Tag: water damage

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I Spilled Water on My Phone – What Now?

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I Spilled Water on My Phone

Did you know that — statistically speaking — more smartphones are dropped in a toilet on New Year’s Eve compared to any other day of the year?

Actually, that statistic isn’t true.

We literally just made it up right now.

But it would be fair to say parties and water damage done to smartphones go hand-in-hand. Whether it’s dropping your phone in a toilet, spilling a beverage on it, or dropping it in a puddle as you exit a cab, water damage happens…

So with New Year’s Eve just a few days away, let’s hope you aren’t one of the unlucky ones who ends up saying…

Help! I spilled water on my phone!

If your phone ever does end up exposed to moisture or water, your best bet is to contact us right away. Although water damage is a tricky thing, we perform a number of different types of smartphone repairs, including iPhones.

I Spilled Water on My Phone and It’s Midnight – What Now?

Assuming you’re nowhere nearby, or that the damage occurs outside of regular business hours, there are a few remedies you can try yourself first:

(1) Don’t panic. Shut your device off immediately, even if that means losing unsaved work.

(2) Remove the battery if possible. In fact, dismantle as much of your device as you’re able to. This will speed up the drying process and help you to see what exactly got wet.

(3) Contrary to popular belief, don’t immediately reach for a hairdryer. Forcing air into tiny spaces just means you’ll be pushing water further into areas you can’t see or reach. Worse yet, the heat could melt some parts.

(4) Blot dry any moisture you can visibly see. Ensure no residue is left behind. If you need a cleaning solution to remove any sticky fluids, use something like 99% rubbing alcohol or DIELECTRIC spray. Be patient, go slowly, and use a fresh, clean toothbrush to clean out small spaces.

(5) Pack your phone with something absorbent, such as silica packs, rice or pasta. If possible, place your phone near a dehumidifier.

(6) Leave your device off for 48 to 72 hours, until you’re absolutely certain that everything is dry. If you power it back on too quickly while it’s still wet, the damage might be irreversible.

You Can Save Your Smartphone

In a perfect world, electronic devices would be waterproof. Unfortunately, they are not — so take every precaution to avoid getting your smartphone wet in the first place.

We hear stories all the time of people who got their phone wet, dried the surface off with a towel, then carried on using it. It worked as normal for a day or two, then slowly began to lose functionality.

In most cases, this is due to corrosion. Sweet or sticky fluids made contact with the inner parts, and before long, they began to corrode important pieces.

So, please — if you’re one of the unfortunate few who ends up saying, “I spilled water on my phone!” Don’t treat cleanup as a rush job. Take your time. Be thorough. And you just might have a shot at saving your phone from a certain and painful death.

Happy New Year!

– the Target PC Repair team

 

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Should I Use a Firewall to Protect My PC?

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Should I Use a Firewall

It’s amazing how little people know about firewalls – only 4% of Americans say they understand firewalls completely. Most people don’t understand them at all. Hopefully, this article can help to shed some light!

When asking yourself the question, “Should I Use a Firewall?” Our answer is pretty simple. It’s “Yes.” But to truly understand why a firewall is a necessary defensive measure on your laptop or desktop computer, here are some considerations.

Should I Use a Firewall to Protect My PC?

To understand why you should be using a firewall, it’s necessary to understand what your computer is without one. Think of it like this – your computer has an “open door” policy without any form of protection.

Essentially, it’s wide open for hackers to access any sensitive information on your computer. If you keep any records of credit cards, bank account information or passwords on your computer, it may be accessible.

This connection happens when your computer accesses the Internet. You may be slightly safer on your home network – but is that the only place you use your computer? Most people use laptops on unsecured networks in a coffee shop, airport, or on other public wifi sources.

A good firewall will not only protect you from these possibilities, but will also scan your computer for any vulnerabilities, and instruct you for files or programs that make it easier for hackers to gain access to your precious personal information.

A good firewall will perform a couple of very specific actions:

  • Outsmarts sophisticated hackers
  • Catches hackers even if they manage to get past the firewall
  • Makes you essentially invisible to hacker tools

Firewalls work as a shield between your computer and the Internet. Essentially, they monitor the constant exchange of information between your computer and the web.

Firewalls filter content to see if it fits certain standards deemed to be safe or not, then allow or disallow information to be sent, often with a warning if a security threat is found. A good firewall program will keep an up-to-date list of security threats, as they’re constantly evolving.

Basic firewalls come standard on Windows operating systems, but firewalls with additional security featured can be purchased and used instead of these basic programs. It’s recommended that you opt for this extra security.

In addition to a firewall, you should be using an antivirus program. Although a firewall can detect malicious threats, it cannot remove them. That’s where antivirus programs come in.

Together, these two tools form the perfect pair for a safe computer, and protects your information from outsiders. If your desktop computer or laptop already has viruses, Target PC has virus removal services that can turn this problem around.

Are you still wondering, “Should I use a firewall to protect my PC?” Do you need more guidance as to how to implement a firewall for protection on your PC? Get in touch with us online or call us at (440) 725-0642 for more information!

Does your computer have a firewall? What are your best practices? Share in the comments!

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4 Ways You’ll Accidentally Damage Your Cell Phone

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damage your cell phone

Nearly 3 in every 4 Americans own a smartphone. While that may be great news in terms of staying connected, other surveys show that roughly 1 in every 3 smartphone owners will lose or damage their cell phones.

Here are a number of surprising figures in terms of how you may damage your cell phone:

  • The average iPhone is damaged within 10 weeks of purchase
  • 23 million Americans that have damaged their smartphones while watching a sporting event
    • 12 percent flung their phone in a fit of passion
    • 13 percent dropped their phone into their beers
  • Men are more likely than women to damage their smartphones
  • 18-to 24-year-olds are 16 percent more likely to break their smartphones
  • Men are 70 percent more likely to lose their phones
  • Men are 57 percent more likely to drop their phones into a toilet
  • Women are 42 percent more likely to have their phone stolen
  • The most common accidents include cracked screens and spilled fluids

Of course, if it is simply a matter of a cracked screen, we can easily repair that for you.

Barring that, what we are going to explore today is four common ways to accidentally damage your cell phone that you may not even know about.

(1) Accidentally installing malware

When you download smartphone apps, even from iTunes, you are risking granting permissions that may not be safe. In fact, you could accidentally damage your cell phone – or at the very least, your privacy – by allowing a new app to access your contacts, send text messages on your behalf, delete data, activate your camera, use bandwidth, or track your location.

Conclusion: If you aren’t familiar with an app, skip installing it.

(2) Leaving your phone on the charger too long

Do you generally leave your smartphone on the charger all night long? If so, the excess heat is not good and could damage your cell phone. In some rare cases, that excess heat has resulted in fires. Unlike the old days of cell phone usage, you no longer need to wait until your battery has fully died before charging it. At the same time, overcharging does not benefit your device.

Conclusion: Take your smartphone off the charger when it reaches 100%.

(3) Placing it in direct sunlight

This is the type of damage to your cell phone that could easily be an accident. Whether it is leaving your phone near a window, or placing it on a picnic table while playing some beach volleyball, that excess heat can easily cause several hardware components to malfunction.

Conclusion: Keep your phone in cool and shaded areas.

(4) Accidental exposure to moisture

This point might seem obvious; we all know that water and electronics don’t mix. That being said, many smartphone users forget that moisture does not necessarily refer to gigantic puddles. For example, you can damage your cell phone by placing it in the cup holder in your car that had a cold beverage in it a few moments before. Even placing your smartphone in the pocket of some freshly dried pants could be dangerous.

Conclusion: Keep your device away from any source of moisture.

Have you accidentally wrecked your smartphone in an unusual way? Tell us all about in the comments below.