Smitty's It Support

11/15/2017

If you are thinking about purchasing a new computer, think about what you will use it for. If you are using it for just email or surfing the web then you will not need that much RAM or a high end CPU. If you are storing a lot of videos or pictures they can take up a lot of space on a hard drive. I have a 500GB hard drive and it is almost full of family pictures and videos. Along with that, think about what type of computer you want... Desktop, laptop, netbook, tablet. There are a lot of options so don't be afraid to ask about what you really need.

11/08/2017

When it comes to printers I would suggest going with a laser printer if you can afford it. You will probably get more prints for the price of toner over ink.

09/20/2017

I haven't had to use this until today, but Android has a find phone/lock/remote wipe feature built in just like an iPhone. Go to https://www.google.com/android/find and plug in your google account. The site for iPhones is https://www.apple.com/icloud/find-my-iphone/. Both require the feature to be turned on on the phone itself before use. My android had it on automatically. The setting was under settings>Security>Device administrators>Find my Device. See the following site for iPhone setup and details for both types of devices. http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/how-find-my-phone-track-lost-android-iphone-or-windows-phone-3610199/

Find My Device makes it easy to locate, ring, or wipe your device from the web.

09/17/2017

There will be an electronics recycling collection on October 6th and 7th in Snyder County. See the following link for more information. There is a small charge.

09/06/2017

Remember, I'm around if you have any computer/technology questions. I'd be glad to help.

09/06/2017

It has been a very long while. A coworked shared this article while I was working. Be careful if you decide to call a random number back, it might be an international toll number and you could get charged! https://www.forbes.com/sites/josephsteinberg/2014/02/01/dont-return-calls-from-these-area-codes-its-a-scam/

A scam that repeats itself in modified forms every few years is once again spreading throughout the United States. Don’t be a victim! Criminals target people simply by calling them. Intended victims receive a call on their phones from area code 473 which rings once and then disconnects, thereby arou...

05/30/2017

You may have heard about WannaCry ransomware in the news. This goes to show that it pays to keep up to date. From what I read, most of the computers that were infected were Windows XP which has not been supported for a while now. What that means is there are no more security patches to fix vulnerabilities like this. As long as Windows 7 users and others installed Windows updates they should have been fine because Microsoft had already created a patch to prevent the ransomware. Keep yourself safe, have anti-virus up to date and install those Windows updates.

03/18/2017

If your computer is running slow, check out task manager. Hit ctrl + shift + esc or right click the task bar (bottom center) and select it. Under the performance tab you can see if your ram or CPU is being maxed out. It could be a virus, a faulty program, not enough RAM or CPU to handle the work, or something else (antivirus programs can be resource hog themselves when scanning). You can then check the processes tab to see what is taking up the resources. Be careful if you end processes. Do your research. Some are required for things to run correctly.

02/10/2017

Here is something that may help IPhone users.

Get rid of that annoying icon once and for all.

02/08/2017

My last post I mentioned a couple screen shot short cuts...

Print Screen key = Allows you to paste an image of your entire screen
Alt + Print Screen Key = Allows you to paste an image of your active window.

I couldn't leave out one of my favorite tools that I use almost everyday. It is called the Snipping Tool. It is a built in tool in Windows. It allows you to make a selection on your screen and paste/save that as an image. It is great for making small/custom selections (there are multiple options). It also allows you highlight the image and add text to it.

I got the picture of the Snipping Tool by using the Snipping Tool that is attached to this post.

All you need to do to use this tool is search for "Snipping Tool" on your Windows Vista or later pc. Enjoy!

02/04/2017

It has been a while so here is something to help you in your everyday computer use... keyboard shortcuts! If you want to use your computer more efficiently, try learning a few of these. In case you didn't know, it is entirely possibly to work your computer without a mouse!

Ctrl + A = Select All
Ctrl + C = Copy
Ctrl + X = Cut
Ctrl+ V = Paste
Ctrl + Z = Undo
Ctrl + P = Print
Ctrl + S = Save
Ctrl + B = Bold
Ctrl + U = Underline
Ctrl + I = Italics
Ctrl + Shift + Esc = Task Manager
Ctrl + Shift + Delete = Options - Task Manager/Change Password/Lock/Switch User/Logoff
Alt + Tab = Toggle Windows/Programs
Alt + F4 = Close Window/Program
Windows Key + L = Lock screen
Windows Key + P = Change displays (for multiple monitors or projector use)
Shift + Delete = Delete Permanently (skip emptying the recycle bin or deleted emails)
F5 = Refresh (Windows explorer and Internet Browsers)
Print Screen key = Allows you to paste an image of your entire screen
Alt + Print Screen Key = Allows you to paste an image of your active window.

Don't forget about your Page Up, Page Down, Home and End keys. They can help you easily navigate multi page documents.

Even if you can learn a couple of these, they can help save you some time.

02/03/2017

Something that I accomplished a little while ago and am proud of are my CompTIA certifications. I worked hard to study for and pass the exams. The process helped me to learn all about computers and networking. I am proud to say I am CompTIA A+ and Network+ certified.