Same Story Revisted: Computer Repair Scam

[KG4CGC]

Most worryingly, when he discovers log-in details for our online bank account, he logs onto the bank's website and attempts to break into the account. He only fails because the details we created were false.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/262978/exposed-the-pc-repair-shops-that-rifle-through-your-photos-and-passwords.html

Still happening after all these years.

[N2RJ]

A popular scam back when I was doing home computer service is to steal internet access (dialup) passwords. I've never done it but some of my fellow techs were much less than honest, and stole people's internet accounts to steal their internet access.

They've seldom prosecuted these crimes until recently when the ISP/phone company decided to clamp down on it.

Now with broadband that's less of an issue, but now as the article mentioned you have online banking passwords etc.

That's why I would advise everyone to learn some basic PC repair skills and change all of their passwords after they've sent the computer to a shop for repair.

[KJ3N]

Except for the 2 laptops and one Emachine, everything else (one NW 6.5 server and 4 other PCs) has been built by yours truly. Never been to any PC shop and I don't think I ever will.

[N2RJ]

On a side note, I guided my mom through on installing a new video card in her PC. Over the phone. :dance

[kf0rt]

Got a call from my sis-in law the other night. Seems her (and her OM's) laptop is infected with a virus.

They took it to BestBuy where the "geek" quoted her $400 to clean it. I told her I'd fix it for half that. :snicker: :twisted:

[n2ize]

I fix all my computers myself. I have also built a few desktops. Many many moons ago when m,y parents wanted a first computer I tried to get an old 166 mhz pentium running. But there was something wrong on the mainboard. So I went to Computer Geeks and I bought cheap parts consisting of a new 200 mhz mainboard, a 200 mhz processor, and a power supply/case. I had the memory, drives, etc. I tested and assembled the entire shebang and it worked. I installed Windows 98 and Linux on it. Before long I had them on line with their first computer. They actually preferred to use Linux for browsing online and they still do prefer Linux. These days they have a whole home network with high speed fibre broadband. And if anything goes wrong they don;t have to worry. I handle all the troubleshooting, repairs, etc. No need for the geeks-quad or having to bring it in to the shop to be fixed.

[kd6nig]

My uncle wanted to 'wipe and redo' a system once and took it to best buy for a quote. $190.

He contacted me and I told him for dinner and gas I'd do it.

Saved him about $170 probably :) And I showed him how to do it so he can do it himself next time.

Some guys run a heck of a racket. When I used to fix stuff for people more regular, I only charged $20 an hour. Course, I didn't run a business, and I didn't have licenses and stuff to pay for, but still.

The scary thing is I've heard that Geek Squad techs make less money than I do at my current job.....

And with USB thumb drives nowadays, people can copy stuff quick and you won't notice.

The latest thing I've been introducing to friends besides AV is how to use truecrypt, especially if they do financial stuff or taxes on their computers. They save their files in that volume.

[HUGH]

I wouldn't dream of taking a PC to a repair shop but there again, I wouldn't hire a plumber or an electrician either. It hadn't occured to me though about the password business.

I worked for a while with a young man who went on to work for a local computer supply and repair company and many of the PCs that left the shop didn't have the same boards or memory they came in with after he'd been at them. Many owners may not have noticed but he doesn't work there any more.

[W2IBC]

sad very sad.

i charge $20 1st hour $10/Hr after that.

[AF6LJ]

I do freelance work and have about a dozen regular clients.
I do my work at their place in front of them and IF I ever have to take a computer to do work on the hardware, I leave the harddrive with them.
I don't need it if it is good and that is usually determined in the first few minutes of diagnosing if a hardware problem exists.

I have never had to bring a computer back here for repair, Just a couple of monitors.

[PA5COR]

I do ours here, wife, son, mine.
And friends and neighbours, for free.

Don't need the money, and work at their place, while they watch explaing to them what went wrong.
Might just as well learn from it then :snicker:

[KB3LAZ]

Wow, it is not that hard to put in new ram chips, change out a HD, add a video card, change processor, etc...Cleaning up a screwed up OS is a bit more complicated at times but that is what reformatting is for. :lol:

If I can't fix it myself it stays broken.

[KG4CGC]

Wow, it is not that hard to put in new ram chips, change out a HD, add a video card, change processor, etc...Cleaning up a screwed up OS is a bit more complicated at times but that is what reformatting is for. :lol:

Yep. If you don't use a separate HD for storage, it's just a matter of time before you do.

[AF6LJ]

Wow, it is not that hard to put in new ram chips, change out a HD, add a video card, change processor, etc...Cleaning up a screwed up OS is a bit more complicated at times but that is what reformatting is for. :lol:

If I can't fix it myself it stays broken.
It's the interments that get ya.....
Like that DVD drive that only opens on the third try, you find out after replacing the drive it's really the power supply that is going south. :)

[KB3LAZ]

Wow, it is not that hard to put in new ram chips, change out a HD, add a video card, change processor, etc...Cleaning up a screwed up OS is a bit more complicated at times but that is what reformatting is for. :lol:

Yep. If you don't use a separate HD for storage, it's just a matter of time before you do.

Amen brother!

[KB3LAZ]

Wow, it is not that hard to put in new ram chips, change out a HD, add a video card, change processor, etc...Cleaning up a screwed up OS is a bit more complicated at times but that is what reformatting is for. :lol:

If I can't fix it myself it stays broken.
It's the interments that get ya.....
Like that DVD drive that only opens on the third try, you find out after replacing the drive it's really the power supply that is going south. :)

I have never had a PS fail or an optical (knock wood). Not even on my Dell laptop from '98. :monkeydance: Damn thing will not die! However the usb hubs and the wireless adapter are deader than a doornail. :lol:

OTOH I have had processors burnout. :shock: When your PC comes up and says that it is shutting down because the internal temp is 93 c you have a problem. :rofl:

[KG4CGC]

If a cleaning of the heatsink and new thermal grease don't work ........
Go bigger and use copper.

[KB3LAZ]

If a cleaning of the heatsink and new thermal grease don't work ........
Go bigger and use copper.

Ahh..old problem that was dealt with.

[KG4CGC]

So was it solved or not? Details man. Details!
I've had to scrape off old thermal grease from a CPU, then wipe it clean with solvents followed by ammonia, or in a pinch, window cleaner. Once everything was dry dry, reassemble.
Of course, most cases call for picking out dust from between heatsink blades. Sometimes the heatsink was even treated like a dirty dish with immersion in soap and water and a good soaking before the scrubbing and the Waterpik™.
I've modded a few fans. That is to say, I've used bigger fans and in some cases, reversing the air direction will cool better than the original set up.
I have no problem with using a huge obnoxious heatsink if it means the CPU will last several years however I also feel that a good connection via thermal grease is key.
BTW, I don't use AC in the room where the computer is running, just a large fan which moves the air about 60 feet from entrance to exit.
Those are just my conditions. YMMV.

[KB3LAZ]

So was it solved or not? Details man. Details!
I've had to scrape off old thermal grease from a CPU, then wipe it clean with solvents followed by ammonia, or in a pinch, window cleaner. Once everything was dry dry, reassemble.
Of course, most cases call for picking out dust from between heatsink blades. Sometimes the heatsink was even treated like a dirty dish with immersion in soap and water and a good soaking before the scrubbing and the Waterpik™.
I've modded a few fans. That is to say, I've used bigger fans and in some cases, reversing the air direction will cool better than the original set up.
I have no problem with using a huge obnoxious heatsink if it means the CPU will last several years however I also feel that a good connection via thermal grease is key.
BTW, I don't use AC in the room where the computer is running, just a large fan which moves the air about 60 feet from entrance to exit.
Those are just my conditions. YMMV.

It was a laptop and just needed cleaned really really bad. I cracked her open and she looked like a dryer filter. Actually I have a problem with this laptop getting a bit hot as well. It only happens when runing windows. No heat problem when running ubuntu. :think

[KG4CGC]

Damn Evil Windoze feeding the corporate machine by killing computer parts!
That really was the first thing that came to mind LOL!

[n2ize]

I just cleaned my computer in preparation for a drive and operating system (non-windows) upgrade. I generally try to clean it 2 or 3 times per year. Despite this It was PACKED with dust. The front grille, the fan, the cpu heatsink, the area around the drives, the circuit boards were all loaded with dust. It was all over everything. I spent a good hour cleaning up everything. These things are dust magnets.

[n2ize]

Wow, it is not that hard to put in new ram chips, change out a HD, add a video card, change processor, etc...Cleaning up a screwed up OS is a bit more complicated at times but that is what reformatting is for. :lol:

If I can't fix it myself it stays broken.
It's the interments that get ya.....
Like that DVD drive that only opens on the third try, you find out after replacing the drive it's really the power supply that is going south. :)

I have never had a PS fail or an optical (knock wood). Not even on my Dell laptop from '98. :monkeydance: Damn thing will not die! However the usb hubs and the wireless adapter are deader than a doornail. :lol:


I used to have optical drives fail quite often. They'd just stop reading or writing. Lately they seem to be operating quite well. though. I have a dead network adapter but that was destroyed by lightning. I have to use an add-on network adapter.



OTOH I have had processors burnout. :shock: When your PC comes up and says that it is shutting down because the internal temp is 93 c you have a problem. :rofl:

Usually that's s sign the fan is not working of for some reason things are not properly cooling. As a precaution the CPU shifts into low gear or tells the ACPI function to shut down the system in an attempt to protect itself from thermal failure.

[kf0rt]

One of the best ways to keep your computer clean is to just keep it well off the floor.

Haven't blown mine out in over a year now and it still doesn't need it. It sits on a shelf about 5' above floor level. Wife's computer too, after frying a motherboard. :oops: As a bonus, the cables are easy to get to.

[KB3LAZ]

One of the best ways to keep your computer clean is to just keep it well off the floor.

Haven't blown mine out in over a year now and it still doesn't need it. It sits on a shelf about 5' above floor level. Wife's computer too, after frying a motherboard. :oops: As a bonus, the cables are easy to get to.

I normally just buy a new one rather than cleaning the old one. About every four years or so. I have not owned a desktop in ages.

[kf0rt]

One of the best ways to keep your computer clean is to just keep it well off the floor.

Haven't blown mine out in over a year now and it still doesn't need it. It sits on a shelf about 5' above floor level. Wife's computer too, after frying a motherboard. :oops: As a bonus, the cables are easy to get to.

I normally just buy a new one rather than cleaning the old one. About every four years or so. I have not owned a desktop in ages.

It's hard to cram 4 Terrabytes of disk in a notebook, and they don't handle multiple monitors well. :whistle:

Got a little Acer netbook a few months back, though. First "portable" I've ever owned. I like it, but it's for "niche" use.

And, and, and.... desktop components are sooooo cheap these days. :lol: :monkeydance:

[KB3LAZ]

One of the best ways to keep your computer clean is to just keep it well off the floor.

Haven't blown mine out in over a year now and it still doesn't need it. It sits on a shelf about 5' above floor level. Wife's computer too, after frying a motherboard. :oops: As a bonus, the cables are easy to get to.

I normally just buy a new one rather than cleaning the old one. About every four years or so. I have not owned a desktop in ages.

It's hard to cram 4 Terrabytes of disk in a notebook, and they don't handle multiple monitors well. :whistle:

Got a little Acer netbook a few months back, though. First "portable" I've ever owned. I like it, but it's for "niche" use.

And, and, and.... desktop components are sooooo cheap these days. :lol: :monkeydance:

Eternal HD, man! Some of us have to have a computer on our persons most of the time. Hard to get by on campus without one. Also, I have no use for the 120Gb of hard drive I have now. Nor extra monitors.