Computer fixing #$#$%#$@@

[tsakshaug]

Have had some computer posts today-think I will start mine
Do people actually take care of these machines out there?

As a service to our employees, we will fix home machines-we accept food or $ to do this, usually we put it on a back bench and when one of us remembers we do some work on it. The process takes about a week, slow but it is not our real job, and we are cheap. I'm the boss so it is OK with me.

It is amazing to me how many machines come in here with no virus protection, tons of spyware, and no windows updates to speak of. I would think people would be more aware of this. Am I wrong?

Geeks and non-Geeks-
Do you use virus protection? Have a firewall? Do you update?

[Florida_Geek]

1. yes yes and yes.

:)

[Kellanved]

2. I'm actually just doing the same thing

Albeit for a friend. And only two machines.

So far one fan with defective bearings, Knoppicilin has found 95 Vira and is still running...

[tsakshaug]

3. This one

That was brought in yesterday has several viruses, needed many updates- I'm still working on that-Tons of spyware....yech
I can do most of this offline-we have much of this stuff on CD and external HDs, Don't want this thing near my network yet

[Kellanved]

7. That's why I use Linux scanners

on a Knoppix based bootable CD.

[johnnie]

4. I do

I also am amazed at how many people think these things can just keep going without any maintenance.
I also try to tell people that they should do this and that to keep it running smooth, and then they call me a while later and say their computer is really slow and it's a piece of shit.
My biggest peeve is when people call me to ask for help, and then they start doing things on their own and act pissy when I try to tell them what to do.

[tsakshaug]

6. I have some

That have taken a half hour to boot up.

[On Par]

5. You Can Get Anti-Virus/Firewall At No Cost....

....from Lavasoft - Ad-Aware SE Personal edition. Do a Google search and you can download their program at no cost, ever. Of course, they have a super-duper program that you can purchase. But to scan, quarantine, and delete adware, spyware, malware, it's really all you need for a PC. You can also receive updates free of charge.

OP

[tsakshaug]

8. I like this

We have been installing it on these "home" PC's before we send them back

[lpbk2713]

9. It's the same way some people regard cars.

Just turn the key and step on the gas. Motor oil? What's that? Periodic routine maintenance? Never heard of it.

Some folks feel the same way about computers. No maintenance or preventative measures required. Seems like they would notice the computer is trying to tell them something when it is running as slow as cold mollasses.

[tsakshaug]

10. Bring the computer in (or car)

"Somethings wrong...fix it"

Could you be a little less specific?

[Dora]

11. We have an eMac

We haven't installed any special virus protection or firewall software since we purchased it in 2002. It could use a system upgrade, but it's operating fine without the upgrade, so we probably will just let it stay as is.

[tsakshaug]

12. which is why

the majority of my computers here are macs!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

14. Yeah, and Mac supporters would have you believe that they're

impervious to most viri. :eyes:

[tsakshaug]

15. But they are not

Need to keep them clean
not as many but they are there

[chenGOD]

13. I use a software firewall/AVGfree edition and 2 ad-ware programs.

Dowload most MS patches (I even download ones for Explorer, although I use Firefox to browse).
I haven't had a virus since I got this Windows machine in 2002.

Soon enough I'll be finished with a certain project that required a Windows OS, then I can install Linux on this bastard.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

16. I do all that and much more.

My customers computers run right and tight and stay that way.

Ever stop to think about the fact that from the user standpoint of effective security and stability, Windows is clearly inferior to a Linux machine? Especialy for the unsophisticated home user?

Why more people are not running Linux at home, especially to get on the internet, I will never understand.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

17. Linux doesn't run the high-end games I play.

[tsakshaug]

18. Why not more Linux?

one word-Marketing

MS is very good at marketing their products

[lpbk2713]

19. Linux doesn't have the multi-million dollar advertising budget

that MicroSlop has. If Linux was marketed the same way Gates might have to work for a living.

[NJCher]

20. skeered

Linux

would like to see and use a computer set up with it before making the switch.


Cher

p.s. just for a point of reference re viruses, one of my computer geek students at the technical university where I teach told me the policy at BestBuys, which is where he used to work. Keep in mind this information (from him) is over six months old because he quit work to go to school in September.

But--it's $60 just to bring your virus-laden computer in. Another $60 to clean it and that's just the basic "clean." It could be more if there is extensive virus damage. Now, considering the two basic spyware adware programs are free, how much sense does that make?

People are just plain ignernt. But then, that's no surprise, considering how many of them voted for a chimp.

[tsakshaug]

22. money for nuthin'

what a deal.

They also charge a bunch to throw in a piece of memory

[landdaddy]

21. no, yes and no

no prob's here!

[tsakshaug]

23. Today's computer

ad-aware found 1796 objects and 54 processes

why does it go so slow?

[The Revolution]

24. How about physical cleaning of the computer?

How many people keep the inside of their PC clean? Too much dust can be a real problem. I let mine go without cleaning too long, and my CPU was overheating and shutting down because the CPU fan/heatsink was choked with dust. Cleaned it out, and the CPU temp dropped by about 15 C.

Some cases are better than others at keeping dust out. My old Dell case wasn't very good, but my parents' newer Dell had very little dust in it last time I looked, and it had been running for over a year with no cleaning.

The new computer I'm building has a filter for the front fan, so I'm hoping that will help keep it clean :)

[tsakshaug]

25. favorite thing to do

Slow day one of my techs and I go around to clean the insides of some computers.
old imacs did not have fans, so never really got dirty

[mcscajun]

26. Geek here -- fully protected...but keep preaching to the non-Geeks

most of whom don't really know ANYthing about personal computers.

They can send their mail...kinda.
Get to a few web sites, but don't do much surfing on the web. They don't know what a browser is.

If their PC came with anti-virus software, they figure they're okay.

They never heard of a firewall.

And then when their PC gets f'ed up -- I get the call:

"I think my computer has a virus."

Last call I got like that, the AV software was 2 years out of date, the virus definitions hadn't been updated in 2 months, there was NO Firewall software on board, and Windows hadn't been updated...ever.

27 Viruses and Trojans were screwing this system. Ad-Aware and Spybot found over 600 items that needed to be removed.

Fun, huh?

Oh...and none of these folks know what ScanDisk, Disk Cleanup or Disk Defragmenter is, much less why/how they should use them.

You can't blame them...people get sold PCs like you'd sell a toy. No training = no knowledge.