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Partitioning in Windows 7 Libraries: Advanced Features

If you have recently upgraded your computer’s components in Las Vegas, organizing all of the information on your hard drive is essential. To do this, go into the main library folder. All partitions will be displayed in blue. Files from one partition can be dragged and dropped to another partition. The default location for saving files is on the private folder, which also called my documents.

Underneath is the public documents folder. Go to the location where you have a picture you want to move. Right click on the picture you want to send to the library and then click on the option that says send to my library. Check to make sure that it arrived in the pictures library.

Go back to the main library screen and right-click on documents. Enter its properties panel. This screen will show you the total file size of that library. If you plan to move or save these folders to another location, it is good to know the exact size of the folder! The same can be done for the other libraries. You can also reset the default save location in this panel. The normal default setting is private and is indicated by a check mark.

No matter how many folders you create, the properties window will always display the check mark next to the default save location. This can always be changed for convenience. In addition, the button labeled “optimize this library for“ has a pull-down menu that will allow you to change the way information in the libraries is displayed. This is a handy feature for SharePoint users.

Please give us a call if you need computer repair help in Las Vegas or Henderson NV!

Find Freedom in File Organization!

Windows 7 Libraries: Powerful Organizational Tools

Computer users in Las Vegas can benefit from the advanced applications of the libraries in Windows 7. These libraries provide an increased sense of functionality and organization. They are essentially containers that point to various data that is located all over the hard drive. Files and folders are now stored and retrieved by new searching and indexing technologies.

The four default libraries are:

• Documents
• Music
• Pictures
• Videos

These virtual folders serve as pointers that automatically retrieve the specified files wherever they are on the hard drive. Many users are still unaware that there are two folders inside of each library. One of them is a public documents folder and the other is a private folder.

To access these libraries, just click on the file icon right next to the start button in Windows 7. This will take you into documents. You can also click the start button to get to documents. In the window labeled documents library, underneath this title there is a link that shows the number of locations where the files get retrieved. Open the link and you will see the private and public locations where your files can be stored.

Pay attention to the add button. This button will allow you to create another partition in addition to the public and private folders that are set there by default. This is a convenient way to organize documents that might not easily fit into the pre-defined categories set by Windows 7.

If you need computer help in Las Vegas or your small business is fed up with your computer problems, give one of our knowledgeable account managers a call to see what ITS can do for you to make your computer repairs easier!

Create Your Own Thermometer

Microsoft Excel: Creating a Fundraising Goal Thermometer or Sales Quota Thermometer

This post is designed for people with marginally good Excel skills, if you need further help, you can always give us a call for any computer questions in Las Vegas!

Creating a thermometer in Excel is fun and easy. Begin by inserting a normal stacked column, and be sure to use the final cell from your goal data set. Next, delete the legend on the chart. Right-click and select Format Axis. Take the axis out by clicking None from the menu next to Axis Label. Next, right-click and select Format Data Series. Reduce the Gap Width by sliding the bar to zero percent.

Now you can resize the chart from the border, and you can narrow the body of the thermometer within the border as well. To get rid of the grid lines, just right-click inside the border to Format Gridlines and select No Line. If your original cell value is not close to 100%, go into Axis Options with a right-click. Change the Maximum option from Auto to Fixed, and then change the numerical value to 1.0. If you had .6 here, your thermometer would display 60%.

For the top of the thermometer, select the plot area of the data points, right-click and put in a solid fill color. This will show you how far you have to reach your goal. Finally, go to the Insert tab, select an oval shape for the base, and format the colors and gradients. Remove the shape outline border. This will blend the base with the tube. Grouping them together will allow you to move the tube and base as one unit.

If you need computer repair in Las Vegas, please give us a call!

Microsoft Word 2010: Applied Trivia

It is always fun to learn helpful Word 2010 trivia. Did you know that double-clicking a word will highlight it, and triple-clicking will highlight the entire paragraph? Wow.

Two other features in Word deserve a closer look.

1. Customizing the Toolbar

If you have ever looked at the ribbon with chagrin, then why not customize? It’s easy enough to do. Just go to the File tab and click Options. It is close to the bottom of the list. Then, click on Customize Ribbon. You can Add or Delete items just by highlighting them and then clicking the appropriate button. You can also add a New Group. Just click the button, but be careful. The last item highlighted in your list will be the one where the New Group appears. To remove, click the Remove button in the center of the page to delete your last action.

2. Templates

If you have not yet discovered the templates, you have to see this! Just go to the File tab and click on New. Scroll through and double-click on any of these templates. You will be amazed!

When customizing, you can always go back to click on another item within the list on the left. Then simple click Add to apply it to your New Group. Voila! It will then show up on your toolbar.  We hope this will help your computer skills improve on this common program!

If you need computer repair in Las Vegas or Henderson, please give us a call!

Using Technology: Small Business Strategies

Technology has the capacity to help small businesses, but only when the goals of the business are clearly defined. Small businesses often turn to technology as a means to survive downturns in the business cycle.

The most pressing issues facing small business concerns:

• Lowering Operating Costs
• Attracting and Retaining Customers
• Enabling Employment of a Remote Workforce

Small businesses interested in using technology for one of these purposes might find it impractical, expensive and time-consuming to acquire and utilize the most advanced technologies available on the market. The needs of small businesses certainly vary by industry, but pervasive technology trends can help identify specific areas where small business owners are likely to invest their precious resources.

Business Server and Software

A small to midsize server can reduce costs and help the business to gain access to virtual customers as well as harness the expanding virtual remote workforce.

Software products designed specifically to address the needs of the small business operation are surging in popularity. Their excellent functionality and low maintenance provide new avenues for businesses to track various transactions, reach new customers and even prepare for the tax season.

Give us a call to see if this technology can help you!

Essential Computer Security: The Anti-Crash Course

It is amazing how many computers still get infected with malicious software or viruses. Many of these problems can be resolved simply by reinforcing or upgrading your computer’s defenses against malware and other threats.

Some Security Terms

The computer system is a network of parts that communicate with each other. Network is an inclusive concept, and it includes every aspect of the system. Each part of the system has the potential to be breached at some level. Any area where this could occur is called vulnerability. Reducing the odds that a vulnerability will be exploited is the goal of all security systems.

Microsoft Essentials is an example of a free security and scanning program that can be downloaded from the Internet. However, it is incompatible with other security or anti-virus programs such as McAfee or AVG. These will have to be removed before it can be effectively installed. Once you have a security program you are completely satisfied with, take a look at other areas of security that could be improved.

For example, many people still use weak passwords, which can leave your data unprotected. Create a backup plan for all of your critical data before you create too many documents. This could be done using USB, memory sticks, external hard drives, CDs or DVDs. Backup servers are also possible. Recovering data after a hard drive failure or breach is possible, but it can be expensive.

If you need help with your data security in Las Vegas, please give us a call!

Social Networking and Small Business: Marketing Choices

With the wide variety of applications and online platforms that businesses could potentially utilize to their advantage, sometimes it might seem that there are too many choices available. Every business decision is an investment of a resource; if it is not money, it surely is time. So, which media is right for your company?

There is no one solution that will work for all businesses; however, consider the following baseline concepts:

1. Show, Don’t Tell:
It is more effective to show your customers the end value of your product/service than to merely tell them about it. Why not outsource the creation of vimeos or animated videos that could easily be displayed on your social network?

2. Interactive Interfaces:
Inviting participation through the use of touch-sensitive devices allows users of social media to receive their most desired experience: Connection.

3. Maintain Brand Recognition:
Whether you decide to tweet, email or blog, it is important that your image and brand get reinforced so that you become a familiar sight to your customers.

It could be Facebook, Twitter, iPhone, Kindle Fire, or even article marketing and SEO. One of the keys to a successful marketing experience is narrowing the field to ensure that the tactics used are the ones most relevant to your business enterprise.

The Cell Phone: A Hidden Sales Machine?
If your business needs more sales, and what business does not, why not try tapping into your existing resources to boost your revenues? For example, that cell phone could be as easily used to your customers find you; after all, you have probably used it to find other businesses! The best part of using your phone to attract customers is that it will not cost you an extra penny.

This strategy is known as mobile marketing, and it is very effective. Customers can get information on your products or services, and you can entice them to buy with special offers or even coupons. Research shows that consumers are very responsive to deals that are only available to them online. Since most phones have access to the Internet, the cell phone market is only one step away. If you are worried about how to best reach them, just relax. Informed experimentation is the way to go.

Think about all of the customers you already do business with; you probably already know a lot about their preferences. Coupons could be remitted with information on them that will tell you which strategies you used that were successful. A company website is a critical part of any modern business. The nominal costs involved with linking the website to a cell phone audience is well worth the many benefits!

Have You Ever Wondered How Google Works?

We know technology can be really confusing to some.  Sometimes it gets confusing for us!  Google, for example is an interesting animal.  We don’t not fully understand how it works, but we know there are a lot of moving parts.  For those of you who want to gain a better understanding of how Google works, this may be a helpful thing to look at!

Infographic by the Pay Per Click Blog

Free Network Health Assessment!

Many companies who receive our newsletters, have not yet taken advantage of our free network assessment program.  When we assess the health of your IT structure, we probe the architecture of the network to ensure that your business is able to remain continuous in cases of catastrophic data loss, and that your day to day activities are being accomplished at a reasonable speed!

Some of the problems we may find:

• You think your data is protected and it is actually being backed up to a defective drive. (Yes, we have seen this!)
• Your computers are expensive and are drawing too much power and costing too much to run
• The firewall that you have installed stopped blocking trojans and viruses.
• Your E mail box is 95% full and in danger to crash any day

We also may find everything is in GREAT shape.  That is more rare, but you need to protect your data and computers if you are going to stay in business in Las Vegas!

Call us for a free no-obligation network assessment today!