Computer Services

Windows® PC Hardware and Software:

Silver Tower

Repair and Upgrades for Desktops and Notebooks
Free Cost Estimates

We provide all hardware and software services that you might need, including:
- Virus Resolution
- Data Recovery
- Performance Improvement

Should I repair or replace my computer?

Most of the time, any computer can be repaired. However, there are situations where you might want to make one choice over the other. Generally speaking, the age of your computer and the costs of repair vs replace are major considerations. For example, some users may have software they want to keep, but migrating to a newer version of sotware is either not possible or difficult. In this case, repair might be your only option.

On the other hand, especially if your computer is more than 6-8 years old, you would probably be better off with a new or refurbished computer. Considering your current situation, we can make a couple of recommendations and you can choose one that you prefer.

PHONE SCAM ALERT: Of course, if you get a phone call from someone, often claiming to be from Microsoft, who tells you that they've "detected" a problem with your internet, hang up the phone. They may call again, but hang up each time. They'll stop calling eventually.

SCAM ALERT: A large window suddenly appears on your screen (often with a red background), and it tells you that some error has been detected. Usually, it will tell you "Do not power off your computer" and to call a telephone number on the screen. DON'T CALL THE TELEPHONE NUMBER.

NOTE: This is technically not a virus, but is what you might call a malicious browser pop-up. Typically, this pop-up appears after you've used your browser (Chrome, Edge, or Firefox). This pop-up will often disable your mouse, not allow you to open or close programs, and won't allow you to open the Start menu. It does this with HTML code in your browser.

WINDOWS 10/11 RESOLUTION: Despite the "warning", shutting down or restarting your computer will usually resolve this. The preferred way is to restart with Step 1 below:

1.) On your keyboard, press the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys together. A menu will appear, and you'll select "Sign out".
Pressing Enter at the Lock Screen, you should get to the Windows login screen where you enter your password or PIN. You should see a power icon at the bottom-right of the screen. Click this icon, then click "Restart" (and "Restart Anyway", if prompted).

2.) If you can't do Step 1, press and hold your power-on button for a full 5 seconds (keep holding the button for the 5 seconds, even after your screen goes black); your computer will drop power. Wait 10 seconds, then power on again.

Once you're back in Windows, you should no longer see the malicious pop-up window. Re-open your browser, and your home screen should appear normally. (An exception to this is if your browser is set to "contiinue where you left off" at startup, which we don't recommend, and you may see the malicious pop-up window again. If this is the case, repeat Step 1. When you've restarted, don't open your usual browser, but you should be able to open another browser without problems. We can help you change the settings in your problem browser, or delete it's history. (You can often do this yourself by disconnecting your internet connection before opening the problem browser, then go into your browser to change its settings, then close the browser. Once that's done, you can re-connect your internet connection and re-open your browser without problems).

NOTE: If the "Fast Startup" box is checked in Power Options / Choose what the power button does, a Shutdown will run as Hibernate. If this is your case, you'll need to do a Restart and not a Shutdown.

The malicous pop-up can occur after you've visited a particular website, an ad on the website, or did an internet search and clicked on any one of the search results. Hopefully, some day, a browser update will prevent this problem. Until then, we recommend you use either ESET Antivirus/ESET Internet Security, or Malwarebytes Premium, or both. These have website blockers that will block access to known-malicious websites.