PCs

All Computers fail!

    Sooner or later, every computer will have a problem. The hard drive quits spinning. A power supply, system board, or PCI cards fail. The monitor dies. The mouse is erratic. the keyboard keys are sticking. The software gets corrupted. It happens to all of us.

    Thus Hooplah Technologies can resolve all of these problems from a single user to a corporate environment. We can also perform system upgrades, migrations, develop images, and field test them before implementation to an area wide network. We also provide fast onsite repairs for all satellite offices using your images. We are fully insured, and corporate confidentiality is always totally secure with us. Corporate references are available upon request.

    Our primary PC support is for IBM/Lenovo, HP/Compaq, Dell, and Toshiba, but we have serviced aftermarket brands as well. We can also custom build PCs per your specific requirements.

    Corporations usually have covered the requirements per prevention. But what about the small business and home user? Here are some basic PC prevention items you can do to keep the damage to a minimum.

Acquire your restore disks. Most recent computers have the ability to restore the computer software to exactly the way it was the first day you bought it. Do not misplace or discard these CDs if you have them! Some PCs include the restore CDs, while others have a restore partition on the hard drive. But if the hard drive fails, then the restore partition is useless. The best solution is to simply call up the manufacturer and have them send you the restore CDs for your model PC. They are usually free with the exception of a modest charge for the Windows operating system. Then if the hard drive fails, it can be replaced and the original software reinstalled in about 20 minutes. Without the restore CDs it can take hours to reinstall the software, as well as a very expensive cost for the Windows operating system. Use a quality surge protected power strip. Make sure it also has connections for the telephone and network connections. Power spikes are the number one cause for electronic failures. Power supply hits can also transfer the surge energy to all other components of your PC. A hit on the telephone line can blow your modem card and short the telephone line circuit for your home or office. Network hits can take out all your routers, switches, and NIC cards to all PC equipment attached. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is the next level up per surge protection. This covers all the needs of a good surge protector, plus adds a battery backup system. Thus if you lose AC power, the battery will keep your system running, save your current files, and then shutdown the system automatically. No data loss on that presentation you've been working on for hours! Install a second hard drive. Use the first drive for your Windows operating system and applications. Use the second drive to store everything you create per documents, spreadsheets, presentations, videos, pictures, music, etc. The first drive runs all the time. The second drives runs only when you access a file and will last much longer. Thus should the operating system drive fail, you will not lose any of the data you created over years of usage. Use a good anti-virus and spam/spyware system. Symantec, McAfee, and AVG are all good ones. Without them you open your PC up to attacks on the internet from simple browser hijacks, to capturing all your personal financial data, to destroying all your files. Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you do not know. Also be cautious with people you do know, as they can send you a virus without knowing it. Your anti-virus software will protect you, but no existing software catches everything.

    Follow the above and you will be prepared for when the worst happens.

    How long does a PC last? Typically the rule is three years. There are exceptions. If you have an accounting PC that never connects to the internet, then the usage is unlimited dependent upon your accounting software to perform the job. Once you connect to outside sources, the total picture changes as the internet is always evolving. Thus you will need the updated hardware and software to keep up.

    The other issue is equipment depreciation. After three years, the cost of repair is usually greater than the value of the equipment. That is why most corporations lease their PCs for three years, then replace them.

    While we support the corporate environment, Hooplah Technologies also has the objective to bring this same level of expertise to the small business and end user environment at an affordable cost.

Hooplah Technologies
Jeffersonville, IN, USA

Website © 2007 by George Hooper