All in a day’s work – printer & backup issues sorted

I went and saw a new client in Wantirna the other day to sort a few IT issues out that their existing support weren’t able to fix. The first issue was to do with their printer; it would constantly come up with an error message to install a new toner cartridge even though there was a new cartridge installed, or so I thought.

We tried a few things like cleaning the cartridge and other methods to make the printer recognize it but nothing worked. At this point I figured it must be a faulty cartridge or a fault with the printer. After further discussion with my client, it was discovered that although the cartridge was new, it was used briefly in another printer they used to own and now when we tried to use it again, it would not work. Whether the cartridge had simply died, had expired or was empty was unknown. A new cartridge was supplied and all was good again.

Other issues to do with scanning were also rectified by updating the drivers and making a few other system changes.

Next we got on to sorting out their backup needs. The method they were using was cumbersome, time consuming and not very effective. They were using external hard drives and alternated between them each day. Due to being busy business people, most of the time the backups weren’t being done, was inconsistent and ultimately didn’t really work. They paid a horrendous amount of money to their existing support to get this sorted and it never worked properly from the word go.

So I got to work and implemented our Cloud Backup service so now they can sleep easy knowing their data is safe & secure in an offsite storage facility. Completely automated, encrypted, monitored and tested, all for a small monthly fee of less than 50c per day. Just one other thing they don’t have to worry about.

All in all it was a great result and they are very happy.

If you need help with any IT issue, we are here to help you. Our number is 0447 619 397 or you can send us an enquiry, either through our contact page, by Facebook or by email, helpme@ckpcomputers.com.au.

Cloud-Based Backup: How it works?

Have you ever experience losing all of your important files on your system? Did you find it hard to retrieve all the files you needed? Have you ever had problems with your computer? How did you fix it?

Have you tried to ask the following questions to secure your system’s safety?

1. What would you do if your server crashed and you lost all the important files?
2. What might happen if your computer crashed or was stolen?
3. What would you do if your system got infected and all your data was gone or unusable?
4. Do you have your important files backed up?
5. If you have a backup, is it secure or encrypted with military grade encryption?
6. Is your backup monitored?
7. Is your backup routine consistent?
8. Are your backups reliable?

If you already ask these questions but you don’t know the answer you need to consult with someone that will help you.

If you are experiencing problems with your system you need to rely on Cloud-based backup.

What is Cloud-based backup?

Cloud-based backup is the automatic and safe way to secure your data. Using this, your important data will be automatically backed up and will always be available. It will also be encrypted and will be stored safely. Why to use Cloud-based backup? As businesses and companies try to cope with the growing amount of corporate information being produced daily, they face a mere fact: without their data, they have no business to manage. Because of this, it is critical to have a modern and advance system to safeguard their business information.

Over the years, cloud-based backup have already made its way in the corporate data centres. It became popular for its effectiveness and reliability. According to Storage magazine’s spring 2012 Storage Purchasing Intentions survey, almost a third of IT organizations are backing up at least some of their data using cloud. Moreover, cloud-based Backup was used by most companies for its flexibility and cost-effective option.

There are 2 Main Cloud Backup Options

1. Pure Cloud Backup - With pure cloud backup, agents are set up on the machine. Also, with this, backups are copied directly to the service provider’s cloud. The benefit of using pure cloud backup is that it is easy to implement, scalable and is well suited to use to organizations that don’t have in-house IT department skills.
2. Hybrid Cloud Backup - According to George Crump, a hybrid cloud backup solution consists of a principle appliance that has sufficient capacity to hold several backups. It helps to resolve the inactivity issues of a cloud-only backup and the scaling issues of an on-premise disk-based appliance strategy. Though it is really useful, there is still challenge to face while using Hybrid Cloud Backup and that is the number of potential solutions in the space.

If you have inquiries and questions about cloud-based backup, CKP Computers will help you answer these queries. Our number is 0447 619 397 or you can send us an enquiry, either through our contact page, by Facebook or by email, helpme@ckpcomputers.com.au.

Solutions for Common Laptop Issues

Whether your laptop is a high-end model or not, problems will surely come along at some point when you least expect it. You can encounter a sudden restart or the screen blacks out and you are clueless about the cause of those problems. Thus, consulting a computer professional or technician will be your best option to resolve all of this.

Laptops are highly intricate and there are many causes to different problems. Here are just 5 of the most common laptop issues and solutions:

Screen Dots or Lines

1. If a line or dots of pixels appear on your screen, chances are it’s stuck or lit pixels. Dead pixels however show up as black dots. Sometimes putting a little light pressure on the screen with your finger can help the pixel become unstuck. However be careful and don’t apply too much pressure as you can damage the screen or even crack it. With millions of pixels on an average LCD screen, there is always a chance one or two won’t work properly. If the stuck pixels stay, the only option is to either persevere with it or replace the LCD panel.

2. If you’re experiencing wavy lines or static graphical artifacts all over your screen, it could be something else causing the problem other than the LCD panel. Bad RAM or a graphics adapter can cause this. If possible, connect the laptop to a working external monitor & see if the problem still exists. If it does, then the problem lies somewhere other than the built in LCD panel.

Black Screen  

Having a black screen may be due to a bad connection cable. If your laptop still seems to be functioning but the screen only displays a black screen, it could be a break in the cable joining the mainboard to the LCD panel. First connect a working external monitor & make sure the laptop is still functioning (besides the screen of course). If you get an image on the external monitor, it could be a fault with the panel or the cable. Both of these involve dismantling the laptop, so if you’re not experienced in doing this, please seek the professional help of a computer expert.

Incorrect Colours on the Screen

Incorrect or washed out colours could be a sign of a faulty LCD panel but could also be caused by bad RAM or graphics adapter. If after testing it turns out to be the graphics adapter at fault, most likely it’ll be part of the mainboard and can result in a costly repair. Replacing the board out of warranty is generally not economical as they’re an expensive part. Replacing a mainboard is a very intricate operation and not recommended to be done if not experienced. A computer technician or professional must be the one to handle such kind of problem.

Screen flickers on and off

The on and off flickering problem may be caused by a loose connection or a bad video cable. Breaks in the cable can happen due to opening and closing the screen and general wear and tear. A faulty LCD Inverter board (on older models) can also cause this problem. Hiring a computer technician or computer expert is highly recommended to determine the cause of this problem.

Laptop not turning on

Sometimes you can shut the computer down for the night and the next morning it just won’t turn on. This can happen on occasion and the first thing to try is to remove external power & also remove the battery. Next hold the power button down for around 30 seconds. Plug the power in & turn it on, if it turns on, then great! You can then connect the battery again.

If the laptop doesn’t turn on, it could have a fault somewhere, maybe try another power adapter if you have one or call a computer technician for help.

Laptops are very delicate and must be treated with care, however even with the utmost care, problem can still occur. Sometimes they ca be easily resolved but there are some which are more technical and assistance is required from a computer technician. If you aren’t sure or don’t feel confident to fix the problem yourself, seeking help from an expert will save you money in the long run.

CKP Computers can help you with all your laptop needs. Our number is 0447 619 397 or you can send us an enquiry, either through our contact page, by Facebook or by email, helpme@ckpcomputers.com.au.

Ways to Know your Computer is infected by Malware

Security software is a necessity these days but shouldn’t be relied upon wholly to keep your computer safe. The internet if full of unsavoury kinds of malwares and chances of getting infected are high, so being cautious while browsing the internet is a must. You should also know the signs if your computer or laptop has been infected by malware. Taking action early can prevent further damage to your computer system.

These are just some signs that your computer may have been infected with malware, depending on the infection:

Your computer begins to function slowly

When a computer’s function begins to slow down, a virus or malware may be the root cause of it. As the malware enters your system, the performance of your computer will decelerate. It is very noticeable since a malware may also abruptly freeze the functionality of your computer.

Your personal information has been jeopardised

Rampant cases of identity theft and other related cases can be caused from malware infections on your computer. If one of your social media accounts were hacked, other people may use it for cyber crimes and other malicious acts over the internet. If you suspect this, please seek help from a computer technician to resolve your problem.

Inexplicable consumption of the disk space

A malware could also consume the space on your hard disk drive. A ‘worm’ is an example of a malware that multiplies and replicates. Thus, it leads to the use of almost all of your space and also serves as a launch pad to spread to other PC’s.

Sudden changes to your browser preferences

One of the causes of this problem is due to malware which hijacks your browser and pops up advertisements that are illicit. It is also capable of gathering information about your browsing preferences and can even change your homepage. Redirection of sites is another symptom when you try to access a site you regularly go to, only to find you end up on a totally different site.

Appearance of blue screen

This is one of the usual problems made by a malware. In some cases, a malware can cause major system problems and results in blue screen errors. Also in regards to Cyptolocker or ransomware infections, the information inside the computer has been encrypted a page pops up requesting payment in order to unlock the files. Usually by then, without a backup, it’s next to impossible to retrieve the data.

These problems must be fixed as soon as possible. If you suspect you have an infection on your computer, don’t leave it hoping it will get better. Shut it down and consult a computer repair service company and ask for their assistance.

CKP Computers can help you clean up your system & apply measures to minimise getting infected again. Our number is 0447 619 397 or you can send us an enquiry, either through our contact page, by Facebook or by email, helpme@ckpcomputers.com.au.

Benefits of Managed IT Services for small businesses

“Why should I partner with an MSP (Managed Service Provider)?” That’s a question I get asked regularly. Some clients perceive that it would be more economical to stick with the traditional ‘break/fix’ model and to contact the provider only when an issue arises. It’s also a misconception that by being under an IT contract, that’s it’s a form of insurance and only in place if ‘The IT hits the fan’ as it were. In reality it’s the complete opposite.

Rethink IT

A Break/fix service fixes issues on an as-needed or ad hoc basis, which means if something goes wrong, you have to wait for a technician to come. This can result in loss of productivity and worst case; cause your business to grind to a halt while you wait for the problem to be fixed.

An MSP allows a business to delegate IT operations to a service provider. The MSP is responsible for the support and 24hr management & monitoring of the IT system and can address issues quickly should they arise.

Like large businesses, smaller businesses also require that their IT equipment is operating the best that it can. It’s very easy to get caught up with work and fail to keep up with things such as backups, security, updates, etc which can greatly increase the chances of an IT failure which could impact badly on your business.

For most cases, partnering with an MSP is more cost effective in the long run. Even if your business isn’t large enough to have dedicated IT staff, there is generally always a team member who is considered the ‘go-to person’ when a problem happens. Most likely because they may have some technical knowledge. However having an MSP allows that member to do the work they were employed to do instead of trying to fix computer problems.

Why having an IT service contract may be the best solution for your business

Simply put, an MSP proactively manages your technology. Small issues can be identified and rectified quickly and easily before they turn into big problems. An added benefit is that your team members will ultimately be more productive, which will save you time and money.

These days, no business can afford the downtime and uncertainty; having a reliable IT system is a must because your business depends on it. A proactively supported and maintained computer system will always operate better than one that isn’t. Once in place and tuned to run like a well oiled machine, you will notice a huge difference in the way you operate… and you will gain the benefits of preventing fires, rather than fighting them.

Cost?

Most of the time, having an MSP can be more cost effective than a break/fix solution, especially when you include the cost of downtime. Remote monitoring, maintenance and proactive support preventing major problems allowing the MSP to be more efficient and offer a better service than an alternative provider who is constantly visiting customers onsite.

By having an agreement based on the same flat monthly fee, it allows you to budget and keep costs in line. Depending on your business and what’s included in the contract, pricing is usually based on the number of servers or workstations and CKP Computers can tailor a package to suit your needs.

To sum up, here are some of the benefits you will see:

• Increased efficiency and productivity
• Proactive support to IT problems
• Reduced operating costs
• Cost-effective access to support
• Better uptime with minimised downtime
• Allow you to focus on your business and not the technology
• Peace of mind knowing your system is monitored 24/7/365
• Peace of mind knowing your data is safe and secure
• Improved security

It’s also important to realise that a managed IT services contract offers preventative maintenance, it cannot provide prevention against failures. As with anything electronic, breakdowns can and do happen and no amount of preventative maintenance can avoid hardware failures (such as hard disk failures), data corruption, user errors (ie. intentional or not) or malware infections. Managed services is an assurance that if a major issue should occur, recovery from backups are possible and easily accessible while keeping any downtime to a minimum allowing you get back to business as quickly as possible.

Click here for more information on how CKP Computers can help you with your IT system. Our number is 0447 619 397 or you can send us an enquiry, either through our contact page, by Facebook or by email, helpme@ckpcomputers.com.au.

Cloud Computing: Secure Your Business

It is undeniable that every business needs good cloud services of some sort. Why? It is because the cloud helps manage business’ important workloads such as financials and its other important data. Choosing the right Cloud Services for your business needs could be a daunting task. Different variety of cloud services can be seen in the online market, there are countless advertisements say that their cloud solution is the best and that their cloud service is truly excellent. Maybe because of these you are confused what to choose and what to avoid. To help you find the best cloud services for your business keep this cloud explanation in your mind.

What is the ‘Cloud’?

Cloud computing or simply called as “the cloud” is a computing model that is use for the delivery of hosted services over the internet. It helps your business to store, manage and process data online.

Different types of Clouds

1. Public Clouds- Is a publicly available cloud environment by a third party provider. With this type of cloud, a business share application software, hardware, data center and operating system with all the other users. Due to it, it is a very low-cost selection. You take advantage of the provider’s infrastructure which contributes to lower your capital expenditure and lessens the demands on the business IT section. Google, Amazon and Microsoft used the public cloud to give smaller companies a competitive advantage with inexpensive access to principal software and services that could not be unavailable. It is useful for a business because of its easy and inexpensive set-up and there are no wasted resources upon the use of this type of cloud because you only pay for what you used.
2. Private Cloud- Unlike public cloud which share application with all other users, this type of cloud is owned by a single organization only. This type of cloud is best use by businesses with random computing needs that demands direct control over their environment. Private cloud provides higher security and privacy. Moreover, it has more control than public cloud. Since it is only accessible by a single organization, it has the ability to organize and handle it in line with their needs to attain a customized network solution. Private Cloud is also cost and energy efficient. It improves the share of resources within a business by ensuring that the accessibility of resources to individuals department can directly respond to their demand. Though it is not as cost effective as public cloud because of the smaller economies of scale and increased management costs, it is more effective in computing resource as it minimize the investment into unused capacity.
3. Hybrid Model- It is said to be the best among the three types. It is a combination of two or more different cloud deployment models. This type of cloud is usually important for highly changeable workloads. In addition, hybrid clouds are usually implemented in the financial sector especially if immediacy is important and physical space is at a premium. Using this type of cloud can greatly facilitate connectivity in the workplace. Therefore, adoption of hybrid cloud can be an effective strategy for different types of businesses that have strict focus on security.

Using Cloud for your business will surely help you secure all the important information you have. But you must always keep in mind to choose the one in which you can save you money, time and effort. If you still have doubts about what type of Cloud to choose, CKP Computers can assist you to make up your mind. Our number is 0447 619 397 or you can send us an enquiry, either through our contact page, by Facebook or by email, helpme@ckpcomputers.com.au.

Differences between online backup & online storage

There seems to be some confusion over the differences between online storage & online (or cloud) backup and some initially consider them to be one of the same – they are not. They are vastly different and each serves a purpose, depending on how your business operates.

Online backup has been in existence well before storage options came about and as such can be viewed as an adaptation of the backup services by enabling file storage, access and sharing.

Curious to know more? Read on as we explain the differences so you can understand the two services.

What Is Online Backup?

Online backup secures your data and business continuity by automatically backing up your files and other important information to an offsite server to store them safely and securely for recovery in case of a disaster.

By disaster I mean anything that could cause you to lose precious information, such as a hardware failure, natural disaster (fire, flood), terrorism, vandalism or theft, accidental deletion, data corruption, malware infection, the list goes on…

Online backups collect, compress, encrypt and then transfers the data to the servers of a cloud backup service. After the initial full backup, incremental backups are done to reduce the amount of bandwidth used. This also reduces the amount of time consumed in transferring files. CKP Computers backup solution also provides 28 day data retention, which means if you require a particular file version from two weeks ago, it can be retrieved without a problem.

Backing up your data via an online service ensures that you have multiple copies located in different places so if a disaster were to happen, a copy of the files will still be available to recover.

What Is Online Storage?

An adaptation of online backup, online storage allows easy access to files & sharing on many devices from anywhere.

Popular public cloud storage providers include:

• Microsoft OneDrive
• Dropbox
• Google Drive

These providers all have free accounts available which provide a limited amount of storage to use. For most people this is plenty, but if you need more, you will have to purchase additional storage.

Online storage provides in essence an online ‘drive’ where you can view, modify, share, and transfer files just as if it was local drive on your PC but with some added benefits. If you are sharing files with multiple users, they can access and modify the same file at the same time. This can be a big advantage for some businesses.

You can also sync existing folders on your local hard drive (eg Documents folder) with the online storage and whatever changes you make locally will also be replicated to the online storage.

By default, accessing these services is via a web browser, but they also provide small apps which you can install on your PC which makes accessing the files much easier.

Major Differences

Consideration for the following should be made when deciding on which service would best suit your business. Some can suffice with just one, others might need both for the ultimate in file protection.

1. Transferring of files

As security is very important, online backup services provide high security as files are encrypted before they are uploaded to the offsite server, however it does not allow file sharing between users.

Online storage services allow you to upload and store files online and share them with others, however not all provide encryption and may not be as secure while files are being transferred.

2. Managing Backups

Online backup services can schedule jobs daily or as often as you need and is completely automated, you don’t need to do anything as it all happens in the background. With online storage services, you’ll have to manually upload files if you want a copy online.

3. Data Loss Protection

Online backups main purpose is to create an offsite copy which can be recovered in case of disaster. With onlince storage, as files are synced between devices, no redundant copies are created so if corruption occurs or files are accidentally deleted, you have nothing to recover from.

Here is a quick comparison

Hopefully this has helped, it’s extremely important that you understand the differences between the two technologies and what your business requires. Many businesses like the ease of sharing files and having them available from anywhere, but it’s also advised that these files are also backed up using an online service.

We have helped many businesses avoid a possible data nightmare by implementing suitable procedures to ensure their data is kept safe and secure. If you don’t know or aren’t sure, contact us today. Our number is 0447 619 397 or you can send us an enquiry, either through our contact page, by Facebook or by email, helpme@ckpcomputers.com.au.