Welcome to my Interconnect Group blog. My name is Britton Starr and I'm the Network/PC technician here at the Interconnect Group. I've specialized in PC hardware/software for years, as well as computer networking. I'm A+, Network+, and ATSP/UCAS certified. My role here at TINCG is to help provide Indianapolis IT Support, reliable Computer Repair Mooresville, and assist in Small Business Network Design, which gives me a great opportunity to give up close and personal view of what is going on in IT today. Read through the blog, and feel free to comment. Hope you will stop by again soon!Welcome to my Interconnect Group blog. My name is Britton Starr and I'm the Network/PC technician here at the Interconnect Group. I've specialized in PC hardware/software for years, as well as computer networking. I'm A+, Network+, and ATSP/UCAS certified. My role here at TINCG is to help provide Indianapolis IT Support, reliable Computer Repair Mooresville, and assist in Small Business Network Design, which gives me a great opportunity to give up close and personal view of what is going on in IT today. Read through the blog, and feel free to comment. Hope you will stop by again soon!The future is on it's way, and it's coming fast.
Recently I had the privilege of receiving in-depth training on one of the networking world's up and coming stars, the Unified Communications platform. After hours of learning the ins and outs of this device, I can honestly say that this is the future of Small Business Network Design.
In particular the device in question is the ADTRAN Netvanta 7100 series Unified Communications appliance. This elegant device, with its outwardly simple appearance is an incredibly robust machine, capable of performing nearly any function needed of a small business network, short of say a file server or network OS. Features include full featured Multi-service Router, SPI Firewall, 24 PoE Fast Switch, VPN Tunneling, WAP Control, QoS, Door Relay, Voicemail, Key System, and full featured IP PBX. There's support for 24 users out of the box, expandable to as many as 100.
But what does that really mean?
It means this device can do just about anything. It's powerful with a good set of defaults out of the box, but with a little fine tuning, can be fitted into any preexisting network or connection type. The device's versatility is not to be underestimated. It fits well into VoIP Network Design, due to the variety of interchangeable voice and data modules it supports. The 7100 allows incoming SIP trunks, making it ideal for those using Hosted VoIP Solutions. It can accommodate many types of data connections, from cable modems to dual T1's. It even supports IP phones and soft-phones from several 3rd party vendors.
How can you use this device to your business's advantage? Simple. Let's say you have your CFO who finds himself concerned with the sudden skyrocketing of your company's long distance charges, after opening a new branch. This is likely attributed to all the new service calls to this remote location. The Netvanta 7100 can be configured to allow the use of say, an under-utilized T1 connection (as they many times are), to send voice traffic to the branch office's 7100 or 6355. This device then forwards the call out through the branch offices local phone line, thus sparing the company any additional charges. Pretty practical, huh? Another feature I particularly like is the ability to email users when a voicemail is left on their system, even in the case of multiple accounts or groups.
While on paper the 7100 may seem like a bit of an initial investment, the return on that purchase is undeniable. Having a single device allows for the simple, easy to administrate solution that many small business owners want. Additionally, after a technician installs and configures the device to the client's needs, the day to day administrative tasks, such as adding new users and voicemail greetings may be easily maintained by existing IT staff through an easy to use GUI. The "office-in-a-box" solution also allows for the simplification of IT Networking Support, as a technician need only examine a single device. Similarly, the simplicity of Computer Network Wiring and the identification of cable faults are vastly improved.
So as you can tell I was very impressed by the device. Powerful features, adaptability, and one-box ease of deployment make this a great choice for any small business wanting to take their network to the next level. If you'd like to hear more about the Netvanta 7100, and what it can do for your business, don't hesitate to call The Interconnect Group, Inc. at 317.831.0704. Let us help you, IT Networking Support is what we do best.
Recently I had the privilege of receiving in-depth training on one of the networking world's up and coming stars, the Unified Communications platform. After hours of learning the ins and outs of this device, I can honestly say that this is the future of Small Business Network Design.
In particular the device in question is the ADTRAN Netvanta 7100 series Unified Communications appliance. This elegant device, with its outwardly simple appearance is an incredibly robust machine, capable of performing nearly any function needed of a small business network, short of say a file server or network OS. Features include full featured Multi-service Router, SPI Firewall, 24 PoE Fast Switch, VPN Tunneling, WAP Control, QoS, Door Relay, Voicemail, Key System, and full featured IP PBX. There's support for 24 users out of the box, expandable to as many as 100.
But what does that really mean?
It means this device can do just about anything. It's powerful with a good set of defaults out of the box, but with a little fine tuning, can be fitted into any preexisting network or connection type. The device's versatility is not to be underestimated. It fits well into VoIP Network Design, due to the variety of interchangeable voice and data modules it supports. The 7100 allows incoming SIP trunks, making it ideal for those using Hosted VoIP Solutions. It can accommodate many types of data connections, from cable modems to dual T1's. It even supports IP phones and soft-phones from several 3rd party vendors.
How can you use this device to your business's advantage? Simple. Let's say you have your CFO who finds himself concerned with the sudden skyrocketing of your company's long distance charges, after opening a new branch. This is likely attributed to all the new service calls to this remote location. The Netvanta 7100 can be configured to allow the use of say, an under-utilized T1 connection (as they many times are), to send voice traffic to the branch office's 7100 or 6355. This device then forwards the call out through the branch offices local phone line, thus sparing the company any additional charges. Pretty practical, huh? Another feature I particularly like is the ability to email users when a voicemail is left on their system, even in the case of multiple accounts or groups.
While on paper the 7100 may seem like a bit of an initial investment, the return on that purchase is undeniable. Having a single device allows for the simple, easy to administrate solution that many small business owners want. Additionally, after a technician installs and configures the device to the client's needs, the day to day administrative tasks, such as adding new users and voicemail greetings may be easily maintained by existing IT staff through an easy to use GUI. The "office-in-a-box" solution also allows for the simplification of IT Networking Support, as a technician need only examine a single device. Similarly, the simplicity of Computer Network Wiring and the identification of cable faults are vastly improved.
So as you can tell I was very impressed by the device. Powerful features, adaptability, and one-box ease of deployment make this a great choice for any small business wanting to take their network to the next level. If you'd like to hear more about the Netvanta 7100, and what it can do for your business, don't hesitate to call The Interconnect Group, Inc. at 317.831.0704. Let us help you, IT Networking Support is what we do best.
In part two of of my PC Backup Solutions blog, we're going to look at seven specific ways to backup our valuable data. As mentioned in my previous blog, in PC Repair Indiana computers will inevitably fail. Not to mention natural hazards, such as floods, ice and lighting storms. And, given our increasing reliance on these machines in our day to day lives, data backup is essential. (If you haven't read my first blog on the subject, I'd definitely take a minute to scan that one to find out the importance of backing up)
So, now let's get into the knitty-gritty of actual ways to back up your personal information. We'll take a look at some of the various backup methods, their strengths, their weaknesses, and the associated costs. In particular we'll look at 7 backup methods that are most relevant to a home PC user.
1. CD Backup
Burning important files to CD-R's is a cheap and easy way of backing up your important documents. CD-R's are incredibly cheap costing only maybe $12 for a 50 pack, readily available, and usable on nearly any machine made in the last 6 years. They are however prone to scratching, not rewritable meaning that you can't update the files, and relatively low capacity. While light years ahead of a floppy, they won't store more than say, 150 photos or songs. They're great for burning a single important album or backing up a couple years of tax info.
2. DVD Backup
Burning important files to DVD's is an affordable and easy way of backing up important files and documents. DVD-R's are only a little pricier than CD's at maybe $15 for a 50 pack, easy to find, and store six and a half times as much information as a CD-R. There are even more expensive dual-layer discs that store 9 Gigs of information! Like CD's though, they are prone to scratching and will get torn up if mistreated.
3. USB Flash Drive
Keeping backup copies of important files on a flash drive is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to help ensure your data is protected. A 4 GB flash drive, which would be enough for say, 900 photos or 1000 songs, can be purchased at many stores for as cheap as $11-12. An even larger drive, such as 8 GB runs only $16-18, and you can buy even larger drives if storage becomes an issue. Using one, couldn't be easier. You just open two windows, select the files or folders you want, and drag them onto the flash drive. USB drives are fairly resistant to most damage if treated with any amount of care, though personal experience has shown, it's best not to run them through the wash in your pocket.
4. USB Portable Hard Drive
Sometimes you just have too many photos, or too much music, to make backing up on DVD's or a flash drive feasible. Enter the USB Portable Hard Drive. These small, pocketable hard drives can carry enough storage to backup most laptops, and most small to midsize desktops. They don't require any special plugs or adapters, just a single USB port for data and power. Like the flash drive you can simply drag and drop your data on to the new drive. Some even come with software tools to make backing up even easier. Portable hard drives are pretty rugged, but much like a laptop excessive shaking and harsh drops should be avoided.
5. USB Desktop Hard Drive
This is the biggest and best of the add-on type of discs/drives. These are larger drives, both physically and in regards to storeage amount. Many drives even have higher speed connection types, such as firewire or e-sata, to make backups and file transfers incredibly fast. There is enough storage on most of these drives for 10,000+ photos or songs, and to back up nearly any desktop or laptop. Most large drives include backup software as a standard feature. The drawback with these drives though, is that they require a separate plug for power and are a little bulky to carry around.
6. RAID Array Backup
When purchasing a new PC, there is one option that is especially great for data backup and reliability. A RAID setup can have many forms, the one we're ideally concerned with is what we call RAID 5. Avoiding the technical end of things, this allows your computer to run faster, and keeps copies of your data on multiple drives, so that even if one drive fails, a new one may be substituted in its place. The computer reconstructs the data, and it's like it never happened. Raid is not terribly expensive to setup, however it needs compatible hardware and must be done at the time the machine is made, which are a couple of the system's only drawbacks.
7. Offsite Remote Backup
This backup solution is the ultimate in protection and security for your data. It is a powerful way to keep your data safe in even the most severe of circumstances. It's also what we normally recommend for our IT Support for Small Business customers. Since your data is backed up to a remote location, your files are kept safe even in the event of catastrophe like a fire or flood. While it is a little more expensive than some of the other options, it is the most reliable and easy way to ensure your valuable data is kept safe. We provide this service for many of our business customers, and so called "cloud" backups are available for home users as well.
So hopefully you've learned not just why we need backups in today's society, but also about some of the various ways we can backup our important data, files, and memories. If you have any questions, or would like us to help you implement a backup strategy of your own, please don't hesitate to call us. As always, we're here for all your Computer Repair Mooresville needs.
If you liked this Blog Post, then check out The Interconnect Group other Blog Posts:
So, now let's get into the knitty-gritty of actual ways to back up your personal information. We'll take a look at some of the various backup methods, their strengths, their weaknesses, and the associated costs. In particular we'll look at 7 backup methods that are most relevant to a home PC user.
1. CD Backup
Burning important files to CD-R's is a cheap and easy way of backing up your important documents. CD-R's are incredibly cheap costing only maybe $12 for a 50 pack, readily available, and usable on nearly any machine made in the last 6 years. They are however prone to scratching, not rewritable meaning that you can't update the files, and relatively low capacity. While light years ahead of a floppy, they won't store more than say, 150 photos or songs. They're great for burning a single important album or backing up a couple years of tax info.
2. DVD Backup
Burning important files to DVD's is an affordable and easy way of backing up important files and documents. DVD-R's are only a little pricier than CD's at maybe $15 for a 50 pack, easy to find, and store six and a half times as much information as a CD-R. There are even more expensive dual-layer discs that store 9 Gigs of information! Like CD's though, they are prone to scratching and will get torn up if mistreated.
3. USB Flash Drive
Keeping backup copies of important files on a flash drive is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to help ensure your data is protected. A 4 GB flash drive, which would be enough for say, 900 photos or 1000 songs, can be purchased at many stores for as cheap as $11-12. An even larger drive, such as 8 GB runs only $16-18, and you can buy even larger drives if storage becomes an issue. Using one, couldn't be easier. You just open two windows, select the files or folders you want, and drag them onto the flash drive. USB drives are fairly resistant to most damage if treated with any amount of care, though personal experience has shown, it's best not to run them through the wash in your pocket.
4. USB Portable Hard Drive
Sometimes you just have too many photos, or too much music, to make backing up on DVD's or a flash drive feasible. Enter the USB Portable Hard Drive. These small, pocketable hard drives can carry enough storage to backup most laptops, and most small to midsize desktops. They don't require any special plugs or adapters, just a single USB port for data and power. Like the flash drive you can simply drag and drop your data on to the new drive. Some even come with software tools to make backing up even easier. Portable hard drives are pretty rugged, but much like a laptop excessive shaking and harsh drops should be avoided.
5. USB Desktop Hard Drive
This is the biggest and best of the add-on type of discs/drives. These are larger drives, both physically and in regards to storeage amount. Many drives even have higher speed connection types, such as firewire or e-sata, to make backups and file transfers incredibly fast. There is enough storage on most of these drives for 10,000+ photos or songs, and to back up nearly any desktop or laptop. Most large drives include backup software as a standard feature. The drawback with these drives though, is that they require a separate plug for power and are a little bulky to carry around.
6. RAID Array Backup
When purchasing a new PC, there is one option that is especially great for data backup and reliability. A RAID setup can have many forms, the one we're ideally concerned with is what we call RAID 5. Avoiding the technical end of things, this allows your computer to run faster, and keeps copies of your data on multiple drives, so that even if one drive fails, a new one may be substituted in its place. The computer reconstructs the data, and it's like it never happened. Raid is not terribly expensive to setup, however it needs compatible hardware and must be done at the time the machine is made, which are a couple of the system's only drawbacks.
7. Offsite Remote Backup
This backup solution is the ultimate in protection and security for your data. It is a powerful way to keep your data safe in even the most severe of circumstances. It's also what we normally recommend for our IT Support for Small Business customers. Since your data is backed up to a remote location, your files are kept safe even in the event of catastrophe like a fire or flood. While it is a little more expensive than some of the other options, it is the most reliable and easy way to ensure your valuable data is kept safe. We provide this service for many of our business customers, and so called "cloud" backups are available for home users as well.
So hopefully you've learned not just why we need backups in today's society, but also about some of the various ways we can backup our important data, files, and memories. If you have any questions, or would like us to help you implement a backup strategy of your own, please don't hesitate to call us. As always, we're here for all your Computer Repair Mooresville needs.
If you liked this Blog Post, then check out The Interconnect Group other Blog Posts:
- Backups!: Why Backups Are Crucial in Today's Electrical World (Part I)
- Computer Basics: Better Understanding Your Computer
- Has Your IT Rack Gotten Out Of Hand
- Wireless 3G Networks...Which one do you choose?
- Get Empowered with Oracle Software Products
- Benefits of Volume Licensing
- 10 Handy and Free Software Programs
- Free Microsoft Antivirus Software
- 3 Great Ways to Help Speed Up Your Computer
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." -Benjamin Franklin
We've all heard this saying before. It addresses the fact that sometimes a little effort up front can save you from a world of trouble in the long run. I want to share with you about just such a situation. Today I'd like to compare this timeless quote to the world of PC Backup Solutions. While it may seem a little far-fetched at first glance, the comparison is quite valid. So why do I bring this topic up? Because if there is one thing I have learned in Computer Help Desk Support, it's that you should plan for the worst, even if you hope for the best.
Modern computers are incredibly complex. While a computer is meant to be as fault tolerant as possible, things can and will happen. Think about how we use our computers today. Banking, news, email, music libraries, taxes, homework, facebook, financing, photo storage, business correspondence, the list goes on and on. The problem is, if your computer fails you can lose everything. This is why in today's technologically dependent world, corporations aren't the only ones who need to think about backup solutions.
Reliable data backup can be a lifesaver, not to mention a sound investment. I once lost $600 worth of wedding photos, due to a hard drive crash. No red flags, no warnings. The data was just gone. Priceless memories, and part of my reputation as a freelancer lost because of a simple mechanical failure. Tax documents and massive music collections are just as vulnerable. Given the importance of such documents, even at home backups are a must. It's a lesson several of our Indianapolis IT Support customers have learned the hard way.
Let's put this in context of our quote. Our ounce of prevention is like our Backup strategy, being quite easy and rather affordable on the Indiana PC Repair customer. Solutions for a home PC can range from a USB Drive purchased for a few dollars use to back up key documents, to a robust and safe offsite backup available for a reasonable monthly fee. If we neglect these options however the results can be devastating. The loss of precious memories, the thousand dollar charges of advanced data recovery services, even potential financial or legal trouble. While some products like music may be purchased again, some documents are irreplacable and should be treated as such.
Clearly, we really are better off safe, rather than sorry.
If you liked this Blog Post, then check out The Interconnect Group other Blog Posts:
- Computer Basics: Better Understanding Your Computer
- Has Your IT Rack Gotten Out Of Hand
- Wireless 3G Networks...Which one do you choose?
- Get Empowered with Oracle Software Products
- Benefits of Volume Licensing
- 10 Handy and Free Software Programs
- Free Microsoft Antivirus Software
- 3 Great Ways to Help Speed Up Your Computer
Today I'd like to continue on to the second part of my blog on better understanding your computer. I thought we'd take a look at some of the other components that help make the computer an invaluable part of today's high tech society. So, today we're going to look at a Motherboard, a NIC, a Video Card, and finally a Optical Drive. In Computer Help Desk Support I routinely service a wide variety of machines. Having a familiarity with different types of hardware allows me to connect symptoms of a problem to the component that might be faulty. While knowing how the various parts of a computer work is essential to proper PC Repair, it also will benefit you in your everyday use of computers at home or work.
Motherboard
A motherboard (or logic board if you use a Mac) is an absolutely key part of your PC. This is the largest circuit board in the computer, and connects all the crucial components of the machine together. It provides a way for data to move from various pieces of hardware and back, and contains some of the most basic instructions your PC needs to operate. It also determines what types of hardware can be used in the machine at all, based on the various slots and sockets. My motherboard at home for instance, is a gaming board and will let me use parts like Intel Processors, and multiple video cards. Which brings me to my next point...
Video Cards
A video card is another important component of your PC. The video card is responsible for turning your computer's instructions into visible images, videos, or text that you can understand. It also renders any games, and translates any DVDs you might want to watch. Video cards are quite varied in design and form. Some performance cards are hulking pieces of metal with fans and giant copper heat sinks, while many smaller ones are built into the processor, such as on Intel's new i3 and i5 chips.
NIC
A NIC, or Network Interface Controller, allows your computer to communicate over a network. There are many types of NICs including Ethernet cards, Wireless cards, and 56k Modems. Many are built into the motherboards already. All of these share the common goal of allowing your computer to speak to the outside world. They use various networking protocols (languages) such as TCP/IP, UDP, and IMAP to let view webpages, send emails, or watch videos online.
Optical Drives
An Optical Drive is the component on your machine responsible for reading, and many times writing CDs, DVDs, or even Blu-Ray discs. This allows you to watch movies, install software, or burn DVDs. Each optical drive has a small laser, that reads the data on a disc as it spins. This data is stored as microscopic valleys and peaks on the disc's reflective surface. There are many forms of discs; CDs, CD-Rs, CD+RWs, DVD+Rs, DVD-RWs. Most optical drives on the market today can use almost any of them.
So I hope you feel like you've learned a little today, and feel even more comfortable with your computer. You may find knowing a little about the way a computer works can increase the enjoyment you getA out of using one. If you have any questions, or are perhaps considering a PC Hardware upgrade, please stop by our Mooresville, Indiana PC Repair Facility and let us take great care of you and your machine.
If you liked this Blog Post, then check out The Interconnect Group other Blog Posts:
Motherboard
A motherboard (or logic board if you use a Mac) is an absolutely key part of your PC. This is the largest circuit board in the computer, and connects all the crucial components of the machine together. It provides a way for data to move from various pieces of hardware and back, and contains some of the most basic instructions your PC needs to operate. It also determines what types of hardware can be used in the machine at all, based on the various slots and sockets. My motherboard at home for instance, is a gaming board and will let me use parts like Intel Processors, and multiple video cards. Which brings me to my next point...
Video Cards
A video card is another important component of your PC. The video card is responsible for turning your computer's instructions into visible images, videos, or text that you can understand. It also renders any games, and translates any DVDs you might want to watch. Video cards are quite varied in design and form. Some performance cards are hulking pieces of metal with fans and giant copper heat sinks, while many smaller ones are built into the processor, such as on Intel's new i3 and i5 chips.
NIC
A NIC, or Network Interface Controller, allows your computer to communicate over a network. There are many types of NICs including Ethernet cards, Wireless cards, and 56k Modems. Many are built into the motherboards already. All of these share the common goal of allowing your computer to speak to the outside world. They use various networking protocols (languages) such as TCP/IP, UDP, and IMAP to let view webpages, send emails, or watch videos online.
Optical Drives
An Optical Drive is the component on your machine responsible for reading, and many times writing CDs, DVDs, or even Blu-Ray discs. This allows you to watch movies, install software, or burn DVDs. Each optical drive has a small laser, that reads the data on a disc as it spins. This data is stored as microscopic valleys and peaks on the disc's reflective surface. There are many forms of discs; CDs, CD-Rs, CD+RWs, DVD+Rs, DVD-RWs. Most optical drives on the market today can use almost any of them.
So I hope you feel like you've learned a little today, and feel even more comfortable with your computer. You may find knowing a little about the way a computer works can increase the enjoyment you getA out of using one. If you have any questions, or are perhaps considering a PC Hardware upgrade, please stop by our Mooresville, Indiana PC Repair Facility and let us take great care of you and your machine.
If you liked this Blog Post, then check out The Interconnect Group other Blog Posts:
Hello Indiana PC Repair customers!
Today, I thought I'd kick off the first of a multiple-part blog post series. My goal is a simple, easy to understand guide that will help you better understand your computer and how they work. At our Mooresville Computer Support office, one issue we commonly run into is that people feel they just don't understand enough about computers. Hopefully this guide will inform you, and help you feel more comfortable around computer IT that has quickly become a large part of our lives.
First we're going to take a look at the main components of a PC. The big three, as I call them, form the core components of your machine. These three are your Processor, RAM, and Hard Drive. Let's take a look at what each of them does, and then we'll see how they work together.
Processor:
The processor, or CPU, of your computer is key. It's the brains of the whole operation, doing all the math and calculations you might require. It also distributes resources and can help send messages to different parts of your PC. Processors are capable of performing millions of tasks in a single second Physically speaking, a modern computer processor is a small silicon-based microprocessor with thousands of microscopic circuits and pathways crammed on to a single tiny chip.
RAM:
RAM, or Random Access Memory, is a core component of your PC. Computers use and manipulate all kinds of numbers and data, many times more things than a processor can keep track of at once. RAM allows the processor an easy, accesible, and nearby place to store pieces of information until it needs them again. This volatile memory (non-permanent) allows the computer to do many tasks in rapid succession, with little noticable slowdown. RAM looks like two small thin green sticks with a series of small black chips on the sides.
Hard Drive:
Hard Drives are the third primary component in a PC. Sure, we want our computer to perform calculations and accomplish tasks, but if we don't have any mp3's to listen to, or office applications to use, what fun would that be? The hard drive in your computer is a series of magnetic discs that store files and information permanently. You can always write over the data later, but until you do the information is kept indefinitely. A hard drive is a small black and silver box, that contains numerous metal discs to keep your data on.
Well, I hope that now you feel like you know a little more about your computer and how it works. As always, should you have any Computer Support, Virus Removal, or PC Repair questions, I hope you'll stop by our Mooresville facility and let us help keep your computer in top shape.
Today, I thought I'd kick off the first of a multiple-part blog post series. My goal is a simple, easy to understand guide that will help you better understand your computer and how they work. At our Mooresville Computer Support office, one issue we commonly run into is that people feel they just don't understand enough about computers. Hopefully this guide will inform you, and help you feel more comfortable around computer IT that has quickly become a large part of our lives.
First we're going to take a look at the main components of a PC. The big three, as I call them, form the core components of your machine. These three are your Processor, RAM, and Hard Drive. Let's take a look at what each of them does, and then we'll see how they work together.
Processor:
The processor, or CPU, of your computer is key. It's the brains of the whole operation, doing all the math and calculations you might require. It also distributes resources and can help send messages to different parts of your PC. Processors are capable of performing millions of tasks in a single second Physically speaking, a modern computer processor is a small silicon-based microprocessor with thousands of microscopic circuits and pathways crammed on to a single tiny chip.
RAM:
RAM, or Random Access Memory, is a core component of your PC. Computers use and manipulate all kinds of numbers and data, many times more things than a processor can keep track of at once. RAM allows the processor an easy, accesible, and nearby place to store pieces of information until it needs them again. This volatile memory (non-permanent) allows the computer to do many tasks in rapid succession, with little noticable slowdown. RAM looks like two small thin green sticks with a series of small black chips on the sides.
Hard Drive:
Hard Drives are the third primary component in a PC. Sure, we want our computer to perform calculations and accomplish tasks, but if we don't have any mp3's to listen to, or office applications to use, what fun would that be? The hard drive in your computer is a series of magnetic discs that store files and information permanently. You can always write over the data later, but until you do the information is kept indefinitely. A hard drive is a small black and silver box, that contains numerous metal discs to keep your data on.
Well, I hope that now you feel like you know a little more about your computer and how it works. As always, should you have any Computer Support, Virus Removal, or PC Repair questions, I hope you'll stop by our Mooresville facility and let us help keep your computer in top shape.
Hello Indiana PC Repair customers, and welcome to my first blog.
This week I was reminded that we can all use a little help sometimes, even computer help desk support technicians. We sold a customer a Lenovo ThinkCentre A70. This All-In-One is a great, space-saving machine perfect for everyday computing. They do come a little light on RAM out of the box for running Windows 7. Since upgrading a PC’s RAM is both a practical and affordable performance improvement, it was an easy decision for the customer to decide on the memory upgrade. Upon trying to open the computer case, I encountered some difficulty. Being unable to find any Support articles online, I decided to document the RAM installation process from start to finish. You will need the proper RAM and a few simple tools to complete this job.
- Unplug the machine. Be sure to ground yourself (removing any static electricity), by touching something that is metal and grounded, such as a pipe. This is a crucial step in PC Support and Repair, as it protects against accidental damage to your components.
- Gently lay the computer on its face, screen side down.
- Find the two case screws, each located in the lower corners of the case. Loosen these two screws. They are bracketed however, and do not come entirely out.
- Next locate four small black rubber plugs. They should be arranged in a square, near the leg’s hinge. Using your fingernails or a paperclip, gently pull the plugs out of the case and set them aside.
- Underneath each of the four plugs should be a screw. Remove these screws, and set them aside near the rubber plugs.
- To remove the Leg assembly, rotate the bottom end of the leg up. The square black plastic piece should rotate with it, and can then be removed from the back of the computer. Set it aside for now.
- With the leg stand gone, the back plate of the PC must now be removed. The case is held together by a series of small clips. Using a straight screwdriver, gently pry the case apart. Start near the corner screws on both sides, slowly working your way towards the middle. Eventually you should hear a series of ‘pop’ noises and the back of the case may be removed.
- You should now be seeing something similar to this. Locate the RAM slot, it should on the left of the machine, towards the center.
- If you have to remove the old RAM to install your new memory, this must be done first. This happens if you have two new sticks to go in, remove the old one by pushing down on its white tabs and pulling the RAM stick out.
- We are just adding an additional stick, so we’ll install that one. First, locate the inset in the stick of RAM, and match it to the one on the motherboard’s slot. Open the white tabs on each end.
- Put the RAM into the second memory slot, using the inset to help ensure accurate placement.
- Push down firmly on both ends of the RAM stick, being careful not to let it turn sideways or go in crooked. When the RAM is in far enough, the white clips on each end should pop up helping to hold it securely in place. Check that the fit is snug.
- Now that the RAM is installed, the computer must be put back together. Place the main black plastic panel back onto the rear of the machine, and press gently along the edges to begin snapping the back into place.
- Tighten down the two screws located in the corner of the machine. You may hear several small pops as the case moves into alignment.
- Press firmly along the edges of the case, to ensure a proper seal. This will help to keep unnecessary dust out of the computer.
- Then we need to reattach the legs. Line the two small black plastic tabs on the top of the leg assembly up with the two small notches on the back of the computer. Slide these tabs in, and rotate the piece down like a hinge.
- Replace the four screws that hold the leg assembly, and screw them in loosely. Check to make sure all four are seated properly, and then tighten down firmly.
- Finally, replace the four black rubber plugs, to cover the screws that were just installed.
**Now that the RAM is physically installed, we’ll set up your computer to properly utilize it. If you end up needing Computer Help Desk services however, we are always happy to provide you with any IT services you might require. - After reconnecting all of the essential cables, like mouse, keyboard, and power turn the computer on. You may see a black screen with some text on it that you aren’t used to seeing, but that’s just the computer recognizing the new RAM.
- Once Windows has started, click on the Start button in the bottom left of your screen. Then right-click on Computer, and click Properties.
- In the window that comes up, click Advanced System Settings in the upper left panel. This will bring up the Advanced tab of the System Properties window. Under ‘Performance’ click Settings, and on this new window click Advanced at the top of this dialog box.
- On the ‘Performance Options’ box, select Change to adjust what’s called your “paging file.” This file must be adjusted whenever RAM is installed. First, uncheck the Automatically Manage box. Then, make sure the Custom Size radio button is selected.
- To set your paging file to the proper size, a small bit of easy math must be performed. Take the number of Mb’s (or megabytes of memory ) that the RAM now totals, let’s say for example 2048 (for 2 Gigs) of memory. You take this number, and multiply it by 1.5, so roughly 3000Mb. This is the “Initial Size” we’ll set. Add an extra 200 on, so in our example 3200Mb for the “Maximum Size” and hit Ok to accept the value.
- Click Ok on the next screen to apply the changes we’ve just made. Click the red ‘X’ in the corner to close the open windows. Your computer should ask you to restart, and do so.
Congratulations, you’ve successfully installed your RAM. Now sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor… likely a noticeably faster computer!
Should you decide that your machine is in need of a boost, come by our Mooresville, Indiana facility and let one of our qualified IT Support Technicians help you enjoy your PC even more.
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