Geeks in Phoenix

Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 Geek Tips

The following is a complete list of our Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 Geek Tips

Synchronize folders and files on your Windows computer with Allway Sync

Are you looking for an easy way to synchronize your files to another computer on your network? Or maybe you want to sync to an external drive or the cloud. If so, then take a look ...

Five things to look at to protect your computer when working from home

With more and more people working from home, keeping your personal computer safe and secure is important. There is always somebody out there that will want to get your information ...

How to remotely access your personal computers with TeamViewer

Do you have two personal computers and would like to remotely access one from the other? Looking for a really easy way to do it? You can do just that for free with the personal version of ...

How to get a free Windows 10 upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1

Many people took advantage of the Get Windows 10 upgrade promotion, and some did not. If you are one of those people that did not get your version of Windows 7 / Windows 8.1 ...

Check your e-mail and more with Mozilla Thunderbird

Looking for an e-mail program that has a ton of features? One that has a calendar, task scheduler and can handle multiple e-mail addresses? Then look no further than Mozilla Thunderbird.

How to make your computer look and run like brand-new

For most people, there is nothing better than a brand-new computer. But of course, you cannot get a new computer every few months. But you can get that same feeling. Here is ...

What you can do with an ISO file

Have you ever downloaded an ISO file and did not know what to do with it? More and more software companies are now distributing their software using ISO files. Here is what you can ...

How to handle a tech scam

It happens to all of us. You get a pop-up on your computer screen or a phone call telling you that your computer is infected. More than likely it is bogus. So here is how to handle a ...

Understanding long folder and file names in Windows

Did you know that there is a limit to how long a file name can be? Did you know that the folder name is also include in that limit? And what about the path? Let's take a look at long folder ...

My four favorite free programs I always recommend

Being a computer repair technician, I get asked allot of questions. Quite a few of them are about what software do I recommend. And since I am frugal, I will usually suggest ones that are ...

My digital toolbox 3

When it comes to repairing computers, every technician has what I call a digital toolbox. It is software that they use for specific tasks, like finding information on hardware or cloning drives. So here ...

How to get to and use the Run dialog box in Windows

There may be a time when you need to run a program in Windows that does not have a shortcut to it. Usually it is a program that is not used that often. So here is how start a ...

Security and your computer

With the recent outbreak of data encrypting malware, keeping your computer secure is a major issue. There isn't just one thing that you can do to secure your computer, but multiple ...

Use the Microsoft Update Catalog to find and install Windows drivers and updates

Are you having problems finding Windows drivers for your older hardware? Or have you had an update to Windows recently fail to install and want to manually install it? Then the ...

Manage Mac disks inside of Windows with MacDrive

Even though we primarily work on Windows based computers, there are times when we need to access Mac formatted disks. And being able to do that from inside of Windows is ...

See what your drive contains with Space Sniffer

Got a video or music library and want to see how large it is? Maybe you downloaded a really big file and cannot remember where it is? If so, Space Sniffer may just be what you need.

How to quickly free up space on your hard drive

Are you getting a low disk space warning in Windows? Or maybe you have been prompted to delete a previous version of Windows to gain some disk space? If so, here's how to quickly ...

How to create ISO files from your software disks

So over the years you've been purchasing software on CD's / DVD's and now have quite the collection. So what do you do with all of the media you are no longer using? How about creating ...

How to use DOSBox to run old DOS games and programs

Sometimes it is fun to go back and play the DOS video games I grew up with. But it can be tough since Windows doesn't utilize DOS anymore. But you can still run your old DOS games ...

Manage your Windows computer with the Microsoft Management Console

The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is a program that is used to create, save, and open collections of administrative tools, called Consoles. Consoles contain items such as snap-ins ...

Using special font characters in Windows with Character Map

Have you ever wanted to insert a letter or symbol into a Windows document that was not shown on your keyboard? Maybe a copyright, trademark or tolerance symbol? You can do just that ...

Create your own Windows font character with Private Character Editor

Do you have a company logo or a simple graphic that you would like to use often in a Windows program, like Microsoft Word or Excel? Maybe your line of work has special characters that you ...

Eliminate spam from your inbox with MailWasher Pro 7.5

When it comes to communication, e-mail is by far the fastest and easiest way to exchange thoughts and ideas. But it can also be one of the fastest ways to spread viruses / malware too. But you can protect yourself and your ...

Harden / Mitigate the security of your Windows programs with Microsoft EMET

Let's face it, some of the software we use on a daily basis has become subject to security vulnerabilities and exploits. Software manufacturers do their best to develop and test fixes / patches ...

Should you upgrade your computer to Windows 10?

With Microsoft giving away free Windows 10 upgrades to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, the one question that I keep getting asked is "Should I upgrade to Windows 10?" The real ...

Troubleshooting Windows Update problems

When it comes to repairing Windows based computers, there seems to be a couple of problems that I get allot of requests for help with. One of them is when a computer cannot get updates ...

How to clean up and reset Mozilla Firefox

When it comes to computer repair, the most common problem I find is browser corruption. Malicious web sites with infected flash ads are the most common way a browser can get corrupted.

How to clean up and reset Google Chrome

Internet browsers are prone to getting compromised. It can happen by opening an infected e-mail to viewing a malicious ad on a web page. But knowing how to get your browser back ...

How to clean up and reset the Internet Explorer

In repairing computers for a living, the one thing I find myself doing constantly is cleaning up and resetting web browsers. Removing adware, malware and viruses can really screw up ...

7 things to do before and after upgrading to Windows 10

With the release of Windows 10 comes the inevitable upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, And with the upgrade being free for the first year, why not upgrade to Windows 10? But before ...

Speed up your Windows 8 computer with ReadyBoost

Does your Windows 8 computer take a long time to boot up or open programs? Does it seem like the hard drive light is always on? Then you might be able to speed up your computer by using ReadyBoost inside of Windows 8 and ...

How to create a custom power plan in Windows 8 / Windows 8.1

One of the biggest complaints I hear from customers is how their computers go into sleep mode when at the most inconvenient times. It happens mostly with laptop computers that are stationary and are using the ac power charger. The ...

Toughen your computer security with EMET 5.1

Keeping your computer secure has always been tough. It seems like every week there is another exploit making the rounds. Nobody can predict what kind of attack hackers will use next. But you can protect your computer from the ...

How to safely remove external drives

External storage devices like flash drives or hard drives are so convenient for carrying data between computers. Just plug and play, as they say. But did you know it's not the same for when you unplug your drives? Here's how to safely ...

The correct ways to shut down your Windows based computer

Doing computer repair, I see allot of different issues. But there is one problem I am seeing over and over again, start up corruption. This most commonly occurs when the computer is not turned off properly. And it appears that laptops are ...

Managing Virtual Memory / Pagefile in Windows 8

Your computer has two types of memory, Random Access Memory (RAM) and Virtual Memory. All programs use RAM, but when there isn't enough RAM for the program you're trying to run, Windows temporarily moves information ...

Modifying the default locations of user files and library properties in Windows 8

Did you know that Windows 8 has some great ways of managing your user files? From adding additional folder locations in the Libraries to completely moving your user documents to another location. You can do all of these and more.

Strengthen your computer security with EMET 5

It seems like every day a new software exploit or vulnerability is found. Software vendors' work hard at keeping their software secure, but it can take time to test and deploy patches. So what can you do to protect your ...

How to safely optimize your solid state drive

When it comes to getting the best performance out of your computer, nothing can beat a Solid State Drive (SSD). Right out-of-the-box they are extremely faster reading / writing data than a Hard Disk Drive (HDD). But there are a ...

Create great graphics with Paint.NET 4.0

One of the things I like to do besides repairing computers is creating graphics. Over the years I have used many different image editing programs, including Photoshop and CorelDraw. Recently, one of my favorite freeware image ...

How to upgrade your computers hard disk drive to a solid state drive

Most computers (laptop & desktop) nowadays come with a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) as standard equipment with a Solid State Drive (SSD) as an option. Each drive type has its pros and cons: HDD's are cheaper and have more storage, ...

How to create the Windows 8.1 user group of tiles on the Start screen

With the release of the Windows 8.1 Update, all new users have a new group of tiles on the Start screen: This PC (My Computer), PC Settings, Documents (My Documents) and Pictures (My Pictures). If you're a ...

Inside the Windows 8.1 Update

Microsoft recently released the Windows 8.1 Update (actual name), the latest refinement of Windows 8.1. Most the changes are targeted at keyboard / mouse users, like me. The update comes only months (10/17/13) after the ...

How to use layered security to protect your computer

It seems whenever I tell someone that I repair computers for a living, I almost always get asked the question "What do you recommend for anti-virus software?". I tell them that I use a layered approach to security, not relying on just one ...

Six ways to make Windows 8 easier to use

Repairing computers for a living requires working on different versions of Windows. Windows 8 must have the most changes out of all the Windows releases I've seen in the last decade or so. It seems like what worked in ...

Windows 8.1 Preview - user interface enhancements

Microsoft recently released the Windows 8.1 Preview, the future upgrade to Windows 8. Some of the changes are subtitle and are quite easily over looked, others are not. Changes included in Windows 8.1 are B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your ...

Restore the Start button and Start menu to Windows 8 with Start8

The biggest complaint I have heard about Windows 8 is that the Start button and Start menu are gone. No doubt this was a radical change in the way users interact with Windows. Being a Windows logo key fanatic since its ...

How to enable the Advanced Boot Options menu at start up in Windows 8

When performing computer repair on a Windows based system, the one feature I really like is the Advanced Boot Options menu. By pressing the F8 key at start up, you would get the advanced boot option menu, where you could ...

Customize the Start screen in Windows 8 with Decor8

I've been using Windows 8 for some time now and there has been one thing I really wanted to change, but couldn't. It's the limited choice of colors and images you could use on the Start screen. Come to find out the folks over at ...

Run Windows RT apps on the Windows 8 desktop with ModernMix

As many of you know, I've been using two monitors on my personal workstation for over ten years. I like being able to view two or more programs all at the same time. So when Windows 8 came out, I was happy to see better ...

Search for files and folders faster in Windows 8 with Indexing Options

Being in computer repair, I have to keep track of a lot of client files and folders. The Search charm in Windows 8 works great, but sometimes the files or folders I'm looking for are not in any of the default (libraries, off-line files and ...

The Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar inside File Explorer in Windows 8

There are so many new features introduced in Windows 8, I wouldn't even know where to begin. Microsoft even renamed Windows Explorer to File Explorer. But they didn't add any truly 'new' features to File Explorer. In fact ...

Working with Libraries in Windows 8

When I'm working on my computer, the one thing I hate having to do is navigating File Explorer to get to a folder. Windows 8 has a really useful feature built-in called Libraries. With Libraries, I can get to my documents, ...

Left hand keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8

A while back I wrote an article on left hand keyboard shortcuts for Windows. I like to use them so I don't have to take my right hand off of the mouse. With the release of Windows 8, Microsoft added in more shortcuts, primarily for the ...

How to organize the Start screen in Windows 8

Being organized is a necessity when you are an IT consultant. You have to know where things are, so when you need them, you can find them. The same is true for the Windows 8 Start screen. If you can't find it, you can't use it. So ...

How to create log-off, restart and shutdown shortcuts on the Start screen in Windows 8

When it comes to doing computer repair, there are some things you do quite often. Restarting and shutting down computers has to be at the top of the list. So when I found that there was no easy way of doing this in Windows 8, I ...

Check the protected system files in Windows with System File Checker

There may come a time when your Windows based computer starts to run improperly. Installing and uninstalling software, viruses and malware are just a few things that can corrupt the integrity of system files. When it comes to ...

Use your voice to operate your computer with Speech Recognition in Windows 8

Did you know that you can use your voice to control your Windows 8 computer? With Speech Recognition inside of Windows 8, you can start programs, open menus, click buttons and other objects on the screen, dictate ...

Using Task Scheduler in Windows 8

The Task Scheduler inside of Windows 8 automates scheduling system tasks, which perform actions at a specific time or when a certain event occurs, such as checking for updates or running scripts. Task Scheduler provides an ...

Clean up your hard drive in Windows 8 with Disk Cleanup

During the normal use of your computer, you will accumulate a number of unnecessary files (temporary setup / internet files, recycle bin, etc.). You can remove these files with the built-in Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) utility ...

How to create a shortcut on the Desktop and Start menu in Windows 8

Desktop and Start menu shortcuts are links to various different items. It can be to a program, file, folder, another computer, etc. Here is a quick way to create a Desktop and Start menu shortcut in Windows 8.

Make items on the screen appear bigger in Windows 8 with Magnifier

Have you ever had to squint to see something on your computer screen? Maybe you couldn't recognize all of the characters in an online 'captcha'. If so, Windows 8 includes a great tool just for this called Magnifier. Magnifier is ...

Hear text read aloud in Windows 8 with Narrator

Windows 8 comes with a basic screen reader called Narrator that reads text on the screen aloud and describes events like error messages so you can use your PC without a display.

Back up your files in Windows 8 with File History

File History in Windows 8 automatically backs up files that are in your libraries, contacts, favorites, Microsoft SkyDrive and on your desktop. If the originals are lost, damaged, or deleted, you can restore all of them. You can ...

Defragment and Optimize your hard drive in Windows 8

Have you ever opened a filing cabinet and couldn't find the file or folder you were looking for? The same thing can happen to your computer when your hard drive becomes fragmented. To keep all of your files in the right place, ...

Check your hard drive for errors in Windows 8

Keeping your hard drive free from errors is essential to the performance of your Windows 8 computer. When it comes to computer repair, this is one of the first things I do. So, if your experiencing problems opening an application or file, it ...

How to open a Command Prompt with Administrator privileges in Windows 8

During the course of using your Windows 8 computer, you may need to run some commands from the Command Prompt. But most of them require you do it with Administrative privileges. Here's how to open a Command Prompt ...

Resetting your network adapter in Windows 8

Is your network connection running slow? Or maybe your Internet browser isn't allowing you to go to specific websites? Installing / uninstalling applications or viruses / malware / spyware can add unwanted entries into the network ...

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 8

In 1995, Microsoft introduced Windows 95 with a new feature called the Start menu. To make easy to use, they added a key to the standard keyboard and called it the Windows logo key. Microsoft even added a hand full of ...

Using touch commands in Windows 8 with a keyboard and mouse

Recently Microsoft introduced the Windows 8 Release Preview, and with the major changes with the Start menu and the Metro apps, I really wanted to get 'under-the-hood' of this new operating system. Now, for the record, I never ...

How to dual-boot with Windows 7 and Windows 8

I really wanted to install Windows 8 on one of my production systems, but didn't want to perform an upgrade to my existing version of Windows 7. I have had dual-boot systems in the past, so why not try it with Windows 7 and ...

View everything in the Control Panel in one folder in Windows 8

With the new Metro interface for Windows 8, finding things can be kind of hard. So I thought I would give the 'God' mode trick from Windows 7 a try and sure enough it works. The way it works is you create a new folder and give it a ...

Try Windows 8 for free with Windows 8 Consumer Preview

You would think that doing computer repair for a living, the last thing I would want to do is try out a beta operating system. But I have to admit that I love playing around with new operating systems (been doing it since Windows ....

Try Windows 8 for free with Windows 8 Developer Preview

By now, you have probability started hearing the buzz about Windows 8. Maybe it's the new interface, Metro, which brings touch screen ease of use and the simple tile look of the Windows 7 phone to the desktop. Or maybe it's the ...

Free computer diagnostics

Repairing a PC can sometimes be expensive, and that is why we offer free basic in-shop diagnostics. Give one of our professional and experienced technicians a call at (602) 795-1111, and let's see what we can do for you.

Check out our reviews

Geeks In Phoenix LLC, BBB Business Review

Customer service is #1

Here at Geeks in Phoenix, we take pride in providing excellent customer service. We aim to give the highest quality of service from computer repair, virus removal, and data recovery.

Bring your computer to us and save

Repairing a computer can be time-consuming. That is why we base our in-shop service on the time we work on your computer, not the time it takes for your computer to work! From running memory checking software to scanning for viruses, these are processes that can take some time.

Contact us

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at (602) 795-1111  and talk with one of our Geeks. Or you can send us a message from our contact page contact page , and one of our Geeks will get back to you as soon as possible. Or you can stop by and see us. Here are our hours and location.

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