Repairs, Virus Removal & Upgrades

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 of death (BSOD) 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 on an external disk drive - we can recommend a few options for you.

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.

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Upgrades

DO YOU NEED A HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE UPGRADE?  
Many computers sold from new since 2005 could still have a reasonable amount of life left in them if upgraded to Windows 7, but few older than 5 years will be able to handle Windows 7 without a little surgery. Computers sold before 2005 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 7 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 7 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 7 you will need at least double this amount of storage, so aim for a minimum of 250Gb. 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. Aim for 500Gb or even a 1Terrabyte (1Tb) disk.

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 (with high capacity versions holding double this). It goes without saying that the current generation of CD's are inefficient storage devices when compared to DVD's which hold almost 7 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 7 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). It will become increasingly difficult for Windows 98 through to Windows XP computers to access the internet via broadband, especially as Microsoft are dropping support for these versions of Windows. Be wary of any supplier "dumping" computers installed with Windows Vista without giving you a free option to upgrade to Windows 7. You may find yourself needing to pay an additional amount for the Windows 7 licence (or product key).

6. Windows 7 available - Windows 7, the much-heralded replacement of Vista (also known as "Vista that works") is now available. If you are thinking of replacing your Windows XP (or earlier versions) computer and wish to move all your files to the new computer you need to understand the upgrade process. Windows XP is NOT upgradeable to Windows 7 - it requires work to move your data to the new PC and understand that some old programs will not run as part of Windows 7 - however, there is a free download from Microsoft that will enable you to run programs in Win XP Mode on a Windows 7 computer (if your software is not able to run normally in Windows 7). Windows Vista does have an upgrade path - the jury is out on a verdict as to how successful these upgrades have been.

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 rarely 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.

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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 and transfer data to the new computer
• 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 7.

Anti-virus Protection

• Don't make the mistake of thinking free downloaded internet security packages are going to protect you. Ask yourself a question - if a software company was to give away free versions of its software, who would ever buy it? Answer is, the purchased version usually protects you and is updated properly rather than going through the motions as some of the "free" downloads do. If you paid nothing for it, that's what it is worth in the "protection"  stakes.

• We can advise on alternatives to the most frequently used/installed packages. In many cases the suggested packages will be cheaper, more efficient and less trouble.
   

• A recent review of some clients' computers identified remnants of old programs which had not been removed properly, allowing some malicious software to take up residence and infect/damage important files.
   

• We can advise on a few simple rules regarding downloading files from websites, sharing information on your computer with other people on the internet and opening attachments to unsolicited emails.