Repairs & Virus Removal
SOFTWARE OR HARDWARE?:
The first thing to determine is whether or not the fault you are experiencing is
a result of a problem with Hardware (i.e. the machinery itself) or Software
(i.e. the programs run on the computer and their settings). The only other area
to consider is human error (i.e. that's you, the user) which may be a simple
result of invalid details entered, finger trouble (i.e. fingers not typing what
the brain is telling it to) or insufficient training in the use of the package
you are trying to use.
SOFTWARE
FAULTS:
Software faults can be caused by many things, including:
- attacks from malicious
programs attached to emails, pictures or web-pages - eg. viruses, worms,
trojans, spyware, adware, etc. (these are becoming more common)
- program errors (or bugs) -
i.e. the program creator got it wrong (not too common these days)
- incorrect settings,
preferences or options (the most common)
- trying to run old software on
newer computers (and vice versa) - need to check compatibility carefully
- damaged files - can be result
of hardware failures, incorrect shut-down, sudden power losses,
lightning etc.
HARDWARE
FAULTS:
Hardware faults can be difficult to spot sometimes, possibly being masked by
other symptoms (i.e. fatal exceptions resulting in the infamous blue screens
which ask you
to press any key to continue or restart). Others can be pretty dramatic where a component
has obviously failed and caused a system shutdown. If necessary we will try to recover your
personal data from your computer wherever possible and load it onto Flash Drive, DVD or CD
for your future use. It is good practice to take regular back-ups of your
personal data to ensure that at any point you are never going to lose
significant amounts of work. Data recovery is not always possible from damaged
disks so don't put yourself in that position - take regular backups.
HUMAN ERROR = NEED FOR TRAINING or PRACTICE:
Finger trouble or insufficient training are common causes of invalid entry into
packages on computers. If you require additional training in a package you want
to use and we have knowledge of the product then we can arrange time to teach
you a little more about it until you are comfortable using it and know how/where
to get more information to help yourself in future.
WHAT WILL IT COST ME?
Our initial call-out fee is £25, covering the first hour of time. Beyond this we
charge £20 per hour. Wherever possible we will resolve the problem on-site in
the environment in which the computer operates. If the job is likely to take
more than 3 hours to resolve we will provide an estimate and agree a capped fee
for the work to be done. If the problem is un-resolved within the agreed time
limit we will advise next steps, return the computer and invoice for the
agreed capped fee. Our charges do not include parts, equipment or software that
may be required to resolve problems - these are estimated on a job by job basis
depending on the problem or requirement.
We will provide detailed estimates for these items and where required we will
source, supply and install them.
Upgrades
DO YOU NEED A HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE UPGRADE?
Many computers sold from new since 2002 could still have a reasonable amount of
life left in them if upgraded to Windows XP, but few older than 2 years will be
able to handle Windows Vista without a little surgery. Computers sold before 2002 are most likely to need replacing
due to their inability to cope with the ever-increasing processing demands
placed upon them by modern software packages, especially once connected to the
internet via Broadband and
loaded with Anti-Virus software.
KEY
COMPONENTS TO REVIEW
1.
The system processor speed (a bit like the engine of a car - is it a sporty
little 4-cylinder from a Fiat Punto or luxury V8 from a Jaguar?). For Windows XP
we recommend nothing less than an Pentium IV processor with a processing speed
of more than 1.0 Ghz. Then we need to look at what else you are intending to run
on the computer at any one time (i.e. is it fit for the workloads you are
going to demand of the computer). For Windows Vista you will need at least a
2.0 GHz dual core processor to handle the demands that will be
placed upon it.
2.
The amount and speed of memory (this is the area the computer uses to work in
and is flushed clear every time you restart the computer) - do you have the work
area equivalent to a broom closet on the 10th floor with no elevator or do you
have a massive new sports hall with all modern conveniences on the ground floor
(please forgive our indulgences). The amount and the efficiency of memory is
vital to optimising performance of your computer. So the broom-closet is small
and hard to use, whereas the sports hall is large and accessed rapidly. For
Windows XP our experience shows that you really need a minimum of 256Mb before
taking into consideration other demands such as broadband and anti-virus
software (you can easily add another 256Mb because of these extra demands). For
Vista you will need all you can get - minimum is 1Gb but you will do
yourself a big favour by aiming for a minimum of 2Gb of RAM.
3.
The amount of disk space
(this is your computer's filing cabinet - easy to
add more disk but is it worth it when you look at what else you might need to
replace?). With Windows XP an 80Gb hard drive will give you a fair amount of space to work with.
With Windows Vista you will need at least double this amount of
storage, so aim for a minimum of 200Gb. Depending on what you intend to load on the computer (i.e. music, videos,
pictures etc.) you may need to look at adding disk storage at some point to
accommodate these uses. As with all these components, budget dictates what you
can buy. Basically, the bigger the better when it comes to storage.
4.
DVD, CD or Blue Ray Disc drive
(your optical drive) - an average CD holds
around 700Mb of data (files). An average DVD holds around 4700Mb of data. A
standard Blue Ray Disc (for High Definition video and gaming) holds
about 20-25Gb. It
goes without saying that the current generation of CD's are inefficient storage
devices when compared to DVD's which hold almost 9 times as much data. Good
practice is to take back-up copies of your files frequently to ensure that you
never lose all of your files in a system crash or virus attack and can recover
to a recent point in time. Now that DVD writers are the standard device in most
computers it follows that backing-up your files to DVD is much more convenient
than having to load 9 times the number of CD's for the same result. Most Pentium
IV (or later) machines will be capable of holding an internal DVD writer to
replace the current CD-drive. We can help you select and install an appropriate
Optical drive for your computer and show you how to use it if necessary.
5.
The version of Windows you are running (some Broadband suppliers' equipment
may only work with the most up to date versions of Windows XP or Vista). It will become
increasingly difficult for Windows 98 or Windows ME computers to access the
internet via broadband, especially as Microsoft are dropping support for these
versions of Windows.
6.
Windows Vista is here!
- should you upgrade to this new
version of Windows or upgrade to XP? Having witnessed the difference between
Vista and XP Home, XP Pro and XP Media Centre Edition on similar desktop configurations, I think
I am prepared to wait a little longer for the upgrade to Vista. There just
seems to be so little additional benefit in comparison to XP to make it
worthwhile. I would have to add memory and substantially more disk, so not
sure I will upgrade soon. In addition, both Vista Home editions store
information that can not be accessed until you upgrade to a higher version
(Ultimate or Business). It will shock a lot of users that they will store on
average 2Gb per restore point in Vista compared with 20Mb per restore point
in XP.
7.
The Power Supply
Unit (PSU)
- most modern computers have
multiple USB devices attached to them, drawing their power from the USB
port, draining power away from running the computer. Every new graphics
card, sound card, disk drive, optical drive or games card you install on the
motherboard will have a power requirement supplied by the PSU. Whilst some
good computer manufacturers (like
Mesh Computers)
configure their computers with robust components capable of doing the job,
others (who shall not be named but are some of the most commonly visited
computer high-street shops or websites) don't. The cheaper the PC the
cheaper the components and the more likely your are to suffer component
failure during the useful life of your computer, these days most likely to
be the PSU. In addition, fluctuations in power supplied by the PSU can
damage other delicate components such as RAM and motherboard circuits. For
the sake of £25-£40 you can upgrade to a far superior PSU that will never
let you down - making it such false economy to install the cheaper versions
in the first place. The cheaper PC's sell in volume - that's where the
suppliers make their money - as well as selling the spare parts or
components required to fix their inferior machines.
DO YOU USE BROADBAND AND VIRUS PROTECTION?
If your computer needs
to link to the internet regularly you will most likely be connected to (or
considering ordering) a broadband service. This opens the door to a whole world
of people ready to attack your computer if you do not have sufficient protection
in place. However, the most effective Virus protection packages have quite an
impact on the resources of the average home computer, usually resulting in
purchases of additional memory to help cope with the load.
ADDITIONAL MEMORY DOESN'T ALWAYS SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
Additional memory is
not always enough. If your processor speed is not up to the job then increasing
memory is only going to partially lessen the load, not solve the underlying
problem, i.e. the computer's engine is just too slow for the processing
requirements.
DO YOU NEED A HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE UPGRADE?
If you would like a system review to understand the potential left in your old
computer then please get in touch with us.
Some of the services we provide, include:
- supply and install additional
memory,
- supply and install additional
disk storage,
- install necessary equipment
for linking to broadband (eg. ethernet cards),
- upgrade older computers to
Windows XP where practical - or maybe even Vista if the machine is capable
- recover files from old disks
if necessary
- set-up wireless networks to
allow you to use a laptop anywhere in the house
- review whether or not your
computer is capable of running Windows Vista.
