Mountain Geek Computers

Truth is stranger than fiction. Two weeks ago, a customer brought in a MSI Gaming laptop that had a bad cooling fan. I opened up the laptop and verified that one of the fans would not turn, so I placed it on order. The part came in , but it had been damaged in shipment. The fan blade assembly was not attached to the motor, and I could not retract the electrical brushes to get the fan blades seated on the motor.... I had to call the vendor and order a replacement fan. I explained the failure, and they shipped me a replacement fan for free. During all this time, i misplaced the user's information. I had no name, no phone number, nothing. I just waited for the phone to ring and have the guy ask about his laptop. Today; the replacement fan came in. I was going to dig through all my notes, and files, and see if I could find this customer's name. Meanwhile, i opened up the laptop and was replacing the fan when my phone rings with a strange area code number (probably SPAM, but you never know). I answer the phone and the caller identifies himself a "Steve; the guy that dropped off an MSI laptop about two weeks ago". He was calling to see if it was ready. I told him this story that you are reading, and we shared a laugh. he gave me his name and phone number, and we scheduled to meet up on Friday, so I can return his working laptop. Truly ironic how these things happen.

So a lady contacts me and drops off 4 laptops that she wants me to erase the user profiles, the VPN, (those are two big red flags) and re-install a licensed copy of Windows 10. No problem. I do this daily. One computer has Windows 7 Professional. One computer has Windows 8.1 One computer has Windows 10 ... One computer is missing a hard drive. Two of the computers book up to a BASF login screen. (somebody's corporate computer?) Two of the other computers are tagged as "Property of Alexander Mann Solutions", and one boots up to an Alexander Mann login screen If a computer was leaving a corporate work environment, to be used as someone's private computer; the Business IT Department would wipe the Company profile from the computer, as well as the VPN, and all other company profile information. I e-mailed the companies involved, and they have already replied. Now I have to figure out how to make some money on this deal. Property recovery?

So I've been printing Work Order Tickets from an H-P Deskjet 1000 printer for the past 10+ years. I think I paid $29 for the printer when it was new? I just went to buy a color ink cartridge for the printer,(I still have a couple Black cartridges) and Wal-Mart wanted $47.20 for a color cartridge. Needless to say, I walked away. Time to shop for a newer printer.

COMPUTER TIP of the DAY So I went on a call where the customer's Microsoft OUTLOOK 2019 would no longer open when she double clicked on the desktop icon. Found the OUTLOOK program was locked up and unresponsive. I was able to unlock and close the program, then I rebooted the laptop for a clean reboot. I opened the OUTLOOK 2019 program, and closed the program and locked it up again. This was bad, but it helped me understand WHY it was happening. I closed the program (righ...t clicked on the icon in the hidden taskbar, and closed it). Then clicked it to open, successfully. On a laptop, when closing OUTLOOK, you must go to the UPPER TASKBAR, click on "FILE" and then "CLOSE", then wait a moment or two, as OUTLOOK sends and receives all pending messages. You CAN NOT just hit the RED X in the upper right corner and close your laptop. A Laptop is a Portable device, and must be treated slightly different than a desktop computer. This has been your Tip of the Day. See more

Due to this Pandemic, Customers have been flocking to me, to get their computers updated, upgraded, and uploaded, with all the latest stuff. One customer had me replace a dead hard drive, with a BRAND NEW 500GB SOLID STATE DRIVE (SSD) and reload it with Windows 7 and all its updates, because she wanted to hook it up to her embroidery machine that only works with Windows 7. So I loaded it up, configured it, and made it all set to go, only to have them say that they can't aff...ord it, and they "will have to let it go". They walked away from this computer. So I have this beautiful red laptop with a 17 inch screen, running Windows 7 and all the latest updates on it. I can sell it as is? Or I can format it for Windows 10, download all the pending updates, and sell it as a Windows 10 laptop. I need to pay for this SSD, so anybody need a fast laptop for $300 ? Tell me if you want Windows 7 or Windows 10 on it.

ALERT Someone tried to SCAM me by revealing my Facebook password to me in an E-Mail message. They demanded payment in 200 Bitcoins to a designated e-mail address. Mountain Geek Computers don't pay sh!t.... They e-mailed me at an account that is not even associated with my Facebook account (I have 5 addresses). They said they are going to publish lewd photos and videos of me (I don't pose, or take naked pictures of myself), they said they were going to post photos from my Pictures directory (I got nothing to hide). I was searching for a corporate job, and that might be how they got my e-mail address. Nobody holds me for ransom. If you see something unusual from me, (More unusual than normal), please call or text me, and I will check it out.

A customer replaced his older work computer after his hard drive failed. I replaced the old hard drive, and retrieved his data from the defective drive, but he wanted the newer, faster, computer. He gave me the old computer. Within an hour, a pastor from a local church called looking for a computer for his church's audio department. GOD works in mysterious ways! I have a good computer to donate to his church.

Had a customer bring in a desktop computer running Windows VISTA, with 2GB of RAM in there, and a 160GB HDD. I had to replace the power supply (it went out in the storm two nights ago). Once I got the power supply replaced, I dug around through my old spare parts and found some old RAM chips. Doubled his RAM to 4GB (no charge). Scanned his computer and removed the out-of-date Norton Anti-virus, and the expired McAfee anti-virus. Then I removed a bunch of Malware infectio...ns for him. When he came to pick it up, I mentioned that VISTA was a 9 month mistake that Microsoft put out in 2008-9, and I could upgrade this machine to Windows 7, but that program is expired, as well. He nodded and told me that he doesn't use any kind of E-Mail, he doesn't go on Facebook, and he doesn't look at Porno. The only time he uses the computer is to look at YouTube videos on how to fix his lawn mower, or he looks on CRAIGS LIST to see if someone is selling anything that he might want. I told him that I can't make any of the current anti-virus programs work on his old computer, but he should be fine with how he uses his computer. He paid in cash and i helped carry his computer back out to his car. To each, his own. I can help you, too.

Hi. While you are sitting at home, self-isolating, please take this time to run a virus scan, a Malware scan, and to BACK-UP YOUR DATA, so you have a fresh copy of all your data.

It was weird, this morning, when i pulled into a store, and jumped out of my car, to hear someone say, "John?" A quick look around saw one of my new customers from yesterday sitting in her car, right next to me. We both found it ironic/humorous.

Your WINDOWS 10 Computer should have just updated its version of MICROSOFT EDGE to a newer looking ICON that respects your privacy a little bit more, and allows you to be tracked a little bit less. ENJOY. If you did not get this update, please copy/print this message and follow these steps: 1. Click on the START Button in the lower Left corner. 2. The second icon from the bottom is a little GEAR WHEEL (Settings). Click on that. 3.When your BLUE pop-up screen populates with ...icons, scroll down to the LAST ICON (Security & Updates) and click on that. 4. near the very top of the screen will be a grey box that says "Check on Updates" or "Download Updates" or "Check for Updates". Click on that, then allow your computer to bring itself up to date. Reboot as necessary, when instructed to do so. 5. Very good. See if you have the new Microsoft Edge icon. See more

If YOU do not have Microsoft OFFICE on your computer; you should buy this NOW. It will upgrade/replace your older version. This is a one-time purchase price, not the once-a-month Office365 rental price. CALL ME if you need help installing this.

HOW TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE I had a lady call me today, and say that I gave her the wrong power cord when I last serviced her computer. I apologized profusely, and told her I would bring her the correct cord this afternoon. I then got her name, address, and make of computer that she has (New DELL laptop). I hung up, and scoured my records to see when I was last at her house. I did not recognize her name, nor her address. I’m human. I might have made a mista...ke? So, I grabbed one of my spare DELL power supplies, and headed over to her house. When I arrived, I immediately knew that I had never been to this address, nor had I ever met this lady before. Nonetheless; she invited me into her house. This nice lady showed me her laptop that I had just sold her (I don’t SELL computers), as well as the power supply that would not fit in the power port. I asked her if she had a copy of the receipt, or work order, so I could correct the technician that had caused her this misfortune. She looked through her stack of bills and receipts, but could find nothing. Then, she showed me the notepad where someone had written down my Company Name, my phone number, and My NAME. As a small business person, in a small town, I can’t have anyone talking bad about me. She then handed me the incorrect power supply that my technician had left her. It was a LENOVO power supply (Different sized connector). So, I pointed that out to her. Perhaps she had just grabbed the wrong power supply? Might there be another one, close by? She was embarrassed to see the name LENOVO stenciled on her power supply, and confused. She told me that she did have a LENOVO laptop back at her home in North Carolina, but assured me that this power supply was the power supply that my technician had given her. Again, I apologized to her, then told her that My company does NOT sell computers, and I was the only employee. I had never seen her before, nor sold her this laptop, but I wanted to see if I could help her out. I told her that Wal-Mart (less than mile away) sells generic laptop power supplies for $69 plus tax. For $75 she would have a brand new power supply. She did not want to spend the $75.00 She then said that she would wait until this weekend, when she returns to North Carolina, and check to see if the other power supply with her LENOVO laptop was a DELL power supply. I apologized for being unable to help her, and left. 1. I went to her anyways. I might have been mistaken? 2. I took a spare DELL power Supply with me (just in case). 3. I had a work order in hand; in case she needed service, or wanted to purchase my spare DELL power supply. 4. I politely left the premises, as soon as it was appropriate. 5. I left her one of my business cards. How can I help you?