Is your computer running slow?  Has it been months or even years (or never?) since you've given your computer a proper cleaning?

Just like you change the oil in your car every few months, it's also important to clean your computer every now and then to keep it operating a peak performance.  At Jiffy-PC we are experts and flushing out the junk from your system so you can get back to what truly matters to you!

Our comprehensive computer tune-up process includes:

• Complete Disk Defragmentation (improves program load time)
• Deep Registry Clean (speeds up boot time and prevents errors)
• Start Up Optimization (speeds up Windows Startup)
• Junk Program Removal (general speed and disk space improvements)
• Windows Optimization (turn off the hidden bells and whistles that slows your computer down)
• Malware Scan (detects and removes hidden viruses or spyware)

 This is normally a $120 service that we are offering for 60% off to our Facebook fans only, throughout October and November.  If you are not our fan on Facebook, simply visit our page and "Like" it!  Then contact us for service and you'll get the discount!

Is your computer running super slow? Error message got you perplexed?  Need help using that brand new program you installed?

For the entire month of August, we are offering 30 minutes of Remote Service for free!  That's a $20 value!  

With Jiffy-PC Remote Support, we can help no matter where you live.  Using the latest secure connection technology, we can connect to your computer, see your screen exactly as you see it, and work our magic, all while you watch from the comfort of your computer chair.  It's that easy!

The only way to be eligible for this deal is to 'Like' our Facebook page!  Once you do, be sure to keep an eye out for more monthly Facebook deals!

Jiffy-PC recommends the "three copies" method for backing up your data.  In other words, you should have three different copies of your files in three different places: on the computer, off the computer, and off site or online.   This will guarantee that if something happens to your computer or the location where your data is stored, there will be at least one copy that survives.  Lets take a look at each of the three locations and how you can easily set them up for yourself.

1 - On The Computer (Local)

This is the simplest of the three copies to keep, the original file.  There is always going to be at least one copy of your file and that's the one that is on your computer right now.  This locations should always be available to you should the other two methods become unavailable.  Keeping this copy requires no set-up or maintenance, as long as you're saving files to your local computer, you've already got this part covered!

2 - Off the Computer (External)

The next copy you should have of your data is on an external hard drive attached to your main computer.  These can be purchased at your favorite electronics retailer relatively inexpensively.  This is normally the default method people use to backup their data and they stop here.  But what happens if, heaven forbid, something should happen to the room your computer is in or to your entire house?  Disasters happen, and that's why it's important to keep one more copy of your data that resides in a completely different physical location, far away from your computer.

3 - Offsite or Online

The easiest and most common way for home users to backup to an off-site location is via online backups.  These files will be copied over the internet and stored at a secure data-center in another part of the country.  In most cases, this is the most secure place to keep your data, but because of availability concerns (if your internet connection is down, you don't have access to these offsite files) you still want to make sure you're backing up locally as well.

Jiffy-PC offers a comprehensive backup solution that utilizes the Three Copies Approach to ensure your data is sufficiently protected.  Contact us today to set-up a free evaluation of your backup needs!

We've partnered with Square, a leading mobile merchant service, to make your transaction more secure.  We will swipe your card on the spot, no need to give us your credit card number.  Once the card is swiped, the information is immediately encrypted and sent to the company for processing, your card information is not stored on our device.  Read more about Square's leading industry standard security features here.

Accepting credit cards is just another way in which Jiffy-PC is striving to take on your headaches so you can get back to what matters to you! 

Jiffy-PC

We share many of the same struggles with our neighbors in this area; the nightmare that i270 can become during rush hour,  the continued population growth and development, the crazy weather and unpredictable power outages.  Understanding the common pressures we face on a daily basis allows us to better serve our community.  We're flexible with scheduling.  We can work in your house or take your computer back to our shop to work on it there.  We can provide the service you need, when you need it. 

There's a reason why the phrase "Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy" is under our logo.  We are literally your neighbor, and we will treat you as such.  That's Jiffy-PC's commitment to Germantown.  Contact us today to find out how we can help you resolve your computer problems so you can get back to what matters!

Here are 5 of the most common reasons why your computer may be running slowly, and what you can do about it!

Malware Infection

Malware can be anything from pesky advertising tool bars, spyware, or a virus.  Normally if you observe a sudden dramatic slowdown of your computer responsiveness, malware is to blame.

The best way to protect against malware is to make sure your virus protection software is up-to-date.  Also, make sure you follow good web surfing practice by only visiting web sites of companies that you have heard of outside of the web and by not downloading files from questionable sources.

Too Many Programs Running in the Background

Although you may not have a lot of windows open, many programs run in the background automatically when you start your computer.  When enough of these programs are running, it can burden your system resources.

The easiest way to see what is running is to check your System Tray...that area of small icons next to the clock in the lower right corner of the screen.  Hover your mouse over each icon and see what it is.  You can normally right click it and choose to exit if you feel it doesn't need to be running all the time. 

Full Hard Drive

Your hard drive is the place in your computer that stores all of your data, including programs, files, and media.  Over time, as you install more programs and add more pictures, music, and videos to your computer, the hard drive fills up.  When it's close to being full, funny things can happen to your system, including significant performance problems.

Check how much space you have on your hard drive by double-clicking going to your My Computer icon and then right-click on your hard disk, usually called Local Disk (C:), and select properties.  A window will open that will show you Used and Free space.  If your used space is 90% or more of your free space, you might want to look at either clearing some space by uninstalling some programs, or purchasing a bigger hard drive.

Under Powered Hardware

As your computer ages, the rest of the technology world continues to push forward.  That means newer software is developed to take advantage of current technology.  You may find that, on older systems, if you attempt to install the latest version of a program, it will result in slowing your entire system down.  You may want to choose to stick with using the older version of the software, but we aware that this may result in security risks or compatibility issues with other programs. 

I recommend upgrading or replacing your computer system every 3-5 years to take advantage of newer technologies and ensure you'll be able to run the latest software safely.

Too Much Junk

No matter how diligent you are at keeping your system clean, inevitably over time it will start to accumulate temporary files, system files, and other "junk" that may be clogging up your hard drive.  While running Disk Cleanup (from Programs>Accessories>System Tools)  can fix this temporarily, eventually you may be better off just starting with a clean slate and reinstalling Windows.  If you are not familiar with this process, I recommend contacting a professional to do it for you.

If you have any questions about the above list, or need help figuring out which one of these is the cause of your sluggish system, contact us today and we'll check it out for you!

But just in case you were curious as to what some of the lingo out there means, here's a short list of some of the more common terms you may run into:

Hardware

Hard Disk/Hard Drive - This is the component in your computer where all your local data and programs are stored.  When you "save" a file, it is stored on the hard disk.  Storage size is typically currently measured in Gigabytes (GB) or Terabytes (TB, which is roughly 1,000 GB's).

RAM - This is the memory your computer uses for temporary activities like loading programs, videos, and files.  Once you turn off your computer, the RAM clears itself, which is why if your computer is running slow it's sometimes best to restart it.  RAM is measured in the same fashion as Hard Disks, but is normally alot less, averaging 1 - 4 GB on modern computers.

CPU/Processor -  CPU stands for Central Processing Unit.  It can be used to refer to the entire desktop computer box, but it actually refers to the tiny chip inside that is the brains of the entire system.  Most computer commands are run through the CPU where they are translated into the things you see happen on the screen.  Video and audio playback also rely heavily on the processor, especially when you start streaming HD video.

Security Terms

Virus - A virus is a malicious program that copies itself and infects computers, much like a human virus.  It's effects can range from dormancy to completely destroying the data on your computer.  Viruses have become less prevalent recently as the sophistication of anti-virus software has increased.  Reduce the risk of obtaining a computer virus by making sure your anti-virus software is installed an up to date.

Spyware - Spyware are programs that, once installed on your computer, collect information from your system without your consent.  This information may include files, browser history, passwords, email addresses, etc.  In extreme cases spyware can take control of certain aspects of your computer and change the way your browser works, pointing it to nefarious web sites.  Reduce the risk of obtaining spyware by making sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware software is installed and up to date.

Worm - A worm is a self-replicating malicious program that uses security vulnerabilities in computer networks to copy itself and infect other machines.  Unlike a virus, a worm can move between computers over a network without user intervention.  The best way to protect against a worm is to ensure that you have a firewall installed and enabled on your computer and by making sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware software is installed and up to date.

Trojan - With it's name borrowed from the Greek myth, you may have an idea how these programs find their way onto your computer.  They are made to look like legitimate software, commonly anti-virus software, that instead installs one of the malicious software types listed above.  Reduce the risk of obtaining a Trojan by verifying the legitimacy of the programs you download, and by making sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware software is installed and up to date.

Malware - Short for "malicious software", malware is a catch-all phrase that can mean any of the above terms.

Bloatware - While not necessarily malicious, bloatware is not usually very helpful either.  This term refers to the software that comes pre-installed on many of the computer systems you find at big box stores like Best Buy.  Some manufacturers are more guilty of this than others and the amount of bloatware you'll find on your new computer can vary greatly.  At best these programs offer sub-par functionality and at worst they clog your system's resources and slow down performance. 

Botnet - The result from an infection on your computer may be that your system becomes a part of what is known as a botnet.  Botnets are collections of software that run automatically on multiple computer systems in order to have the combined effect of one giant super computer.  If your computer has botnet software installed, it may be running very slowly as it's resources are being used to contribute to the botnet.  Reduce the risk of becoming part of a botnet by making sure your anti-virus software is installed an up to date.

Spam - Spam is a term for unsolicited email, usually sent in bulk.  Many times spam contains links to malicious websites or attachments.  Reduce the risk of opening spam by using an email service that provides spam filtering and never open email from an unknown source.

Phishing - Phishing is a newer an more sophisticated method for obtaining computer user's information.  The term refers to a website or email that appears to be from a legitimate entity but is instead attempting to acquire sensitive information.  To avoid falling victim to phishing, make sure you always type the name of the website you wish to visit as opposed to going there via a link or email.  Also, make sure your web browser is updated and it's phishing filters are enabled.

Online

Browser - A browser, or web browser, is the program you use to access the World Wide Web from your computer.  Popular browsers include Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari. 

HTML - Stands for Hypertext Markup Language.  This is the code that is used to create many of the web pages you visit. 

Word Wide Web - Commonly referred to as "the web", this is overall name for all the websites you can access on the internet.  There are other aspects of the internet that fall outside of the world wide web, like ftp or usenet, though these are not widely used.

URL - Stands for Uniform Resource Locator, but is more commonly known as a web address.  This is the address you type to access a given webpage, for example "http://www.google.com" is the URL for Google's homepage.

Streaming - Media that is accessed via the internet without ever being stored on your computer is known as streaming.  A common streaming video site is YouTube, where the videos you watch are located on a central location and "streamed" to your computer via various technologies over the internet.  Be sure you know of the reputation of the website that you're streaming from, as some streaming media can install malicious software on your computer.

Active X - Active X is a technology that is used by your browser to enable webpages to interact with your computer much like an installed program would.  sometime you may be prompted to install an Active X component while browsing.  Make sure you trust the website you're on before accepting the installation, as malicious Active X execution is an easy way for the bad guys to get control of your system!

Flash - Flash is a software that many webpages use to display video, animation, or interactive content.  As with all other internet software, make sure you trust the source before agreeing to install or run any Flash-based media.

Chat/Text Slang

LOL - Laughing Out Loud

ROTFL - Rolling On The Floor Laughing

IMHO/IMO - In My (Humble) Opinion

JK - Just Kidding

IDK - I Don't Know

NSFW - Not Safe For Work (content is inappropriate for a typical work environment)

TTYL - Talk To You Later

Any other terms have you mystified?  Let us know in the comments below and we will add them to the list!

We also service all of Montgomery county including Rockville, Gaithersburg, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Potomac, Onley, Damascus, Poolsville, and Clarksburg.  Montgomery county is big and diverse in both population and area.  This means that we have an opportunity here at Jiffy-PC to service a wide range of customers, from stay-at-home parents to small business owners to retired couples to young professionals.  We love working with all types of people and couldn't ask for a better place to do it!

Additionally, for a small trip fee, we will service surrounding areas such as Howard County, Prince George's County, Fredrick County, Washington, DC and even Baltimore County!  We have friends all over that seek us out for our friendly and reliable service, so we don't mind going the extra mile for them, literally!  Please call and ask about our extended service area!

At Jiffy-PC we pride ourselves on being locally owned and operated.  We care for the members of our community because we're a part of the community too!  Contact us today to experience the Jiffy-PC difference for yourself!

That's it!  Simple right? 

Therefore, we understand that we're not doing our job if we don't fulfil our mission.  And if we don't fulfil our mission, we shouldn't get paid.  That's why we stand by our work and guarantee that we will fix your tech problem, or you don't owe us a cent.

What do we mean by "fixing your tech problems" exactly?  Does that mean your computer runs as it did before the problem occurred?  Maybe.  Does it mean that we show you an easier way to do something?  Could be.  Do we mean that you don't see any error messages? Possibly.

In other words, it's up to you!  You decide what "fix" means.  We will work with you to fix your problem to your specifications, whatever they might be.

If we CAN'T fix your problem to your specifications, we'll be honest and let you know.  It happens sometimes...no one service provider is capable of fixing every problem that may arise.  No harm, no foul, and we'll be on our way.  We don't charge "trip fees" or "diagnostic fees" or any other hidden fees on top of our published rates.

Guaranteed satisfaction or you don't pay us.

That's our promise to you!

At Jiffy-PC, we strive to take the complicaitons of computer problems off of your shoulders, so you can continue to use technology to enhance your life.  As an extension of that philosophy, we aim to keep Jiffy-PC.com simple to use and easy to navigate.  Please take a moment to explore the site and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.

Here are some brief descriptions of the navigation items the you see at the top under the Jiffy-PC logo:

• Home: Takes you to the home page of Jiffy-PC.com
• Services: Provides a comprehensive list of all services offered by Jiffy-PC.
• Blog: Updated regularly to provide company news, local information related to technology, or general tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your computer.
• About: Get to know "your friendly neighborhood computer guy" and learn more about the philosophy behind Jiffy-PC.