Getting back to work when you need to get a new PC

Getting a new computer, either out of want or necessity, can be stressful. However, don't fret – when it comes to getting back to work, we've got the resources that will get you going with minimal down time.

Choosing the perfect PC for your appraisal business

The first step to getting a new computer, of course, is choosing which one you want. Often, this can be the most difficult part, as you try to narrow down what is important to you in a new computer. Do you want to have the ability to work on the go? If so, a laptop may be your best bet. Or, do you want to have multiple monitors, lots of hard drive space, and super-fast loading? If that's the case, a desktop would probably be best for you.

There are a few things that you need to take into consideration when shopping for a new computer, such as:

• Hard drive space
• Memory (RAM)
• Processor speed

Of course, these aren't the only things to focus on, but they're easily the most important. If you have a hard drive with a terabyte (or more) of storage space, you'll likely have more than enough space for all your files and photos to go for years without worrying about upgrading.

Similarly, the more memory your computer has, the quicker it will perform intensive tasks – especially if you have many programs or reports open at once.

The last thing to consider is the processor speed. While most computers on the market will have a sufficient processor, some are easily better than others.

The best thing we can recommend is to browse a web-store, such as Newegg.com and Amazon.com, and read the reviews for a variety of computers. Also, be sure to note the date on the review — a 5-star rating given in 2010 doesn't mean nearly as much as a 3-star rating given a month ago. Time moves fast in the computer world, and you don't want to purchase outdated technology by mistake.

Getting back to work while hitting your deadlines

OK, so you bought your shiny new computer and now it's time to transfer all of your reports, settings, data, and everything else you may have to your new computer. Sounds hard, right? Well, it doesn't have to be. We've written some helpful docs to walk you through every step, and get you back to work in no time. After you've gotten your computer plugged in, your desktop wallpaper set, and your music playing, it's time to install TOTAL and move your data over in this order:

• Install TOTAL (or WinTOTAL).
  – For assistance installing TOTAL, click here to view a short help doc.
  – If you're installing WinTOTAL, click here.
• Now you'll need to move all of your data from your old machine to your new one. Again, we have a help doc just for that – just click here (or here for WinTOTAL), follow the steps, and you're done!

Avoiding anti-virus interference

One pitfall of modern computing is the prevalence of viruses, spyware, and all of the other unwanted programs out there. Fortunately, there are more anti-virus and firewall programs available than you can count on two hands – and that's a good thing. However, as good as anti-virus programs are, they can still have some consequences on the performance of your computer. For instance, they can block legitimate Internet traffic (such as when you attempt to download a flood map from InterFlood) or even quarantine TOTAL's system files in what's called a “false positive.”

Now, you may have read the above paragraph and thought “oh no…” and had the idea of uninstalling your anti-virus program. Don't do that – not only is it a bad idea to go unprotected on the Internet, most anti-virus programs are easily configured to ignore our software.

Simply read our doc here to learn how to protect yourself.

And if you still need help, call us

We hope that this post helped you. The vast majority of transition questions we get are answered with the docs above. Please have them in hand while you're making the switch and refer to them first if you run into a speed bump (you'll save a lot of time over calling us.)

But, if you come across an issue that isn't covered in our documentation, don't forget that we're just a phone call away. (Better yet, go to https://myaccount.alamode.com to enter a support ticket and we'll contact you after researching your issue.) While we can't help you with every step in moving your data, we can easily help getting you pointed in the right direction in terms of your appraisal transition needs.