Why I Prefer Shareware and Freeware Over Big Business Software

Bigger software companies have more resources to develop than the smaller companies. However they are more concerned with advertisements and gaining more of the market share to take back there investments of developing software.

To make matters worse now many of the software companies have inflated there packages so much that they actually are causing many computers around the world to fail, run slow, and cause more problems then they solve.

For every piece of over inflated software with the exception of the biggest problem software (Windows) I can show you a nearly equal if not better free or shareware software package. There are not many exceptions to that rule. I say that Windows does not have a better freeware version because Linux has not grown up enough yet. Although they are so close.

Overall the recent practices of some of the larger corporation software companies in a way could be interpreted as criminal. You combine that with the poor support they most often offer and most end customers are screwed.

I will say one server software that is hard to beat. Windows 2003 Server is frankly still an awesome package. To bad the regular operating platform of XP or Vista cannot be that good.

Safe Mode What, When and How

Occasionally you may have problems that you cannot work on in a safe and workable environment. There could be many reasons for this issue. It may be that some of you hardware has conflicted with each other and is causing to many issues. It also could be that you have so many items loading at your system startup your computer is to slow. At the same time another common problem is you are infected with various Virus, Trojan, Malware or Spyware infections. To answer these issues Microsoft has installed a troubleshooting section of Windows in their operating system called Safe Mode.

The easiest and most effective way to reach this diagnostic part of Windows is to totally shut your computer down. Once it is shut down, press the power button to load it. When you turn your power key on the first screen is the Bios screen. The Bios is a hardware chip on the Mother Board of your computer. It give your system preselected option to start up your system. This is called the Post. After the Post, your screen goes black for a minute. As soon as it turns black you must press F8 on your keyboard. This bypass's a normal Windows load. This will allow you to enter the advanced Boot Menu. For these purposes you are only concerned with two options. One is SAFE MODE, and one is SAFE MODE WITH NETWORK SUPPORT.

Safe Mode will load Windows with only the most minimal drivers needed by Windows to run. Safe Mode With Network Support, loads Windows with minimal driver support, plus a network card. Meaning you will have Internet Access. In many cases the option with Network Support will fail. This is worth a good try though. Regardless of whether you have Network Support or not Safe Mode usually is an effective way to un-install programs and disable startup options.

Another great feature of Windows Safe Mode is that it will allow you to enter the computer as Administrator User. As long as you have the password for the Administration Mode this is preferred. In addition to being the Super User on your computer, often this will load a separate User Profile that will load minimal programs and options. Once you have entered Safe Mode you can do almost anything you would in Windows without most interference.

Do not be alarmed your sound will not work, your Ipod, your printer and many other devices. While troubleshooting your computer it is better they do not. From this diagnostic option you can remove programs, remove startup options, disable services and work in the registry. This is only to be considered by someone who knows what they are doing. However for the laymen out there you will be able to Un-install offending programs. You also can run your Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware programs. If you do use SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING SUPPORT, you can connect to the Internet for help or to download helpful programs. When you are done with Safe Mode you can restart your computer manually.

Safe Mode will help you diagnose and fix your computer in many cases. If your Windows cannot enter Safe Mode then more than likely you either need to hire a technician or consider reloading your system. Otherwise you have found a tool that can use that is liable to make your browsing experience, and computer experience much more enjoyable.

Mistakes Made By Technicians and Consultants

If you are a Technical Support Professional or a Consulting Company the rules are the same. No matter what part of the computer industry you are in, customer service is the number one goal. Yes your job is about solving computer problems, but you must remember the customer at all times. If you are savvy at all you can quickly decide how much computer knowledge your customer has. You must never assume that what seems simple to you is common knowledge to a customer.

We live in an uncommon era where older adults and younger adults are divided by one simple fact. If you are under the age of 40, you grew up with emerging technology and many of you have gotten quite good at it. If you are under 25 you grew up in the middle of a technology revolution. Computers are almost second hand to your generation. Many of the tasks some find daunting may come easily to you. Most of the average Forty Year old and up adults in our world, found dramatic changes in their life around the mid 1990's. All of a sudden computers had taken over their lower technology world.

I do not mean to sound derogatory in the slightest. The world may not have had as much technology but the people over 40 trying to learn this technology are just as smart if not smarter than you. Anytime we are faced with products that are new there is a break-in period. Anytime we are faced with a product that changes every other year there is a break-in period. Anytime we are faced with a group of products(Microsoft) that seems to be full of bugs the break-in period can be daunting. In addition you have to think of all the people whom for whatever reason are maliciously hurting computer systems.

So the mistakes may seem to be evident now. However I will review them. Technicians and Consulting Companies are guilty of assuming that the end user has what they feel is common knowledge. Many users are not comfortable with computers. They have learned certain niches about their computer systems. Outside of these comfort areas on their systems many do not travel. When something happens that breaks the functionality of their computer many also panic. You have to realize they know that their business, financial and personal data is at risk. What seems easy to you may drive them up the wall. This is a major mistake many technicians make. To make matters worse they tend to make the customer feel inferior. Would you want to pay someone that made you feel inferior?

Another common mistake that is made by the technical savvy is that they take customers for granted. Doubting your customers brain power because they are computer inept is a major mistake. This also perceived as very insulting.

It is a simple fact we all make mistakes. I have made these mistakes and you may have also. By remembering to be personable and respectful you will gain the respect of your clients. In addition there is one tip that I find to be one of the most important.

By training your customers as you support them, you will make more money. You may dispute this, however more complicated problems can be addressed if the user can troubleshoot the small ones. Many companies maximize their brand of support by cleaning startup programs and computer infections. Sometimes this is a necessary evil. However the less you have to do the monotonous troubleshooting you will find your profit margin raising.