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Why Onsite Computer Support is a Convenient Service

Businesses are becoming more and more mobile these days, there are restaurants on wheels as well as boutique stores, so it’s no surprise that computer repair services are also going that route.  Below are a few points of how onsite computer repairs and support benefit the customer, whether it’s at their home or business, it is a very convenient service.

No Waiting/Same day service- When you take your computer to a repair shop, you have to wait in line until you receive service. Then you have to leave your computer and wait for them to repair it, and depending on the service it can take a couple days before you have your computer back. The benefit of onsite computer support is all that waiting time is eliminated and you and your computer problem becomes the priority of the technician.

All Services available– Any service you would receive at a computer repair store, you can receive onsite too. If you have a virus infected computer, the tech can remove it with a software. If you need to set-up your network, a tech will have all the tools to connect and hook up modems.  Even if you need to replace a hardware such as an LCD screen or a exhaust fan, a tech can replace those things just as long as they can find the inventory.

Saves your time- You don’t have to commute to find a repair store. You will also save time by receiving same day service, you won’t have to leave your computer on a shelf and wait for the computer technicians to get to it. When you schedule an appointment for onsite repairs, you will be serviced

No Extra Charge- Most computer techs don’t charge you extra to provide this service. The cost is the same as if you were going to a repair store. Which makes it a great benefit because there are no hidden fees for the convenience

Convenience-The above mentioned points describe how convenient onsite computer support is for the customer. The onsite repairs are done in the comfort of your home or business, which means less work for you.

At Heroes and Geeks computer repair services in Los Angeles, we provide onsite repairs for our customers. We provide onsite computer support in all major Los Angeles county cities such as Culver City, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and Pasadena.  We want to make computer repairs easy and convenient for customers.

Stay tech savvy, my friends


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Ways to Fix Your PC before you Call an Expert

The truth is computers always behave worse in the most demanded situations. Like, when you are in the middle of something important or playing your favorite game, and suddenly the system shuts down. Most of the time in situations like this, people get so frustrated that they go out to purchase a new computer system or are ready to pay for a computer repair because they’re desperate for a quick fix. With little bit knowledge it is simple to fix the common computer problems. Some of the general issues that could happen in a computer system often and can be resolved instantly and are mentioned in brief below.

  • Try to figure out the problem online, the internet is a great free how to base and you can find the answers for your computer problems easily. Google can be of extreme help and guidance especially when it comes to detailed issues and specific error codes.
  • The windows integrated attribute roll back feature will undo the latest changes done within the registry and other software and hardware setup of your computer without impacting your personal stuff, files and photos. For beginners, it is something new to learn and you will find easily system restore through the control panel.
  • If you cannot enter the windows normally, try to use your system in safe mode that actually keeps the background utilities and drivers to a minimum and could be used to uninstall devices and programs and run fixes.
  • If your PC crashes while you’re in the middle of something important and there is no specific software or hardware program that prompts it, it could be possible that the motherboard or processor was overheating. It would be advised to invest in another fan to keep computer components stay cool.
  • A vast range of problems could occur due to viruses, malwares and spywares driving to slow performance and random reboots. It is always good to keep your antivirus software’s up to date for better performance and efficiency and the best security to protect your computer data.
  • If you computers performance is very slow, this could be because you have lots of programs running in the background all at once. Simply fix this by- right click on the taskbar, open up the task manager and see what is using your computer’s CPU and RAM time and if any one of them does not make much sense, simply end that process for better performance.
  • If there is any unnecessary entry in the task manager, more chances are there that they have been introduced along with windows. Go through the start up folder on start menu to find out and remove anything you don’t need for a time being. For more control over the windows startup process, just do one thing that is type ‘msconfig’ in the start menu search box and enter and the respective dialog will allow you to make detailed changes to which tools and services can automatically be introduced at the same time as of the  operating system.

If you have other computer repair issues, you can simply call Heroes and Geeks computer repairs in Los Angeles. They will provide you with easy solutions to resolve any of your computer problems.

Stay tech savvy, my friends

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Tips to Speed up your Slow Computer

Slow computers are a pain to work with and with modern technology you don’t have to. There are many reasons why a computer slows down, if its due to old age than most likely it is time to replace your computer because technology changes fast and drastically and old computer parts don’t tend to be compatible with new computer parts. If the slowness is due to regular use, than you can easily fix it and get your computer running like new again.

Before trying out these tips to speed up your computer, it’s important to save all your opened files and close any programs you are running. This will protect you from losing any data. It also helps to have your windows operating system as well as anti virus protection updated .You can update OS once in a while by going to start button, then click on control panel and then click on system and security to update your computer.

Follow these few tips to transform your computer’s speed from the tortoise to the hare.

  • Download all the latest Windows updates, hotfixes and Service Packs-they help your computer to run better.
  •  Remove resource hogs: Uninstall unused programs: Start button->Control Panel->uninstall programs-look for programs you don’t recognize or no longer use and uninstall them.
  • Viruses/spyware/malware- If your computer is infected with these destructive software than you want to remove them as soon as you can, they incredibly slow down your computer. This will free up space on your hard drive and RAM and improve speed.
  • Don’t run unnecessary programs at start-up: this will speed up startup time.
  • Remove drivers you don’t use anymore in device manager.
  • Switch to a faster Operating system-such as Windows 7, Mac, and Linux
  • Free up your computer’s memory by deleting temporary files stored on your computer from sites you have visited. Go to my computer-> right click on c drive->click Properties then select disk cleanup.

Your computer is supposed to work for you and not slow you down. When you have a slow computer and the above tips don’t alleviate the slowness, and then take your computer to a computer repair shop such as Heroes and Geeks in Los Angeles to have a computer tech examine it.  If the above mentioned tips don’t help fix it, you might be in need of an upgrade to improve the performance and speed.
Stay tech savvy, my friends

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Things to Consider before Buying a Laptop

Laptops used to be heavy and expensive. A couple of thousands of dollars bought you a small screen with a chunky keyboard and a hard drive measured in mega bytes, not even giga bytes. Fortunately, the modern laptops are entirely different brutes that are faster, lighter in weight, cost effective and more versatile than ever. The wide variety available in laptops these days makes it a bit difficult for everyone to choose the right one.  The many options available include ultra light high end laptops such as Mac book air, very good quality game cards for gaming freaks, or laptops with very fast processors for the video editors and multitaskers. There are number of factors that should be taken into consideration before buying any laptop and some of them are mentioned in brief below.

  • CPU Processor – Unless you are one of those who need to run intensive and threaded applications on daily basis, you don’t require a quad core processor and will get your work done with a dual core CPU processor easily.
  • Voltage – For highly mobile users who spend most of their time and days stretching away from office and other outlets, it is recommended to get a low voltage processors.  This will lower your computing performance, but you will gain the benefit of a long battery and being wireless.
  • Keyboard/touchpad– Make sure to check the keypad of the laptop before purchasing. The keys could be cramped so make sure you find one you are comfortable with, try out the touchpad and mouse buttons to ensure you like how they feel.
  • Weight/Size- Make sure to purchase a light weighted laptop which you can carry on daily basis and commute easily. Unless you are looking to use the laptop for entertainment purposes, then you would want a large screen size.
  • Audio-Always check out the laptop’s audio system before purchasing, especially with entertainment minded desktop replacements featuring better and bigger sound.
  • Pixel Resolution– Always look for the good quality HD and don’t even think about owning a laptop that is unable to deliver 1080p video. High definition video on even the biggest size laptops looks great at 720 pixel resolution.
  • Graphics Card– For gaming applications, graphics matter a lot. And with gaming laptops and applications, you can spend more on the GPU rather than CPU.

These days, every person looks for the best quality and performance laptop.  Before purchasing a random laptop, know the reason you are buying it, is it for the purpose of entertainment, school/work, or for simply browsing the web. This will inform you and guide you to the right laptop for your needs. You can search online and research more about the specifications, size, positives and negatives of different brands of laptops and finally take a decision to buy one that best suits your need and budgetary constraints.

Stay tech savvy, my friends

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Where to Repair Cracked iPhone Screen in Los Angeles

Our cell phones are a huge part of our life, they make communicating so easy, seamless and fun. Smart phones as the name mentions are really smart and are a small computer in your hands. These gadgets which the human race lived without for thousands of years, ironically make life hard to live without.  When your cell phone breaks or has a cracked screen it is almost useless and with our close attachment to our phones, we want them fixed as soon as possible.

iPhones are the most expensive smartphones on the market and result in damages as other phones on the market. Luckily, you have options on where to repair your cracked iPhone screens. There are several ways you can go about repairing your iPhone which is the most expensive and difficult cell phone to repair, just like other apple products are.

Your first option, that is if you decided to purchase it from Apple Care. The Apple Care package is only $100 and comes with 2 extra years of warranty as well as accidental damage coverage. As good as these sounds, there is a fine print. First of all, this package deal can only be purchased after your phone has been inspected by Apple to ensure there was no previous damage and the phone has not be altered. Secondly, the service is limited to only two repairs per the phones lifespan. Also, Apple charges for this service, a $49 charge per accidental damage, so if you break your iPhone screen twice, you will have used up all the accidental repair service.

Another thing about the Apple plan is that all the phones are refurbished, so if your screen is broken they swap the refurbished phone for yours.

Second option is to have Apple repair your broken screen, or actually replace it, since I mentioned above that Apple replaces your broken phones with refurbished ones. This isn’t such a great deal since Apple prices are well, pricey, but you will have a quality refurbished phone in the end. When you go to Apple to replace your broken phone, prices will range from $180 at the least to $300 at the most in order of old phone being the iPhone 4 to new iPhone 5. These costs are quite expensive, considering its just for an a screen replacement, but that’s what happens when you buy luxury items.

The 3rd option is to use a third party like a cell phone or computer repair store. This is the best option for replacing your iPhone screen because it is the cheapest. Although repair cost for the iPhone 5 will still be pricey due to being new on the market, the replacement parts are still scarce. Heroes and Geeks Computer Repairs in Los Angeles offers affordable iphone screen repairs. Heroes and Geeks repairs Cracked/Broken Front Glass/LCD Screen Replacement at the following prices: iPhone 5 – $179.99, 4S – $99.99, iPhone 4 – $99.99 and the older iPhones respectively lower. Compared to Apple’s refurbished price, these prices are a whole lot of savings to you.

Keep in mind these few tips when searching for a iPhone repair store:

  • Find a local repair store, so you don’t have to wait for the mail to ship it and it supports local business.
  • Shop around for the best price, there is lots of competition.
  • If you want to save more money, ask the repair shop if they have 3rd party parts, which tend to be half off the authentic Apple parts.

Of course there is always the do it yourself option, but I really don’t recommend this unless you are a techie geek. iPhones, and other Apple computer replacements are the most difficult gadgets to repair. Just to replace the iphone screen of iPhone 5, it takes a trained professional over 1 hour. The phone has over 50 micro sized screws alone. This is probably why Apple replaces your broken phone with a refurbished one instead of repairing it in-house. The labor cost would be too high to repair it in-store and so they collect all the broken iPhones, and ship them to China for practically free labor and then they ship the repaired phones back to the stores and sell them refurbished-the house always wins.

Stay tech savvy, my friends

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Coolest Features of the iPhone 5S

The new iPhone 5S is the latest model of apple and the iphone craze is still strong. Just a few days ago people in Tokyo waited outside in a wild wet storm at an apple store waiting for the doors to open to be the first ones to buy it. Known widely for the speed and security applications, there are plenty cool features, enhancements and improvisations in the phone to keep it ahead of its competitors. And if you want to show off to your friends and be one of the first people to use the latest gadget, than have a look at the most interesting upgrades and cool features coming with the phone.

  1. Touch ID fingerprint sensor – It is one of the coolest features of the phone  allows you to unlock the gadget with just a touch of a finger instead of entering the PIN. You are free to make purchases through iTunes with no more resubmitting your password , all you need is just your fingerprint to download an application. Considering the security in mind, the fingerprints don’t store on its servers or saved through iCloud. Instead an encrypted version will be there on the A7 chip on the phone.
  2. A7 chip – The great A7 chip makes the handset the first and only 64 bit smartphone available in the world at present and Apple assured that the chip will help and provide the graphics and CPU performance twice as fast as compared to A6 chip in iPhone 5 that will create a huge difference on the gaming front.
  3.  Upgraded Camera – Giving a nice boost to the camera, Apple iPhone 5S upgraded one has a 15% bugger sensor, f/2.2 aperture and bigger pixels that measure 1.5 microns along with the availability of some of bells and whistles that the user can notice within the camera and the ability to videotape in slow motion.
  4. Midas touch – This time, iPhone 5S is available in an amazingly brand new gold version and subdued space gray which  are very trendy colors
  5. Open and Shut – Graphics play a significant role and the phone doesn’t frugal that either. Supporting OpenGL ES version 3.0 application programming interface has been drawing and rendering Macs graphics since the PowerPC days.
  6. Flash Forward – It is one of the stylish and coolest features that new iPhone 5S is available with a dual true tone flash in which a white LED and an amber LED are there to adjust the light intensity as well as color temperature on the fly making use of more than 1000 combinations to get the right light. In addition, the feature auto image stabilization automatically helps to lower down noise and motion.
  7. Fair Usage – Though iPhone 5S is having slightly a bigger size battery and one can easily think of all that graphics and processing power to neutralize and balance the benefits. But this is not true at all. Apple iPhone 5S has managed to provide a fair usage including 10 hours of internet use, video playback and talk time of up to 8 hours along with an extra 25 hours of standby time.
  8. Fast and Furious – With iPhone 5S, now people can enjoy the best possible speeds wherever they are roaming and touring across the world due to increased number of LTE bands.

These features make this phone more tech savvy than some computer desktops that people own.  When phone companies create more smartphones that are tech heavy and easy to use, than in the future, people will use their phones for all their computing needs, making the computer almost obsolete.

Stay tech savvy, my friends…


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Apple iPhone 5S vs Samsung Galaxy S4: What Should You Buy?

On my last post i explained on Should I Upgrade to the iPhone 5C or 5S and this post i am going to explain about the Apple iPhone 5S vs Samsung Galaxy S4.

Apple’s iPhone 5S is one of the latest and in-demand phones and who else can stand against it other than Samsung Galaxy S4. Though launched and introduced in the market just few months back, but it is a fantabulous phones and might be one of the few  smart phones   able to compete with the iPhone 5s in sales. There are many factors to consider while picking and selecting one of them.

  1. Asthetics – The iPhone 5S has a superior quality metal build and is one of the best looking handsets on this planet. On the other hand, Galaxy S4 is bigger in size and  is not going to impress any one at first glance with its plastic looks.
  2. Display – The iPhone 5S has been equipped by 1136 x 640 retina display with a 326 pixels per inch pixel density making the phone a good option for a real wide screen experience. Whereas Samsung S4 has a greater size and resolution capacity of 1080 x 1920 display, 5 inch screen and a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch making it more preferable option for display.
  3. Power – Samsung Galaxy S4 is using a 1.9 GHz quad core processor integrated with 2GB RAM making it extremely powerful and fast. On ta different note, iPhone 5S is incorporated with a 64 bit A7 processor supposedly twice as fast as iPhone 5 with 32 bit A6 processor. Without clear stats on iPhone it would not be good to assume which one is better but these two models are for sure the top tier leads in today’s techie world.
  4. Camera – Apple iPhone 5s has an 8 mega pixel camera integrated with dual LED flash quite improvised and enhanced as compared to iPhone and all thanks to its true zone feature and a bigger active sensor area that brings upon more natural and real colors in pictures. There is a 1.2 mega pixel front facing camera and could shoot at 1080p video at 30fps and slow down at 120fps easily. Unlikely to this, galaxy S4 has a single LED flash with 13 mega pixel camera integrated with varied scene modes like sound and shot letting one to record few seconds of audio with an image and with an extra dimension. There is a 2 mega pixel front facing camera in it. Though both the phones have good quality cameras but still a slight edge is towards Galaxy S4 as it has subsequently more mega pixels.
  5. Memory, battery life and connectivity – On one hand, iPhone 5S has 1434 mAh battery that could manage 250 hours of standby time and up to 10 hours of talk time, available in 16, 32 and 64GB size with no micro SD card supporting Bluetooth 4.0, 4G LTE, 3G and Wi-Fi. On the other hand, galaxy S4 has 2600 mAh battery able to provide 370 hours of standby time, 17 hours of talk time, available in 16, 32 and 64 GB varieties with a micro SD card slot and supporting all mentioned connectivity options above in iPhone along with infrared and NFC.

In the end, picking the better choice completely depends on you . iPhone 5S would be perfect for those who demand better quality builds, good performance and easier to use with one hand. But if bigger is the better option for you, with good quality camera and battery life, Galaxy S4 is the choice to go for.

Stay tech savvy, my friends.


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Computer Systems Repair, Cleaning and Maintenance

Computer cleaning and maintenance is a key preventative measure to avoid computer repairs. Preventive cleaning and maintenance assists in avoiding overheating, lock-ups, accidental crashes and data loss and will save money and effort in the long run. Accumulated dust and grime can easily spread germs from one user to the next. The lint, dirt, carpet fibers, dust and smoke particles settles on the computer components and can cause damage if not regularly cleaned.

To avoid hardware failure, its important to keep the fans dust  free. When the fan is clogged up it won’t run properly and the purpose of cooling the computer down will be lost and can cause overheating problems. It is always recommended to at least clean your computers insides twice a year. Though, the cleaning also depends on the environment and accumulation of grime and dust and accordingly the cleaning should be performed frequently. Although, cleaning the internal part of the computer is doable by the average computer user, its not recommended and should be done by a computer repair professional who knows the ins and outs of a computer.  Its a high possibility they can cause harm and accidentally shift the drives, cords, and rams causing a computer problem.

For conducting a complete system clean up, it is mandatory to remove all the external electrical cords and cables and clean the power supply. In fact, before cleaning process you can also wear an anti static wrist strip to decrease and transfer static electricity from your body to computer. For removing dirt, food particles, dust and hair from keyboards and the fan exhaust, it is safe to use a small vacuum cleaner or a air pressure duster. These cleaners create static electricity that could be dangerous for the internal components of the computer so make sure not to get too close with them as it can affect in loosening cable connections.

Cloths that are used to clean eye glasses and lenses could be used to clean monitors and screens and make sure not to use papers and paper towels or any old rag to clean any of the delicate surfaces. Don’t apply any cleaning solutions directly in touch with computer components. You can also use artistic brushes to clean those areas where it is difficult to reach certain places. For external surfaces and for computer case, you can use any of the household cleaner to clean and wipe it.

Overheating is one of the biggest issues in most of the computer systems so make sure to take out the battery before cleaning a laptop or for a standalone computer, remove all the plug-ins and chords. The major causes of such problems are dirt or dead exhaust fans or even the environment itself. Make use of a cotton swab as well as an air duster to clean and remove unwanted particles from the vent cavities.

In addition, users should be serious and cautious about the cleaning and maintenance of their computer at regular intervals for achieving a productive computer. Preventive maintenance not only helps to make it look clean and new but helps it stay cool, and efficient. For external computer surfaces, using antibacterial wipes will help kill germs.  Regular cleaning of your computer parts and cell phones too, which are the most touched items but most neglected when it comes to cleaning,  will prevent bacteria spreading and avoid illness. Keep these maintenance tips in mind to avoid a computer problem in the future.

Stay tech savvy, my friends

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Should I Upgrade to the iPhone 5C or 5S?

Two new iPhones have been introduced this month and one of the toughest decisions to make is whether to upgrade it to the latest one or not. If money is not an issue, it won’t be a major concern.  If you are due for an upgrade, it will come down to whether or not the new features have compelled you enough to shell out the money. Read further to get an idea of the new features the two phones offer before upgrading to iPhone 5S or 5C. Since its launch in 2007, Apple iPhone has improved drastically in last few years adding bigger displays, higher density, faster Wi-Fi connection and cellular networking, better cameras and new characteristics such as Touch ID. Mentioned below are few of the parameters which you can cross check with your existing model and finally make a decision about the quality of the upgrades.

  • Screen Size – The iPhone 4, 4S and 3GS have smaller 3.5 inch screens, while the new iphones have upgraded to the standard 4” screens which creates a better experience with all the new applications.
  • LTE – iPhone 4 or 3GS tops out HSPA 7.2 mbps and cannot access the faster HSPA or LTE 100+ mbps networks that will leave you all stuck on dial up in progressively broadband world. iPhone 5C or 5S support a much better and larger range of LTE bands as compared to iPhone 5.  The lightning connectivity is the best feature these two phones offer.
  • Affordable– The 5C is so far the cheapest iphone available on the market at $99 with Apple contract.
  • Added color to your life– iPhone 5C or 5S comes in bright and polycarbonate colors including green, blue, pink, yellow, white and green and for the 5S new gold and space gray.
  • Touch ID – Only new iPhone 5S has the touch ID fingerprint authentication system. This means your phone can only unlock or authenticate iTunes purchases with your finger print touch, which adds another layer of safety and protection, if your phone happens to get lost or stolen.

If you have iPhone 4 or 4S – If you are still  hanging onto the older iPhones 4 or 4S, the advantages are very clear like bigger screens, lighter design, faster and quicker processor, and LTE connectivity. If you wish the most of mobile app experience, screen size, processor performance and lighter design and interface, you will get on board but LTE connectivity needs to be upgraded. It will be simply like turning from standard to high definition making a huge difference. Well, if you want to add a little color and life in your experience, 5C is a better option to go for but if you want the latest model including 64 bit processor and fingerprint scanner, then definitely 5S is the way to go.

If you have iPhone 5 – Well for existing iPhone 5 users, do any of the new features of 5S or 5C attract you or warrant an upgrade? There are few notable and important upgrades between 5 and 5S, comprising of improved camera, prompter processor and fingerprint scanner. Although, do you think these features are revolutionary enough to pay the big bucks and upgrade your iPhone 5 to 5S, might be a yes for tech geeks and enthusiasts but still it would be recommended to fine tune and stick with iPhone 5 itself.

Stay tech savvy, my friends


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What are Common Computer Problems that can be Repaired at an Affordable Price

Not all computer problems are created equal. Some are quick and easy fixes while others are grueling and technical. When you come across a computer problem, it can be a frustrating experience. This is because most of the time there are no warning signs that your computer is failing on you. Also computer problems seem to happen at a time when you are in the most need of your computer.

The most common computer problems that people face and can be fixed easily by the user are:

  • Computer doesn’t power on: This could simply be due to a poor power source. If you’ve experienced your computer suddenly shutting down or not turning on, you could have had a power fail, just find a different power source.
  • OS or software stops responding: This can be due to a virus infection, so simply restart your computer and run a virus scan.
  • Computers freeze in action: When this happens, you have to hold the power button down until the computer turns off, than wait a few seconds and turn it back on. This is a warning sign that means you could be running out of RAM space or there could be a possible virus, which than you should clean up your computer as soon as it turns back on.
  • Input-Output devices not operating: When you start typing but the words are not registering on the computer screen, this can happen if your computer is not connected to your keyboard. You can unplug and replug the keyboard cord into your computer and restart the computer.

Below are common computer problems that a tech can repair at an affordable price:

  • Computers speed is a snails pace: This is due to not cleaning up the clutter your computer collects with regular use. Your computer has a limited amount of memory space, when it’s at its full capacity it has to process more to get past the clutter and follow the demand. A computer tech will use a computer cleanup software to remove unnecessary files and programs to create space.
  •  Hard Drive failures- issues with hard drives are usually related to mechanical problems such as SBS(shaken baby syndrome), when you are too aggressive with your computer while shifting it around, you could have possibly loosened it from its connecting port. Also an electrical surge could have shocked it causing it to fail. If the hard drive needs to be replaced than this can cause this service to be costly.
  • Malware attacks: When you have malicious software on your computer, it needs to be removed right away before it damages your important data, a tech can easily remove these viruses with a virus removal software.
  • Network Connection issues: This problem is common and the cause varies. It can be due routers not being connected to the power source, or the information on the modem not matching up with information on the computer, or even the firewall blocking connection.

Some of the above computer problems can be easily fixed by the user, while other common issues you will need to seek the guidance of a computer geek. Heroes and Geeks computer repair services in Los Angeles offers affordable pricing for these common computer problems.

To get the computer repaired faster, it helps if you inform the tech what exactly you were doing before the computer failed on you. This can help the tech diagnose the problem and result in a better way of fixing it.  Computer problems don’t have to be a frustrating experience, they’re just machines that can easily be fixed. If you pay attention to the common problems that occur, you can save yourself some time and money, next time it happens again.

Stay tech savvy, my friends