You might need to wipe, or erase, your Blackberry for a few reasons.  Maybe you’d like a clean start after all your old downloaded apps take up too much space.  Perhaps, you are transferring from Blackberry Exchange Server to Blackberry Internet Service.  This may be done if your blackberry is no longer connected to your company server and you just want to use your blackberry for personal use going forward.  Or maybe you’ve played with your blackberry too much to the point where you’re not sure how to revert back to something that’s operational again.

Here’s how you wipe a Blackberry Bold:

1. Settings->Options
2. Security Options
3. Click the Menu Key
4. Choose Wipe Handheld
5. Continue
6. Type: blackberry

That’s it.  Then, your e-mail, settings and software will disappear.  You’ll essentially have the factory configurations like when you first received your blackberry.   Be sure and back up your pictures, music, files, e-mails, contacts, and calendar if you don’t have them stored elsewhere.  The tech support rating on performing this wipe is very easy.  Just follow the steps above.

Quickbooks Online is a great way to access your Quickbooks from any computer.  You can also simultaneously access your database with more than one person.  No more wondering if someone else is in the Quickbooks, or worrying about connecting to your company network to access the QB file. 

If you currently use Quickbooks on your server or computer, should you upgrade to Quickbooks Online?  There are several pros and cons to consider whether to stick with your Quickbooks Professional, Premier, or other computer version or to go online with the Quickbooks Online version.

Pros to go with Quickbooks Online:

1. Don’t worry about which computer you’re on.  Just go online and there’s your info.
2. Faster access to your info versus clunky network connection and redirection.
3. Always get updated versions.  Always have a backup online.
4. Less wasted time with upgrading and reinstalling versions.
5. Less money over time without having to worry about buying new versions.
6. Ability to access QB with your iPhone or Blackberry.

Cons with going to Quickbooks Online:

1. Has limited customizable features, such as invoice and receipt creations.
2. Cannot e-mail paid invoices.  It won’t show amount paid.  Instead, you have to e-mail statements.
3. Credit card information from computer version doesn’t transfer over for privacy reasons.

Overall, Quickbooks Online is the preferred way to go.  You can check it out for free for 30 days before you commit.  Definitely a no-brainer for the traveler or company that needs simultaneous use without worrying about tech support.

What is RSS?  It is a way to view content, news sites and blogs, from many different websites at the same time.  For example, if you want to stay on top of computer tech blogs, but don’t feel like performing a search or going into your Favorites or Bookmarks every time, you can subscribe to a RSS feed.  The RSS feed would then queue all of the computer tech blogs for you in one place for you to read.  Essentially, the RSS feed becomes your updated Google search and repository for your search query.  This way, you don’t have to continually search the Internet or update your favorite website.  The RSS feed is a step ahead of you.

Should I use RSS?  If you’d like to check out different sources for news, sports, or other media, then yes, RSS is for you.  It’s the lazy man’s way to acquire info.  It’s worth checking out unless you are selective about your sources, such as only wanting to use NY Times or Google.

How do I use RSS?  You’ll need to download and install an RSS Feed Reader.  This will allow you to read all of the news and weblogs out there to get your info.  This reader will let you search and organize your queries.  3 popular RSS Feed Readers are:

1. FeedDemon - lots of features and great interface, but weak with news sources
2. NewzCrawler - comprehensive, but clean and easy to use
3. Google Reader - minimalist and easy to use

RSS is easy to setup and does not require technical support.  Give it a try and wait for the news to come to you!

It is easy to find many computer repair companies when you do a Google search.  But, how do you find the best computer repair company for what you’re looking to accomplish?  The way to search for the best computer repair place relies on 3 main factors:

• What is the computer issue or IT project you’re encountering?
• Where do you work or live?
• What is your budget?

When you perform a search, be sure to be as specific as you need to be.  For instance, if you’re looking to enlist a technician just to remove a virus or spyware, make sure to be narrow with your search query.  “virus removal” or “spyware removal” are 2 good searches to perform for this.  If you have a specific project for your company, you may type in “new server install” or “e-mail migration.”  You do not have to put in quotes by the way.

Geography is very important.  You should be sure to put in your location, such as “virus removal nyc” or “new york company IT support.”  If you’re looking for company or home support for IT maintenance or ongoing support, your search should be more general such as “nyc IT maintenance” or “new york city tech support.”

Budget always comes into play for every computer user or network.  Typically, the best support will come from IT companies due to the quick response time and professionalism.  You might find cheaper prices with one-man IT folks, but the response time and skill-level could be lacking.  Be sure to choose your IT company based on professionalism, reviews, and personality.

Have you receive the error message, “Your copy of Windows is not genuine?”  Your Windows 7 Ultimate operating system might show this message due to spyware, viruses, bad Windows update, or if the operating system is a hacked version.  However, most likely, Windows 7 Ultimate has been recently showing this error message due to a botched Windows update.

To resolve this error, our computer experts have been able to search high and low to find the Windows 7 Ultimate not genuine fix.  Just run it and hit the button to remove the activation when prompted.  Then, the program will take care of the rest.  This program essentially removes the activation key display in the Computer Properties area, and allows the computer to download/install Windows updates again.

Hopefully, you will not have to come across this computer issue, but if you do, you’ll now how to resolve the PC problem.

Your sacred Mac can run slower and slower while using it.  There are several ways you can speed it up to give it the burst of speed you’re looking for.

Here are the top 5 ways to speed up your slow Mac:

1. Unclutter your desktop - Having tons of files and folders on your desktop can slow down your startup.  You should, instead, put these files in to folders in your home directory and create desktop aliases to them.  This will allow your computer to start without having to load these files in memory every time.
2. Clear out the temp items - As with a PC, it is very helpful to remove the files in the Caches, Log files and Temporary Items.  These temp items sometimes hold corrupted files or misdirected links.  By removing them, you refresh your computer’s cache or temporary storage.  You can accomplish this removal task by going to Home/Library/Cache. 
3. Upgrade the RAM - Over the years,  you have surely increased your applications and iTunes Library among other process-hungry items.  An easy, way to ensure your speed is increased is to install more RAM in your Mac.  You can ask a Mac hardware technician if your Mac can be upgraded and what the cost is.
4. Get rid of Login Items - If you’re not using any of your Login Items, get rid of them.  That way, your Mac won’t have to load them every time.  You can still access them later, but they just won’t be in the background taking up memory.  You can remove them by going to System Preferences->Accounts->Login Items.
5. Remove Firefox Extensions - Firefox gets a bit overcrazed with its tons of extensions.  Every time you have an extension loaded in Firefox, that makes your Internet browsing a tad slower.  Get rid of the unnecessary ones by launching Firefox->Tools->Add-ons.

These 5 tips should help speed up your Mac.  If you still need Mac support afterwards, you should bring your computer to a mac specialist to diagnose possible hardware issues as well as a full system check.

Traveling with your computer can be a drag if you don’t have the right supplies.  As spring approaches, well, at least mentally, while the snow still falls, you might be planning a winter get-away.  If so, you should check out the gadget checklist below to make sure you have the Mac or PC must-haves when traveling.

Extra power:

• Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter - Connect your Mac charger at 40,000 feet so you don’t run out of power on the plane.  It’s just $50.
• Belkin mini-surge protector - Add more wall power outlets in your hotel with this 3-outlet + 2 USB charger ports.  You can charge your blackberry or iPhone while also charging your laptops.  This is so much more convenient - all in one wall outlet versus struggling to play scavenger hunt with all of your hotel outlets.  Only $25.
• Universal Travel Adapter - If traveling internationally, be sure to purchase this $10 slim-line travel adapter.

Nice-to-have USB items:

• Keyboard light - Plug in a usb-light so you see your keys or not disturb your travel partner by turning on the room light.  Just $10.
• Mini speakers - Enjoy better sound than your laptop supplies with these iHome USB speakers.  $50.
• Humidifier - Feel dry on the flight or in the room.  Plug in this USB-humidifer.

Having the right supplies for your Mac or PC will give your computer enlightenment..  If you’d like some more tech support tips for traveling, feel free to contact one of our computer experts.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a way for Google, Yahoo, and other search engines, to categorize website according to targeted keywords and reliable content.  For instance, if you type in “nyc computer repair,” you’ll find New York Computer Help up on the first page.  Now, if you type in, for instance, “ny laptop repair,” you might see a Twitter blurb in the list. 

Yahoo has set up a deal where it will feature Twitter in the search results.  Google and Microsoft already announced they would do the same.  The real question is: “Is this too much info?”  And is this info meaningful and fresh content?  Well, the fresh content part cannot be denied.  Twitter’s “tweets” are a frame of consciousness way of writing so this is not duplicated text.  Is spur of the moment updates for sporting events, weather, social events, and news.  The place where it will come in handy is when you want up-to-date info for subway lines, weather, and sports. 

The cool factor comes in when you search for the NY Knicks score, and you’ll get as a result a Tweet from someone courtside who talks about the score as well as Nate Robinson getting into a shouting match with Spike Lee.  You can’t get such gossip or real-time info from ESPN…well not all the time at least. 

The point is that Twitter can provide the elements of the game, weather, and other events with a real-time buzz.  Regular news sites and TV can provide updates, but not as fast or actively live like Twitter.  Twitter will add a nice complement on search results as long as it doesn’t overpower the foundation of the other websites’ results. 

If you have to back up your files due to some dreaded virus, or you just want to have a secure backup, don’t forget about backing up your important e-mails.  If you solely work off of Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, MSN, or another online e-mail service, then you don’t have to worry about backing up since your e-mails are stored online.  However, if you use Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Thunderbird, Entourage, or Mail, then, you have to know where your e-mails and contacts are stored so you can back them up.

Here’s where the major e-mail software clients are stored:

• Outlook - In Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<Profile>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook; In Windows Vista/7: C:\Users\<Profile>\AppData\Local\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
• Outlook Express - C:\Documents and Settings\<Profile>\Application Data\Outlook Express\{ID} or C:\Documents and Settings\<Profile>\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{ID}\Outlook Express.  Contacts are found in: C:\Documents and Settings\<Profile>\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book
• Windows Mail - C:\Users\<Profile>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail.  Contacts are found in:  C:\Users\Contacts
• Thunderbird - C:\Users\<Profile>\AppData\Local\Thunderbird\Profiles\xxxxx.default\Mail
• Entourage - Home\Documents\Microsoft User Data\Office X Identities\Main Identity\Database
• Mac Mail - Home\Library\Mail

To back up your e-mail, make sure you are out of the program you backing up from or else it won’t let you back it up.  If you need further help with backing up, you can contact an e-mail specialist.

If you have a Hotmail e-mail account, change your password right away!  Today, for whatever reason, Windows Live and Hotmail customers have access to other customers’ Windows Live and Hotmail accounts.  Microsoft said they would investigate this right away, but have no clue, in so many words, about this security breach.

We recommend to change your password first right away if you have a Hotmail or Windows Live account.  If you cannot access your e-mail account, then reset your password by answering one of your security questions.  If you are unable to perform either of these tasks, then you have one other option which is filling out a request to Hotmail to change the password account and they will e-mail your previous e-mail account the steps to take.  If this last option fails, you are at a loss if you signed up to a free account since free e-mail accounts do not have phone support. 

If you purchased an e-mail account with extra storage, you can call Hotmail for further support.  It is sad that you only get phone support if you purchased extra e-mail storage, and when your account has been hacked.  Well, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, especially when someone steals it!

Also, if you sign up for any free e-mail account, such as Yahoo or Google, you should always make sure to export your contacts.  This will make sure your important friends and family info are safe even if your e-mail account is hacked into.  Further, make sure that you install anti-virus and anti-spam software to prevent possible hacking and infections.