Tune-Up / Diagnostic Check List

[LOTL]

Recently started small PC repair service. I'm planning on offering a 1 hour
free Tune-up and diagnostic service to friends and associates.
I have compiled a list of what i think i can accomplish in an hours period
of time. Barring of course no critical unforeseen problems, hmmm now tell me
that never happens...

The short list would include:
Running scandisk, and defragging their hard disk.
Checking the device manager for conflicts.
Cleaning out case and fans of all dust.
Possibly using third party software to run other diagnostic checks.
Virus scan.

This list could get quite lengthy, but needs to be kept to under one hours
time. I was hoping someone had experience using a dos based diagnostic
software, that would check the system and provide a detailed analysis, and
do it in a short period of time.
I have looked at a few, and am not to familiar with them. Any
recommendations would be appreciated.
And any inclusions or exclusions to the check list are welcomed.

Some of the Software Diagnostic programs im considering are:
Checkit 7.0 Portable Edition: http://www.touchstonesoftware.com/products/checkitpe.cfm
AmiDiag: http://www.ami.com/beta/products/product.cfm?CatID=3&SubID=14&ProdID=39
Micro-Scope: http://www.micro2000.com/microscopeV8.htm

Thanks
Larry

[flash4master]

hmmm...sounds like a good idea, but scandisk and defrag can take a better part of the day if it hasnt been run in a while, i know this for a fact, i run 'em on my comp about once a week (10.0GB hd) and it doesnt take that long, yet when it is run on my parents comp with a 6.4GB hd, it takes approx. 6-10hrs. for both to complete it.

if you have the time, and they dont have a virus scanner, InoculateIT has a free download (http://www.cai.com/products/inoculateit.htm)

otherwise, everything else sounds good, and welcome to the board.

chris aka flash4master

[Beemers]

flash4master is right. I have yet to tune up a computer in under 4 hours. There are all sorts of problems that are created by user error that have to be sorted out after doing the scandisk and defrag. You can't do a defrag until you hunt down all the garbage. Do you know how many app's were deleted during the last year and not removed properly? This is the biggest thing I find. Get good with your registry other wise you will get a bad rep for not really doing anything to the computer. I think a 4 hour basic would be good and a recommendation paper for followup tuning to be performed.

2 cents

[Dputiger]

Tune-ups CAN be done in an hour, but usually only if 1) There wasn't much to do, or 2) THe problems were being caused by very simple and quick to fix problems.

I'd also run Norton System Works on a system for disk optimization and registry cleaning. It does a much better job than Scandisk.

[LOTL]

Thanks for the replies guys, true the defrag could take the most time. I would most likely do that last, and follow up with the customer to make sure it successfully completed.

Beemers,
Well i have successfully edited the registry for various reasons, i have never gone into someone elses system, and removed entries from the registry for purposes of cleaning up their system.
Aside from going through the control panel, and making a list of installed software, and comparing it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_SOFTWARE, I'm curious as to what guidelines you follow to determine what was left behind, and or unsuccessfully uninstalled?
And your right about the time required, but i cant give out 4 hours of free service to everyone whom asks.

Larry

[Dputiger]

DON'T try to debug the Registry manually. Norton will do it for you in much less the time.

[LOTL]

After reading through this thread, i feel like maybe i came off as wanting to just get the customer, without a care for how or what i do to their systems. Truly the opposite. And while i am trying to generate some business, i feel that this is a decent method of doing so. I do believe that good service is the best advertising, and i am trying to simply come up with a checklist, and the best means to "Tune-up" a customers system in an hour.
Nortons Utilites would help, but i need a less invasive method, which doesnt require the installation of any software, or possibly comes with its own boot disk. Any suggestions? And other than online virus scanners, is there a way to do a virus scan from a floppy or CDROM without having to install anything on the customers system?

[Beemers]

You haven't left that kind of impression at all with me at least. I like to do my best as well and it is hard to look at a pc that needs me and turning my back on it even if temporarily.
I think you have your list. Now you need a little bit of software is all.
[list=a]
Small clean up of Temp and Temporary Internet Files folder being careful not to delete any prog's
General look see into Add/Remove Programs and see if anything fails the compareson test with the registry
Maybe look for folders left behind in the C:\Programs folder by your previous look see tour
Scandisk
Defrag
Virus Scan (most peoples virus scanners only need upgrading to use)
Maybe a SFC.exe
If using I.E. 5 or higher, do the Repair Tool
[/list=a]
Give a suggested follow up quote now that yo are intimate with their machine.
Cheers!

[Beemers]

Blue Screens are one thing but mostly error messages on boot. Little messages such as A file needed for Windows or another program has been deleted or removed. Such and such file listed in the registry or system.ini is needed. Reinstall the program or what ever...... I don't know the exact wording but you have seen it I'm sure. You search the system.ini first because it is the easiest and then you search for it in the registry. Usually you will find it in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_SOFTWARE as you said. Sometimes you have to do a search for it. Not always will the file be listed in the error. Sometimes you have to be a sleuth to find it by your best guess of what program or company or value. For example, PCAnywhere sometimes will not uninstall everything. It has left aw_host.386 on me a couple of times and it is eventually found in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\VxD\AW_HOST
It also hooks into the Altrex program used by realators and screws up that program as well. Once the aw_host file is removed all goes back to normal. This all took about 15 minutes to cure but that is 15 minutes off of the one hour.

All I am trying to say is that people bring their computer to you because they don't have the basic knowledge to maintain their own system on the fly like a lot of us do. They can throw a lot of little things into the tune up mix that you won't count on. If you are doing this freebe to get business like a Midas free brake inspection then the error stuff can be dealt with on your recommendation paper I guess. Your idea has good promotional value and good business is where you find it they say.
I don't tamper in the registry of others unless there are errors leading to the registry or they ask me to speed up things a bit.

Cheers!



[This message has been edited by Beemers (edited 08-27-2000).]

[LOTL]

Thanks for the input Beemers i appreciate it.
Have been reading several of the posts here, and it seems like one of the better forums that i have visited.