Full Service & Disinfection: £150.00
(£172.50 inc. VAT @ 15%)
The PC-FirstAid.com Full Service, also known as our
Disinfect, Refresh, Optimise and Protection Service (DROPS), consists of
the tasks listed below for a fixed price of £150. In motoring terms,
this is the equivalent of a 50,000 mile service.
The analogy is used intentionally, since over time
the Windows Operating System along with you hard disk, will become
degraded with a huge quantity of junk and orphaned items. This causes
system performance issues and quite possibly may make the system more
vulnerable to failure (crashes); possibly catastrophically so.
Certainly if your computer is used for any
form of business purposes you should consider regular
maintenance such as this Full Service, as an essential expense, not
just to ensure that your computer continues to perform optimally but
more importantly, to help prevent the onset of problems. See our
Regular Maintenance option on the left for more details.
In summary, we will remove any viruses, spyware and
other infestations; update Windows, your current protection programs,
and your key applications such as MS Office, to ensure that they are
also fully protected; install the latest additional free protection
programs and best-practice settings; and optimise the system as a whole,
both hardware and software (including Windows itself).
The specific tasks are:
Stage 1: Insurance
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Your existing disk contents will be cloned on to one
of our disks to ensure that a) all your data is preserved and b) if
necessary we have a way back in case of problems later. Your saved data
will include documents, spreadsheets, Internet favourites, emails,
address book, photographs, music, and videos.
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All your data can also be backed up on to CD or
DVD if you wish.
Stage 2: Disinfection
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We will attempt to remove any minor viruses and
spyware, unwanted cookies, and any other uninvited “nastyware”, using
the latest software detection tools.
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Note that if your computer has previously exhibited
signs of serious infection, this service will not be suitable, as there
is no known effective and guaranteed way of rescuing such a system
without a complete rebuild (see System Rebuild Service on the
left).
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Likewise this service will unsuitable if you have
been on the internet for some while, especially on a broadband
connection, without adequate and effective protection.
Stage 3: Optimisation
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Optimise Windows, Internet Explorer and other
software settings for best performance.
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Install the latest software drivers for your
hardware peripherals, such as printers and scanners. Similarly the
latest drivers for your particular system components will be downloaded
and installed; these will include drivers for your motherboard, graphics
card, sound system and modem, as well as any appropriate BIOS updates.
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Open the system case to remove accumulated dust and
reorganise data and power cables to prevent overheating (not applicable
to laptops).
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Check Power Supply Unit voltages, CPU fan speeds,
and operational temperatures (processor, motherboard and hard disks);
note that these tests rely on the existence of appropriate sensors
built-in to the motherboard that can then be interrogated, although this is usually
the case.
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Deep-testing of your computer’s memory (RAM) and
hard disks, including defragmentation.
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Replace the motherboard’s CMOS battery if
appropriate; they have a 5-year life.
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Optimise the motherboard BIOS settings.
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If possible and appropriate, your hard disk will be
re-partitioned into three separate areas for a) Windows and
applications; b) temporary files and the Windows “swap” file; and c)
user data. This will improve system efficiency and also afford easier
backup.
Stage 4: Protection
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Install all the latest Windows updates and patches.
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Update your existing protection software, and
install any others that are currently deemed to be advisable for “safer
surfing”.
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In particular anti-spyware software such as
Microsoft Windows Defender, Spyware
Blaster, Spybot Search-and-Destroy, all free for personal use, will be installed if
applicable.
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Installing the latest available patches for a
valid MS
Office suite, and other key applications
that are prone to security breaches.
Stage 5: Backup
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Your existing Operating System drive will again be
cloned in its new post-DROPS condition, and if possible we will provide
a DVD of the resulting disk image for you to keep. This will allow for a
quick and cheap system rebuild in the event of a major catastrophe in
the months following the DROPS exercise.
Other Options
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While the fee is fixed as above, the services that
this includes are flexible within reason. Thus anything else not
explicitly stated above that could be part of the DROPS exercise, and
which would only involve minimal extra effort, may well be included with
only a nominal increase in the fee (if at all). For instance it might be
appropriate to increase system memory (RAM); to add a second optical
drive and/or a second hard disk; or to add USB 2.0 functionality via a
PCI card, possibly with a front-access panel.
Logistics
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All the processes above will be carried out at our
workshop in Piddington.
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The fee above is based upon delivery of the system
unit by you to our workshop, but we will then return the system to you
to ensure that it all functions properly, including your internet
connection. If you would prefer us to collect as well, an additional £25
will be payable.
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You should allow around a week between delivery to
us and return to you; both dates will be agreed when you make the
initial booking.
Warranty
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This service includes a three-month warranty, in
respect of any problems that are obviously attributable to the DROPS
work carried out.
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In any case all our clients are entitled to
indefinite free email and telephone support.
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