Posted by geoff on May 28, 2010, 5:37 PM in Portland Computer Repair - Comments(0)
Hello Portland Computer Repair Fans,
It’s been awhile since my last posting. I’ve been very busy and guess I'm not willing to do this at 1am like most devoted bloggers.
Not much has changed at Computer Lift Portland Computer Repair in the last few months. We have tweaked our operation a bit to meet demand. May has been extremely active. Maybe it is because of the gloomy weather. Even if it means less business, I can’t wait for the warmup.
Computer Lift recently got another fake negative review on Google. It’s obviously from local competition. The first time this happened, about 18 months ago, it really upset me. It doesn’t bother me as much now, but I would like it to stop. I imagine that other repair shops would be better served by focusing on the best customer service possible and good repairs, not lying about another company that does it better. It must be uncomfortable for another shop to be forced to do that out of desperation. They’ll probably not be around much longer. I’m going to keep my head down and focus on what I do best, outstanding customer service and repairs.
We had a customer a couple days ago, that dropped their laptop just a foot or so onto carpet. Their computer didn’t boot anymore. I asked if it was running at the time. It was.
When a hard drive gets bumped while running, the chances of damage go up exponentially. I invited them in to have us take look. The hard drive was removed to find it was not spinning up, but clicking instead. Not a good sign.
The lesson is backup you data! You never know when or how your data might get lost. They were shocked that such small tumble onto carpet was all it took to damage the hard drive.
They decided not to have it replaced but instead invest that money in a new laptop. I advised they could sell the laptop, minus the broken hard drive, and apply that to a new computer. I spent over 30 minutes with them, printed out the best replacement laptop for their budget, and didn’t charge a dime. That is great customer service. To whoever keeps attacking my company, take notes.
Sincerely,
Geoff - Owner
Computer Lift - Portland Computer Repair & Support
Posted by geoff on May 28, 2010, 1:43 PM in Portland Computer Repair - Comments(0)
Hello Portland Computer Repair Fans,
At Computer Lift – Portland Computer Repair, we see computers that are infected with viruses and spyware every day.
An example of a common infection is a “rogue” program that pretends you are infected. As soon as you agree and let it scan your computer, you are infected. From that point on, every time you boot, the fake anti-virus program pops up, and takes over your computer. Sometimes your computer will crash or freeze because of the rogue program.
Many customers don’t know they are infected with a virus or spyware. The only symptom is a slow machine.
Computer Lift can remove infections easily, so contact us today so we can help.
Here are some tips to avoid or clean most virus or spyware infections:
Malwarebytes is one of the best programs available to remove spyware, malware, and trojans. It's free and available here.
Microsoft Security Essentials is very good anti-virus protection and can be downloaded here. It’s free!
Remember to never have two anti-virus programs running at the same time.
Do not click on any pop-ups while online. If you do not see an easy way to close a pop-up, save your work and reboot your computer.
Keep Windows, Java, Acrobat Reader, and Flash Player updated.
Both programs above are free. There is no reason to not be protected and clean. Malwarebytes and MSE together will prevent and clean most problems. You should scan your computer regularly with both. Never go online without real-time anti-virus protection.
I hope this information has been helpful. Contact Computer Lift if you need help with virus or spyware removal or protection.
Sincerely,
Geoff – Owner
Computer Lift – Portland Computer Repair & Support
Posted by geoff on Feb 08, 2010, 9:46 PM in News - Comments(2)
Hello Portland Computer Repair Fans,
Recently, Computer Lift was attacked online with a fraudulent review on our Google listing. We know, after working with others, this is being done by a local competitor. They have done it in the past. Their goal is obviously to hurt the reputation of other computer repair companies in the Portland area so they get more work. What a great business model.
This latest attack was made to look like Zac, at Happy Hamster, left Computer Lift the bad review. I have personally contacted Zac and can verify it was not him. Happy Hamster is more of an ally than a competitor of Computer Lift. Happy Hamster is the only computer repair shop we send customers to when we are too busy or can't help.
So Zac made a post to his blog clearing his name and praising Computer Lift. All I can say is thanks Zac. We are now working on a solution. The appropriate authorities have been notified. In the mean time Computer Lift and Happy Hamster are stuck with some one star reviews that are fake.
Sincerely,
Geoff - Owner
Computer Lift - Portland Computer Repair & Support
Posted by geoff on Jan 27, 2010, 3:19 PM in News - Comments(0)
Hello Portland Computer Repair Fans,
It has been too long since my last posting. There are a few things I want to mention today.
First we are now on City Search and are proud of our profile so far. Check it out.
Second, we have seen more infections from fake anti-virus programs the last couple of weeks than we have ever seen before.
Do not click on any pop-up or informational box that says you need to update your anti-virus protection. If you click OK, your computer will be infected.
Save your work, and restart your computer.
Last, I also want to mention customer service. I (Computer Lift), work very hard to make sure every customer has the best computer repair experience possible. We make sure each and every customer is 100 percent happy with our work.
Be careful who you choose to repair your computer. Even small, local companies, can start to cut corners. They care more about the bottom line than the customer, all in the name of growth and profits.
Get to know the person on the other end before you make a decision. If they are more interested in getting you in right away to drop off your equipment, than listening to your problem, just walk away.
Sincerely,
Geoff - Owner
Computer Lift - Portland Computer Repair & Support
Posted by geoff on Dec 03, 2009, 1:46 PM in Portland Computer Repair - Comments(1)
Hello Portland Computer Repair Fans,
It has been a busy couple weeks here at Computer Lift. We completely reworked our work area and switched over to a new and very fast Windows 7 setup. Things are better than ever. We are more efficient and offer a better experience for our loyal customers.
Computer Lift is looking at how it advertises on the web. We are not on City Search. Our advertising budget is small. Google is how we are found for the most part. We have learned from experience recently that Google can place you where ever they want within general results or even the map results.
Even though Computer Lift has the most 5 star reviews of any computer repair businesses, our placement doesn't reflect that. Change is coming regarding how Computer Lift is found online. I will let you know when it is complete.
As always, thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Geoff - Owner
Computer Lift - Portland Computer Repair & Support
Posted by geoff on Oct 13, 2009, 8:48 PM in Portland Computer Repair - Comments(0)
Hello Portland Computer Repair Fans,
Computer Lift – Portland Computer Repair has been very busy since the summer ended. We are interviewing to fill some technician positions and can’t wait to see how busy we get.
I want to talk about a couple topics that have been coming up lately.
Windows 7 upgrade
Computer Lift – Portland Computer Repair is getting ready to build several new machines around the time of the new Windows 7 release, October 22nd. Many users of an older Microsoft OS can benefit from the upgrade version of Windows 7, which brings with it a big discount.
Vista users can upgrade and perform an “in place upgrade”. This means all software and data will be transferred.
Windows XP users can upgrade but will have to do a clean or custom installation. All software will have to be reinstalled. Data will need to be backed up.
Windows 2000 users will have the same upgrade option as XP users.
If you would like more information about a Windows 7 upgrade or need help doing it, contact Computer Lift – Portland Computer Repair today. We are glad to help.
Online Infections
The last thing I want to mention is spyware, malware, and rootkit infections. They are becoming more common than ever. Social websites like Facebook seem to be the source of many infections.
Even though Computer Lift makes money removing these infections, I feel it is important to educate how to avoid infection. Do not click on any pop-ups. Do not click on any banner ads. If you are unsure, reboot your machine without clicking on anything.
In the end, if you still get a bug, contact Computer Lift – Portland Computer Repair today so we can remove your infection right away.
Sincerely,
Geoff – Owner
Computer Lift – Portland Computer Repair & Support
Posted by geoff on Jul 19, 2009, 4:09 PM in Portland Computer Repair - Comments(0)
Hello Portland Computer Repair Fans,
We have seen many instances where customers say:
My computer is very slow, freezes, and acts funny. My computer is stuck on the Windows boot screen and never finishes.
Now, most customers think this is a virus or spyware. These days, that is the first thing most people think of. I don't blame them. A virus may not be the culprit. Recently, 8 out of 10 cases like this have been warning signs of a hard drive failing.
New hard drives fail. Just because your computer is new does not mean you are protected. Often, hard drives fail in the first few months.
Don't wait until your hard drive completely fails. If that happens, data recovery might be impossible and will be very expensive.
Backup! Get an external hard drive or flash drive and backup your data. You can also use online and offsite backup services to protect against fire, flood or earthquake damage.
Contact us if you suspect pending hard drive failure. We can quickly and easily scan your hard drive and confirm.
The good news is that new hard drive's are inexpensive (around $50). If you catch this early, almost all data can easily be recovered and transferred. I will be sure to commit an entire post on backup solutions soon. I hope this information has been helpful.
Sincerely,
Geoff - Owner
Computer Lift - Portland Computer Repair & Support
Posted by geoff on Jul 19, 2009, 4:08 PM in Portland Computer Repair - Comments(0)
Hello Portland Computer Repair Fans,
We recover data frequently for customers who have lost it. In nearly all cases, the customer has not backed up anything!
Now, if you think about how cherished your digital memories are, or how long you worked on that thesis that is due tomorrow, to not backup is unwise. To completely trust a little disk spinning at over 5000 RPM doesn't make sense.
Here are some ideas if you want to try and backup:
First, you will need something to backup to. An external hard drive is a great option. They cost under $100 and usually plug into a USB port. They are available online or at most office supply chain stores. Don't spend too much on one though.
Next you will need a system or method to backup your files. There is software built into Windows XP and Vista that will backup your machine. You can manually copy your files to an external hard drive. You can download a free program that synchronizes your files to an external storage device. Alwaysync is a free program that does this. Once you pick a method, do it regularly.
Last you can backup online. These services are billed monthly. The two popular online services currently are Mozy and Carbonite. Some give you free storage to start. The benefits of online backup include not having to purchase any hardware and protection from fire, flood, or earthquake. An external hard drive can easily be destroyed by a natural disaster.
Personally I backup both ways. You can never be too safe. Please contact us today, so we can help you setup a backup solution that is easy to use and economical.
Sincerely,
Geoff - Owner
Computer Lift - Portland Computer Repair & Support
