If your computer is running slow or if certain programs don't work any longer, I can help.
I provide the following maintenance and troubleshooting services:
In some cases I may recommend purchasing a new computer.
Troubleshooting services start with an assessment of the problem followed by recommendations and solutions that work.
Routine maintenance ensures that your computer is running as smoothly as possible with current versions of your software installed and obsolete or dangerous software removed.
These services are available either on-site (in-home or in-office) or in-shop (you can drop off your computer).
On-site servicing is more convenient and is necessary for the setup or troubleshooting of most network-related issues.
Before any servicing of your computers, review preparing for a service call. This will ensure the best chance of recovery and has hints that may allow you to resolve issues on your own.
Start by recording the information about your computer hardware and software.
You can help speed the process by ensuring that you have a recent backup of your computer files, particularly:
Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems store documents in the Documents folder by default, but they may be stored elsewhere by the user or program settings.
C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData
).You should also have these items handy:
*Recent computers don't generally come with software media. You can reinstall Windows from within Windows itself or download the installer from Microsoft.
It helps to know what you were doing when the problem occurred as well as any error messages that were displayed (a screen capture is easier than writing it down).
This is not about blame — knowing what you were doing as well as what other software was running helps to identify the possible causes of your problems and speed up recovery.
Sometimes the problem can be resolved with a selective reinstall of the program or the hardware drivers involved.
In some cases I will recommend a "clean" install consisting of backing up your files, then formatting the hard drive followed by a complete reinstallation of the operating system and all apps not included with your computer or operating system.
By removing all files you can eradicate problems that may not be corrected by a standard reinstallation.
All corrupt and unnecessary files are deleted from your computer including any infected by a virus or malware as well as any remnants of uninstalled software.
This process will wipe all programs and data from your computer.
It is essential that you have reliable backups of at least:
If your email is retained by the server (Shaw, Telus, Gmail) it should be unnecessary to restore emails from backups, but backing these files up ensures that you don't lose emails by other means.
The operating system (e.g., Windows, macOS or Linux) will need to be reinstalled, then the drivers for all hardware including printers and accessories then all programs not installed with the operating system.
A full backup of your system is recommended prior to any servicing.
The backup will ensure that recovery is possible if your system or data files are lost. More about backup strategies.
Knowledge about critical files and system recovery for your operating system will assist you in preparing for potential disaster as well as keeping you from deleting or changing critical files that can lead to an operating system malfunction.
While every effort will be made to save photos, music and other data, recovery of these files after a catastrophic failure is more difficult (and sometimes impossible).
It also takes time to make these backups so it will add to the cost of recovery.
I can back up hidden and obscure settings most users don't know about to avoid lost critical data but may miss files stored in unusual places on your hard drive.
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Updated: September 14, 2024