Baffled at a clients computer. So much pirated spyware repair software. I uninstalled it all. There is also a licensed copy of Norton Protection Center. I am questioning if this is legit because it says the license is for 4,000 days. Anyone have a idea? The guy who "fixed" this computer didn't even put the ram in correctly. There was 2x512 but only one was recognized. I'm guessing someone was trying to fix this PC just because this shit doesn't happen on its own.
I see so much shoddy PC work it's ridiculous. But yeah, the guy likely didn't buy a 10 year license for Norton. :lol: Pull if off there and load AVG or something.
on this subject, there are 2 really good apps for spyware removal (these are not the only 2, but my favorites) free: superantispyware. stupid name, good product. it is starting to go downhill a bit though. it used to catch everything, now it just gets 95% of stuff (not on a given machine, but i occasionally run across a machine that it misses) paid: prevx. $15/mo, $25/yr. It doesn't use a traditional definition file. it scans your machine for odd behavior, then correlates that with their database online to find out what it is and how to remove it. this works excellently, it just costs $
I'll have to check those out. So I called her and told her everything. She claims no one did anything. riiiiight. Her friend gave her a Norton Disc. riiiiiight. She said she wants me to uninstall it and not having anything. She refused AVG. I'm just gonna leave it on. I don't want to deal with her shit anymore.
Ya, I quit fixing peoples computers for the same reason. It gets old real quick. I still get calls but I only fix close friend computers now. And those are few and far between. I wouldnt have her go without anything though but I do understand your delima. Just dont answer the phone in a week when she calls bitching about how you screwed up her pc. No idea, I'm not gonna argue with a old 40 something Polish woman. They have no logic. Is it because she Polish or shes a woman? Feel free to decline to answer
Yeah, I don't do much work on the side for this sort of thing. 95% of the time their machines are completely infested with malware, it'll take 4 hours to clean it or reimage, they think a slab of meatloaf and some mashed potatoes is fair compensation for this, and when they're reinfected in 2 weeks because the idiotic behavior has continued they'll angrily call and want you to come back for free. Oh, and if any other problem happens with the computer in the next 50 years they'll call and insist you fix that too because you were the last to work on it. No thanks, not worth the money. When people ask me if I do work on the side I just quote them an outrageous hourly fee. Only once has someone said "OK", to which I said "Dude, at that rate you could simply buy a new one. Don't waste your money."
Both. I'm Polish myself. Polish women have no logic and are dumber then other women. I have a little side business of fixing Polish people's computers once in a while. It isn't that bad right now and I could use the money. I'm still only making 14 bucks an hour at my job until things get squared away.
God, its almost nice to know it doesnt only happen to me. I did change my phone number once to stop listening to people grip about the computer problems that they wanted me to fix. Somehow, people manage to find my numbers. I've thought about putting up a web page for people to get information on how to clean an infected pc. Then I realized that there are many sites like this and keeping up with one isnt in my best interest.
Well, for starters you NEVER give them your personal or mobile number. I've got a company provided mobile phone and I still don't publish that number. And the reason is simple - if the fools had immediate access to me I would never have time to get anything done! Send me an email, leave me a message, open a case with the help desk, etc. Direct communication is only when we're working on a scheduled task. And when that task is over the direct communication is over as well. The most extreme example I have is for a user in Bartlesville Oklahoma. I worked on a project out there last fall, and obviously I gave him my mobile number as we were working closely for several weeks. Anyway, after the project he kept calling, to which I responded the way I always do - ignore his calls. But he KEPT calling. After business hours, in the evening, on the weekend, my vacation, etc. So finally a few weeks ago I was on vacation working around the house and he kept calling, kept calling, kept calling. Finally I picked up the phone and screamed "HELLLLLO? Who is this?" I'm sure I pissed him off, but it got the job done. He stopped calling, thank Jah. Some people just don't respond to subtle persuasion and you have to pull out the big guns.
I fixed some friend-of-the-family's daughter's computer. I made the mistake of giving him my cell phone number. That bastard called me non-stop, sometimes 3-4 times back to back. Never again...
im tired of repairing computers.. i barely wanna repair my own these days. im burnt out, plain and simple. i dont think the money i charge is worth the time it takes to do a repair that ends up taking a full week. Or almost a month because i gotta track down some random piece of hardware or rare piece of software to get the pos running right. Even a two day repair ends up costing me more time than it should.. You fix one problem and you find another, and on and on and on. Not to mention if theres illegal software installed you gotta explain and give them options, then youre responsible for buying the new software and installing, its just mayhem. and everyday i just wanna wake up and cancel my phone account. im tired of dealing with people period. i wouldnt mind working for a company that i HAVE to abide by financial rules, but working on the side is not fun. alot of people are wising up and using remote pc repair.. ya know, the shit we see on commercials everyday?? yea that.
I've managed to not put too much effort. I have a PC here that when you turn on, the fans go full blast and the screen is black. I took some ram out, unplugged everything, nothing works. Conclusion you need a new PC. I'm not gonna put much effort in a PC that is 4+ years old and I told them from the beginning that it probably won't get fixed so they asked me to find a new PC for them later this month.
I guess I'm the complete opposite of you guys. I enjoy doing jobs on the side. My goal is that I can make enough money doing that someday that I can do it full time and quit my "real" job. I don't have any problems with people contacting me over and over. I don't charge a ton and still feel that I'm properly compensated. That's just me though.
I only fix computers for people I know and I charge them. I charge around $65 for a clean up. This is also why I brought up the topic of creating hidden restore partitions in a post not too long ago.
