Since I have a PC service and consulting business, some of this column may sound a bit self-serving. This is an issue I have had to work with in the past and I do try to avoid it. But sometimes I just have to discuss certain topics if I feel that they are important to my readers. The bottom line is that if you need professional help, there are others besides me in the area who do that - call the professional of your choice.
In old news, Dell continues to be in trouble, and their falling stock reflects that. The latest problem is a massive recall of notebook batteries. Dell is even recommending that you immediately disconnect the battery and run only on A/C power until you get a new battery. I recommend that all Dell notebook users log onto the Dell website and check to see if your particular model is on the list.
Dell has also decided to start using more processors from AMD - this is an interesting step in the light of recent price reductions by Intel and the announcement of more powerful Intel processors. Too little, too late?
I have seen a lot of hard drive failures lately. I am not sure what is causing this - perhaps the summer lightning storm season. But the important thing is that you backup your stuff - if you don't know how, get a professional to help you. Many of my recent clients have lost everything - don't add your name to the list. External USB hard drives make excellent backup devices and the prices are right.
I am also seeing telephone support on the decline. Again, I am not sure why, but both the time it takes to get resolution to a problem (if you get one) is increasing and the accuracy of the solutions are declining. Two recent cases in point:
A client called with a problem that their ISP (Internet Service Provider) could not solve. It seems that the client's Internet access was fine, but the email program just said it couldn't find the email server to get the email. The client spent over an hour on the phone with the ISP, whose final recommendation was that the client's router was bad and had to be replaced.
Routers are important, almost mandatory devices these days. They allow you to connect more than one PC to the Internet, and also provide firewall security. Many people also use software firewall programs to provide further protection. But routers are relatively dumb, and don't differentiate between blocking web access vs. email.
I knew what the problem was, and it took less than five minutes to fix it. My client had responded incorrectly to one of the software firewall questions and had denied access to the Internet for their email program. A few clicks, and they were back online.
In another problem, a client had to have their ISP's modem replaced. He also had a router, but the service person couldn't seem to hook it up properly and said the router was bad. All I had to do was to connect things in the proper sequence and all worked fine. To do it right: shut down all PCs and then remove the power plug from the modem and the router. Power on the modem and let it finish booting. Then power on the router, and then the PCs.
A final note: one client's PC had to have the hard drive replaced, but that was done under warranty. When my client tried to use the PC, they found that their hard drive was now F: instead of C:. I can't go into the technical reasons right here, but the problem was that the installer did not bother to repartition the hard drive prior to first use, using the active partition already on the hard drive which happened to bet set up as F:. Make sure your installer repartitions the new hard drive to C: before installing Windows if you are in a similar situation.
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport - Oak Island area. You can visit his Website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail questions or column ideas to him at bsc@bobseidel.com. For specific inquiries, please call Bob Seidel Consulting, LLC at 278-1007.)