Services and Solutions

We offer a wide-range of computer services and styles to meet your needs.  Our customers can choose from:

On-Site Computer Service

Can’t disconnect your hardware?  Problems with a mission-critical component?  Or, are you just unsure of how to reconnect the computer when the repairs are complete?  Our trained and experienced technicians can come to your home or business and make the repairs.  With our mobile support, we can provide the same quality of computer service at your location as we can at our store!

Let us fix your computer from here! Now you no longer have to dismantle your computer or schedule a time for a technician to come to your site. With our remote computer help and a working high-speed internet connection, we can begin fixing your computer right away! (Please call for a Service Tag before downloading our remote client program.)

After receiving Service Tag, click here.

Rates are charged per hour, with the option of a maintenance contract available.  For more information about the rates and contract options, please call Computer Services, Inc. at (517) 437 – 9000.

Computer Training and Classes

Looking for someone to introduce you to your computer?  Want to find your way around the internet like a pro?  Click here to read about our newest service!

 Quick Links for Common Questions:

Custom Computers

Hardware Installation and Upgrades

Preventative Computer Maintenance

Repair and Recovery

Specialized Computer Related Services

Virus and Spyware Removal

____________________________________________

Types of Computer Service

Custom Computers

Tired of the “one-size-fits-all” approach to computers?  Want to choose your operating system?  Don’t want your computer bogged down with “bloatware”?  Would you prefer to speak to technicians with a pleasant Midwest accent?  Then stop by and have us build you the perfect computer!

From Desktops for individuals to high-end servers for corporations, we can build a computer to meet your unique needs!  All of our computers have a one-year standard labor (on hardware) and we stand behind every system we build.

For companies looking for special systems, we have designed:

• Camera and Security Systems – including remote access!

• IP Cop Boxes – to monitor network traffic

• Multimedia Audio / Video Editing Computers with Software

• Servers (all sizes and configurations)

(Return to Top)

Hardware Installation and Upgrades

If you purchase hardware upgrades from us, we will be happy to install it for you at no additional cost.  For smaller upgrades, like memory, we will install it while you wait (depending on availability of a technician).  For larger upgrades, we will install the hardware on the same day, if you bring it in before noon.

(Return to Top) 

Preventative Computer Maintenance

We frequently hear customers tell us, “The computers are working fine - we'll just leave them until something goes wrong.”  For those who stick to this rule, we wish them well.  For those who would like to protect their computers and sensitive data, we strongly recommend some basic preventative measures to help prolong their equipment.  Our Preventative Maintenance services include:

(Return to Top)

Repair and Recovery

Our trained technicians take your data very seriously.  We know what it’s like to lose important information and personal material.  To assist you, we offer a full-range of data recovery services, including:

• Accidental File Deletion

• Accidental Format Reversal

•  “Crashed” Hard Drive Recovery

• Memory / Flash Card Data Retrieval

• Scratched / Damaged CDs and DVDs

While we are successful in over 90% of our cases, there are still circumstances beyond our abilities.  If this occurs, we can refer you to other data specialists who may be able to help.  (These are usually quite expensive and require you to ship the drive out-of-state.)

Note:   To help us recover your data, we strongly urge you to contact us immediately when the data is recognized as missing!  Do not continue to use the storage device and do not save additional information to the drive!  The more the drive is used, the less likely we will be to recover usable information.

(Return to Top)

Specialized Computer Related Services

These are special services we offer that don’t generally fit into any of our other categories.  These include:

• Digital Photography*

• Ebay Sales*

• Education and Training*

• IT Consultation

• Networking (Wired / Wireless / VPN)

• Software Installation

• VHS-to-DVD Conversion (personal videos ONLY)

• Website Design*

• Windows Vista Removal / Windows XP Installation

• Wireless Site Surveys

*Indicates services offered through Rabbit Hat Productions.  Please call for more information about these special services.

(Return to Top) 

Virus and Spyware Removal

Viruses and Spyware are two of the biggest problem plaguing computer users. 

Viruses are “programs” that are designed to destroy data, erase critical files and generally slow your computer down.  Some particularly destructive viruses can actually damage your computer’s hardware! 

Spyware is what it sounds like:  programs that spy on you.  From relatively harmless ones that help companies market to you to spyware that tries to gather personal data, financial information and other sensitive information, these programs can slow your computer down and can even lead to identity theft!

As technicians, we are often asked two key questions when it comes to viruses and spyware:

1.      Where do viruses and spyware come from?

These programs come from three main areas:

• First, you can easily get viruses and spyware through email.  Too often the funny, touching, etc. emails that get forwarded from your friends contain hidden programs.  If you don’t know who sent it, don’t look at it.  If you do know who sent it, beware of files that are “executable” (end in *.exe) or are filled with graphics, songs, etc.  Turning off the “preview pane” in Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express will go a long way toward protecting you.

• Second, you can get viruses and spyware from visiting er…questionable…websites.  If the website if offering free programs that you normally have to pay for (called “warez”) or contains “adult” content, you are probably inviting viruses in.

• Third, using P2P (peer-to-peer) file-sharing programs like Bear Share, Ares and Limewire is an almost guaranteed way to get a virus.  (One estimate from a programmer at Microsoft is that over 50% of the songs, videos and programs that are available from P2P programs are viruses.)

2.      What is the best antivirus program?

This question provokes more controversy than any other one we are asked. 

• First, you have to realize there is no “perfect” solution to the problems of viruses and spyware.  (If there was, we would sell it.)  Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but the facts are that there is no consensus from the IT community as to the best program – it changes each month!

• Second, just because you pay for the program doesn’t make it any better than the free programs.   I have used free antivirus and antispyware programs for years and, despite the fact that my computer gets used to disinfect virus-riddled hard drives, I have had few problems.  Our current preference is AVG Antivirus by Grisoft.  It is free (be careful, some companies are actually “selling” the free edition), powerful and features a nice user interface, making it easy to use.  By the way, be careful which ones you download – some are actually viruses in disguise.

• Finally, some programs simply try to do too much.  The two top names in Internet Security can use as much as 40% of your computer’s resources (memory, processor, etc.) just by sitting there!  For people with older computers, this may actually make their computer unusable.

So, all-in-all, we leave it up to the individuals choice.  If you want your antivirus and antispyware programs replaced by quality, free programs, just bring it in to us!

Our technicians aren’t content to allow these viruses to run freely on your computer!  Using a number of programs, we scan every inch of your computer to make sure these programs no longer bother you.

(Return to Top)