Computer News, Tips and Advice for Your Business from OSHEAS Computer Consultants

The Proper Care & Feeding of Your PC

Tips to Keep Your PC Running Smoothly - Part Two

Did you know your software is incomplete?
Software has become so complex and competitive these days that even a company as large as Microsoft® often sells incomplete software and operating systems. Software makers must release these products while still continuing to work on security and other features, and to correct “bugs” discovered after release.

The solution is at you fingertips. 
To offset this problem, Microsoft has put in place a tool, which is designed to address this issue. Called Microsoft Update or Windows Update, depending on what version of Windows you are running, this tool allows your machine to automatically download and install updates and patches as they come available. What most people do not realize is that the standard Microsoft tool does not automatically install all the updates that your PC requires to stay healthy. To stay on top of all the updates, it is recommended that you run the Microsofttool at least two times a month. 
 
The first thing to do is make sure you have saved and closed all open files and applications. You will likely need to reboot your computer at the end of the process and you could lose work in any files that have not been saved.

For Windows 2000 or Windows XP
Click on the “Start” button and look at the top of the menu that opens. For Windows XP users, click on the “Start” button and then click on “All Programs.” You will either see Windows Update or Microsoft Update. If you see Windows Update, click on the link. When the new window opens, click on “switch to Microsoft Update (bold type in the right hand column of the page). Follow the instructions on the new page. Microsoft Update will find any updates available for Windows and other software. Windows Update will only look for Windows updates.

To run the Microsoft Update tool, click on the Custom button, one of two links in the center of the page. The new page will open and work for a minute or two while it determines which updates you need. Next it will reload the screen, and updates that are available will appear in the left-hand column of the page. Your goal is to install all of the available updates, which may require you to reboot and return to the page a couple of times.

For Windows Vista
Click on the link that says, “Show all available updates” This is located directly below the “Install Updates” button on the upper right side of the window. Make sure that everything is checked before continuing. The available updates will automatically be installed.

Get into the habit
So pick every other Friday, or whenever you think you will have some regular time available, and get into the habit of checking for new updates. It is one simple and easy way to keep your operating system and/or critical software up to date. For more information on Microsoft Updates, Click Here.

What is The Computer 411?

As technology and computer consultants, we come across a lot of information that we find interesting and useful. We have decided to share this information in a monthly newsletter: the Computer 411. We hope the that the odds and ends of computer and technology news, tips and advice help You to better understand how your computer systems can help you and your business. If you have any questions or comments about the content found in this newsletter, please feel free to contact us at: 411@osheas.com. Thank you and enjoy.

Did You Know...

OSHEAS recently became an SPLA partner with Microsoft, which means we can now offer clients MS enterprise email and email services, including hosted exchange services, on exclusive Microsoft owned and managed data centers throughout the world. Benefits of this new opportunity include a private Microsoft network, where email is sanitized at the Microsoft offsite data center, preventing viruses and spam from ever reaching a company’s onsite server.

In addition, OSHEAS will be able to offer the latest in other hosted services, such as enterprise-class email, calendaring, contacts and real-time collaboration. This special licensing, will allow us to offer new products, software services and hosted applications without our customers having to purchase new software individually. For more information on how this new partnership can benefit your business, please contact us at: 411@osheas.com.

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There has been much discussion about Microsoft Vista, most of it negative in nature. The truth is that while there were some issues in the beginning, Microsoft has stepped up and turned out a well-designed operating system. Is there room for improvement?  Of course!  But the same could be said about the first two or three years of Windows XP.

So do you buy Windows Vista or Windows XP? The answer is fairly simple.

Windows XP
If you plan to use this computer in an office environment (especially if your company uses specialty software) then stick with XP for now.

Windows Vista
If you use your computer at home, and are sure that all of your software is Vista compatible, then feel free to step up to Vista. 

One thing to note however, Vista should never be used on a machine with less than 3 Gigabytes of RAM.  Running with less will result in a very slow machine.

About OSHEAS Computer Consultants

Since 1992, OSHEAS has been committed to developing lasting partnerships with all of their clients by providing the best technology solutions for each unique situation. From problems with a data server, web hosting, or a computer crash, to designing a new whole office system and network, OSHEAS has the knowledge and experience to solve any computer problem. Our electronic paging system allows us to be quick and responsive to situations as they happen, and we ensure confidentiality of all work.

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