TFC - Technical Support

Why does my computer run a lot slower than it did when I first bought it?

When you bought your computer it probably came with the operating system already installed and it was clean of all problems and maximized to provide the best performance for that computer. Over time as you use your computer and add more programs to your system, the operating system takes longer to prepare your computer for your use each time you start up the computer. Some programs, when you install them, require a component of that program to run, in the background, all the time your computer is working. The more programs that are actively running on your computer at the same time the slower your computer appears to run because your computer has to do all this extra work as well as run the program that you want to work with. Your computer may have other more subversive programs running on it that you may not be aware of like spyware, trojans, worms, viruses’ malicious adware, hijacker programs etc. that will contribute to slow operation of your computer. It may be necessary for you to bring in your computer for a tech to clean up software problems and get your computer back into efficient running order.

Do computers get slower as they get older?

Computers run at the speed they were engineered for. If you have an older computer and install a new program that requires more processing power than your computer can provide, your computer will run abnormally slow while running this program. The program forces the computer to do more work than it can do efficiently so the time the computer takes to complete the task at hand appears to be too long. The more work you force your computer to do, the longer it takes to finish the tasks you have assigned. There is also a perception that your computer is running slower and slower when it is compared to a newer computer that can work faster and accomplish the same tasks in a shorter period of time. The same slow down can apply if you upgrade to a newer operating system. When a new operating system is released, it is designed to work best on the latest computers available on the market. Your computer if it is a few years old may lack the resources that are required to run the new operating system efficiently. We recommend that you do not upgrade to the latest operating system without first researching the compatibility of your current computer and the new OS. We would further recommend that you do not upgrade with the expectations of a new operating system correcting problems you may be experiencing with your current OS. The exiting problems your computer has will be carried over with the upgrade and may even be worse. Our advise would be to start with a fresh installation when changing to a newer OS rather than upgrading your old OS. This could save many hours of grief.

Can I upgrade my computer to make it go faster?

Yes, there may be things that can be added to your computer to increase the performance. Upgrading a computer to increase it’s performance is only restricted by the technology that has been incorporated into the design and engineering of the motherboard. You can bring your computer into the store for a FREE evaluation, by a professional who can examine your system and advise you what can be done and for what cost.

How much does it cost to upgrade?

Upgrading your computer could be defined as adding any piece of hardware or software to your computer that increases its performance or functionality. As a result upgrade costs are relative to the specific item you wish to add to your computer. There is no general price for an upgrade. If you are considering a major upgrade such as a motherboard, CPU and memory, please call the store at (519)474-2668 to find out what special package prices are currently available or e-mail us today.

Can I upgrade to a faster processor?

Age of your computer and availability of parts are determining factors when it comes to upgrading your CPU. Every motherboard is engineered to accommodate technology that is available at the time of design and they may include support for new processors that are in the wings as well. As time goes by, technology changes and produces faster and faster CPU's and the support technology built into the motherboard changes as well. This means that your computer, depending on its age, may not support newer processors. Because manufacturers do not keep producing older processors, it may be difficult to locate a CPU to maximize the performance potential of your computer. Taking advantage of our FREE evaluation service can provide you with the information to help you with upgrade choices.

When is a computer too old?

A computer is never too old as long as it continues to do the work that you expect it to do. A computer only becomes outdated when you find it necessary to upgrade the programs you wish to run and your current computer no longer meets the minimum requirements that the program demands. It may be possible to upgrade your current computer with more memory or a bigger hard drive for storage to accommodate the new program you wish to install. If you are not sure, we offer a FREE evaluation of your computer to help you decide to upgrade or replace the computer.

How do I know if I can use new hardware with my computer?

If you want to add new equipment to your computer and you are not sure what the specifications of your computer are or if the new equipment can be used with your computer, bring your computer into our shop for a FREE evaluation of your system and recommendations of hardware compatibility.

Will my computer benefit from more memory or a larger hard drive?

Any computer can benefit from more memory or a bigger hard drive. More memory helps the computer to run programs more efficiently by allowing more active functions of the programs to be stored in memory saving the amount of time the processor spends swapping information to and from the hard drive. A hard drive is a storage device that stores all the programs you have installed and the information you have saved in your computer. When your hard drive becomes close to being full the performance of your computer can become seriously compromised and cause it to run much slower. A new hard drive added to your computer provides you with more storage capacity for programs and data. A second hard drive also offers you the opportunity to store all your documents, music, pictures etc. on another drive which reduces the risk of data loss when you find it necessary to format and restore your operating system.

How long should it take to repair a computer?

Most computer repairs will take from one to three hours to complete. The only real holdup for repairs is waiting for parts and most parts are only a day away. We will provide you with a FREE estimate of repair costs before repairs are started. If your computers may require more than three hours for repairs we would offer to discuss other alternatives to reduce the costs before proceeding with repairs. We will do our best to return your repaired computer to you within 24hrs. or less after you have confirmed approval of the estimate. Most computers we receive for repairs, if dropped off in the morning are ready by the afternoon or, if dropped off in the afternoon, are ready the following day. We believe you shouldn’t have to wait for weeks to have your computer repaired.

Is it necessary to keep the disks that came with my computer?

The software disks and license code numbers that were part of the package when you purchased your computer are a very important component of your computer system and should be kept in a safe place. In the event of a serious problem occurring with your computer’s operating system or hard drive, you will have the software available to restore your computer back to the way it was when you purchased it. Your computer may become infected with a virus, or other malicious software, that does so much damage that the only cost effective way to recover from this type of disaster, is to restore the software from the original disks. Almost all computer users experience a serious failure with their system sometime sooner or later. Keeping the original disks available in the event of a failure can greatly reduce the cost to return to full operation. When you sell or give your old computer to someone else, the original disks and license numbers should accompany the computer to the next owner. These disks are just as important to the next user as they were for you.

Can I connect my computer to the internet?

Essentially any computer can be connected to the internet as long as it has the appropriate hardware for internet access (a modem or network card ). The age of your computer will determine if it is feasible to connect or not. Old computers run much slower than newer ones and may provide very slow results when connecting to modern web pages that contain a lot of graphical information. If you are unsure of the specifications of your computer, bring it into the store, anytime, for a FREE evaluation by a professional who can advise you on the potential of your computer.

How do I protect myself from viruses when connected to the internet?

If you are going to access the internet, you need to add protection to your computer to help prevent your computer from becoming infected. Without protection your computer is bound to become infected sooner than later. Your best protection is a good virus protection program. There are free ones you can download from the internet or there are ones you can purchase from any computer store. Some of the free ones can provide good protection but may not be as capable of providing the same level of protection as a good purchased program. Virus data file upgrades can be downloaded free from the manufacturer of the program, purchased programs only provide free downloads for a year at which time you would be required to renew your subscription to continue receiving upgrades. We would recommend upgrading every week at the very least. You are only protected from the latest viruses when you have downloaded the latest protection data files. For more details check out our Internet Security page.

Do I need a firewall?

A firewall is a software program or programmable piece of hardware, such as a router, that can detect and control traffic in and out of your computer. Firewalls monitor requests for access to your computer from the internet and request from programs on your computer to access the internet. The importance of having the ability to prevent a program from the internet accessing your computer or a program on your computer accessing the internet is just as important as a program to monitor for viruses that might want to infect your computer. Just like anti virus programs there are free firewall programs available from the internet but your level of protection is increased by extended features offered by a good quality program you would purchase either from a computer store or from a reliable Internet site. Hardware devices such as routers can offer even more reliable protection than software. We would suggest that all computers connected to the Internet should have, at the very least, a good firewall program. For more information, check out our Internet Security page.

What is adware and spyware?

Adware and spyware are small programs that can be installed on your computer without your knowledge that monitor and log your activities on your computer and send the information back to the individual or company that placed the program on your computer. These programs can be part of a cookie sent by a web page you have accessed, or are installed as an unannounced component of a free program you download and install on your computer. These programs have the potential to seriously compromise the performance of your computer by constantly logging your Internet activity and reporting the results to the author of the program. These programs run in the background while your computer is running and a lot of them running can slow down your computer. For more information follow this link to our information page on Internet Security.

How do I know if my computer is infected?

If you do not have anti virus or firewall software installed you may not be aware if your computer is infected. Some signs that your computer may be infected:

1. Your computer is running much slower than it used to.
2. Strange things are happening when your computer is running programs.
3. Computer crashes may occur regularly.
4. Unexplained things pop up on the screen.
5. Access to the internet may be difficult sometimes or connection may not be available.
6. You may not be able to get your e-mail all the time.
7. When you are on line you may be constantly getting pop-ups on your screen, or even when you are not accessing the Internet.
8. If you have antivirus software and you can’t run your antivirus program to scan your system you are probably infected.

If you suspect you may be infected with something, bring your computer in for repairs as soon as possible. Some virus type programs can do more damage as time goes by and infect more and more files on your computer.

If I get infected how much does it cost to fix it?

The cost of repairs to infected computers can vary greatly based on the nature of the infection. Some viruses or programs infecting your computer can be detected and removed with a repair tool provided by anti virus software suppliers while other infections may not be as easy to detect and remove. Some viruses can do a lot of damage to your system software and undoing the damage can be a time consuming and difficult task. The longer your computer remains infected the more damage it could potentially do to your computer. The risk of infection on the internet is very high and it is worth the expense of protection before you access the internet. The biggest threat for infecting personal computers is malicious adware, hijack, keystroke programs etc. that reduce the performance of your computer and affect your Internet access or even extract sensitive personal information.

Our number one goal is to repair your computer and have it back to you as soon as possible. We understand how hard it is to be without your computer for an unreasonable amount of time so we will do your repairs in most cases within 24Hrs. When you bring your computer in for repair, we will check out your system and call you with a FREE estimate on repair costs. When you provide approval for repairs, the repairs will be performed and returned to you within 24 hrs. Some delays may occur when parts have to be ordered that may increase the wait time for completion of repairs.