to steal or mess up the on line system, and if you don't mind paying every month or year forever. And yes, hacking happens way more often than you hear about. Most reputable companies have back ups and safety systems to protect your data. But anytime you introduce more people into the equation you get greater chances of error. Also, data sent through cyberspace can be collected by other people who are not supposed to get it, even if it is encrypted. They may not be able to break the encryption, but I wouldn't hold my breath. So Tech Support does not recommend depending on the Internet for storing all your data. It's better, and cheaper, to have an NAS or even use several old computers or hard drives for backups than to pay, and pay, and pay for those on line services.
FAQ 15

Sometimes computer files are stored on the hard drive in sections, in different areas of the physical platters that make up the hard drive. So when your computer has to move them to your working memory (RAM) and back, it can take a few extra heartbeats. Defragmenting is a good way to reorganize your drive and put the pieces of files closer together. This makes it easier on your hard drive and your computer to move data around. Defragmenting or defrag for short is a program that puts all the file fragments back together. It helps organize the data on your hard drive, which makes finding it quicker.

You can defragment your hard drive with a simple utility program that comes with most operating systems. In Windows the program is found by clicking Computer then right clicking on the hard drive (C:\) then Properties and the Tools tab. There's a radio button that says Defragment you can click, and the computer does the rest. If you need to defrag a Mac because you use a lot of large files (like videos) then you will need a third party defrag program.

There are trade-offs to using the defrag utility. It really gives your hard disk a workout if it has been a while. On the other hand, if the hard drive is heavily fragmented it can get a workout just trying to find all the file fragments. Tech Support recommends not using the defragment utility very often. If the hard disk is used heavily, perhaps every couple of months. If it is used lightly (like a homeowner with only a little bit of work to do) then you can wait longer. But defragmenting a hard drive that is heavily fragmented will help your computer's speed.

However, with newer drives, having faster features like read-ahead write-behind caching and larger sizes, fragmenting is less of an issue. Macs have some automatic features that keep files from fragmenting too badly. Defragmenting is mostly for older computers that had smaller drives and operating systems that didn't manage data as well as modern drives. So defragmenting is a somewhat of a toss up. It's not as important as it used to be.

FAQ 16

If your computers are not hooked up to a network, then transferring files can be a problem. If the files are few and/or small, then you can use a flash drive or a DVD. These two methods have the advantage of making a backup at the same time. But sometimes you might have a number of large files. Or you might need to transfer files from an old computer or hard drive to a new one. For that Tech Support has two nice tools. One is a USB transfer tool (for Windows an example of this is the Easy Computer Sync transfer cable by Bravura Software). The other is an adapter that requires you to know a little bit more about how a hard drive is installed, because you have to remove the hard drive or unplug wires from the back of it to plug in the adapter. Once it's plugged into the old drive, the other end just plugs into a USB port on the computer you are moving the files to. Or, just come on down to Tech Support and we'll do it for you.
FAQ 17

Yes, we can usually get data off of a failed hard drive. There are two basic types of data recovery - one if the hard drive still physically works, and another if it doesn't. If the drive still works we use a software package to get the data off the drive. If the drive is not physically working, it has to go to our lab for disassembly in a clean room and parts replacement from a donor drive to get it physically working again. Then it takes a lot of specialized work to get the data off. For easy jobs (get the drive working and data extracted without too much trouble) it can cost about $500.00 or so. But if the drive doesn't cooperate too well, it can cost up in the neighborhood of $1,500.00. We can do flash drives (also called thumb drive or USB drive), but they tend to need micro-soldering and other expensive time and are usually in the upper price level for repair.
Apple computers
FAQ 18

Do you work on Mac books or Apple computers?

Yes, we work on Macs. Lots of people like the Apple Macintosh line of computers. They are better at graphics than PC's, they are better built than many PC's and they tend to last longer. But they are also more expensive (comparing apples to apples, pun intended), and some of the models are built as a unit so it's hard to replace parts. If graphics rendering and handling are extremely important to you, then get the Mac. However, remember that the Mac will not last any longer, it may have to be repaired for more money, and it will be outdated just as fast if not faster than a PC (it can't be upgraded very much). Another thing is Microsoft issues patches for problems every week or two. Apple tends to wait longer. In some cases it can be months before they issue an update or patch.
FAQ 19

Yes they can and do get viruses. They are just a smaller part of the market so they aren't as big of a target as Windows machines. Many people think there isn't as much problem with viruses and the like on a Mac. That is true to a certain extent, because the hackers just don't see the benefit of putting in the time developing malware for a small group. But it is getting to be less true all the time, because more people are buying Macs and the hackers are licking their chops. We've already removed viruses from a number of Macs.
Computers
FAQ 20

There is no set answer to this. Sometimes it depends on age. New computers can be pretty inexpensive, and they have greater capabilities than your old one. Other times it depends on how you use it. If you just got a digital camera, for instance, you may find you need lots of storage memory before too long. More storage means more transferring and a bigger hard drive. A bigger hard drive may need a new operating system, and the new operating system may need different system resources (more RAM for instance). A change in needs will usually cause a change in computers.
FAQ 21

Yes, we build computers. Ours are not as inexpensive as what you can find on sale at the local big box store however. There are many advantages to the computers we build, and you can read more about it HERE.
FAQ 22

The computers we build are made of better quality parts, last longer, and are more functional. They do not come with all the advertisements and junk software that many new ones have. You get to customize specifically for what you want. And the ones we build are more easily upgraded.
FAQ 23

The simple answer? Only what you need to do the job you want. If you want to do a little bookkeeping, type some letters, and view some pictures of the relatives, you don't need a lot. But if you want to surf the web without frustration, handle a lot of pictures or maybe design a new home floor plan, you will need something more powerful. Tell us what you are going to do with it, and Tech Support will help you get what you need. No more, no less.
FAQ 24

There are five basic parts to a computer: power supply, motherboard (mobo), processor, RAM, and the hard drive. Usually there will be some other parts too (like a CD/DVD burner/reader) that have memory like the hard drive (just differently constructed).

The power supply is like the heart in your body. It makes the computer go. The motherboard (abbreviated mobo) is like your skeleton and the processor is like your brain. RAM is short term memory in the brain, and the hard drive (or DVD reader) is like long term memory.

When you turn on the power supply, there is a set of instructions imbedded in the mobo that help the computer get started. After it checks itself out with these instructions, the computer goes to the hard drive to find the operating system (Windows, Mac OS, Linux), which tells it more about what to do. It puts some of those operating instructions into RAM (short term or working memory) and (eventually) loads your work area (the Windows desktop for instance). This is also called a GUI or graphical user interface, because you just click on some pictures to make programs execute. When you ask for a program (by clicking on an icon or menu item), the computer gets the information and puts it in RAM, and that's where you work (you can also think of RAM like a chalkboard or whiteboard). When you save your data, the data goes back to the hard drive.

A motherboard nowadays has audio and video outputs on it, as well as a network (LAN which stands for local area network) socket, and USB (stands for universal serial bus) ports. The keyboard, mouse, monitor, and printer plug into the motherboard and are part of this group of devices which are called input/output devices (I/O devices). I/O devices are called that because the operator (that's you) use them to give instructions to the computer (input) and the computer gives you information (output) according to what you asked for. And sometimes even what you didn't ask for.

There are literally millions of math calculations (with one's and zero's) being made when you run programs on the computer. The computer uses eight digit 'words' made up of one's and zero's (like 10011011) to make all the magic happen on your screen (this is called a 'binary' language because it consists of only two characters). Each of the eight digits is called a 'bit.' Every letter and number on the screen is one eight-digit word (called a byte). The binary words to spell the word Computer for instance look like this: 01000011 01101111 01101101 01110000 01110101 01110100 01100101 01110010. There are other languages such as hexidecimal, C language, C++ and so on. A thousand of the binary words is called a kilobyte. A million bytes is a megabyte. With all those numbers flying around, no wonder there can be so many problems sometimes.

FAQ 25

We don't like to upgrade willy-nilly. But every once in a while you're going to upgrade your computer hardware. Why? Not because you want the latest thing, or fall in love with the newest fad, but because your needs will change. This is what drives new software designs. As programs change they need better hardware to perform well. Or as new hardware develops, programs are written to use it. You can save a little money if you wait a while, though. we call this "skipping a generation." We like XP (but also resisted changing to it for a long time). Vista wasn't that big of a deal for us, but we like Windows 7. We skipped a generation. We didn't switch to Windows 8 in 2012, and boy are we glad we didn't. We don't like Windows 10 either, but we'll probably eventually have to go to it because manufacturer's will stop writing driver software for Windows 7. We've done this with many application programs too, except we've skipped several generations. Bruce had Quickbooks 2000 and didn't buy another version until 2005. Then he waited until 2009 to get the next version. They just cost to much to be replacing them every year. We think the software manufacturers come out with new programs with a few improvements just to make money. So don't play their game. Wait until they develop new features that are really several steps better and that you really want to use. You can also save money by looking for slightly older copies of software. For instance, right after they came out with Quickbooks 2010 you could find copies of 2009 around for a lot less money. Same thing with Microsoft Office. If it does the job, don't switch until you have to.
FAQ 26

Adding a monitor can be a great boost for productivity, and maybe even help use up that old CRT monitor stuck in a closet somewhere. It doesn't have to be an expensive proposition, either. Adding a second monitor can be as simple as plugging it in. Another way to do it is to buy one very large screen and just use multiple windows. Some have concluded that extra monitors (or extra screen size/pixels) don't help productivity, but I've used multiple screens for years and I can tell you that if you are doing a lot of work on the computer it really helps a great deal. Right now I've got three screens with two of them showing two open programs of Expression Web 4 (one with the old web site and one with the new) and one showing my Firefox browser with a number of tabs open. I easily switch back and forth, and the screen break up helps me focus. But if you just check your email and browse the web a little, extra screens are too much probably. It's like a desk. If you've got a lot of work, you need a big desk.
Websites
FAQ 27

Web sites drastically increase the ability of people to access your products, services or hobby. IF, and this is a big if, the content is there. The better the content, the more people will find it and the higher it goes in the search engines. You might drive some traffic to your site with interesting video or graphics, but if it isn't backed up with good content no one will come back. The more content, and the better it is arranged, the more exposure your company or hobby will have. Even if you want to stay local, a website from Tech Support of Grand Junction can make the difference between being in the spotlight or just lurking in the shadows.
FAQ 28

Click or tap HERE for a discussion of possible or estimated costs for websites from Tech Support of Grand Junction.
Viruses
FAQ 29

Do I really need virus protection?

If you're really careful, you do not need virus protection. However, it is tough to be that careful. It takes some experience, and getting the experience usually comes the hard way. All it takes is an unintended visit to one malicious web site during a web search to mess up your hard drive thoroughly. So yes, we recommend virus protection software. We feel the best out there right now is ESET. It doesn't load your memory down and is very quick to pick up on anything that even acts like a virus. ESET doesn't cost a lot and is extremely effective. Much more so than the other major software out there today.
FAQ 30

Don't panic. We've got help for you if your computer contracts a virus. Click or tap HERE to go to our page on help for viruses.
FAQ 31

No. The free programs, or free versions of the paid programs, are not complete and go quickly out of date. You need to pay for a subscription if you really want full protection. Tech Support recommends ESET. If a product was really good, would you give it away for free?
FAQ 32

Without reservation we recommend ESET. The basic package for Windows is NOD32 and is usually enough for most people. There are other products they make for different purposes too. ESET does not load or slow down your system, updates itself frequently, and can frequently detect malware that hasn't been identified yet.
Helpful Definitions
FAQ 33

A flash, thumb or jump drive is a small plug-in device about the size of your thumb for storage of files. Click or tap HERE for more on these drives.
FAQ 34

Making a website look like somebody else's website. Frequently with official logos and graphics. HERE for more.
FAQ 35

Combination of the words 'false' and 'fishing.' Usually an email that is official-looking supposedly from a legitimate company asking for personal information such as passwords or social security numbers. HERE for more.
FAQ 36

A voice mail that sounds like it's from your bank or something, asking for a confirmation number and then also asking for personal information. HERE for more and how to fight it.
FAQ 37

Same type of thing as phishing and vishing only with text messages. The text looks like it's from your bank or financial institution and asks for personal information. Always call the institution directly. Never send personal information by text, email or phone. HERE for more.
FAQ 38

Malicious software that tries to convince you that your computer has a virus. Also called ransomware. Asks for money to clean the supposed infection, then when the money is paid more malicious software is installed on your computer!
FAQ 40

Software that is used primarily for destructive purposes that behaves much like a virus in human bodies. It generally disrupts your computer's operations in different ways, depending on what is vulnerable. Sort of like a virus in your body that succeeds because your immune system is weak. If your operating system is not updated, or a new weakness is discovered by the black hats, then a virus is developed that takes advantage. A good anti-virus program like ESET and keeping your system updated is the cure for most of them.
FAQ 41

Short for malicious software, an all-encompassing term for software with bad intentions.
FAQ 42

Spyware is software designed to unobtrusively take up residence in your computer and send information to the bad guys. Sometimes this might be what is called a key logger, meaning it records all your keyboard keys as you press them. Sometimes it is more insidious and sends personal information from the programs you use. Sometimes it is as simple as advertising that records which websites you visit.
FAQ 43

Like the name implies, a trojan is a malicious piece of software designed to be welcomed into your computer as if it is not harmful, then wreak destruction once it is inside. They can act like a worm, or be much more malicious in just wiping the hard drive or destroying system files.
FAQ 44

A worm is sneaky piece of software that can go undetected in a computer and steal information. Its actions are hard to detect because usually a worm doesn't shut down or damage the computer. Far from it. A worm would rather keep the host healthy while it is doing its damage.
FAQ 45

Lightscribe is something a DVD burner can have which marks the disk with a laser. Kind of like a built in label maker. The lettering can be a little light, to make a pun, and some like it while others can live without it.
FAQ 46

A program that allows you to browse the internet. Popular browsers are Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Brave and Opera. Tech Support recommends you have at least two browsers installed on your computer, especially if you use a Microsoft program like Explorer or Edge. If one browser gets messed up, you can use the other to still get online.
FAQ 47

Stands for network attached storage. Basically a box with hard drives. It doesn't have a monitor, keyboard or mouse because it is controlled from a regular desktop or laptop. Smaller units have two to four hard drives. The data is stored on the hard drives in such a way that a failed hard drive can be replaced without losing data.
Putting the person back in personal computers!

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