Dos-Boot Computer Services Blog

There are a lot of places out there that can fix your broken computer. How do you know who to take it to?  Well, if you’re in the Columbus area, we’d like you to bring it to us!  But in any case, here are some important questions to ask before you check something in for repair:

How much is this going to cost?
This one’s a given, but the important follow up is “What is included in that price?“  Too many places lure you in with seemingly low prices or offers like “free diagnosis if you proceed with a repair” only to nickel and dime you afterwards.  Do they charge extra labor for certain repairs?  Is a data backup included?  Are there limits on the amount of data they will back up unless you pay extra? How about removing viruses or reinstalling Windows?  These are all services that come up all the time over the course of standard repairs and could have hidden fees attached to them.

How much experience do you have with my type of system? and Are you certified?
This is especially true if you have a Mac, because there are a lot of shops out there that don’t specialize in them.  This will also help you weed out the guys that you find on Craigslist that seem to be impossibly cheap but have very little experience (or accountability).

How long will it take?
Again, this one’s a given.  Things that can affect this are the length of time “to the bench,” which basically means the amount of time before they even start working on it, and whether or not they do the repairs in-shop.  If the shop is outsourcing your repair to someone else, this can increase the time it will take to get it back, not to mention the time it takes to correct any problems that require you to bring the system back in for a rework.

Besides these questions, you can also prepare yourself by doing your homework.  Research the cost of parts online and in the stores. Go into a larger retail store sometime and compare their computer parts prices to the Internet and you’ll see that you probably won’t get a good deal if you have their “geeks” replace a part for you.  Also, check up on the shop by seeing what others are saying about them. There are several places around the Web where people can leave reviews of a shop.  Check them out on Google, Yahoo Local, Yelp, Angie’s List, and anywhere else you can think of.  No matter what you may have heard about a company, the people who know best are the ones who have been their customers.

Happy hunting!

I think this is something that every computer tech will agree with;   People don’t back up data often enough.

With the amount of personal data being stored on our computers these days, combined with the extremely low cost of CDRs, DVDRs, USB flash drives, it should be a no-brainer to back-up important data.   There are countless times when we’ve backed up or recovered data for our customers, but a few specific times come to mind.   One such case was when an aspiring author lost nearly three years of work due to a corrupted file.  In a case of extreme luck, we were able to recover nearly all of the file, but the trouble could have been easily prevented.

Here are a couple of quick tips to consider when setting up your back-up.

Manual or automated?   For businesses, I always recommend an automated backup.  Your data changes on a daily basis, rebuilding even a day’s worth of work is a significant investment in time.   Personal files on a home computer may not change as much, so an automated backup may be over-kill.   Back-up manually, if it suits you.

What medium?   The biggest factor for most backups is space.  For an extremely easy means to backup, you can use a USB flash drive.  If you’re backing up manually, CDRs may work for you.  For larger jobs, specialized tape/cartridge backup devices exist and are fairly inexpensive.  If you choose to use an external hard drive for your backup, this next section especially applies.

Redundancy!  If your data is critical, irreplacable or even just of great value to you, back-up your backup!  If you have more than one copy of your data, you’re greatly reducing the chances that you’ll lose it.  Keep in mind, if you’re using an external hard drive, hard drives are one of the most common components to fail, so have another backup method if you can.

Just a quick note that we will be closed this upcoming Saturday, the 17th, for Ryan’s wedding!
Congrats, Ryan!

Just writing a quick note to let everyone know that we will be closed from Wednesday, December 24th through Thursday, January 1st.  We will reopen at 10am on Friday, January 2nd.

Happy Holidays from Dos-Boot!

Laptops don’t like getting wet – liquid spills can be devastating to the components of a computer.  We see systems in our shop all the time that need replacement motherboards, RAM, and other components installed because someone’s glass of grape juice found its way to them.  Obviously you should be careful to keep liquids away from your system, but here are a few tips to remember in the event of a spill.

1) Immediately shut the system down and remove the battery and power adapter.  Liquid spills cause so much damage because they cause components to short out.  No power = less risk of a short.

2) Sop up any liquid that you can see from the keyboard and case.  Make sure to wipe down the LCD panel with a dry cloth to prevent anything from getting inside.  An LCD panel that’s gotten liquid inside between the layers of plastic is most likely going to need replacing.

3) Remove any USB cables, peripherals or modular drives that are plugged into the system to prevent them from becoming damaged and just generally get them out of the way.

4) If you wish to have a professional look at your computer, bring it in to a shop right away.  The sooner you bring it in, the greater the chance that a professional can get any liquid cleaned up from the inside and save you some serious cash in replacement parts.

5) If you don’t want to take it into a shop, at least let the system sit to dry for 24-48 hours before powering it back on.  This will minimize the chance of sending power through a wet circuit and shorting it out.  As a rule, however, any sugary drink like soda or sweetened coffee presents a lot bigger threat because of the sticky film that it leaves behind when it dries.  For these kinds of liquids, you should definitely let a professional try to clean it up for you.

6) If you notice any strange behavior when you power the system on, immediately power the system off and get it in for inspection and repair as soon as possible.

Spills aren’t pretty, but hopefully these steps can save you the time and money of replacing damaged parts.

Just a quick announcement: Dos-Boot will be closed November 27th – November 29th.  We’ll be re-opening Monday, December 1st.   Have a great Thanksgiving!

Since the holidays are fast approaching, I thought that it’d be a good idea to give a few tips about what to do with an old computer after it’s been replaced.

My personal preference for old equipment is to pass it on to someone who will use it.  Your older computer may have outlived its usefulness to you, but if it still runs it probably functions fine as a word processor or an e-mail and internet terminal.  Non-profits, such as Freegeek accept working and non-working systems for various uses.

If your computer doesn’t work or is too old to donate, you probably still want to get rid of it, instead of keeping it in the garage forever.   There are several companies that will recycle your old electronics for free or a minimal charge.  If you’re in the Columbus, Ohio area, we’ll even help you recycle your computer.

Once you’ve decided what you’re doing with your old system, one final consideration is your data and privacy.  If you’re passing the system along to someone outside of the family, make sure to completely erase any private data.  This could include anything from internet cookies, quickbooks/money data, bills, documents.   The most secure way to ensure the data is safe is to erase the drive or remove the drive and keep it.

I just wanted to make a quick announcement that we’re now offering iPod repair.

The service includes repair for all iPods for a low diagnosis and repair fee, and also features a maximum parts + labor cost so there are no surprises! This includes service for high-end iPods like the iPod Touch.

Call or e-mail for more details!

We’ve recently noticed a large spike in systems infected with fake antivirus programs.   These programs are extremely crafty and are designed to look like legitimate security warnings.  These programs go by many names (Antivirus XP, 2008, 2009, Vista Antivirus, MS Antivirus, Antivirus Master, Virus Heat, and may others)

Here are a few tips to help you avoid downloading the rogue software:

Tip one is the most important; Make sure your antivirus is up-to-date.  As with any virus or malware infection, it’s important to have a reliable antivirus installed and kept up to date.  Most antivirus programs will update daily, if not hourly.  Antivirus programs such as Kaspersky Antivirus, Eset NOD32, Avast Antivirus, or AVG Antivirus are top notch  programs, and will almost always warn of you of problem software.

Tip two: Never click on web page pop-ups warning of virus or spyware infection.  The fakes are often designed to mimic more commonly known software such as McAfee or Norton Antivirus, and often use Windows logos.

Tip three: Use an alternate browser, such as Firefox, and enable the built in pop-up blocker.  Several sites exploit security problems to automatically install malicious software.   Firefox is not exempt from security exploits, but it does a better job of keeping you safe through faster updates and offers various security addons.

Tip four:  Be cautious online.  If you download, be sure you know what you’re downloading.  If you use peer-to-peer services, many of the files are mislabeled and may include various different viruses even if they appear to be music or video files.