Frequently Asked Questions About
Residential Computer Repair
Q: How Much will it cost to get my
computer repaired?
A: This is an impossible question to
answer without knowing some of the symptoms of the problem. Typical
problems are virus adware and spyware infections. The degree and
severity of the infection directly impact the amount of time it
takes a technician to remove the exploits. Normally it takes a
minimum of 2 hours to completely clean a system.
Q: Will I lose all my data such as
pictures, music documents and programs?
A: Unless your system has experienced
complete hard drive failure Sleekcom can preserve your data files.
In the event your hard drive has totally failed it us usually not
economically feasible to retrieve data from a home computer unless
your system contains valuable irreplaceable data. This is why we
recommend regular backups to different media like CD, DVD, external
hard drive or jump drive of your files. Program files are not
transferable. If your hard drive fails or your system requires
reloading any programs must be reinstalled from their original
source.
Q: How long will it take to get my
computer back?
A: Depending on the backlog of repairs
it normally takes 2 to 3 days for us to complete a repair job. Some
cases may take longer depending on the level and severity of the
problem or availability of parts.
Q: I have a friend or family member
that took computer courses in school. Why can't they repair my
computer?
A: Generally computer courses taught in
high school and even the college level are limited to APPLICATIONS
(Microsoft Office, Word Perfect, Photoshop, Etc.) and basic
operating system (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Etc.) functions.
Rarely do they provide training in hardware and even basic operating
system troubleshooting and repair. In many situations this friend
or relative may seem to know a lot to a novice user; however it may
cost you more money or loss of all your data if you choose to allow
them to work on your machine.
Q: There is a guy that works on
computers out of his house that charges a lot less than Sleekcom.
Why shouldn't I take my computer to him and save some money?
A: There are many technicians that work
from home or from the trunk of their car. These are called "bedroom
techs" because many of them have a corner of the spare bedroom in
their home dedicated to computer repair. Not all, but most of these
guys supplement another job with computer repair or do it as a hobby
or tinkering. It may appear they charge less, but in the long run
you get less. Most of these guys don't keep parts in stock or have
reliable distributors for parts. They may replace parts in your
computer with used parts they happen to have lying around. You
should also consider that these guys aren't professional and you are
lucky if you have a cell phone number to get in touch with them. We
also see many cases where they use Pirated Software which not only
impacts the security and performance of your computer but is also a
violation of law. Computer repair is an integral part of Sleekcom's
business. We have a complete computer lab with facilities to
professionally diagnose and repair your computer problems. We have
regular office hours and many ways to get in contact with us in the
rare event you should have a problem after the repair. We also keep
a large supply of fresh new replacement parts from suppliers that
back up what we sell.
Q: Why don't you make residential
house calls?
A: The short answer is time and
economics. When a technician comes to you we must charge for his
time from the beginning to the end of the repair. This can easily
cost more than the computer is actually worth. Much of the repair
process is spent with the computer doing the work. For example a
simple memory scan to test for defective memory chips can take 2
hours. If your computer is in our shop we can start the scan and
let the computer run while we are working on other computers. If we
perform this process at your location the technician can only wait
until the test is completed, but you are still paying for his time.
Even though we may only charge for 2 hours this is actual time spent
by the technician working on your system; not the entire time the
system is under repair.
Q: Computers have gotten so cheap why
should I not just by a new one instead of having mine repaired?
A: When you buy a cheap computer that is
just what you get; a cheap computer. Just because a system has a
big name doesn't mean it will perform well. Many big box stores and
online distributors sell cheap systems that don't perform as well as
your old system. We see people that purchase a system from places
like Wal Mart or Dell only to find the new system is slower and more
cumbersome than the one they are replacing. For example Wal Mart is
selling Acer and HP brand systems with Windows Vista operating
system and only 512MB RAM. Although Vista will run with 512MB RAM
it is slower than molasses in January. A typical repair normally
cost less than half of what even the cheapest system you can buy at
these places. Your old system may operate faster and more
efficiently than one of these new "cheap" systems. If your system
is so old or in such shape that it is not economically feasible to
repair Sleekcom will tell you up front before any charges are
incurred
.
Virus
Removal
