Computer Repair Experts in Phoenix, Arizona. my PC Techs Presents:

When we repair a computer at my PC Techs, one of the first items on our list of work to perform is dust removal. In Arizona, dust is a big problem and coats everything. When a new computer comes into our shop we never really know just how much dust we are going to see! It’s always a surprise when you “pop the case” of a computer for the first time.

Here are a few pictures of the inside of a case that recently came into our workshop.

Over time, dust accumulates inside your computer case

Over time, dust can cause internals components to overheat, due to lack of air circulation

Dust is a slow computer killer. Dust prevents normal air circulation through the computer case. The case draws cooler air from outside the case through the various airflow openings of the case. The lack of circulation caused by dust will often result in internal component overheating and failure. These include video cards, hard drives, computer processor and other internal hardware.

Common intake openings of the case include the front and the sides of the case, while exit openings include fans usually mounted in the rear of the case and the power supply.

Keeping these openings clear of debris can help to maintain the proper airflow around the case. A good practice is to also maintain four to six inches of clearance from the computer to any object which could block airflow.

In conclusion, dusting out your case every month can help to extend the life of your computer – instead of it suffering the fate of death by dust.

A hard drive is a small box inside of computer equipment that may contain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card information, social security numbers, etc. If you are upgrading to a new computer (desktop computer, laptop, office copier, etc.) always remove and destroy the hard drive before selling, donating, or recycling any computer equipment! Failure to destroy the hard drive before giving the computer away could result in sensitive information ending up in the hands of the new owner, who will then be able to copy old files and go through your personal information stored there.

There are many options available if you are looking to dispose of an old hard drive. Some professional destruction methods include:

• Shredding it using a local shredding company
• Taking it to a computer recycling company
• Mailing it to a hard drive destruction specialist
• Bringing it in to a local computer shop that will dispose of it

These methods are ideal, but they usually cost money. Professional destruction of a hard drive could cost $70 or more in some areas! So what is a low cost method to dispose of the hard drive and keep your personal data safe if you are low on funds? Considering you have all the right tools, this method won’t cost you a dime and is a very secure way to get rid of a hard drive while keeping your data secure.

Step 1: Wipe it! Wiping a hard drive in essence destroys the data by writing over it with random characters. There are many free utilities to help, a good one is Active@ KillDisk. You can download the free utility from their website, click: Active@ KillDisk. This free software overwrites all of the data on your old hard drive with random characters and WILL DESTROY ALL OF YOUR DATA! Be sure you have performed a complete backup and have transferred the data from your old hard drive to your new system before wiping it.

Step 2: Remove it! Physically remove the hard drive from the system. This is usually the easy part, you’ll just need a screwdriver and a little patience. Keep in mind that you will still be able to sell or donate the old computer without a hard drive missing, just be sure to let the new owners know in advance that they will need a new hard drive and operating system.

Step 3: Drill it! If you plan on using the old hard drive again, skip this step. Otherwise it’s best to physically destroy the old hard drive just to be 100% certain that the old data is completely destroyed. This step is not only fun, depending on how much personal data you had on the old drive it can also help you sleep better at night.

Wearing protective goggles, gloves, and a dust mask for your mouth and nose take a drill and a metal drill bit to the drive. You’ll want to drill through the drive completely from one side to the other, and you’ll want to do this multiple times. Two important areas for you to drill through are the platters and the controller board. See examples in the below images.

All done!

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For Immediate Release November 15, 2011

my PC Techs named ASPIRE Award Gold Prize winner by Ready-to-Go Marketing

For more information, press only:

Andre Morris, my PC Techs, (602) 456-0150, andre@mypctechs.com

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I’m not a huge fan of Toshiba systems and this is just one of the reasons – design that hasn’t been thought out or tested very well. We just finished repairs on a Satellite A665 system that suffers from some interesting design flaws.

Here’s the system in question, innocent enough looking right?

This is the battery compartment. It’s hard to see in the picture, but there is only a small, thin strip of plastic between the top of the battery compartment and the internal workings of the buttons on the other side (see next image).

This is the other side of that compartment. Notice the volume up/down buttons and other system buttons in this area?

Long story short, if there is any debris in the battery compartment area or the battery is situated evenly slightly incorrect the volume up/down buttons can get locked into a state of constant pressing. This system, upon boot, was stuck in an audio up/down keystroke event that made it hard to type and produced a horrible buzzing noise in the operating system. We fixed this issue in our computer repair office here in Phoenix.

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The Challenge: How can you create a wired LAN with an independent network when:

> There is no available CAT5 cable leading to a modem or router
> The only internet connection nearby is on an established router that you can’t change settings on
> Wireless access is available in the building

One option is a cradelpoint 4G router, using a Verizon 4G modem to setup internet access for multiple computers. However, in this case, we need a solution that is not limited by the amount of data you can download before overages set in. We settled on using a spare Linksys WRT54G router. When flashing this to DD-WRT, it’s possible to set the WAN on the wireless router to client mode and connect to an existing Wi-Fi network. We could then create a LAN on the device and plug-in computers to create our own network that would use the connected Wi-Fi network signal to pull internet!

Take a look at this article “Building a Wireless Bridge” that is helpful for this type of configuration. How can our Phoenix computer repair office help you solve your office networking challenges?

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