The Top 4 Computer Repair Issues Caused by Human Mistakes

Computer Repair Thoughts from an Old Pro

Computer Repair is a funny business. It clearly illustrates the faults and foibles of human nature. Things we all do, that aren’t always very smart.

This is a real issue because computers are at the center of almost everything we do. It’s  more important than ever to know what to do to avoid costly computer repair bills, or at least keep them to a minimum.

Here are the Top 4 Most Common Mistakes people make that eventually land them in a computer repair shop, sometimes hoping for a miracle. Hopefully, you’re not guilty of any of these, but I doubt it. Even I sometimes forget, but since I can do my own computer repair, it doesn’t cost me as much.

Not Having a Data Backup

A lot of computer repair service requests are for Data Recovery. An incredible number of people fail to backup their computers regularly. When a disaster strikes and a computer’s hard disk dies, people come in and ask if we can retrieve the data from it. While that is often possible, why rack up a computer repair bill when it’s much better and cheaper to make backups yourself? The puzzling thing is that it’s very easy to have a complete backup of your data. You can do as I do and use an online Cloud Backup service that backs up your data automatically. You can also buy an external hard disk and make a copy that way. I do both, just to be sure. I can guarantee you that your hard disk will fail some day, and think of what you have to lose – family photos, important documents, spreadsheets, tax records, emails and more.

No Virus or Malware Protection

Virus and Malware cleanup comprise the bulk of most computer repair service issues. Many people are either using old, expired antivirus software that came with their computer when they bought it years ago, or are not using any anti-malware software at all. Others just rely on the built-in antivirus software what comes with Windows. This is not real protection software, just a very basic skeleton system.

Being Gullible and Trusting of Strangers

Another big source of computer repair work comes from customers whose computer has been invaded by hackers. In most cases, the customer literally handed their computer over to the hacker. One of the most common forms of this is  getting a call from a crook pretending to be from Microsoft. They’ll tell a person that they noticed their PC was  full of viruses and offered to fix things. So the victim lets the guy take remote control of their computer.

Other victims replied to an email from a crook pretending to work for a bank or other business. The email told them to fill out a form with their password and user name to a bank website. You’d be surprised how many people comply. I always tell people to follow Two Basic Rules:

1. Don’t believe anything you are told about your computer by a telephone caller. They have no way of knowing what’s going on with it if they are not sitting in front of it themselves.
2. Don’t comply with any email request to confirm passwords or give up personal information.

Trying to Fix it Yourself – or Worse, Your Neighbor or Friend

This is my favorite computer repair story. Many people try to fix their computer problems without knowing what is wrong, or how to even troubleshoot the computer problem. It’s easy to fall into that trap. When your computer develops a problem it seems natural to use your smarts and tips from the Internet to fix it. People go to Google, type in the problem their computer is having, and page after page of suggested fixes come up. The problem is that you aren’t really sure what’s wrong, and you might be asking the wrong questions. If you’re not a technician, you also have no way to evaluate whether the suggested fix makes sense. Even if you are lucky enough to find a legitimate solution to your problem, your skills may not be strong enough to successfully execute the fix. Then, when they try to fix the issue, the problem gets worse . Usually, the cheapest way to fix is a computer is to take it to a competent repair shop.

Most of what I’ve said here is just common sense. Be proactive and wise when it comes to your computer, and it will give you back years of trouble free service. If not and you have issues, you can always ask us for help. Learn more about us at our Tucson Computer Repair website.