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Residential Services, Technology Service
Calls, and Password Tips
NEW RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FOR
WORRY-FREE COMPUTING AT HOME
*Are you worried that you might lose all of those digital
photos on your computer because you don’t have a backup?
*If something goes wrong with your computer, what is your
plan to recover your important documents?
*Is your computer running slower or not responding? Have
you seen unusual messages or pop-ups? Do you think you might have a virus or
spyware attacking your computer?
These are concerns that many home computer users have. I
can give you peace of mind when it comes to your PC. A comprehensive
maintenance plan allows you to enjoy using your computer.
A maintenance check reduces the chances of lost data, virus
attacks, and hardware issues.
There are three maintenance options:
BASIC PC CHECK ($75
in-home, $45 remotely)*
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Review, configure, and update anti-virus, malware, and
spyware protection
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Review, configure, and confirm back-up of important
files
PREFERRED PC CHECK ($100 in-home, $60 remotely)*
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BASIC PC CHECK Plus:
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Cleanup,
defragmentation, and space check of your hard drive
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Review and
configure network security
COMPLETE PC CHECK ($125 in-home, $75 remotely)*
I recommend a COMPLETE PC CHECK every 6 months, a PREFERRED
PC CHECK every 3 months, and a BASIC PC CHECK every month.
***SPECIAL OFFER Good Until November 30th – Sign up
now for a flat rate monthly maintenance plan and get 10% off! A monthly check
will prevent gaps in anti-virus coverage and reduce your time waiting on
Websites and programs to open and work.
Only $78.75 per month for in-home and $47.25 for remote
with a six month contract. You get one recommended check each month. ***
*Discounts are available for multiple PCs.
UPDATED SERVICE CALL LIST
In-home service calls range from $90 to $150 depending on
what I help you with.
I’ve expanded my service coverage to include:
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Homes with children and teenagers need effective Web filtering
software in place.
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In
the event of a major PC problem, I will implement data recovery
strategies.
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I can provide instruction on a variety of common applications such
as Excel, PowerPoint, and Quicken.
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I can configure your home network to connect any network device.
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Wireless networks are more susceptible to hackers. I can properly
setup a wireless router and the best encryption for your home.
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Computers are machines and need to be cleaned routinely
PASSWORD TIPS
You’ve heard that you need to choose complex passwords for
each account online but you’ve also been told never write down your password.
Like most things in life, this needs to be handled with common sense.
Choosing a complex password
First, a complex password does not mean it has to be
completely random. If it is completely random, you will have a hard time
remembering it. Try taking a long word or phrase that means something to you
and change some of the characters to include upper and lower case, numbers, and
special characters like #, $, and !. Make sure that the word or phrase you pick
is not personal information, like some part of your, your spouse’s, or your
children’s name or birth date. This information will make your password weaker
and susceptible to hacking. For example, you can take the phrase, “four score
and seven years ago” and turn it into “4sCR&7yrSago”. This password is strong
because it uses upper and lower case characters, numbers, special characters,
and is longer than 8 characters.
Writing it down?
Although some security professionals advise to never write
down passwords, I believe that if you really can’t remember your password, there
is a safe way to do so. DO NOT write it on a Post-It note on your desk or put
it somewhere near your computer. Treat it the way you would treat a credit card
or even cash. Some passwords can give a thief access to your bank account or a
shopping site. DO NOT write down the site that the password goes to, like
“Amazon.com – wc89@KcY”. Finally, if you have to write it down, only write it
down in one place. The more times you write it down, the greater the chance a
thief can get it.
Keeping Track of Multiple Passwords
If you follow the advice from some sites, you must have a
different password for each account. This is too difficult to manage if you
shop and bank frequently online. Throw in any work related passwords, and that
is a jumbled mess of letters and numbers. It is important that you don’t use
the same password from site to site because hackers have been known to hack a
password for a personal a social media site and use that same password to access
a business computer. And even if you write it down, you can’t safely write 60
passwords down and keep them in your wallet or purse. In this situation, I
recommend a password keeper program. There are several makers of this kind of
program. It stores all of your passwords in a database that is encrypted. The
only way to get to the passwords is with the owner’s password. This way you
only have to remember one password. You can take some password keeper programs
and install them on a USB/thumb disk. I like to do that and treat it like a
key. You don’t leave your car keys outside your car door at night so don’t
leave your password keeper next to your computer when you are away.
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