The Arlington Virginia Computer Repair Blog

It used to be that turning off a computer frequently would stress out the components and cause it to fail earlier.   With the advances in energy saving technology as well as the quality of certain components over the last decade, that is no longer the case.  In fact, the longer a computer is kept powered on, especially with mobile computers like laptops and netbooks, the faster the computer will age and eventually fail.

Mean time between failures is a general specification each component is given during the manufacturing process.  That means that there is only a certain number of hours that each component can run under optimal conditions before it will fail.  For most consumer grade components, the hours boil down to about 3-5 years of nominal usage.

Another important factor to consider that often shortens the lifespan of components is heat.  Heat accounts for about 2/3rds of all hardware failures, meaning it can seriously shorten the lifespan of your computer.  Temperatures over 60C are of utmost concern, as above that temperature components begin to age much faster.

Turning off your computer can help to minimize overheating, reduce the number of hours the system is used which in turn can lead to your computer lasting longer with less repairs, saving energy on your power bill and even improving the security of the system by minimizing the window of opportunity for malware and hackers.

Most computers should be shutdown, not put in to sleep mode, if they are going to be inactive for 60 minutes or more.  The only exception to this use applies to servers and some network appliances, which are generally built to be on 24/7.

Unfortunately this scenario presents itself all too often. Laptops are quite fragile and do not take fall damage well.  If the laptop was on at the time you could be facing a failed hard drive, damaged motherboard or other problems.  If it was off the severity of the damage may be reduced, but you could still have a broken LCD, impacted power jack or a component knocked loose.

The best thing to do is to cease use of the computer until it can be examined by a professional.  Further usage could cause more damage to certain parts of the system and could even make repair more costly.

Any form of physical damage can be devastating, but we’ve been able to repair hundreds and hundreds of computers that sustained fall damage back to like new condition.   Contact Arlington Virginia Computer Repair today if you have a damaged laptop or desktop computer.  We’ll help you determine the extent of the damage and if it is worth repairing.

Every modern laptop battery has a microcontroller chip that allows it to keep track of its capacity.  Even with this modern integrated technology, batteries are still not smart enough to re-calibrate themselves.  This means that if you don’t fully drain your battery to 0% when you’re using the system and recharge it back to 100% when it’s being charged again you could be shortening the laptop battery’s lifespan significantly.

If you don’t use your battery often, it is beneficial to remove it and then recharge it before usage.   Most batteries are able to get a few hundred charge/discharge cycles, which means they are suitable for use over the course of a few years for most users.  If you are a heavy mobile user you may want to purchase an extended life battery for your laptop.

Often times on-site computer repair services seem more convenient and expedient than dropping of one’s PC or Mac.  However, dropping off a computer with a professional can allow for a much more comprehensive job to be performed.

There are certain jobs where having your computer diagnosed, repaired and tested in a lab before releasing it is quite helpful.  For example, if you are looking for a data recovery, virus removal, replacement of hardware or anything other than a quick solution to a simple problem, drop-off services offer a lot of advantages.  For your benefit I’ll go through and review my opinion on the more popular services customers request, and why I feel many of them are best addressed outside of a customer’s premises.

Data recovery: When your hard drive begins to act up, it’s best to stop use immediately and have it diagnosed and (hopefully) recovered in at a professional facility.  Performing data recovery on-site limits the capabilities of a technician significantly.  Many data recoveries require special attention to the drive to check its condition and find the best method to attempt to recover your valuable information.   For example, if your drive has physical damage and someone attempts to copy data without special precautions (such as determining the location and extent of damage and the best way to work around it) the copy process could literally destroy the drive.  A professional with a properly equipped data recovery lab will be able to determine how to approach this problem in a measured manner that ensures if recovery is possible it is handled appropriately.

Virus removal: Malware has evolved in to a significant headache for computer users on PCs and lately Macs as well.  Many viruses will hide themselves in the registry, drivers or even the OS kernel, making conventional removal processes impossible — even if it seems as though the infection has been isolated.  The same infection could come right back if it is not removed with the proper precautions.  At the same time, if one is too aggressive, without ensuring that system files are not damaged, the computer could be left unusable without a re-install of the OS.  A common misnomer is that there is no way to remove a virus without a complete OS re-install, but that’s not true.  A properly trained professional will be able to neutralize most infections without taking such destructive measures.  On-site services simply do not allow enough time and attention for a proper removal of most infections.  Conventional anti-virus software is also not enough to fend off malware on its own.

Hardware repair: Every time a computer has a hardware problem, whether it is from physical damage, wear and tear, overheating or otherwise, a full diagnostic must be performed to isolate the extent of the damage and ensure that the repair addresses it.  Consider the following scenario — you accidentally drop your laptop and the screen breaks.   Having a system that just sustained physical damage only have the immediately obvious problems addressed may leave other problems hidden and lurking.  The fall could have damaged the computer’s hard drive and your data could be in jeopardy.  A full diagnostic would reveal this, but without it you could be throwing good money at a system that may not be cost effective to repair.  In addition, the process to replace a screen can disrupt other functionality that is contained in the screen enclosure, like wireless, web cameras, etc.  A computer repair firm with a proper lab can diagnose and address these issues without leaving out important details.

While on-site service is ideal for very simple jobs, such as setting up a wireless network, configuring a home backup system or a home theater, for many jobs it is simply not the level of attention necessary to ensure that a high quality job is performed.  The next time you have a computer problem, carefully weigh your options and if you do choose on-site service, be sure the firm is licensed, bonded, insured, has been in business for several years and has a good reputation online from Yelp, BBB and other appropriate rating metrics.

If you need drop-off computer repair service in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area, consider Arlington Virginia Computer Repair.  We are a small, home-based business that has been in operation since 1999 and has served over 10,000 satisfied clients in that time.

Severe flooding in Thailand has resulted in over 14,000 component factories closing, causing severe shortages for hard drive manufacturers.  This supply chain disruption has already resulted in a 20% spike in hard drive prices, quantities for orders being limited by vendors and interruptions for computer manufacturers.

The impact from this flooding is expected to linger in to next year, with many predicting hard drive shortages lasting several months.  A full recovery could take over a year.  Western Digital has been hit the hardest, as the corporation has the largest presence in Thailand of all the major hard drive manufacturers.

The human impact has been staggering, with 660,000 factory workers unemployed until the recovery is completed.  Over 300 are dead and many more injured.

At Arlington Virginia Computer Repair we wish the people of Thailand a fast recovery, and we send our condolences to the families of the victims and those that have lost their jobs.

Photo credit: The Associated Press

The latest version of Ubuntu is now available as version 11.10.  The free GNU/Linux-based desktop operating system brings about many improvements.  Faster boot-up time, an improved version of the Unity desktop interface, more support for the Ubuntu Cloud and better support for Mac hardware.

Ubuntu can be run directly from its installation media (CD or USB), dual-booted alongside Windows or even installed from within Windows as a virtual machine.   The setup process is fast, easy and leaves the user with a fully functional computer, complete with the Firefox web browser, Thunderbird e-mail client and multimedia functionality.

The operating system is free because it is supported by a community of dedicated developers.  Their passion drives open source innovation and makes Ubuntu, and many other projects possible.

Take a tour of Ubuntu’s new features and if you like what you see, consider downloading today!

Malware is a broad term used to describe a variety of malicious software, ranging from trojans, spyware and worms to conventional viruses.  Today’s modern malware is much more dangerous than the similar programs of yesteryear.  It used to be that malware was more of a nuisance, slowing down performance, spreading to other computers, but relatively easy to control and remove.

Today’s malware is a different kind of beast.  The latest infections pose as anti-virus software or other legitimate applications to gain the user’s trust.  They may change permissions on files so users can’t find their data.  Often times you’ll find that anti-virus software is disabled and you can’t download other security programs or execute them.

A bug inside your PC can be costly

The crux of the problem is that this phenomenon has become increasingly threatening, strengthening  from a relatively disorganized endeavor of lone wolves to a for profit criminal enterprise.  A large amount of resources are devoted to writing malicious code, finding security flaws in operating systems and anti-virus software as well as creating convincing graphics.

In addition, many modern malware infections are now leveraging each computer infected, adding them to what’s called a ‘bot net’, meaning that each computer becomes a node of a larger network of infected computers that can be used to harvest information, attack other computers and even launch large scale organized denial of service attacks.

The diversity and amount of malware is growing exponentially, with 45,000 new infections emerging on a daily basis with ever growing sophistication.  Infections are becoming more difficult to remove and are causing users more trouble with identify theft, information leakage and computer slowdowns.  In addition, anti-virus companies are having a difficult time keeping pace with the tsunami of malware that is emerging on a regular basis.

The reason that PCs are so actively targeted is because of the market share they represent.  Windows PCs still account for over 90% of the computers being used, and home users’ PCs tend to be less secure than those in well managed corporate environments.  To malware distributors, home users on a Windows PC seem like an easy target with near limitless resources.

For more information on how to stay safe, please see the links below for related articles.  If you’re suffering from a virus infection and need help, please contact Arlington Virginia Computer Repair for help.