Archive for the ‘Mac’ Category

Apple Repair in St. Louis

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South City Computer offers Apple repair to the St. Louis metro area. South City Computer can repair all Apple computer related issues. South City Computer can repair all models of Macbook, Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, iMac, iPad, and iPhone. South City Computer also can help with Apple software such as Apple iTunes. South City Computer can also offers broken apple screen repair services. South City Computer offers Apple OS recovery services. South City Computer offers Apple data recovery services. South City Computer can also help with Apple iCloud.

South City Computer can help you with your Apple repair needs.

Tips For iPhone Problems

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It sucks when your iPhone or iPad is in the midst of falling into the concrete or water. It’s like you kept the marshmallow over the campfire the whole time, now it’s ruined. There is no need to worry though, there are some easy fixes to this common problem.

Broken iPhone Repair in St Louis

First, if your iPhone gets soaked in water. Get the iPhone out of the water and don’t think about plugging it in. If the iPhone is plugged in already, unplug it (very carefully), and don’t turn it on and check for damage, it can cause short circuits. Then place it in a bowl or a Ziploc bag full of uncooked rice and leave it there for 48 hours. The rice will absorb the moisture effectively, and most of us have rice in our homes.

Apple iPhone AssistiveTouch

AssistiveTouch

Apple iPhone AssistiveTouch Menu

AssistiveTouch Menu

Second, let’s say your home button is broken, there is this feature called AssistiveTouch. Access AssistiveTouch by tapping Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch, then turn the feature on. You will see a translucent circle appear. Tapping on this circle will display a menu for interacting with your device. You can slide the circle anywhere on the edge of your screen.

Third, unfortunately there is no real tips for fixing a broken screen, except for that you should get it fixed. You may be thinking I can fix it myself, I don’t need to pay this guy when I can do it myself, yet there are some dangers that go along with that. Example of this is the battery, it’s very soft and delicate and isn’t protected by anything else besides the outer enclosure. If you damage or puncture the battery, it could leak corrosive and toxic chemicals which could get on your skin or in your eyes. Lithium-Ion batteries are extremely volatile when disturbed.

So if you don’t want to put yourself in danger while messing around trying to fix your iPhone, we can help you repair. We’ll repair screen, safely and efficiently, we have experienced people who can take of your broken screen issue. I hope these tips help some clumsy people or those who are just prone to breaking things. If you need a repair of your screen though, just stop on by the shop and we’ll be happy to help.

Why do Macs overheat?

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Macintosh computers are known for their powerful hardware, and good looks, but unfortunately they have had issues with overheating dating all the way back to the original Mac. The cause of this is simple: the more power you run through electronics, the more heat you generate. It is similar to the fact that higher wattage incandescent light bulbs produce more heat. For macs, this is a big issue. Apple uses enclosures that are notorious for being thin and light, which is great for convenience and portability, but not-so-great for heat dispersion.

Computers include systems specifically designed to remove heat, but since they involve moving air through, they eventually suck in dust and other particles. When this happens and the system cannot run at full efficiency, strange things start to happen. Sometimes you will get a temperature warning, but more often the computer will just freeze up and stop working. If your computer has variable speed fans, it will also start to get very loud.

Of course, this doesn’t just apply to Mac computers, but to any PC desktop or laptop as well. It even applies to modern gaming consoles.

If this happens to you, there’s not a whole lot for you to do. What’s important is that you shut down the computer and let it cool. Don’t use it again until you have a professional correct the problem. This will prevent you from permanently frying any components.

What you should do if liquid spills into your laptop computer

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There’s nothing better than coffee and computing in the morning (if you ask me). However I recently learned, “the hard way”, that coffee and computers do NOT directly mix well. I accidentally spilled my cup of coffee into the keyboard of my laptop computer. Water, coffee, tea, soda, and other liquids can be VERY DAMAGING to laptop computers.

Often people will have a drink next to their computer for ease of staying hydrated during a long computer session. While this is a convenient indulgence, it also is risky behavior. If you are like me, you are bound to bump the desk/table or drink container to the point of it spilling all over the place, and most likely into your laptop computer. Unless you have a tough-book or a waterproof computer this will cause serious damage.

What you should do if you spill liquid into your laptop computer:

  1. LEAVE THE COMPUTER OPEN, DO NOT CLOSE THE SCREEN. In order to avoid damaging any other hardware on the computer (such as the screen). Leave the computer in the open position.
  2. UNPLUG IT RIGHT NOW!!!!! First things first, just stop the electricity from traveling to the computer. But be careful not to get electrocuted. Your life is worth more than your iTunes collection, or your work documents.
  3. POP OUT THE BATTERY!!!! Hurry!!! cut off all electricity from the computer. Most likely you will have to tip the computer over to accomplish this, be careful to not damage the screen since you should leave the computer in the open position. It is a fact of nature that electricity and water do not mix at all. The computer is bound to malfunction due to the liquid touching the motherboard.
  4. TIP THE OPEN COMPUTER OVER SO THE SCREEN AND KEYBOARD FACE DOWN, if you haven’t already while removing the battery. Be sure the computer is in the open position so that the excess liquid can drain out the way it came in. The most important thing to do to try to salvage the computer is to get the computer completely dry again.
  5. Take out the hard drive. Most likely the hard drive is still dry, but to avoid any moisture damage take it out while you have the computer turned over. Even if the computer is shot, the data may still be intact on the hard drive. After you get the hard drive popped out, go ahead and put the hard drive into a dry paper bag or container and completely cover the hard drive with dry rice. DO NOT PLUG YOUR HARDRIVE INTO ANY OTHER COMPUTER FOR AT LEAST 72 HOURS OR LONGER IF YOU CAN WAIT.
  6. Let the laptop dry out completely. Leave the computer unplugged from the wall and the battery out in the open position for at least 72 hours. I would even recommend longer just to be sure. If you are savvy with your computer hardware, you may even want to take the keyboard off the computer in order to open up the computer so it may dry out faster. However this is probably a job better left to the professionals at South City Computer since we have the tools and expertise to take apart most laptop computers including Apple Mac computers.

At this point it is probably best to have a computer technician at South City Computer diagnose the computer to determine if it the laptop can be salvage, and also determine if the data on the hardrive can be salvaged.

Most importantly don’t beat yourself up! Accidents happen it is a fact of life. Just stay calm and cool since the ultimate outcome of the computer is unknown until the South City Computer technician can diagnose the state of the laptop computer.

How to add or remove synced photos from your Apple iPad, iPhone, or iPod with iTunes

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Recently, a computer repair customer brought their iPad and laptop in to the computer repair shop to get help on how to deal with their files.  We are able to help with this type of Computer services in Lindenwood Park.

In the latest version of Apple iTunes, the syncing options for your photos can be a bit confusing. On your Apple device, you have a camera roll, which contains all the images you took or downloaded using the device itself. You also have the option to divide these photos up into albums, allowing you to organize your photos. There’s another way to get photo albums on your device though that you might not be aware of: through iTunes. This option is so that you can get the images from your computer’s hard disk to the iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.

What confuses most users is the strange place within the iTunes sync settings that Apple chose to place the option. To get to it, open iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC and plug in  the device using the USB sync cable. Select the device from it’s button on the right side of the header, and then choose the Photos tab. What most people don’t notice is that the header of the page “Photos” actually has a check box you can select. If you want to copy your pictures to your device, all you have to do is check this box.

This is also a solution if your device’s storage is full of photos that you cannot delete. Simply uncheck the box, and all the images will be removed from the i-Device. While the photos will be removed from the device to free up storage, they will remain in the My Pictures folder or Photos Library on your Mac or PC for safe keeping.

iTunes has many strange aspects, and confusing features. Web help is great, but it will not cover these all, so for expert help and computer repair related to iTunes, or any other computer problems you may be having, visit South City Computer at 3235 Ivanhoe Ave. in St. Louis, just north of Lindenwood Park.

How to turn an iphone into an itouch

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Are you wondering how to turn your iphone into an itouch? It’s quite simple really.

To convert your old iphone into something more useful, like an itouch follow these simple instructions:

1. Remove the sim card. You might find it easiest to remove the sim card in the iphone by getting a paper clip, opening it up, and putting the paper clip into the hole where the sim card is located in the iphone, releasing the sim card tray.

2. After the sim card tray is released and it slides out, remove the sim card and push the tray back into the phone until it clicks into place.

3. Navigate on the screen to the iPhone Settings->General->Network-> menu. Uncheck “enable 3G” and “Cellular Data”

That’s it, now you can plug your new iTouch into your computer using the special USB connector and sync it up with your iTunes!

Simple Steps To An Easier Computer Repair

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Simple steps to take before computer repairThis is a quick check list of simple steps you can do before you bring your computer to us for diagnostic and repair services:

  1. Do you have the Recovery CD(s) that came with the computer. With newer computers there may be a recovery partition on the hardrive. We can order recovery CDs for most makes/models of computers, however its quicker if you have the recovery CDs when you bring the computer in for service.
  2. Bring the power cord for your laptop computer. That is usually the only chord we will need to perform the computer repair. If your desktop computer uses a non-standard power cable, be sure to bring it with the computer.
  3. Have you been backing up your data? We will need to know if you need the data on the hardrive recovered (if possible). It’s a good idea to have a backup plan in place. Talk to a our computer technicians about a backup and recovery strategy that will work for you.
  4. What are the problems you are experiencing. While we do not expect you to be up on your “geek speak”, be specific and descriptive about the issue(s) you are experiencing when using your PC. Let the tech know the types of software that you are running when the issue occurs.
  5. How old is your computer? Knowing the approximate age of your computer can help our technician identify the version of Windows or Mac OS is installed on your computer, and also which Windows service pack your computer is on. It also will help our technician to discuss with you the benefit of fixing your computer problem, or assisting you to select a replacement computer that is right for you, and then help you to migrate your personal data to your new computer.
  6. Be prepared to pay a fee for our service up front. Most professional computer repair stores ask for money before they begin work. Usually we request you pay for the time it takes a technician to diognose your computer issue and prepare a repair estimate.
  7. Reset your password before you bring your computer to South City Computer if you still are able to. We recommend setting it to something like “temp1234”. We respect your privacy and do not need to know your private passwords.
  8. Getting your computer repaired can seem like a daunting task, but taking these few simple steps before bringing your computer in for repair service could make your repair go much faster.

Need help removing a computer virus?

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Do you think you may have opened a virus file disguised as an image or document file from a trusted email? Is your computer no longer functioning normal, like it used to? Does your computer seem like it is constantly doing something even when you are not using it? Your computer might be infected with a computer virus.

A computer virus is a computer software known also as malware that can sometimes replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term Malware includes computer viruses, computer worms, Trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, malicious or unwanted software, true viruses, adware and spyware programs that do not have a reproductive ability.

Many computer problems are the result of a computer virus. This is a list of common signs of an virus infection you should watch for:

  • The computer runs slower than normal
  • The computer stops responding or freezes up
  • The computer cannot connect to the Internet
  • The computer has limited to no network connectivity
  • Internet Explorer will no longer connect to the Internet
  • The computer is crashing and restarting often
  • The computer restarts on its own and is not running normally
  • Your files seem to have disappeared
  • There are other system users available at start-up
  • Software on your computer is not functioning correctly
  • Strange support software pops up when running Microsoft Office
  • Hardrives or recovery partitions are inaccessible
  • The computer will no longer print correctly
  • The computer has unusual error messages, strange anti-virus and anti-spyware programs running, or is showing pop-ups
  • The computer is showing alternate window borders, and strange menus that are not normally there.
  • Rouge security software is running on the computer
  • Your email contacts have been receiving strange emails from you that you did not send

If you know your computer has been compromised at some point or if you are experiencing any combination of these signs, your computer may be infected by a computer virus. Bring your computer to Ivanhoe Computers today for a virus scan and removal!

Mac computer repair

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South City Computer Offers Mac Computer RepairApple Macintosh computers are great performance computers that are built by Apple Inc. for personal, educational, business, and institutional computer processing use. The reason many Apple products are so reliable is that the hardware and software are often times engineered, designed and built for each other. Apple computer are a proprietary computing platform that many people find intuitive and responsive for their daily computing needs.

Unfortunately many Apple computers need computer repair services.

The Apple store is primarily a retail store that is focused on selling new Apple hardware and software products. There are computer repair services offered at the “Genius Bar” in the Apple store. You have to scheduled an appointment beforehand to meet with a Genius to discuss your computer issue. The Genius may not understand your computer problem since Genius’ are often only sales representatives of the Apple company who do not actually repair computers.

Apple has often been noted as making computer products that are beautiful and sleek. With the slick design of the iPad, iPod and iPhone, these personal mini computers are prone to accidental dropping. iPad and iPhone touch screens often shatter on impact and make the iPhone hard or impossible to use. At South City Computer we can fix broken iPad, iPod and iPhone screens.

Usually the Apple warranty known as “Apple Care Protection Plan” on MacBooks and iPads, and iPhones does not cover liquid damage. A Genius may discover the liquid damage sensor indicating liquid damage even though no liquids were spilled on the Apple device. Even if you never had liquid damage, the liquid sensor inside the Apple device can be triggered by the humid climate of St. Louis, Missouri and other humid parts of the United States.

Mac Virus BSODWith the technological migration of the Intel processor chipset into Apple iMacs and MacBook Pro computers brought on the capability to run Microsoft Windows on the Macintosh hardware. Which in-turn introduced all the issues associated with the Microsoft computing platform. Macintosh computers running Windows are now susceptible to many Windows virus’ and blue screen of death “BSOD” problems that were once only associated with Windows computers. This can cause data loss and having to re-install the entire operating system. At South City Computer, we can fix any Apple Virus and BSOD problem and usually recover the lost data. Contact us today!

How To Mount Mac HFS Read and Write with Ubuntu Linux

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You can make it possible to mount a MAC HFS+ as Read and Write in Ubuntu Linux.

sudo apt-get install hfsplus

Then, use the -o force option to force the drive to mount:

sudo mount -o force /dev/sdX /your/mount/point

If the drive has been mounted automatically (as it should be on a desktop system like Ubuntu), you can enable remounting as writeable by:

sudo mount -o remount,force /mount/point

or

sudo mount -o remount,force /dev/sdx

Use mount -l to find which devices are already mounted on which mount points.

I used this to save data off of the mac hard drive

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