News and Specials!
Sign up for our monthly email newsletter by entering your email address below, and clicking subscribe


We Have Moved!

We’re now conveniently located near the corner of Whitcomb and Westnedge behind the Burger King. We are the upper suite in the rear of the building. If you need driving directions, please don’t hesitate to call!

Geek Easy Computers
435 Whitcomb St. UL 201
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
(269)548-TECH (8324)

10 common PC and Mac annoyances (And how to fix [some of] them?)

I saw a post on Facebook the other day that got me thinking.  Everybody has something that drives them absolutely bonkers about their computer.  Be it Mac or a Windows machine, those devices can have quirky behaviors that can nearly make you want to take a sledgehammer to the darn thing!  SO instead of adding to the landfill problem, we at Geek Easy Computers thought we’d see what we could do to ease your pain…

 

1. No right click on older Macs

Many people who made the switch from Windows to Mac ran into this initial annoyance.  Being used to a mouse with a right and left button, moving to the mono buttoned Mac mouse just seemed counter intuitive. There is a fairly simple, if not convenient, work around.  Press and hold the Control key before you click the mouse button.  This action is identical to “right clicking” the mouse button and a context menu will open.

2. Blue screen of death – BSOD(Windows)

The plus side of that is they made the blue screen prettier, AND pointed the finger at the hardware, instead of giving convoluted but useful error codes and messages![new blue screen graphic]. In all honesty, This is something that every computer, and every computer owner will likely run into at some point. It can be a billion different things, and we are always here to help decipher and repair those Stop Error codes.

3.  Internet Explorer

Windows users have had issues with Internet Explorer almost since its inception.  Arguably, some of the problems have been slightly exaggerated but IE has had its share of verified security breaches.  Today, while Microsoft has much improved IE, there are plenty of debatebly safer/more functional alternatives available.  Such as Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, to name the most popular choices.

4. On the new Macbook Pro, there is no longer a mouse button, just a trackpad (which doubles as a button

The trade off is you get a trackpad capable of multitouch/gestures. in the Windows world, that ‘feature’ is few and far between, and only on new hardware designed for Windows 8.

5.  The inability to access the harddrive on a mac that doesn’t have a desktop link directly to it

You can add the Hard drive to the Sidebar by dragging it there from the Computers window. Finder, Go menu (cmd-shift-c). Or, add it via Finder Preferences, Sidebar, check Hard Disks. You can also drag the hard drive (unless you customized it when first setting up the computer it’s usually named Macintosh HD) to the desktop to create a shortcut.

6.  It turns sentient and tries to kill me Maximum Overdrive style.

Ok. This most likely will not happen to you.  Probably.  At least not until the year 2025.  Or sooner.  But probably not.

7. Kernel panics. (the Mac blue screen)

The Mac OS version of the BSoD.  A “Fatal System Error”. After a kernel panic, Apple advises starting the Mac up in Safe Mode by holding down the Shift key as the Mac restarts. In Safe Mode, the Mac runs a directory check on its start-up drive and temporarily disables unnecessary components so that just the basic operating system is running.

8. Mysterious toolbars

Another common ailment mostly for Windows users.  Typically occurs when downloading something else.  A game, or music, etc.  The toolbar is surreptitiously attached to the download in a way that seems totally legit and innocuous.  Then the next time you start your browser – BAM!  New toolbar.  While many are relatively harmless advertising mediums, some can actually be malware and malicious.  The best defense?  Pay attention to what you are clicking “Ok” on during downloads, installations, and updates. Slow down and read, and most likely, you’ll have the option of un-selecting the add-on software from installation along with your desired download.

9. Computer is Slow

If your computer is slower than normal, you can often fix the problem simply by cleaning the hard disk of unwanted files. You can also upgrade by adding more RAM or an SSD (solid state drive).  The best way is to take your computer to Geek Easy Computers for an upgrade evaluation and a Tune-up!

10. Slow Internet Connection

To improve your Internet browser performance, you need to clear cookies and Internet temporary files frequently. We suggest using CCleaner or Glarey Utilities for the safest method of doing this.

We know that using our computers can sometimes be a frustrating experience.  Geek Easy Computers is here to help you through those times.  We want to make your computing experience easy!  You can always call us, email us, find us online, or just stop by with ANY question!  We are always glad to help!  Stay tuned for more tips and information from your local computer experts, Geek Easy Computers!

For more info Click here –> https://geek-easy.com/contact-us/
420 N. Church St. STE 1
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
(269)548-TECH (8324)
info@geek-easy.com

Leave a Reply

Categories
Archives