Use this tool to check for hidden spyware infections and other forms of computer corruption. On average, the scan will take 1 minute to download and run. Actual time will vary with connection speed. After the scan is complete, The Geeks can remove any spyware and prevent future intrusions.

Scan Now

Powered by:

You might not realise how vulnerable your midterm thesis or your digital vacation photos are until they’re wiped from your machine . Fortunately, preventing unexpected data loss is as simple as storing crucial information in multiple areas. Backing up data regularly ensures that personal documents, photos, and other important files are secure in the event of a technology meltdown. Follow these tips from The Geeks and you’ll rest easy.

Backup Methods

• Basic Software:? copies information to a different part of the hard drive for safekeeping.

• ADVANTAGE: Low or no cost

• DISADVANTAGE: If this hard drive fails, both copies of the data may be lost.
• Must copy manually

• Advanced Software:? transfers data to a separate type of media, such as a CD/DVD, external hard drive, USB Flash drive, or Mirra
• ADVANTAGE: Greater security if stored separately
• DISADVANTAGES: Cost of media
• Must copy manually

• Online (“Cloud”) Backup:? copies data to secure online storage areas
• ADVANTAGES: The most secure method
• Can access remotely
• Could be set up to auto save periodically
• DISADVANTAGE: Usually subscription cost

Backup Recommendations

• Create a checklist
• Document the files and folders to be saved. Back up the most important files first.

• Create a schedule
• Depending on how often your information is modified, repetition is important. Consumers may back up important information once a week. Small businesses may do so daily. Most backup software can be programmed to consistently backup automatically.

• Verify the backup
• Load information from the storage device back to the computer to ensure that the data copy is intact.

If you need help determining which options are best for you, a Geek can help. We can also provide a one-on-one computer backup training session.

A home network is a great way for you to share files and resources among multiple computers, but network annoyances can creep up in places you’d never expect. Fortunately, Geeks have developed tips to help overcome some common issues. Remember you can call a Geek for help at any time.?

Problem: I cannot access my network or the Internet from any computer on the network.

Solution:? Power down all computers on the network. Unplug both the cable modem and router. Wait a few minutes. Plug in the cable modem. Wait until the lights on the cable modem stop blinking. This could take up to a minute. When the cable modem lights are steady, plug the router back in. Again, wait until the lights stop blinking. Then power on any computer on the network. This is known as power cycling your modem and this can often restore connectivity.

Problem: I cannot access the network from one computer, but all other computers are working.

Solution:? Shut down and restart the computer. If the computer is a laptop try moving it closer to the access point. If this solves the problem, you are having signal interference. It can be caused by many things, including leaded glass, metal-reinforced concrete walls or floors or simply too much distance between your computer and the access point.

Problem: I want to boost my wireless signal to a weak area of the house.

Solution:? Buy a wireless repeater, which allow you to extend the wireless networking signal much farther from the original base station. These generally cost less than $100.

Problem: I have a 2.4 GHz wireless telephone; will it interfere with my wireless system?

Solution:? Yes. Any 2.4 GHz wireless phone can interfere with your wireless network. Normally symptoms will be sudden loss of wireless connectivity or drastically reduced speeds when the phone is in use.

If this occurs, you can try changing the channel on your phone. Hang up the phone and pick it up again. This will usually force the phone to use a different channel. Some phones have a channel button near the keypad that allows you to select the channel used by the phone.

This can be caused by several possibilities. Check each one in this order to find out what’s wrong.

Make sure the “hold” switch is off.

1. The hold switch is located on the top of the iPod. When it’s pushed toward the headphones jack, you’ll see an orange patch. This means the Hold switch is on and you need to turn it off.
2. Slide the hold switch away from the headphones jack.
3. Press any button to turn on the iPod.

Make sure the battery is charged.

iPod won’t turn on if the battery is empty. Instead, a low battery screen will appear for about 3 seconds.

1. Connect the iPod to the Apple iPod power adapter and plug that into an electrical outlet, or connect iPod to your computer’s built-in firewire port.
2. Wait a minute, and then turn on iPod by pressing any button.

Remember: If your battery is completely dead, it will take up to 4 hours for your player to charge completely.

Reset your iPod.

If the above fail, you must reset your iPod.

1. Make sure the remote’s hold switch is off.
2. Connect the iPod to the power adapter.
3. Connect the adapter to an outlet.
4. Press and hold both the PLAY and MENU buttons for 5 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

Music won’t play on my iPod

1. Make sure the hold switch is off
2. Be sure the earphones are plugged in all the way
3. Try turning up the volume
4. Check to see if the player is on pause

My iPod is Locked and Does Not Respond

If your iPod constantly freezes or locks up, chances are that it needs a little love. There are numerous things that could cause this, including excessive shock caused by exercise, jogging, off-roading, light-saber battles, jumping, outlandish dancing, drops, falls, running into walls, or any sort of excessive fun. If the iPod thinks you’re playing too hard, it will protect itself and stop the hard drive. The only way to resume after this is to reset it. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, give us a call.

My iPod Shows a Folder Icon With an Exclamation Point

If your iPod shows a folder icon with an exclamation point like this one:

1. The battery may be low. Recharge your iPod with the Apple iPod Power Adapter or the computer cable that came with it.
2. You may have the wrong version of the iPod software. Try updating or restoring the iPod based on the instruction manual that came with your player.
3. It may just be locked up. Try resetting.
4. If tips 1–3 don’t work, give us a call for help.

My iPod Shows an Unhappy iPod Face on the Screen

This is never a good thing. Before you do anything drastic, verify that the computer to which you’ve connected the iPod meets its system requirements. If it does, the iPod must be placed into disc mode and restored. Give us a call and we’ll fix it for you.

My iPod Cannot Sync Songs with iTunes

You may see an error message that reads, “An unknown error has occurred (-36).” This happens when iTunes can’t write information to the iPod. Here are some things that can cause this:

1. Outdated operating system software. Make sure the iPod has the latest updates, including improvements for device connections. Check your computer’s operating system for updates too.
2. Software interference. Some software can prevent iTunes from writing files to your iPod. If you have recently installed any software on your computer, try disabling it.
3. You may have imported a damaged file. If a music or photo file is damaged, iTunes will display the -36 error when transferring that file to the iPod. If you can identify the corrupted file, try deleting and re-importing it.

The Geeks services iPods. So call us for help.

The box says the battery should last 12 hours, but your iPod just went dead after eight. So what gives? Well, the 12-hour approximation doesn’t take the full functionality of your iPod into account. Using features like backlighting and menu commands (such as searching for specific songs or artists) drain power — and shorten battery life.

The good news is that there are some tips and tricks that will get the most life out of your player:

Reset Your iPod to the Default Settings

1. Make sure the hold switch is off.
2. Connect the iPod to a power adapter, then connect the adapter to an outlet or your computer’s firewire port.
3. Press and hold the play and menu buttons together for 5 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

Use the hold button when playing music

When engaged, the hold button disables any power to your iPod’s controls, saving power. Just slide the hold switch toward the headphone jack to turn it on.

Change the Backlight Settings

The backlight can drain a great deal of power. Unless you need it, turn it off altogether (Choose SETTINGS? BACKLIGHT TIME? OFF). If you need the backlight for low-light situations, adjust the setting to turn it turn off after a few seconds.

Disable the Equalizer

The equalizer constantly changes music’s sound properties. Disabling this feature also extends your battery life (Choose SETTINGS ? EQ ? OFF).

Create playlists

Choosing songs, artists, and other menu items manually will cut battery life. Create and use playlists and you’ll get a longer listening period.

Keep It Cool

Keep your iPod out of the sun or hot car. Heat degrades performance.

Hold Button

Turn your iPod off by pressing the play button for 2 seconds. Then turn on the Hold button to make sure it doesn’t inadvertently get turned back on.

Use It

Use your iPod regularly to keep the electrons moving in your lithium-based battery. And charge it at least once per month.

Why You Should Buy Used

• To Save Money.? You can get components at a discount, which means you may even be able to find better technology that fits within your budget.

• It’s Like New.? “Tested” refurbished parts are virtually as good as new. Certificates verifying a part has been tested can be requested from the seller.

• To Upgrade.? You want a faster hard drive or bigger memory.

• For Repairs.? If your computer is simply having maintenance problems, you could try replacing the damaged parts with certified refurbished parts, instead of buying an entirely new computer.

How To Shop Refurbished

• No Shipping Costs.? Buy from a physical store, rather than online. Or buy from an online store that offers free shipping.

• No Ghost Images.? Images are “burnt” into the screen when a monitor has been left on for long periods of time.

• All Pixels Working.? If an LCD monitor has damaged pixels (sometimes due to touch or damage during shipping), black spots will appear on the screen.

• Updated Software and Programs.? Get the licensing agreements, otherwise known as certificates of authenticity, for all software on the computer to ensure that they were purchased legally and you can still use them.

• Inclusive Parts.? Make sure the product comes with all the parts (cables, batteries, manual, etc.).

• Get a Warranty.? Check for licensing agreements and return policies too.

• Read the Fine Print.? There can be a catch to those golden deals.

Where To Shop

• Most computer manufacturer websites

How The Geeks Can Help

The Geeks can help set up and optimise your refurbished products. Here are some examples.

• No Old Files or Documents.? Make sure the computer has been formatted back to factory standards to remove all old files, documents, viruses and software. Norton System Work’s Wipe Info and On Track’s Data Eraser are software programs that can do this.

• Virus- and Spyware-Free.? If a used computer has been re-formatted to factory standards, there will not be any virus protection in place. You’ll want anti-virus software to protect your data.

• See all services >

It a form of online identity theft where an individual or company attempts to fraudulently acquire personal and/or private information from a user — such as passwords, account numbers, social security numbers, etc. The “phisher” poses as a trustworthy person or business and uses email or an instant message to convince users that they need to respond with certain personal information. It’s usually financial information they are after so that they can use your credit card or bank account for criminal acts.

How Phishing Works

The spoofed email will look extremely similar to one you’d receive from your financial institution or another company you do business with. It might ask you to “verify your account information” or “confirm your billing information”. The link will direct you to a spoofed site that also mimics that of the company they are posing as. When a user visits the fake site, their personal information can be used to create fake accounts in the victim’s name, ruin their credit or even prevent them from accessing their email or account.

Protecting Yourself

While these aren’t all the foolproof ways in which Phishing occurs, there are smart tips you should practice every day.

Ways To Spot a Fake:

• Spelling mistakes and the presence of an IP address in the link within the email
• Lack of a personal greeting, although the presence of one does not mean it’s legitimate
• Absence of partial account numbers from banks and credit card companies

If you are suspicious, contact the company you think is sending you the email. They can either confirm it is truly from them or alert their customers that someone may be phishing.

Other Tips To Help Protect Your Privacy:

• Install a spam filter on your email
• Some of the latest Internet browsers (Microsoft IE7, Mozilla Firefox 2.0, and Opera) contain special software to automatically check for fraudulent URLs

The Geeks can help
The Geeks have additional ways to help keep your personal information safe.
See Security services >

Whenever you save personal information on your PC or Mac, you want to know that everything is private and protected — and the level of your computer’s security determines the strength of the deadbolt for your computer’s front door.

How Spyware Gets On Your Computer

Spyware is often a component of a software application that you’ve intentionally installed. This is especially true of free software downloaded from the Iinternet. Spyware can also be part of a computer virus you received. And, even though you may remove the virus or fix the problems it caused, the spyware can remain on your computer, collecting data and reporting back to parties interested in stealing information.

Tips to Locking Out Intruders and Infections

• Virus and spyware protection software should be installed and updated regularly.
• Make sure your PC has the latest Windows? operating system updates? or you have the? latest Mac operating system updates.
• Do not open files, click on hyperlinks or download programs sent to you by strangers. And don’t accept their candy, either.
• Use a firewall, especially if you use a high-speed Internet connection.
• When submitting information online, look for the “lock” icon on your browser’s status bar to help ensure that your information is secure during transmission.
• Try not to store financial information on your laptop unless absolutely necessary. If you do, use a smart password — something with a combination of upper and lower case letters and numeric characters.
  (Read password tips.)

Tips to Keep Your Financial Information Safe

• Check your credit report at least twice a year to make sure that no one has opened any accounts without your knowledge. By law, you can receive one free report per year from all three credit bureaus. Visit? for the details.

• Properly dispose of all your documents with personal information or account numbers. Credit card bills and receipts, legal documents, loan and credit card applications. Give them all the shredder treatment.

  You actually don’t have to sign the back of your credit cards — and you shouldn’t. Simply put “CHECK I.D.” on it and you’ll be covered. Just remember to carry your ID when you’re shopping.

  The next time you order cheques, have them made with just the initial of your first name. You’ll still need your full last name on them, but this will help the cause.

  When you are writing cheques to pay on your credit card bill, don’t put the entire credit card number in the “Memo” area, just put the last four numbers. Your credit card company will have all the information they need.

  Never have your social security number printed on your cheques and never keep you social security card in your wallet. The ramifications of your social security number falling into the wrong hands are bad enough — but on top of that, it’s just an incredible hassle to get a new card.

  Photocopy the contents of your wallet. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.

• What To Do If Your Identity Is Stolen

  Don’t panic, but do act quickly.

• Call the fraud department of the Australian Federal Police to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. Once you put an alert on your identity, you will receive a phone call if anyone tries to open a new account using your social security number.

  Call your credit card companies immediately and report the fraudulent activity. (This is where the photocopy of your cards comes in handy.)

  File a police report. You may need this for some creditors as proof of a crime.

• File a complaint with the the Government

The Geeks can help keep your personal information safe. See our? Security services.

When we lose precious information, whether to a system crash or to hackers, it can feel like we are losing parts of our lives. That’s why keeping our data safe and sound is serious business.

The following security tips from The Geeks are essential rules of thumb that will help keep your data safe from both an internal malfunction or an external invasion.

Six Steps to Keeping Your Data Safe

1. Use proactive software protection.? Anti-virus and anti-spyware software are basic requirements for initial protection. Viruses and spyware can creep into your computer and easily degrade performance and corrupt or even destroy data.
2. Use a firewall.? Firewalls assist in blocking dangerous programs, viruses or spyware before they infiltrate your system. Various software companies offer firewall protection, but hardware-based firewalls, like those frequently built into network routers, provide a better level of security.
3. Be cautious of suspicious emails from unknown sources.? Don’t open emails with attachments if you don’t know the sender.
4. Steer clear of websites of ill repute.? These are havens for malicious and annoying intruders like spyware.
5. Keep your operating system updated.? Repair the security holes that hackers love to exploit with the newest critical updates from Microsoft or Apple.
6. Consistently backup crucial data.? Backing up to a separate media device, such as CD/DVD, external hard drive, USB drive or Mirra, on a regular basis ensures that important files are secure.

The Geeks services that can help protect your data:

Automatic Online Data Backup

One-Time Data Backup

Standard Security and Performance