Many times I've had comps that are completely effed beyond saving, and a clean install is the only choice....
And then they b1tch to me, when their comp is working - but without all their programs installed.
How can I explain, in a way that they will understand, that it was for the best?
Its not my fault that people havn't backed up.....
I'd really appreciate any words you can offer that would help the layman / novices that I deal with....
2007-09-25 00:33:34 · 6 answers · asked by Me again! 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
I'm sorry, I can see I wasn't so clear.
What I mean, is AFTER I've been told there are no important docs, they still complain when they have a clean comp!
2007-09-25 00:45:45 · update #1
Wow, so many good answers.
David: had me laughing there....but its so true!!!
2007-09-25 01:21:40 · update #2
What I do is on the initial installation with all the porgrammes installed, updated etc is make a ghost image of their system usually on an old 4-8Gb 2nd HDD although it could be a partition. Unplug it, teach them how make backups of their data and once in a blue moon do another ghost if they have installed new programmes.
However, for example, in the past 2 weeks I have not installed a single Windows machine (from new) just Linux.
In Linux if the OS does get shot the "Home" partition keeps the owners data safe, you can reinstall the OS again and all the programmes they have used can simply be downloaded from the repository. (PS that is 14 PCs)
The only good thing about Windows is that it keeps PC engineers in work and now thanks to Vista we are busier than ever.
2007-09-25 00:52:03 · answer #1 · answered by David Computer Guy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. They can order the back up/restore set from the maker for (typical price - Gateway, Dell) $38.
a. Create a Restore set BEFORE the crash!
b. Explain the million Microsoft virus-malware-spybots-exploits protection racket
2. Give them the free OpenCD.
3. Switch them to http://www.mepis.org which is:
a. FREE as in speech
b. free as in no license fees
c. complete with 21,000 Suites, games, apps.
d. immune to the million Microsoft virus-malware-spyware-trojan of-the-week plan
Remind them of what the Security Experts at Microsoft and elsewhere have said, July 2007: "The plausibility of blacklist protection is over, due to the number of newly created exploits of Microsoft products, ipv4, the internet protocols, so, the the answer must be whitelisting on a hardware firewall."
Make them aware that a hardware firewall is a good first defense and a free one is http://ipcop.org with included Spam Assassin and
Dan's Guardian!
2007-09-25 08:08:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I always contact them first, before cleaning the drive, and let them know that I am going to do that. I also offer them the option to bring in the disk for any programs they need reinstalled and I will do that for them. I also make sure to get any data I can save first.
I have found that if you warn them BEFORE you do it they take it better. They also have the option at that point of saying "no" and taking it elsewhere if they want.
2007-09-25 07:47:15 · answer #3 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I use an external hard drive to back up all their personal data FIRST.
After the Clean Install, I put it all back.
Never had a complaint.
2007-09-25 08:01:25 · answer #4 · answered by ELfaGeek 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
try slaving the hdd to get info off if not possable tell them before you format they going to lose the lot
2007-09-25 07:38:24 · answer #5 · answered by ROBERT S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why don't you warn them before you delete all their data :\
2007-09-25 07:41:25 · answer #6 · answered by Luke V 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋