Anthony J Chuchman

10/31/2015

We're changing our clocks tonight, and many people are confused by daylight savings times and how it can affect computers. Let me try to explain (or confuse)!

All computers and network equipment on the Internet are synchronized to one specific time zone located at 0° longitude called Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Local times are calculated by adding or subtracting hours as you move further east or west from UTC.

When you do things online, like watch a movie or play games, your computer's clock needs to be in synchronization with all the other servers and network equipment that it must communicate with to get the data you want (and trust me, it's a lot and can be well over 1,000!)

If your computer's time, date, or time zone are off, you'll experience unusual intermittent problems with just about everything your do.

In the United States, we have six (yes, six!) time zones, and because we are west of 0° longitude, we have to count backwards to set our clocks.

Eastern (EST) time is 5 hours behind universal time, or written as UTC -05:00 in computer speak.

Central (CST) is 6 hours behind so it's, UTC -06:00

Mountain (MST) is UTC -07:00

Pacific (PST) is UTC -08:00

Alaska (AKST) is UTC -09:00

Hawaii–Aleutian (HAST) is UTC -10:00

Don't forget that during the summer, we go into Daylight Savings Time (March - November), so replace "S" with "D" and subtract an hour. (i.e. EST becomes EDT and UTC -04:00).

Here's a great video from iYogi that shows you how to change your time zone in Windows 8!

Watch this video tutorial and learn the steps to change the time zone of your Windows® 8 based PC. For any tech issues, feel free to call iYogi™ at 1-877-524...

07/20/2014

Trying to recover data on a client's failing hard drive (pictured on right).

The computer was thought to be infected with malware that was slowing down performance; however, it turns out the the spindle motor in the hard drive is failing, causing the platters to spin slowly.

The recovery process is slow as the drive is only able to copy data at a turtle speed of 100 KB/s, causing the transfer of 7Gb to take over 5 hours.

07/20/2014

Have you backed up your important files lately?

Computer hard drives typically have a life of 3 - 5 years; often less in portable devices.

Protect your important data and back up at least once a month.

06/29/2014

Is that program you just downloaded the only thing you're installing?

Some programs you download may have "companion" software hidden in it. Always choose to use the "custom install" option and read all installation screens to opt-out of these hidden malicious programs.

06/25/2014

Make sure to review my services on Angie's List!

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06/21/2014

Using a duster to clean out your laptop's cooling vent is great preventative maintenance; however, it is important to chock the fan to prevent it from spinning at high speeds, which can cause premature failure and result in an overheated processor.

Always make sure to trust your computers to a qualified technician to ensure proper maintenance and a long life.

06/20/2014

Did you know that removable USB jump drives can be carriers for worms and viruses that can infect your computer and compromise your sensitive information?

Never open an e-mail attachment that you were not expecting to receive and always scan foreign USB drives before you access any of the drive's files.

06/19/2014

$49.99 PC Tune-Up Special going on now!