Services

What I can do for you (services + pricing)

Chances are, you were referred to me by someone else… and there’s a reason for that.
When you hire me, you know that I’ll be doing the work for you personally. Better still, I have no financial or political allegiances to any manufacturer. I work for myself and for you only.

Oh, and in case I didn’t mention it, all parts are completely free of all markup. It’s just another way I’m completely unlike the rest of the industry: here, you’ll always get a clear-cut price.

When I perform a service, I go the extra mile to ensure everything is as it should be. Be sure to read the full description of whatever service you are considering so that you’ll know what to expect—because again, this isn’t your average computer service company.

One hour minimum on-site; ¾-hour minimum in-house (“bring-it-in”)
Most service is completed in 1½ hours
Three hour maximum charge limit applies to every service

Here’s the breakdown:

New PC Buying Help and Configuration ($99) – For $99, I’ll save you hundreds

Considering a new computer? Most of the “deals” you see advertised are really hardly such. Why risk getting a raw deal? I’ll put my experience to work and find you a PC that fits you at a price which is unbeatable… and then I’ll even configure it for you, all for $99.

(Business customers: your price is $149. Call me with any questions!)

I have no allegiances to any manufacturer, and I make nothing in the way of markup. I make the same $99 no matter what computer we get, so my only incentive is to make you happy.

I can save you hundreds, not to mention the headache you’ll miss.

New PC Setup and Config + Optimization Only ($70)

If you’ve already purchased a brand-new computer without me… I’m sorry

Okay, I’m only kidding. But I can still help you get it set up in ideal fashion. This is the same as above minus the automation of the picking/buying process. I will remove all the junk you don’t need, optimize your startup, tweak the settings, and install software that you’ll actually find useful.

This includes security software and all. I have my preferences in that area, but if you have an opinion on the matter I would be more than happy to install whatever you’d like. Whatever the case, when the PC is returned to you, it’ll be fully ready for action.

Bring-It-In (“In House”) Services:

Special Tune-up ($80 flat) + Optional Hardware Test and Disk Optimization ($20)

The most popular service apart from disinfection. This is a full-scale tune-up of your PC by someone who’s specialized in PC optimization and software support for well over a decade now. It includes, among other items:

Startup Optimization
Unwanted/Unnecessary Software Removal
Temporary Files Cleanup
Critical Updates and Patches Installation
Device Driver Updates (where necessary)
Security Software Updates
File/Registry Permissions Resetting
Registry Optimization
Service Assessment
Optional Full-Scale Hardware Testing and Disk Optimization ($20 extra)

Advanced Virus/Malware Removal + Mini Tune-up ($50/hr) – est. 1½—2 hours

Quite simply put, there is no one better. I have spent years of my life developing a powerful toolkit I use to disinfect even the most hopelessly infiltrated PCs. Mere offline scanning this is not; I can remove threats that most other techs can’t even touch.

Bring your infected PC to me and gain the peace of mind that it will be taken care of in the most professional and thorough way possible. And best of all, thanks to my unparalleled expertise in this area, it’s unbelievably affordable.

Request a Special Tune-up with your disinfection for a combo discount!

General Technical Support - Crashes, Errors, and Everything In-Between ($50/hr)

Random unintelligible errors? Blue screens? Video card not working properly? CPU smoking?

Whether your problem lies in the realm of hardware or software, chances are, I can solve it. I have an advanced level of Windows OS knowledge that few other techs can boast, and I own a wide array of expensive tools I can use to get the job done right.

I bill for tech support the only way that should be allowed:

Hourly rate of $50 when you bring your PC to me

Zero markup on any parts

Billed in 15-minute increments after the first hour

¾-hour minimum

Most service completed in under 2 hours

Three-hour maximum for any service

Bring your PC to me and save money and stress. Remember, I’m not your average tech.

Hardware Upgrades/Replacements ($50/hr) – est. 1 hour or less

If we’re talking a mere RAM replacement, this is the only category where I’ll actually charge less than my stated minimum… because anything else would be crooked. A few other basic hardware replacements also fall into this category.

Other items, such as video cards, hard drives (with data transfer) and so on, are simply charged on an hourly basis. Don’t worry; under normal circumstances this stuff hardly takes longer than an hour or so anyway.

Backup Services ($50/hr) – est. 1 hour or less

To prevent sudden loss of data (which happens more often than you think), it’s a very good idea to perform regular backups of all your Word, Excel, and Office documents, email, digital pictures, videos, music, and other files that would be difficult or impossible to replace if lost in a hard drive crash or other disaster.

If you haven’t been backing up regularly, bring your machine to me, and I’ll hook you up with up to 2 DVDs (~9 GB) or 5 CDs (~3.5 GB) filled with your documents and irreplaceable files. And the backup DVDs or CDs are on me! If you need more CDs or DVDs, don’t worry; my prices are very reasonable—just 50¢ per disc! You can even bring your own for me to use at no additional cost to you.

However, an even better way to accomplish this task is to provide an external drive of some sort to which data can be copied or the drive can be imaged. If you’re in need of a drive, give me a call and I can help you pick one out.

Data Recovery ($50/hr or $175 flat)

One of the worst things that can happen to anyone is a failing hard drive. An enormous number of reasons can lead to a drive failure, and they’re shockingly common (a lot more than you might think).

If you end up in a situation where you believe your data is in jeopardy—for instance:

You can’t access Windows

Your drive is making clicking noises

You’re receiving error messages related to data/memory access

…then you should immediately request advice from a tech. That’s because if it is in fact a drive failure, every attempt to access data on the drive can jeopardize the chances of successfully recovering your stuff.

When you contact me, we’ll briefly walk through the symptoms over the phone. If, after diagnosis, a drive failure is to fault, you have two options:

You can send it to a data recovery company with specialized equipment and a Class 100 clean room and pay upwards of $1,000 to have it recovered

Or you can contact me and I can diagnose the drive for you. Probably 80% of the time, I can use my own personal recovery equipment and the pricey software that I own to recover your data. If I cannot recover your data, it won’t cost you a thing.

If it so happens that it’s a mechanical failure, I can diagnose the drive with minimal interfacing (to prevent further damage to the drive) and we can discuss your options. If you decide that the data is worth thousands to you, it’s time to send it off to a specialized data recovery firm. If not, I’ll be happy to go ahead and give the recovery a shot. Again, if I don’t recover your data, the drive diagnosis won’t cost you anything.

So what’s up with the pricing, you ask? Well, if the recovery is simple, you only pay by the hour. If, however, it involves more intensive work with one of my $400+ recovery tools, the price becomes a flat fee of $249… which, by the way, is still but a mere fraction of the cost of most other data recovery services.

On-Site Services:

(On-Site) Special Tune-up ($129 flat)

Advanced Virus/Malware Removal + Mini Tune-up ($50/hr) – est. 2—3 hours

Have me disinfect your PC and gain the peace of mind that it will be taken care of in the most professional and thorough way possible. And best of all, thanks to my unparalleled expertise in this area, it’s unbelievably affordable.

If possible, it’s considerably less expensive to have me do the work in-house. But if you can’t manage to bring it to me, I’m still among the most effective and affordable on-site.

Request a Special Tune-up with your disinfection for a combo discount!

(On-Site) General Tech Support - Crashes, Errors, and Everything In-Between ($50/hr)

Random unintelligible errors? Blue screens? Video card not working properly? CPU smoking?

I bill for tech support the only way that should be allowed:

Hourly rate of $50 on-site

Zero markup on any parts

Billed in 15-minute increments after the first hour

1-hour minimum

Most service completed in under 2 hours

Three-hour maximum for any service

I’m here to solve your problem the right way. Remember, I’m not your average tech.

(On-Site) Hardware Upgrades/Replacements ($50/hr) – est. 1 hour

No matter what you need installed or upgraded, I’m your man. About the only thing I typically advise against is a mainboard replacement; the only time this is usually worth consideration is if the PC is under two years old. Sometimes even then it isn’t worth it however.

All replacements, such as memory, video cards, hard drives (with data transfer) and so on, are simply charged on an hourly basis. Don’t worry; under normal circumstances this stuff hardly takes longer than an hour or so anyway. If it requires less time (and almost always it does), I’ll fill up the rest of the hour for you doing general tech support or tune-up work.

(On-Site) Backup Services ($50/hr) – est. 1—1½ hour

If you haven’t been backing up regularly, I’ll hook you up with up to 2 DVDs (~9 GB) or 5 CDs (~3.5 GB) filled with your documents and irreplaceable files. And the backup DVDs or CDs are on me! If you need more CDs or DVDs, don’t worry; my prices are very reasonable—just 50¢ per disc! You can even provide your own for me to use at no additional cost to you.

On-Site Network Setup and Configuration ($50/hr)

Setting up your home network, whether wired or wireless, can be a real pain in the neck. Fortunately, I’ve done a lot of them. If you want to be sure your network is secure and rock-solid, give me a call and I’ll take care of it.

If you don’t already have a router, I’ll be happy to walk you through the selection and purchasing process. Remember, I don’t mark up any parts—so you can trust my recommendations without worrying about padding my pockets like those other techs.

I’ll even deal directly with your internet service provider if you want. I know that sometimes they can be as much of a pain as the network itself, so if you need someone on your side to get things working properly, you just found him.