pcbypaul - pc software, repair - Greece, New York

pcbypaul - pc software, repair

416 Stone Road
Greece, NY 14616
Phone: 865-1943

Computer problems? Won't start, crashes, or runs sloooowwwww . . .

I reside in Greece, NY, and if you live near me come on by and let me fix it!
If it just needs a cleanup or reinstall, I only charge 25 bucks.

I have repaired, literally, thousands of machines over the last dozen years. So before you have a buddy or the kid down the street mess with your PC, consider this little gem:

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance,
it is the illusion of knowledge."
--Stephen Hawking

* Computer Repair

$10 for a diagnostic -- but fee is waived if you have me do the work. (Just to avoid working for nothing.)Repairs are all overnight, unless a specialty part has to be ordered.

* Cleanout/Reinstall
The charge is $25, and for that I will >>

Test the hardware to make sure the drive, memory and all hardware in the system is working properly (why reinstall if there is anything wrong?)

Back up any data you need to keep - music, videos, pictures, documents, favorites, mail, whatever.

Reinstall the original operating system (XP, 2000, ME, 98), any service packs available, and put it online to install all security patches.

Add auxiliary software, always some antivirus, anti-spyware, latest Java, PDF and ZIP software, a slew of games that I have tested, OpenOffice (unles you had MS Office -- in which case I will reinstall), Firefox Web Browser (a strongly suggested alternative to Internet Explorer, but both are installed), and if you have space I put on WPClipart (15,000+ clips plus viewer/editor). GIMP image editor for photo editing and general graphics manipulation (like Photoshop). Also If you had DVD or CD-Burner software I reinstall that. Basically, I make sure it can do everything it could do when it was brand new, only everything is up to date and useable online without fear.

Returned to you fast, meaning that the PC is ready the next day and that it is running fast, having removed any accumulated cruft, virus, spyware and trial software. I guarantee that your machine will be running as fast and be as useful, legally, as your PC can possibly be made to by anyone. And if you later have any questions, feel free to call me or stop by and I can help you without any charge. I am at home 99% of the time.

[Note: don't ask me to "reinstall" a version of Windows that was not on your machine or for which you do not have a valid CD or COA.]

Reinstallation has become mostly what I do. I used to trade/sell a lot of parts, but with the plethora of virus/spyware problems I do SO MANY reinstalls that I don't bother runinng around for parts or taking trades.

* Custom Linux install.

This is what I use. It is what my kids use. It just works and keeps working. And you can do anything with it that you can do on Windows... and more. A week after you get Linux your PC will feel as comfortable as ever -- only you won't have to run antivirus, anti-spyware or defragment your drive...

You can write your own software: Software section

I install a custom Slackware distribution I put together, complete with installer on a distribution CD:
Absolute
If you have the guts, download it and install it yourself. Absolute is GPL2 (no charge) and completely legal. It can run quite confidently on old Pentium-2 machine and can take your breath away on newer hardware.

This is not an OS I just happen to know how to install -- I built it, use it constantly, host a forum for user support and feedback. And all Slackware-11 HOWTOs still apply.

* The bulk of my work is still on Windows PCs -- most often cleaning/upgrading older machines to help the owners get some good use out of them without having to spend a lot of money.

* I combine my years of experience (began programming on a UNIVAC in '79 via punchcards -- ouch did I just date myself!) along with hardware diagnostic tools (such as a pci post card, power suppy tester, volt and ohms meters, etc) and time-tested software utilities. In the last ten years I've worked on THOUSANDS of machines. [OK, about 3 thousand -- but that is thousands!]

* I've been using Slackware and other Linux distros for years and the machines just run and run... I have a server in my basement that connects any and all machines to the internet with a firewall that runs Slackware. -- Except for the times I lost electrical power, the server has been running nonstop since the Spring of 2001 (it is an old Pentium 2 266mhz.) I ran my website on it until 2005, but they got too busy for me to be able to download anything (including my mail) through the RoadRunner connection. I don't know of any Windows machines that have been running nonstop for 6 years.

* If you are tired of the high cost of Windows, the cost of newer and newer hardware, fed up with Viruses and spyware, then come see Linux in action. My personal (demo) machine is just inside my front door and I love to show it off. It runs Absolute Linux, which is a customized Slackware distribution I created myself.