Frequently Asked Questions

What services does The IT Squad provide for me to choose from?

Backup and Recovery – we will protect your data. On a daily basis your computer will back up all its data to our repository. The data will be encrypted

Protection and Security – we will protect your computer from the vulnerabilities that hackers look for.

These include automatically installing all the critical updates that Microsoft releases for Windows.

We will also scan your computer for any spyware or adware that might collect personal information about you. If we find it we will remove it or inform you what steps you should take to get rid of it. Our experts can guide you through this process.

Soon we will also be providing a service to determine if you have virus protection on your computer and whether it’s up to date. If you don’t have any, we’ll automatically install a complimentary copy of virus protection for your whole computer and make sure it’s up to date. If you already have virus protection, we’ll just scan it to make sure it’s up to date. If it’s not, we’ll update it if we can or alert you that there is a problem and let you know how to resolve it.

We will also soon be checking to see if you have a personal firewall enabled on your computer. If you don’t we’ll activate the one that is included with Windows. If you already have one, we’ll make sure that it’s configured to protect you. We will send a message confirming the changes we propose and allow you to make them or authorize us to make them.

Performance and Optimization – Each weekend we will put your computer through a battery of tests. We’ll look for broken programs. If possible we will automatically fix them. We will run a number of systems optimization tools to take care of administrative functions on your computer to maximize your space, speed the computer as much as possible and scan for the biggest bottlenecks in your system. We’ll inform you via our messaging platform of any changes that we recommend to your computer.

What about general repairs on my computer?

In the near future we will provide general computer repair services via telephone or on-site.

What is your Refund Policy?

The IT Squad guarantees complete customer satisfaction. Should any customer at any time choose to terminate our relationship The IT Squad will promptly refund any remaining time left from the Customer Service Agreement. The IT Squad wants every user to be completely satisfied whether a prospective customer, existing customer, or past customer. To receive the refund the customer must notify billing@theitsquad.com and simply alert us to the decision, and we’ll reply within 48 hours as to what the balance due is, and make prompt restitution.

Computer Backup and Recovery

Will my computer automatically back up my data every day?

Yes. Our system is set up to automatically back up your computer on a daily basis. If your computer does not back itself up for a week, the system will automatically generate an e-mail to you, and then send an alert to one of our technicians, who will attempt to remotely prompt the backup. If this fails, we will contact you to help determine the problem.

Can I manually backup my data? 

Yes you can. Your computer now has a red icon with a white cross on it. If you use your right mouse button to click, you can choose "snapshot" and backup your computer immediately.

What is a snapshot?

a snapshot is the process of backing up your computer. When a snapshot runs, it will check each file on your computer and decide if it exists at The IT Squad's repository. If the file exists, the computer will move on to the next file. If it doesn't exist, it will copy it. If the file has changed, we will copy the parts of the file that have changed. All these processes work together to make the snapshot as quick as possible.

How long does a daily snapshot take?

Your daily snapshot will take anywhere from 5 minutes up to an hour or more, depending on how much has changed on your computer that day.

How long does the initial snapshot take?

The first time your computer backs itself up, there will be a lot of files that you have that won't be in the repository, so it will take several hours, maybe even a couple of days.

Can I use my computer while a snapshot is happening?

Yes, our technology allows you to continue to use your computer, even while the snapshot is taking place.

What happens if I turn off my computer while a snapshot is running?

The next scheduled snapshot will pick up were it left off.

What happens if my snapshot fails?

During the initial backup, this can occasionally happen due to some of the uncertainty of the Internet. The next scheduled snapshot will pick up where it left off.

How do I recover files that I accidentally deleted?

If you right-click on your recovery icon, select options. The recovery agent will open and bring you to the snapshot and restore tab. In the middle of this tab you will see an option to restore files or rollback. If you choose restore files, you will be prompted to find the file and then choose to restore it.

How do I recover my entire computer from new problems where it does not work correctly?

Please send an e-mail to support@theitsquad.com or call us at 877-371-1512. We will generate CD’s with a full recovery of your computer and will send them via overnight delivery to you. When you receive them, simply insert them into your computer and wait for a few minutes. Your computer will be up and running again without missing a beat!

Patch Management

What is Patch Management?

Microsoft sends out alerts on a regular basis of vulnerabilities that people discover. They then send out special programs called patches that will alleviate the vulnerability. The IT Squad makes sure that your computer automatically installs these patches. If the patches ever become disabled or removed, we'll automatically reinstall them.

How often do these patches get installed?

Your computer will automatically check with The IT Squad every day to determine whether there are any patches available. We will schedule these patches to be installed in the middle of the night so as to minimize any interruption to you.

My computer restarted. Did you do this?

Some patches require your system to be restarted in order to be applied. When we've installed a patch that requires your computer to restart, we will schedule the restart to happen at 5:00 AM your time to minimize any interruption to you. The system will pop up a message that the computer is about to reboot and allow you to defer the reboot if you are in the middle of something. If this schedule is inconvenient, please contact us and we will adjust the schedule to a different time or disable the reboot schedule altogether. Simply send a message to administrator@theitsquad.com with the subject line “change reboot schedule”