Computer Repair Tips: How To Save Money

The following guest post was written by Shirley Robinson who writes at her blog SurelyWords.blogspot.com.

Advice from a former computer repair technician

In the United States in 2009 over 70 million homes had at least one computer. I can guarantee that many of those moms, dads, and teens in those households had quite a few headaches related to their computers. Whether a virus took root, a hard drive died, or the dreaded BSOD (blue screen of death) appeared, millions of Americans were sitting in their desk chair staring at the screen letting out a huge sigh. When it comes to the frustrations above, the average computer user is not only baffled, but they usually end up paying a small fortune to a repair shop, or worse yet- a chain store. The good news is, those charges can be easily avoided.

1. Most frequent computer problem and solution: Viruses.

A. Do not underestimate a virus. If you notice a suspicious program that you did not install, especially if it pops up warning about viruses or malware and/or asks for money, immediately run your antivirus protection of choice. (Sites like Limewire and Myspace are notorious for being virus packed.)
B. Always make sure you have an antivirus program installed on your computer. Make sure that the program you choose is frequently updated and run on your. (My personal favorites are Avast! Antivirus or AVG. These programs are both free and user friendly)
C. If for any reason you cannot get rid of a virus infection do not look to the internet for help. Online programs that promise to speed your computer up, clean your registry, and get rid of all viruses, do more damage than good. Call a local repair shop, (avoid calling places like Best Buy and Staples. You will be overcharged and chances are you will end up visiting a privately owned computer store to fix their mistakes.)

2. Computer performance frustration and solution: Slow down.

A. Antivirus programs are incredibly important, but they have a downside. Most antivirus programs are big, meaning they use a lot of your computers resources to run.  You should never have more than one antivirus program on your computer at a time. Having more than one will dramatically slow your computer down, and leave you vulnerable to more infection.
B. When your computer slows down, there can be many causes and many solutions. For starters you may need to add ram (memory.) Memory is often confused for the hard drive, however the space on the hard drive does not determine how fast your computer operates. If your computer is slow, your first step should be to find out if your memory can be upgraded. Crucial.com has a tool that will allow you to do this free of charge. Next, check prices, if you decide to order the memory online, at a site like Newegg.com, you could pay anywhere between $15 – $30 depending on the type and size of ram (memory) you need. The same type and size at a local repair shop, or at computer chain, may be double that price or more. The mark up on memory is usually over 100%. Summary, buy the memory yourself (double check that you are buying the right type and size), then call a local repair shop or a computer savvy teen in the neighborhood and ask how much they would charge to install it for you. Installing memory takes less than a minute.
C. Did you know whenever you turn on your computer, little pieces of the programs on your computer start up as well? It’s true, and when a program starts up with your computer, it slows down the start up time. This can be fixed quite easily at a computer repair shop, (ask a technician to do an msconfig, and only that!) Most shops wont charge for this service because it is so easy for technicians to do, but if they do it will still be cheaper than adding new memory or wiping/redoing a PC.

3. Additional, avoidable charges on computer repair bill: User Error.

A. Never download or use a program that has the word “registry” in its name or promises to clean your computer’s registry. This is dangerous and will cost you dearly. Messing with the registry often leads to problems on a computer that can cost a minimum of $80 at a privately owned PC repair shop, and upwards of $150 at a chain store. (Refers to average cost of “wipe and redo.”)
B. If you are unable to remove viruses from your computer, immediately disconnect your computer from the internet. If caught early a virus removal at a repair shop will cost anywhere between $50-$100. At a computer chain store the price will be at least $90-$175.
C. Upgrades can be great or they can be a money pit. If your PC is in a repair shop for upgrades, take in to account what you need and what you don’t need. If the technician suggests an upgrade, do a little research, find out if your getting a good price. Remember, computers are made from mechanical parts, and these parts will fail! They are not made to last forever. Don’t put $200 worth of parts and repairs into a computer that isn’t really worth it.
D. Back up your files! Repair shops and computer stores are not responsible for lost files or data. If a virus corrupts your files, and a computer store is unable to retrieve them, or if your hard drive (the part that stores your files) dies, you will lose valuable data, files, pictures, music, anything you stored on your computer. Some technicians are able to retrieve these files, but it takes a lot of work and usually costs about $200.00. If they are not successful (they will still charge for labor), and you still need the files, specialized companies can attempt to retrieve the data, if you send them the hard drive. This costs $1500 at the lowest, and can take several weeks. No, that is not a typo, so back up your files.

Final tips: Protect and Prevent.

Take care of your PC, research upgrades, choose a private repair shop instead of a chain like Best Buy, and avoid viruses. The Bible reminds us that if we put unholy things, garbage into our minds, that is what will start to come out. Same thing with PC’s if we fill it up with garbage and visit pages that are filled with unholy images and words, viruses will pile up and the computer will crash.

Do you have any other tips for saving money on computer repair bills?