A deposit of $45.00 is required for all laptops and desktops at the time it is brought in for service.  This is used to pay for the time spent with the customer, invoice creation, movement of  the equipment to be repaired, diagnostics, and reporting. 
  
   Loose or broken power connectors on laptops also require a $45.00 nonrefundable deposit. If the DC port is found to be connected by a cable the cost is usually no more than another $20.00 plus the cost of the cable assembly.
 If the DC port housing is soldered to the motherboard the total cost may be $100.00 to $150.00. This covers de-solder and re-soldering of the broken solder joints.  An added cost of $25.00 to $50.00 would be levied if the power port housing requires replacement. 
    Not all repairs of this type are successful. This is often due to the unit being used after a solder joint has broken loose and the user wiggles or repositions the cable to keep the unit powering up. Wiggling the power cable can cause electrical arcing which in turn can prevent solder from adhering to the mainboard. It can also cause cracks in the power circuits and may weaken motherboard components.
   
   Virus and Spyware Removal: One of several methods of removing viruses and trojans is by removing the hard drive from the affected computer and scanning it on one of our servers. That way the infections are not active and are less likely to fight back or replicate. We charge a flat fee of $39.95 for virus removal. Final costs vary depending on residual file or operating system damage and whether or not the system requires a reload which may include a backup of the data. Averages usually run around $150.

   Spyware is unsolicited software that installs without the user’s explicit consent. There is a myriad of purposes behind this invasion that range from simple data collection to hijacking your home page or even remotely taking over your operating system. Once a hacker gains access to a victim’s operating system they sometimes use it to hide illegal activities like child porn! Cases like this have been documented. 

   One of the biggest uses for Spyware is to send in Viruses in the form of Trojans. The reason for Virus producers to use this venue is because there is no program that can detect Spyware entering your computer. Anti-Virus programs cannot detect a Virus that hides within the Spyware. In my estimation anti-virus programs can detect only about 10% of viruses today.  

   Remedy: PC Whizdom can check your system for Spyware, Viruses and Trojans, then remove the Spyware and Viruses infecting your computer. We will then discuss the remedies to keep your system clean. 


Computers require constant maintenance to work properly especially if there is more than one person using it. The operating system (Windows) and the hardware require periodic maintenance. 

   Dust: Computers are big dust filters. They have fans that draw air through the unit to keep fragile components cool. Dust is also drawn in like a vacuum cleaner which can cover and insulate components and stick to fan blades which causes component overheating. The power supply, hard drive, motherboard, and CPU rely on the system’s cooling ability which is even more critical in the summer. PC Whizdom replaces more motherboards, power supplies and hard drives in the summer than all the other three seasons put together. 

   Heat: There is a thin layer of thermal grease on the CPU that draws heat off the CPU to the heat sink and is then dissipated by the heat sink and fan. An important part of our maintenance program is to replace the thermal grease. 

   Notebooks: Notebooks (laptops) are even more vulnerable than desktop computers. The components are far more susceptible to overheating! Regular maintenance is imperative! PC Whizdom recommends cleaning the cooling system of notebooks at least once a year. Many college students find themselves in trouble when schoolwork is in jeopardy because of a hardware malfunction caused by their notebook overheating! 

   With today’s less expensive, off the shelf, computers components are manufactured with much looser specs than they used to be and are, therefore, more susceptible to damage. The industry standard warranty used to be 1 to 3 years but has dropped to 90 days to 1 year with additional years offered for a price!    

   How important is your data? Do you have pictures, videos, music, or documents that you don’t want to lose? Do you think your computer is going to warn you of impending disaster? Most data loss occurs due to having no backup of important data and by believing “the computer is running fine”. A good running computer doesn’t preclude a crucial component burning out suddenly rendering it impossible to extract data! 

   The operating system is no different and needs maintenance as well. Today the biggest threat to the health of your computer’s operating system is Spyware and Viruses! 

   

   These are some of our full maintenance programs to help keep your system running problem free. Don’t wait until after tragedy strikes. It is not “if” a problem occurs, it is “when”! Don’t wait for “when”!