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Beware scam calls about computer problems

andyhawes — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 11:12:54 +0000

If you have had a call from PC World, Microsoft or anyone else recently telling you that you have a computer virus or problem with your PC system (without you first requesting such a call) then it’s almost certainly a hoax call.

In the last several months I have had numerous calls from worried home users, many of whom are elderly, telling me they have had such calls, usually sounding like they are calling from India based call centres.

Firstly if you receive such a call out of the blue then DO NOT under and circumstances allow the caller to take control of your PC or laptop.

Secondly take the persons name and number, hang up and report them directly to the Police.

Finally if you have already fallen foul of this scam, they have taken control of your PC and have charged your credit or debit card, you should take the following steps:

1) do a system restore on your PC to a time before they had control of it – this will usually nullify any software they have added to the PC, then run a full virus scan

2) inform your bank to stop any transactions to the company in question

3) inform the Police that you have been scammed by a hoax caller

For further advice or help recovering your PC from this situation please give me a call on 01832 735271 or email me on andy@wiserit.co.uk

Bowled over by the Thrapston Cricket Club

andyhawes — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 09:43:12 +0000

We are very pleased to sponsor the Thrapston Cricket Club, and have also recently been asked to help them out with their website updates.

You can visit their website here and please do let them know if there are any relevant news events you have for them to display on site.

http://thrapston.play-cricket.com/

Wiser IT sponsor Thrapston Town FC

andyhawes — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:10:16 +0000

We are very pleased to have been given the opportunity to support our local community once more.

This year we are sponsoring the Thrapston Town Football Club.

We really hope they like their new warm-up sweatshirts and t-shirts, and wish them every success.

The below article was submitted for publication in the Evening Telegraph and Chronicle and Echo sports section on 3rd February 2012 and relates to the team’s first game under their new manager James Alger:

Thrapston Town Football Club who currently play in the United Counties Premier league have found things tough this season since being promoted. Recent weeks has seen 2 new managers, an exodus of players and many new faces signing in. Manager James Alger and assistant Simon Stewart along with James Le Masuirer have been very busy trying to assemble a squad of players to bring some stability back to the club that saw them embark on a new venture in the Premier division this season.

With many senior players deciding to join pastures new, James Alger has mainly had to rely on young talented footballers who are committed and grateful for an opportunity to play. Jordan Pendered 17 is currently a scholar for Luton Town, Korey Morgan and Ed Boteang both 18 are studying at Raunds Manor and represent Corby Town youth team, former Cogenhoe United players Josh Melling, Ashley Simpson and Danny Mortimer have all followed suit and joined the new look Thrapston Town. Other new signings include Martin Mitchell who was playing local football for Volta and Daniel Wells from Stewart and Lloyds Corby.

Thrapston Town currently has 5 teams, First, Reserves, U18s’, U16’s and a Ladies team. The club has seen youth team players Carlos Lewis, Liam Carter and Ryan Caller all stepping up into the 1^st team in recent weeks after impressing in the youth and reserve teams respectively.

The club is run by a small committee of loyal and hard working individuals who always strive to offer the best facilities to players, supporters and visiting teams, however this take a lot of time and commitment on their part and the club is always on the lookout for additional volunteers or potential sponsors who can help with the burden of work and financial cost. The club has over the past 2 years worked hard to achieve and maintain the FA Charter Standard and is now focused on developing local talent to progress through the ranks to ultimately play in the first team.

You can check the latest TTFC news at www.thrapstontownfootballclub.co.uk or contact the club secretary Cathy Stevens on cathy.stevens@uwclub.net or 07972355880

Back row: James Alger (manager), Matty Harris, James Ollerenshaw, Daniel Grainger, Chris Jones, Dan Waters, Ashley Simpson, Danny Mortimer, Martin Mitchell
Front row: Jordan Pendered, Korey Morgan, Ben Morgan, Lee Gotch, Jamie Russell, Carlos Lewis, Micheal Cirelli

Photograph courtesy of Darren Skidmore Photography

Christmas IT Quiz

andyhawes — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:32:47 +0000

1. When was the internet first made available for public use?

1992
1994
1997

2. What does the acronym CPU stand for?

Control Panel Unit
Computer Power Unit
Central Processing Unit

3. Who should you call for computer repairs or website design?

Click here to see the answers

Christmas IT Quiz with answers

andyhawes — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:01:07 +0000

1. When was the internet first made available for public use?

Answer: 1992

2. What does the acronym CPU stand for?

Answer: Central Processing Unit

3. Who should you call for computer repairs or website design?

Answer: Call Andy at Wiser IT on 01832 735271 or use our contact form to get in touch

Increase your sales with a free website

andyhawes — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:47:05 +0000

With the recession extending its grip onto all our purses and wallets this year, Christmas and 2012 are likely to be a more difficult time than most for consumers and companies alike.

However the internet has brought price comparisons, and online shopping to our fingertips, bringing a convenient shopping experience into our homes and at the same time helping increase the balance sheets of businesses of all sizes.

But if you are a business looking to get your first website up and running, how do you do it?

Start searching, and you will realise it is a minefield, with thousands of companies offering web services, domain registration, hosting, ecommerce amongst the array of web-speak-jargon.

However there are some simple free alternatives. A number of generous companies around the world will allow you to set up an entire website, and they will even allow you to run it on their web servers all for free.

Companies such as moonfruit ( www.moonfruit.com ) offer an excellent service in a very user-friendly online way, and yola ( www.yola.com ) offer a similar service also for free, with a simple drag-and-drop method for building web sites.

In a matter of minutes your company could have a web presence, offering a web based storefront that can be viewed the world over, helping to increase your market exposure and drive sales without the addition of extra staff or shop floor space.

Once you have your website looking good you can then let the search engines (like Google and Bing) know about it by submitting your website address (URL) to them, which is also free!

For more information about setting up a website you can contact Thrapston based Wiser IT on 01832 735271 or use our contact form to get in touch.

How To Shop Safe On-line

andyhawes — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:43:30 +0000

Although the internet has been available to the public since 1992, many of us are still nervous about surfing, and particularly shopping on-line. With the increase in use of the internet the number of organisations out to profit from on-line scams and fraud have also risen dramatically.

Anti-virus software, including that supplied with most new computers, goes a long way to try and prevent internet users falling foul of fraudsters. However, nothing comes as close to keeping you safe on-line as being vigilant about the sites you visit, and where you enter your personal and credit or debit card details.

Here are a few tips to keep you safe whilst shopping online this Christmas:

Use name brand stores, ensuring that you access their website advertised on their in-store literature, and not a fake equivalent.
Look for the web address starting https (the S stands for secure), and the padlock symbol:

Ensure your anti-virus program and definitions are valid and up to date.

If you require further information, advice or tuition regarding shopping online, call Wiser IT on 01832 735271 or use our contact form to get in touch.

Wiser IT Supports Ringstead Rangers U9 Football Team

andyhawes — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:28:03 +0000

Thrapston-based IT & Web Design Specialists, Wiser IT, have demonstrated their commitment to local community by sponsoring the newly-formed Ringstead Rangers U9 football team.

Despite being affiliated to Ringstead Rangers FC, a club that with a long tradition dating back to 1898, the boys within the U9 set up are all from Thrapston and Titchmarsh, having previously played U7 and U8 for Thrapston Town Juniors. Their first outing as RRYFC proved successful as they immediately contributed to the RRFC Trophy cabinet by winning the Fair Play trophy at the recent Higham Town tournament, with all other aspects being non-competitive at this age group.

U9 assistant-coach James Boon commented, “having firmly established themselves as the leading local IT specialist, it is a real pleasure to bear the Wiser IT name on our shirts, and we would like to thank Andy for his generous contribution towards our team”.

Wiser IT can be reached on 01832 735271, and you can get an overview of their services at www.wiserit.co.uk

The above news article was featured in the July issue of Jigsaw and also the 9th July issue of Nene Valley News.

For more info about RRYFC email craigdruce@ringsteadrangersfc.com

WiserIT in the Press

andyhawes — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:12:37 +0000

COMPUTERS are a necessity for businesses so when they go wrong it’s essential they are fixed as quickly as possible with as little fuss as possible.

However, all too often the engineers employed to fix the problem use technical language that only confuses the already frustrated user.

Andy Hawes set up Wiser IT to provide a comprehensive IT support service delivered in plain English.

Mr Hawes, of Thrapston, caters for all levels of support for both home-users and companies and concentrates on offering value for money and using language that will not confuse.

He said: “It has never ceased to amaze me how IT specialists find it very difficult to relate to those maybe not as PC-wise as themselves in a manner that makes them understood. “

Wiser IT can do all the obvious services such as PC repairs, upgrades, advice on purchasing equipment, assisting the set-up and ongoing support of multiple user networks, but also extends to bespoke software, web services and pretty much anything IT related.

Mr Hawes’ love affair with computers began as a child before he went on to get a diploma in computer studies at Tresham Institute in Wellingborough.

He has worked in IT in various capacities for more than 20 years both in the UK, Europe and America.

Turning 40, and the death of his father, proved a turning point for Mr Hawes.

He said: “I realised life is just too short and that I should just go for it.

“I knew I could do a good job, but honestly wasn’t sure if there was enough demand to make a living working for myself. The results so far have exceeded expectations.”

A lot of his work at the moment is cleaning laptops of viruses.

Paul Waterman, of Raunds, used Wiser IT to sort out his computer problems.

He said: “The laptops are working fabulously, a great deal better than before.

“I am glad I saw his advert, it’s always hard to find someone who does as they say, without the mess.

“I would recommend Wiser IT highly; his honesty and timely manner was great.”

Mr Hawes said: “Having worked with computers for 22 years, I can talk about DNS servers, spyware, RAM and SCSI versus IDE drives all day long, but customers generally don’t want that level of detail, they just want their computer fixed quickly and to get back to work.

“I like my end results to be impressive, not the language I use.”

For more details about Wiser IT call 01832 735271 or visit www.wiserit.co.uk

The above news article was featured On Tuesday 19th April 2011 in the Business Supplement of both the Northants Evening Telegraph and the Chronicle and Echo

The Business Supplement of both the Northants Evening Telegraph and the Chronicle and Echo are published on the last Tuesday of every month.

Fixing wifi woes

andyhawes — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:20:47 +0000

There is nothing quite as frustrating as one of your most important tools grinding to a halt. If you’re a business, the internet is quite often the gateway to new and existing clients. At home, it entertains and provides quick access to that Jamie Oliver recipe you saw on TV last night.

But what if your wireless connection suddenly vanishes?

It’s only then, when the fateful words, ‘server not found’, appear, that you realise just how much you rely on something that is as much a staple of everyday life as running tap water.

Thankfully, there’s a couple of simple things you can try to get yourself back online.

Check your router. Which lights are on? Most routers will have separate lights to signify power, internet access and WIFI. If the former is out, it’s likely the rest will be too and you can simply check the plug socket. If it’s either (or both) of the latter…
Reach for the plug socket! Quite often, the old adage of ‘turn it off and on’ works wonders with WIFI. After turning it back on, wait a few minutes for it to reconnect and try your browser again.
Of course, while it’s fairly inevitable you’ll run into a problem like this at some stage, it shouldn’t be persistent. If your WIFI or internet connection continually drops out, it could be something under the hood. Far from having to take a screwdriver to the router, this usually involves delving into its software to check network settings and WIFI options.

It’s even possible your ISP (internet service provider) could be at fault. However, there are many to choose from and with the media currently focusing on broken promises of maximum download speeds, hunting out the right supplier can be a tricky business.

We can help with all of the above and more as part of our service, so if you have any questions or Wiser IT can help you in any way, call 01832 735271 or use the contact form.