Intelligent Computer Systems
820 Gartshore Street, Unit 105 N1M 2W8 Fergus, ON, Canada

We have tickets and are open today until 5pm, and open again on Monday morning at 9am. Cash only please.

We had a number of calls about this issue today. https://www.windowscentral.com/march-windows-10-update-appe

Running out of room on your favourite gaming console? Would you like faster load times? Upgrade your PS4 / PS4 Pro / XBox One / One X with an SSD and get almost instant start up, and more space to boot! We can do a clean install or migrate your existing downloads and saved games. 500GB - $250, 1TB - $300, 2TB - $500, 4TB - $950. Clean installs are a bit less. Book your upgrade now before the drives are out of stock again.

ICS News Bytes Monthly Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/5ba1e8/ics-news-bytes-monthly-newsletter

Did the power outage on Friday affect you? Not the fact that the power went out, and that maybe it took a while for your internet to come back, but did any of your computers or equipment not turn on properly when the power came back on? Not only can things be damaged when the power goes off unexpectedly, but more damage can be caused when the power comes back on. There is usually a bit of a spike that can damage sensitive computer equipment. A good surge protector can help protect things, but a UPS (or battery backup) is an even better solution. Not only will the UPS keep computers running when the power goes out, and will allow you to shut things down properly, but the surge component is usually better than a plain surge protector. In any case, maybe now is the time to look at your power protection options.

Stuck in the house under lockdown and need your computer fixed or need to purchase something from us? As always, we offer free local pickup and delivery (small fee for out-of-town customers). We will pick up your computer, repair it, sanitize it, and return it back to you - sometimes even the same day! Feel like getting out for a drive, but not sure about getting out of your car? Just call us when you are in the parking lot, and we will come out to you!

With everyone living and working from home all time time, we have seen numerous complaints about their internet. For the non-technical, it can be tough to know who/what to blame. Here are some troubleshooting tips you can do from home. Step 1 - If you can, connect a computer via a network wire to your router, and turn off all other internet devices (phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, etc.) Step 2 - Now, go to www.speedtest.net and run a test - you will get three numbe...rs. Compare the download speed and upload speed to what you are paying for. If you are getting what you are paying for, then it is not your internet provider (ISP) or your router. If you re not getting the speeds you are paying for, then it could be your router. Step 3 - Let's test your router. If you have another router you can try, swap it out and test it again. If you don't have another router, try connecting directly to the source if you can. That would be the cable that goes into the WAN or Internet port on the router. Plug that directly into your computer if you can and test again. If the numbers are still bad, then it is an ISP issue - call them. If the numbers are fine, but not when connected to the router, then it is a router issue. Step 4 - If your ISP and router are fine, now to start the difficult part of the troubleshooting. Turn one internet device on at a time, and do another speed test - it is possible that one device is causing the issue. If everything seems fine, then move to Step 5. Take a wireless device (phone or tablet is easiest) and walk around the house, pausing to do a speed test. There might be an area of the house where the wireless is weaker and would cause slower internet. A range extender could fix that. Step 6 - If the wifi signal seems OK everywhere, then it could be the site or service you are trying to use. As an example, the speed tests could all be perfect, but Netflix is slow... that is a Netflix issue and neither you or your ISP can fix that. If you have issues that you cannot figure out, then you can contact your favourite IT company (like ICS!) and they can come out help you out.

By now, you should have been in contact with your child's teachers about the e-learning plan they are working on, starting Monday. I know they don't have many answers for you, as they are still trying to figure out how they can adapt their courses to a work-at-home environment. The teachers will need your support and patience during this time, and expect many changes and unanswered questions. One thing that is true, is that your child will need decent technology to work effi...ciently. The school boards are suggesting Chromebooks because they are inexpensive, and meet the minimum requirements for the e-Learning platform. The school boards have a limited number of Chromebooks available to students, and only the most needy families will get one. Our suggestion is to NOT get a Chromebook - in our opinion they are basically tablets with keyboards. They have limited power, limited storage, and limited uses. A good refurbished computer (laptop or tower) is probably a better option, and will be useful for so many other things. Also, since your kids will only be required to fulfill a few hours a day of online learning, a family could easily share one device. If you would like to chat about your options, feel free to message us or call us at 519-787-4700. We will do our best to point you in the right direction. See more

We never thought Microsoft and Google would ever cooperate like this! We've tried the new Edge and it is pretty fast!