Comp-U-News from Comp-U-Talk

October 2007

Be careful with your tongue - it's in a wet place and could easily slip.

What's new at Comp-U-Talk?
If you are a coosnet customer, then you should have heard about some improvements that are happening here. First, we are test driving a Spam Filtering Gateway. So far it is getting good reviews but we are concerned that it is not large enough to meet our anticipated growth. I am negotiating the test drive of a similar unit with more capacity. Second, we are securing the outgoing mail server. If you are using an email address that ends with @coosnet.com, you should be following the directions found at www.coosnet.com to reconfigure your email client to access the secure server. Don't let the directions intimidate you, but do plan to take 20-30 minutes before the 15th of September to change your configuration. If you get stuck, give us a call.

David thinks I have to much fun creating newsletters and he offered to pinch hit for me this month. Here are his timely words of wisdom:

Is Your Computer Dusty?
You may not think about it, but your computer is constantly gathering dust. It is continually (while its running at least) pulling in air and venting it out the back, and all the dust in the air gets caught inside your computer. "So what?", you may ask. Well, dust and computers don't get along so well. If the computer overheats, the system will do random things like immediate shutdowns without notice. The computer may also just slow down or stop responding. In really bad cases, it can even cause damage to components. If you value your computer's life, clean it out occasionally. Use a can of air to blow out the dust, anywhere from once every month or so (in really dusty environments) to once every four to six months (in most locations).

To clean out the dust, you need to remove the side panel from the computer. Which side needs to be removed? Look for where the keyboard connector is. That's where the motherboard is, remove the other side. If you look at the back of the case, there should be 2-3 screws holding it on. Sometimes there are tabs instead of screws. Once the screws are removed, the panel should either slide back or open up like a door. (Some systems, Dell in particular, may actually have a button on the top and one on the bottom. Push them in and the whole tower opens like a book). Once the system is open, blow out the dust! Look for dust bunnies in and around cables. Also, make sure that your CPU is nice and clean. Look for the fan mounted on the motherboard, or on top of a chunk of metal with fins on it. Make sure that that, and all fans/fins, are clear of dust. Anything else that looks dusty, feel free to clean that as well.

A special note here: Don't tear apart your laptop. You can just blow air in and around vents on the sides, back and bottom. Also, don't tip the can of air upside-down or too far sideways. That will cause liquid to be blown out, you don't want liquid all over your system.

Got questions? Come on in, we'll show you what to do. Need air? We've got it for sale. Too busy to do it yourself? Bring the tower in and we'll do it for you.
~David


Trade in Your UPS/Battery Backup
With winter fast approaching, it is time to review your power needs. Computers have never appreciated losing power unexpectedly, and the new Vista machines like it even less. If you haven't considered putting your computer on an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS-also known as a Battery Backup), then now is a good time to consider it. During the month of October, we are offering a $10 discount on the purchase of a new UPS when you trade in your dead or dying UPS. The dead unit must be at least 200 watts. Any brand is acceptable. There is a limit of one $10 credit per unit purchased.

To happier computing,

~Janet