Mortgage, Loans, Insurance, Real Estate, Investment, Tax and Financial Services

Home Computer Repair ? Do It Yourself?

Home computer repair is not brain surgery! Most computer repairs can be broken down into two specific areas, software and hardware. Now I do admit that in some people?s hand, a screwdriver can be a dangerous object. But if you can change a light bulb without shocking yourself, I?d bet you could swap out a computer part. Software gets a little trickier but is still within the grasp of most computer users.

I?ve been involved in computer repair in one way or another for over 25 years. The three major repairs I get called for on a weekly basis are:

Spyware/Malware Issues Hardware failure (power supplies, hard drives, and ram usually) Computer boot problems (lost password, toasted OS, hardware failure)

All of these can be quite a challenge depending on the value and risk of losing important data, which can be anything from tax records to photos. Any computer can be repaired; it just depends on time and budget. But not all data can be rescued. If a hard drive suffers a catastrophic hardware failure, data recovery is doubtful (unless you want spend 100?s if not 1000?s of dollars for special services).

So the best scenario in any home computer repair solution is have a good backup of your important data before you start any repair. I never work on anything for over an hour without immediately backing it up on another media (USB thumb drives are only about $30 for up to 5 gigs of storage and CD or DVD prices are under a buck). I learned the hard way very early in my computer using experience. It?s much easier to deal with any home computer repair if you don?t have to worry about important data. *Please, backup your data right after you finish this article and start doing it on regular basis.

When you have a secure backup, the home computer repair is a matter of a little investigative work (to determine the real issue ? sometimes Windows will point you in the wrong direction) and coming up with a good solution. Let?s look at the best way to prevent each of the three most common computer repairs and if you already have the problem, some possible solutions.

Spyware/Malware ? Two good preventive measures to eliminate Spyware and Malware is to keep your OS (normally Windows) up to date on security patches from your friends at Microsoft. This is pretty easy to do if you turn on Automatic Updating in your Security Center (go to Control Panel, click on Security Center, then check that Automatic Updates is turned on). The other is to make sure you have a good Anti-Virus software installed and it gets updated automatically. These two programs give you about a 93% solution.

Another 5% can be addressed with Anti-Spyware software such as Windows Defender (free from Microsoft, just do a search for it on your choice of Search Engine) or Spybot, a free program from www.spybot.info that does a good job too. Where?s the last 2%, well there is no 100% solution I?m sorry to say. Although common sense on where you surf, what email you open, and where you click can generally keep you safe.

What if you are already infected? Well, there are manual ways of removing Spyware/Malware programs but they aren?t pretty and involve a whole lot of searching around and rebooting in safe mode. If you search on the offender (normally most have a common problem) you can find a manual solution. If you would rather skip all that hassle, the most effective commercial program I?ve seen is SpySweeper. Last time I looked it was only $30 per year and could save you a lot of time and pain. You can find it here: www.webroot.com

Hardware Failure ? OK, not a lot of prevention available for this home computer repair. Keep in mind that most modern computer components have a 3-5 year mean failure rate. Depending on how much you use or leave your computer on each day, this time period can expand. I have several testing computers that are very old (plus 7 years) that don?t get used often.

But one point I do want to make is that almost every customer I call on for a hardware failure issues had warning signs before the final crash. Strange noises, computer freezing up, frequent re-starts, etc. are causes for alarm. Don?t wait until the computer literally dies, if any of these events start occurring, go to the proactive mode and replace the power supply, hard drive, or ram. Which one? That?s a challenge, I?ve found that some diagnostic programs can be helpful, but a lot of the time it?s experience.

Basic rules of thumb; Freezing, rebooting can be both flaky power supply and RAM going bad. Power supplies slowly loose ability to supply enough wattage, so if you run fine for the first 30 minutes that?s another tip it could be the power supply. RAM just gets flaky due to constant heating and cooling. It will usually start dying slowly too. Both are cheap to replace but the power supply has anywhere from 8 to 10 plugs you get to keep an eye on when changing out. Any power supply above 250 watt will be fine for most computers, 300 watt is better. Match the power supply or RAM exactly or look up the motherboard requirements if you want to jump up in speed or wattage.

On hard drives, boot failure with the message ?no operating system? or similar is almost always a controller or hard drive (some hard drives have controllers on them that go south too). When you go to save or copy files and get an error can also indicate a hard drive issue. Noises of any kind coming from your computer can only be the power supply fan or hard drive. Sometimes you can low level format a drive and bring it back but with the cost being so low on new hard drives, why take a chance.

Boot Up Problems ? Number one offender is Windows of any flavor. All versions use a ?registry? to manage all software, user, and hardware settings. This is just a fancy database of settings but can easily destroy itself. Open files don?t close properly when there?s a software problem and there goes the database integrity. When you go to reboot, the registry is not readable or flat gone. In Windows XP, there are several files involved in the ?hive? (5 to be exact). Any one of these can toast itself, but I always replace all five since they are so interdependent on settings.

The easiest fix, if you can access the Recovery Console, is to find a usable set of back up files and copy them to the current area of access. This sounds pretty simple but the directory structure is fairly long and you have to unhide the backup locations. If you go to Microsoft?s knowledge base here you can read all about the Recovery Console and how to replace registry files: http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1 .

You can run the Recovery Console from Windows XP if it is installed or from your install CD if not. But what if you don?t have an install CD (many computers manufacturers don?t provide one anymore)? You can always use a bootable CD with an NTFS write enabled OS (like Linux) and do the same copying of files recommended in the Recover Console information. If that sounds too scary, you can always borrow some friends Windows XP install CD of the same flavor (Home or Pro) to use Recovery Console. OK, no friends have an install CD and no access or desire to Linux CD, now what?

Well, plan B is to take your hard drive out of the computer, change the little connector on the back of the hard drive to slave (most hard drives have instructions right on the case to show how), and connect it to a working Windows XP computer. Now you have access to the drive with an NTFS write enabled OS. Go back to the instructions on Recovery Console fix and get after it.

If the hard drive won?t even light up or spin, well then you get to install a new one. Most of the new units have a CD that will handle all the details of adding the new hard drive. Then you get to use your Recovery CDs from the manufacturer to install the all the original software on the new hard drive. Don?t have the restore disks? Check with the computer manufacturer and they?ll sell you a set for under $20 usually. Make sure you give the exact model number to get the right software for your unit. Whenever I buy a new computer, if I don?t get a set of recovery CDs, I order them right then and there. That way I?m ready for what ever happens.

So, now you have the basics on home computer repair for the three most common problems. It?s not that hard for most people, just take it slow and read the instructions. Push comes to shove, find a friend who may have a little more experience to help. You buy the pizza and they provide a little experience and moral support.

John Dow owns http://www.powersolutionscd.com, a website that specializes in computer troubleshooting, security, and repair utilities. His Power Solutions CD has helped thousands of customers with utilities and how to articles to repair ANY computer problem. Click to learn more: http://www.powersolutionscd.com

Student loan consolidation with federal debt program
If you are a college student (parents please take note), this Federal Government program can help you cut monthly payments on your student loans. You can consolidate now and lock in a low fixed rate. When you consolidate student loans with a Federal Consolidation Loan, you not only can take advantage of these low rates, you can lock in that rate for the life of your loan. One easy process, one low fixed rate, one low monthly payment, one lender. This is a free U.S. Government program (no fees or other charges). Really Great Rate is an authorized agency for this program - you can check your eligibility in a minute or two, with no obligation

Home Equity Loans: Expert Tips and Advice
Get expert advice, tips, and timely information. Manage your own Real Estate and Investment Portfolio to generate an income so you can take control of your financial life and do the things you want to do.

MORE ARTICLES:

Refinance Mortgage Rate and Mortgage Rates
Refinance mortgage rate is the best rate available to qualified homeowners for refinancing their current home mortgage. Refinance mortgage rates vary from product to product and customer to customer.

Newest Rate and Payment Mortgage Calculators for Home Loans from The Mortgage Store Online
The Mortgage Store Online (TMSO) today released its complete set of free home mortgage loan calculators on their website at themortgagestoreonline.com. These highly accurate mortgage calculators use current and true rate information to give borrowers the most realistic mortgage payment calculations.

Mortgage Loans, Construction Loans, Refinancing Mortgage Rate
TheLoansStore.com was created with the interests of the consumer in mind. If you have ever wondered if owning your own home or refinancing your current home would be possible, dont wonder anymore. From new Construction Loans to Mortgages Loans, Bad Credit Home Loans and Refinancing Mortgage Rate. Whether you have great credit, marginal or bad credit, theLoansStore.com can help. We know one size never fits all borrowers.

Cash Out Refinance Mortgage Loans – Home Equity, 2nd Mortgage or Cash Out Refinance Loan
There are some definite benefits to doing a cash out refinance. Just make sure that overall you are not going to be spending more money in fees and interest doing a cash out refinance as opposed to a home equity loan.

Home Loan Mortgage Rate Quote: Online Convenience
You can find ANYTHING on the Internet! Never is this as true as when it comes to finding home loan mortgage rate quotes. In fact, along with pornography, finance and banking has probably been the biggest internet success of all. There is nothing you can do, nothing you can find in a physical bank branch that you can't get from a bank over the Internet. This includes a home loan mortgage rate quote.

Low Rate Home Equity Loans - Refinancing For A Shorter Term And Better Rate
Looking for a better rate is a common reason people choose to refinance their home equity loan. But did you know that shortening your loan term can save you more money than reducing rates? Combine the two and you will save yourself thousands in interest costs and trim years off your payment schedule.

Loan Application Mortgage Rate Calculator for your Mortgage Loan
Are you thinking of purchasing land, a piece of property, or your dream house? Then maybe you have considered applying for a mortgage loan. If you have already decided that you are getting a mortgage loan, then let a loan application mortgage rate calculator help you.

Affordable Bad Credit Mortgage Loans - 3 Tips to Reasonable Bad Credit Mortgage Loans
Finding a mortgage loan with a bad credit rating can be an absolute nightmare: Driving from broker to broker, bank to bank, getting turned down every time, all the while your credit keeps dropping with every credit check. Fortunately, this painful process can be avoided with just a few simple tips.

Home Mortgage Lenders - How to Find A Good Mortgage Broker Online
Mortgage lenders have set up shop online, but they aren't all reputable mortgage brokers. To find a good mortgage lender you need to compare rates and research to find reputable companies.

Refinancing Your Home Equity Loan Or Refinancing Your Home Equity Line Of Credit
Ask yourself these questions before you refinance your home equity loan or line of credit:

Refinancing With A Second Mortgage Or Home Equity Loan
If you're looking into refinancing your home and have a second mortgage or a home equity loan or line of credit, in some cases you may be out of luck If you want to refinance your primary loan, you first must convince the lenders holding any second position loans to agree to continue to be in a subordinate position behind the new primary loan

Bad Credit Home Loans - Dealing With Bad Credit Mortgage Companies Online
Dealing with mortgage companies online can enable you to get a home loan even with bad credit. Bank associates' skepticism and talk around are avoided when you apply online with a mortgage broker.

Home Equity Loan Broker Awarded Preferred Mortgage Broker Status for Second Consecutive Year from IHE
For the second consecutive year, BD Nationwide Mortgage Company was awarded "Preferred Broker" Status from Irwin Home Equity for home equity loans and 125% second mortgages. IHE announced last week that BD Nationwide was extended this award for their exceptional level of expertise for home equity loan origination. The preferred status gives BD Nationwide a significant edge because they are one of the few mortgage brokers in the country who can offer large home equity loans to a 125% loan to value. Most lenders and brokers are restricted to $50,000 or $75,000 loan amounts but BD Nationwide is able to offer these high LTV second mortgages for loan amounts ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 to qualifying borrowers across the country...

A secured bad credit home mortgage loan comes with reduced interest rates
A secured bad credit home mortgage loan comes with reduced interest rates

Bad Credit Mortgage Company - Recognizing Mortgage Lender Scams
Mortgage lenders recognize the value of owning a home. Because some people will not easily qualify for a home loan, several lenders have begun offering home loans to tailor a variety of needs. For this matter, bad credit mortgage lenders have gained widespread popularity. The majority of bad credit lenders are sincere in their efforts to help you finance a home. However, some lenders are only concerned about their profit, and will not offer the best rate and terms.