With more than 20 years of experience, Pacific NorthWest Computers provides affordable on-site and in-shop computer repair services in Washington and Oregon State! We provide services ranging from onsite and remote support, malware removal, data recovery, laptop hardware repairs, custom-built computers, networking, security services, consulting/training, and many other computer/tech-related support and services! www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Bambu Labs X1 Carbon - Mods & Upgrades
Bambu Labs X1 Carbon
Monday, May 12, 2025
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Best Value NAS System: Turn-Key & Custom Built
Best Value Turn-Key NAS (Plug-and-Play):
QNAP TS-464
Why it's great: Best balance of performance, expandability, and value. *Hot-swap supported.
Drives: 4x SATA 3.5"/2.5" bays (hot-swappable)
CPU: Intel Celeron N5105 Quad-core
RAM: 4GB DDR4 (upgradeable)
Network: 2x 2.5GbE LAN
Expansion: PCIe slot for 10GbE or NVMe cache card
Price: ~$1,100 *4 x 4TB HDD's
Set-Up & Prep Medicat Bootable Window PE
Set-Up & Prep Medicat Bootable Window PE
1. Prepare Your Medicat USB or SSD
Download & Install Ventoy:
- Visit the official Ventoy website and download the latest release.
- Launch Ventoy2Disk and install it to your USB drive or external SSD.
- Enable Secure Boot support during installation (check the box in the installer).
Add Medicat ISO Data:
- Download the latest Medicat ISO from the official source.
- Copy the ISO file directly to the USB/SSD (no extraction necessary).
📺 Video Tutorial:
How to Set Up Medicat on USB or External SSD
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Email Address Change – What To Do When Switching Email Providers
Email Address Change:
What To Do When Switching Email Providers
If you’re moving to a new email service or provider, here are the key steps we recommend to ensure a smooth transition:
Friday, May 2, 2025
Fix Local Windows Network Discovery & Network Device/System Access Issues
Fix Windows Network Discovery & Network Device/System Access Issues
1. Ensure Network Discovery is Enabled.
Follow these steps to ensure that network discovery is enabled:- Open the Control Panel.
- Navigate to "Network and Sharing Center".
- Click on "Change advanced sharing settings".
- Ensure that "Turn on network discovery" and "Turn on file and printer sharing" are selected.
Microsoft Office Blocking Content of Network/OneDrive Stored Data - FIX!
Microsoft Office - Blocking Content of Network/OneDrive Stored Data
You may have noticed that Microsoft Office applications like Word or Excel will sometimes block or restrict access to files stored on network drives or OneDrive, and you’re not alone. This feature is part of Microsoft’s tightening of security defaults, and while it's meant to protect users, it can interfere with legitimate workflows—especially in shared or networked environments. Fortunately, there’s a quick workaround that allows you to safely enable access by configuring your Trusted Sites settings in Windows.
Monday, April 28, 2025
Tutorial: Virus Scans and System Cleanup (PC)
Tutorial: Virus Scans & System Cleanup (PC)
1. Running a Virus Scan with Windows Defender (Microsoft Defender Antivirus)
Windows 10/11:
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Click the Start Menu and type Windows Security. Open it.
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In the Windows Security window, click Virus & threat protection.
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Under Current threats, click Quick Scan to immediately scan important areas of your computer.
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For a deeper scan:
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Click Scan options under the Current threats section.
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Choose Full Scan and click Scan Now. (This may take 1-2 hours.)
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Notes:
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Ensure that Windows is fully updated by checking Windows Update.
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Threats found will be quarantined automatically or prompt you for action.
Monday, April 21, 2025
Misc Software Tools, Apps, Sites/Services & Utilities
🛠️ Misc Tools
- msconfig
System configuration Wikipedia Overview - Task Manager
System performance and process viewer Task Manager Info - schtasks /query
View scheduled tasks Microsoft Docs - Services Manager
Manage system services Windows Services Info - Event Viewer
View system logs Event Viewer Docs - LogParser
Microsoft tool that lets you query Event Logs, IIS logs, etc. LogParser
System configuration Wikipedia Overview
System performance and process viewer Task Manager Info
View scheduled tasks Microsoft Docs
Manage system services Windows Services Info
View system logs Event Viewer Docs
Microsoft tool that lets you query Event Logs, IIS logs, etc. LogParser
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Suspicious Network & Endpoint Activity Investigation Guide
Suspicious Network & Endpoint Activity Investigation Guide
This guide combines a structured documentation checklist with an actionable toolkit in PowerShell and Python to help rapidly investigate and respod to suspicious activity on a Windows-based endpoint. It includes tutorials for all tools and programs mentioned.Documentation, Triage/Remediation & Reporting Structure
1. Initial Triage & Observation
Symptoms Observed:
- Unexpected outbound connections
- CPU/disk spikes
- Unknown open ports
- Software behaving erratically
- System slowdown
- Time & Date Logged
- System(s) Affected: IP address / Hostname
- Alert Source Verficication/Review:
- User report
- SIEM
- EDR alert
- IDS/IPS
- Valid Security Alert (OS/AV)
- Etc.