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01932 829189

E-mail: support@abc2xyz.co.uk

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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my problem is hardware or software related?
There is no hard and fast method to be sure that a problem is hardware or software in origin. If the PC will not power-on you most likely have at least a hardware problem and, as is often the case, you now also may have a software issue created by the hardware failure.

Our experience has shown that the vast majority of PCs that are brought to us for service suffer from at least one or more software (operating system and application) problems. Many of these problems are caused by one of the following: misbehaving applications, viruses, demo software, downloaded or ''borrowed'' software, peripheral driver issues and user errors - to list a few.

Many of these types of problems are intermittent and very difficult (and therefore expensive) to diagnose and repair. Often it is far less expensive to re-format the hard drive and do a clean re-install of the operating system and all applications. For this reason it is critical that you employ regular and proper backup procedures to insure that your data and files are available to be restored if necessary.

What is covered by my Warranty?
Software related issues are almost never covered by any computer warranties. Typically, the only things covered by warranties are ''hardware failures caused by defects in manufacturing or workmanship''. Hardware failures caused by misuse are specifically excluded from coverage by most warranties. Misuse usually includes things like: dropping, water damage, voltage overloads or connecting other non-approved devices to the computer. Please note that many of these circumstances may be covered by your homeowner's insurance policy.

Should I upgrade my old computer or buy a new one?
When new computers used to cost £3000 to £4500 and technology changed at a slower rate that it does today, it was often advisable to do a system upgrade in order to add a few years to the useful life of a PC. With the advent of the Under-£1000 PC and the almost-instant obsolescence of current PC technology, it is almost always good advice to buy new, rather than upgrade.

With the exception of adding more RAM or a second hard drive, it is usually less expensive, both in terms of hardware cost and especially labour, to buy a new, current technology computer than try to integrate new technology components and peripherals into your older system.

I keep getting Windows errors appearing on my PC
The list of PC errors are almost endless and 9 times out of 10, they are related to software. Sometimes you can recover from the problem if you can identify the event that caused it. You just loaded some software - go to Add Remove Programs, remove it and then restart your PC. If the problem goes away then you are lucky. Viruses and Trojans are also potential causes of problems.

Generally, errors are very hard to find and repair and normally require a rebuild of the PC. The best thing to do is to back up your PC while it still works. We use Norton's Ghost software, though not cheap, it is an invaluable tool when backing up your Operating system.

If you do not have a backup, look up the error on Google, but the chances are that you will need to reload all the software from scratch.

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