Please note: We do not work on Apple (Mac) computers
I simply do not like Macs or the way they are marketed & am fortunately in a position to choose not to work on them.While some companies claim to specialise in 'all computers', they are treating you to (or as) an oxymoron.
Mobile PC Repair
We come out to your home or office & work on your PC on-site. Most jobs are be completed within an hour, however sometimes hardware tests need to be run to find the root cause. in these cases we take the PC or laptop away, carry out the appropriate testing & return it to you (plugging everything back in) when it's ready. Obviously it costs a bit extra due to the travel time involved (sometimes 2 return trips). But most people prefer it to unplugging everything, lugging it over to our workshop & picking it up again when it's ready.
Drop off Service
We also offer a 'Drop Off' service for people who have a bit more time (or need to save a bit more money). Someone is nearly always at our Monday to Friday 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM
but it's always better to call first - just in case.
Sometimes it becomes obvious when a customer calls, that the problem is going to involve a lengthy test/fix. In these cases
I usually suggest that they drop the PC off (for example it takes about 3 hours to properly test a Hard Drive & i prefer to test memory for a good 10 hours to be sure).
New PCs & Laptops
I am not a salesman, i do not buy large quantities of PCs & laptops & then try to flog them to whoever I can. When someone comes to me looking for a new computer we usually have a chat & I try to glean from them what they want &/or need from a PC. Then I look into what's currently available (& at what prices) & I'll offer a few options. I'm not after a quick sale & try to offer the best service I can & hope that you'll call me if you have any problems you can't sort yourself .... & come back to me in 5 or 6 years when you need a new 1.
Get more out of your PC
Computers aren't all Word documents & spread sheets (just like books aren't all dictionaries & spelling tests). Computers really can be fun - how depends on what lights your candle. Buying stuff online (don't tell him but our postman has delivered 2 Complete motorcycles over the last few years), learning how to fix problems around your house, how to get the most out of your garden. More & more dealings with businesses & especially government departments, require you to do it all online & the more you use your PC the easier those tasks will be.
Servicing your PC
Servicing - that's for cars & motorcycles isn't it?
You service your vehicles because you know that if you don't you'll end up ruining them, parts on the machine wear out & need to be replaced. While this isn't the case with
PCs (unless a component is actually failing), they do however still need to be periodically serviced, checked over & cleaned. Part of the service is to check everything is OK;
your back-ups are running, as is your Anti Virus, have strange programs appeared, is there enough free space etc.
Another aspect is to fix those niggling little problems that
occur with time & end up driving you MAD. Then there's the physical check over ... strange noises, is the tower/are the fans & heat sinks full of crud (technical term). Unlike
the car/bike service, a PC only needs a service when it 'needs a service'. PCs gradually develop little faults which over time build up & they aren't fixed you end up with a
painfully slow PC. So what i say is a PC doesn't 'need a service every 6 months' or so, but you need to think every 6 months or so 'does the computer need a service' - if it
has slowed down it does, if it hasn't, & there are no problems, it doesn't.
Tune ups aside, a PC usually needs to be cleaned out every 2 years or so (more often if you have indoor pets or the PC lives in a dusty environment).
What needs to be checked?
Antivirus
Is your anti-virus running properly, is the virus database up to date & are you running the latest version of the anti-virus program?
If it is & you notice something suspicious (like your homepage or search engine changing) your anti-virus program may have missed something & it's
probably worth running a scan with another program.
Updates
Are your updates going through properly? If your PC is offering to "update & shutdown" EVERY time you go to shut down there's a good chance that the updates aren't working properly & even if that's not the case it's good to check as part of what they do is protect you from a lot of the nastiness out there on the Web.
Performance
Computer performance deteriorates with time - the more 'Basic' the PC (I'm being polite) the more noticeable it is. This is normal & a quick tune up will usually get you back to 8 or 9 out of 10 of the machine's original performance. Aside from from the software clean up the machine occasionally needs to be physically cleaned. Fans & heat sinks get clogged with dust & the components on & plugged into the motherboard get covered in crap. This needs to be done by someone who knows what they are doing as the sensitive components can be easily damaged/destroyed.
Backups
Most people don't get serious about backups until they've lost everything when a hard drive has died. It's not a sales pitch you NEED to back up all the files you have on your PC
so that when (& i mean 'when' not 'if') a hard drive fails, you loose a few days worth at worst rather than the cold sinking feeling you get when you realise it's ALL lost.
Backup programs do occasionally fail & often people don't notice (or don't get around to doing something about it)until it's too late.... someone needs to check the backup is working - regularly.
DON'T STRUGGLE WITH I.T.
.... RENT-A-GEEK