Welcome to Charleston Tech Support, LLC

Charleston, SC computer repair, service, and support serving the greater Charleston area. We service a wide range of technology, including Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh hardware and software.

• Is your business suffering from a computer solution that is not working the way you need it to?

• Do you ever wish you could bring the IT guy from work to your home to fix your computer?

Having a “Computer Guy” these days is just as important as having a plumber, electrician, lawyer, or accountant on call. You want someone you can count on to be there when you need them, as well as know your computing needs.

We offer you a personal, yet professional relationship at an affordable rate.

Check out our services and rates, then contact us to make an appointment. We pledge to provide the highest quality of service for you and your business. Don’t forget to check out the Frequently Asked Questions.

Looking for information about CompuKids, our pre-kindergarten computer training program? Click Here.

Call us at (843) 767-9500 today!

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Electronics Are Not A Physical Investment

Last modified on 2010-04-27 11:02:14 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

My last article, Technology Forces Personal Progress & Benefits Everyone, addressed the idea that holding out on a new computer can be a costly strategy if your old one is holding you back. This time, I want to play Devil’s advocate and talk about how horrible of an investment any electronic device is (meaning the physical object itself).

Famed photographic blogger Ken Rockwell has a great term for the degradation of value of digital cameras. He calls it Digital Rot. He goes on to explain how a camera sold in 2003 for $5,500.00 now sells for about $75.00 – virtually worthless. It still takes the same kind of pictures it did 7 years ago, but so much has changed that there is no longer a demand for that camera. The same thing applies to just about anything that plugs in and does something more than light up a room.

Just like driving a new car off the lot, the minute your new computer comes off the shelf or the Fed Ex truck it goes down in value a considerable amount. There is little sense in the value we place on electronics, as they take a lot of work to develop and manufacture. The true devaluation comes from the constant advancement of technology. Within a year’s time, most computer technology surpasses itself. Newer processors, faster RAM, bigger hard drives, etc. You can never keep up with the new stuff.

There was a time when you could buy a computer and upgrade all the components to keep it relevant for a longer period of time, but with the popularity of devices like laptops, netbooks, and smart phones, the computer has headed down a “closed system” road. All-in-one computers like the iMac or Dell Studio One are not easily upgraded. This means that now more than ever, computers and digital devices have a shorter life span.

The next time you purchase a new computer, realize that it is not a long term relationship you are getting into. Make a plan on how you will eventually dispose of your current machine (E-Cycling Central is a good resource for that). Make sure that you have a good backup of the real digital value – your data.

Eventually, we will see less demand on the personal computer and more on internet based services so that our digital devices will all communicate and access your data without care of the device itself. It is already happening now, but there is no standard that has been set. Pretty soon, when you take a picture on your camera, it will appear on a digital frame instantly without a wire. A new song will come out from your favorite artist and play on your iPod or stereo automatically without having to transfer it from your PC. You’ll drive home from work and get a text message from your refrigerator that you’re out of beer, so you stop at the store on the way home to get some. Your TV will know you are a little late and have the game all queued up and ready to play. Sure you can do this all now, but it’s costly and complicated – nothing works seamlessly yet. The point is the value in all of the digital devices you own is in what they do to make your life better, not in what they physically are. And the real investment is in your data, so backup you computer!

Technology Forces Personal Progress & Benefits Everyone

Last modified on 2010-03-05 01:00:34 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

No duh, right? The title of this article pretty much states the obvious, but for some reason most people still fear change when it comes to technology. It is a definite problem for the more conservative in nature to deal with the amazingly rapid pace of progression that technology rolls forward at. How is it possible that the application you finally mastered is now updated and in the process has thrown everything you know out the door in favor of some newfangled way of getting things done?

I can only give one solid piece of advice for my friends, colleagues, and customers that suffer from this onslaught of change – get over it. You can’t stop the landslide of innovation and if you try to hold back you will get buried. Truly successful people challenge themselves on a daily basis by doing something that scares the pants off them, and then overcoming it. If it makes you sweat to move from one version of Windows to a newer one, well that’s OK. Just dive in – the water will be cold for a second and then you will get used to it pretty quickly. You say that you don’t have time to learn, but really, do you have time not to learn? Can you afford to deal with it another day knowing that that other day will be just as constricted as today and then some because you put it off?

The secondary reason for my pep talk is that I run into a lot of people who refuse to embrace new or current technology because they are clutching onto what they are comfortable with, regardless if it is actually holding them back. Desktop applications for businesses are being replaced by web applications but people can’t see the value in them. Not because they don’t offer any, but because they are used to what they have. Lets take Outlook for example. This widely popular application has alway stunk on ice when not used in conjunction with a Microsoft Exchange email server. People got used to it and now can’t let it go. They seem to love how the PST file gets corrupt and wipes out all of their email, calendars, & contacts. They must truly enjoy accidentally sending a large attachment and having the file get stuck for days in the outbox until a tech can come and remove it. And they can’t wait to see the message that Outlook is scanning their files because it didn’t shut down correctly for 40 minutes at a clip. Why are you still using Outlook when you could switch to a hosted Outlook Web Access account, or better yet a Google Apps account? Because it’s different!

I’ve written previously on how I think you should dump Windows XP and stop using Internet Explorer, and now I’m telling you to take an inventory of what software you currently use and see if there is a better way to get things done. The goal is to find a tool that gets the job done faster and more efficiently overall no matter what the conditions. Maybe that does mean sticking with Outlook for your situation, but more often than not people don’t want to move on for reasons of comfort instead of progress.

The primary reason for my pep talk (or as my wife would classify it – a lecture) is that in 2010, time has become the most valuable asset we have. We don’t seem to have enough of it to get everything done as well as experience the best parts of life without cutting some corners and making some sacrifices. Every second counts and if you can save a few by using better technology, then you and your loved ones will be in a better place for it.

It’s Time to Kick XP

Last modified on 2010-02-11 12:34:34 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I’m sitting here looking at a script designed to remove the hooks of a Windows malicious infection on a computer running Windows XP so I can successfully clean the computer of the Trojan and Spyware onslaught it is currently suffering. Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours looking at the same window on a couple of other customer’s computers and the same thing on the day before that. What do they all have in common? They were all running Windows XP. They also all use Microsoft Internet Explorer and they all had up-to-date reliable anti-virus software. They all got infected by simply browsing the web as they always do. Like chain smokers who still think they’re not going to be affected even with all of the knowledge of the detriments of smoking, Windows XP users keep running Windows XP and Internet Explorer. They also get surprised when they get infected and ask, “How could this happen?” and, “This never happened before – what did I do wrong?” Folks, it’s not a matter of if you will get infected while running Windows XP and using Internet Explorer, it’s a matter of when.

There are plenty of reasons that people are still sticking with XP in their businesses. A lot of them really don’t have a choice because the cost of upgrading all of their software is either too expensive in a down economy or the software just hasn’t been written to work on a newer operating system yet. I get that, but at some point you have to move on. Microsoft already ended mainstream support last year for Windows XP, so if you call them about it, it will cost you. They are planning to end support completely in 2014, so after that it will not be patched with security updates at all, and Microsoft will pretend you don’t exist. If you are in a situation where you have been unable to update for similar reasons, you should make it a priority to get the transition done by the end of this year, or come up with an alternative (I consulted with a customer just yesterday who will be changing the program they have been using for over 10 years in favor of one that is more modern and works on newer computers running Windows 7).

For home users, if your computer is able to run Windows 7, (you can follow the instructions here to figure out if your computer is compatible) I think it is quite important to take the steps necessary to upgrade your system in the near future. If you have a computer that is ready to be replaced, please give Apple’s line of Macintosh computers a hard look. To date, there are no malicious infections in the wild that affect Macs. If you’re just using the Internet, checking email, and storing digital photos and home movies, you really can’t get a better computer than a Mac. Otherwise, a Windows 7 based computer is still a good choice. While Windows 7 isn’t rock solid and there are still plenty of security threats that affect it, it‘s a heck of a lot more secure than Windows XP.

If moving away from Windows XP is just not an option for you in the near future, the least you can do to help prevent infections is to make sure you keep your Windows updates current, make sure your anti-virus software is up to date, and for Heaven’s sake, please stop using Internet Explorer for browsing the web. I have been using Mozilla Firefox for years, but it too has fallen victim to malicious attacks as of late and I have found myself using Google’s Chrome browser a lot on my PC’s instead. I could write another article on reasons to stay away from Internet Explorer, but just understand that it is the most popular browser because it comes with every PC and it’s tightly integrated into Windows, and those are two major factors that make it the first point of attack in most malicious infections. Abstinence is the best protection, so stop using Internet Explorer and get one of the better and faster browsers out there.

How Long Should My Computer Last?

Last modified on 2010-02-04 04:51:21 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Today I had a customer ask me over to take a look at her computer for a routine check-up. She then popped the question – she wanted me to tell her how long it has to live. It sounds very morbid, but unfortunately in my line of work that question comes up quite a bit. The answer is not always a simple one either.

Every computer user has different needs, but not every computer is designed to specifically fulfill those needs. Furthermore, as time goes on and life does what it does best and steers you into different directions throughout its course, your computing needs may change as well. A journalist may take up photography and then their underpowered netbook they used for word processing and email is no longer sufficient to run a program such as Photoshop. A photographer may move on into the world of motion pictures and now their requirements to run an Avid workstation are a bit higher than when they were just pushing still pixels.

Back when I worked for MTV Networks we had a policy to determine the life cycle of a computer. Basically if the hardware failed after the 3 year warranty expired, we replaced the machine. If a machine didn’t die of natural causes, eventually it would fall off of our supported standards list and get replaced, so we didn’t have many machines older than 5 years running. This might be very aggressive for the average home PC, or it might not be aggressive enough for someone who’s whole livelihood is based on how fast a computer can do its job. The idea of such a policy is to minimize the downtime suffered by computers that fail in the middle of an important function (such as producing a live TV show). It is a good idea to create your own personal policy to address future problems before they happen.

Apple computers can tack on a couple of more years to their expected life because they really don’t sell budget machines. That’s right, if you bought a $300.00 computer from WalMart, don’t expect it to run forever. If you bought a $3,000 Mac Pro, well, I think you should expect a good six year usable life from the beast (but maybe only half that if you’re a creative professional who uses it to make their living).

OK, so let’s get into the math of this. If you own a computer for your home and you’re just getting online, checking email, and balancing your checkbook, you really don’t need a very expensive machine. In fact, I would advise you to buy a cheaper computer in this situation because if your path in computing changes, you’ll be able to jump into a newer computer without much of a financial loss. If you go and buy an expensive computer to do menial tasks, you might find that when things change you’re either behind the curve or your computer isn’t right for the specific job anyway. For some people, the idea of change is downright scary and they want their computer to run for 8 years. That is perfectly OK, just buy the more expensive decked-out computer because it will show its value when it is still running reliably after a cheaper computer would normally start to fail. Another scenario is the hobbyist or creative family who uses a computer to create home movies and store and edit photos and music. In that case you want a “prosumer” type of machine such as an iMac or media PC. These machines are in the mid-range of pricing and are great for doing said tasks. These are usually good for about 5 years before they start showing their age. See how complicated the question of life expectancy is? You need to figure out what your computer is going to be used for before you buy it, and what kind of return on your investment you plan to get.

So, what happens when you have purchased a computer that fits your need and at some point before the time you planned to replace it something breaks. Well, the decision of whether to repair or replace is simple now, isn’t it? If your hard drive fails after two years and you only had a one year warranty, and you planned to keep the computer for four years, then by all means call us up and let’s get that hard drive replaced. Now if the same thing happens closer to four years, you might consider replacing the whole computer instead of throwing good money into an outdated machine.

What do you do with your old machine after you replace it? Let’s face it, computers at the cheap end are becoming like cell phones – they get replaced so often that there is a stockpile of unused machines that are going to waste. Contact your local Salvation Army or church and see if they would like it. Most major manufacturers will also recycle your old computer when you purchase a new one from them. Just make sure you securely erase your hard drive or remove it completely before you give it away!

As always, feel free to contact us if you need some help determining your needs and what the best computer for you may be within your budget.

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Quick F.A.Q.

• Does Charleston Tech Support service my area?

We service the greater Charleston, SC area. This includes the barrier islands such as Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, & Wadmalaw Island. It also includes Wando, Daniel Island, North Charleston, Summerville, Ladson, Hanahan, Goose Creek, Moncks Corner, James Island, West Ashley, Hollywood, and Ravenel. If you are not sure, just give us a call and we’ll let you know.

• Are there any hidden fees?

No. We charge an hourly rate and if parts are needed you pay for the cost of the part as we are not a reseller. We are not currently affiliated with any software vendors either, so we will not push any unwanted software on you.

• Do you support my systems?

We support a large variety of the latest (and oldest) information technology. This includes servers, laptops, and desktops running Apple and Microsoft operating systems. We support and install networks, both wired and wireless, including installation, addition, and repair of your medium’s infrastructure and routers. We support mobile devices such as Blackberry devices, iPhones, Windows Mobile, and PC air cards. We also repair and maintain laser printers, scanners, and just about anything that plugs into your network and/or computer (yes, we support iPods too).

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