Orlando Computer Repair Services Blog | BITS

In October of 2009 I purchased a Dell Latitude E6400. As a tech I did my homework checking the specs (CPU, FSB, HDD speed, etc…) and user reviews. Little did I know that underneath the hood was a heating issue that paralyzes the system for hours at a time. Imagine being close to finishing a project up and all your programs come to a grinding halt. This is problem I faced after spending cash money for a brand new laptop.

I isolated the problem to video usage. Any video intensive application (flash video, DVD playback, slingplayer, etc…) would increase my laptops CPU usage to 100% after about 20mins of viewing. The processor usage wouldn’t drop until the computer had been sitting for at least an hour. I tried updating drivers, updating bios, and also making the switch from vista to windows 7. After I updated my machine to windows 7 and still had the issue I thought for sure all my money went down the toilet, but in a last ditch effort I ran some more utilities and read some more forums and determined the root cause of the problem. The graphics chip (GPU) was over heating causing my CPU to down clock between 500MHz and 800MHz.

I read forums about all the failed attempts to fix the overheating issue that causes 100% CPU usage. Some replaced the heat sinks, some replaced internal fans, some tried to wait on dell to develop a bios update to fix heating tables. None of these fixed the issue. After deep thought it occurred to me we have an overheating issue why not add an external fan. I went and picked up a simple laptop fan and eliminated the overheating issues. I have two 20” monitors connected to my e-port docking station and this solved my all my problems. Now I love my laptop and it works great.

Business IT Services Inc will launch its first television commercial on 7/06/09. This campaign is designed to introduce business owners to BITS and the services we can provide to their business. BITS has been providing Information Technology services to Central Florida businesses since 2004 and looks to continue helping businesses effectively use technology.

Click below to view extended ad

Orlando,Fl based IT Company Business IT Inc provided on-site computer services and monitoring for Orlando’s 2009 NBA Playoff and Finial games. BITS responsibilities included servicing multiple servers, workstations, and computer network for the venue concessionaire. Business IT Services also supported and repaired all food service Point of Sale ( POS ) registers and software.

“Providing computer services for such a large event, has help solidify our reputation as a leading Information Technology ( IT ) Management and Consulting company for small businesses,” said Jamal Hartage, President and CEO of Business IT Services Inc located in Orlando, Florida. “As an 8a Certified business located in Parramore, This was a great opportunity for BITS and the community”. BITS currently continues to provides on-site computer repair services and consulting to the City of Orlando venue concessionaire.

BITS owner with Official NBA Championship Trophy

Some people have this misconception that when you buy a computer, you need to buy the one with the fastest processor, most memory, largest hard drive, and most expensive video card. This might be the case for some, but it’s not always necessary to have a fully functional computer that will last for years to come.

GAMERS

Modern-day computer games don’t need an outrageously fast processor to run smoothly. If you’re going to purchase a new computer or upgrade your current computer for gaming, invest in computer memory and a good video card to increase video performance. When purchasing a video card, keep in mind the human brain can only process about 30 frames per second. Buying a video card that can produce 40 or 50 frames per second may result in overspending and produce unnoticeable changes in performance.

STUDENTS

Laptops tend to be a better purchase for students because of their portability and versatility. When purchasing a laptop, the goal is to choose the features you need without going over budget or sacrificing lifespan. The truth is off-the-shelf laptops are going to have the recommended specifications (memory, hard drive space, DVD-Burner, WIFI, etc…) with the ability to run any office suite or educational software thrown at it for at least 3 to 5 years. That being said, three optional upgrades that will have a direct impact on performance and set your laptop apart from others are: the amount of processor cache, hard drive speed (RPMs), and battery life.

BUSINESS ELITE

The needs of business users are similar to the needs of students. You don’t need the fastest processor, or excessive amounts of memory to handle business applications. The version of operating system needed for business users differs from the student or home version due to the necessity of connecting to an office network. Business users should always consult their IT director before making purchases.

RESEARCHERS / GRAPHICS DESIGNERS / MATHEMATICIANS

If you’re doing research or computations, the faster you can process the data, the better. Your processor cache, processor clock speed, and hard drive speed (RPMs) need to be as fast as you can afford. This will allow data to be gathered and processed quickly. Graphics designers and video editors have an additional need of a good video card.

In short, when purchasing a computer, the amount of processor cache and hard drive speed will have the most direct impact on performance, and if you’re planning to use your computer for intense graphical applications invest in a good video card.

Malware (Viruses, Spyware, Adware) has evolved over the years from an amateur hobby to a professional profitable business focused on fraud and theft. In 2008, 83 million identities were exposed according to PrivacyRights.org. The amount of new malicious content rose to 1.6 million in 2008, a 460% increase from 2007 according to Symantec. The makers of malware have developed aggressive strategies to invade your systems leading to costly computer repair. Have you developed a defense to counter?

Below are four different methods to keep malicious content from infecting your computers.

Deep packet inspection w/ firewall – According to Symantec, by the end of 2008 over 5,000 websites per day were created with malicious content which can be installed on computers without any user intervention. Deep packet inspection defends your network against these attacks and others by dissecting and examining data packets as they travel through your network. During examination, the content inside the packet is scanned for malicious content and information is extracted, such as the computer it’s destined for and where it originated from. This is helpful because malicious content will be blocked and reports will inform you of which computers are requesting unauthorized content.

Sonicwall’s TZ models will work for small businesses.

Managed Email Monitoring – 1 out of 140 emails have malicious content, and 80% of email is considered spam according to Symantec. Managed email service providers eliminate 99% of spam and malicious threats. Managed email services filter mail for all email accounts and eliminate virtually all threats.

MXLogic will work for small businesses.

Corporate AntiVirus Software – Antivirus programs protect from costly computer repair created by malicious content that may have slipped through the network or loaded from some type of media (cd, flash drive, floppy, etc.). Most business owners understand the importance of installing antivirus software but don’t understand the importance of purchasing the corporate edition as opposed to the store bought home version. The corporate version is preferred because it uses less computer resources, provides a centralized location to mange antivirus applications installed on workstations, reports intrusions, downloads and pushes virus definitions to workstations, and manages license renewal.

Norton 11.0 will work for small businesses.

Employee policies – The best defense won’t work if you take the enemies’ hands and lead them to your command center and give them complete access. Setting clear guidelines for Internet and computer usage is critical to keeping malicious content off your computers. Windows group policies can be used to stop users from breaking computer policies, and deep packet inspection can be used to stop users from breaking Internet policies.

The best way to counter malicious content is to take an aggressive, proactive approach. Viruses will attempt to penetrate your computers and network.

Are you ready?