Podnutz Daily #322 – Adam From Adztech

Today Adam Matthews, www.adztech.co.uk from Dorchester, Dorset, England, shares tips, tools, repair job stories, and software utility recommendations.

• His Malware, Spyware removal steps:

1. First, depending on severity of the infection, runs Kaspersky Rescue Disk or ComboFix, sometimes both,
2. SUPERAntiSpyware to clean up any remaining tracking cookies and anything else that may still be active. He prefers this over running Malwarebytes which doesn’t catch tracking cookies and has some issues with Windows Vista.
3. Adam has been testing Comodo Cleaning Essentials, recommended by Timster in the Podnutz Forums. It is a scanner like ComboFix which gets updated on each use and includes a super task manager that links on line and shows you safe and potentially unsafe processes–similar to Viper Rescue although you don’t have to download the full program every time, since Comodo definitions update automatically each time it is run.

Tip: Press Alt-F4 to close the browser when a site displays a “Your PC is Infected” virus pop-up to prevent it from downloading and infecting the computer.

• Free Antivirus Programs

A paid version is recommended but hard to sell before a customer gets infected using a free product.

• • Comodo Internet Security has built-in firewall and works on Windows XP when other free programs do not; It is not bloated, and requires limited user interaction.
  • Microsoft Security Essentials is generally enough protection for Vista and Windows 7 due to their more superior firewalls.

• Paid Antivirus Programs

• • Kasperski Internet Security
  • Comodo Partner Program offers up to $500 service guarantee if infected and other partnership benefits for resellers.

• Repair Jobs
  • Media Center PC –The wireless card could be detected on the machine but could not receive any signal from the routers. Had to remove the drivers, disable Wireless Zero Configuration, reboot, rein-able the Wireless Zero Configuration, start the service to automatic, and reinstall the drivers. An indicator that this is the needed fix is if the wireless tab is missing in the proxies dialogue box.
  • Look for the obvious first–Don’t assume customers know what they are doing. In this case an Epson printer wasn’t printing. The protection counter had reached it’s maximum (an Epson issue, signifying it had to go into an Epson repair center). SSC Service Utility is available for resetting the counter, but this did not work to get it printing in this case. Checked for paper jam. All was clean, but on checking, print cartridges weren’t clipped in properly by customer. Should have checked, don’t assume.
  • POST Card (Power-On-Self-Test card)–gave a false indication that wrongly prompted purchasing a new motherboard.

• EBay Store Setup

Adam is trying this out to see if it is profitable enough to pursue. He is also looking at EBid as a less costly alternative.

• Advice for New Start-ups
  • Don’t waste money on buying equipment. Set money aside to buy equipment as needed to avoid having tools and supplies setting in shop unused.
  • Work out what your marketing budget will be and double it. Steve C and Adam discuss several aspects of marketing.
  • UK Wholesale List. Adam has posted this in Podnutz Forums for technicians in the UK.

EMAIL (mail@podnutz.com):

• Steve is looking for a hardware device that will burn a large data source to span multiple DVDs.
• Bedarch recounts his great buying experience purchasing a replacement LCD screen for his laptop from EBay seller DVDSupper999.

VOICEMAIL (707-6podnut):

• Randy (the tech professor in Podnutz Forums) talks about after setting-up a new Dell PC for an elderly lady, she contacted Dell, so not to bother him, and they erroneously told her she had no antivirus and sold her System Mechanic for $131 for 3 year coverage.

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