Frequent questions from our customers
Back to blogAt Itsfixed Computer Repairs Melbourne , we love to help you get the most out of your technology. While that usually means computer repairs, we also often get to educate and provide information to help people maximise the benefits of their home computers. In this week’s article, we answer some of the questions that we have been recently asked…
My computer is popping up a message asking me if I would like to install Windows patches. Should I always say yes? Will anything go wrong? I am happy with my computer the way it is – Tim, Chatswood
Computer software is never 100% bug-free, and Microsoft frequently find new bugs and security issues. They attempt to address these issues by releasing a new software patch for Windows. Your computer periodically connects to Microsoft’s servers to see if there are any new patches, and if there are new ones, it will notify you and ask if you would like to install those patches. This is the message that you are seeing.
Our recommendation is to install all patches from Microsoft. Microsoft do a good job of testing their patches, and we have very rarely encountered a customer who has had issues after installing a patch. It is better to install the patch and keep your computer secure, than not install the patch.
You can even configure Windows to automatically update itself without even asking you. Click on the ‘Microsoft Fixit’ image to the right to run a tool from Microsoft to enable this. You may as well remove yourself from the equation and let your computer do it all for you.
I got given a new computer as a present. My son installed all of my programs like Word, but he cannot install my printer since I have lost my disks. I have called the company but have not heard back from them. What should I do? – Melissa, Dandenong
Melissa, this problem is quite easily solved. The disks that came with your printer contain files known as drivers. These drivers tell Windows how to communicate with the printer. If they aren’t installed, Windows does not recognise the printer.
The good news is that all manufacturers maintain a support website. If you go to your manufacturer’s website, you will very quickly see a ‘Support’ section – go there, and you will see a place where you can download files or drivers. At this stage, you are usually prompted to enter your printer model number, after which you are shown a list of drivers relevant to your printer. You will need to know what version of Windows you have installed to make sure that you download the correct version.
Once you have downloaded this, you can simply run the file, and it will install your drivers for you.
(Don’t try doing this yourself if you are not confident about what operating system you are running, or get confused when you go to the manufacturer’s website. Maybe your son can help? Else we will be more than happy to help you over the phone. )
When I sync my iPhone to my computer, it does not copy the photos that are on it. How do I make a copy of the photos on my iPhone? – Lee, Footscray
Good observation. iTunes syncs almost everything across to your computer, except for your photos. If you want to backup your photos, connect your iPhone to your computer, open up Windows Explorer, and go to ‘My computer’. Your iPhone should
show up as a separate drive, and if you open up that drive, you will find all your photos. Copy them across to your computer, and you’re done.
Note that iTunes does backup everything on your iPhone, including your photos – so if you ever lose your iPhone, your photos can be restored using iTunes.
Still need help?
We hope that this article was useful. If you require more information, or have other questions, give our friendly techs a call on 1300 600 670