REDWOOD CITY, CA–(EMWNews – August 6, 2008) – These days, hungry dogs and sloppy

siblings take a backseat to crashed computers and corrupted files as likely

homework excuses. To avoid headaches down the road, getting technology

ready for the school year is one prerequisite to add to the Back to School

to-do list. support.com, a leader in delivering remote services to

diagnose, repair and optimize personal computers, is ready to help with its

PC Tune and Protect service.

Whether your student lives at home or on campus, PC Tune and Protect will

help ensure your computer is ready for the demanding school year. Our

expert Solutions Engineers will connect remotely to your PC and fine-tune

your settings for optimal performance and install up-to-date virus and

sypware protection. Our services can improve performance and enhance

security, without having to take your computer in for service or wait for a

technician to come to the home. The service is available by visiting

www.support.com or calling 1-800-PC-Support.

support.com offers these tips for parents when setting up technology for

the new school year.

In the Home:

--  First and foremost, protect your children online.  Set up parental

    control software on your children's computer, always know all their

    passwords, keep the computer in a public place in the home and keep an eye

    on your child's profile on social networking sites.

--  Set up a separate profile for each user.  This will ensure that each

    user has a desktop suitable for their individual needs.

--  Close out each school year by backing up all your kids' files from the

    previous year to a removable storage device.  You'll always have access to

    that second-grade science project, but it won't be taking up precious space

    for next year's projects.  Not sure where to start with backing up?

    support.com's expert Solutions Engineers are ready to lend an empathetic

    hand with Data Back-Up service.

    

On Campus:

--  College students often conduct work on open WiFi networks, so be sure

    the computer has the most up-to-date virus and spyware protection.

--  An extra battery pack is helpful when pulling long hours in multiple

    locations.  Never buy a used battery pack, but save some money by buying a

    non-name-brand battery built to fit the computer.

--  Pre-owned computers are a cost-effective way to send your student off

    to college with a "new" computer.  Look for something with a minimum 1.8

    dual-core processor, 2 GB memory and 120 GB hard drive with built-in WiFi

    to keep pace with the needs of today's college student.  A well-appointed

    computer can also serve as an entertainment center and communication hub.

--  Have a back-up plan in place.  Before writing a single sentence, have

    a plan for saving and backing up files to prevent disastrous data losses.

    support.com suggests keeping important files at least in duplicate on the

    computer and on a removable storage device like a thumb drive.  Online back-

    up sites can also provide a third line of defense for critical projects.

    

Don’t let an all-night cram session turn into a nightmare. Keep emergency

numbers handy, like Mom’s cellphone, the 24 hour pizza place and

1-800-PC-Support. In case of a last-minute computer emergency, a

support.com expert Solutions Engineer can quickly diagnose and repair

computer problems and set your scholar back on the road to academic

excellence.

PC Tune and Protect service is available for $89.99 at www.support.com or

by calling 1-800-PC-Support.

About support.com

support.com, a leading provider in the growing remote technology services

space, wants to fundamentally change the way people fix technology

problems. Previously, a computer meltdown meant pleading phone calls to

tech-savvy friends and family, a trip to the computer store or a long wait

for a technician to arrive and fix it. support.com’s suite of tools mean a

qualified technician can diagnose and repair most technology problems

quickly over the phone, typically for less than the cost of in-store or

in-home service. Additionally, support.com’s services can happen while you

watch, so they are ideal for people who are concerned about privacy and

security. The company behind support.com is SupportSoft (NASDAQ: SPRT),

which provides software and services that make technology work. The

Company’s solutions reduce technology support costs, improve customer

satisfaction and enable new revenue streams for companies reaching 50

million users worldwide.