Oxfordshire Computer Repair and Pc RepairWelcome to Oxfordshire Computer Repair and Pc Repair, part of the Computer Repair UK network. Oxfordshire computer repair and Pc repair covers the entire Oxfordshire area so to find your local repairer simply enter your city, town or village in the search box on the left to go straight to your area page. First Things First Has your computer stopped working or is it just running poorly? If it is just running slowly then you may only need to install more memory or have your local repairer do this for you. You can check to see if you
have sufficient memory in your computer by running
a free memory
scan which
you can do here. The Crucial Memory
Advisor Tool takes the guesswork out of
upgrading. If it has stopped working then before you call out a computer repairer check to make sure that all the power leads are connected correctly and that none of the fuses have blown. If it is still not working then you will need a computer repair call out. Computer or Laptop Just Running Slow? If your computer is just running slowly we advise that you downloaded and run our recommended system repair software if you have not done so already. Invariably we find that many problems are only software related and this will help you avoid paying for uneccessary call out charges. If your computer is only running poorly then there is a fair chance that your problem is software or virus related. Each year people waste hundreds of pounds on computer repair call outs that are really not neccessary and ones that they could easily remedy themselves with the appropriate software. With call out charges ranging between £25-£45, a 2-3 hour repair can easily cost well in excess of £100 which is sometimes more than the computer is actually worth. If it is out of hours, or your computer is just running slow, then we recommend you run your own diagnostics before calling out a professional - you could possibly be saving yourself hundreds of pounds in potential call out charges. System repair tools are inexpensive in this day and age and are designed to be easy to use by both the novice and professional alike, and at less than the cost of a typical initial call out charge this software will not only help get your system back up and running quickly, but will also help keep your computer in tip top condition as long as you have the software installed. We would recommend the award winning XP Repair Pro. XP Repair Pro 2007 By ddXSoftware
Oxfordshire Computer Repairers
Computer Repair Tips From Computers Repairs UK PC Security - Virus Recovery Tips Why is a computer virus harmful? For the same basic reason that biological viruses are: they damage components that keep systems healthy. Some are relatively benign - they generate annoying, juvenile messages or crash the system once, then go away. But many are specifically designed to do substantial harm - by deleting files needed to run word processing programs or perform essential operating system tasks. Some prepare the way for further attacks by opening up access to administrative functions. Combating them is simple - install antivirus software, keep it up-to-date and running in the background and don't open email attachments from unknown sources. Nonetheless, odds are high that someday the system will be infected. Important data will be lost, essential program and operating system files will be zapped. Now what? First thing: Don't panic. You may not even be infected. Before implementing a cure you have to diagnose properly. If the system is still functional and you have access to the Internet, search for current, known viruses. Scan your system manually and search the file system for virus programs or infected files. Search memory too - sometimes the little creeps hide there. Test multiple programs and operating system functions. It may be that something just went wrong with one component. Not a fool-proof method, the virus may have just attacked those specific ones. If the system isn't functional, boot the system using an antivirus diskette or CD. You did prepare one, right? No? Er, go back to Step 0 - pre-attack - and (1) prepare bootable antivirus diskettes and a CD, (2) create CD copies of software purchased and/or organize the originals, and (3) backup important data. Scan the system after booting from diskette or CD and look for the virus or infected files. You really are infected? Ok, on to the next phase. If you're running Windows select the boot option: Last Known Good Configuration. It rarely helps, but sometimes you'll get lucky, and if you've re-booted twice you've lost the opportunity. If you're running Windows, check for existence and the dates of key operating system files. (The list is too long to display here. Search Microsoft's web site for 'Operating System files', or make a list from the Windows (or WINNT) directory and System (or System32) sub-directory, of another computer. For the same service pack level, the dates should match other files, for the most part. Check especially kernel32.exe and lsass.exe. Hackers like to go after those two. Fixes from Microsoft update some, but they tend to come in bunches. Just one with a different date is suspect. Yes, no one said this was going to be easy. Windows is to some extent self-protecting and self-healing but far from perfect. Replace those files with good ones, if needed. Again for Windows users, it may be the Registry that's corrupted. There are several useful tools available to fix it. Just search on Windows Registry repair utilities and choose one suitable for your version. Any recommendation made here will be out-of-date in six months, but forums are full of helpful up-to-date opinions. If the problem is only a program - word processing software, or email client or browser, for example - de-install and re-install. Annoying, but usually pretty straight forward, and most programs won't delete any user created data files without prompting you first. In the worst case scenario - lost user data not backed up somewhere (oops, you skipped Step 0) - several commericial Data Recovery services are available that can sometimes get it back. They tend to be expensive, but your data may be worth it. It sounds like magic, but they often can recover at least some even though you've searched thoroughly and the data appears lost. Good luck. You have everyone's sympathy... we've all been there. | |||||
