Services Explained
Diagnostic: This is how we find out exactly what’s wrong with your computer if you are not sure or if we can not be certain within minutes after inspecting it. This is usually a hardware-related service and is not always required. It is only required when the computer’s reason for malfunctioning or operating abnormally is not apparent. Unlike most technicians, we do this for free! Why? Because although it can take time and effort to diagnose a machine, we have the software and hardware (not to mention a ton of experience) required to get the job done extremely quickly and accurately.
PC Tune-Up: We make your computer operate like new again...for free! Remember how blazingly fast it was the day you bought it? Over time, computers collect tons of data from the programs that you install and the websites that you visit. Eventually, because the computer has to compensate for more and more as you introduce it to new information, it begins to slow down. Unless it sports an impressive processor and a hefty amount of RAM, every personal computer you buy will do this. You have two options: you can upgrade your processor and/or your memory, or you could simply have all of the junk cleaned off of your hard drive. DO NOT take your computer to places that offer this service for free. Staples, for example, uses this “free” service to simply analyze your computer and sell you upgrades. Their service only includes a quick virus, Windows registry, and hardware scan with Norton’s Technician Toolkit, following the printout of an analysis report. They will charge you extra to remove actual viruses or to perform a legitimate tune-up. We will charge extra for a virus removal as well, but if you bring your computer to us for a tune-up, we will not send it home until it is running as fast as possible. (Some programs that are required to boot up with your machine’s operating system can hinder performance. We will ask you if you need these programs before we disable or uninstall them).
Virus, adware, or spyware removal: Face the facts. There is no way that you’re going to be adventurous on the internet without catching some form of malware, no matter how highly recommended your antivirus program was when you bought or downloaded it. Tracking cookies are the most common forms and usually don’t prevent a huge threat to the basic operation of your machine, but the others can be very troublesome. Adware is extremely annoying and can occasionally reach the point at which you can’t type a paragraph or watch a movie without some silly window popping up every five seconds.
Spyware is very dangerous and is the leading tool used for identity theft, credit card theft, and computer hijacking. Evil programmers (yes, clearly evil) are capable of distributing programs over the internet by attaching them to files that you commonly download or to websites that you commonly visit, and what these programs can do is downright scary. The most common is the Key Logger, which records each and every keystroke you make (every key you type on your keyboard) and sends the information to the programmer. They are then able to review the information and search for common entries. All they have to do is find the “@” symbol in the log file that they are searching through and, BINGO, they have your email address. Then, they search for your email address again and any keys typed commonly directly afterward to find your email password. These log files retain any keys you type, including credit card numbers, social security numbers, home addresses, phone numbers, etc.
Finally, there’s the common cold. The viral infection that cripples your computer beyond the point of operation. There are billions of viruses floating around on the internet. Some viruses are even programmed to download more viruses!
Operating System Installation (System Recovery): This service is offered to two different types of people - folks who need to replace a bad hard drive and would like to purchase a new (blank) one, and those who caught a form of malware so terrible that it is simply a better idea to start over from scratch. This method is 100% guaranteed to remove all malware from your computer, but also wipes everything else out with it. If you need your data saved, we do offer the following service…
Data backup, transfer, or recovery: It is always good to have a backup of your data. When it comes to hard drives, it isn’t a question of whether or not they are going to fail; it’s a question of when. Hard drives, with the exception of solid state drives, are mechanical devices that (like car engines) will eventually wear down. If your operating system won’t load and you can’t access your data, we have the tools to retrieve it and transfer it to another form of media (CD, DVD, flash drive, another Hard Drive, online storage, etc.).
Software Installation: Need to install and configure a program? Bring it to us and we’ll get it on your machine in no time. We will make sure that you have the hardware that the application requires prior, of course.
Hard Drive Installation: Hard drives fail all the time. If you need a new one, bring the computer to us and we can install it for you. Also, it's not a question of whether or not your hard drive will fail - it is a question of when. It is unwise to neglect the use of a backup drive. If you don't have one, beware that your data could be suddenly lost.
DVD, CD, Blu-Ray Drive Installation: Media is changing rapidly these days. We just witnessed another VHS vs. BETA battle with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Blu-Ray won, and HD-DVD has ceased production. Get your optical drive replaced or upgraded today!
Graphics Card Installation: If you’re a gamer or a 3D designer of any kind, you know that you need a ton of video memory and horsepower to get your game or application running smoothly. We install all types of video cards and can easily recommend precisely what you need to promptly produce your 3D renditions or fluently frag your opponents in your favorite games!
RAM Installation: If your computer is running multiple programs at once or if you need to run a hefty program and your overall performance is being hindered, you may need more memory. RAM stands for Random Access Memory. When you launch a program on your computer, all of its information is stored within the RAM chips temporarily, making that information much more quickly accessible than it was when it was stored on the hard drive. Unfortunately, although RAM is quickly advancing in terms of technology, we are limited to the amount of information these chips can withhold all at once. However, it is upgradeable. If you bring your computer to us, we will inspect your motherboard and tell you how much RAM it can manage and recommend how much you should install (and in what configuration).
Processor Upgrade: Sometimes even more RAM won’t help speed up your computer. The speed of your computer ultimately depends on the specifications of your CPU (Central Processing Unit). This is the brain (and practically the heart) of your computer. We can upgrade your processor easily after inspecting your motherboard and power supply to ensure compatibility.
Power Supply Unit Installation: Some of the components that you install in your computer require extra power. If you are ever to install anything like graphics cards, TV Tuners, processors, or extra drives, you absolutely need to make sure that you aren’t exceeding the amount of power that your current PSU can supply. Fortunately, we can upgrade your power supply for you.
Motherboard Installation: Motherboards occasionally fail due to design flaws, power spikes, dust buildup, and static electricity. It’s usually shocking when it happens. You’ll be blazing away on your computer one day, and the next – it suddenly won’t even turn on! If the machine is more than four years-old, it is almost always more cost effective to simply buy a new brand new machine than to replace its motherboard. But if the machine is young, motherboards can be as cheap as $100.00, and we offer the cheapest motherboard installation around! If you fall into this category, don’t junk your machine and dump $600.00 on a new one. Save more than HALF that by replacing the board! This service includes one processor installation, one RAM installation, and the installation of any extra cards or drives purchased or provided by customers for a single machine.
Fan Installation: Computers need to be kept cool. It’s even true that the cooler they are, the better they perform. There are many cooling systems on the market, and as long as your computer’s casing supports the system that you want, we can install it for you. Prices vary in this field, but simple fan installations are a mere $15.00 in-shop.
TV-Tuner Installation: PCs are commonly doubling as media centers nowadays. With the ability to stream cable television, internet television, YouTube, Hulu, iTunes, and other websites and media libraries to your living room, even the most advanced blu-ray players are taking a back seat to media center PCs. Get a TV-Tuner installed today!
Basic Network Configuration: This is an in-home or in-office service only! It includes basic file and printer sharing, securing your wireless network, configuring your router, and connecting you to the internet.
Advanced Networking: This is an in-home or in-office service only! Advanced Networking pertains to jobs requiring multiple hours of work. This includes any network service pertaining to more than 3 computers or a network configuration outside of normal standards. We cannot advertise this service with a flat fee because it can involve multiple services simultaneously.
PC Tune-Up: We make your computer operate like new again...for free! Remember how blazingly fast it was the day you bought it? Over time, computers collect tons of data from the programs that you install and the websites that you visit. Eventually, because the computer has to compensate for more and more as you introduce it to new information, it begins to slow down. Unless it sports an impressive processor and a hefty amount of RAM, every personal computer you buy will do this. You have two options: you can upgrade your processor and/or your memory, or you could simply have all of the junk cleaned off of your hard drive. DO NOT take your computer to places that offer this service for free. Staples, for example, uses this “free” service to simply analyze your computer and sell you upgrades. Their service only includes a quick virus, Windows registry, and hardware scan with Norton’s Technician Toolkit, following the printout of an analysis report. They will charge you extra to remove actual viruses or to perform a legitimate tune-up. We will charge extra for a virus removal as well, but if you bring your computer to us for a tune-up, we will not send it home until it is running as fast as possible. (Some programs that are required to boot up with your machine’s operating system can hinder performance. We will ask you if you need these programs before we disable or uninstall them).
Virus, adware, or spyware removal: Face the facts. There is no way that you’re going to be adventurous on the internet without catching some form of malware, no matter how highly recommended your antivirus program was when you bought or downloaded it. Tracking cookies are the most common forms and usually don’t prevent a huge threat to the basic operation of your machine, but the others can be very troublesome. Adware is extremely annoying and can occasionally reach the point at which you can’t type a paragraph or watch a movie without some silly window popping up every five seconds.
Spyware is very dangerous and is the leading tool used for identity theft, credit card theft, and computer hijacking. Evil programmers (yes, clearly evil) are capable of distributing programs over the internet by attaching them to files that you commonly download or to websites that you commonly visit, and what these programs can do is downright scary. The most common is the Key Logger, which records each and every keystroke you make (every key you type on your keyboard) and sends the information to the programmer. They are then able to review the information and search for common entries. All they have to do is find the “@” symbol in the log file that they are searching through and, BINGO, they have your email address. Then, they search for your email address again and any keys typed commonly directly afterward to find your email password. These log files retain any keys you type, including credit card numbers, social security numbers, home addresses, phone numbers, etc.
Finally, there’s the common cold. The viral infection that cripples your computer beyond the point of operation. There are billions of viruses floating around on the internet. Some viruses are even programmed to download more viruses!
Operating System Installation (System Recovery): This service is offered to two different types of people - folks who need to replace a bad hard drive and would like to purchase a new (blank) one, and those who caught a form of malware so terrible that it is simply a better idea to start over from scratch. This method is 100% guaranteed to remove all malware from your computer, but also wipes everything else out with it. If you need your data saved, we do offer the following service…
Data backup, transfer, or recovery: It is always good to have a backup of your data. When it comes to hard drives, it isn’t a question of whether or not they are going to fail; it’s a question of when. Hard drives, with the exception of solid state drives, are mechanical devices that (like car engines) will eventually wear down. If your operating system won’t load and you can’t access your data, we have the tools to retrieve it and transfer it to another form of media (CD, DVD, flash drive, another Hard Drive, online storage, etc.).
Software Installation: Need to install and configure a program? Bring it to us and we’ll get it on your machine in no time. We will make sure that you have the hardware that the application requires prior, of course.
Hard Drive Installation: Hard drives fail all the time. If you need a new one, bring the computer to us and we can install it for you. Also, it's not a question of whether or not your hard drive will fail - it is a question of when. It is unwise to neglect the use of a backup drive. If you don't have one, beware that your data could be suddenly lost.
DVD, CD, Blu-Ray Drive Installation: Media is changing rapidly these days. We just witnessed another VHS vs. BETA battle with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Blu-Ray won, and HD-DVD has ceased production. Get your optical drive replaced or upgraded today!
Graphics Card Installation: If you’re a gamer or a 3D designer of any kind, you know that you need a ton of video memory and horsepower to get your game or application running smoothly. We install all types of video cards and can easily recommend precisely what you need to promptly produce your 3D renditions or fluently frag your opponents in your favorite games!
RAM Installation: If your computer is running multiple programs at once or if you need to run a hefty program and your overall performance is being hindered, you may need more memory. RAM stands for Random Access Memory. When you launch a program on your computer, all of its information is stored within the RAM chips temporarily, making that information much more quickly accessible than it was when it was stored on the hard drive. Unfortunately, although RAM is quickly advancing in terms of technology, we are limited to the amount of information these chips can withhold all at once. However, it is upgradeable. If you bring your computer to us, we will inspect your motherboard and tell you how much RAM it can manage and recommend how much you should install (and in what configuration).
Processor Upgrade: Sometimes even more RAM won’t help speed up your computer. The speed of your computer ultimately depends on the specifications of your CPU (Central Processing Unit). This is the brain (and practically the heart) of your computer. We can upgrade your processor easily after inspecting your motherboard and power supply to ensure compatibility.
Power Supply Unit Installation: Some of the components that you install in your computer require extra power. If you are ever to install anything like graphics cards, TV Tuners, processors, or extra drives, you absolutely need to make sure that you aren’t exceeding the amount of power that your current PSU can supply. Fortunately, we can upgrade your power supply for you.
Motherboard Installation: Motherboards occasionally fail due to design flaws, power spikes, dust buildup, and static electricity. It’s usually shocking when it happens. You’ll be blazing away on your computer one day, and the next – it suddenly won’t even turn on! If the machine is more than four years-old, it is almost always more cost effective to simply buy a new brand new machine than to replace its motherboard. But if the machine is young, motherboards can be as cheap as $100.00, and we offer the cheapest motherboard installation around! If you fall into this category, don’t junk your machine and dump $600.00 on a new one. Save more than HALF that by replacing the board! This service includes one processor installation, one RAM installation, and the installation of any extra cards or drives purchased or provided by customers for a single machine.
Fan Installation: Computers need to be kept cool. It’s even true that the cooler they are, the better they perform. There are many cooling systems on the market, and as long as your computer’s casing supports the system that you want, we can install it for you. Prices vary in this field, but simple fan installations are a mere $15.00 in-shop.
TV-Tuner Installation: PCs are commonly doubling as media centers nowadays. With the ability to stream cable television, internet television, YouTube, Hulu, iTunes, and other websites and media libraries to your living room, even the most advanced blu-ray players are taking a back seat to media center PCs. Get a TV-Tuner installed today!
Basic Network Configuration: This is an in-home or in-office service only! It includes basic file and printer sharing, securing your wireless network, configuring your router, and connecting you to the internet.
Advanced Networking: This is an in-home or in-office service only! Advanced Networking pertains to jobs requiring multiple hours of work. This includes any network service pertaining to more than 3 computers or a network configuration outside of normal standards. We cannot advertise this service with a flat fee because it can involve multiple services simultaneously.
