computers | tech ease, Columbus Ohio

Can’t Print in Windows – Check This Network Setting

tech ease — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:50:18 +0000

One of the most common calls I get is “My printer was working fine, and now I can’t print.” Of course there are several possible causes of this, but one that I see very often is that Windows changes the network setting on your computer to Public, instead of Private. When set to Public, your computer can’t see other devices on your network and other devices can’t see it. This is good for when you are at a coffee shop or some other “public” network that don’t know what devices are on it and who is managing it. The easiest way to fix this that I have found is to:

1. Go down to the lower right of your screen, right-click on your network icon (this might be the WiFi symbol or Ethernet symbol.)

2. Click on “Open Network & Internet Settings”

3. Click on the name of your connected network. You may have to switch to the “Ethernet” tab

4. Under “Network Profile” choose “Private” instead of “Public”

At this point what you have in your print queue may start printing. If it doesn’t you may have to clear your print queue and try to print again, restart your printer, or it could be something else.

Hope this helps – If you need further assistance feel free to call Tech Ease at (614) 653-7315

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Your External Hard Drive Probably Isn’t Really Broken

tech ease — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 13:34:45 +0000

Have seen several examples recently of external desktop backup drives, the kind with not only a USB connection but a power supply, that were either totally dead or wouldn’t mount correctly. In both cases, removing the hard drive from it’s case and connecting it to the computer with a fully functioning USB to SATA adapter has made the disk fully functional again. So don’t freak out about those lost photos of your kids, at least yet 😉

This is a fairly easy process that can save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars and you don’t have to send your drive away to have it worked on. Contact Tech Ease for more details.

The post Your External Hard Drive Probably Isn’t Really Broken first appeared on tech ease, Columbus Ohio.

A Solid State Drive (SSD) can change your life

tech ease — Fri, 05 May 2017 21:27:52 +0000

Have a few year old computer you like, but has been acting a little funny or that you would like to speed up? Are you always on the go and have a laptop that you carry with you everywhere? If they don’t have a Solid State Drive otherwise known as an SSD, your life could change for the better. Even though SSDs have been around for a few years, the prices have steadily dropped and the choices have increased 512gb to 1tb drives are now available for $200-$400. SSDs use computer chips to store your information instead of a spinning disk, and can result in faster start-ups, faster overall speed of the computer, longer battery life and less chance of data corruption/errors when used in a laptop and carried around when not shut down. It really can make your overall computing experience nicer (add some more RAM for an additional boost), and you can very likely use the old drive for backups.

Contact Tech Ease if you are interested in upgrading to an SSD. We can help!

The post A Solid State Drive (SSD) can change your life first appeared on tech ease, Columbus Ohio.

Not ready for a new device, but need a tune up?

tech ease — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 22:11:47 +0000

Phones and computers – especially Apple iPhones and Macs can last longer than you might think. Just because your device is a few years old, a little slow, full or has bad battery life doesn’t necessarily mean it is time to scrap it. An electronic tune up can make a device act like new again for much less cost than a new one. Recently Tech Ease has brought new life to the following devices:

Apple iPhone 4s battery replacement

Apple iPhone 4s dock connector replacement

Apple iMac ram upgrade

Apple MacBook Pro ram upgrade – a must if your Mac is a few years old and you have several apps open at the same time

Apple 27″ iMac hard drive replacement, operating system reload and transfer of information just as it was

Apple iPhone 5 battery replacement

Apple iPhone 5c battery replacement

Apple iPhone 4 (that was full) photo extraction/backup and deletion to make space

Contact Tech Ease and let us know what device you would like to keep happily using for a few more years.

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