What we can do for you:
When you purchase a computer, the following steps are needed to set up:
- Set up user accounts (administrator & standard users)
- Install security software (antivirus, firewall, & malware)
- Set up & secure your internet connection
- Download & install all needed patches
- Install any additional needed software
- Set up e-mail accounts
There are some additional steps that I strongly recommend:
- Repartition hard drive into program drive (C:\) & data drive (D:\)
- Configure D:\ drive for data (My Documents)
- Configure D:\ drive for files (photos, music, e-mail)
- Configure D:\ drive for user settings
These additional steps help to ensure the security of your data and your profile. When you are backing up your data, you will not need to go hunting for it on the C: drive among your programs, instead, it is located on a separate drive. Also, if you are hit by a virus (or accidentally format your C:\ drive) you have a better chance of your data surviving (since it resides on a different partition).
IMPORTANT: Please note that this process does not move your data to a separate physical hard disk. We can install a separate hard drive (including Solid State Drives – SSD), and we still recommend backing up all data to separate media (external hard drive and offsite). This will help protect you from data loss if your hard drive actually stops working!
The final step taken in setting up your computer is to make an image of your machine configured and set up for your use. This allows us to rapidly restore your machine if it should be damaged. The important difference is that when reloaded, the machine is immediately ready for use, it won’t take hours to set up software and user accounts again.
If this service sounds like what you are looking for, please give us a call to schedule an appointment at (618) 530-1961. We look forward to helping you make the most of your computing experience!