Hiring good network support company is important for resourceful management and performance of any business. In the world of computers and networking, the support services attest to be very useful. A company's network should be such that it keeps simple and efficient communication between each department, track work flow and company's productivity. The use of network support and services can never be over estimated by anyone. One of the downfalls of computer networking is that if something is going to go wrong and fail, it will choose the most inconvenient time. Thus, it is vital to choose a company that recognizes the random technological glitches and is able to give you its services, 24/7. Voice support along with online support is a good way of handling support services in limited amount of time.

The plan of any IT company is to effectively rule out the problems when your system needs support. If suddenly something goes wrong in the company network and you need a substitute part in order to restart it, there is no way you can wait for another week or so to get those parts. This can prove to be a major risk for you company's production and day to day cash flow. Therefore, it is no overstatement when one says that time is money. A capable network company identifies the importance of your business network and to be reaching the problem as soon as possible. If they work on an advance order parts policy then automatically your down time reduces for your networking system. In case your support services do not have the part, they should have the capability and a procedure in place to reach the problem in as little time as possible.

When a company hires any network support and services they do not want to be treated as strangers. Personalized services are a mark of a competent IT solution company. Let's not forget that every business is different and every company's requirement is different, thus an individual networking support in place is the trick of the trade. It is advisable to have an IT Support Agreement so that you as well as your support company are clear about your needs and requisites.

This week, we are still diverting from the typical computer troubleshooting and IT support tips and having a computer help tip. I thought I would try a tip for all of the Windows 7 users. Did you know there is an easier way to select multiple files without having to use the “Ctrl” or “Shift” keys by enabling the check boxes feature?

I’m sure you are familiar with selecting multiple files in Explorer by holding down the “Shift” or “Ctrl” key while selecting items with your mouse. Holding down the “Ctrl” key allows you to select multiple single items. Holding down the “Shift” key lets you select a series of multiple files or folders.

To enable check boxes click on Start and type Folder Options into the search box and hit Enter. In the Folder Options window, click on the View tab, and scroll down under Advanced Settings and check the box next to Use check boxes to select items, then click Apply and OK.

Now you should notice a small check box shows up next to the item you want to select. With this enabled you don’t need to hold any key on the keyboard, just click to place a checkmark in the box. Notice there is a box under the menu bar that will select all items. And it also works for folders. And on the desktop you can check icons, folders and files that you want to move to another location.

The check box feature is also available in Vista following the same procedure…enabling them in Folder Options.

This is a neat setting that lets you select multiple items using the mouse without worrying about holding down the correct key on the keyboard. It will work with any view in Explorer, but seems to work best with Detailed View.

Kotori Technologies is determined to be the IT company in Charleston known for helping its clients. So this week, we are diverting from the typical computer repair and proactive IT tips and having a fun tip.  As I was researching this week, I came across a really cool website. It is especially helpful for people like me, who do a lot of internet research. There are times that I have two or three Internet Explorer windows open with two or three tabs on each one. Then I get confused as to which window I need at the moment and which tab it is in. Well, I have finally found a site to help condense some of that into one window.
Try typing googlegooglegooglegoole.com into your address bar. What you should see is Google in four different windows on the same screen. This site works better with browsers like IE8, Firefox, or Chrome. It also is better visible with a bigger monitor, it will save some scrolling.  Now, you don’t have to keep them all at Google searches, you can open Wikipedia with a click of the mouse.  You can also click the green arrow and go to a different site.  Go back to Google with the click of a mouse on the Google icon. You can restore closed Google searches, change their layout, or find other Google sites with the menu list in the lower left corner. You can also close out one or more of the windows for a better view of the page.
This site can come in handy for sooo many reasons. Think of all the times you are comparing products or prices and how many windows and tabs you have open, not to mention the ones you close by accident. I hope that this site will help you out as much as it did me. My internet searches will be much more organized now.

So I find myself every once in a while saying, I can do that!  I mean how hard is it to really put in a new light switch?  You have 3 wires that connect to power, neutral and ground?  What a piece of cake!  I deal with wires every day.  While I would have no issues in doing this in my house I could never do it for a friend!  So I had to ask myself, why is that?  Well for me it is the responsibility that comes with replacing that switch.  What would happen if there was an electrical fire or I nicked a wire I did not see and someone got hurt, or even worse died.  I am not a certified electrician.  So why would I even try it myself?  Well to save money of course!  It is a risk that all of us take when we say, I CAN DO THAT.

I bring this up of course because so many Charleston business owners think that they can manage their computers and networks themselves.  How hard can it be, right?  Just run a few updates and make sure the Anti-Virus software is updated and you’re good to go.  Right?  Or some of you even have the, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” mentality.  Well let me tell you from 14 years of IT experience, in Charleston, neither of those work.
Every year around the New Year, we try and do a free checkup for the clients that we do not manage from day to day.  Something we adopted a while ago.  We do a free checkup for our clients.  We login to the servers, switches and routers and make sure everything still looks good under the hood.   If something is not right, we document it and report back to our clients telling them what we found.  Sometimes it is just some Anti-Virus issue or a quick firmware update but other times we find an IT horror show.  So this month I wanted to give you a quick list of the horrors we found this year.  Now understand these are clients that we only look at their computers and networks when they call us.  Things can go very wrong very fast if you’re not careful.  The following issues are from only 3 of our clients:

    1) Tape Backups that have not completed for over 6 months.  The tapes were bad and could not perform the daily backups.
    2) Original Firmware on another Dell Server from 2006. Newest release was from October 2009.
    3) Two out of five hard drives had failed in a single server office.  If the server went down they would be out of business.  This was the same office as item #1.
    4) Anti-Virus Definitions that had been out of date for more than 6 months.
    5) 58 Microsoft Critical High Risk Updates on a single server office.

There is a reason that large companies have a full-time IT staff.  It is to keep up with the house keeping of a network.  What would have happened if one of these issues caused your business to shut down for 3-4 days?  That is how long it will take for you business to start operating again, and much longer to fully recover.  I find that too many companies do not understand the threats that hit their company EVERY DAY! The threats that are out there now affect every company from the Mom and Pop to the Fortune 100.  If someone is not monitoring and maintaining the network and checking it out, then who is going to?   With the technology we have at our fingertips we can do all of these things for you.  If you are wondering the same thing about your computers or networks for your business then give us a call!

I hope that none of you fell victim to a scam this year, but every time we turn around, there is a new scam to watch out for. There are the oldies, like bogus lotteries and work-at-home rip offs, and new ones related to H1N1.  This one directed email openers to a site claiming to be the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fill out a “personal vaccination profile”. This wouldn’t prevent you from getting h1N1, but it probably would give you another type of virus.  Oh yes and don’t forget the 1.7 Million dollars that was left for you from an African Prince. 
To avoid scams, anytime you receive an email from someone you aren’t familiar with, I would suggest you avoid the provided link or even delete it. If you think there is something of value on that link, I would instead research and verify the link first.
Here is a list provided by the Better Business Bureau of the top 10 scams of 2009.
    1. Work-at-home schemes: If they ask for money up front, be on alert. Also use caution before giving out personal information.
    2. Bogus credit counseling offers: These services offer to help you lower you interest rates on yur credit cards, if you pay them their fees up front. If you need legitimate advice, please go to your closest nonprofit credit counseling agency.
    3. Lottery scams: If you didn’t enter it yourself, you probably didn’t win it. And if you did win, you don’t have to pay upfront to collect.
    4. Vacation scams: If it is free, why do they need your credit card number?
    5. Advance-fee loans: Most lenders include any fees in the balance of your loan, so beware of those asking for fees up front. You may end up giving them money, instead of them loaning it to you.
    6. Identity theft: A lot of these types of scams begin with an invitation supposedly through Facebook, MySpace, or some other social media site. If you really want to confirm a friend, login to the actual site to confirm. Also, do not post too much personal information on your profile.
    7. Home repair rip-offs: This is one of the oldest around, going back farther than the internet, but it is still on the top ten list. If someone comes to your door with an offer to fix everything for a low price, it is probably too low.  They usually take your money, and do little to none of the work. If you are considering hiring someone to do repairs on your house, ask them for copies of licenses, insurance, and a contract. Also be sure to get names and numbers of previous customers and do not be afraid to call them.
    8. Spoofing attacks: I’m sure you’ve seen the emails that claim to be your bank and ask for your personal information or to download some software. Don’t click on these links. Financial institutions never solicit for private information via email.
    9. Check-overpayment schemes: if you’ve tried selling on auction sites, you have probably seen this one. Someone wants to purchase your item and needs to send you a check for more than what the price is. They ask you to send them a refund for the remainder. What happens is this, you deposit the check in your account, send them the money for the overpayment, then their check is returned, and you are out lots of money.
    10. Prizes with a catch: How can you win a prize that you didn’t enter to win? And why do you have to pay to claim it? Be careful, you may be paying for a prize you don’t want.

If you think you have been a victim of a scam, please contact the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org. If you think you have been victim of a virus, please contact Kotori Technologies. And if you would like to eliminate spam emails, please check out or email solutions.
And remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.