Reformat drive to fix

WINDOWS REINSTALLATION

LABOR RATE:
+ $20.00 (optional)	Add $20.00 for pickup & delivery from your Pacific Palisades location. (PCR does not do on-site Windows reinstallation) charges $99.00 for on-site work

$100.00	Diagnostic: Test for software AND hardware issues that may or may not exist. Reformat drive, reinstall Windows and latest Windows service packs & updates, reinstall hardware drivers, and much more as described below! charges $199.00 for this item
FREE (optional)	Installation of FREE antivirus software (Microsoft Security Essentials) + latest virus definitions. charges $99.00 for "protection"
FREE (optional)	Labor to upgrade to new system C drive.
FREE (optional)	Installation of any of these extra "basic necessity" trusted freeware programs List includes Mozilla Firefox, OpenOffice, AbiWord, Adobe Reader, Flash player, iTunes.
FREE (optional)	Install drivers for up to 2 peripheral devices (printer, scanner, etc). Add $10 for each additional device. NOTE: PCR cannot guarantee functionality of your peripheral devices unless you bring them in for testing.
	Do you have critical data on your drive?
+ $20.00 (optional)	Raw backup of up to 100 GB of your personal data. Includes hard drive fitness test, zero wipe, and error check. This item does not include any restoration or re-configuring of that data (if needed). Data is simply dropped back into the "new" installation. Saved "local" email data (inbox, sent, trash, etc) and browser data (bookmarks, form field data, passwords) must be "imported" in order to open up with the associated program(s). User specific settings (if any) must be migrated. Encrypted files and stored passwords (if any) must also be migrated. charges at least $99.00 for this item
+ $0.25 (optional)	For each additional 5 GB of data ( over 100 GB ) to be migrated.
Optional and FREE at the $120 price	Labor to replace hard drive -- Highly recommended if you have critical data on the drive that hasn't been backed up. Now would be an opportune time to upgrade to a new, even larger hard drive. Your "old" drive itself will serve a safety backup of your critical personal data. Add only the exact cost of hard drive plus shipping and California Tax, billed as "reimbursement". charges $49.00 for this item
+ $10.00 per login user (optional)	Do various "users" log on to the computer? User specific "files & settings" migration of Internet Explorer settings (but not passwords), Outlook settings and store, Outlook Express settings and stores, Dial-Up connections, Phone and modem options, Fonts, Folder options, Taskbar settings, Mouse and keyboard settings, Regional options, Network drives and printers, Desktop folder, My Documents folder (but not encrypted folders), My Pictures folder, Favorites, folder, Cookies folder, Accessibility, Screen saver selection, Sounds settings, Office settings, Common Office file types. This item does NOT include itemized cost to migrate "secure" data such as encrypted files and passwords. NOTE: "Old" computer must be able to boot to the desktop and transfer wizard must function properly, otherwise not all data can be manually reconfigured exactly as it was before.
+ $10.00 (optional)	Certificate backup and / or migration: This is a must if you have critical "secure" data such as encrypted folders & files, or Internet Explorer passwords. NOTE: "Old" computer must be able to boot to the desktop to backup the certificate, or you should have previously backed up the certificate. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Consider upgrading to a new hard drive if you have critical data or secure data.
+ $10.00 (optional)	Non-Microsoft local email data migration (example: Thunderbird saved emails, address book, settings). "Old" computer does not have to be able to boot to the desktop.
+ $10.00 (optional)	Non-Microsoft web browser data migration (example: Firefox data including passwords, bookmarks, form field data, cookies, etc.) "Old" computer does not have to be able to boot to the desktop.
+ $5.00 (optional)	Each additional program reinstalled other than those included above. Does not include custom configuration of or importing of personal settings or data into any programs. Just simple installation. This price does not include installation of complex programs such as Final Cut Pro ($20.00), Pro Tools, etc. charges $34.99 for this item

Before deciding to reinstall Windows, your computer situation must be carefully evaluated. Here's things to take into consideration...

Has your computer been running slow for a long time? If so a reinstall may be the best cure for a cluttered registry.

Just how many viruses or how much virus damage exists on your computer? If your computer is found to have a large quantity of viruses or registry damage then a reinstall may be the best route. Sometimes it's the only viable fix.

Software programs cannot be "backed up" or "migrated" to a new computer or reinstallation. With that in mind, were any of your programs installed after you bought the computer? Do you have your installation discs for non-freeware applications (such as TurboTax, Office, PhotoShop, peripheral printer drivers, etc)?

How much data do you have to migrate? Documents, photos, MP3's, MPEG movie files can be easily backed up and migrated.

Do you use "local" email programs such as Thunderbird, Outlook or Outlook Express? This personal data (inbox, sent, trash, etc) must not only be migrated, but also "imported" to work as it did before.

Do you have critical browser data such as bookmarks, cookies, and history? This data must not only be migrated, but also "imported" in order to work as it did before.

Do you have "secure" data, such as encrypted files and folders, Internet Explorer passwords, certificates?

Do various users log on the the computer under separate user accounts? Do you have computer "user settings" that you just can't live without? PCR can migrate some of these settings.

Read in more detail about reinstallation of Windows if you wish

Years of registry entries & deletions, accumulation & removal of programs, failed Windows updates, and infection& removal of viruses can take a toll on a computer's performance and behavior. Yes, one option is to clean, tweek and optimize your computer ("software repair" without doing a reinstall) but sometimes this can be a wasted "wild goose chase" that leaves less than gratifying results. If you have a valid Windows product key, drivers CD and other important software installation CD's, you don't have critical data and settings to migrate and re-configure (such as saved emails), then a reinstall is usually the best choice. Otherwise extra labor is needed to reload things like emails and Internet bookmarks and settings.

Or sometimes a computer has major Windows operating system problems (such as damage left behind by viruses) that cannot be remedied or adequately remedied by using the various Windows and third party repair/recovery tools, and PCR "behind the curtain" fixes. This may leave no other recourse than to reformat the original hard drive (or install a new drive) and then reinstall Windows. Critical data must first be first backed up. Programs (such as PhotoShop, MicroSoft Word, etc) cannot be "backed up". Programs must be reinstalled. Even if your computer won't start or "resolve" to the desktop, there are methods to access and temporarily save your critical data to a secondary hard drive so that it can later be re-migrated to the new Windows installation or new hard drive.

QUESTION: I have many software programs installed on my unbootable computer and I've LOST all of my original software program CD's (such as TurboTax, PhotoShop, MicroSoft Office). I don't want to lose these software programs as a result of reformatting and reinstalling Windows. Can you "back up" my software programs? Or can you use the "cloning" method to save all or part of my C drive instead of doing the complete Windows reinstallation method? My program files are installed on the same volume (C drive) as Windows.

ANSWER: No and No. You cannot "back up" software programs and then just copy them over to a new computer or fresh new Windows installation. The programs would cease to operate if the associated files were copied over to a new installation. Instead they must be reinstalled using the installations discs. The "cloning" method would unfortunately clone the entire "damaged" system drive, leaving you with the same inoperable or fussy system. Note: Freeware (such as iTunes) can be easily downloaded off the Internet.

In the future you can protect against such a "disaster" by using an additional volume (such as "D" drive) for redundant backup of your C drive using Norton Ghost or other utility. Ideally you have a one time full backup PLUS an incremental backup (that constantly saves only data that has changed).

QUESTION: All I need is a "simple" reformat and reinstall of Windows with no diagnostic or data migration. Reinstalling Windows is simple isn't it? Why charge $100 for just a simple reformat and reinstall?

ANSWER: Doing it the right way is actually not that simple. There are many things that can go wrong if one cuts corners. Often a computer freezes up mid-installation, or the completed system is plagued with blue screen errors, freezing up or other strange problems if the proper steps are not taken.