Simply uttering the phrase “Computer Diagnostics” can send shivers down most peoples spines. It doesn’t sound fun, and it definitely doesn’t sound easy. However, it doesn’t have to be scary.

Here is your quick and dirty Computer Diagnostics 101 course.


What is Computer Diagnostics?

Computer diagnostics is used to determine what problems are affecting your computer. A diagnostics test, will test your entire computer system including the BIOS and memory, software, and the hardware that is associated with your computer.

Common Problems

The most common problems will arise when your computer is low in resources including RAM and disc space. This type of problem is very common and will normally only slow your computer down, which while frustrating, will not cause any “damage”. The quick fix for this problem is to defrag your hard drive or get rid programs that you no longer use.

Computer Diagnostics Software

Computer diagnostics software is good at fixing the most common problems. Often, It will start at the foundation with a registry check. Your diagnostics software will learn a lot from the registry, ranging from common software settings to invalid entries that have a huge impact on your computers performance, even its load time. Be careful when using registry cleaning software without an expert. Most diagnostic software is automatically set to the safe setting. Keep it set at the default unless you feel comfortable takings risks.

What You Shouldn’t Do

Never mess with the BIOS settings. If you make a mistake, you could create a very expensive problem for yourself. If you decide to take this risk, make sure that you have a complete backup of your computer first. While these settings are tricky and even a little confusing, they play a major role within your computer. If you have no experience with BIOS, then leave it alone.

Computer Diagnostics Made Easy

The easiest way to take an active role in your computers operation is to choose your favorite computer diagnostics software and use it. This software will allow you to do a full system scan and then alert you to any problem that it finds. Most software available will also give you an option to automatically fix the problem. As long as the problem is not extremely serious, the software should be able to handle it.

This type of software also gives you the added advantage of being able to clean out your temporary internet files, clean your cache, and defrag your hard drive from within the software program. This is great for those of you who are not the least tech savvy.

What do we recommend?
Hit us up on twitter over @abstrategic and we’ll point you in the right direction. We have a few we use routinely but we generally advise based on your version of Windows. Cheers!

Asking a Professional

If your computer diagnostics software reports problems that are too complicated for the software to fix, then it is probably time to see a professional. This includes hardware problems and hard drive crashes.

A basic understanding of computer diagnostics may not be able to solve every problem that comes your way, however it will save you time, money, and a lot of frustration in the long run.

It is always a stressful time when you computer crashes and you need to get it fixed immediately. Especially once you have struggled to fix what you can on your own, but still no running computer.

You are stressed, anxious, and probably more than a little irritated. It is time to pick your Indianapolis computer repair service, but who to choose? Our single best advise is to not only decide based on price. Consider some other important factors as well.

Here are some tips to helping you choose your Indianapolis computer repair service.

1. The Right Mindset

You need to approach choosing your computer repair service the same way you choose a car mechanic. Just like a car, your computer is a machine that runs a specific way. Choose an Indianapolis computer repair service that understands your needs is knowledgeable and confident about repairing your computer. Choosing someone to repair your computer is a serious decision, so do not make it lightly.

2. Referrals

Always try to get input from friends and family that have had any experience with any Indianapolis computer repair services. This will let you know not only who to choose, but more importantly who to stay away from. Generally, there are many more quality computer repair services than poor ones. However, choosing a poor one can potentially ruin your computer. If you have access to the internet from your phone or other computer, don’t hesitate to go online and look for customer feedback about Indianapolis computer repair services.

3. The Big 3

Try to make a list of two or three computer service repair companies that you are confident in. Then compare their overall level of service, customer service, proficiency, how long average repairs take, and rates. All of this information should be used to make an informed decision.

One important question that most people do not ask is if the Indianapolis computer service repair company will add anything to the computer. If you computer needs to be wiped clean, reformatted, etc. They may need to re-install the operating system. Unfortunately, this also means they may add anti-virus software and even programs that you do not want. Make sure that they do not add anything that you do not want. Additionally, make sure that they will not charge you for what they install outside of what you have agreed upon.

Just like some auto-mechanics, they may do more than they are told to do and then charge you for it. So make sure to clear everything up and agree upon what services you want them to perform before hiring them.

By following these three simple steps, you will always land a trust Indianapolis computer service repair company.

This weekend, one of our clients was shopping for a new personal computer and contacted us, frustrated about having to pay extra for the Vista recovery disc.

Yes, if you weren’t aware, PC manufacturers no longer provide customers a tangible OS recovery disc. Not surprisingly, Geek Squad wanted to charge her $70.00 to create one for her…lame.

This shows a complete disregard to the fact that you’re often paying over a thousand dollars of your hard earned cash. It’s probably not a big deal until you’re actually reading this post for help. We know it can be a frustrating ordeal when you need the original installation disc to repair your computer and you don’t have the disc.

Today, depending on the PC manufacturer, the set of recovery tools is often included on a separate area (partition) of the hard drive that can be accessed during computer startup (i.e. press F2, F12, etc). However, older machines may not have this feature, or you were instructed to create your own disc, which never happened. Either way, the disc is important because it contains computer repair features that can only be found on the disc.

According to NeoSmart, Microsoft has released a downloadable Vista recovery disc for users that don’t have access to the original. However, due to what we assume are bandwidth issues, NeoSmart only offers a torrent of the download, which may stand as a technical barrier to many in the “Do-It-Yourself” crowd. As a result, for those of you who don’t want to learn about torrents, we’ve decided to help out the community by releasing a mirror of the download.

We’ll keep it up as long as our allotted bandwidth can support it being hosted here. Please say thanks if the download helps you out. Need help burning the recovery disc? Please see our Burn Vista Recovery Disc tutorial for instructions on how to use the free burning software, CDBurnerXP, to successfully burn the disc image (iso).

Technology is at the forefront of our daily lives. Whether it be a cell phone, laptop, or GPS unit we have become accustomed to having access to information quickly. In business, access to your data at any time of day can be the difference between a lost sale and a bonus. Having always-on access to your data on the go can give you the edge you need in this competitive market.

Recently, I was in a meeting regarding our company’s service performance. The client threw a zinger at me and requested statistical information regarding his website. At first, I panicked, knowing that I didn’t have the information in my presentation. I think he noticed and was prepared to use my lack of preparation as an example. Before he had a chance, I accessed my office computer with remote desktop software to access the data he needed. He was impressed and the meeting ended successfully.

Remote desktop software, like LogMeIn and GoToMyPC, enable users to access their desktop computers when away from home or the office. You have access fast, always-on, and secure access to your desktop computer anytime of day. Many of our readers may be more familiar with GoToMyPC by Citrix due to their amount of marketing and length of time in the market. However, GoToMyPC charges a monthly fee that may not be feasible for every user.

As a result, our technicians often recommend the Free alternative, LogMeIn Free. The LogMeIn software solution is installed on every machine you want to access remotely. Once installed, it places an icon in the bottom right corner of your computer to signify the software was installed successfully. When the software is running, you can access that computer remotely through the LogMeIn website. You’ll have to install a browser plugin the first time you connect but after that you should be good to go. LogMeIn Free is fairly basic and doesn’t provide advanced options such as remote printing or secure file transfer. For those features, you’ll need to upgrade to their pro version (which we highly recommend).

In addition, they recently launched an iPhone application ($30.00) that provides the flexibility to connect when a laptop isn’t available. Either way, in our opinion, you can’t go wrong with the LogMeIn product line. It may save you in your next meeting.

A few years ago I was introduced to the highly skilled industry of data recovery and forensics. Darren R. Miller of Recover Data Now, an Indianapolis based data recovery company, has played an instrumental part in helping us learn the trade.

Darren, a seasoned Forensic expert, has assisted our clients with the recovery of both personal and business data.

In his experiences, Darren has found that often times data becomes unrecoverable (or more expensive to recover) due to user error. As a result, Darren has been nice enough to share his tips when it comes to data recovery.

If you think you may need professional data recovery services do not:

Power up a device that has obvious physical damage.

Hard drives that make mechanical fault noises such as clicking, scratching, or grinding should not be repeatedly powered on for testing. These actions often times cause more damage. It may seem to obvious to mention but I’ve had clients call me to hear the sound….. click click click

Use free data recovery software.

Free data recovery software can ruin your chances for a successful data recovery. No, it’s not because data experts want your money. It’s because the professional tools can often times recover data that free software cannot find. Using a professional service can at least provide the confidence in knowing whether your data is definitively recoverable or not.

Attempt to run off-the-shelf disk repair programs.

Attempt to run off-the-shelf disk repair programs: such as scandisk, chkdsk or disk doctor to try to fix your hard drive. These programs can often times do more damage than good.

Try to open the hard drive case.

Don’t be a hero and think you can open the hard drive case yourself. This isn’t the faucet in the bathroom or the chair at your mothers house. This is high tech work that requires a professional work area. Professional data recovery experts have to use a clean room to open hard drives. If not, the data is subject to damage in uncontrolled environments.

In the event that you’ve already lost data, we are recovery experts. We’ll arrange to see your system, run a few tests, determine the problem, plan a course of action, and then (YES, really) call to fill you in on the details and provide an accurate estimate.

We’ve been involved in the IT consulting industry for quite some time now (over 8 years professionally). Over that time we have learned a great deal about our competitors, both big and small. One competitor in particular is the Geek Squad.

Every computer technician I know has fixed their fair share of Geek Squad computers that were previously identified as “unrepairable.”

Obviously, we think your local computer repair shop is a better alternative to the orange/white bug. Now there’s finally hard evidence to backup our reasons. Recently, a local Oregon Fox news team went undercover to test the services of local computer shops compared to Geek Squad. You may be surprised by their results: