RenoGeek's Computer Repair blog for 2010...



9:14 AM 3/8/2010: Been on the phone...

For about 2 hours now and am almost booked up for all my free time slots this week. Back to work...


8:28 AM 3/6/2010: When free is bad...

As I am a business person I do have to spend part of my time seeing what others in the business are doing. Right now when most have $$$ problems I see the amount of new people in the business grow many times what you would expect in years past. And while there is nothing wrong with people starting over with a new business I do warn new techs and their customers about giving away the store.

If you are working day after day at a loss you just will not make it. And you do yourself, your family and your new customers a disservice. Your repeat customers will still expect the dirt cheap or free service you gave them the first time around and new customers will feel cheated if their price is higher then what one of their friends may have told them you cost.

I see over 95% of new techs go under in less then 6 months and one of the main reasons I see this happen is because they did not vaule the services they offer and undercut themself. For people looking for a tech that will be around to help them long term search for...

1. Time in the business.
2. Fair rates.
3. Business Licenses and Certifications.

You get what you pay for so make sure your money is supporting somebody that will be there in the future to support you.



8:09 AM 3/6/2010: In the shop...

I'll be in the shop most of the weekend to get a bit ahead as I'll be at a local workshop towards the end of the coming week.

Got a custom system to build as well as a bunch of other computers to get back to people Monday.



9:08 AM 3/3/2010: Don't hit the F1 key if a website asks you to...

Well one of the new tricks to get you to download a virus goes like this....
You go to a website and another window pops up asking you to hit the "F1" key on your keyboard for help or to do some other action. If you do as they say your computer will download what it "thinks" is a help file but infact will be a virus.

As the computer "thinks" it is just opening this help file it will then let the virus run and have it's way with your computer.

For sometime now I have been telling my customers to hit the "ALT" and "F4" keys to close anything you did not expect to "popup" on a website.

More Info on this type of virus here



8:40 AM 3/2/2010: Free Repairs...

Every few months I come across somebody thinking they have come up with the best thing since sliced bread and offer free computer repairs. They will put in their ads that they are just "testing" or trying to get their name out and then in a few weeks or a month or two they are gone, never to be seen again.

In most cases it's either a business going down the tubes that is trying everything to stay afloat and more often then not already tried to cut it's prices down to nothing or a new guy trying to get a few people in the door.

The reasons this does not work well are many. What if one of the free repairs needs $300 in parts? and they got 10 more "free" repairs lined up like that? Can they afford to give money and time away? Is your free repair going to be on the front burner or is the company going to work on something that is going to bring in money first? What happens if there is a warranty issue on your free repair? The guy offering free everything will have all the needed business lic and certifications, right?

So do you go with the guy with the failing business? That may have his doors shut down with your computer still inside his shop? Or with the new guy that thinks after fixing a few of his friends computers he is ready for the big time and is now ready to "test" his skills on your machine and data?

And with ID theft becomming the #1 crime on the internet. How long will it be before some ID thief figures out this is the perfect kind of bait as the target of their crime will hand over all their personal info with a smile on their face, thinking they will get something for free.

Think of all the people you know that are at the top of their game in their field of choice. Any of them work for free? Would you if you were among the best in what you do?

If it sounds to good.....



1:51 PM 2/25/2010: Pretty busy...

The last few days, but catching up.

My last few service calls today were to fix computers that did not get fixed well/right by the last "tech" to look at them. In all cases these "techs" ran free ads on the net offering service for less then 1/5 the going rate and promised to toss in copies of Office and Windows.

Well if it sounds too good to be true...

Beware of any "pro" offering services for less then a kid makes at Burger King in a day. You will always end up with what you paid for. And sometime alot less.

And funny thing is after talking to my new customers they all said that after they gave up their $$$ the "techs" did not return calls.

Even if you decide never to use my services for whatever reason ask who you do choose for a business lic and proof of at least 1 certification.



8:23 AM 2/18/2010: People ask me all the time...

"why do I need to keep up with anti-virus products, don't they always keep you protected?"

The answer is no. A new virus or type of attack can come out at anytime. And make even the best anti-virus products worthless. The people who create viruses are always on the lookout for new ways to attack your computer.

Here is one of the new ways to come out...

'Kneber' Botnet Attacks PCs Worldwide. (from PCWorld.com)



2:28 PM 2/12/2010: "Buzz" kill...

Well like many businesses that do lots of email I have a few gmail accounts. Mostly just using the accounts for junk mail and to act as a spam filter. But I was a bit surpised when I was signed up for "buzz" without google asking. And a bit miffed that it decided for me who was going to be followed ect...

My main gripe with all of this is I hate it when companies make you "Opt-in" for a new service instead of asking you. If you look at the bottom of the page in gmail you can turn off buzz but most will not think of looking there to do this.



7:14 AM 2/12/2010: Weekend almost booked up...

Well got most of the holiday weekend booked up expect for one or two open slots. And the shop is full of equipment to repair. So it looks like I know what I am doing this weekend, lol.

Besides that I just got a computer in from somebody that took it into a shop and they told him that the system was fried and needed to be replaced.
(and they just happened to have one to sell him)

He got smart and took the computer back. All that it needed was a new video card. So are they crooks? Or just too lazy to do a good diagnostic?

Back to work...



4:29 PM 2/8/2010: It's been a busy Monday...

But just got a phone call I have to share.....

Guy calls and says...
"I got a virus and my son and IT guy at work have not been able to get rid of it.
I'll give you $40 bucks if you can get here by 5:00 and fix it" (It was 4:20)

I told the man that most of my service calls are set a few days in advanced but I could try and work him in if I finish up a call early or somebody has to change their time. And that I was a professional and charged more then $40 bucks for my time. Which got me...

"Well if you can't make it by 5:00 then I'll only give you $20 bucks".

Needless to say I will not be there at 5:00...
And if your looking for an established professional be very worried about somebody that can get to you in less then half an hour.
{Good, Real pros are always in demand. So expect some kind of wait}

And Real professionals charge at least the going rate for their field not 50% less.
{you get what you pay for}



9:00 AM 2/1/2010: Been on the phone...

Less then 2 hours this morning and am already almost booked for the whole week. Have also done my first drop off of equipment back to a customer and am now heading out to my 2nd service call today. Looks like it will be a busy week.


2:07 PM 1/31/2010: iPad anyone?...

Well I have been reading all the specs about this new tablet from apple and am not very taken with it.

Can't do flash, so you can't watch movies or yourtube or go to tons of sites.
(jobs claims everybody will switch to html 5 and kill flash). Seems he forgot how long it took everybody to jump on the HTML 4 bandwagon.

Can only load "approved" apple apps on the device and no USB support.

As there will be a alot of PC based "pads" comming out this year I don't think an oversized iphone will cut it this time around.



2:05 PM 1/31/2010: Still in the shop...

Have gotten the computers in here that still need work down to just a handful so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel this weekend.

Yea!



10:48 AM 1/30/2010: Have tons of work...

So much so I have cut back on my ad's so I can keep up with what's comming in each day. Will be in the shop all weekend so that Monday is all clear to drop stuff off and make new service calls.

Back to work...



9:17 AM 1/24/2010: Catching up...

Been in the shop all day Sat and today Sunday catching up. Had to take care of my car (back end taken out by a driver not driving right for winter) and that set me back a day. I also have a huge influx of computers infected with a new version of "antivirus 2010". Over half these systems have already been taken to other shops and techs who could not get rid of it.

So this is a case where being a programmer as well as a tech is really paying off for me.

Back to work....



7:52 AM 1/21/2010: Been seeing...

A new version of the virus "antivirus 2010" around the last few weeks. And over the last few days have gotten in a few systems where the virus now takes over the printer and prints up fake virus alerts to freak out the computer user. It also seems to be replacing (not infecting) system files to make it even harder to clean up.

Nice guys who write this junk, not.



1:12 PM 1/17/2010: Hanging at the shop...

In the shop today and I bet on Monday to get caught up. I got a few computers here that need special care (aka, lots of time to fix)

So I doubt if I'll really be off this MLK holiday. But can't complain cause I like the repairs that take some brains to figure out and fix.

On with work...



8:11 AM 1/15/2010: just got an email...

Asking if I can make 10 copies of Windows 7 with product keys for a new office opening downtown. I never got why you would send an email that can be traced right back to yourself to a stranger to do something illegal? But I must get 50 of these a month!

Then there is the email which I also get a few times a month that goes something like this...
We need a quote on the repair of 40 computers... we will be paying with a cashiers check... You won't be paying me with a cashiers check.

People think they can hide behind an email.

But truth be told you just can't hide stupid.

Nuff said, back to work...



7:21 AM 1/13/2010: Hitting the road...

Going to be on service calls all day and a good part of the eve.


7:16 AM 1/12/2010: Got a voice mail...

With a timestamp of 1:10am. The person on the voicemail said they had a "real bad" problem and to call them back whenever I got their message, no matter the time.

Got into the office about 6:45am so I called him back as soon as I listened to to my messages. And then got yelled at for waking this person up. After he was done with that he got around to the reason he called so late. It seems that the illegal copy of windows he downloaded messed up his computer and he needs somebody to come by an install it for him.

He seemed just a bit put out when I told him that I don't install illegal copies of anything. Then he went on to create many "hypothetical situations" in which it would be ok for me to install the software. After getting that I was just not going to install the illegal copy he has or help him do it he then tells me...

"What if I tell Microsoft that you put it on my computer"

I then told him here is another cool "hypothetical situation" and he asked what?

Let's pretend you never called me... (and I hung up the phone).

Some people don't have a clue I guess.



12:19 PM 1/11/2010: Been on the phone all morning...

Looks like I am almost booked for the whole week already and it's just Monday. Seems like everybody is back in "work mode" again.


7:53 AM 1/8/2010: First week back flew by...

Booked solid for today and the weekend and next Monday and Tuesday. Just got done with crunching the 2009 numbers and RenoGeek grew 11% this past year. Not too bad when you think about how $$$ is for most nowdays.

But it helps prove my point that low key, honest computer help is still a much needed commodity. Gota go hit the road now...



8:13 AM 1/5/2010: Best Buy's $40 'pre-optimization' determined to be worthless...

I am not a fan of all the junk that comes pre-loaded on new computers. But I have always though that Best Buys "optimization" service was even more useless as they miss many simple things that can be done to make a system faster right out of the box.

And I have always thought it was funny that they charge extra for this service when as big as they are they could demand from HP, Dell, ect... that the computers they sell from them be setup right in the first place. Anyway it looks like others agree with me....



7:27 AM 1/5/2010: Ramping up...

Well it seems everybody is getting back to work slowly. Spent most of yesterday returning phone calls and emails. Got some catch up here at the shop and then start hitting the road for service calls tomorrow.

Almost booked up for this week and have already started taking calls for next week.



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