After Installing the OS

S

SudburyOntario

Gawd
Joined
May 5, 2008
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575
How many of you work on computers and are tired of always installing all those other programs clients "expect" to be on there ?

I have been working on computers, cleaning, fixing, rebuilding, blah blah blah for a very long time now. I have reverted myself down to the simple.. if it's broken than it's getting formatted ! Which they must install anything else that is used. ( I will save their files of coure ).

How do you compare ? Are you also tired of doing the same full technique all the time ?

Respond.. Argue.. Discuss..
 
When I encounter someone that needs a "fixing" done on their machines (that means the typical antivirus/malware/spyware cleanup job), I state quite plainly at the beginning that I will not be just cleaning the machine, I'll be doing a total clean install of the same OS on the same hardware and reinstalling the apps that they provide to me beforehand. I do not do cleanup jobs as most everyone else seems to do, and I charge a flat rate for the "job" anyway. It's easier on me, it's easier on them, and all their data is safe save for anything that's infected which gets deleted, no exceptions.

I seriously don't believe in trying to "clean" a machine after a serious infection has taken place. I get rid of the infected files, and they get a fresh clean machine to work with; AV software is installed (Avira for clients, will use MSE when it's final and publicly available for download and use), fully updated, a full scan is done, a screenshot is taken of the scan results and stored in their My Documents directory so they can see for themselves the box is clean.

I then install Firefox as a secondary browser (if they want it as their default they can choose it later on, and I do show them it's on there and explain why). I put CCleaner on also and tell 'em do use it once, maybe twice a week if they're so inclined but no more.

Aside from that, there's nothing else I do, aside from installing the apps they provide the installation media for and update those as required, etc.

This entire process makes my life easier, gets them up and running faster than me spending days trying to resolve some damned infection issues, it's a flat rate for them, it ensures they tell people the standard "My computer was so slow and when this guy got done, I swear it was brand new, even faster..." comments they pass on to friends, family, etc - and then my phone rings yet again with someone saying "Hey, you just fixed a machine for my friend <insert name here> and he said you can help me."

Doesn't get much simpler than that... ;)
 
I can't agree with you more!. I used to work for a shop which had many people demand to clean out their systems while the owners would say getter done fast.. Oh boy. But that wasn't much of a problem. When I left and resumed my computer work on my own ( I needed the extra money earlier ), people would come and go the same with a nice clean install and what they ask to be included.

I learnt not to include anything unless said differently incase they raise their expectations. I am doing this at a very low fee for that matter. The only systems I hate doing are the ones with no cd key.. if they can't present a key, than I have to charge a bit more and do a full out cleaning.

What a general pain.
 
I do a lot of what Joe does as well to prove things are clean. Formats I only do if necessary. If I do format I have a CD nowadays that I update every once and awhile and on that CD is a script that runs probably a dozen or more of the common programs so that I can kick it off and walk away. Come back a few minutes later and it is all done installing.
 
Joe Average said:
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I definitely agree with this advice, but what do you do when inevitably someone comes in with no OS disk, no restore disk, and no other method of reinstallation? Surely that must happen a lot. That happens all the time with me--granted, I don't do it for a living, but whenever a friend asks me to help them with their computer I can pretty much assume it'll be completely borked and they won't have any sort of recovery disks. Do you install a new OEM copy of windows and charge them for it? Or do you tell them that they need to provide their own media?
 
If they don't have the software installation media, that's their problem, not mine. They came to me knowing what was going to happen; I make it explicitly clear that when I'm done it'll be a fresh machine, more than likely will run faster than it did before they ever bought it, etc. I bill myself as a guy that gets it done with little muss or fuss, and the very long client list I have nowadays, with referrals still coming in every day, tells me I'm doing something right.

If I need a specific OEM disc for a given brand, I make one, on-the-fly, in about 10 mins or less as required on a CDRW or DVD+RW disc and then format it when I'm done.

If the customer has a machine like an HP or Sony that gives you the option of making that one set of "restore discs" then I'll make them for the customer while I have the hardware in my possession, informing them that I'll be making the discs, that it's a one-time only thing (not because of me, but because of the limitations imposed by the OEMs themselves), and then provide the discs to the customer when they pick up their hardware.

I'll typically leave a document on the Desktop called READ_ME.TXT or whatever with a rundown of what I did, what they should do, etc, and suggest they print it out for safekeeping and usage as needed.

I get a lot of info from 'em before they ever come drop off the hardware - and yes I work from home, I don't do on-site work anymore. If they want it done right, bring it to me and I'll take care of it... things are so much simpler this way. :D

I'm not Geek Squad or anything like 'em... when I "fix" the machine, it stays fixed. In all my years of doing this stuff, I've only had 3 people bring back machines as time passed with the exact same issues, and not one of those 3 times was it because of any mistakes or something I missed: in two cases it was their not heeding my warnings to not install a certain online service or trying to install a certain antivirus software even if they paid for it, and the third was a case of them installing something that wrecked the antivirus that I had installed (Avira), which turned out to be a relatively quick fix. And no, I didn't charge them for the returns, wasn't worth the hassle.

My top priority is always a satisfied customer because that turns into another, then another, and then still another which just keeps spreading...
 
SudburyOntario said:
How many of you work on computers and are tired of always installing all those other programs clients "expect" to be on there ?

I have been working on computers, cleaning, fixing, rebuilding, blah blah blah for a very long time now. I have reverted myself down to the simple.. if it's broken than it's getting formatted ! Which they must install anything else that is used. ( I will save their files of coure ).

How do you compare ? Are you also tired of doing the same full technique all the time ?

Respond.. Argue.. Discuss..
Click to expand...
I try to only reinstall the OS if it's completely broken. I haven't came across any malware I was not able to get rid of. I also usually do a tune up and try to chop out programs from startup etc. I give it back in a way that maintains the complete functionality it had when they dropped it off, but tune the performance.

I don't want the hassle of 'all the changes' that a common users would see from a fresh install. It's not my computer so I'll only fix what they have problems with and not try to push 'my beliefs' on how a computer is ran, on them. If they are at a state of blissful peace and ignorance, and it comforts them seeing all those pretty icons everywhere, so be it, it's not mine and I fixed only what I was asked to do and hopefully get them a nice performance boost so it runs well for them.
 
bigdogchris said:
I don't want the hassle of 'all the changes' that a common users would see from a fresh install. It's not my computer so I'll only fix what they have problems with and not try to push 'my beliefs' on how a computer is ran, on them. If they are at a state of blissful peace and ignorance, and it comforts them seeing all those pretty icons everywhere, so be it, it's not mine and I fixed only what I was asked to do and hopefully get them a nice performance boost so it runs well for them.
Click to expand...

I agree with you there...same thing for me. Wiping a system clean leads to too much hassle and phone calls down the road. They'll call back asking about why their printer/scanner/camera/ipod/cell phonePDA synching blah blah blah doesn't work anymore.

The tools available these days, plus smarts garnered over the years so I can do things by eyeball/manually...systems are quite easy to clean/tuneup these days.

On the rare rare occasion a format is necessary...saving their data is a no brainer. But coming up with a list of all the "stuff" they'll need reinstalled..that can turn tedious. You'll find many people "borrowed" some copy of MS Office many years ago and don't have it anymore. Or their accountant installed their Quickbooks and won't be back for another 2 months. Or they can't find the software for their camera...or......or.....this..that..the other...the list goes on and on. End result...yay, their PC is running great with a fresh install of Windows...but to them it's quite useless until they get all that other "stuff" installed. Chances are they can''t do it on their own. If I cleaned their PC in my office or at my home...well, phone calls later...I'm schlepping over to their house at some incovenient hour for me to go install other stuff and peripherals. In the customers eyes "That PC guy lost my stuff" is the end result when they don't see it all there as they get their PC back.

When I do rebuild the PCs...naturally Windows with all the Microsoft updates (including for Office), latest drivers, I'll install java and flash and shockwave and other little browser/media plugins properly without all the add-on bars 'n "me too" stuff that comes with it these days. Antivirus, if I know it's a bad habit user I'll add Firefox w/adblock, and SpywareBlaster and MalwareBytes and CCleaner. And naturally before I wipe their PC clean I'll do an inventory of "whatever is installed on their and data"...and do my best to get that all put back...only if client has install media and licenses.
 
Actually I find that its MUCH easier for both me and the other person to wipe the machine. Most people who get their machines in a mess I find don't usually have a lot of periperhals or software in the first place and wipping a machine is the ONLY way to guarentee a clean machine.
 
Unless the customer brings their recovery CDs or discs that came with the computer when I'm reinstalling windows, I tell them that I'll install a free antivirus program for their protection.
 
Well honestly Joe Average we can only envy you if you set yourself to have a clientele like that. Unfortunately for the most of us the situation is as described by YeOld.

Its not fun to explain them that they need a new Office license because a friend let them install his copy. All they know is that they had Office and now because of you they do not and have to spend more money. Offering them Open Office only leads to "we had a proper version of Office now we have a crappy one" impression.

Or that garbage software that came with they camera (lost of course by now) is unnecessary when they can just use it as a "storage device" and drag and drop.

Unfortunately it's pretty much impossible to teach most customers that the "bare essentials software" is the best way to go. They just used to have massive amounts of garbage software some that came with the system and some that they got from random sources.

When a client is indeed receptive I do indeed follow the clean option and of course i make sure that the client has all the necessary software for all his needs simply by asking what they use the computer for and offering them free or pay options (describing the advantages/disadvantages of each). Its such a pleasure to work with a receptive client...but it seems they are more the exception.....
 
I'd agree with pretty much all stated in the post above, but realize that I'm retired and I work with the folks I choose to work with - and I do turn some of 'em down when they don't agree with how I intend to "fix" their busted machines. When you do this stuff for yourself, and you're not on someone else's payroll, aka "a working stiff," you get that kind of freedom, that's a given, and I will admit I exploit it to my best possible outcome.
 
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