Sections
1. What clients must understand
2. What a clean XP install means to me
3. What monthly maintenance means to me 4. Systems I build
5. What a typical system means to me
6. Random Final Points
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WHAT CLIENTS MUST UNDERSTAND
Before you do any of the below things it is best to notify me for your sake and your systems' sake, let me explain one-on-one to you in easy terms how these things can affect your system, now or in the future. The restrictions I put in place are 'safety harnesses' so you don't cause any damage or future problems with a multitude of possibilities.
Installs
- You can not install a program off the internet on a whim.
- You can not install a hardwares driver cd or download it out of excitement of a new purchase.
- You must 'lay down the law' when it comes to friends, family, and strangers use your system; let them know not to install anything or open questionable files they got in an email. People tend to do actions on other peoples' computers they'd never do on their own.
- You can not install software and then uninstall it after trying it, thinking i won't notice and it won't affect the system.
Software installs many files in many places, and lines of codes are written in many other places than just a folder of the program. Those files and lines of code elsewhere in your system have to interact with some programs as well, and just uninstalling a program can uninstall bits of other programs as well. It could be tricky to guess what else got removed and what other settings have been changed by your install/uninstall.
- You can not start going into windows settings and start changing things blindly unless we have spoken about them first so I know you know exactly what your options are, and how it affects different portions of a system. There are many areas and many settings, and I might miss the change(s) you made, and that change might cause a problem somewhere else down the road. It could take awhile to guess the root of a problem if one occured later on due to a change you made accidently or just forgot about, Remember, we are talking of over 1000 settings that exist.
I think it is great that everyone knows their options in all their programs and in windows itself, and I encourage people to know they have options, and I will help them with changing to their liking, but I just have to know that they are changing certain settings in case it affects other things or causes a problem later on.
- You can not have someone else come and start messing with your system. If you have employees, keep them in check, many people think they know whats' what because they want to impress the lesser-knowledgeable.
- You have to accept responsibility for your actions just as I accept mine. I want you to find your system has 100% uptime, never crashes, and exceeds any other system you've seen anyone else have with all its' potential.
Hardware
- You can not go and buy a piece of hardware thinking I will install and support it for you.
I can always give you in-depth reasons why certain companies or models are the best choices for you, and I read manuals and learn hardware so that it becomes second nature to work with them, especially should something go wrong later on. I believe when you buy the right parts and maintain them properly, that it becomes a rarity to run into such problems (bad electric is still hard to prevent though).
- You can not disassemble, modify, or start poking around hardware thinking it will not do any harm. Even touching certain parts is enough to 'break' them. If something is not working the way you want it, let me know and I will work with you as in-depth as you want to go technically.
- You can not start switching cables around and altering layouts of items, often I have purposely separated things like electric and data cables for a reason. If you are unhappy with some layout or setup, let me know and I will explain to you your options and why some choices might be better than others.
- You can not have someone else come and start doing things to your hardware, unless of course you want them to maintain your hardware. It is rare to find good all-around educated people when it comes to technology, but it's very common to find people with very narrow realms of knowledge in certain aspects of technology, and sometimes it is a dated view of technology, things move too fast.
Simply put- I can not play plumber to someones bad piping when I am an architect myself. I build things to last and I maintain them fine, I am not a follow-up repairman for someone elses' disaster.
Wishes and Wants
- Do you wish you had hardware or software to do a task, or to make life easier for your home, business, on the road, or family? Let me know, I'll research it if I do not already know, often on my own time. I will not fail you.
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WHAT A CLEAN XP INSTALL MEANS TO ME
The reasons of never doing an automatic install of windows and just keeping it 'as is' is many, I could go on for hours about all the bits and pieces of things which add up to create a half-assed system which only hints at its true potential and has everything set to minimal performance and maximum garbage.
If i did not know how to setup xp, the hardware, the drivers, the software, and the networking correctly, then I would have an apple computer (and, whew, thats saying alot, I've dabbled on them since 1980 and am fully aware of what they offer, and don't offer).
Not adjusting anything during and after a fresh xp install and accepting 'as is' makes for a disarray of sensbility, a slow system, a system full of unneeded things running in the background, a system with unoptimized hardware thats peforming only partially as it should, an internet running at a slow pace with security gaps littered throughout, and a system that will only degrade and slow over time until it's considered an old mule at 4 years or so. Not to mention that when something goes wrong, which it will whether you notice it or not (90% of errors are happening behind the scenes), it will be harder to pinpoint the problems' cause because things are such a mess internally.
With a minimal setup of only what you need to run a computer at 100%, with the proper software and hardware drivers installed to run at 100%, with all known settings configured properly for 100% use of your software and hardware; should the day come when something goes wrong, it takes minutes to figure out the exact cause and fix it, not hours of guessing what program or what settings did what, and this is because everything is a 'known' and there remain few 'unknowns'.
Automatically installing anything is a last resort, and a resort most companies take advantage of users with. That is why in this world we have what are called 'options', and with those options I configure all correctly.
One thing that regular computer users say, really about the only thing they say is "oh, so you can set things up so I have more space on my hard drive, right?", and while this is true, that would be on the bottom of my list for reasons. Space on your harddrive is the least of your concerns. Drives beyond anything you could possibly use are so cheap anyways, but yes, I save immense amounts of drive space if it matters.
Here are some additional positives of a clean install-
Security
Cutting off/out unneeded 'items' on a system minimizes the potential for a security flaw to expose your systems contents via internet or program. Most all programs now connect to the internet in some form (if even just to check with the company to ensure you are a registered user), thus, they can expose your system to someone getting in through that program, even if it is a media player program or office program. By having exact control as to what accesses the internet, you improve your security. You must adjust and maintain security on programs individually, both the program you see and use, and the hidden programs that run in the background you don't see or use.
In windows itself there are also many places to adjust security, not just in 'network settings' or 'security settings', but many places.
Remember that more than half of windows systems have major security holes in them and can be exploited if only someone tried to get in. That's where spam comes from; they gain access to peoples' systems and then run hidden programs which send out porn mail and other trash at a rate of 1000s per hour. It's a hidden program so people don't understand why they have such slow internet. It is really really cheap nowadays to pay a western-european or russian young hacker to gain access into someones' computer, and I don't say that as a slur, it is just that some ethnicities are superior than others when it comes to hacking and coding.
Minimalism / Anti-Bloat
To remove unneeded 'items' on a system which only serve to confuse and slow down the user since they serve no purpose, or are just randomly sorted. Installing 'everything' as windows does by default, and as many programs do, that adds instability, it decreases speed, and allows windows to become a clutter of icons, lists, toolbars, and things not sorted in any natural or logical flow of common sense.
Software companies have their interests at heart, not yours. The promises they make to you are only made to obtain their interest; your money now, and your money in the future, and then by tracking you and selling your info they make money in between now and the future.
Each program must be custom installed, and after installation of some there needs to be more hidden adjustments or tweaks so it runs better, and then going through the options of each newly installed program to make sure it is set up correctly.
Within windows itself, from a visual perspective, all the icons, the start menu, and the layout/look of windows is adjusted to be clean, minmal, and easy on the eyes, all without disabling needed and user-desired features. Remember windows overall has over 1000 settings throughout, and there are 100s which I adjust to make sure you don't have to think too hard when navigating windows, it should come as easy as one opens a door or takes a footstep, no fiddling, taking side-steps, or extra steps.
Speed / Reliability
To increase the performance of a system not by XX% but by XXX%, whether it is a brand new system or a 5 year old system. A user should work in real-time without hesistation and hiccups in the system, a user should NEVER have to wait for their system to catch up with their actions. A system should provide up to 10 years of smooth service on a desktop, and up to 7 on a laptop, without program crashes, freezes, or BSODs.
This requires going into windows settings, and going into each programs settings, and going into each hardwares' settings, and then choosing the options which are correct or best for your needs or desires. At any age of a system, there is no excuse for a crash or BSOD. It must be mended immediately and should never be repeated, and a client should know why it happened. No excuses.
Self Control
To allow the user full control of programs, settings, and preferences on the system which he owns, without interference or restrictions from outside parties. Self control is to know exactly what programs are running, to know exactly what's connecting to the internet quietly, and to know that one program will not intentionally degrade another (competitive) program, and to know that the settings and adjustments made will stay in place and not change over time (although some settings need adjustments when new version are installed).
This is to mean that a system is in complete control by the owner of the system, because most systems have those programs running which are constantly changing things around, leaving the user to wonder 'this worked yesterday' and 'this does not look the same now' and 'why cant I open this file?'. A system must always be free from outside interferences, no matter how tempting the new gadget or download looks.
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WHAT MONTHLY MAINTENANCE MEANS TO ME
Each month for about an hour per system I run through a list of items I believe are needed for a system (and accompanied accessories and network) to run as smooth as its' very first day of use, in fact I ensure all new systems get faster as time passes, only slowing down a bit around 4-5 years of 24/7 use, and slowing then a tad each year after that due to the hardware finally being too slow or lacking features needed by software (ie obsoleted).
Monthly maintenance also ensures that any potential future problems are nipped in the bud before it even becomes and issue.
It ensures all programs on the system are troublefree, secure, gain added and enhanced features, remain compatible with industry standards, and are all being effectively used by the client. I can see what is being used, what is not being used, and make sure the client never outgrows their needs so they don't hit a productivity ceiling they might not know they reached since they don't know all that current technology offers.
I will always provide clients with room to grow in the directions they find themselves moving in when it comes to productivity.
I know every program in a computer, as I chosen and installed them all with a purpose to serve you, and I get excited, it is one of my passions, seeing a system grow with my clients and their businesses and families. Maintenance monthly is an essential part of that productivity and 'no surprises' result. When I do monthly maintenance I work as fast as my hand and the system can keep up, since I have it preplanned, pre-scripted, and ready-to-go before arriving onsite or updating remotely.
For business systems, I recommend monthly maintenance, because it is a bit more important to do critical patches and security fixes with xp and programs, and more critical to check hardware is updated and working without errors. For every hour a system is down at a business, that can cost money.
For home systems, maintenance every 3-4 months might be a safe bet. This is a bit less reign on security, and not as predictable in seeing problems before they happen, and new features, programs, and speed jumps don't happen as often, but it can save some money each year for a user, just as long as they know there little side effects listed above.
For distant systems (which are systems other than ones I build but I still installed xp and programs from scratch on it), maintenance can be every 6 months. For these systems I cannot guarantee stability to a safe degree, and security may be lacking during those long periods, and the system will experience a slight drop in performance until I return to update and clean up the system, but for people who don't care, they just want to keep the old horse on its' feet, then this is the furthest out I would go between maintenance visits.
Sometimes on a business system I may also do 'quarterly maintenance' or 'annual maintenance', and these are tasks that don't need to be done monthly, they are not as critical. Such tasks include backing up a system (quarterly which hasn't failed me in 25+ years so I don't do it monthly), cleaning up outlook, faxes, and other system areas, cleaning a printers and faxes internals, taking a system outside and cleaning its interior of dust, color calibrating a monitor, cleaning keyboard/mouse/mousepad/wiring, and also smaller software which needs to be individually optimized or updated sometimes. There are more annual and quarterly areas of maintenance, but that's a brief outline.
The sections of maintenance could be divided into:
OPERATING SYSTEM,
HARDWARE,
SOFTWARE,
PERSONALIZATION,
and SECURITY.
So here I briefly cover each section:
Operating System
PATCHES - Every month microsoft releases patches and updates across the 100s of millions of systems over the internet. A person can choose 'automatic' for this so that windows downloads and installs those files itself, saving me the 5 minutes it takes to do manually. But having that feature set to automatic, instead of a manual install, can sometimes cause systems to crash, to cause programs to fail, or install unneeded and sometimes invasive programs which disable things. This has happened on millions of systems set to automatic. Remember anything 'automatic-install' on a computer means corporations have the rights to your computer to do as they please, and their intentions trump your rights. I do not set systems to automatically install anything microsoft sends out, unless I can release myself from that systems responsibilities forever, because too much is at stake and the chance for an error is too high for my tastes. Therefore like millions of users, I manually monthly choose which patches and updates to install, and I install them properly. Many are security related and some update microsoft programs within windows.
LOGS & ERRORS - Quickly in 5 minutes I check various error and usage logs, to see that all hardware and software is operating correctly and not causing errors or failing in any degree or giving warnings. A client very rarely would ever notice 90%+ of errors happening in a system, but they still exist and affect a system.
I can use the 'frog in the frying pan' analogy - if you instantly raise the temperature of the water in a pot on the stove, the frog will notice and jump out of the water, but if you slowly raise the temperature over time, the frog will not notice and will boil to death. Likewise, if errors or problems slowly decreased a system and the system ran at only 25% speed, as long as it happened over a period of days or weeks, a user wouldn't notice. But the problem with that is the user on a computer 6 hours a day would lose hours every week waiting for functions and things to happen on their computer, and time is money. Therefore, it is important to ensure a system has no errors and is running as fast as a user can work, without pauses.
Prevention and checking for problems for a few minutes a month takes less time and money than waiting for a failure to happen and suddenly, or slowly, hours are lost, with most failures not immediately apparent to a client unless the system just stops working or a program crashes. That accounts for about 10% of system errors.
SETTINGS / CHANGES - I spend a few minutes checking the task manager, the services, the startup apps, the internet plug-ins and options, and various other operating system areas that a client might've accidently changed or software had changed. This lets me know the operating system is still running smooth as possible, and no changes are choking it up. If there has been a change to system settings, I have to find out if the client did it, someone else did it, or if some program went in and changed the operating systems proper settings.
OPTIMIZATIONS - I clean out unneeded temp files a system always creates daily, reset logs, delete leftover files and folders from all programs that they didn't erase themselves. I clean and defragment the registry. I quickly make sure the 'my documents' folder is being cleanly maintained by the client and there's no wandering personal files outside of their 'my documents' folder that could easily get lost. I make sure the operating system is finding all attached hardware, and I check the hardware manager to make sure nothings' marked with an error.
There are some other things I do within the operating system monthly, but it depends on the system itself (whether desktop or laptop, whether new or old, whether its home or business, an adults or childs, etc)
Hardware
INSPECT - I spend a few minutes doing a quick visual inspection of all technical items including system, wiring, accessories, printer, monitor, power protection, etc, making sure all looks clean, working, and undisturbed. If anything looks 'out of line' I will do an inspection beyond visual, such as a diagnostic test on the item, perhaps using hardware or software. If the item truly has an error, if it needs repairing or a deeper inspection, I will notify the person and remove the part for deep testing, and let client know the options if the part has damage or is failing, and let them know the cause of failure (electrical problem being the most common root of problems i see). I always want to make it clear what caused a failure, because I want them to be as rare as humanly possible. But normally a visual monthly inspection takes about 5 minutes at most.
CLEANING - I spend a few minutes cleaning items, such as special cleaner for lcd monitor, cleaner for mousepad/mousefeet, clean interior case and fans, clean in wiring and behind items and within printer, etc. Dust is an enemy to electronics, and keyboards are the dirtiest most bacteria-ridden objects in a store or home, so I do a quick cleaning for both the clients and computers health.
UPDATED DRIVERS - Most all hardware components have "software drivers" updated for them posted on the manufacturers' website, whether monthly, quarterly, or a couple times a year. Installing the new drivers from the manufacturer means more functionality, bugs fixes, better speed, better security, and other such things. If you do not know - "drivers" means the software that needs to be installed so that hardware will work within windows and all your programs.
Drivers can include monitors, videocards, sound cards, scanners, printers, mice, keyboards, network cards, usb cards, cd/dvd drive, harddrive, cpu and memory chipsets, any camera or webcam, the motherboard, the network equipment, and more.
I uninstall the old drivers properly, and then I install the new updated drivers for all hardware (since I keep a list of all hardware for every client on every system and I check every week over 30all the manufacturers websites for hardware driver updates, downloading them and reading the notes showing what the new drivers will provide the user), and once installed, I correctly configure the settings after the install.
Then if needed I will inform the client as to what new features or fixes the new driver has. It is sad how most people do not do these driver updates, as it helps to extend hardwares life expectancy and speed and features. Instead they just think the part is broken or outdated and they go out buying another one, complaining how computers never last long so why not just buy the cheapest part possible. So they get caught in the cycle of ignorance and mediocrity, but how are they supposed to know such things anyways. Often if they just installed an updated driver their hardware would continue serving them well for additional years.
When a manufacturer releases the initial first driver for a new piece of hardware, they only had tested it with a handful of people who were 'beta testers', but when that piece of hardware is released to millions of people, all with millions of types of configurations all as individual as fingerprints, only then does the manufacturer gets much more information about the hardwares' bugs, better usability ideas, ways to improve the speed and options of the hardware, and then the manufacturer can really fix and optimize their drivers.
This is why it is ill-advised to install the hardware driver that comes on cd with a piece of hardware; because by then it is an already outdated driver and usually newer ones are posted on their website. It is also ill-advised to just 'automatically' install new drivers, because many companies will not just install the needed driver for the hardware, they can try to install extra unneeded programs including hidden ones, and try to change other settings on a system if you just choose automatic. As with most features on computers, choosing 'automatic' gives companies the right to do as they please on your system, and they will take advantage of that. It is best to install manully, and educated on what is happening with the install and the settings that will need to be updated or be changed.
I regularly contact manufacturers of all the hardware I support, letting them know of problems I found, or offering to them ways to make their items more useful or optimized for users. Sometimes programmers are do technically inclined they forget to make things 'sensible' or easy for normal users.
This portion of a monthly maintenance takes perhaps 15 minutes depending on how many updates there are. But they are all for the better.
NEW HARDWARE - If there appears to be a good reason for an upgrade of a component, or it needs replacement, or I see that a new piece of equipment would serve a cost-effective purpose, then I will suggest the part and even left the client try a new item for a month so that they can see it actually serves a purpose, instead of them 'imagining' using an item they don't own. I spend hours each week just keeping up with new hardware and future hardware many years out, and I also keep tabs on the future advancements of my clients own careers, so that I can help their future path cross with the path of technology, and know I can be of service in making that happen.
Software
SOFTWARE UPDATES - most all programs on a system have new versions released regularly. it may be a new version every month, every couple months, every quarter, or a couple times a year, but most programs do have free updates available to install over the old versions. these updates offer newer features, better security online, better speed, fixes many bugs, and more. every week i go to over 60 software websites and download the new versions and index them all so i can install on multiple systems each month. i test the new versions myself first, i read all their notes on what the new version fixes or offers, and i usually email and keep in contact with the programmer, letting them know what they should include, what they should clean up, and if there are any issues i found with the new versions. also i have to ensure that this new version will not negatively affect the operating system, or hardware, or other software.
in monthly maintenance i bring my portable harddrive and quickly run thru dozens of updates installing them and setting their options correctly. if there are major changes i will let the client know what new features the program offers them to work more efficiently. i do not install unneeded updates, they are all important and many work together (one programs updates requires another programs updates to work correctly).
also to note; there are more programs installed on a system than what a client sees on their start menu, many programs are not located there but still serve important functions elsewhere, and those are updated too.
UNINSTALLS - sometimes a program is no longer needed, whether the client will never ever use it, or the program becomes obsolete. going into ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS does not fully install most all programs, it leaves residual items behind affecting the system, and it can also uninstall parts of other programs as well causing problems. manually checking the files/folders were deleted, checking the registry, and using uninstall software to check for a full install is also needed beyond just ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS. do not think that uninstalling there removes a program like pulling a dvd out of a dvd player, windows does not work that way; many sloppy parts are left behind.
NEW INSTALLS - once in awhile i will find a new program that i feel will serve a purpose to the client, so i will install that program and notify the client of its function.
ERRORS - i will check to make sure no settings have been accidently changed by client and other programs haven't changed each others settings. also to see if the program has ever created or caused any errors, since all software has errors and bugs of one type of another. i quickly check to see each program is running as it should be.
Personalization & Contentment
- I ask the client if all hardware and software is working fine for this month, and if anything seems 'out of the ordinary' or strange or any errors popped up. If they mention anything I look into it to see what happened.
- I also ask if they had any wishes of what the computer could do to help them, and ask if they are happy with the system overall. There is no reason for a client to be unsatisfied with the system, because everything has a solution, or at least a reason why we are not quite there yet in technology.
- I also will let them know if I have any recommendations for them as far as software, or how they could work more efficiently on their system. Many times the average user doesn't know there are things to speed up or cut out parts of their workflow.
- Computers today are under-utilized by users, most think they can't have the programs they want because their system will be slowed down. But on a system that has already been optimized and has no hidden running software, a user can have literally as many programs as he needs for business and pleasure, and all things in between, just as long as they are well-written and safe programs.
- I want a client to know I am not just an 'on the clock' person, but also a 'behind the scenes' person, and I want to know the client has no hidden issues with my service to them. There should never be ANY outstanding issues. There can't be.
Security
To publicly list exactly what security means is tough, because it means to give away security to some degree. Everyone has their own forms of security, but some common points which must be regularly checked-
- all software occasionally has exploits
- all operating systems occasionally have exploits
- alot of hardware even has exploits
- all systems connected to the internet are daily 'pinged' by remote systems checking to find ways in
Because of these things, monthly I keep informed, and always update any possible problems, and I also check logs to see if anything looks suspicious, I check areas in a system that might show someone other than the client and their associates/family had used the system, or if a employee of theirs was doing anything questionable. I check to ensure no program is running hidden, and that noone has disabled security settings. If you have a clean system, with nothing running hidden and with all settings correctly set, then anything suspicious sticks out like a sore thumb. But on a normal system I see most anywhere, I can totally understand peoples befuddlement over their system, I would be too with messes as that, it's like looking inside a tornado ravaged house, only then wondering if someone broke in and took something; it was all a mess beforehand.
I also ensure the virus and spyware programs are updated and running correctly, and check if they've found anything via email, internet, or in files on the system. Sometimes virus programs will accidently mark good files as bad files, and they can remove those good needed files for essential programs to run. This is called a 'false positive' and happens to any system at some point. Also I go online and in the background run an online virus/spyware checker as a secondary test of security, since no one virus program finds them all perfectly. This only takes a few minutes and goes on while I work on other things in my monthly checklist.
Checking and reinforcing a systems security takes just a few minutes a month, since most of it is education all throughout the month.
At the end of a monthly maintenance check, the final thing I do is leave the system to run longer tasks, tasks that I don't want to wait on, like checking the drives for errors and defragmenting them. I don't like to sit around for minutes awaiting a computer to finish a task; it is more a waste of my TIME then it is a waste of a client's MONEY. Everything I do is to save us both time and money.
_________________________________________________________________________ SYSTEMS I BUILD
After 25+ years of building computers, I would be pleasantly suprised to find a profession I haven't worked with. Legal, medical, technical, scientific, military, retail, estate, design, multimedia, entertainment, real estate, art and artists, gaming- whatever your 'thing' is, I do systems that wrap around your mind like a beanbag and you'll be able to settle deeply into. The only type I shy away from because it is too 'on call' intensive is networks larger than a few systems, anything beyond that requires a full-time IT person.
I require certain hardware on every system, and certain software on every system, and then anything beyond that is more customized for the persons deeper needs. Not everyone needs dual 30" monitors and 7.1 surround sound. I consider each new system build a work of art and they are each my children.
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WHAT A TYPICAL SYSTEM MEANS TO ME
Over the years I stick with reliable, renowned, industry-standard brands. Over time the exact models will vary as technology progresses, but sticking to known brands and known standards means a system easily lives to serve out its' life giving full effort. Over the course of one systems' lifetime it can often be cost effective to upgrade certain parts, because prices drop drastically and speed/usefulness increases. So after perhaps 4-5 years to upgrade the videocard is worthwhile, or to upgrade the cpu, or harddrive even. Sometimes changing just 2-3 parts a few years later can increase the system by double. On a normal system, parts are made to be components, easily replaceable individual parts, and not all-inclusive systems where nothing can be replaced, those lower-end systems require a whole new system just because one part within it becomes obsolete or breaks.
I do not buy the absolute 'best' of a component, unless the client specifically requests it, but I do get what is 'best' for a certain price-point and cost/use effectiveness. If a component will work 50% better and costs only 10% more, the choice is obvious to me that that is worthy of purchasing. but if the part will work 20% better yet costs 100% more, then it is not cost effective and I do not consider that component, unless a client needs all the usefullness/speed/utility that the component can offer at this point of time in technology and requests it.
When it comes to actually purchasing the components, here is how it works:
If a client purchases a component themselves, they -
- may pay a higher price than i can get it for
- on paid time I have to unpackage the part and prep it
- the part does not get tested or 'burned in', so if a failure happens, on paid time I have to test it, and on paid time I have to contact the manufacturer, and on paid time I have to possibly package and ship the item for replacement which may take awhile for return
If i purchase a part for a client, then -
- I tend to shop for a good price from people I consider reliable
- I unpack it on my time
- I test it on my time
- I 'burn it in' on my time
- I bring the part onsite for install on my time
- and if the part fails within warranty period it is alot cheaper for me to test, fix, contact tech for repair, package and ship it, and get the new replacement. This is all because I test items before using them in systems, so I know they have a less chance of failure before their warranty ends, and well after the warranty.
Of course, if a user does something to cause the part to fail (user error, whether purpose or accident) or if something like an act of God or Electric happens, then I may charge for some of the time to get the item back to working condition or replaced.
Here are the companies I buy from for the components I use, and how long I have used that companies products. I know for each component model I buy that there are better/faster ones, but I have to be realistic buildings system for people, so I work with the best bang for the buck, keeping a system under $4k and not getting into things like liquid cooling or SLI or purchases overboard for a client. If the sky were the limit, well, that would be a different story.
Internal
MOTHERBOARD - asus brand for 10+ years
MOTHERBOARD FAN - noctua fans for 2 years
CPU - intel for 10+ years
CPU FAN - noctua fans for 2 years
CPU HEATSINK - thermalright brand for 7+ years
MEMORY - either corsair, crucial, or ocz in 2gb or 4gb
POWER SUPPLY - corsair brand for 2 years
CARD / VIDEO - nvidia brand for almost a decade
CARD / AUDIO - creative labs chipset (prelude) for 15+ years
CARD / HDTV - dvico brand for 5+ years
STORAGE / HARDDRIVE - samsung 1gb (for size) or w.digital velociraptor 300gb (for speed)
STORAGE / OPTICAL - philips brand for 5+ years
STORAGE / MEMORYCARD READER - sandisk extreme for 5+ years
External
CASE - lian-li aluminum cases for 10 years
BATTERY BACKUP - apc or belkin for 10+ years
VOLTAGE REGULATOR - apc or belkin for 10+ years
MONITOR - dell lcds 24 or 30 inch for 5+ years
SPEAKERS - logitech speakers for 5+ years
MOUSE - logitech or microsofts for 15+ years
MOUSEPAD - nova pads for 2 years
KEYBOARD - deck or logitech keyboards for 5 years
WEBCAM/MIC - logitechs camera/mic for 5 years
CABLING - belkins higher-end cables for all power, usb, video, audio, network, etc
ROUTER - netgear for 10+ years
PRINTER / MULTIFUNCTION - canon for 5 years
CAMERA - canon for 15+ years
LAPTOP - dell for 10+ years ___________________________________________________
RANDOM POINTS
- Whereas you may work with 3-10 programs on your normal workweek, I work with over 50 programs.
- Always know the options/settings in programs you use; if you spend hours a day on a program, then what's an hour to read the manual and know what your options are in it, one little checkbox could save you hours of toil, or inspire you to move to your own 'next level'.
- Here are the most common 4 reasons for system problems I see in systems outside my own;
1. Dirty electric - not using a good voltage regulator with true surge suppression, but instead using some cheap power strip or $20 battery backup thats good for a few months of mediocre service. There is more to electrical problems than "oh the electric is off". Voltage needs to stay around 120hz, but sometimes it drops to 90hz, and sometimes it rises to 145hz, in fact, electric is very unstable in its frequency and rises/falls alot. You don't notice this, your computer notices it and is deeply affected by it. It may not immediately destroy the system, but it does take bits out every time it happens, breaking a little here and a little there, it is like termites on your wooden boat.
A surge suppressor only stops surges, but doesn't help with one's lasting more than split second, which many are longer than, and does not help at all with drops in voltage.
A battery backup only works if the electric is totally off.
A voltage regulator though, if it is a good one, will ensure that your system always gets a pure 120hz, even when the electric is off. This is how a system will run for a decade.
2. Dust which collects on circuits, wiring, and fans, short-circuiting them or freezing them up, causing overheating and breaking hardware. A ssytem should be taken outside and blown out with air every few months. One piece of dust you probably couldn't even see from a foot away is enough to cause failture if in the wrong place, but a giant dustball can be the last thing your system eats.
3. Cheap wiring that isn't up to par. It might not run at its' rated spec, or it is uninsulated, or it is ripped in the ends or somewhere in between, or electric and data wires all massed together when they need to be separated. When people say you are only as strong as your weakest link, the wiring is often the weakest link. It pays to pay a bit more for good cables that can stand stress, that are insulated from outside interference, that is dust repellant, and that will run at rated spec and even higher. In the past I would have to show up somewhere just to find a bad cable and that became annoying. Starting with good cables from square one means I won't have to worry about that weak link being a problem in the future, and I don't like showing up to fix a problem to find the problem is in the quality of something, that's a waste of time and money.
4. The dozens of programs running hidden, all fighting for control over a computers resources and using the internet, and constantly morphing and replciating themselves over the months/years. I get nauseous when I look at someones' task manager and see they have those dozens of useless programs running, wasting all the power of the system instead of giving that power to the user, to reinstate hidden programs :
... can be accessing the internet sending out god knows what,
... can be sending info about you to various companies or a hacker,
... can change your system settings without you knowing,
... can install even more hidden programs on your system, adding to the problems,
... can purposely limit your use of the system, since they take up your resources,
... can purposely break competitions programs, so you don't know you have better choices,
... can crash the system since hidden programs rarely have settings, they don't care,
... can keep reinstalling themselves even when stopped or you try to remove them,
... can eat up most of your memory and cpu, slowing things down in everything you do, ... are RARELY RARELY ever needed, unless it is a hidden program you want to run for its' functionality.
5. Hardware that was bargain-basement, and not even up to accepted standards, (a videocard is not just a videocard, for manufacturers batch hardware according to their expected rate of failure, and sell those accordingly. Most all hardware sold works this way, you truly get what you pay for) so quickly became incompatible, or software that has not been configured correctly and has not been updated in months/years. It is not a crime nor illegal to sell defective hardware or software, because all hardware and software has defects to some amount or another, the problem is that some companies sell highly defective hardware that would otherwise be rejects, and no other companies would dare sell with their reputations. I have a reputation too and I won't sink low by promoting garbage.
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