FAQ
Q: I’m bringing in my computer / printer for repair… what else do I bring in with me?
A: For laptops and printers, please bring in your A/C Power supply. For tower and desktop PC’s usually nothing else is needed. No monitors, keyboards, mice or power cords are necessary. However, if you have the original system, restore and program disks please bring them in with you.
Q: Will I lose all my data files?
A: Preserving your data is our highest priority. Every effort is made to protect the data on your hard drive; however, we cannot guarantee your data. We provide backup services upon request, both before we begin repairs and imaging of the drive upon completion of the tune up. Please inform us if you have important data on your computer that hasn’t been backed up.
Q: How long will my repairs take?
A: Typically, your equipment will be diagnosed within 48 hours and repaired within 3-5 days. If the estimated cost of repair exceeds $100 (parts & labor) you will be contacted for approval before we proceed further. Occasionally, a proprietary part may need to be ordered and shipped for your equipment which may add 2 – 7 days to the repair process, depending on your shipping preference. Priority repair service is available for an additional charge (a 50% premium on labor) providing that a technician is available.
Q: Is my computer / printer worth fixing?
A: For desktops, laptops and printers, the minimum service fee is $50. If you decide to continue with the repairs, your service fee applies towards your repair bill.
Q: What are your hours?
A: Generally Monday through Friday 10AM until 6PM. Special appointments are available mornings, evenings and weekends by request.
Q: Do you repair monitors?
A: Yes, however, if the estimated cost of repair nears or exceeds the price of a new LCD, we may suggest recycling and replacing the old monitor.
Q: Do you repair copy machines?
A: No, a specialist who deals exclusively with your particular model should repair your copy machine.
Q: Where do the repairs and tune-ups take place?
A: Typically, It takes us less time and therefore costs you less if we work on your computer at our service center where we have available workstations, all of our specialized tools, parts, resources and a very high speed Internet connection. On-site service is available by request and recommended when there are multiple computers and/or wireless or networking issues. An additional fee may be applied for onsite appointments outside of the city limits of Steamboat Springs. Pick up and delivery service is available.
Q: Do you take Credit Cards?
A: Yes, we accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
Q: Are backups really necessary?
A: Absolutely! All media types can fail; hard drives, CDs, DVDs, flash drives and floppies. Imagine the time and effort it would take to re-enter weeks, months or years of data – the loss of productivity can be very costly. Every system, no matter how secure, should be backed up regularly to provide protection against equipment failure, hacking and unexpected disasters, such as fire or flooding.
Q: What is a Virus?
A: In computer security, a computer virus is a self-replicating computer program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents. A computer virus behaves in a way similar to a biological virus, which spreads by inserting itself into living cells. Extending the analogy, the insertion of a virus into the program is termed as an “infection”, and the infected file, or executable code that is not part of a file, is called a “host”. Viruses are one of the several types of malicious software or malware. In common parlance, the term virus is often extended to refer to worms, Trojan horses and other sorts of malware (malicious software). While viruses can be intentionally destructive, for example, by destroying data, many other viruses are fairly benign or merely annoying. Some viruses have a delayed payload, which is sometimes called a bomb. For example, a virus might display a message on a specific day or wait until it has infected a certain number of hosts. The predominant negative effect of viruses is their uncontrolled self-reproduction, which wastes or overwhelms computer resources. Today, viruses are somewhat less common than network-borne worms, due to the popularity of the Internet. Anti-virus software, originally designed to protect computers from viruses, has, in turn, expanded to cover worms and other threats such as spyware, identity theft and adware. (wikipedia.com)
Q: What is Spyware / Adware?
A: In the field of computing, the term spyware refers to a broad category of malicious software designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer’s operation without the informed consent of that machine’s owner or legitimate user. While the term taken literally suggests software that surreptitiously monitors the user, it has come to refer more broadly to software that subverts the computer’s operation for the benefit of a third party. Spyware differs from viruses and worms in that it does not usually self-replicate. Like many recent viruses, however, spyware by design exploits infected computers for commercial gain. Typical tactics furthering this goal include delivery of unsolicited pop-up advertisements; theft of personal information (including financial information such as credit card numbers); monitoring of Web-browsing activity for marketing purposes; or routing of HTTP requests to advertising sites. Spyware has become one of the most significant security threats to computer systems running Microsoft Windows operating systems. (wikipedia.com)
