Help for ailing computers
When repairs and upgrades become a pain, whom can you turn to for help?
Julie Hutchinson, Special to the Rocky
Monday, February 25, 2008
Ken Papaleo © The Rocky
Jennifer Wallace, owner of Denver Geeks, right, helps Barb Walker with a computer in Walker’s home on Thursday. In-home computer services are part of the evolving business segment that repairs and maintains computers.
Whether you use your home computer for work or for pleasure, it's always a pain in the neck when it's ailing. You know those dreaded symptoms: the funny noises, the slowing operating speed, the flickering screen, the Internet connection that won't connect.
When is it time to call in the experts?
It depends. If you're a user capable of installing more memory or some other upgrade, you probably don't need a computer medic for ordinary maintenance or repair.
But if you're like most people who have financial and investment information, personal correspondence and family photos living on hard drives, messing around with a computer's innards is best left to the experts.
But how do you find one?
Whether your computer is infected with a gazillion viruses or you just want an extreme makeover for your trusty laptop, there are enough choices to make you wish you could slide more RAM into your human brain.
Technology that repairs and maintains computers is evolving as fast as the software that operates them, and one great innovation is the ability to diagnose and, in some cases, repair computer systems virtually. By downloading a piece of software, you can allow a technician to "see" inside your computer's operating system via its Internet connection. That's right: Sophisticated computer-maintenance providers now can diagnose and often repair problems with operating systems - including virus diagnosis and removal - remotely.
An online fix-it session ranges from about $40 up to more than $100, depending on the technician and the amount of time, but it's a good investment, said Mark Hope, president of Denver-based Action Computers Inc.
"Normally a half-hour fixes that little problem, and it's worth it to people because they don't have to bring their machine in," Hope said.
But when a computer needs hands-on help, a variety of mom-and-pop shops, as well as corporate big guys, offer competitive pricing for in-home computer services and drop-off repairs.
Prices vary, and most are posted on company Web sites. A home visit to install memory or diagnose a problem ranges from about $89 to more than $150 and usually takes an hour or less. Most computers dropped for servicing can be repaired within a few days.
Firedog regional manager Eric Sindelar said maintenance and repair services rank as one of the fastest-growing segments of the computer industry. Firedog, the service division of Circuit City, counts 40 staff members based at 16 Front Range Circuit City locations, plus seven service vehicles on the road.
"Customers are realizing how important it is to be protected and to ensure someone is trained and knowledgeable," he said.
Like firedog, Best Buy's Geek Squad requires certification and ongoing training for technicians, said Tim Soliday, a Denver Geek Squad manager. Twenty-one Geek Squad technicians service the metro area in their iconic black-and-white Volks- wagen Beetles, with agents available round-the-clock. Computers also can be dropped off for servicing at Best Buy stores.
When it comes to the dozens of small, independent computer technicians, how does a consumer know whom to choose?
A business cannot be certified by the Better Business Bureau until it has been in operation for a year, Susan Liehe of BBB Denver/Boulder said. She suggested that consumers do more research before hiring a new computer service.
"I would definitely talk to my neighbors, my dentist, my hairdresser," Liehe said.
Action Computers' Hope, who has been in business since 1993, said half his customers are repeat. He offers the same products and services offered by "the big guys," including remote diagnostics and house calls.
The best preparation to ready a computer for servicing, Hope said, is to back up vital information on auxiliary memory devices and save installation disks.
"Technicians can't work on machines with bootlegged disks," Hope said.
The smartest thing you can do for a computer is to schedule yearly servicing.
"There's a lot of dust inside computers," Hope said. "Once a year you should blow them out. It keeps them cooler - the system fries if it gets too hot."
Action has 40 employees, a retail division and online sales division. The company's recycling division refurbishes used computers for charity and disposes of parts properly, Hope said.
With 20 years in the business, Jennifer Wallace, owner of Denver Geeks, maintains a staff of all-female computer experts. She says most customers are "delighted" when they encounter a female technician. She's carved out a niche assisting senior citizens and those with home offices.
"When you fix somebody's computer, you're going into their most personal space - where they communicate, do private business," Wallace said. "People trust us. People feel we're not talking down to them."
When he needed expert help for his Mac system, Jim Primock, owner of a Boulder-based publishing services business, turned to his networking buddies for advice and ended up hiring one of them.
"I joined the Colorado Mac User Group (comug.com) a couple of years ago, and there is a help-desk e-mail forum that is very useful," Primock said in an e-mail exchange.
To avoid being intimidated, Denver graphic designer Paige Shepard urges computer owners to learn to use built-in maintenance and repair programs.
Online repair help
Do-it-yourself geeks can log into a wealth of online repair and maintenance forums including:
Mac Users Group, Boulder
comug.com/
Meeting schedule, pod casts of meetings. Annual dues $35; membership includes online help desk and e-mail forums on a variety of topical issues. Excellent resource for finding sophisticated Mac help.
* Mac Users Group, Denver
macintech.org
Annual dues $18; membership includes monthly newsletter, shareware, forums
* ComputorEdge Online
ComputorEdge.com
Online and print magazine for Internet and PC user groups
* PC Magazine Web site
pcmagazine.com
News, downloads, reviews, links, blogs
Some tuneup services
* Geek Squad
18 Front Range locations
geeksquad.com
1-800-geeksquad
House calls: Yes
Online remote service: Yes
Online price list: Yes
Geek Squad is the service division of Best Buy. Technicians can service and configure computers and peripherals, cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras and home theater systems.
* firedog
16 Front Range locations
firedog.com
1-800-firedog
House calls: Yes
Online remote service: Yes
Online price list: Yes
Firedog is the service division of Circuit City. Technicians can service and configure computers and peripherals, cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras and home theater systems.
* Apple (Mac users only)
apple.com
1-800-aplcare
House calls: No, but Genius Bars at Apple retail stores allow you to schedule discussions with an Apple expert; Apple products can be dropped off for servicing.
Online remote service: No
Online price list: No
Free phone support for the first 90 days after purchase of an Apple product. Per-call pricing and warranty packages available. Excellent repair forums for all Apple products including iPhone and iPod at apple.com/support/
* Action Computers
actionpc.com
Independent computer retail, maintenance and repair
House calls: Yes
Online remote service: Yes
Online price list: Most diagnostic, virus removal and system reload repairs can be done for $129; call or check Web site
* Denver Geeks
denvergeeks.com
Woman-owned and operated computer and electronics maintenance, repair and advice
House calls: Yes
Online remote service: Yes
Online price list: Yes
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February 25, 2008
3:06 a.m.
Suggest removal
gwats writes:
My $2000 home PC crashed and burned this morning. With a little detective work , I discovered the extra RAM I installed on Friday caused my misery. The PC is back up and running. Learn all you can and put that knowledge to work!!!