The Virtues of Windows 7

Hi Portland Computer Users,

I want to let you know that the advances of Windows 7, from Windows Vista, are far and beyond those of Windows Vista, from Windows XP.

Whatever your computing needs are, you can do them much easier through Windows 7 than you ever could through Windows Vista. Vista constantly hampers you when you open new programs, want to get rid of programs, change any settings, etc, whereas Windows 7 does not.

It has more security without shoving all the permissions in your face all of the time. Windows 7 is more streamlined and much more user friendly.

So if you are thinking of upgrading from either Windows XP or Windows Vista, then I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND doing the upgrade to Windows 7. It will be worth your while, especially if you have Windows Vista!

~ Gabriele

Happy New Year!

Hi Portland Computer Users,

We want to wish all of you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year in 2010! Now that the Holidays are over it's time to get back to work and start producing! Nowadays it's virtually impossible to continue working without a computer...

So, in the event that your computer crashes or needs to be repaired you can always CALL US! We will have a Technician out to you ON THE SAME DAY!

Call us at 503-936-6212 or email us at help@thecomputerfreaks.com!

~ Gabriele

Protect Your Computer During Winter Weather

Hi Portland Computer Users,

I looked outside this morning and noticed that ice was all over the roads, cars and everything else. As these conditions are dangerous for driving, they can also be dangerous for your computer at home. This is a post giving you some helpful hints in keeping your computer safe this Holiday Season.

All home, desktop computers are plugged in. FACT. Ice build-up and weight on power lines creates power surges and power outages. FACT.

Through the many repairs we have done on people's computers, we have noticed that a majority of the people don't shut down their computer very often. They keep it on with the screen saver, they turn the monitor off, they let it go into Sleep or Hibernate Mode, but they very rarely turn it off.

Based on the two facts above this can prove to be very dangerous for your computer. Anything can happen when a power surge or a power outage occurs and the computer's power is cut unexpectedly. This can include such things as:

1. Computer Not Booting Up
2. Data Loss
3. Hardware Malfunction
4. Software Malfunction
5. Motherboard Frying and Not Responding

The list goes on and on. In order to protect your computer through the icy months we STRONGLY recommend shutting down your computer, when you know you won't use it for at least an hour. When all of the components are off then they can't be interrupted, and possibly damaged, by a power surge or outage.

We hope you will use this information to help keep your computer safe and we wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season!

- Gabriele

Computer Freaks is Open 7 Days a Week

Hi Portland Computer Users,

We know that computers don't break down on a scheduled basis nor do they conveniently stop working between 9 and 5, when most places are open. I want to let you know that we are open and ready to repair your computer at inconvenient times and on the weekends!

Here is our full schedule of operations:

1. M - F: 9am to 6pm
2. Sat: 10am to 6pm
3. Sun: 10am to 6pm

As you can see, we are open on both Saturday AND SUNDAY ALL DAY! So, just in case your computer decides to break down at an inconvenient time you can always call us and we will be ready to come out and get your computer repaired!

You can call us at 503.936.6212 or email us at help@thecomputerfreaks.com and we will come out to you on the SAME DAY YOU CALL!

- Gabriele

Computer Freaks' Special Offers

Hi Portland Computer Users,

I want to make you aware of the Special Offers we have going on right now. We try to put together great prices for people in the Portland Metro Area, because we know it is NOT FUN when your computer goes down and also, it is NOT FUN to have to pay a bunch of money to get it running again.

For all New Customers we are giving you 10% Off Your First Hour! Remember that this still includes us coming out to your location to either service your computer there or pick it up and drop it back off when it is fixed.

For College Students, we know how important having a computer is nowadays so we put together a Special Offer just for you. Right now we are giving all College Students 25% Off Your First Hour! You get your computer repaired and put some money back into your pocket.

For more information on our these offers you can visit the Special Offers page on our website at - www.thecomputerfreaks.com/SpecialOffers.html.

- Gabriele

Antivirus System Pro

Hi Portland Computer Users,

I just recently did a job for a client who had gotten Antivirus System Pro on their computer. I got it off an their computer is running great, but I want to make a post so you know what to look for and what you can expect with this virus.

Antivirus System Pro is a rogue antivirus software that infects your computer and attempts to get you to purchase the program, which won't help at all. You will start getting a lot of unwanted pop-ups in the lower right corner saying things such as "your computer is infected", "scan now to get rid of infected files", "purchase antivirus system pro to clean out your computer", etc. It may also pop-up as an antivirus program and seem to be scanning your computer, but it isn't and you should close it right away!

It is misleading because it looks like it is part of Windows Security and even it's icon and pop-ups look as though they are coming from Windows!

Symptoms of Antivirus System Pro include:


1. A LOT of unwanted pop-ups and warnings
2. Your computer running much slower
3. Your Web Browser being taken over, so you are constantly redirected to other web pages
4. Your actual antivirus programs being disabled so you can't run them
5. Some of your files and other programs not opening or working correctly

If your computer happens to have this virus then we a few recommendations for you in dealing with it. I found that the only Web Browser that Antivirus System Pro hijacks is Internet Explorer, so DON'T USE IT! Instead use other Web Browsers such as Mozilla Firefox or Safari.

For actual anti-spyware programs, I strongly recommend using Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware. This is the best program I have found in detecting and getting rid of many newer viruses and rogue spyware programs that other programs won't detect. Plus it's FREE!

Another good, all-around, antivirus program is AVG. AVG has a very high detection rate for most viruses and will get rid of them much better than other programs. It has a Free version and a Paid version. I have been using the Free version and it works great!

Now you have the data on Antivirus System Pro and some recommendations on how to deal with it and get rid of it. If you are still having trouble and you are in Portland, OR then give me a call at 503.936.6212 and I will come out and assist you!

- Gabriele

Computer Freaks on Facebook

Hi Portland Computer Users,

We have our own page on Facebook, so we can let everyone in Portland know about us! Click our badge to the right in order to become a Fan and then you can follow us see what is happening!

Also, you can tell your friends, family and co-workers about us, so they all have a good, reliable source for computer repair as well!

- Gabriele

Computer Freaks are Live!

Hi Portland Computer Users,

That's right! The Computer Freaks are in business!

For more information visit our website at - www.thecomputerfreaks.com

What We Do:

We are a Professional On-Site Computer Service and Repair business located in Portland. Whether you have a PC or a Mac we will come to your location, do a full diagnosis and repair all of the problems so your computer is running in tip-top shape.

What We Service:

We are able to service both PCs and Macs of all types. The list of services we offer include, but is not limited to:

1. Virus and Spyware Removal
2. PC Tune-Up
3. Data Recovery and Backup
4. Wireless Network Setup
5. New Computer Installation
6. Hardware and Software Upgrades

What We Charge:

As well as delivering professional, friendly service we like to keep it as affordable as we can. We have different prices for Residential Customers and Commercial Customers.

For Residential Customers we charge $80 for the first hour and $50 per hour after that, with a 1 hour minimum.

For Commercial Customers we charge $100 for the first hour and $75 per hour after that, with a 2 hour minimum.

If you want to ensure your data stays safe and computer stays running great every month we also have a few Monthly Protection Plans for you to choose from. You can find these and a full list of Service Locations at our website!

Visit: www.thecomputerfreaks.com

You can also find us on Facebook, under "Computer Freaks", and become a fan!

- Gabriele