Bamboo Partners

Do you guarantee your work?

We do.  We guarantee for a period of 30 days the recurrence of the same issue.  This does not include re-creation of the issue by you. (Such as a malware infection.) This determination is made by us.  (Technical proof is used, such as browser history or system logs - it is not an arbitrary decision.) In short, if we say we have fixed your issue and billed you, and we didn't (for whatever reason) there are no extra charges to make sure the issue has been taken care of.

I think I have a virus / spyware / malware.  Now what?

Go get Microsoft Safety Scanner from Microsoft - download and install it.  Run a full scan, let it remove anything that it finds. If the problem still persists, or your malware has caused other issues (cannot open programs or drives in My Computer) we can help you with that. After the scan completes and removes whatever it found, go download Microsoft Security Essentials and install it. (Remove any other virus protection program that you may be currently using - apparently, it isn't doing the job!)

My computer is running slow.  What can I do about it?

There are many things that can make a computer slow down.  The first is age.  As time goes by, more and more software is added to your machine and more and more items run at startup.  You may not be aware of all the programs that your machine is running in the background, but it could potentially be a lot.  Check your Add/Remove Programs in your Control Panel and get rid of anything old that you no longer use.  Next, do a drive cleanup of C:,  then try a defrag of the C: drive.  You should be able to gain back at least a little speed.  Let us know if you would like us to do these things for you. Also, if your machine is approaching the 5 year mark, start considering a replacement. We will be glad to quote you a proper replacement from any of the major manufacturers.

Can you remotely access my computer anytime you want?

No.  Our remote support service is a one-shot deal.  Each time you need us to connect, we issue a new 9 digit support code that is only valid for that session.  Once we disconnect, that's it.  The software that it downloads on your end will uninstall itself automatically when we are done.  If you want us to be able to remote into your computer anytime we need to, see "What if I need you to remotely manage my machine when I am not available?"

What if I need you to remotely manage my machine when I am not available?

Yes, we can do that.  BUT you have to be present for the initial setup of this feature, AND give us permission on your end to do so.  You can also revoke this permission at any time from your end.

Once this is setup, we will be able to remotely connect to your machine as needed. (IE updates and maintenance after hours, server maintenance, etc.)

Do you provide web or email hosting?

We do, to a point.  We mostly provide hosting services (both web and email) for individual home office setups.  For small to medium size companies, we suggest a server located in-house, or a hosted solution.  We can help you set up either of these. 

What kind of Disaster Preparedness training can you provide?

Working with FEMA provided material, we can help either a group of individuals or a business plan for whatever contingencies that may arise. From simple multi-day power outages all the way to major hurricanes, we can customize our program to your needs.  Contact us for a quote for your group or organization.

Some basic Do's and Don'ts for using the Internet

Do's

Use a GOOD antivirus program. Even if you have an Apple MAC. (Sophos for MAC is good, and free.)

Avast Antivirus is free, and good to boot. If for some reason Avast isn't working right for you, then use AVG. AVG might also be better for a beginner user. Some like Trend Micro though we find it a bit resource heavy. (It slows your machine down a bit more than normal.)

Find yourself a good software firewall. Especially if you are using Vista or older systems. We recommend Comodo. (some people still like Zone Alarm).

Get a GOOD anti-spyware program. Spyware Terminator is a good one. Spybot Search & Destroy used to be decent but seems to have gone downhill. As has Ad-Aware. We used to recommend those.

For your web browser we highly recommend Firefox. Be sure to get the adblock plus plug-in. Other good alternatives are Opera and Comodo Dragon. Dragon is based off of Chrome but is a little more secure.

Don'ts

Don't use Internet Explorer.

Don't Use The Windows Firewall.

Don't waste money on anti-virus software such as Norton and McAfee. In this case, free IS better.

Don't use any P2P's (peer-to-peer software) unless you really know what you are doing. Lots of people got viruses from Limewire when it was around because they didn't know what they were doing.

Don't go to any porn sites unless you really know what you are doing and have really good virus and spyware protection. Even then you still have to be careful.

Don't click on banner ads.

Don't use MySpace.

Don't install browser toolbars.

Don't click on random links.

Don't download screensavers from the internet unless you really know what you are doing. So many of them come with lots of spyware.

Don't open any suspicious emails or emails that sound somewhat sexual. Even if it IS from someone you know...

end faq