frequently asked questions and further information.

My machine is behaving very strangly, what should I do?

If your PC shows signs that something is not as it should be, get it checked straight away. Unlike the human body, when a PC gets some kind of infection, it is NOT going to get better on its own; it will only get worse. If you leave it too late, it can cost much more to get it repaired and you run a serious risk of data loss.
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A few icons have just appeared on my desktop, should I be concerned?

If a stranger walked into your sitting room and sat beside you to watch TV, you would wonder who they were and where did they come from. Treat your PC in the same way. If anything just appears ask your self where did it come from. The chances are it is not friendly and it is NOT going to go away on its own.
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I am thinking about buying a new PC, what should I do?

If you are unsure what to buy, there is the possibility that you will be convinced by a salesperson that you should buy a higher specification machine than you actually need. We can advise you on the specification which will fit your requirements, source a suitable PC, set it up and, if it is a replacement PC, transfer your data.
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Do I have to to replace my XP machine with Windows 7?

There are still computers available with XP; although they are becoming harder to find and also more expensive. If you don't want to change to Windows 7, you don't have to. We can source a new machine for you which has XP. That way many of your old programs and peripherals will still work.
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Aren't all new entry level PCs pretty much the same?

No, not really. There are a few factors which dictate how fast a PC will be and the difference between a good entry level machine and an OK entry level machine can be as little as £50 and can make a huge difference to performance. Some PCs come in much slimmer cases as well, and while these are fine, they can be more expensive to repair because the parts are not as common.
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So will my old programs not work with Windows 7?

A lot of older programs will work OK with Windows 7 but some others will not. For example, if you have an old version of Microsoft Office 97 or XP, neither will work on Windows 7 as it needs either Office 2003 or 2007 which can cost up £90. Also some older printers and scanners might not work with Windows 7 either. If in doubt, check with the manufacturer's web site for more information
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A friend sends me emails where I can see dozens of other addresses, is this OK?

No it certainly is not OK. If you are going to send an email to lots of poeple who don't know one another, you should send the email to yourself and BCC everyone else, that way those who don't know you don't see your address.
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How much will it cost to fix my PC?

It is impossible to give a definitive answer because there is no way to assess the problem until we see your machine. However, we don't have a call out charge so it would cost you nothing to find out, plus we have fixed prices for bigger jobs so you will always know before hand what you are going to pay.
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I have heard about wireless broadband and regular broadband, what is the difference?

There is no difference! It is only the type of router which makes it wireless. N.B. If you contact your ISP to go wireless, they may supply you with a router but also possibly tie you into a further year contract. Often the router supplied will have a shorter range than some others, or you may have to pay a surcharge. CompuDocs will advise you on which router to get and install and secure your wireless network for as little as £50; excuding hardware and you won't have to get into another contract with your ISP.
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What difference would a longer range router make, I have a small house?

Some routers give a range of up to 75 metres and while that may sound plenty, that is based on a clear signal without anything between the router and the PC. Every wall will make the signal drop considerably and electric cables also help kill the signal. To get a good signal throughout even a small house, you should get a router with as wide a range as possible. CompuDocs will advise you on which router would be best for you. We can also discuss other network options
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I don't have a phone socket near my PC, how can I connect to the internet?

If it is possible to get a signal from the phone socket location, we would recommend you get a wireless router. It can be relatively expensive to have an extension socket wired properly; we have heard of quotes of £150. A router can be less than half that and would give you access to the internet for more than one machine. We can advise you on whether a router would suit your requirements and can supply and set-up a router for less than some quotes for socket extension
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What should I do if my PC won't start?

Contact CompuDocs immediately for advice. DO NOT run your restore disc or Windows disc. This will erase your data. Even if we have to re-install your operating system, we can usually recover your data first.
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I am not sure if my PC is worth upgrading, can you help?

We will advise you on whether or not an upgrade would be economical. While some upgrades are, there are some which would not make a lot of difference to the speed of the machine and would not be worth doing. We are not resellers and have nothing to gain by you upgrading or not. Our advice is impartial and based solely on the specifications of your computer and what you want to upgrade.
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Someone told me that free ani-virus software is no good, is that true?

No it is not true! There are several free anti-virus programs which do a fantastic job at no cost to you, although you should get advice on which to get. There are also anti-spyware programs which do a similar job free of charge. We can remove any software which you currently have and have to pay for and replace it with programs which we trust and use ourselves. These programs are free and are legal downloads provided by the relevant companies.
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My PC has an illegal copy of Windows and I am having problems, what should I do?

Our advice is always that you replace it with a legitimate operating system. If you have an illegal copy, you may not be able to receive all of the security updates and as a result are at greater risk of attack and infection.
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My machine seems to be a lot slower than it used to be, why is that?

There could be different reasons for that. Two of the most common are malware infection or lack of memory. Many machines are infected with spyware which runs in the background and uses a lot of the processing power of your PC. Some machines have as little as 256mb of RAM installed and while this was enough when Windows XP first came out, is not enough for XP with service pack 2 or 3. CompuDocs can remove infection from you machine which will help speed it up and. if RAM is required, source the correct type and install more.
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Is adding more RAM not very expensive?

Not really. Depending on what RAM your machine has, you could have another 512MB RAM installed for under £50 including fitting. If you currently have 256mb or less, it would make a big difference to your PC.
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Does it matter what type of RAM I fit?

Yes it does. You must fit the appropriate type for your machine. While it is possible to mix certain types of RAM, you must make sure any mix will work. Additionally, some types of RAM should fitted in pairs of modules. CompuDocs will advise on the correct type and install it for you.
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Is there limit to the amount of RAM I can add?

Yes there is. CompuDocs can advise on the possible maximum your system can take and upgrade an appropriate amount.
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I am not sure if I should get a laptop or desktop PC.

It is not easy to give a definite answer. If you are going to use the machine in the same room all of the time then a desktop is probably the best option. Desktops are also more comfortable to work on if you are going to be using it for long periods. If you are going to use a laptop and want to use the internet you might want to consider a wireless router which will enable you to have access without constantly having to connect through a modem in different phone sockets. Laptops are usually less powerful compared to an equivelant priced desktop, they are much more easily damaged and are considerably more expensive to repair. If you are still not sure, call CompuDocs for a impartial advice.
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I have heard that removing viruses can take hours, would I not be better to reinstall the OS?

While removing viruses and malware can take several hours to do properly, we have a maximum price for this and it will never cost more than £70. Should your machine be so heavily infected that reinstalling the operating system is the only option, we would do this instead of attempting to remove all of the infections. Reinstalling the OS is a very aggressive method, although it does mean your system will be clean, not only from infection, but all of the programs you have installed but no longer use. The downside of this is that you have to reinstall all of your desired programs, assuming you still have all of your discs. We would of course, where possible, back-up your data before this was done.
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Am I likely to lose all of my data?

If we have to reinstall the operating system, we can usually back up your data first. Even if your PC will not start, we can still usually recover most, if not all of your data. The main exception to this is if the hard drive itself is physically damaged. Having passwords on your PC can hinder the retrieval of data but does not necessarily mean we cannot recover it
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What qualifications do you have to convince me that you know what you are doing?

Everyone involved with CompuDocs has worked with and on computers for many years, but it was decided that in order to start a company some sort of qualification would be beneficial. I graduated from Napier University, Edinburgh in July 2005 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in computing. That, coupled with years of hands on experience, makes CompuDocs an ideal choice for you.
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I am worried that I may call you out and will be presented with a huge, unexpected bill.

We will give you a clear indication of cost before we begin any work, and in the unlikely event that we cannot fix your PC, will not charge you a penny no matter how long we have spent on the job. Added to that is the fact that we have a number of fixed prices in our pricing schedule which help you to know how much you are likely to spend.
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Do you work on MAC computers as well as PCs?

Unfortunately we do not work on MAC Computers. It is necessary to be licenced by Apple to order parts for MACs. Due to the size of our business this kind of restriction makes it impractical.
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