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Directive has been serving the Oneonta area since 1993, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Want to Impress the Boss? These 8 Keyboard Shortcuts Should Help

There are a bunch of shortcuts that most (if not all, at this point) of us should already know… cut, copy, paste, new tab, things like that. These are the basics. However, if you really want to show off for the boss—blowing them away with your efficiency and professionalism—some more advanced options are also handy to know.

Let’s go over some shortcuts to take advantage of:

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Embrace Inbox Zero (and Impress the Boss!) by Mastering Gmail Rules

If you want to impress the boss, it helps to make yourself look as impressive as possible. One way to do this is to be particularly engaged and responsive in your email practices… and to accomplish this, it helps to keep your inbox organized and managed.

Let’s go over some simple tips that you can use to show off how professional you are with your emails as you use Gmail.

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How to Use Smart (or Snap) Windows in Windows 11

Multitasking is a common thing for today’s workers, and so is having multiple tabs open in your web browser. You might even have multiple different apps running simultaneously, which can make you feel like you have to constantly close one window to open another. Well, no more. You can use Smart Windows (also known as Snap Windows) to place two or more side-by-side and enhance your productivity.

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5 Ways to Maximize Your Mouse Clicks

Are you making the most out of every single mouse click you make? The navigation peripheral has a lot of hidden functionality that you might not realize exists. Today, we want to go over some of the ways you can make each mouse click matter just a little bit more, as well as how you can use these tricks to save a little time and be a bit more productive.

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Tip of the Week: Control Your Mouse with Your Keyboard (Really)

Have you ever heard of mouse keys? It’s an accessibility feature of Windows 11 that lets you control your mouse cursor using the keyboard. It’s helpful for when your mouse stops working, or if the batteries die and you don’t have another you can use. Here’s how you can make the most of mouse keys for your Windows 11 PC.

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Cybersecurity Made Easy: Four Tips for Every User

From online banking and shopping to social media and remote work, we're constantly sharing information. While our digital lives offer incredible convenience, they also expose us to a growing number of cyberthreats.

Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to exploit vulnerabilities and steal personal information. Fortunately, by adopting a few key habits, you can significantly reduce your risk and protect your data. Here are four things every user needs to remember to help them avoid cyberthreats.

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The Next Time You Get Frustrated with IT, Remember This

It’s easy to let issues with your technology cause productivity to crash and burn, especially when you’re in the thick of a major project or a complex task. Frustration is all too common in the office, especially where technology is concerned, but it doesn’t have to ruin your day or kill your productivity. Today, we want to discuss how maintaining your composure is the best way to address these issues.

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What Do All Those Different File Types Do?

There are a lot of file types that are put to use in the modern workplace, all with their own importance. Let’s review what the different file extensions—the little series of letters after the file name—mean, and how they influence how you can use a given file.

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5 Tips to Optimize Your Workspace

You’re on your second coffee, but the gears just aren’t grinding. You know the feeling. Sometimes, it isn’t that you lack motivation, it’s that where you are working isn’t conducive to productivity. A well-optimized workspace, not just in your physical setup, but in your digital organization, can improve productivity and efficiency of tasks immediately.

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Secure Your Business: How Password Managers Simplify Cybersecurity

If you're like many small and medium-sized business owners, you're juggling countless online passwords… for email, banking, software, supplier portals, and more. It's overwhelming! This often leads to using simple or repeated passwords, which unfortunately opens the door to cyber threats like data breaches, a serious risk for any business. Thankfully, there's a straightforward solution: a password manager.

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Three Tips to Turn You Into a Web Browsing Wizard

Most of us use our internet browser every single day without thinking twice. Open tab, type something, click stuff, maybe panic a little when 42 tabs are open. Your browser can actually do a lot more for you, including saving you time and keeping you organized. This month, we thought we’d give you three browser tips that can seriously help you.

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One Way to Protect Your Data: Hand It Out Less

We all know companies collect a lot of data. After all, your business is no exception to this rule, and you likely collect significant consumer data to facilitate operations. But if you get the itch to protect your personal privacy (and you should), there are ways to limit how much advertisers, criminals, and other companies can gain access to. Here are just a couple of ways.

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Your Antivirus Crash Course (Implement Security Solutions Today)

Antivirus is a staple security solution for businesses and everyday PC users, but have you ever considered how it works? By thinking through some of the details, you might gain a greater understanding of how antivirus works, what it does, and why you need to keep it updated. Today, we’re going to discuss just that, starting from square one.

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Tip of the Week: Chrome Tips to Save You Time (and Energy)

It’s no secret that Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers in the world, if not the most popular. Still, most people don’t use the browser to its full potential, and they leave so many wasted opportunities to save time and resources on the table. Today, we want to highlight some of these tips, but also a couple of features that perhaps you didn’t know existed for Google Chrome so you can continue to get more value out of it as a business and productivity tool.

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The Definitive Guide for Getting Your Passwords In Order, Once and for All

Normally, we try to keep the focus on business technology, but this guide is geared toward the typical home user, who may not be that high-tech.

These days, nearly all human beings are wrapped up in a little technology, and there isn’t a huge divide between protecting yourself as an employee at a company versus protecting yourself as an individual—at least as far as cybersecurity habits go. Even if you feel like you are pretty low-tech, you still have to worry about protecting your identity, financial information, and personally identifiable information online.

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You Need to Be Able to Spot Scams Before They Sink You

The Internet is a fantastic place to shop, connect, and learn, but people also have to deal with the minefield of scams—especially in 2025, where opportunists are getting even craftier with AI and other high-tech tricks. This month, we take a look at four simple ways you can spot an Internet scam before it drains your wallet or your personal data.

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Tip of the Week: You Need to Know These YouTube Keyboard Shortcuts

Websites also make excellent use of keyboard shortcuts you use every day to improve your productivity. YouTube is an excellent source of entertainment and education, so today, we want to help you get more value out of it with keyboard shortcuts. Here are some of the best that you should know.

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Tip of the Week: Simple Privacy Steps on Android

Your Android device offers a lot of capabilities in its little frame, with many people relying on theirs to keep their lives organized and generally handled. Many businesses even rely on Android mobile devices. This should only reinforce how critical privacy and security are.

In light of this, we’ve shared a few simple tips anyone can do to help make a smartphone that much more secure. 

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Tips of the Month: Five of the Best Computing Tips

Business is an increasingly digital experience. Let’s face it, we spend a lot of time on our computers, so why not use them like a pro? Here are seven simple tips to make your computer life smoother, faster, and less frustrating.

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Tip of the Month: Create Better Passwords

Think about how many online accounts you have. With so many accounts, it’s important to make sure they’re secure. Creating strong passwords is one of the best ways to protect your accounts from hackers. Here’s how you can create passwords that are hard to crack and keep all your online accounts safe.

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Our business began its journey with the purchase of a personal computer back in 1992. This purchase ignited a passion with Chris Chase, our CEO, and there was no stopping its momentum. Less than one year later, he had his first IT support client (and...

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