PC, Laptop or Mac Running Slow?

You may be able to upgrade rather than replace to give your computer a new lease of life, increase its life expectancy and save money. Many older and even some new Laptops, Desktops and iMacs as well as older MacBooks (pre 2013) are fitted with an old type of very slow hard drive, which when replaced can make your computer faster than new!

In the world of computing, one of the most impactful upgrades you can make to your system is switching from a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) to a solid-state drive (SSD). SSDs have revolutionised storage technology, offering significant improvements in speed, reliability, and overall system performance. Whether you’re a casual user, a gamer looking to reduce load times or a professional seeking faster data access, upgrading to an SSD can make a world of difference. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of SSD upgrades.

Benefits of SSD Upgrades:

1. Blazing Speed: One of the most noticeable advantages of upgrading to an SSD is the speed boost it provides. Unlike HDDs, which rely on spinning disks and mechanical components, SSDs use computer chips for storage. This means almost instantaneous data access and faster boot times. Applications load quicker, and file transfers occur at lightning speed.
   
   
2. Improved Reliability: SSDs have no moving parts, making them more robust and durable than HDDs. They are less susceptible to physical damage, such as shocks or vibrations, and have a lower chance of data loss due to mechanical failures. This enhanced reliability ensures your data remains safe and accessible.
   
   
3. Energy Efficiency: SSDs consume less power than HDDs, leading to longer battery life for laptops and reduced electricity bills for desktop users. Their energy-efficient nature makes them an eco-friendly choice, contributing to a greener environment.
   
   
4. Quieter Operation: The absence of moving parts in SSDs results in a virtually silent operation. You won’t hear the familiar hum or clicking sounds associated with HDDs. This makes your computing experience quieter and more enjoyable.
   
   
5. Extended Lifespan: While SSDs do have a finite life like all electronics, modern SSDs come with advanced wear technology. This extends their lifespan considerably. For most users, the SSD will outlast the computer it’s installed in.
   

Upgrading to an SSD is a wise investment that can breathe new life into your computer. With their remarkable speed, reliability, and efficiency, SSDs have become a standard choice for anyone looking to enhance their computing experience. Whether you’re a gamer, creative professional, or everyday user, consider making the switch to an SSD to unlock the full potential of your computer.

Contact us today in Truro or Newquay to see if your PC or Mac can be upgraded, we can usually get the job done within one to two days and can usually copy your old drive meaning everything comes back exactly as it was just much quicker.

Mac Repairs Newquay

Truro Computer Services have been Truro’s premier computer repairer for over 20 years, now offering the same friendly, professional service from our new branch at The Whitegate Shopping Complex, Henver Road, Newquay, TR7 3BP. We are easy to find just outside the town centre with an hours free customer parking onsite.

Truro Computers are an Apple Independent Repair Provider and can provide genuine parts directly from Apple, we have access to all Apple’s systems, tools and diagnostics and our technicians are Apple Certified. As an Independent Provider we are also able to supply refurbished and aftermarket parts for older ‘vintage’ devices where new genuine parts would be cost prohibitive. All repairs, genuine and refurbished, come with a six month warranty on all parts supplied.

01637 695001

Truro Computers (Newquay)

Truro Computers (Newquay) is now open ! Find us at 2-3 Whitegate Shopping centre on Henver road at the Chester road junction, TR7 3BP, same great service for desktop, laptop, MacBook, iMac and custom PC repair with an hours free parking! And yes, we are still open on River Street in Truro! Our new Newquay number is 01637 695001.

We are working hard to update our website, socials etc with all the new details and that should all be ready soon.

The Advantages Of Upgrading Your Computer With A Solid State Drive.

Solid State Drives (SSDs) have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their many advantages over traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). Here are some of the advantages of using an SSD:

1. Much faster read and write speeds: SSDs can read and write data at much faster speeds than HDDs. This means that programs and files stored on an SSD can be accessed and loaded much more quickly, leading to faster boot times, quicker application launches, and improved overall system performance.
2. Improved durability and reliability: Unlike HDDs, which use spinning disks and moving parts to access data, SSDs have no moving parts. This makes them more durable and less susceptible to physical damage or mechanical failure. As a result, SSDs are generally more reliable and have longer lifespans than HDDs.
3. Lower power consumption: SSDs consume less power than HDDs, which can lead to longer battery life for laptops and other mobile devices. This also makes SSDs a more environmentally friendly option, as they produce less heat and use less energy overall.
4. Quiet operation: Because they have no moving parts, SSDs operate quietly and generate less noise than HDDs. This can be particularly beneficial for users who require a quiet workspace or for those who use their computer in a public setting.

Overall, the advantages of SSDs make them a compelling option for users who value speed, reliability, and durability in their computing devices. While they may be more expensive than traditional HDDs, the benefits of using an SSD are clear and can ultimately lead to a better user experience and improved productivity.

Typically we can upgrade your computer in a day or so depending on the amount of data you have and our current work load, give us a call on 01872264350 for more information and pricing.

Custom and Gaming PCs Ready For XMAS !!

Sorry for using the C word so early but Christmas is just around the corner!

If you are thinking about a new Custom PC for Christmas it’s time to start thinking about getting your order in, as well as providing every day PCs and laptops Truro Computer Services specialise in building custom and gaming PCs to suit a customers requirements and budget.

Visit our Custom PC and Gaming page for more information and to see our current stock of ready built gaming desktops.

 

Backup & Data Recovery

The part of a computer that holds your important data (pictures, videos, documents, etc.) is the hard drive, at Truro Computers the most common repair we do by far is replacing failed hard drives. Most people we speak to don’t realise that this is inevitable, a hard drive is a mechanical box with moving parts and motors and all will ultimately wear out and fail. Only 90% of hard drives last three years, meaning 1 in 10 will fail in this time, and only 80% of hard drives will last four years, most scary of all, a staggering 5% of all hard drives, or 1 in 20, fail in the first year due to manufacturing defects or external influences such as drops and knocks.

A hard drive failure can be immediate but more usually is progressive, often with the computer getting progressively slower until it finally stops starting up, at this point we can often retrieve the data but it is not uncommon for the data to be unrecoverable at that point or for the drive to fail completely when trying to copy the data off.

At least once or twice a week we have the unfortunate task of telling someone that we can not recover their data onsite and the only option, if it is essential data, is to send the drive off for an expensive specialist recovery with our data recovery partners.

The vast majority of customers we see do not have any sort of backup, a backup is fairly simple to take, whether it is using Time Machine on a Mac, Windows Backup on Windows or simply copying your files to an external drive or the cloud, the costs involved compared to the costs of data recovery are low and most can be set up to happen automatically.

Truro Computers are often tasked with recovering data from external hard drives which have failed, where customers have copied data to them as a ‘backup’ but then deleted the originals off their computer, a backup is only a backup if it is a second copy, external hard drives fail just as often, or possibly more so than internal hard drives.

We have seen customers who have lost, or had to pay hundreds to recover, years of baby pictures and customers who have had to recover client files they are legally obligated to keep yet it’s so easy to avoid. If you don’t currently backup it’s something you should do without delay, if you need assistance please do get in touch, bear in mind, if you have anything at all on a computer that you don’t want to lose the computer it is on will ultimately fail and it could be tomorrow!

Data Recovery Services @ Truro Computer Services

If the worst has happened and you don’t have a backup we offer a full range of data recovery services, we have software and hardware onsite and can more often than not recover data from failed hard drives here relativity cheaply and quickly if we get them in time. If more advanced data recovery is required, needing clean rooms and specialist equipment, our data recovery partner Ontrack is the number one data recovery company in the world, they can recover data from the majority of failed hard drives with a higher success rate than most other companies.

If your drive needs to be sent away we will fully manage the repair from start to finish on your behalf and, as an authorised partner, can offer their services at a discounted capped rate from the recovery prices they normally charge to the general public.

 

Truro Computer Services – Severe Email Scam Warning

We have seen a huge increase this week in an email scam that is doing the rounds that can be particularly disconcerting.

Although the emails vary the main feature is that they say you have been hacked and contain a genuine password that you genuinely do, or have, used. They contain a threat to release personal or embarrassing details if you do not pay a ransom. This is particularly worrying and convincing as it contains a genuine password (or sometimes phone number)

Firstly and most importantly . . . YOU HAVE NOT BEEN HACKED

The scammers have got your email and password by hacking a third party website that you are registered with. To see if your details have been compromised in one of the many hacking incidents recently  you can enter your email address on this website https://haveibeenpwned.com/.

DO NOT PAY ANY MONEY – If you still use the password listed for any websites or log ins you should immediately change them and just delete the scam email you received, other than that you do not need to take any action as the email is 100% a scam.

Under no circumstances should you reply to the email or click any links as that simply verifies to the scammer that your details are correct.

 

Is your MacBook charger genuine and why does it matter?

At Truro Computer Services we have seen an increase in the number of fake MacBook chargers coming through supply, even through trusted distribution channels. They are generally near perfect replicas so how do you tell if they are genuine and why does it really matter? Here we will give you three quick and easy checks that can help identify a fake MacBook charger.

First off, why does it matter?

If your charger has a fake manufactures logo then it is 100% fake and that includes the CE mark. If the CE mark is fake then the charger has not been made to conform to, or indeed been tested to European safety standards. If you are lucky this could just mean you damage your Mac, if you are unlucky substandard wiring and components can lead to fire.

Our advice for Apple chargers is the same as all laptop manufactures, you are always better off buying genuine but if you don’t always buy a decent branded aftermarket charger from an established manufacturer such as Delta Electronics (who actually make Apples chargers), Hipro, Lavolta, etc., although they may not ‘look’ the part they have been produced to the correct European standards and are safe.

Never buy ‘Genuine’ chargers from eBay, Amazon, etc, that are suspiciously cheap or even just good value as they are almost always fake.

3 Tips on Spotting a fake MagSafe charger.

Tip 1 – Check the serial number.

If you still have the box check the serial number on the charger with the box it came in, often the fakes don’t match, genuine chargers will always match. The Serial number on the charger is under the plug socket connector.

Tip 2 – Is the charger earthed?

Genuine MagSafe chargers are earthed, fakes are often not. The slot where the plug slides onto the charger should have a metal contact that earths the charger, if it isn’t there it’s probably fake.

Tip 3 – How long does it take the charge light to come on?

With the MagSafe plugged in connect it to the Mac, it should take a second or two for the light on the MagSafe to come on, if it comes on immediately it’s probably a fake.

 

 

PART REFURBISHED GAMING PC

• Intel Core i7-3770 3.4Ghz Processor 
• Asus P8Z77 Motherboard 
• 32GB Kingston HyperX Fury 
• 1866Mhz RAM 
• AMD RX570 4GB GDDR5 Graphics Card 
• 250GB Kingston Solid State Drive 
• 1TB Western Digital Red Hard Disk 
• Corsair 650w Semi Modular Power Supply 
• Phanteks Eclipse P300 Case 
• ID Cooling 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler 
• PCle Wireless N 300 Card 
• Windows 10 64 bit

                             £699

We are open as usual !

At Truro Computer Services we have started a long overdue face-lift; we’re fitting new windows, doors and frontage as well as a full internal refit.

We will be remaining open throughout as usual, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.