The top reasons_why_you_may_need_it_support

The Top Reasons Why You May Need IT Support

A Quick Checklist for Your Computer Network

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The Top Reasons Why You May Need IT SUPPORT A+ Computer Fix

www.FastComputerRepairService.com

THE TOP REASONS WHY YOU MAY NEED

IT SUPPORT

A Quick Checklist for Your Computer Network The most common IT support issues related to businesses are usually due to slow computers, out of memory, hard drive issues, and virus infections. This ebook will share a quick checklist that you can use right now to check the status of your individual computers and your server.

Out of this checklist, you may find you need to upgrade your computer network or need IT support services to help you resolve your network issues.

Give us a call at 407 990-1493, and we’ll be happy to discuss the right IT solutions for your business.


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Are you running out of RAM? The first item to check is how much RAM you're using. RAM can be one of the biggest performance inhibitors on your PC and server out of everything.

If you're running out of RAM, the PC itself will use what's called, the "swap file". Which means instead of utilizing the RAM on the PC, it writes data to the hard drive which can be very, very slow. It swaps data between the hard drive and RAM as it's needed, because the computer doesn't have enough memory to store all the programs in RAM.

Think of it like an over flowing water storage tank. You have an assigned reservoir that holds all your necessary water (your RAM), but when the water over flows it has to be stored somewhere so you start collecting the extra water in buckets and storing it in a water shed (your hard drive). You have to truck that extra water back and forth so that you can operate normally but it’s definitely going to slow your operations down.

Checklist Item #1: Check your RAM usage

To check this, we're going to look at what's called the "Task Manager." There's a couple of different ways to bring up the task manager. The easiest way is to hold down the control, shift, and escape keys on your keyboard.


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That's holding the control key, press the shift key and hold it in, and then press the escape key. This will bring up the Windows task manager. When this comes up, you're going to see a couple of tabs at the top.

It looks similar to this.


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Select the Performance Tab. You’ll see a couple of graphs. The top one is CPU usage. The second one is memory.

In the box directly under memory (second one down), it's going to tell you how much memory you're currently using. Over on the right hand side, it's going to show a graph showing the memory peaks and lows over the past few minutes. If the graph shows a high average usage, the memory could be a big issue for your computer or server.

Let’s verify that you have enough RAM for your system. Right under the memory graph, take a look at the box that says, "physical memory (MB)." It's going to tell you your total, cached, available and free memory.


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The two key pieces of information to look at are the Total Memory and the Available Memory.

The Total is the amount in bytes you have of RAM. Let’s say you have 8 GB (gigabytes). The number listed will be something like 8,024. The Cached is the RAM the computer is currently using. The Available is how much free space you've got in your RAM for utilization.

Many times, when employees are complaining of slow computers, and you check the memory, it’s commonly related to Windows trying to use 1.5 GB but the computer only has 1 GB of Total RAM.

You can tremendously increase the speed of you PC by giving it enough RAM. With Windows 7 and newer, you will need no less than 4 GB, but it’s recommended to


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use 8 GB. You need at least eight, if not 16 GB, on a new server, because servers can utilize a lot more RAM than a PC can.

If you don't have enough RAM in your PC, it's going to run extremely slow, because it’s swaping the files with your hard drive as we discussed above. Even if it’s the latest, brand new PC out there. If you try to run programs with 1 GB of RAM, your computer will run extremely slow no matter what.

Checklist Item #2: Check your CPU usage

Also in the Task Manager, you will see the CPU usage listed. The box on the left that says CPU usage gives a percentage of the total amount of CPU that's being used.


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Next to the CPU usage, you're going to see individual graphs that represent the individual CPU cores. Most modern processors come with dual or quad cores, so it's going to show you how much each one of those physical cores is using.

Back about five years ago, everybody ran a single core, in other words a single CPU. What they're doing now is they're putting double and quad CPU's on one chip. That way if you've got software that can take advantage of multiple cores, it can greatly, greatly increase your speed.

If the CPU usage is greater than 70 % constantly, especially on your server, you should seriously consider getting a new CPU. If it's pegged at 100%, it's very possible you've been infected with a virus or have a rogue program running. It’s definitely time to call IT support at that point.


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Do you have enough Hard Drive space? Now let’s take a look at your hard drive space. If your hard drive space is running out, your computer is not going to function properly. You should maintain at least 10 percent of your hard drive space free just for the swap file. 20% free space is preferred for your hard drive for it to function properly. You definitely do not want to fill the hard drive up.

Checklist Item #3 – Check your available hard drive space

To check your hard drive space, under the Start Menu double click on "My Computer" on Windows XP or "Computer" on Windows 7 and Vista


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Under hard disk drives, it should give you a little reading on Windows 7 saying something like 200 gigabytes free of 500 gigabytes. On Windows XP, you're going to need to right click the disk drive and pick Properties. You can do this in Windows 7 and Vista, as well. Look on the General tab for used space and free space.


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As an example, if you have a 500 GB hard drive, keep at least 50 GB free (preferably more than 75 GB free). If the hard drive is close to full, you need to call in IT support and get a new hard drive installed. Once hard drives start getting close to their storage limit, errors will start occurring from the way sectors are used, and, in general, it's going to make the PC perform poorly.


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Do you have adequate virus protection?

Checklist #4: Install or Update your virus protection software

Another item to check is your virus protection. Do you have virus protection? If you do, is it updated? There are a variety of anti-virus programs out there. If you're looking for something free, Microsoft Security Essentials is excellent and highly recommended. AVG is also a good free anti-virus program. If you don't have it, download it right now using the links below. Anti-Virus programs are a must on any Windows PC. It's even becoming a must on Macintosh.

Once you get some virus protection software, make sure that it's up-to-date. They usually release virus definitions at least twice a week, every other day, or sometimes once a week. You don't want your antivirus updates to be more than a week old. Any older than that and your system becomes vulnerable to attack, and you definitely don't want that.




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Have you updated your operating system lately? Like any software there are errors in code that need to be fixed. Especially with an operating system, it is common to have frequent updates to install. Viruses will normally attack these vulnerabilities, so it’s important to keep your operating system up to date.

Checklist #5 : Check your Windows Updates

Check your Windows Updates by going into the Control Panel>System and Security, and then Windows update


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It will tell you when the last time an update was completed. If you haven't done any updates for a while on your individual computer, it’s good to run the updates. However, keep in mind that if you have not done updates for a very long time, then the updates may cause problems with your other installed software. You may need to have an IT support professional complete the updates for you to prevent any software errors.

If you're looking at your server, please call your tech support before running any Windows updates!

Some updates on the server will corrupt other programs which can cause your server to crash. So you want to make sure a certified IT professional can address server updates. You also want to make sure to complete a full back up before updating any system.

The best way to make sure you’re up to date all the time is to set the updates to automatic on the individual computer. On a server, it is better not to set the updates to automatic so that it doesn’t create an unwanted situation like a server crash. Server updates need to be maintained by an IT professional monthly. It’s highly recommended that you setup a server maintenance agreement with your IT support professional that covers server error logs, updates, and backup checks.


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When was the last time you checked your backups? Backups of your data are critical. There are many situations that can cause a computer or server to fail. You want to setup and run backups routinely. You also need to check your backups are running properly.

If you do not have a back-up, get one. If you have to, back up your data to an external hard drive. You can also get cloud storage, in some places, such as Drop Box or Carbonite to back up your files.

If you don't have a back-up of your files, you're asking for trouble. Anything from failing hard drives to lightning strikes can destroy your data. Without backups, there is no recovery. We’ve even helped clients who have dropped their computers while moving it damaging the hard drive and causing the data to be unrecoverable.


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Checklist #6: Install or Check a Backup Routine

Always, always, always have a back-up. Windows 7 includes a very good back-up utility that's built into it. You can use that or you can go for some third party off site back-up, as well. It doesn't really matter how it's backed up, but do back it up.

If you need to back up mission critical, revenue generating business data on your server, it’s highly recommended to back-up your data at a local offsite facility. Ask your IT professional for available options.

If you're not paying for an offsite back-up service, at least get yourself two external hard drives, and back



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up your server to one drive at a time. After a week, back up to the other drive and continue swapping the drive each week always keeping one drive offsite. That way, if something happens in the office (like a fire or theft), you will at least have a set of backups no later than a week old off site.

Do you need help with any of these checklist items? Now you have a good idea of how your computer or server is functioning. Are you getting optimal performance?

If you find that you need assistance with any of these checklist items, give us a call at 407-990-1493. We’ll be happy to assess your IT services needs and recommend the best solution for your business and your budget.

If you found this ebook helpful, we’d greatly appreciate your comments on our Facebook Fan Page at www.FastComputerRepairService.com/facebook or on Twitter @ITsupportFL (www.twitter.com/itsupportfl)

Share which checklist item was the most helpful for you and enter to win a prize!

About A+ Computer Fix

A+ Computer Fix specializes in IT services for businesses in Orlando, Florida. We pride ourselves on top quality computer repair and IT support services. Whether you need wireless setup, computer upgrades, server maintenance, offsite backup solutions or high end technology solutions, we can provide you with the highest quality parts, support, and service.

Learn more about other common questions, visit our blog at www.FastComputerRepairService.com/blog

If you need IT support help, call us at 407-990-1493 for a free phone consultation.






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