Newsletter Archives

• “What can I use my old computers for?”

  Posted on January 23, 2023 at 02:45 CST by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.04 • 2023-01-23

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  I will be the first to admit that I have a problem letting go of things. I just cannot throw things away, especially electronics.

  In this article, I will give you some “tips for pack rats” about how to repurpose old computers. I’m sure I will get around to doing these things with my basement full of computers — someday.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.04.0, 2023-01-23).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Support Hardware, Linux, Newsletters, Older PCs, Randy's Remedies

• Randy’s remedies: Oops! — I called the scam number

  Posted on December 5, 2022 at 02:43 CST by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  The fact that you got tricked into calling a scammer’s phone number does not mean you’re stupid. It means the world has gotten stupid.

  I remember the vacuum salesman coming to the door when I was a kid. Of course, my mom and dad let them in. They were just people doing their job. They showed my parents what this new vacuum could do, and my parents made a decision to buy a vacuum or not. If they said no-thank-you, the salesman didn’t put a padlock on our old vacuum. He didn’t set any booby traps in our front yard as he left. He just told my parents to have a great day and moved on to the next house.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.49.0, 2022-12-05).

  Support malware, Newsletters, Passwords, Scams, Support

• How to get out of Windows’ Automatic Repair loop

  Posted on October 10, 2022 at 02:43 CDT by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  There are hundreds of reasons why your PC might get stuck trying to repair itself, putting your PC into an Automatic Repair loop.

  Many of these can be complicated software issues or hardware failures. But don’t bring your computer to me just yet. There are many very small issues that can cause a no-boot situation. In this article, I’m going to describe a few simple things you can try before calling a pro.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.41.0, 2022-10-10).

  Support Automatic Repair, Newsletters, Support, Windows

• Randy’s remedies: Juice, heat, glass, social, grid, and malware

  Posted on September 19, 2022 at 02:43 CDT by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  Let’s finish up that list of remedies from Randy’s top 10 customer-support issues: Identified!

  In this article, we’ll tackle #6 all the way up to #1. If you remember, we’re going to get you some free malware-removal tools for #1, so find that flash drive!

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.38.0, 2022-09-19).

  Support Internet connectivity, malware, Newsletters, Overheating, Power, Support

• Randy’s remedies: Spills, parts, nerds, and dogs

  Posted on September 5, 2022 at 02:44 CDT by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  Here’s how I deal with some of my top support issues, with some tips for you.

  In my previous article, Randy’s top 10 customer-support issues: Identified!, I discussed the top ten computer issues and questions from my customers that I get on a weekly basis. Now for the first batch of answers to help you get by until you can get the PC in for service — or simply fix the darned thing yourself!

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.36.0, 2022-09-05).

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• Randy’s top 10 customer-support issues: Identified!

  Posted on August 15, 2022 at 02:45 CDT by Randy McElveen • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.33 • 2022-08-15

  SUPPORT

  

  By Randy McElveen

  You hear pretty much everything when you’ve been in the computer-repair business for as long as I have, but you also hear a lot of the same questions and see the same issues on a daily basis.

  In this series of articles, I have one goal — to keep you out of stores like mine by giving you some tips on what to do when you experience any of the following problems or have any of these questions.

  Let’s start this week by simply identifying the most common things I see on a weekly basis, and then I’ll do a few follow-up articles to show what you can do to avoid me.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.33.0, 2022-08-15).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Support Customer satisfaction, Hardware, malware, Newsletters, Software, Support