Protect Your Business’s Network Security with Nashville IT Managed Services!

When it comes to keeping your business running smoothly, safety and privacy are key components. Companies both large and small house a great deal of confidential data, data that is integral to the success of their business–passwords, high priority files such as compensation spreadsheets and annual reports, and the like. Many businesses such as banks, stores, and large corporations also store confidential information about their customers and clients–profiles complete with addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers and even account balances. Information that could be extremely detrimental if it were to fall into the wrong hands. To keep operations running smoothly and efficiently, it’s important that companies guard their private data with proper security. Protecting your network’s security means keeping your data and information and that of your clients safe from external threats by utilizing the proper programs and frequently monitoring activity. With Nashville IT managed services you can be confident that your business’s network is safeguarded.

Why should you take the time to manage the security of your network?
Leaving your network unprotected can leave your information vulnerable to attacks. The Internet, while it is wonderful in many ways, is a gateway to viruses, hackers and identity and data thieves. Neglect to protect your network and you’re practically inviting these threats to come through the front door! Consequently, customers and employees may be wary of working with you knowing there is a chance their information could be left for the world to see. Nashville IT managed services works to put their concerns to rest and keep your business in good standing.

But why pay for Nashville IT managed services? Can’t a single program keep your network safe?
Unfortunately, creating a defense force against cyber threats is not that easy. You can’t keep your network secure by simply downloading a random program once and then expecting it to protect you! Great security comes from several forms of programs working together. While there are many forms of protection, Firewalls, Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware, IPS, and VPNs are some of the most common tools used.

With that being said, ensuring quality network security is a job in itself. Because most small to medium-sized businesses don’t have the budget for their own IT department, many pay monthly for Nashville IT managed services to monitor their network’s activity for them. Not only do we combine industry leading hardware and software to develop a network solution tailored to your needs, but we take care of all maintenance and updates for you. Nashville IT managed services keeps employees productive and the company thriving by protecting your business from disruption. So if you’re in need of someone to watch over your network or have a question or concern regarding the security of your network, contact the pros at 615.595.6399 or fill out a support ticket! 

With summer heating up, how can you keep your laptop running cool?

Nashville is an exciting city during the summer months, but for those who use laptops, the heat can be overwhelming! Especially if you are working with a deadline, computer overheating issues can become a major inconvenience. While laptops one up desktops in terms of portability, the downside is they run hot. So what can you do to evade the heat and keep your devices running cool? To save you a trip to computer repair Nashville, here are the 5 S’s to keep your laptop from generating summertime temperatures:

1. Settings

Changing your laptop’s settings from high performance to power save mode will keep your device from overheating in that it doesn’t use as much electricity. Toning down the power will allow your laptop to operate more efficiently and stay cooler longer. Along with changing your computer’s performance mode, maintaining a clean laptop helps to ensure the system runs smoothly. Got dust? Even if you can’t see it, it’s there. Dust tends to collect and hideout in small spaces so be sure to clean it out from time to time with a little compressed air.

2. Surface

As tempting as it is, setting your laptop on your lap or on a cushioned surface makes cooling down your machine more difficult as these surfaces don’t allow for the breathing room it needs to release any built up temperature. Setting your laptop on a flat, hard top lets it remove heat as it was designed to. For those who use their laptops for long periods of time, investing in a cooling pad can prove to be beneficial as well.

3. Surroundings

Sitting in an office on a beautiful day will make anyone feverish for some sunshine and fresh air, but beware when venturing outside with your work. Taking your laptop into the sun and un-air-conditioned environment will naturally cause your laptop’s temperature to rise drastically. Though it is best to keep your devices inside in the cooler atmosphere, if you must be outside, choose to work in the shade and be mindful of your laptop’s temperature.

4. Slow Down

Using programs that require a lot of your laptop’s central processing unit makes your laptop produce more heat, too. To keep the heat at bay and to avoid setting those fans a-whirlin’, try to avoid such programs and refrain from overworking your system by running too many programs or windows at once.

5. Storage

As simple as it may be, keeping your devices in a cool location when you aren’t using them can help, too. For example, putting your laptop in the trunk of your car for hours on a summer day is an absolute no-no as it can cause internal heat damage.

Should these techniques not relieve your overheating problems, TechPros, the best in computer repair Nashville, can evaluate your device and help you reach a solution. Whatever your technology needs, our trained IT consultants are happy to assist you! So contact us today (615) 595-6399 and get your laptop back to running at its best!

Restore your computer system in the event of the unthinkable with data recovery Nashville!

Data loss. It’s happened to the best of us. The dreaded moment when all systems come crashing down and whatever important file you’ve been working at for hours is gone before you can bid it a “SAVED” farewell. Panic sets in and you begin hysterically probing the computer for any sign of activity, usually to no avail. Sound familiar? Even in the event that you are able to successfully reboot your system, any lasting glimmer of hope is often quickly crushed by some doggone fatal error message. At this point you’re still left, fingers-crossed in panic mode, praying that your data is somewhere to be found. Lucky for you our data recovery Nashville technicians are experts at retrieving lost data so you can resume breathing at a more relaxed pace.

What to do when all signs point to data loss? TechPros’ state-of-the-art lab offers the best in data recovery Nashville and can in most cases recover your data with no problem. Whether you’re experiencing data loss as a result of a hard drive crash, malware infection or damage due to a driver, power surge, fire, water or some other physical element, we take care of IT all! The longer you wait the greater the risk of permanent data loss so it’s to your benefit to get your system checked in for a diagnostic with one of our data recovery Nashville specialists as soon as possible.

Can’t find the time to bring your system in today? Here are some guidelines to avoid permanent data loss in the meantime:

• Hearing any strange clicking, grinding or whirring sounds? If so, shut down your computer immediately! These sounds could be the read/write heads hitting or scraping the platters on your drive, the outcome of which is not pretty.
• Before making any attempt to remove the hard drive, unplug the power and be sure to handle with care. Hard drives are extremely sensitive to static electricity and physical jarring or jolts.
• If your data is critical, be sure to choose a reputable data recovery Nashville service that can properly recover data from physically damaged drives. Even the simplest recovery attempts on a physically damaged drive could render your data unrecoverable and no one wants that!

And remember the most surefire method for preventing your data from disappearing into oblivion is to have a backup strategy in place! Every week 140,000 hard drives crash in the United States. Don’t let the odds stand against you. Contact us today 615.595.6399 or drop on by the store so we can get you set up with a data backup and recovery solution that best fits your needs!

Worried about your children accessing unsafe or inappropriate Internet sites? TechPros, the best in Nashville IT solutions, recommends a “Safe Eyes” solution for protecting your kids from harmful online influences.

We’re always fiddling with our technological gadgets these day–checking emails, checking in, snapping photos and spiffing them up with cool filters, scrolling through the latest stories featured on our virtual newsstands, social media and blog feeds. You name it, it’s available for our viewing pleasure through a small lit “smart” screen at the palms of our hands or widely displayed before us on our desktop computers. Whether you’re killing time waiting to be called at the doctors office or just want to catch up on the world while commuting to work, there’s never a dull moment to be had. With so many media sources at our fingertips–so much interesting information and hilarious and engaging entertainment, boredom is pretty much out of the question. From random YouTube videos to a wide array of games like the ever popular Angry Birds, Paper Toss, and Doodle Jump, it’s no wonder kids are taking such keen interest to the digital platform. Mom, dad, even grandma and grandpa are thumbing, clicking and scrolling and naturally those curious little tykes want in on all of the action.

In many ways all this technology is a blessing to parents because it keeps their kids engaged while they are busy attending to the demands of adult life. But the fact is while they are keeping fascinatedly busy versing themselves in the digital world, these young impressionable minds are also gaining the ability to access a whole realm of media that goes way beyond their maturity level and understanding, material that if stumbled upon could have a very negative effect on their psychological development. As your best source for Nashville IT solutions, we look out for each and every one of our customers and strive to meet their concerns. Many of us have children of our own and therefore understand that some things are not meant for young eyes, no matter how curious they may be. And even for those who aren’t so curious, just one wrong click and their innocent eyes can find themselves exposed to a wide array of questionable content.

Unfortunately when surfing such a vast search engine you get the good with the bad and both results are equally as easy to find. In fact, studies have shown that more than half of all children who use the Internet are exposed to pornography in their own homes. So how can we let our kids enjoy and benefit from all of the great online programs and resources while shielding them from sites that feature tasteless material containing nudity, violence, etc.? The answer is “Safe Eyes”, one of the highest recommended parental internet filtering softwares by Nashville IT solutions professionals and computer specialists nationwide.

Safe Eyes works to reduce the overwhelming concerns parents have regarding their child’s exposure to the internet by allowing them to pick and choose which sites their children have access to. With a yearly subscription to this web-based software, parents can monitor internet use in their home on up to 3 computers by creating separate user accounts and programming each to have their own customized set of limitations. Parents can choose topically which types of sites to filter overall and can then hone down and identify specific sites that they deem permissible to their child’s use. They can opt to block social networking sites and YouTube all together and allow access to only certain educational sites, or they can give their children a little more leeway and keep close tabs on their activity through the “internet usage report” which they can access remotely. By giving each user their own customized tier of protection, Safe Eyes provides the right balance of security and usability for every member of the family–not a bad system if you ask our Nashville IT solutions professionals!

For further questions about Safe Eyes and other methods of parental internet control give us a call 615.595.6399! Our TechPros are equipped to handle any and all of your Nashville IT solutions 🙂

 Looking for quality computer support that meets you halfway? With Nashville Remote Support you can resolve your problems without leaving your home or office.

Is your computer giving you a hard time? Maybe it has been for awhile now and you’ve just been waiting it out until you can’t take it anymore. We understand. If you’re like most people you probably have trouble making time in your busy schedule to take care of yourself let alone your computer. With TechPros’ comprehensive Nashville Remote Support service there’s no need to wait out the weeks; you can get the problem diagnosed at your own convenience so there’s no hassle on your part!

For small businesses, Nashville Remote Support is the way to go as it can greatly reduce IT support costs while increasing the speed of handling support issues for managing, monitoring and troubleshooting the infrastructure. And to think you don’t even have to compromise the quality of personal service to do so! Our certified technicians are standing by to help you troubleshoot everything from network and email issues to diagnosing specific computer malfunctions to installing software applications, and more. Not only are they extremely knowledgeable and well experienced in all things computer technology, but they’re extremely friendly and patient. You’re not just talking to some automated machine or some guy across seas, you’re getting the undivided attention and excellent customer service of a real LIVE TechPro–the same awesome team of techs that would so graciously assist you if you showed up at our Franklin or Columbia storefront.

Not only does Nashville Remote Support allow you to solve your problems faster and for a fraction of what it would cost to have a technician administer the problem on site but it gives us the ability to constantly check in on your system (if you so choose). The moment something seems awry or you’re in need of improving your level of service, simply submit a ticket to our Nashville Remote Support technicians and they’ll be sure to take care of your needs before the problem escalates. If you want you can even follow along as we “drive”! No software is needed to install. All you need is a machine that’s capable of connecting to our Support page.

Bring huge benefits to your business and your personal life by resolving your IT problems a little more conveniently for a reasonable $69.50/hour, 1hr minimum fee! Contact TechPros today to setup your Nashville Remote Support service! 

TechPros, the best Nashville computer professionals, help you navigate your way around the new Windows 8!

Microsoft has come a long way with its new Windows 8 OS platform. In fact the nature of the new interface is so far removed from the former Microsoft interfaces that it has at least initially managed to stump even the most experienced PC users. Many seasoned PC users have been frustrated to find that once routine tasks are no longer so intuitive. However, though the new functionality might be a bit disorienting at first does not mean that the new Windows 8 features and behaviors are bad. Just like with any new product, there’s a learning curve. So before you completely dismiss Windows 8, let your trusted Nashville computer professionals help you climb that curve by laying out the basics and equipping you with some essential tips and tricks. Hang in there with us and you’ll have Windows 8 OS working for you at an efficiently productive rate in due time!

Welcome to Windows 8!
Upon your first encounter with Windows 8 you will be prompted to log-in with a Microsoft account. If you’ve used any Windows Live services in the past you likely already have one of these. By using a Microsoft account you not only get access to Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud storage but you can link other cloud services to your account as well as synchronize your preferences and bookmarks across multiple Windows 8 devices. Not a bad deal! If you don’t already have an account the great thing is that you can fairly easily configure one with any e-mail address you currently use. Not quite sure how to do that? Call your Nashville computer professionals for assistance. We’re always ready to help!

Once you’re done with setup you’ll arrive at the new tiled Start screen. This is where things are going to seem a little foreign.

The Start Screen and Desktop
As Nashville computer professionals we’re forewarning you not to bother prowling around the desktop for the Start button. There isn’t one. Everything is accessed through the Start screen. This is your home base from which to launch applications. The tiles you see are Window’s 8 equivalent of Start menu shortcuts. Simply click or touch one of the tiles and your application will promptly launch. To scroll the start screen right and left use the mouse scroll wheel or drag your finger back and forth across the center of the screen. If you wish to toggle between tiles, use the arrow keys and then hit enter to launch the highlighted application. You also have the option of typing the name of the application and the Start Screen’s search tool will present you with the desired application. But what about the Control Panel? How do you get to it? One of two ways. To access the Control Panel you either need to go to the Settings Charms from the desktop or search for the desired setting within the Control Panel from the Start screen.

Applications
The new Windows 8 built-in applications as well as any new applications you download from the Windows Store run full-screen on the “Metro” interface. However, older applications run in Desktop (where things look and act more like they did in Windows 7). So how do you navigate between applications running in two different user interfaces? While it sounds really challenging, Windows 8 provides three easy routes to get from one place to another.

One method is by using the Start Charm to bounce back to the Start screen and launch another application. Another method is switching back and forth through the apps. If you’re using a touch device you can simply switch back to the most recently used app by swiping your finger from the left edge of the screen toward the center. Repeat this motion and you can go back through all the currently active applications on your device. If you’re using a keyboard you can achieve the same thing by holding down the Windows + Tab keys. The last method is known as “snapping” an app which comes in handy when you have multiple apps running at once. To navigate to a specific app, hover over the left upper corner of the screen with your mouse until the thumbnail of the last application viewed appears. Then direct the mouse pointer down the left side of the screen (or pull in from the left edge if using touch), “snapping” the app to the side of the screen. When you’re done with an application and wish to close it you have a few options. You can hover the mouse over the top of the screen (or simply touch the top of the screen) until a hand appears, click and drag downward to make the app shrink to a smaller view or drag the app completely off the screen to the bottom or to the side.

Navigating Without Touch
The problem with using a mouse to emulate the Windows 8 touch commands is that a mouse isn’t very suited to “flicking”, the method used to activate the Charms bar and to switch back and forth between apps. For this reason, Windows 8 offers new keyboard shortcuts. For instance pressing Win-C will without fail always open the charms bar no matter what system context you’re in. As your Nashville computer professionals we want to equip you to be as fast and efficient as possible by providing you with the time-saving keyboard shortcuts below:

1. Windows Key + C: Displays Charms menu.
2. Windows Key + X: Brings up a menu of advanced system options, including Windows Control Panel, Command Prompt, Task Manager and File Explorer.
3. Windows Key + I: Displays the Settings menu for the current app. For example, if you’re in Internet Explorer 10, this key shows Internet options. If you’re on the Start menu, it shows general OS settings.
4. Windows Key + Q: Brings up the apps search menu that allows you to search your list of installed programs.
5. Windows Key + D: Activates desktop mode.
6. Windows Key + Tab: Brings up the Task Switcher and toggles between Windows 8-style apps.
7. Windows Key + H: Brings up Share menu for the current app. For example, hitting Windows Key + H in Bing Maps, lets you email or share map information on social networks.
8. Windows Key + M: Opens desktop mode and minimizes all windows.
9. Windows Key + W: Opens universal search menu and sets it to search settings.
10. Windows Key + F: Opens universal search menu and sets it to search files.
11. Windows Key + R: Opens Run menu where you can launch programs by typing in their executable file names.
12. Windows Key + E: Opens File Explorer to the “My Computer” view which shows all your drives.
13. Windows Key +Number Key (1-9): Switch to desktop mode and make the Nth application on the task bar active where N is the number key you hit and 1 is the furthest taskbar icon to the left.
14. Windows Key + . (period key): Docks the current Windows 8-style application to the right or left, depending on how many times you hit it.
15. Windows Key + Z: Brings up app menu, which shows contextual options for the active app.

Turning off your machine
Finally, a version of Windows that doesn’t have the “shut down” and “sleep” buttons under the “Start” menu! So when using Windows 8 how do you turn off the computer or put it into sleep mode without hitting the power button? To turn off your PC you simply go to Charms sidebar, tap on the “Settings” Charm and click or touch the “Power” icon and voila! The method isn’t all that more intuitive but with the expert help and advice of Nashville computer professionals nearby you’ll get used to it!

Head Straight for the Desktop
Do you prefer working in Desktop? Lucky for you there’s a way to configure the system to use the Start page and the Charms less. One way of going about this is by pinning your frequently used applications to the Desktop bar so that they are more accessible and therefore easier to launch when needed. Another option you have is to rearrange and hide things in the Start menu to make it more like the older Windows Start menu. To do this click down and drag the tiles until they are in your preferred order. If you right click on the tiles you have the option to remove the applications you don’t want from the Start screen, pin them to the Desktop taskbar so that they can be launched from there, turn off the built-in apps’ “live” features, or opt to completely uninstall them.

We know this is a lot of new information to take in but hopefully after reading these tips you now have a better grasp of Microsoft’s new OS and are feeling more confident about making the switch. If a question or problem pops up along the way don’t forget the best of Nashville computer professionals are here to lend their support! Just give us a call (615) 595-6399 or fill out our contact page and we’ll be happy to see what we can do to alleviate the issue!

Be on the lookout for emails that look like bills for domain name renewal and read them carefully as chances are they are part of a fraudulent scam.

Do you or does your company own more than one domain name? If you’re like us and are big into SEO you probably own quite a few, maybe even a whole bundle. Scammers have caught onto this domain buying trend and are banking on the probability that many people don’t keep track of where and when they’ve registered these domains. Well, scammers we hate to break it to you but as experienced Nashville  IT consultants we’ve caught onto your scheming tactics.

So how exactly are these scammers doing it? Basically they are targeting domain owners by sending them a very official looking email claiming that the receiver of the email owes money. The email is made to look like a legitimate invoice with your name and/or address listed sent from a seemingly official business such as “DNS Services” (see picture to the right). The “invoice” directs you to click on a link to pay $50 or more or else your domain name will expire.

Do not fall for this trap! This is merely a sales pitch in disguise. While typically these types of spam offers are sent via mail clearly stamped with a notice that reads “Not a Bill”, it is much harder to detect the authenticity of the email versions. If you should happen across such an email use your utmost scrutiny as the name of the business on the email will likely change as the scam evolves.

As your favorite Nashville IT consultants here are some helpful tips for distinguishing whether a domain name expiration notice is real or fake:

Carefully check the website address. If the domain name listed on the invoice is similar to your actual domain name but is off by a few letters or has a different ending such as .net instead of .com it’s likely an indication that it’s fake.

Check the names of your providers. Figure out whether the name on the bill actually matches the business that originally sold you your domain name.

Look for other suspicious signs. Domain registration fees are generally in the $10 to $15 ballpark so if the invoice is asking for $50 plus or is requesting you make payment to a personal email address or third party provider such as PayPal, it’s without a doubt a hoax.

If you are having trouble detecting the legitimacy of the email, contact your local Nashville IT consultants for a professional assessment. To avoid the hassle of trying to identify fraudulent emails like these in the future, register all your domain names under one single business such as GoDaddy.com. That way you’ll be able to tell right of the bat just by looking at the name on the invoice.