We’ve had an influx of ‘parent control’ questions here at CompuTechs+, specifically for the mac, but to be honest the best form of parental control works seamlessly with the PC or laptop as well. Here at CompuTechs+, we have a few techs with kids, and we all employ the same system of protection for our little ones: DNS (Domain Name System) control. This also protects your computer from viruses, malware, and spyware. How and Why?

We employ DNS control because it prevents the ‘bad content’ from being accessible in the first place (think of it as a firewall, before a firewall is needed) – Here at CompuTechs+, we don’t sell software, and in fact, we don’t use traditional firewalls at all; If you are protected properly, there is no need for a time wasting, obtrusive firewall. If the website displays adult images, obscene language, or anything else that is offensive and/or undesirable, we can filter it. The best part? If you have a personal laptop/computer, that one machine can remain unfiltered, so that you can enjoy the web as you see fit while protecting your children from what you find offensive. Every computer on your home wireless network can be protected from this content, or you can choose individually which machines can access which content. For example, you can still access your favorite discussion forum (which may include adult language), while your children cannot simply stumble upon it.

Our DNS controls package is $159.99 (a one-time price via remote assistance, and $249.99 if we have to come to your home, which is rare), includes a custom DNS setup, free remote setup, a custom DNS package of your own, faster website load times, and protection against: Malware, Spyware, Viruses, windows 7 2012 Antivirus (one of the most notorious new viruses), pornography, gore, offensive language, tracking cookies, and much, much more – The small piece of DNS software installed on your machine will always remain in tact, even if your ISP changes your IP address – And, if you opt for all-out DNS control, the DNS addresses will be hard-coded into your router so you will be protected at all times even if you move/change ISPs.

REALLY worried about what your kids might be doing online? We also offer keylogging software installation (records all keystrokes, clicks, websites, emails, etc. performed on any given computer, and emails them to a private email account). Here at CompuTechs+ of Chicago, we would like to express that we do not recommend this, as everyone deserves their own privacy – We only recommend this if you are deeply worried about what is going on behind the keyboard your children are using, and want to say that although it is your right, since you do own that computer, that keylogging software is extremely evasive, and should only be utilized in the most extreme conditions. Most many instances of children/kids looking/saying bad things on the internet is merely a stage of ‘growing up’. Studies have shown that kids that do not ‘get hurt’ growing up (due to parents watching over their kids too closely), perform more poorly later in their lives. Enough about our PSA. Keylogging prices vary depending on circumstances – Please contact us for pricing.

Spill liquid or water on your apple or pc laptop? Not a problem. One of our techs, Jim, has developed a 3-step process that gives CompuTechs+ a 95% laptop repair success rate for laptops. The process takes just a few hours to complete, and we’ve been blown away by its success. Best part is that if you do have liquid damage on your mac laptop, just mention this post & if the repair is not successful you will get a discounted diagnostic rate from $69.99 down to $39.99 – We’re that confident with our process. If successful, then the rate is our current $199.99 flat-repair-rate.

What to do if you spill on your laptop: Turn the laptop off immediately, unplug it, remove battery (if possible), and shake out any excess liquid. After that, place rice in a tub, and place a single layer of paper towels on the rice, and place the laptop upside down on the paper towels. Leave for 2-7 days, depending on the amount of liquid spilled on the machine. We do not recommend attempting to turn the laptop on, mainly because there could be excess liquid still remaining inside the laptop. Better safe than sorry, but if you have a $1500+ laptop, our flat-repair rate is well worth the cost.

What kind of liquids are the worst? We’ve found that although smelly & sticky, that anything other than water seems to have the least amount of damage on the machine. That being said, water is probably the worst – in the 5% (unsuccessful liquid damage repairs), they were almost all water based spills.

Performing these updates and running this software will keep your pc or apple computer clean, secure, and fast

*Disclaimer: Although the majority of users do not experience any problems while using this software, CompuTechs+ is not responsible for any problems or issues whatsoever by use, misuse, or any incidental or consequential damages by using this guide or software.

Step 1, Lets begin:

CCleaner (make by Piriform) is a system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removed unused files from your system – Allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up hard disk space (in some cases, a lot of space).  It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. The best part is that it’s fast.

How to use CCleaner

Once you have installed the program on your computer, close all internet windows (Please Bookmark CompuTechs+ Website so you can return to this tutorial!) and simply click on the ‘Run Cleaner’ button. This also deletes all files in the Recycle Bin. It will give you a pop-up stating that the program deletes files from your computer or laptop permanently and that you confirm you want to run the program. Depending on how long it has been since your temporary files, it may take some time to delete all the unnecessary junk on your computer. After a significant amount of data has been freed up, you should notice a small difference right away. Here is a list of what CCleaner cleans:

• Internet Explorer – Temporary files, history, cookies, autocomplete form history, index.dat
• Firefox – Temporary files, history, cookies, download history, form history
• Chrome – Temporary files, history, cookies, download history, form history
• Opera – Temporary files, history, cookies
• Safari – Temporary files, history, cookies, form history
• Windows – Recycle Bin, Recent Documents, Temporary files and Log files
• Registry cleaner – Advanced features to remove unused and old entries, including File Extensions, ActiveX Controls, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, Uninstallers, Shared DLLs, Fonts, Help Files, Application Paths, Icons, Invalid Shortcuts and more… also comes with a comprehensive backup feature
• Third-party applications – Removes temp files and recent file lists (MRUs) from many apps including Media Player, eMule, Kazaa, Google Toolbar, Netscape, Microsoft Office, Nero, Adobe Acrobat, WinRAR, WinAce, WinZip and many more…
• 100% Spyware FREE – Piriform’s CCleaner does NOT contain any Spyware, Adware or Viruses.

Move on to Step 2: speeding up your computer using Defraggler.

Tap Translate: Translate foreign language words right in Safari—no need to switch to another app. Worth checking out if you’re routinely finding yourself befuddled by weird lookin’ words. $2.

IntoNow: It’s like Shazam for TV. Just hold up your phone to any TV show from the last five years or so (or any movie that’s been broadcasted on TV) and it’ll tell you what episode you’re watching. Crazy. Free.

Pandora: The best free music service that suggests similar artists you already like. Highly recommended, turn your Apple iPhone into a radio. Free.

Starfront Collision: Kotaku sez, “Gameloft brings StarCraft II-or at least the closest thing to it-to the iPhone with Starfront: Collision, a sci-fi real-time strategy game that works surprisingly well in such a tiny space.” YES. Free.