Category: Computer Services

Off the shelf computers and laptops are getting better all the time but for real enthusiasts or heavy professional use nothing can beat our custom PC builds.

Custom PC builds for gaming

Cutting edge gaming machines are what every serious gamer desires. With faster performance and higher quality graphics enabling you to game lag free at the highest possible monitor resolutions owning a top drawer gaming rig can mean the difference between life and death (only in your games of course).

We will work with you and your budget to design and build the PC of your dreams. Using the latest technologies such as super fast Solid State hard drives, the latest graphics cards, overclock-able motherboards, air or liquid cooling, RGB LED lighting and an almost infinite choice of cases and gaming hardware you can decide every aspect of your new PC.

Custom PC builds for business

Specialist workflows and tasks can require very specialist machines. Some users who work with 3d modelling or content production may require large amounts of super fast storage either from SSDs or a RAID array. Editors, working on images or video, may require a computer with huge processing power and lots of RAM to quickly encode large files. Maybe you need a PC with 3,4,5 or even more displays to work on complex projects. Whatever is your desire we can help build a machine to get the job done and suit your budget.

Building a custom PC for a client always starts with 2 things; a wishlist and a budget, so if you would like to talk to us about your requirements then send us a message and we will get back to you to start the consultation. You can spend as much as you like on a custom PC build so to keep the pricing fair and simple we will quote you a flat fee for the build then only charge the parts used at trade price to ensure your happiness.

We support all types of operating systems and hardware so if you are having trouble with your Macbook or iMac give us a call about our Apple computer support.

Speeding up Apple iMacs and Macbooks

As any Apple device owner knows, Apple devices are designed to work brilliantly while remaining easy to operate but over time IOS devices, like all other devices, slow down and can become buggy requiring some TLC.

We can speed up your Mac by cleaning out unused files and programs to free up space, optimize the operating system by removing unneeded or unwanted programs and startup tasks. We also check your device for virus’ and malware (yes! Despite what you may have heard Macs are not immune to malware and we are seeing more and more of it on the devices we get in)

Another job we are frequently asked to perform is upgrading iMac or Macbook devices. Upgrading Apple products is traditionally more difficult and time consuming than the equivalent task on a PC, often requiring special tools and specific Apple compatible parts to get the best out of your device. With years of experience we can help with upgrading your Mac to get the fast beautiful machine you want.

Apple Computer Support

Apple computers can require specific knowledge to support that normal PC’s don’t. When planning out an office environment that uses Apple products it is important to ensure that all the other network devices work properly with your machines. This sometimes includes special selection of peripherals and software to ensure that you are able to get the best out of your devices, especially if you use them in a mixed operating system environment next to Windows PC’s .

Whatever your needs or goals we can help you achieve them.

If you have a question about our Apple computer support contact us and let us help

We have a great deal of experience with wireless and wired networking and can help you achieve the kind of network you desire weather it is wired, wireless or a combination of both.

Wireless and wired networking is the basis of our modern computing environment and computers that do not talk to each other are now practically obsolete. At the very least most people will need to connect their computers to the internet to browse the web and access email and other web services. In some more connected homes and offices you may need to connect the computers to each other or to access shared resources on the network such as shared printers, file servers, backup servers and application servers.

Who needs wireless and wired networking help

Many home customers and businesses may need professional help in setting up their networks, like the fact that high speed connections may be important for things such as file sharing and backups. You may wish to have a more exotic mix of wireless and wired networks which span large areas of office buildings or outbuildings over distances that normal wireless routers and access points cannot manage. The other big reason we are asked to set up networks is to ensure their security and defense against either improper use or hacking attempts.

We can help you whatever your requirements, from installing a full, super high speed network, with shared servers and printers in your office building, to extending your standard home network to a far away office or outbuilding, or simply helping you make your current network faster.

Contact us to ask any questions you may have about wireless and wired networking and we will be happy to assist you.

Windows XP End of Support is on April 8th, 2014.

That is the basic pop up message from Microsoft to all XP users when they stopped providing free updates to the venerable XP operating system. The question for most users now is what should I do about it.

Firstly it is important to understand the meaning of this “End of Support” message. While your Microsoft XP computers will continue to work just fine after the 8th April 2014 they will no longer receive the regular security updates from Microsoft, a free service which they have now been offering for over a decade and, arguably, have every right to withdraw for such an old operating system. While this may sound alarming, operating system security updates are only part of your overall computer security and while computers with XP will no doubt be less secure than more recent editions of Windows like Windows 7 or Window 8, it does not mean you have to throw out your Xp machine and go straight out and buy a brand new machine.

Should I upgrade to Windows 8

Upgrading to Windows 8 is the option that Microsoft would like you to do. Many computers that currently run Windows XP can be upgraded to Windows 8 but whether this option is available for your particular machine would have to be checked. We can advise you on whether your computer or laptop can be upgraded to windows 8 and what, if any, other upgrades should be made to take full advantage of the latest operating system.

Do I need to replace my Windows XP computer

If your operating system is more than 7 years old (as most XP computers are now) then not only will the operating system be out of date but many of the parts inside your computer will be slower and less efficient than their modern equivalents. In this case there is a case to be made for updating your whole computer to a more modern machine, we can consult with you about your specific computer needs, what kind of programs you run or would like to run in the future, how much storage space you need and what other features would be useful to you such as screen size, wireless, touch screen, Bluetooth etc. This will ensure if you do decide to replace your XP machine with a new desktop or laptop computer, you will be getting a machine suited to your needs and to your budget.

What if I want to keep my current Windows XP computer

If the expense of upgrading your computer, or buying a new one, is too much for you, or you are just happy with your computer as it is and would just like it to remain safe and secure there are a few things that can be done to keep you working safely. We offer a Home PC health check to our customers in and around the Sutton Coldfield area and as part of this service we will check all of your security settings and software and also advise you on how to use your computer in the safest way possible. Just contact us to arrange a visit.

Whatever your situation we can help you ensure your computer stays safe, up to date and secure.

It is a fairly common problem, but what do you do after spilling liquid on your laptop? The good news is, if you act quickly, we can help recover your laptop if liquid is accidently spilt on it.

Immediately after liquid is spilt on your laptop

The key to a successful laptop repair after water or any other liquid is spilt is to act quickly to minimize any damage. Follow these steps as soon as possible after the spill.

• DO NOT TURN YOUR LAPTOP ON – any liquid on the electronics of your laptop motherboard can cause short circuits when the laptop is turned on and electricity is passed through it. We need to remove the liquid thoroughly before you attempt to turn the laptop on again.
• Open your laptop fully and turn it upside down so that it rests on the top of the screen and the bottom of the keyboard – in the shape of the letter A. This will allow any liquid to drain away from the more delicate parts of the laptop before any damage is done.
• Leave the laptop to dry in a well ventilated area but do not heat the laptop to force dry it – placing the laptop on top of a towel on a worktop or similar would be fine, you could also place it in a slightly warm area such as an airing cupboard but do not place it next to a direct heat source such as a radiator. We want the liquid to dry and evaporate naturally.
• Remove the battery from the laptop

While the laptop is drying out following a liquid spill

Your laptop can take a few days to dry out naturally and if you have only spilt clean water on the laptop this might be sufficient to recover it, if you have spilt anything but plain water you should contact ASC Computers as soon as possible. Any liquids which contain sugars or other sweetening ingredients could potentially corrode and damage the solder joints on the laptop motherboard so just drying such a laptop will leave a residue on the motherboard which could continue corroding the components until it is removed. In this case we would disassemble your laptop, remove the motherboard and any other affected components and clean them with an appropriate alcohol solution before reassembling your laptop and testing it.

Can my laptop be repaired following a liquid spill?

There are many factors which affect the outcome of water damage repairs such as, what liquid was spilt on the laptop, how long the liquid has been in contact with the electronics and how the laptop has been dried out and handled following the liquid spill. If you have been unlucky enough to spill liquid on your laptop, the best option is often to call us about repairing your laptop so we can carry out a professional spill repair. To ensure your satisfaction we will only charge a small upfront fee to perform a liquid damaged laptop repair and will only charge for the remainder of the job if the repair is successful.

We offer computer lessons to all levels of users as part of our computer user training Sutton Coldfield services.

Depending on your requirements and level of previous knowledge we can customise our computer training to your specific requirements. A computer is just a tool to get things done at the end of the day, and the things you would like to do on your computer will differ greatly depending on what you use your computer for Often we find that once someone has learnt a few basic lessons about how to use their computer more effectively they become considerably more productive and feel much happier about using their computer, laptop or tablet device. Some of the common reasons we are asked for computer lessons in the West Midlands are:

Basic Computer Training

Many people who are new to computing, or returning to it after a period away, need some basic help to get them started. This can be a basic introduction to their operating system (Windows, Linux or Apple OS) covering the need to know areas about how their computer works, explaining the computing terminology and being shown how to perform basic tasks such as reading or writing emails, browsing the internet safely and keeping their computer or laptop safe and updated. We have helped a lot of elderly computer users (affectionately known as Silver Surfers!) with this service, enabling them to use programs such as Skype to keep in touch with relatives in other countries and viewing and sharing precious family photos.

Staff Computer Training

Business owners often underestimate the cost saving involved with quality staff computer training. Even in a small business with a few employees the amount of working time that could be saved by employees working more efficiently is startling. Even small changes which may only save a person a few seconds on a particular task can end up being hugely beneficial when multiplied by the number of staff and the frequency with which they need to perform that task as part of their job. Generally with business customers we like to perform an efficiency audit before deciding what training would be appropriate and most cost effective. We would come into your place of work and passively observe the staff going about their work before compiling a list of suggested improvements which can then be discussed with management before deciding on a customised computer user training plan for your business. Even small changes here, like teaching common shortcuts to help with regular tasks, through to programming other tasks to be performed automatically, can add up to enable your staff to work more happily and effectively.

Specific Program Training

Even experienced computer users need help with programs they are unfamiliar with and ASC Computer Services can help with many of these. Whether you are already using a program which you would like some assistance with or maybe if you are needing to brush up on your skills for a particular program in advance of taking up a new role or applying for a new job, just let us know which programs you need help with and we can offer specific support. Some of the programs we are proficient in that are commonly requested are:

• Microsoft Word (Word Processing)
• Microsoft Outlook (Email client and much more)
• Microsoft Excel (spreadsheets)
• WordPress (website content management system CMS)
• Image editing / photo editing / graphic design programs (Adobe Photoshop, paint.net, Adobe Fireworks)
• Video editing (Adobe Premiere, Microsoft Movie Maker)
• Google Sketchup (3D design / modelling)

We can offer services tailored to your needs so please contact us for your computer user training Sutton Coldfield

ASC Computers offers the best in business computer support in Sutton Coldfield.

Whatever your business type all commercial ventures rely heavily on their computers. Enabling effective communications with customers through informational or direct sales on a company website, to effective ongoing communication with both suppliers and customers through business email. Any problems or failures with these vital system can see an immediate detrimental effect on your business and may even result in lost customers and loss of company reputation if not addressed quickly.

Many local business around Sutton Coldfield already have existing IT systems which have normally been created over time on an “as needed” basis. Often we see many local small businesses with a few computers or laptops which have been purchased and set up over a period of time with no centralised systems which could take advantage of important efficiency improvements. We can work with you to either tackle a specific problem you may be facing or by inspecting your current setup to identify which upgrades or features would be most beneficial to the productivity of your business. Here are some of the services we regularly perform for our business clients:

Centralised network services (Server installation)

Whether you already have your own business server set up or if you would be interested in finding out what you could do with a server we can help. A server if just another computer on your network which performs tasks to benefit the other computers also attached to that same network. A small business server is not necessarily a big new specialist computer which you would have to purchase at great cost, depending on the requirements your particular business has and what functions you require a server to perform for you we can often re purpose an existing machine to keep the costs lower.  Some of the most widely used reasons to have a small business server are:

• File sharing

  – by creating a centralised store for all your important business documents, standard letters to customers, invoices, product information etc you allow your employees to save time by always having access to whichever files they need without the problems associated with having multiple copies of the same document on many different computers or laptops. This also allows easier collaboration on projects as files can be simultaneously worked on by different employees without the need to be sending documents back and forth over email or being repeatedly printed out which is another cost saving.

• Centralised backup of computers and laptops

  – Once you have a central store for your documents and important business information this makes backing up that information much simpler. Backups can be programmed to happen on a regular basis and can be stored on and offsite for complete peace of mind that the information your business relies on is safe.

• Centralised windows updates

  – Keeping your computers operating system up to date with the latests updates and security patches is vital to ensuring the security and reliability of your computer system. Any problems here often result in either lost working time due to virus infections or time and money being spent to repair computer problems that could have been easily avoided. Once a centralised update system has been installed all of the computer updates can be programmed to happen automatically, outside of your normal business hours to prevent any loss of working time.

• Centralised security system

  – Anti virus is essential to keep your computers safe and running well. Most of our customers normally have a separate antivirus or internet security suite installed on each computer or laptop for which they have normally paid an annual subscription to someone like AVG, Norton or Mcaffee. The problem with a system like this in a business environment is that all the control is in the hands of each individual employee and any security suite is only as good as the person controlling it. If you have a number of computers which have active antivirus subscriptions which all end at different times there is then a requirement for someone to monitor which computers need their security software renewed on which date and you then risk being unprotected if someone forgets to renew a service when it is due. A centralised system can transfer the control of the software back to management by automatically programming updates, virus scans and other services such as internet page blocking or monitoring to ensure employee’s are focused on their work and are not accessing unauthorised websites.

• Simpler business growth

  – Once you move to a more centralised computing setup adding more computers or laptops, or replacing older machines, becomes much easier and cheaper.

This is not an exhaustive list of what we provide as business computer support in Sutton Coldfield but these are the main areas we are asked about. If you are interested in progressing further still to increase your business productivity then we also provide services such as:

• CCTV installation

  – an “always on” small business server can also work as a cheap CCTV solution for your business or place of work with features such as motion sensing, infra red night vision, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and even employee monitoring. Recordings can be stored on site or off site and can even be set up for remote viewing on a smart phone, tablet device or your home PC to keep your business computers and your data safe

• Remote working

  – Many companies are now taking advantage of increased internet speed to allow employees to work from home or out on the road. We can set up secure encrypted connections so that you or your employees can access their important files and programs while out of the office, increasing productivity dramatically. Keeping all of your data on site also keeps it under your control preventing sensitive documents being copied onto removable media such as USB drives or CD’s which could then be lost or stolen. Working on a remote workspace allows you to keep all of your information secure whilst allowing employees to access whatever they need from a time and place to suit your business needs.

• Computer user training

  – When we do go into a business to asses their requirements the one thing that would almost always yeild more benefit in terms of productivity than any other improvement is staff training. Consider the difference in time it takes for someone who is more proficient in computing to perform a task compared to a beginner and multiply this by the number of times in a working week that person may need to perform that task, the cost savings for your business could be huge. To find out more about out computer training services just contact us to discuss your requirements.

To find out what we could offer you just contact ASC Computer Services for the best in business computer support in Sutton Coldfield

Have your Apple iPad or Android tablet pc fully configured and customised to your specific needs with our Andriod tablet & Apple iPad home setup Sutton Coldfield. We can visit your home, anywhere in the West Midlands, and help integrate your tablet computer into your home network so you can pick up and start working (or playing) with your new device as soon as possible.

While most tablet computers are sold as simple to use, users will find that beyond the basics of connecting to the internet to browse websites the setup can become more challenging. With this service we are able to offer a setup designed for your needs including:

• Set up your email services
• Connecting to cloud storage to share files
• Backing up your tablet computer and scheduling repeat backups
• Importing your documents, photos, videos and contacts from another computer
• Synchronizing your online accounts
• Connect your tablet computer to printers or other computers you own
• Installation and configuration of whatever computer services you require

We can either order and setup your tablet computer before delivering it to your home (ideal for anyone giving an Andriod Tablet computer or an iPad as a gift), ready to go, or we can help you configure a tablet computer you already own to help you make the most of the features is offers. As a minimum we normally connect it to the internet at your home and show you how everything works with one on one tutoring in any area you require (we also offer more in depth computer lessons if required). As each client has different requirements either call us or use the contact form to discuss your particular needs for Andriod or Apple iPad home setup Sutton Coldfield West Midlands.

ASC Computers can recover data from hard drives, RAID arrays, USB sticks, mobile phones, portable hard drives and many other devices. We can rescue your precious photos, your lost files and even your whole operating system from damage or by accidental deletion by a user.

The amount of data that can be retrieved will vary from case to case and depends on the type of device and the type of fault it has. If you have come here looking for advice after experiencing a problem then the best immediate advice we can offer is:

Turn off your device now and leave it off until you have spoken to us

Because of the way data is written on most devices you may inadvertently write new data over the old data you are trying to retrieve, so to be safe turn off your device and contact ASC Computers

Data recovery is a specialist task and should not be attempted by a novice, working on your device attempting to get your data back will often make it worse and in many cases can make your data unrecoverable.

They say there are 2 types of computer users – those that back up regularly, and those that have never lost anything. If you would like help and advice in avoiding the need for data recovery Sutton Coldfield, then contact us to talk about a backing up system for all your devices tailored to your needs.

Planning your website in advance is vital if you want to promote your business or group, get to the top of the Google search rankings and provide a professional, slick experience for your visitors. we can help with our Website design services in Sutton Coldfield

In order to assist you with the planning procedure we provide documents and video guides like the one shown below to help us understand what it is you want and how to achieve it. You may think you know your business, your goals and what your customers want already but going through our simple planning procedure forces you to look at what you know from the perspective of your target audience.

By properly planning the project you will have the opportunity to see where and how you could improve your offerings, how to target a different audience or keep your current one, how you compare against your competition and review your visual design choices. You will also end up with a document that states your goals which can be used throughout the process to ensure you stay on track and keep those original goals through to completion.