[kwlug-disc] OT: "No I will not fix your computer."

[Rashkae]

On 13-10-31 01:18 AM, Paul Nijjar wrote:

>
> Are these places actually worth sending people to? Do they do good
> work?
>
> The person I am thinking of was quoted $250 for an operating system
> reinstall (Windows, of course). He was balking at that price (for what
> I think are justifiable reasons).
>
> - Paul
>


Yes,, installing Windows is something I charge between $150 to $300 for. 
  (and often, I'm actually taking a hit on it.)  That seems like a lot, 
I know, but by the time, you copy off the data, install windows, 
activate windows, install udpates (reboot, wash rinse repeat at least 4 
times.),, then install apps, update those, download and install new 
drivers, restore application, restore data files in the correct 
location,  (ie, make sure Outlook is linked back to it's old pst files, 
all e-mail accounts are reconfigured...etc. ) install anti-virus, etc 
etc.... at the end of the day, you just spent the better part of a whole 
afternoon on that one computer.  That's assuming a reasonably fast 
computer, and not someone insisting you revive a system that was poorly 
specd and underperforming in the first place when it was bought 5 years ago.

OTOH, make sure you know what service you're buying.  Far too many 
horror stories of repair services that charge hundreds of dollars and do 
nothing more than a factory default reset from a recovery disk image.