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Q:
Can you build me a custom built computer?
A: We can build computers to suit any customers needs. The computers we
build are high end computers with the highest quality parts. Our custom
built computers are not cheap. Our computer configurations are rock
solid and built to last. We don’t
just build your computer, it is engineered so that all the hardware
complements each other for maximum speed and performance. We only use a
select set of name brand parts, not the lowest price part of the day. We
have to stand behind OUR products and we don’t
want to see our computers back in our shop for repairs. If you want a
cheap custom built computer stuffed with sub-standard parts, please
visit our competitors.
Q:
I forgot my password to my computer, do you do password
recovery? A: For "carry in" or personal use computers, proof of ownership is required due to confidentiality and security issues. If you’re a business and need access to an ex-employees computer or account we can break the password. This service is performed on site only as we need to be assured that we are doing this service for a legitimate business.
Q:
My hard drive crashed, can you recover the data on it? A: If you've lost data on your computer, shut the computer down and call us. Any changes from the point of the loss, reduces the success of recovery.
There are several reasons that the data on a hard drive can not be
accessed. We can recover data from hard drives via non-intrusive
techniques (if the hard drive is not physically damaged) and intrusive
techniques. In the case of physical damage, intrusive data recovery must
be performed. Intrusive data recovery is expensive and generally only
businesses with business critical data need this type of service.
Q:
My computer stopped working, I need my data. Can you recover it?
A: In most cases we can. We will need to evaluate the computer to make
that determination though. You are only charged for the data recovery,
not the diagnosis.
Q:
I keep getting these pop ups that tell me my computer is infected
with a virus. My virus scanner can’t
remove it. Can this be fixed?
A: Yes, we see this problem frequently.
Q:
I’m
going to buy a new computer. Why should I buy a custom built one when I
can get a major brand computer so much cheaper? A: Major brand computers are built with a large amt. of software pre-installed that does not need to be on the computer, called "Bloatware". This slows it down right out of the box and also takes up additional hard drive space. Most of that software are ads for additional services and features to get more money out of you from the company that branded the computer. The parts used in major brand computers are not always of the highest quality. Some major brand computers use proprietary parts which means when they break, you’re forced to go to the manufacturer for that part and that part is much more expensive than it would be if the same type component needed to be replaced in a custom built computer. The parts in a custom built computer are readily available at any local computer shop. The cheapest major brand computers are built with hardware that barely does the job. If you were to compare the cost of a major brand with comparable hardware as a custom built computer, the prices would be close to the same. Sure you can buy a new major brand computer for $499, but you’ll get a computer with not enough memory to run the operating system with any appreciable speed, let alone run the additional software you want to use. The hard drive will most likely fail after a year or so, resulting in the total loss of all your data. The video Graphics will be so under powered that you will not be able to use any current off the shelf games. In some machines the video Graphics use your computers program memory thus robbing you of additional computing power.
Q:
My
computer is running slow. Can this be fixed or do I need to get a new
computer?
A: In most cases this problem can be resolved without buying a new
computer. We can evaluate you computer to determine what is causing the
slow performance. If repairs are going to cost more than the computer is
worth, we will tell you so before we do any work.
Q:
My laptop does not power up anymore. How much will it cost to fix it?
A: We would need to do an evaluation to determine the actual problem. In
the case of motherboard failures in laptops, it’s
often cheaper to buy a new laptop than to have the dead laptop repaired.
We can still recover your data from your dead laptop and transfer it to
your new one.
Q:
My computer crashed and I need it fixed, but I lost my discs. Can you
still fix my computer?
A: As long as there is an intact Microsoft sticker on the computer that
clearly shows the operating system type and registration key, we can
reinstall your operating system. We copy all your recoverable data from
the computer, install a new copy of the operating system, install all
the hardware drivers, update the operating system with all the latest
applicable updates, transfer your old data back onto the computer and we’ll
even throw in a free virus scanner.
A: Yes. We can transfer an exact copy of your existing hard drive and
the entire contents: operating system, data, programs and everything
else to a new larger drive.
Q: I need my computer cleaned up. Can you do this?
A: This is actually more difficult that it sounds. We have no way to
determine what is on your computer that is important to you and what is
not. A brief consultation and evaluation would be needed to determine
what is best for your needs.
Q: My computer is running slow, can you just defrag the hard drive for
me, to speed it up?
A: In most cases, defragging your hard drive will not speed up your
computer. This is a common myth that many inexperienced techs use to
sell a service. Defragging a hard drive only yields microseconds of a
performance boost on most hard drives unless the hard drive is revolving
data on and off at an almost constant basis. The speed gained from a
defrag would not be noticeable to most people unless the hard drive was
severely fragmented to begin with.
Q: Do you buy used computers or computer parts?
A: We do not buy used computers or computer parts.
Q: Do you sell used computers or computer parts?
A: No. In order to stay true to our commitment to our customers and our
own standards, we do not use or sell used computers or parts.
A: As with any product or commodity where there are only two major
brands, there are camps that will swear on their life as to which is the
best. Bottom line, if you are looking to save money on your computer
purchase, willing to sacrifice slight speed and performance, or simply
don’t
need speed or performance, AMD is your best choice. When it comes to
high end, break neck performance, intense number crunching, gaming or
any other intense computing environment, Intel is your only choice.
Q: How can I tell if I’m
paying too much for computer repairs or parts? A: If you make a phone inquiry about service or parts and the person you’re talking to ends the conversation with "When you come in, just ask for…..", you’re dealing with employees paid on commission. Kinda like a car salesman. If you thought about taking your computer to a $50 flat rate tech, you might as well go for the cheapest fix you can find. A $50 tech has no formal training or field experience. All they do is erase your computer and start over. They do no troubleshooting. Most of the time, someone else showed them how to do it and suddenly they are computer techs. If that same tech runs into an unexpected event while trying to erase your computer, then what? Their 1 fix for all problems repair method results in total loss of your data at the worst and at the very least leaves you to reinstall all your third party software. Even student techs, while they are training with the latest technology, have no field experience. Until a tech has run into the unexpected 100s of times do they get that all important field experience. Unfortunately, the big box stores are employing these same techs. That's all they can hire paying $13 an hr. Ask them if the tech they are sending is certified. How long have they been working in the field? What technical training have they had? Would you want an inexperienced mechanic working on your brakes?
Q: How can I communicate effectively to my computer tech about my
computer problem?
A: A little basic knowledge can go a long ways. So let me explain the
basics of what a computer does and how it works for you. Bare in mind
that this is simply basics in computer operation to help you understand
what a computer does and communicate your problems to a tech. When you
first press the power button, the computer goes through a hardware
check. This is called the POST. At this point the computer is taking
inventory of what it has for hardware inside. It does not care or know
what operating system (windows version) is on your computer. It does not
care if there even is an operating system on your computer. Windows has
nothing to do with this process. This phase is referred to as the "Power
Up" or "POST" phase. "POST" stands for Power On Self Test. If you have
no lights, fans whirling or other noise, your computer is not "powering
up". After the POST phase, the computer looks for and passes control to
the operating system. This is where Windows takes over. At this point
this is referred to as the "Boot" process. The operating system does a
lot of things before it gets to the desktop (where you can begin to use
your computer). It loads drivers so that Windows knows how to run and
communicate with the hardware, it loads programs that need to start when
windows starts and other various things. If your computer does not reach
the desktop so you can begin using it, you have a "boot" problem. This
is different than a power up problem. Once you are at the desktop, you
use programs to do different things with your computer. Maybe a picture
viewer, a graphic design program, send some mail, browse the internet.
Programs allow you to do this. Programs are also referred to as
software. If you have difficulties at this stage, you have "software
problems" or "operating system" problems. "Data" is what is created from
software or usage of your operating system. Your e-mail messages, the
music you play, the pictures you view, the documents you create, your
internet bookmarks, even the movies you watch are referred to as data.
Data is created by the user, it does not come with your computer and it
is not installed when you install a program (software). Each computer
has data unique to each user.
Q: What is an "unrecoverable" data wipe and why should I care?
A: Anyone using a computer stores data on their own hard drive.
Intentionally or not, the data is there in some form. Be it traces of
your Internet activity, tax forms, personal information, stored
passwords, and many other forms of personal information. An
unrecoverable data wipe is a process where your hard drive is wiped
clean of all programs, data and anything else that is on it in a way
that it can not be recovered with recovery techniques. Whenever you sell
your computer or have service done that involves replacement or upgrade
of your hard drive, you want to ensure that the hard drive data is
"unrecoverable". There are several methods of wiping a hard drive and
most of them do not securely wipe the data off, leaving your personal
information recoverable. We use US. Department of Defense approved erase
methods that are not recoverable. Ensuring your data has been securely
erased.
Q: Can you provide weekly, monthly or bi-annual contract services? A: For the peace of mind of our customers, we will provide contract service only upon your request. In general terms, these types of contracts are traps to lock you into a regular pay schedule. After we have serviced your network, you will not need this type of service. Our goal is to save you money on your computer and network services.
Q: Do you take Credit & Debit Cards on site? A: We only accept Credit and Debit Cards in our shop. In the current economy, most of our customers are not using plastic. We do accept them only as a convenience to our customers. Our on site credit card requests are even more infrequent and would incur additional equipment and costs. We are able to offer affordable computer repair by keeping costs down.
Q: I'm bringing my computer in for service, what else do I need to bring? A: If you are having a desktop serviced, we only need the computer itself. If you are having a laptop serviced, we prefer to use the power supply you are using to power the laptop. This helps us rule out any problems being caused by the power supply.
Q: Why isn't K-2 Computers on Facebook? A: K-2 Computers views Facebook as a social network site. While that's fine for keeping up with your friends or the Kardashian's, in our view it's not a professional venue for a computer repair business. Many of our customers sources of virus infections are from activities on Facebook. Since we maintain our own independent web site and we feel Facebook is generating enough customers for us inadvertently, it's works for us.
Q: Why are there no customer testimonials on your site? A: K-2 Computers does not solicit reviews or testimonials from our customers. Our business is to resolve their computer issues. If any of our customers feels so moved by our service that they actually do send us a review, comment or testimonial we'll display it! (good or bad)
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