Why is my battery backup or UPS beeping?
Why is my Internet slow?
Numerous things impact Internet performance. First, determine if a single website is slow or are all websites slow? Next, find out if anyone else in your office is experiencing slow performance. If all websites and all users are affected, there may be a problem with the equipment that connects you to the Internet or with the Internet service itself. Most Internet providers include information on their website that reports a wide spread problem. If there is no wide spread problem a call to the provider to report your problem may be in order. Other things that can affect Internet performance is bandwidth saturation which can occur when the usage from your office consumes the total amount of Internet bandwidth to which you subscribe.
Why is my PC slow?
Many things will affect a computers performance, so the question to ask yourself is whether it has gotten slower over time or has it never performed as well as you desire? If it has never performed the way you desire does the hardware meet or exceed your applications system requirements for memory, disk space and processor speed and is it a business grade computer and operating system? If it has gotten slower over time consider the age of the computer and how many applications you are opening at a time. Other factors that will impact performance are failing hardware or malware. If you suspect either of these you should contact your computer professional promptly.
Why is my monitor or screen black?
If your screen is black, check to see if the computer and monitor both have power. This can be done by checking to see if the computer or monitor have a green power light or by following the cable down to the battery backup or surge strip.
What Internet browser should I use?
While there are many browsers on the market, we prefer Firefox because it is open source and so is not driven by any corporations’ desire to advertise. When choosing a browser you should consider any requirements from your hosted application vendor or web portals you use regularly. Also, just a reminder that Internet Explorer is end of life and Edge has known compatibility issues.
How did my computer get infected with virus, malware or ransomware?
What should I do if I receive a suspicious email?
When in doubt do not open the email. If it says it is from someone you know, call them to inquire as to whether they sent the email. If their email system has been compromised, sending them an email to ask this question is not the best course of action. Report suspicious email to the designated network administrator at your office.
Examples of suspicious email:
- It is from someone you know, but the subject or content is not normal for them.
- You did not ship anything via UPS and you receive a shipping confirmation.
- You receive an EFTPS confirmation, but, are not responsible for payroll tax payments.
- You receive an order via email from an out of state company requesting you bill them.
Who do I call if I don't know if it is a software, hardware, or Internet problem?
What do I do if I get a suspicious pop-up while using an Internet browser?
How do I train my SPAM filter?
What is McAfee site advisor?
What updates need to run on my computer and how often?
Microsoft Windows security and system updates should be set to run automatically at least once a week. Windows 10 will not let you limit these updates to once a week, but, will let you restrict them from occurring during work hours. Anti-virus/anti-spyware updates should run multiple times a day and may be fine-tuned to prevent any impact on network or computer performance. Application updates should be applied based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Why should I have such a complicated password?
Passwords protect and restrict access to your bank accounts, credit card accounts, retirement accounts, hosted payroll and email systems, just to name a few.
- A password of 12 or less numbers can be cracked 312 times in 3 minutes and 21 seconds.
- Passwords of seven alpha characters can be cracked in .29 milliseconds.
- A password of ‘123456789’ can be cracked 431 times in the blink of your eye.
- In contrast the password ‘P@ssw0rD’ will take 14 years to crack.
If your employees are using their kids’ names, birthday, or anniversary dates, their dog’s names or any word found in the dictionary as a password, they are weakening the security of your entire business. Is it worth the risk?