PC cleanup

[thestrangebrew1]

I'll be doing an on site job where the client the client is a business and they want their computer "cleaned up" to make sure its running properly & up to speed. This is my 1st onsite client so I'm a bit nervous and wondering what tools I should bring, both in software & actual tools.

I'm planning on taking an ext. hd to back anything up, a flash drive loaded with malware bytes, SAS, cccleaner and maybe the usual tools to take it apart & compressed air to clean it out. Any other suggestions. W/o knowing exactly what she means by "clean up", Im a little worried I wont have everything I need but I'd like to be as prepared as possible.

 

[Matt1970]

I get that a lot and it sounds like you have all you need. It usually amounts to deleting temp files, removing any toolbars and malware. HOWEVER, just so there is no lack of communication you do need to asker her specifically what she wants as far as "cleaned out". You don't want to spend a lot of time scanning for malware when all they wanted was the dust bunnies blown out of the case.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Yea I'm definitely going ro ask her to make sure I know exactly wgat she wants done before I do anything to it. Thanks.

 

[Ketchup]

Just some tips. Maybe some of it will help:

Will you have access to the internet? If you do, no worries. Take what you have, you can download the rest. If this becomes a normal thing, you will find little things here and there that are handy to have.

Tip from experience: If the computer is super slow, go a CTRL+ALT+DEL and get all the unnecessary processes turned off first, then focus on removing all of the junk.

Also, when you are done doing normal cleaning, run msconfig and see what is still lurking in the registry to start with the computer.

Warning: usually when a person noticed their computer is slower than normal, it is REALLY slow. Not all, but most people I do work for don't notice slowness until it is almost unbearable.

Good luck.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Just some tips. Maybe some of it will help:

Will you have access to the internet? If you do, no worries. Take what you have, you can download the rest. If this becomes a normal thing, you will find little things here and there that are handy to have.

Tip from experience: If the computer is super slow, go a CTRL+ALT+DEL and get all the unnecessary processes turned off first, then focus on removing all of the junk.

Also, when you are done doing normal cleaning, run msconfig and see what is still lurking in the registry to start with the computer.

Warning: usually when a person noticed their computer is slower than normal, it is REALLY slow. Not all, but most people I do work for don't notice slowness until it is almost unbearable.

Good luck.

Good points. Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure why I've got the jitters lol. Maybe because I'll be out of my comfort zone of working in my house.

 

[Ketchup]

....Maybe because I'll be out of my comfort zone of working in my house.

That is the worst part for me. Nothing worse then sitting in somebody's home just waiting for MalwareBytes to run. Since I just do work for friends or friends-of-friends that give me a call, I usually just come out for the first visit, get an idea of what the issue is, then install Logmein and finish the work from home. In your situation, I doubt that will be an option, so take a good book.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

The lady cancelled her appt with me lol. She said the owner is comsidering getting a pc and after that they'll be in contact to have me work on it.

 

[Mushkins]

That is the worst part for me. Nothing worse then sitting in somebody's home just waiting for MalwareBytes to run. Since I just do work for friends or friends-of-friends that give me a call, I usually just come out for the first visit, get an idea of what the issue is, then install Logmein and finish the work from home. In your situation, I doubt that will be an option, so take a good book.

That's absolutely the worst, thank god I don't do housecalls/pc repair anymore 🙂

Nothing makes you feel more awkward than being a grown man sitting in a little kids room watching a virus scan run. The clients that had laptops or it was bad enough to warrant taking it with me were a godsend.

To the OP: when they call and say its slow and want it "cleaned up," my go-to was always to try to tactfully get them to specify a particular issue or symptom. That way you at least have a starting point and you also have some cover your ass room. If they say "the web browser is slow," you can clean up the malware, remove the two dozen ask toolbars, and make sure that web browser is running like a brand new ferrari before you leave. You have something tangible and provable to show them you did what they asked you to before leaving the site and/or accepting any payment. That way when their unruly teenager inevitably porns it up a week later they can't come yelling back to you claiming you didn't fix it and charged them anyway.

 

[Matt1970]

That's absolutely the worst, thank god I don't do housecalls/pc repair anymore 🙂

Nothing makes you feel more awkward than being a grown man sitting in a little kids room watching a virus scan run. The clients that had laptops or it was bad enough to warrant taking it with me were a godsend.

It's rare I do housecalls and that's why. I tell people it's flat rate if they bring it to me or pay me by the hour to sit in their house for hours on end do scans or updates.