LANcom Technology Blog

We all know that the older your PC gets the slower it seems to go. Well here are a few tips, from Microsoft, of what you can do to keep your PC as healthy as possible.

1. Think before you install – Installing software on you computer takes up space on your hard drive, install enough stuff on your computer and it will begin to slow down. Before you install something new on your computer think about whether you really need it or want it.
    
2. Maintain you anti-virus – To keep you PC free from viruses and spyware you need to make sure you use a trusted anti-virus and anti-spyware program and that you update them as updates become available.
    
3. Update your operating system – Often updates to operating systems fix vulnerabilities that the produces of viruses and spyware are using. If you are already using automatic updates then this is something you won’t need to worry about. To find out how to check if your automatic updates are on click here.
    
4. Regularly inventory your computer –Every few months you should take a look at what programs you have and remove the ones that you don’t use.
   To do this go to Start/Control Panel/ Add or remove programs, and then click on the name of the program you would like to remove and click Remove.
    
5. Defragment you hard drive – Defragging your PC every so often can help to keep it running as quickly as possible.
   To do this go to Start/ Programs/ Accessories/ System tools/ Disk defragmenter and follow the instructions.
    
6. Keep things clean – Make sure that paper or stickers are not blocking your computers air vents and your that computer doesn’t get too dusty.
    
7. Be prepared –In case something does still go wrong with your PC you need to be prepared. Make sure all your important data is backed up in some way, whether it be to a server, an external hard drive, or even a CD so long as you have some way to get your information back if something does happen.
   

To read more about each of these points click here.

If you are currently using Windows Vista you have probably heard that Vista SP1, the first pack of updates designed to improve the performance, stability, and reliability of Vista, is now available.

This update can be downloaded by most people by going to Windows Update, but something your might not know is that there are actually a number of reasons why you may not yet be able to recieve this update.

So far Vista SP1 has only been released in five languages so if you have a language pack installed that SP1 has not yet been released for, Windows Update will not offer you Vista SP1. Another reason is that a number of device drivers cause problems with SP1 so if you have one of these installed on your computer Windows Update will not offer you SP1 either. To read more about this click here

Something else you may want to think about is whether or not you want your computer to update to Vista SP1 automatically. If you have Vista and your automatic updates are turned on you will receive SP1 in mid-April automatically. If there is some specific reason you do not want to receive SP1 automatically you may want to consider turning your automatic updates off. To learn how to check if your automatic updates are on or off and how to change this click here.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is now officially available.

Those who are already using Vista and have their automatic updates turned on will automatically receive this update in mid-April, but if they would like it before then they can open their Windows update and download the new software at anytime.

To read more about this from ComputerWorld click here

The Inland Revenue Department is soon to begin issuing 9 digit IRD numbers and is reminding small business owners to check that their payroll software is able to handle this.

Almost all international payroll software products are already able to accommodate longer numbers, but if you are at all unsure of this it may pay to check.

For more information about this change click here.

A couple of people here have been quite impressed by these wireless headphones from Logitech, so we thought we would let you know what we liked about them.

1. First of all they’re wireless which means they’re great in all those situations when a wire would normally get in the way e.g. when you are out jogging with your iPod or you want to watch TV without disturbing anyone else with the noise. They work using a Bluetooth transmitter which plugs into your auto devise.
2. They work in any audio devise with a standard 3.5mm auto jack and also come with adapters should you need them.
3. They also will work from up to ten meters away, so you can use them from the other side of the room or sometimes even a different room.
4. They have there own volume control on the right ear so you can easily adjust the volume without having to do it on the auto device itself.
5. They are very light, very flexible, and the wire core headband means it won’t snap as easily as other headphones.

To learn more about these headphones from the Logitech website click here

While new research may mean that batteries for our laptops, iPods, cell phones etc will soon last much longer (click here to read more) for the time being at least we all want those batteries to last as long as possible. So here are some quick tips, courtesy of the Microsoft website, to help ensure your batteries last as long as they can.

1. Always follow the instructions when charging it for the first time – If the instructions say to charge it for 8 or 16 hours then you need to do this or else you could permanently shorten how long your battery lasts.
   
2. Don’t leave them on charge– Leaving your batteries charging well after they are fully charged isn’t good for them either. Of course leaving your cell phone on charge overnight isn’t going to be big problem but leaving something plugged in and charging for a week could also reduce the life of the battery.
   
3. Use them every three months – If you have a second cell phone or spare laptop battery try to fully use the battery once every three months so that they continue to work properly.
   
4. Avoid extreme temperatures – Extreme temperature can also reduce the permanent capacity of your battery, so try not to leave them in a hot car for any length of time.

For more tips on how to make your laptop battery last longer click here.

The customer of the month this time round was ICIB (Industrial & Commercial Insurance Brokers). They have been with us since 1998 and we’ve really enjoyed working with them all this time.

This customer of the month award cake represented an earthquake with cracked buildings and ground.

Believe it not the IRD has 11 million dollars in unclaimed monies owed to over 12,000 different people and organisations on a list it recently published.

The good news is they’ve set up a website where you can search thought names and find out if you or someone you know is owed some of this money. Amounts range from hundreds to thousands of dollars so it’s well worth a look.

To visit this site go to www.ird.govt.nz/unclaimed-money