I have made some significant changes to the way that I provide service to my customers.

 I now work by appointment only. The appointment time is set after a brief telephone consultation where we discuss your computer problem. I will attempt to obtain all the important information about the computer and the type of issues you are having with it. We may even be able to solve the problem over the phone. If not, together we then set a time for you to bring in your computer for repair at a time that is convenient for you. Appointments allow me to give you 100% of my attention with no distractions. When repairs are completed, you will be notified and you can then choose to make a time that is right for you to come pick up your computer. Many customers have found this arrangement works best for them. They can for example schedule the drop off appointment on their way to work, and then set up the pickup time for when they are on the way home. We can even set the appointment times for the weekend. I know many people have a very busy schedule and timing is very important. We can work together and obtain the quality service you need at a time that is right for you. Give me a call to see what Computer Repair Shop can do for you.

 (850) 873-8920

Do you really want to trust your computer, valuable data, and personal information to someone that claims that they can remove all virus (malware) from your computer and do a complete tune-up in one day for $20?

Virus Removal takes time to do it right. In most cases the time required to remove a virus and other malware depends on the speed of your computer. Effective and complete malware removal takes time and is usually not complete with just one scan. Very often it can take several hours and longer to do a complete and professional virus removal procedure. Would you want anything less than a professional job done when your personal property is involved?

Malware on a computer can be in many different forms. Your computer may be infected with Adware, Spyware, Trojans, Highjackers, Root kits and others. In fact, most infestations actually consist of more than one of these items. It is very common for a computer to be infected with multiple virus types at the same time and each requiring a different procedure or technique to locate, identify, and remove. Simply scanning for a virus does not do the job. To do an effective removal you must scan for all types of malware and you must scan with different anti-malware software. Your common anti-virus software does not scan and check for all types of malware. Malware removal can be a challenge even to the most experienced technicians. There are so many variations and these are constantly changing. Every day new evil malware is released on the innocent people of the world.  An unskilled person can do more damage to your computer than the virus if they don’t know what they are doing. Using the wrong procedure, technique, or application can cause loss of your valuable data.

When I get a computer that is infected I do a complete backup of the entire hard drive to ensure that I have a copy of all your data, files, programs, and applications located in a safe place before even starting the malware removal process. Doing an accurate and complete backup takes time and if the person fixing your computer does not do this you may end up with partial or complete loss of data. Many times the malware infects different parts of your computer and it sometimes attaches itself to critical system files and applications. When the malware is removed it may take some of the critical system files with it. If system files are missing or corrupted, you computer may not work correctly if at all.

Another aspect of the virus removal process is to ensure that the malware does not reappear again. Effective Anti-malware protection is a must. Make sure that the person working on your computer installs an effective anti-virus program. There are many free versions that will work for most people.

Many unscrupulous people representing themselves as computer technicians will try to remove the malware on your computer by doing a re-installation of the operating system (Windows). Sometimes this may be necessary if the system files are to corrupted and damaged to repair. Most lazy techs will just do a re-install of Windows and may not install a legitimate licensed copy of Windows back on your computer. Not only will your files be lost, but all your programs and applications will have to be re-installed. The cheap tech might not re-install all the necessary drivers on your system and you may not be able to print, or use other hardware after the botched repair. It is not uncommon for a computer owner to find out that their computer has an illegal copy of Windows on it because the technician used an unlicensed or pirated copy of the software. It may work for a day or two, but Microsoft will be asking you for money to buy a new legal copy of the software that you already paid for. They win, you lose.

Bottom line: Be careful with whom you let work on your computer. Your valuable data and personal information may be at risk. Ask questions and if you don’t like the answers, find someone else that can feel comfortable with.

Do something for special this year for Mothers Day.

Get her computer fixed.

Now would be a great time to put the life back into that old computer. You don’t have to buy a new computer just get a tune-up on the old one. We can make it run like new again. So for the price of a few flowers and a box of candy, you could have mom surfing the web again or perhaps for the 1^st time.

Call Computer Repair Shop and set up an appointment to get your computer tuned up for Mothers Day. When you bring in the computer just mention that you are doing it for mom and get a 10% discount of the labor.

COMPUTER REPAIR SHOP     (850) 873-8920

There is an old debate that powering off computers when not in use is more stressful than leaving them running, so many people choose to leave them on constantly. Personally, I shut down my computer if I am going to be away from it for a while. Hard drives have only so many hours (rotations) to live, so why waste them by leaving them running when no useful work is being performed. Having a drive become unreliable or unreadable may mean losing your data and a major repair if Windows and programs need to be re-installed on a new drive. 

 There is a much more important reason to power down computers when not in use, and that’s the potential for a fire.

 Power supplies, video cards and the computer’s circuit board all use electrolytic capacitors that can fail over time, and explode and catch fire.

 A failure in a power supply or other computer circuit could result in a fire that could destroy your computer’s hard drives in the process. The destruction of a hard drive means the loss of your data.  Any fire in your home is not a good thing.  Be sure to put your computer in Sleep or Hibernation mode or shut it off when leaving it unattended for any length of time, especially if the computer is a few years old.

Sorry for any inconvenience. We relocated our business and the search engines like Google have not caught up with us yet. We are still doing business here in Panama City Florida, but we have closed down the store front part of our business that was located at 2902 West 12^th Street.  (We are no longer at this location)

In order to keep our prices low and affordable we had to cut some overhead expenses. We are now back where we started from. Computer Repair Shop is once again operating from home. Please call to discuss any computer problems you may have. We may be able to help you out with just one phone call. We can set up an appointment just for you to bring in your computer to us at a time that is right for you. If you went to our old store front location and were disappointed that we had moved, just think about how we feel in missing your business. When you make your appointment with us just mention that you had been to our old location and we will ensure you get a discount off your bill for your trouble.

We now work by appointment only and can set up a time that is right for you. Call (850) 873-8920

We know you have a tight and busy schedule. That is why we operate our business as Customer  Oriented Service. We set up individual appointments that fit YOUR schedule.

Our business is designed with the flexibility to adjust our service and support to ensure that we meet your needs and expectations.

We consider our customer’s satisfaction as priority number one

Give us a call today and experience Customer Oriented Service in Action.

(850) 873-8920

“Pizza Tech” is a derogatory term that legitimate PC repair businesses use to describe low-priced, fly-by-night computer repair people who repair computers for just enough money to buy pizza and beer. Their rates are extremely low and reflect their lack of technical qualifications, business registration and ethics. They see nothing wrong with using or installing pirated, illegal or unlicensed copies of Windows or computer programs and will offer to install them for a very low price or for free. So why beware of them?

Their lack of ethics and working for cash under-the-table aside, they can make a real mess of your PC and end up costing you far more than you bargained for. After they have finished with your computer, you may end up having to call a qualified technician to undo their handiwork, fix the original problem as it should have been the first time, and possibly recover your trashed data.

With the economy being like it is these days, many out of work people will try to earn money by advertising that they are a computer repair business. Check out the credentials of the person you will be letting inside your computer.

Some Pizza Tech customers may find that their system will not pass Microsoft’s periodic validation checks, leaving them with a system or software they can no longer access without paying Microsoft to make it legal. And would you trust your personal data to the prying eyes of someone patently dishonest, with no morals or principles? Can you be confident that your computer will be free of password-stealing keyloggers, trojans and spyware after a Pizza Tech is done with it? Theft of credit card data and identities is rampant. If you use your computer for banking or credit card purchases, you should be concerned.

How can you spot a Pizza Tech, other than by unbelievably-low prices/rates and offers of free or low-cost software? Ask if they are a registered business and charge taxes on repairs.  Ask for their Business Number for verification of registration. Are they willing to waive the tax if payment is made in cash? Will they give a receipt and provide proof of identity? If not, beware!

Do they have a website with their own domain name (e.g., businessname.com) and does it have their business street address? If the person you are doing business with does not have an address, how do you expect to retrieve your computer or contact them in case of a problem or dispute? Depending on the answers to the above, you will have to decide whether or not they are legitimate, qualified and trustworthy. 

There is nothing wrong with shopping around for someone to repair your computer, just make sure they aren’t a Pizza Tech.

Burnt Again?

So, you have a desperate need for a laptop and can’t afford to buy a new one. What do you do? Many people will look in Craig’s List and may find a bargain or a deal that is too good to be passed up. When it comes to computers and especially laptops please be very careful when you decide to buy something. This goes for the fly-by-night flee market vendors too. How do you know the laptop that you just purchased was not stolen the night before? If there is a problem will you be able to take it back? Did you check out the laptop to ensure that it actually worked? Were you able to connect to a wireless network and test it before putting out your hard earned cash?

I get calls for help all the time from some innocent victim of bad deal. People call me to help them get their new (to them) laptop working after their money has disappeared. An example is someone sees an ad on Craig’s List (CL) for a great deal on a laptop. They go and pay between $50 to $80 for the laptop go home, turn it on and then…….wait……wait…….wait…..  They can never connect wireless to the web because the laptop does not have a build in wireless card. If they can connect, they can not go anyplace because they don’t have enough memory or the operating system is out of date and can’t be updated. The problem is that the buyer was not armed with enough information to make a good choice and ask the right questions.

So this person now has an expensive paper weight or the start of a new artificial reef because as a computer it is just a piece of junk.  Some of these things can be fixed, upgraded, updated, and made to work…for a price.  Would you by a car without wheels or an engine? A laptop without the ability to connect and surf the web is nearly useless except for the above mentioned things.

The following information will hopefully help someone before they put money in another person’s hand for buying what they think is a “working” computer.

I just had a new customer that went and purchased a computer on CL. When she took it home she discovered that it could not connect to the internet and was extremely slow. When I examined it, I found that it had an illegal copy of Window Vista as well as illegal copies of other software such as Microsoft Office 2007. The wireless adapter was not working (it was broke and had to be replaced). The memory modules were installed incorrectly causing many system wide failures. Buy the time a re-installed the legal copy of windows and fixed the other problems this new “deal” cost them an additional $150.00.

The first thing to check is to see if it will actually start and boot into some version of Windows. Once the system is up and running test it to see if it can connect to the Internet with both the wireless and wired connections.

Can you connect to your favorite on-line places?

There is a more detailed check list on my website that can help you avoid buying a lemon or expensive useless paperweight.

Be careful and if in doubt don’t pay until you a satisfied that you did get a good deal.

Switched / upgraded to Internet Explorer version 9?  Having problems with your old web sites and editing or entering data? Could be the Compatibility Mode needs to be changed.

Computer Repair Shop is offering a new service to our valued customers and clients. We are now able to connect to your computer remotely and repair many minor problems. With our Remote Desktop Service you can watch as we work on your computer from the comfort of your home. You can interact with the technician via a live chat session while connected. For minor repairs and problems with Windows, this can be a real saver. You don’t have to unplug all the cables and wires and stuff. As long as you have a working Internet connection we can connect to your computer and get it working again.

For more information or to set up a remote session appointment, please give us a call.

(850) 873-8920