Frequently Asked Questions
How Does It Work? I will travel to your home or business and perform the required duties to get your computer up and running. If it's a software related issue then I can fix it easily unless it requires some installation. I can take the computer to my workbench for installations and repairs. Usually it gets done within a day or so. You can call me with questions or phone support for free. Let me be your on the site tech guy to perform the work you need done. If you have a website that needs to be built, I can do this at home or at your location. We can communicate through email or on the phone.
How Much Do You Charge? I regularly charge $25.00 per hour. That includes website design. That does not include extra software or hardware that might be required depending on the problem. If it's a software related issue then I can fix it easily unless it requires some additional installation. Some software can be installed for free. Others do not. If the computer has hardware parts that need to be replaced then the cost is the price of the hardware.
Do You Perform Troubleshooting On Linux Machines? My knowledge of the Linux Operating System is limited compared to Windows. However, I am continuing to learn more about Linux on a daily basis. I would be more than happy to help fix the issue depending on what it is.
What Is Spyware? Spyware are small programs that run in the background on your PC. They 'hide' themselves from the user and perform tasks that typically invade your privacy. They do literally 'spy' on you and can make it difficult for you to find and remove them. These spyware programs come bundled with free downloadable programs from the internet (such as Kazaa, Imesh and even Cuteftp). The reason these programs are free to you is because advertising companies pay the developer of the program to put their spyware within it. They can slow down your computer and cause it to do things without your interference.
What Kind of Maintenance Do You Perform On Laptops?
Laptops are more compact and little harder to fix as far as hardware is concerned. If you need the motherboard replaced or if your screen, keyboard or touchpad is messed up then you will have to call the manufacturer and have the laptop shipped off to them to fix the issue. If you need your hard drive replaced or memory upgraded then I would be more than happy to help.
What Programs Do You Recommend For Getting Rid of Spyware and Viruses? Other than the lack of routine maintenance spyware and viruses are the most common cause of computers slowing down. I recommend the following free programs.
- Spybot Search and Destroy for getting rid of spyware.
- Spyware Blaster for blocking spyware from getting on your computer.
- Avira for detecting and deleting viruses.
The reason I recommend Avira is because it's free and not only do Norton and MacAfee cost you money, they also use up a lot of the computer's processing time causing your computer to slow down. The programs mentioned above are the ones I use on my computers at home.
Do You Have Any References? Yes! Go to my References page and you'll see a full list of them!
What is the Purpose In Defragmenting Your Computer? This question is asked often by my customers. Every time you open and close a file or program, fragments of that file get spread across the computer's hard drive. When you open up that file or program again it takes longer for the computer to find the fragments to it. That is why it is recommended to Defrag your computer on a regular basis. If you don't your hard drive will eventually crash. Go to the Maintenance page to learn how to Defrag your computer.
Who is the Microsoft Office Assistant? When you use Microsoft Office such as Word or Excel the "Office Assistant" can be used to help you with questions or errors that might arise. The default assistant is who I call Mr. Paper Clip. When no computer tech is available call upon him to help.
If My Hard Drive Crashes Can the Data On It Be Recovered?
There is a good chance that I will be able to recover the data on a supposed crashed hard drive if the computer does not boot into the desktop. However, their are rare instances where the hard drive completely crashes and the data is unrecoverable. That is why it is important for you to back up your important data either on a flash drive or a back up drive.
Contact
Patrick Gaido
Computer Freelancer
832-715-2863
homecomputerdoctor@sbcglobal.net
Clear Lake City, Texas