To All Customers and Friends, In response to the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic and the nationally and state-declared state of emergency, SandStorm IT wants to share the plans and precautions we are taking. We remain committed to continuing to provide the necessary services and support … Read More
5 Google Search Tricks You May Not Know
Google has become such a part of most people's everyday life that the word "Google" was adopted as a verb into the Oxford English Dictionary over ten years ago. It has become completely ubiquitous since then. Chances are anyone who has touched a computer or a mobile device connected to the Internet … Read More
Lost “it” in Windows 10? Here’s where to find it.
If you’ve recently made the jump from Windows 7 to Windows 10, or even from Windows 8, you might be surprised to see just how much has changed in your new Operating System. With such a user interface design change, you may be lost trying to find things such as "My Computer". Here are some of the … Read More
Why do I need an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)?
Imagine you are working on an important job for your company's most profitable client. Or perhaps you are in college and working on a final term paper. Maybe it is a massive spreadsheet or a multiple page document that you have spent hours working on. Suddenly the power at your office or home goes … Read More
What are social media bots and how can I protect myself?
Chances are, if you have used any popular social media platforms recently, you have been exposed to social media bots. By definition, this is not necessarily a bad thing, since these bots are just accounts on social media which are run automatically by a computer program rather than a human. … Read More
What are the best ways to combat computer infections?
The best way to combat computer infections is to NEVER connect to the internet. Of course, this is not a desired or viable option for most people. But unfortunately, the internet is the most common way of receiving or transmitting infections. Luckily, a mix of the right software and knowledge can go … Read More
Got a popup on your Windows 7 PC? Here’s what it means and what you can do.
So, you have the "Your Windows 7 PC is out of support" popup? Rest assured, it's not some kind of malware or false warning, it's legitimately from Microsoft. Around 29.7% of the PC's in the world still use Windows 7. The message that pops up on boot is pretty ominous but it's exactly what will … Read More
Why is HTTPS so important?
So everyone's seen the HTTP and HTTPS prefixes on their favorite website addresses but did you ever wonder why they were there and what the difference between the two was? Keep reading to find out. Way back in the pioneering days of the internet, the gurus of old had to figure out a way for … Read More
What is Linux, and Why Would I Want to Use It?
What's an Operating System? You're probably familiar with Microsoft Windows or Apple's Mac OS X. Windows and OS X are a special type of software called an Operating System (OS for short). The purpose of an OS is to function as a sort of foundation for other software to run within. If the OS were … Read More
5 Things to Consider When Buying a New Monitor
With the Windows 7 EOL coming up, a lot of users are getting new computers. To complete the "upgrade", most people shop for a new monitor as well. With the number of options available, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Our guide, "5 Things to Consider When Buying a New Monitor" may help shed some light … Read More