Online Support Desk
Here at Caledonian IT we have now added an online support desk to help our customers log and track their support calls online. The service allows you to create support tickets whether it is for faults & failures or just general queries.
The help desk enables us keep track of open support issues and allows the client to see what is currently going on with the logged issue.
You can visit the support desk by clicking on the Support Desk link on the site menu. If it is your first time on the site, click the sign up link in the top right corner. This will allow you to create a support account that you can then use to track the calls logged. You will receive an email from the support desk to inform you when there has been an update to your support call.
Have you turned it off and on again?
It’s one of the first questions anyone in support will ask you when you call, ”have you turned it off and on again?” You will be amazed how many problems a simple reboot will solve. You should do this at least once before calling for tech support, if for no other reason than to be able to say “yes I have already tried that”.
What we call a cold reboot works best, this means shutting down and turning off your PC or Laptop for 30 seconds before turning it back on again.
If you leave your computer on 24/7, you should restart it every couple of days (with the exception of a server). A freshly booted system always works best. If after doing this you still have problems with your PC or Laptop then you should give your IT Support a call.
Free Anti-Virus
At Caledonian IT we strongly recommend everyone runs an Anti-Virus package on their computers, but you do not need to pay for this software or for the updates. There are loads of great FREE solutions available to home users but now there is also a free solution for the small business (10 computers or less). It is from software giant Microsoft and is called Microsoft Security Essentials.
Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.
Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.
Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions or long computer wait times.
You can download the software from the Microsoft site by clicking here.
New remote support
Starting Monday 24/01/2011, Caledonian IT will be offering an online support service that will allow remote access to your desktop PC to resolve software issues. By simply downloading the small secure client software and granting access, they will be able to connect to your PC and rectify any issues encountered. Not only is there no requirement for you to wait for an engineer, this will also reduce response times.
Customers who benefit from the monthly payment plan will automatically receive this service free of charge, and a reduced rate of £30 will be applied to pay as you go customers. This is compared to the standard hourly rate of £40.
There will obviously be instances where this service is not sufficient. If your fault is hardware related; access cannot be gained to the internet or the fault is with multiple PC’s, a normal site visit will still be required.
Tips to avoid viruses
1 – Update Windows.
Make sure you run widows update on a regular basis, Microsoft updates are released to patch holes in the system to block malicious attacks from hackers and Spyware.
2 – Do not click the links in unsolicited email.
These links can take you to a webpage that may look legitimate, but could actually contain hidden content that will install spyware or adware on your computer. Please note that Microsoft will never send you an email asking you to click the link to update you software or details.
3 – Install Anti-virus software.
Make sure you have an anti-virus package on your PC, we recommend NOD32 from Eset but you should at least use one of the free packages that are out there.
4 – Install Anti-spyware software.
Again if you use NOD32 from Eset it has powerful built in spyware protection. There are also some great standalone applications like Spy-Bot Search & Destroy or Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware.
5 – Rogue software.
If a Spyware or Anti-virus program appears on your PC that you have not installed or have not seen before, do not use it. Chances are that the app itself is the Virus / Spyware, contact us straight away and we can arrange for a technician to visit you and remove the rogue software.
6 – Scan your PC regularly.
You should scan your pc with your Anti-virus / Anti-Spyware program at least once a month but preferably once a week.
7 – Upgrade Internet Explorer.
If you are still using Internet Explorer 6 then please upgrade it to Internet Explorer 8 as soon as possible, IE6 does not meet today’s security requirements.
Advertisement
